Latest / HBCWestminster / 5.10.20 Psalm 101 Pastor Danny Gardner

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5.10.20 Psalm 101 Pastor Danny Gardner · HBCWestminster

• 0:00
  Good morning, Highland. We are so thankful that you could join us for worship this morning. Thank you to Pastor Sam for leading us this morning. Fantastic song. Some of my favorites. Also, thank you to Pastor Nathan for doing announcements. If you guys have opportunity, like you've seen the last couple of Sundays, the videos of the new signs. If you have opportunity sometime this week to drive by the church, I would encourage you to do that. If you see our cars parked out front during normal office hours, feel free to stop in, too. Knock on the door. We'd love to come see you and say hi to you.
• 0:29
  just to see your face and encourage you. Hope and pray that your families are doing well, that they are healthy and strong. We can't wait to meet together again. We really can't.
• 0:42
  You guys have been able to join us for Glory Stories on Friday afternoons. Those have gone very well. We understand too, though, that with work returning and school going and all of that stuff, that not everybody is available 2 p.m. on Fridays. But if you are able to join us, those email invitations are going out on Thursdays typically. We'd love to have you, even if you don't want to participate, if you just want to stop in and listen, we would love to do that. Had a great time this last Friday with...
• 1:08
  several dozen of our church family members as well. A couple of body life announcements and some things to be praying for. We had a couple of families lose loved ones this week, and our hearts go out to the Leslie family. You guys know the Leslie kids. Adam Leslie is on our board and is also our sound engineer. Amy Leslie is our church treasurer.
• 1:36
  And then Amanda, their sister, doesn't attend our church, but lives here in Denver and often comes to church events. Well, they lost their mom this week to a heart attack. It was not COVID-related. But if you would be praying for them, they are obviously grieving that loss. It was an unexpected loss. She lived down in southern New Mexico, and so they've gone down to be with.
• 1:58
  their dad and to comfort one another. And so be praying for them. This was a difficult week, certainly to say the least. And in fact, because he lives, which we sang this morning, was actually Amy's request. And so we're glad to do that and pray that that song bless them. Also this week, Harvey Robeck, who is just a beloved brother and member of our church, lost his wife to cancer. Again, non-COVID related.
• 2:25
  But his wife, Laura, who did not often come to church, but who nevertheless knew the Lord, she went to be with the Lord this last week. And so if you would pray for Harvey and Joel.
• 2:37
  are the members of their family that we know the best because they attend most often. But pray for the entire family if you would. Praise God that the promise of Scripture is that Jesus is the resurrection and the life, that we as believers in him have heaven to look forward to. We will live for eternity. Our lives really only begin on the day of our death. And because of that, we have nothing to fear. We have only heaven to look forward to. We grieve, certainly, but we do not grieve as those who have no hope. And so...
• 3:05
  If you would just lift up the Robeck and Leslie families in prayer this week, that would be wonderful. Well, I'm going to read our passage this morning. It is Psalm 101, and today is Mother's Day, and so I've prepared a special Mother's Day message for today. Psalm 101. If you have your Bibles, you can open to Psalm 101. I'm going to ask you, if you're able to stand in honor of God's Word, to do that now. I'll read our text and pray and begin.
• 3:36
  Psalm 101 beginning in verse 1 says, I will sing of steadfast love and justice. To you, O Lord, I will make music. I will ponder the way that is blameless. O, when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house. I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away. It shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall be far from me. I will know nothing of evil.
• 4:04
  Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly, I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart, I will not endure. I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me. He who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me. No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house. No one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes. Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land, cutting off all evildoers from the city.
• 4:33
  Let's pray. God, I do ask that you would bless the reading and preaching of your word this morning. Lord, we are so blessed to be called by your name, that you have lavished love upon us, that we would be called children of God. And indeed, Lord, that is what we are. So Lord, as we hold your book now open on our laps in our living rooms, many of us with families, some by themselves, Lord, I pray.
