A. Sometimes we feel abandoned and unheard, filled with sorrow, as though we are always losing
B. Examples of godly people who felt despair
1. Job (Job 3:11; 7:16; 19:7-8)
2. Jeremiah (Jeremiah 20:7-8; Lamentations 3:17-20)
3. Elijah (1 Kings 19:4, 10)
4. The martyrs in John’s vision (Revelation 6:10)
II. The prayer (Psalm 13:3-4)
A. Strength against the threat of death
B. Not a selfish prayer, but to prevent mockery against God (Numbers 14:11-16)
III. The praise (Psalm 13:5-6)
A. Trust God’s mercy (1 John 1:9)
B. Rejoice in God’s salvation (Mark 16:16)
C. Sing because of His bountiful blessings (Hebrews 13:15)
A. Part of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2-6)
B. Restated with an added warning (Deuteronomy 4:23-24; Joshua 24:15-20)
C. Reminders from the prophets (Nahum 1:2; Zechariah 8:2)
II. He desires our devotion
A. He must be above all else (Exodus 20:3)
B. He demands our all (Deuteronomy 6:5, 13-15; Luke 10:27)
C. Pay attention to what really matters (Matthew 6:33; Colossians 3:1-2)
III. Challenges to His place in our hearts
A. Money (Matthew 6:24; Colossians 3:5; 1 Timothy 6:10)
B. Worldly pursuits (James 4:3-5)
C. Family (Luke 14:26)
D. Selfishness (Luke 9:23)
IV. The warning remains
A. Our devotion cannot be divided (Isa. 42:8; 1 Cor. 10:21-22)
B. God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:25-29)
C. The unquenchable fire of hell (Mark 9:43-48)
A. Noah’s ark (Genesis 7:13-23)
B. The blood-sprinkled houses in Egypt (Exodus 12:21-23)
C. Rahab’s house in Jericho (Joshua 2:17-19; 6:17)
II. Safety with God today
A. In His gospel (Romans 1:1-2, 16)
B. In His body, the church (Ephesians 5:23; cf. 4:4; 1:22-23)
C. In His promise of eternal life (2 Timothy 4:8; Titus 1:2; 1 John 2:25)
III. Safety with God provides…
A. Protection from spiritual danger (Psalm 23:4; Matthew 10:28)
B. Freedom from anxiety (1 Peter 5:6-7)
C. Hope (Hebrews 6:17-20)
D. Rest (Matthew 11:28-30)
IV. Safety with God is…
A. Available to all (Revelation 22:17)
B. Given to those obedient to the faith (Acts 2:38)
A. A learned discipline – not a natural disposition or miraculous gift (4:11; Hebrews 13:5-6)
B. Content when humbled, hungry, in need (4:12)
1. Paul’s sufferings (2 Corinthians 11:23-28)
2. “Our light affliction” (2 Corinthians 4:17)
C. Content when prosperous and well fed (4:12)
D. Strength in Christ (4:13; Acts 9:22; 2 Timothy 2:1; Colossians 2:10 “complete in Him”)
II. The dangers in the extremes (Proverbs 30:7-9)
A. With poverty comes the potential temptation to steal (Exodus 20:15)
B. With wealth comes the potential temptation to always strive for more and to exalt self (Eccl. 5:10; Revelation 3:17-18; 1 Timothy 6:6-11)
III. God’s gracious providence
A. Basic physical needs (Matthew 6:11, 25-34)
B. Spiritual needs (Matthew 6:12-13; Ephesians 1:3; 2 Peter 1:2-4)
C. Trust in Him! (Matthew 6:19-21; Psalm 23)
A. Those who trust in the LORD (Psalm 125:1; Matthew 7:24)
B. The church of Christ (Matthew. 16:18; Daniel 2:44; Hebrews 12:28)
C. The Word of God (1 Peter 1:25)
II. The provision of God
A. God cares for and protects His people (Psalm 125:2; Matthew 6:25-32; 2 Thessalonians 3:3)
B. God blesses His people (Psalm 125:4; Ephesians 1:3)
C. Peace (Psalm 125:5b; Ephesians 4:1-3)
III. The danger of iniquity
A. Evil associations (Psalm 125:3; 1 Corinthians 15:33; Proverbs 13:20; Psalm 1:1)
B. Those who turn away from God will face judgment (Psalm 125:5a; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 6:7)
A. The sign of the Sabbath (Exodus 31:13)
B. Be holy and keep the commands of the LORD (Lev. 20:7-8)
II. The Seriousness of Sanctification
A. The involvement of God in sanctification (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 10:10; 2 Thessalonians 2:13)
