<%@LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> Untitled Document • Set The Lord In His Rightful Place

• Where Is God In Your Life?
• Psalms 16:8

• INTRODUCTION
• In Psalm 16:11 we are reminded that in the presence of God there is fullness of joy and true happiness...
• "You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
• I am sure that all Christians would agree; but even so, there are times...
• We all find ourselves not as close to God as we would like.
• We find ourselves spiritually weak, filled with depression and anxiety.
• In such times, what can we do in order to become close to God again?

• INTRODUCTION
• The answer is found in Psalm 16:8
• "I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved."
• It is when we "set the Lord before us" that we receive the benefits of His Presence...
• In this lesson, let us review ways that you can draw closer to God anytime you find yourselves drifting away from God.
• Perhaps a good place to start is to...

• SET THE LORD BEFORE YOU THROUGH GOD'S CREATION
• LET NATURE HELP YOU DRAW CLOSE TO GOD...
• For the Creation speaks to us of God
• It tells of His glory and His knowledge –
Psalm 19:1-2
• It impresses us with His eternal power and His deity – Romans 1:20
• In their own way, such inanimate objects worship God - Psalm 68:8,11-13

• SET THE LORD BEFORE YOU THROUGH GOD'S CREATION
• When we take time to contemplate God's creation...
• We understand more of His power and of His person
• This understanding enables us to come closer to God
• Just as increasing understanding between friends enhances friendship
• As it does any relationship (e.g., marriages)

• SET THE LORD BEFORE YOU THROUGH GOD'S CREATION
• OTHERS USED NATURAL SETTINGS IN DRAWING CLOSER TO GOD...
• Isaac would go out into the fields to meditate – Genesis 24:63
• Jesus would often go to the mountains to pray - Matthew 14:23
• It is easier to draw closer to God in the midst of God's creation (nature), and away from man's creation (cities)

• SET THE LORD BEFORE YOU THROUGH GOD'S CREATION
• Walking alone at eve and viewing the skies afar, Bidding the darkness come to welcome each silver star; I have a great delight in the wonderful scenes above, God in His power and might is showing His truth and love.
• -- Alone At Eve, Will W. Slater, vs. 1
• But God's creation can tell you only so much about Him. To draw closer, you need to...

• SET THE LORD BEFORE YOU THROUGH GOD'S REVELATION
• GOD'S WORD PROVIDES THE FULL REVELATION OF GOD...
• Through nature we are limited in what we can learn from God.
• We can see His power, divinity, glory, and knowledge,
• But we learn nothing of His will and purpose for us.

• SET THE LORD BEFORE YOU THROUGH GOD'S REVELATION
• It is only through Divine revelation that God has made His will fully known.
• He has revealed many things through His Spirit, who in turn revealed them through the apostles –
1 Corinthians 2:9-12
• Such things were written for our benefit and understanding - Ephesians 3:3-5

• SET THE LORD BEFORE YOU THROUGH GOD'S REVELATION
• OTHERS DEPENDED UPON THE WORD TO REMAIN CLOSE TO GOD...
• David used it in many ways to stay close to God - Psalm 119:92-93,105,147-148
• Jesus used it to ward off the Tempter - Matthew 4:4,7,10
• Let God's Word help you draw near to Him who is the source of peace and strength

• SET THE LORD BEFORE YOU THROUGH GOD'S REVELATION
• Sitting alone at eve and dreaming the hours away, Watching the shadows falling now at the close of day; God in His mercy comes with His word He is drawing near, Spreading His love and truth around me and everywhere.
• -- Alone At Eve, Will W. Slater, vs. 2
• But do not stop with listening to God through His Word. To really draw close to God, you need to...

• SET THE LORD BEFORE YOU THROUGH YOUR PRAYERS
• A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP MUST BE A TWO-WAY STREET...
• God has revealed Himself to us through His creation and revelation
• We must reveal ourselves to Him, which we do through prayer
• The means by which to express every concern, to receive appropriate blessings - Philippians 4:6-7
• The means by which to draw boldly to God, to obtain mercy and grace to help - Hebrews 4:14-16

• SET THE LORD BEFORE YOU THROUGH YOUR PRAYERS
• OTHERS FOUND PRAYER THE MEANS TO RECEIVE HELP FROM GOD...
• David found that confessing sins to God brought forgiveness - Psalm 32:3-6
• Jesus found prayer to be a source of strength in times of trial - Matthew 26:36-44
• Draw near to God's throne through prayer, let Him know of your deepest needs.

• SET THE LORD BEFORE YOU THROUGH YOUR PRAYERS
• Closing my eyes at eve and thinking of heaven's grace, Longing to see my Lord, yes, meeting Him face to face; Trusting Him as my all wheresoever my footsteps roam, Pleading with Him to guide me on to the spirit's home.
• -- Alone At Eve, Will W. Slater, vs. 3
• Finally, allow me to suggest that you...

• SET THE LORD BEFORE YOU THROUGH YOUR FELLOWSHIP
• STRENGTH COMES FROM ASSEMBLING TOGETHER...
• Just as there is strength in numbers - cf. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
• In view of the very real danger of falling away...
• We need to exhort one another daily - Hebrews 3:12-13
• We need to admonish one another through our frequent assemblies - Hebrews 10:24-25
• -- Like coals in a fire keeping each other hot, assembling together is designed to keep the "spark" alive in our relationship with God

• SET THE LORD BEFORE YOU THROUGH YOUR FELLOWSHIP
• THE EARLY CHURCH FOUND STRENGTH BY ASSEMBLING TOGETHER...
• As when Peter and John were released after being arrested - Acts 4:23-31
• As when Peter was imprisoned - Acts 12:12

• SET THE LORD BEFORE YOU THROUGH YOUR FELLOWSHIP
• OUR ASSEMBLIES CAN BE A FORETASTE OF GOD'S PRESENCE...
• In which we are drawn near to God together through song, prayer, and His word
• In which we enjoy the fellowship of God and His servants even now – “
cf. Revelation 7:9-17

• SET THE LORD BEFORE YOU THROUGH YOUR FELLOWSHIP
• Oh! for a home with God, a place in His courts to rest, Sure in a safe abode with Jesus and the blest; Rest for a weary soul once redeemed by the Savior's love, Where I will be pure and whole and live with my God above!
• -- Alone At Eve, Will W. Slater, chorus

• CONCLUSION
• Do you desire to draw closer to God?
• Then "set the Lord before you" through these avenues:
• Contemplating nature
• Meditating on God's word
• Spending time in prayer
• Having fellowship with other Christians
• Do this, and we can draw closer to God, singing with David: (Psalm 16:11)
• "In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

By Carey Scott from an outline by Mark Copeland

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