• 5:02
  that your word, that your spirit would minister to our hearts, that your word would be preached with clarity, that your truth would be proclaimed from Highland Baptist Church and its people, because really, Lord, that is what the church is. The church is its people. And so, Lord, may we not lose heart as we are restrained.
• 5:26
  from gathering as we cannot gather in person for a while. Lord, may we not lose heart because really your church cannot be stopped. It has not been stopped. The preaching of your word cannot be stopped. The gospel cannot be stopped. Lord, the gospel is not on quarantine. So Lord, may we endure. May your people rise up. May your people stand firm in their faiths. May we continue to praise your name by the preaching of your word.
• 5:54
  And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. Well, Psalm 101, and speaking of Mother's Day, do you ever feel underappreciated? You know, my son Chase, my 10-year-old, makes it into my sermons probably more often than any other person. He says the greatest stuff. Our next-door neighbor, whose name is Max, who's become a very good friend, works for the city of Westminster and works for one of the utilities departments. And he and Chase have actually become very good friends. Chase.
• 6:25
  Mr. Max, who lives next door. And this last week, Chase saw Max outside and said, hi, Mr. Max. And then he said this, what have you been up to this week? Max replied, well, Chase, I've been working. And Chase said, your work is open? And Max said, well, yeah. Chase said, why? Why is your work open? And Max just said, well, you like having water in your house, right? Chase said, yes.
• 6:54
  So a couple of days later, Chase and I are washing my truck, and Chase tells me about that conversation. And then he said this. He said, Dad, did you know that our neighbors have very important jobs? I said, yeah, I did know. And he said, on one side, you know, Mr. Don, Mr. Don is a judge.
• 7:11
  And Mr. Don makes sure that the bad guys go to jail. Bad guys are punished. That's what Mr. Don does. On the other side, Mr. Max, he said this, is literally in charge of keeping us all alive. Dad, you're just a pastor? And I laughed. But honestly, I felt a little bit, kind of a twinge of defensiveness. Like, wait, my job is important too, right? You can't say that you're just a pastor.
• 7:42
  One is a judge and one is in charge of keeping us alive, water in our houses. You're just a pastor? I realized just not long after that that the Lord had actually given me this story as a gift. Today is Mother's Day and the work that mothers do is often overlooked. The reality is that the impact and influence of mothers cannot be overstated and yet mothers are rarely thanked with our stay-at-home order. Many of the things...
• 8:12
  which were normal in our lives, which were kind of assumed as foregone conclusions. Things like school and sports and restaurants and vacations now seem very distant. And I think the daily grind of motherhood is much the same. Laundry, meals, tidying up, putting away dishes are just kind of assumed in a household. And so this morning, I'd like to push pause and just say thank you.
• 8:42
  to all of the moms of Highland Baptist Church. You know, in every home, there are certain expectations, rules by which the home is governed. And although dads are often involved in the formation and execution of these rules, dads are also some of the greatest violators of those rules. I asked Hallie this morning, I asked her if there are any house rules that I don't follow. She just stopped, looked at me and said, Danny, so.
• 9:13
  So, so many. And then she left. No eating in the living room. Guilty. I mean, definitely. I'm the worst. No feet on the couch. Always, all the time. No leaving dishes in the sink. I'm horrible at that. No throwing baseballs in the house.
• 9:38
  We do that all the time. In fact, my son Chase and I have a game where we literally hit balls with a bat inside the house. No video games until your homework is done. That's another rule. Now, that one I am not a violator of so much because I don't have homework anymore. Praise be to Jesus. And I don't like video games. But if that were no watching baseball tonight until you know that all of the things you have to get done around the house are done, then I am horrible. I'm horrible.
• 10:06
  Who is it that makes a house function? And who is it that often carries the burden of oiling and maintaining the great machine of the family? Many times, the greatest burdens fall on the smallest shoulders, and it is often the moms. It's the moms that carry the families. The dads may be the heads.