B. Through the medium of the Word (John 17:17; Eph. 5:26)
C. The opposition of sin to sanctification (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8; 2 Timothy 2:19-22)
D. The penalty for those who refuse sanctification (Exodus 31:14; Leviticus 20:1-27; Hebrews 10:29)
III. Sanctify Yourselves
A. Man’s role in sanctification (Leviticus 20:7-8)
B. Sanctification prepares you for usefulness (2 Timothy 2:21)
C. Sanctification requires self-control (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4)
D. Sanctification of the Lord in your heart prepares you for suffering (1 Peter 3:15)
A. The worlds, the stars, the universe (Genesis 1:14-19; Psalm 19:1; Job 9:8-10; 38:31-33)
B. The earth’s natural wonder (Psalm 24:1-2; Psalm 104:10-17, 24, 33; Romans 1:20-21)
II. How great is God’s love!
A. The indescribable gift (John 3:16-17; Romans 5:6-11; 1 John 4:9-10)
B. My burden—my sin—taken away! (Isaiah 53:4-6; John 1:29; Hebrews 9:26-28)
III. How great is God’s promise!
A. When Christ comes—joy! (1 Peter 1:6-9; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18; Jude 24)
B. Humble adoration in that eternal home (Revelation 4:10-11; 5:11-14)
A. Blameless (Job 1:1, 8; 1 Timothy 3:2, 10)
B. Upright (Job 1:1, 8; Matthew 5:20; 6:33)
C. Feared God (Job 1:1, 8; Ecclesiastes 12:13; 2 Cor. 5:10-11)
D. Shunned evil (Job 1:1, 8; 1 Peter 3:10-12)
E. None like him on the earth (Job 1:8; Rom. 12:2; 1 Peter 2:9)
II. He holds fast to his integrity (Job 2:3, 9)
A. Perseverance (James 5:10-11)
B. When everything is falling apart, and even those closest to you tell you to give up, hold fast! (Job 2:9)
C. Perseverance leads to greater things (Romans 5:3-4)
III. Allegiance to God born of integrity (27:5)
A. First and foremost: God! (Matthew 22:37-38)
B. No matter what happens, we live for Him and we die for Him (1 Peter 3:13-17; Revelation 2:10)
IV. A clear conscience because of integrity (31:6)
A. Confidence to stand before God (Job 4:6)
B. Conscience must be properly trained (cf. Titus 1:15)
1. Good (1 Timothy 1:19)
2. Pure (1 Timothy 3:9)
3. Without offense (Acts 24:16)
A. Heart: not haughty (Proverbs 6:17; Luke 18:9-14; Hebrews 4:15-16)
B. Eyes: not lofty (Matthew 18:1-6; Luke 14:7-11)
C. Walk: not great or too profound (Romans 12:3, 16)
II. The discipline to exercise (131:2)
A. Calm, quiet soul (Philippians 4:6-8; Psalm 1:2)
B. Like a weaned child (Hebrews 13:5)
III. The reason (131:3)
A. Hope in the LORD (Ephesians 4:4; Titus 1:2; 3:7; Romans 15:13)
B. Beginning today, continuing forever (2 Corinthians 6:2; 1 John 1:7)
A. Transliteration of Greek noun of Hebrew origin ṣāḇā’
B. “LORD of hosts” more than 200 times
C. Romans 9:29; James 5:4 – rendered “Sabaoth” [KJV, NKJV, ASV], “hosts” [ESV]; “armies” [CSB, NASB2020]
D. Verb form, “go into battle, fight”
II. The LORD of hosts in the Old Testament
A. Elkanah’s yearly sacrifice; Hannah’s prayer (1 Sam. 1:3,11)
B. Battles with Philistines, Amalek, Goliath (1 Sam. 4:4; 15:2; 17:45)
C. Frequent use in the Psalms and the prophets – especially Isaiah and Jeremiah (more than 120x), Malachi (24x)
III. The LORD of Sabaoth in the New Testament
A. Romans 9:29 (cf. Isaiah 1:9) – the promise of the remnant
B. James 5:1-6 – He hears and will avenge the oppressed
IV. What does this mean for us?
A. Not a fleshly war, but a spiritual war (2 Corinthians 10:3-6; Ephesians 6:10-13)
B. Every Christian is a soldier (2 Tim. 2:3; Phil. 2:25; Phm. 2)
C. We must not be distracted (2 Timothy 2:4)
D. Fight the good fight! (1 Tim. 6:12; Titus 2:11-12; 1 Peter 2:9)
But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. (Acts 8:12)
