Covenant of Hope Ministries Sunday Sermon (Originally posted 09_02_2012)
Welcome to Covenant of Hope Ministries and our sermon or
midweek study. You will normally see us posted on Sunday and Wednesday. I am
Rev. Laura A. Neff. Our ministry was built on the truth of God’s love. It
doesn’t conform to society’s wishes. This ministry shares the Word of God, the
Spirit of Christ Jesus. Those who know me well will recognize that there are
definitive differences in the creation of every sermon from this point forward.
It is God’s will that has brought this to be. We wish only that God’s truth
will be shared within His words as brought to us by the Spirit as it fills my
heart, mind, and soul to be shared with my hands, but with His words alone.
Prayer List: We have many on our prayer list.
Some wish to remain anonymous, and others only wish to have their first names
mentioned. Our prayer list grows or changes every week. This is our current
list.
- Please pray for Elder Cal Jennings who has been suffering
greatly with his health. May the Lord bring his spirits up and help heal him.
- Pray for my parents and youngest brother who would have
lost their dog Shadow just two days ago now. He was a faithful companion for
nearly sixteen years.
- Please pray for relief in the trials and tribulations for
Sister Theresa and myself as we have had a great many over the past year and
more.
- Be thankful for each day we live as we do not know what
tomorrow brings.
- Pray for our nations that the voice of God be heard through
the Spirit.
- Pray for our friends and families that their tomorrows
bring blessings and pray our own be the same.
- Pray for those suffering as a result of the terrors that
have occurred just this past week around this world.
- Pray for our sick and wounded that they may heal.
Prayer: Father in heaven, our prayer today is
to have the Spirit bring clarity to each of our decisions. We thank You for
that gift and the many more You have brought us. May our fears be drawn out of
us. Help us to see the many gifts Your love brings and the unknown locations it
might be found. May our pain and sorrow be eased. May peace be brought from our
hearts and shared with others. May Your gifts of love shine through us toward
others. We pray for the poor, the sick, the sorrowful, the wounded, and the
frightened. We pray for the soldiers, the Samaritans, the children, and the
rest. We pray in thanksgiving for every gift brought us. We pray that every
tomorrow bring good things. For each of these we pray in Your Holy Name,
through our Savior Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Amen and so
it shall be.
Opening Song: Just As I Am https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9oSB3elWY4
Sermon: This chapter is titled “Estate of the Wicked” here in Psalm 36. What
this chapter starts out with is a serious comparison between wickedness and
love. Added to that comparison, the fact that God must be seen through the eyes
of love, not the source of fear. Though, often people will see fear within
love, the truth would be, unconditional love is just that, love given
unconditionally. Let’s get started here in Psalm 36:1 KJV - The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
When we think of the words
“the fear of God”, we realize we have heard this phrase many times, not just in
Scripture, but in life itself. We have seen and heard this phrase in many ways.
Most of the time it’s used in chastisement. Yet, in truth, we shouldn’t always
view “the fear of God” in this way. There is one reason, though unconditional
love is an amazing ideal, many of us do fear finding that capacity. That is one
challenge all of humanity would have. We see fear in too many ways, to where
even the heroes of Scripture are subject to it. Take a look at how fear takes
hold of Abraham here in Genesis 20:11 KJV - And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.
When we fear for those we
love, sometimes we might do some crazy things. On occasion they backfire. With
others, they work, but, end up sometimes being regrets. Love should not hold
any of this within it.
Proverbs 8:13 KJV - The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
Proverbs 8:13 KJV - The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
Here we are, looking straight
at our studies on the seven troubles. You know, those seven we have read,
studied, watched and known, vanity, envy, lust, enmity, wrath, shame and doubt.
They are ever present, and it is no easy task to rein them in, to silence them.
Here is further proof of that fact as seen in Ecclesiastes 12:3 KJV - In the day when the keepers of house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bown themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened.
There is a song that holds
the word “tremble” within it. This song has the phrase “causes them to
tremble”, which only cements the ideal of “fear of the Lord” for some. Loving
anyone, even God, holds fear of some form. Some of us fear loss of love, being
overly loved, being alone, and more. With God, we are never alone, yet, we
don’t see this. We tremble instead. Now, the wicked, they aren’t interested in
the ideal of unconditional love, and it is proven in our next verse here in Psalm 36:2 KJV - For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.
There is only one word change
possible here. It has to do with the phrase “until his iniquity be found to be
hateful”. This phrase could also be shared as “to find his iniquity to hate”.
Now, if we look at this in the NIV we’ll see this difference: For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin. Ah, the sins of vanity, and this reminds me of an old
story, one of them a fairy tale, and another a myth. In both cases, they were
so fixated on themselves, they could not see anyone or anything else. When we
do this, we suffer the troubles, all at once, and loud and clear. That’s not a
good thing, either. Our last view of the chapter is seen here in Psalm 36:3 KJV - The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.
Love is to share wisdom and
goodness from the heart. Yet, for the wicked, they have forgotten this ideal.
This is something we must learn to prevent in our lives. We must share love one
another, not just as part of the commandment Jesus gave us, but as a gift,
because that’s what it should be. There is one last view today of how
wickedness can be seen and that is found here in Jeremiah 4:22 KJV - For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
The first thing I know some
will ask is what the whole verse means. Sottish means stupid or foolish
behavior as though a person were drunk. The NIV version shares this verse in
this manner: My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no undertanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good.
Understanding takes practice, but we must be willing to actually practice. Knowing how to be good and to do good, again, takes a teacher, and practice, practice, practice. Fear of the Lord, as part of Unconditional Love, combats wickedness, evil and sin, yet, too many would miss that fact. Do we? Now, that’s something to think about as we pray in the prayer Jesus taught us saying: After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Understanding takes practice, but we must be willing to actually practice. Knowing how to be good and to do good, again, takes a teacher, and practice, practice, practice. Fear of the Lord, as part of Unconditional Love, combats wickedness, evil and sin, yet, too many would miss that fact. Do we? Now, that’s something to think about as we pray in the prayer Jesus taught us saying: After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day
our daily bread.
And forgive us our
debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not
into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the
power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13 KJV)
~ Shalom ~
Rev. Laura A. Neff
Elder Calvin Jennings
Covenant of Hope Ministries Main
Site: http://www.covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com
Scripture Excerpts: The New Open
Bible Study Edition: Copyright © 1990: Thomas Nelson Publishers, Inc.
Scripture Excerpts: Holy Bible:
Copyright © 1982: E. E. Gaddy and Associates, Inc.
Scripture Excerpts: Holy Bible:
Copyright ©circa 1890-1910: International Bible Press, The John C. Winston Co.;
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Sermon or Study Copyright © 2015 http://www.covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com
Our mission for Covenant of Hope Ministries is not to exploit
fear, but to conquer it, and overcome all that is created through fear together
as the bringers of the light of Jesus found in the midst of darkness.
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