• 10:30
  But the mom is the strong back that carries out the daily grind of child rearing, of feeding, of discipline. And so this morning's message is meant to be an encouragement specifically to you moms. And I pray that you really are encouraged. An encouragement to evaluate the spiritual climate of your homes, to consider the atmosphere of your homes and your part in them, the part that you specifically play. An encouragement to remember the promise.
• 11:00
  of 1 Corinthians 15, which says, your labor in the Lord is not in vain. Your labor in the Lord is not in vain. It can be a thankless job, but he says your labor in the Lord as you are raising children and as you are serving your husband and as you are maintaining a home, your labor in the Lord is not in vain. On June 15th in the year 1215, 800 years ago,
• 11:29
  King John of England agreed to a Charter of Rights, which originally was only intended to appease a group of rebels into a peace treaty. He had no intention at the time of actually following through on it. But nevertheless, he agreed to it. And among other things, the Charter guaranteed protection against certain abuses that King John had become known for. Abuses like restricting free worship and the wrongful imprisonment and overtaxation, the Magna Carta.
• 11:58
  The Great Charter, as it became called, still stands as an important symbol of what must be a government's limitations over its citizens in order to ensure their freedom. And I think it is one of the greatest documents ever written. It's 800 years old and still stands as really one of the most important things that has ever been penned on paper, eclipsed maybe only by our own Bill of Rights. Psalm 101, our text this morning,
• 12:28
  was probably written just prior to the coronation of King David. King David was about to become the king. And it was meant to kind of be David's Magna Carta. Here are the laws by which, he says, I will govern my kingdom. If you want to know what it was like to be a citizen under King David, he says, this is what my goal will be. It's like a series of resolutions.
• 12:56
  that he and his subjects would commit to live by. Its New Testament counterpart could be something like Romans 12, verses 9 to 13. I've heard this called the New Testament's Ten Commandments or the church's Ten Commandments. Romans 12, let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil. Hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal. Be fervent in spirit. Serve the Lord.
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  You listen to a list like that, and it makes you think, you know, if that's the church's Ten Commandments, that's the kind of church I would want to go to. A church who abides by Romans chapter 12, you'd say, man, that's a fantastic body of believers. I would love to be a part of that. Well, the challenge I'm going to give today, and specifically to moms, but not just moms, we'll talk about that. It really applies to everybody.
• 13:49
  is to run our homes in such a way that people would look at that, outsiders would look at the way that we run our home and think, I want to be a part of that house. That's the kind of house that I want to live in. You look at David's resolutions. That's the kind of kingdom I want to be a part of. Romans chapter 12, the New Testament, that's the kind of church I want to be a part of. Well, what resolutions have you employed in your homes that make people want to be a part of that house? Spurgeon, Charles Spurgeon has called Psalm 101, here's his quote, a little taste,
• 14:19
  of what awaits us in the promised land. Psalm 101 is like a little description of heaven almost. And I'm going to take some liberty here, and not, of course, with the preaching of God's word, but with the application of this text specifically. And for those to whom it should apply, if I may be so bold, moms, these are the rules by which you can run your lives and your homes. This is like the mom's Magna Carta.
• 14:48
  There are seven commitments here in verses one to eight, seven commitments taken straight out of the heart and mind of King David, the man after God's own heart, that moms, and I believe everyone else, would be wise to make the rules of their homes the governing rules of their lives. I've phrased each of these seven commitments in the form of a prayer request that I hope will be easy to make part of your genuine appeal to God as you lift up your homes in prayer. And so let's look.
• 15:18
  at verse 1. And first, very simple, Lord, make my home a place where you are praised. Make my home a place where you are praised. Look at verse 1. I will sing of steadfast love and justice to you, O Lord. I will make music. A life of praise, we know, can be defined as one that is constantly and consistently bringing glory.
• 15:48
  And that is true. A life of service, a life of commitment, a life of holiness and righteous living is a life of praise. But here he doesn't just say, I will praise you through my life. Here he actually says, I will praise you through the singing of music. And to whom will he sing? To you, O Lord, he says in verse one, because no one else is worthy. Love songs are good. They really are. They're fine. They serve a purpose.
• 16:17
  I mean, if you need to sing outside of a girl's window in order to get a date, then God bless you. Give it a try. Honestly, it'll probably work. It probably will. But that's not who David resolved to sing to. He would sing to the one who was deserving of praise. To you, O Lord, I will make music. And I've noticed a strange phenomenon.
• 16:43
  You know, I've seen people clap and shout and jump up and down while they're watching sports teams. People go nuts when Nolan Arenado hits a home run. People go nuts when the Denver Broncos score a touchdown. They jump, they applaud, they cheer, they celebrate. But then those same people come into church and kind of half slumped with hands firmly placed in their pockets, barely mouth the words during worship.
• 17:15
  moms, and everyone else, let's make worship the focus of our lives. Let's make sure that our lives, our lives of praise, let's make sure that our homes, our homes where the Lord is praised. Worship must be a part of our homes. And you may say, well, Pastor Danny, what if I can't sing? I'm not Pastor Sam.
• 17:43
  I'm not Carla. You know, I've got these gifted voices, incredible voices. I'm no Emily Howe, but an incredible voice. I can't do that. What if I can't sing? I heard a man one time say, you know, if God has blessed you with a beautiful singing voice, you should sing as loud as you can to pay God back. And if God has cursed you,
• 18:13
  With an awful singing voice, if you sound like a cat in a blender, he said, then you should sing as loud as you can to pay God back. Church, it's not about the voice that we have. It's not about our musical talent or ability. It's about living a life of praise, adoring our Lord through song and music. That's first. Lord, make our homes a place where you are praised. But notice second in verse...
• 18:43
  Two, Lord, make my home a place where you are pondered. Look at verse two. I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh, when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house. And here the king ponders the blameless way and then he connects that blameless way to the presence of God. Look what he says again in verse two. Look at it again. I will ponder the way that is blameless. When will you come to me? He connects a righteous life.
• 19:12
  being lived in the presence of the Lord. And men have long tried to figure out a way to live well without the presence of God in their lives, but to no avail. It is impossible. There is no lasting happiness, no lifelong joy, no light, no life apart from the great giver of each of these blessings. Moms, consider the presence of God in your lives. Consider the presence of God in your homes.
• 19:43
  You know, I've never met a Christian mom who didn't desire the presence of God in their homes. But consider this, the presence of God in order to dwell in your homes must first dwell in your hearts. I've had parents say that they want their kids to come to church because, and here's the exact wording, because they know it will be good for them. I know it will be good for them. And so I want my kids to be raised in the church. I know it will be good for them. But then they themselves hold the church at arm's length.
• 20:15
  And the picture that I had in my head as I considered this and pondered it was, I don't actually know what they're called. I'm going to call it a champagne pyramid. You ever seen one of these things? I've never actually seen one in person. I think I've only ever seen them in movies.
• 20:30
  But where they take these champagne glasses and they stack them level upon level and it goes kind of up in a pyramid shape. There's one at the top and then they pour something like champagne into the top one and they just keep pouring and pouring and pouring and pouring until that fills up and then it overflows into the ones beneath and they just keep pouring and pouring and it fills up and fills up and fills up and that one champagne glass at the top overflows and fills up all of the other ones underneath it.
• 20:59
  But consider this, it only works if the top glass continues to be filled. We want the presence of God in our homes. We want that, but we cannot give away that which we first do not possess. If the presence of God is not a reality in our own hearts, then it will never become a reality in our homes. If we as parents don't serve the Lord, honestly, our kids probably won't either.
• 21:28
  If we as parents don't speak about the Lord openly in our homes, then our kids probably won't either. Listen to Deuteronomy 6, verses 4 to 9. Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
• 21:52
  You shall teach them diligently to your children. You shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand. They shall be frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. So here the author Moses says, parents talk about the Lord all the time, wherever you go.
• 22:16
  Write them on your hands. Whatever you do with your hands, you should be talking about the Lord. Fix them to your forehead. Whatever you look at, whatever you see, whatever your mind ponders, make it about the Lord. As you're walking along the way, talk about the Lord with your kids. Listen to Psalm 78, verse 4. We will tell them, that is, the coming generations, we will tell the coming generations the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His might, and the wonders He has done.
• 22:43
  So the presence of God must reside in our hearts first. Ponder the presence of God, and then we'll be able to give it away to our kids. The righteous life, how to walk with integrity of heart. David says, I'm going to ponder those things. The way that is blameless. He would literally think about how to walk in a more holy manner. And church, can I just ask, honestly, how often...
• 23:10
  do we think about how to walk in righteousness? I'm a guy who replays conversations in my head. I do it all the time. I'll talk to somebody.
• 23:22
  I'll get an email or I'll have a phone conversation with somebody and I'll replay those things. How could I have said that better? How could I have worded that better? I will preach a sermon and I think about this. It really does, it kind of haunts me. Every misspoken word, every missed opportunity to declare the truth, I go back and I rethink that. I ponder, I reevaluate. How could I have done that better? At times, I'll confess. At times, I even fantasize about the things I wish I could have said in a conversation. Like, oh man.
• 23:52
  And if I wasn't the pastor of a church, man, I would have let that guy have it. You know, I do that. I don't often consider, when I'm just in my own head, how I could have been more righteous. How could I have blessed him? How could I have done that in a better way? How often do we practice holy living in our heads long before we ever have opportunity to employ it? You know, the next time.
• 24:22
  I'm invited to a place that I know is not healthy for me spiritually. Here's what I'm going to say. The next time that guy or that lady makes a joke like that, here's what I'll do. The next time I find myself in the midst of temptation, here's who I will call. He says in verse 2, I will ponder the way that is blameless. And Lord, make our homes a place where you are pondered. He continues in verse 3. Notice, Lord, make my home a place.
• 24:51
  of protection. Look at what he says in verse 3, I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. King David says he would literally protect his eyes. Are you careful about what you allow into your homes? Are you careful about what you allow to be viewed in your homes? Again, Charles Spurgeon says this, David would neither delight in it, aim at it, nor endure it.
• 25:22
  If wickedness were brought before him by others, he would turn away from it. He would not gaze upon it with pleasure. When David said he would guard his eyes, he was saying that he would be careful not to set before his gaze anything that would draw his attention away from where it should be focused. You say, okay, well, where are my eyes then supposed to be focused? Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 2. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Focus your eyes on Jesus, the founder.
• 25:53
  and perfecter of your faith. Colossians chapter two and verse three. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things on earth. I actually think that reference is reversed. I think it's Colossians three and verse two. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things on earth. Lord, make our homes a place where our eyes are guarded and protected. Fourth, Lord, make my home a place where hearts are purified. Continue in verse three. He says, I hate the work of those who fall away.
• 26:23
  It shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall be far from me. I will know nothing of evil. David would keep himself, he says, from dishonest work. He would not tolerate evil in his own heart, nor would he tolerate evil in the hearts of others. Those who would fall away, he would not emulate. He would not imitate. He would keep himself from. Well, church, moms, and others, everyone, how are you doing at keeping yourself from those who fall away?
• 26:52
  How are you doing at surrounding yourself with those who challenge and inspire you spiritually? It is such a blessing for me to see how our insight moms have continued to make attempts to gather. I see them in the church parking lot, sitting in chairs, big old giant circles, so they're following the social distancing guidelines and just there to encourage each other. And may I say, moms, good work. Keep going all the more.
• 27:22
  As much as you can, surround yourself with people who will encourage you spiritually. King David says, I'm not going to surround myself with the people who will pull me away. Make my home a place where hearts are purified. Fifth, in verse five, Lord, make my home a place where evil is purged. Where evil is purged. Look at verse five. Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly, I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart, I will not endure.
• 27:50
  David says, I will purge some things from my home, from my kingdom. One is slander. Whoever slanders his neighbor, I will destroy. He has very strong words for the slanderer and gossip. You know, church, there is no room for gossip and slander in the church. There's just not. Has no place in the heart and life of a believer. And it is astounding to me how often I will not only allow, but even participate in gossip.
• 28:20
  I'm not blaming anybody else. This is on me. I cannot believe how often I will allow it to happen around me or even participate in it. And it amazes me how quickly word spreads and how damaging those words are. Instead, we should jealously defend the honor of our brothers and sisters who are in Christ. You know, before I was a pastor, 20 some years ago, I was a high school teacher and there were
• 28:50
  Two brothers in the high school that I was a teacher at, John and Seth, and John and Seth were one year apart. They were very competitive, and John and Seth actually didn't like each other very much. They were always at each other, these two brothers, very close in age, very similar frames and builds. You know, they were physically comparable, and they were just always, always at each other's throats. It was common, in fact, to hear that they were in a fight on the church, not on the church, on the school.
• 29:20
  kind of playground area or in the school parking lot, always throwing punches at each other during PE class, never on the same page. They were never on the same team with one exception, one exception. And that was if another student said even the slightest negative thing about one, then the other brother would pummel that kid.
• 29:44
  They would pummel him. You don't talk about my brother that way. Like, you don't even like your brother. Yeah, but you don't get to talk about him that way. Only I get to talk about him that way. And church, I can't condone it, but there's something very admirable about that, this loyalty between brothers. What's your response when someone says something negative about your church, about your leaders, about your elders, about your pastors, about...
• 30:10
  Other saints, you know, honestly, what's your response even when people say something negative about another church? Because that is often one of the places that I find that Christians, we participate in a lot. It's negative speaking about another church in town. Are you loyal? Are you loyal to the family of God, brothers and sisters in Christ? He says, I'm just, I'm not gonna tolerate slander. He continues in verse five.
• 30:41
  Arrogance. What else will he not tolerate? Arrogance. He says, whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart, I will not endure. And there is no room for arrogance in the kingdom. It just doesn't fit in the life of the believer. How can we, who are saved by grace through faith, who cannot save ourselves, are worthless, are worms apart from the grace of God? How are we, who are so debauched in sin, wretches, how can we then brag about ourselves? We can't. We have nothing to brag about.
• 31:10
  We are people in constant need of reminders of our personal need for grace. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart. Notice sixth. Lord, make my home a place where faithfulness is promoted. Where faithfulness is promoted. Look at verse six. I will look with favor on the faithful in the land that they may dwell with me. He who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me.
• 31:39
  The faithful, he says, will be promoted in my kingdom. The blameless will become the heroes of the kingdom. And moms, this is a great place for you to disciple your kids. It's a great place. It's a great way to do it. Find spiritual heroes for your kids to look up to and point out the right things. You know, we will often wear...
• 32:02
  Things like sports jerseys. We'll wear a baseball jersey or a football jersey. Somebody else's name, because they've become...
• 32:10
  are heroes, and there's nothing wrong with that unless, of course, you're allowing your kids to wear a jersey from the San Francisco Giants. If that's the case, that is outright sin. It's blasphemous. The Giants in the Old Testament are the Philistines. No doubt they are Goliath. He was a giant, and they all now play baseball in San Francisco, and so you can strip your kids of those things. Anything else is probably allowed, but are we careful to admire and promote the right types?
• 32:40
  of people, men and women of honesty, of purity, of integrity, to promote the right kind of men and women, these spiritual heroes in our homes. David had resolved that he would look up to and be inspired by those who would hold him to faithful living and minister to him spiritually. They would become his heroes. And notice finally last.
• 33:09
  Lord, make my home a place where my children's souls are preserved. Look at verses 7 and 8. King David says he will preserve the people who are under his spiritual care. This topic has become,
• 33:41
  kind of a hot button for me in the last several years. I am often amazed at the laziness that I encounter in my own heart when it comes to leading my own home well. It takes dedication. It takes consistency. And that is such a hard thing to do. It's so hard to be faithful in the daily grind of parenting children. There is a sign that we have hanging in our home.
• 34:08
  It's been there for years and years. It just says the days are long, but the years are short. The days are long. And in connection with parenting, the days are long and the years are short. It makes so much sense. When you're in the grind, man, you're just tired. I don't want to deal with this again in the heart of my son or daughter. I don't want to do that again. It's so much easier just to say, just do whatever you want, just to ignore it, just to let it go.
• 34:32
  But to say faithful, he even says, King David even says, verse eight, morning by morning, I will destroy the wickedness in the land. Morning by morning, consistency, faithfulness. I find, I'm amazed at the laziness that I encounter in my own heart when it comes to leading my own home well. But then I'm also amazed at how excited I am to participate in my favorite hobbies.
• 34:57
  If it's disciplining my kids, I'm like, well, I'm too tired. Daddy works hard. You know, I mean, I'm out all day and I'm talking to people and I just don't want to talk anymore and whatever. But then if it comes to fly fishing, like, yeah, I'll wake up as early as you need. Oh, yeah, I can make time for that. Hiking, sports, even sports that I don't care about. You want to come over and watch the football game? Yeah, all right. I don't even like football. I'm there for the food, honestly. But man, I've got time for that.
• 35:25
  How tired I am when it's time to act like an adult, like a man, like a husband, like a father, like a pastor in my home. And King David says, you know, the kind of king I will be is steadfast, faithful, consistent. We find ourselves in a strange time in history. We know this is a weird era. I used a phrase in my last email to the church. And if you're watching this and you're not receiving those emails, can I just encourage you to go?
• 35:56
  and download the Church Center app, Church Center. You can find it on our website. You can find it on the Apple Store, Church Center app, and register yourself with us, and you'll start receiving those emails. But I used a phrase in my last email to the church. I said, don't give up watching online. I know we're all tired of watching online. We're tired of Zoom meetings, Google Hangouts. I don't want to have another one of those. I don't. I'm tired of them. But I said, make your living rooms a sanctuary.
• 36:25
  And Pastor Nathan even said that same phrase. He used that phrase during his announcements this morning. Make your living room a sanctuary. Take these things seriously. Make sure that the word of God is being preached, that God is being worshiped in your home. And make your living room a sanctuary. But we all know that sanctuaries need leaders. Sanctuaries need pastors. Sheep need shepherds. And you are the shepherds of your home. You are.
• 36:52
  I know the pastors and elders, we're the shepherds of this church, but you're the shepherd in your home. David says, he commits here, I'm going to be a good shepherd. The souls of the people to whom I have been entrusted, or that have been entrusted to me, rather, are going to be preserved. David's final resolution in Psalm 101 is that he would preserve the home where both he and his family would dwell, that it would be a place of spiritual nourishment.
• 37:22
  conducive to all of his other resolutions, a place of praise, a place where spiritual meditation and contemplation would take place, a place where eyes and thoughts would be protected, a place of purity, a place without slander or arrogance, a place where the faithful would be held in high regard. Moms, I hope that you are encouraged today. We love you. We're so thankful for the work that you do.
• 37:49
  maintaining your own souls, and then allowing the overflow of your hearts to fill up the lives of others. And we pray that God would continue to fill your hearts today. Let me pray. God, we are so thankful for your word again, thankful for the truth that it contains. And Lord, may we, as your Holy Spirit has been pricking our hearts and stirring us to action, may these words not fall on deaf ears. May we...
• 38:17
  Actually do something about it. May we be doers of your word and not hearers only. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.