How Tedious and Tasteless the Hours - Part 1

The Baptist Bible. Lord, no comes to you under the direction of Elder Lucero Bradley Junior will and this share. Bradley Junior inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign grace our message today will be entitled how tedious and tasteless. The hours based on the hymn written by John Newton to begin the program.

We're going to hear another of the hymns written by this man who was a preacher of the grace of God and wrote so many dutiful hymns this one. How sweet the name of Jesus sounds and he and and and and and and. Well I'm glad to have you with us for the broadcast today and I pray the message will be a blessing to you. We do need to hear from our listeners on a regular basis, and particularly now this is a five Sunday month right in the middle of the summer slump. So if you can help us will be very thankful for.

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Our 17/37, Cincinnati, OH 45217 apostle Paul tells us in the Colossian letter that we are to speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody in your heart to the Lord.

Certainly psalms and hymns and spiritual songs should be a part of our worship service, but they can also be a great blessing in our life on a daily basis. John Newton was a man who was saved, having fallen into deep sin was very far from God but God reached his case saving Jonathan became a great preacher and a great hymn writer, while his best known hymn is amazing Grace. He wrote quite a number of hymns including glorious things of the are spoken afflictions, though they seem severe, how sweet the name of Jesus sounds.

Today I want to look at one of his hymns, not as well-known as some of the others, but thankfully it is in our book, one that I have loved through the years how tedious and tasteless. The hours when Jesus no longer icy, sweet prospect, sweet birds and sweet flowers have all lost their sweetness to me the mid summer sun shines. But damn the field strive in vain to gain when I am happy in him Decembers as pleasant as me. His name yields the richest perfume and sweeter the music.

His voice, his presence disperses my gloom and makes all with in may rejoice. I should work. He always thus not. I have nothing to which to figure no mortal so happy as I last summer would last all year content with holding his face my own to his pleasure resigned. No change of the season or place would make any change in my life while blessed with a sense of his love a palace toy would appear and prisons would palaces prove if Jesus would dwell with me. There your Lord, if indeed I am thine, if thou art my son, my song say why do I languish in time and why are my winters so long old drive these dark clouds from the sky by soul cheering presence restore or take me on to the on high where winter and clouds are normal hours that are tedious are wearisome with feel a sense of emptiness may feel a bit frustrated, tasteless, nothing of interest. Nothing that brings joy, excitement and anticipation. How tedious and takes us the hours. Sweet prospect site which I might normally have anticipated the things out in front of me things I might look at it and expect to enjoy the birds that sing and display the greatness of God's power and creation. The flowers and I would ordinarily enjoy. As I hold their beauty. All of these have become empty because the Lord has hidden his face. First I would like to observe that we should enjoy what God has given us. God has given us many things to enjoy some come to the incorrect conclusion that the Christian life is just a list of don'ts, don't do this don't do that and draw the conclusion to really be a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ just cut you off from anything that's beautiful or enjoyable. But there's nothing really worthwhile here. We can look forward to having sing about heaven, but right now we're just not able to enjoy anything because of the great restrictions of the proponents of the book of first Timothy chapter 6 verse 17 charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy God gives us richly abundantly all things to enjoy a sense that those who are wealthy should not trust in uncertain riches, they can soon slip away but there things that God has given us to enjoy.

God gives us beautiful things.

Some people kind of muddle through-an attitude that nothing much matters. If a better project doesn't want to get through it.

It doesn't matter whether was well done. If they are putting a picture on the wall. It doesn't matter whether it's anything is particularly attractive.

We just need to develop this blank space and no real interest in beauty only tell you that God loves beauty God gives us beautiful things. Isaiah chapter 35 verse one.

The willingness of the solitary place will be glad for them and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the road that there are differing opinions as to the reference here is whether this speaks of the coming of Christ. When here upon this earth that they were figuratively represented here that this prophecy concerning the things it would be seen in the ministry of Jesus, and that this is figurative language of the pick that up, and some say it is on the Lord would come the second time, but in either case, the point is made when he says that the desert shall rejoice and blossom as a rose. There's both joy and beauty, coupled in the passage it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and singing the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it the excellency of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord and the excellency of our God makes that which is beautiful. God makes that which is beautiful. He gives us that which is beautiful and we ought to enjoy that which is beautiful. Isaiah chapter 61 speaking by way of prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ.

It says to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion to given to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. He gives us beauty for ashes, ashes, speaking of the chaos that we sometimes encounter or create ourselves the darkness and trouble that comes as a result of sin, but he replaces that he gives us beauty something wonderful something that is through his honor and glory and then Psalm 19 verse one says the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his Julia couldn't look into the heavens and failed to see the beauty there all kinds of beauty that appear from time to time how beautiful is the brilliant sunshine at noonday, something that lifts your spirits something encouraging about seeing the sunshine how beautiful the sun can be at sunset beautiful full moon, and is much as you enjoy the sunshine when you have the dry spell sensitive had recently.

You also enjoy seeing the clouds form you know that were about to have rain and that's I was driving back to Cincinnati on time recently when there was a storm, a tremendous storm and I don't think I have ever seen so much lightning in my life. It was streaking across the sky was just perpetual. It was lighting up the whole sky and found there was a certain sense of anxiety seeing that it was also beautiful.

Just amazing and truly all around us we see evidence of God's creation that are beautiful tree can be a beautiful thing with flowers and all their amazing color. The different kinds of birds and the songs they sang some people go through life maybe and pay little attention to what others go to another extreme that they do admire the beauty but they come to worship the creation rather than the creator not talking about worshiping mother Earth talking about worshiping the God that created the heaven and the earth and standing in amazement at the beauty of his creation.

God gives us things of beauty, God gives us all things. First Corinthians chapter 3, Paul is dealing in this epistle with a divisive spirit that existed in the church at Corinth and he is emphasizing that there is no reason for them to be divided over preachers is as whether Paul or a policy or Cephas or the world or life or death, or things present, nor things to come, all or yours and your Christ, and Christ is God, rather than selecting one of these preachers and saying I am of Paul are saying, I am of Apollo's and the being factions in the church divided over preachers, he said they're all yours is put these gifts in the church for your benefit, but none stop there.

He goes on to say that the world is yours semi-semi-liniment printer. I heard you pricks just recently from the text of the book of first John, this is love not the world, neither the things that are in the world, but that speaks of the world, of which Satan is the prince of the power of the air, the ungodly world the world the creation of God it yours. There some things you have to pay for admission. Some things you have to pay taxes for P anything to look into the sky and see the handiwork of God, and it's yours because you know where it came from somebody else looks at it and said well came through a long process of evolution was some kind of an unusual explosion. Many, many years ago in his outcome, but you look at and see my heavenly father made that I want to know that the God I trust the God who is my father is the creator the world is yours life is yours. Your people say sometimes I just tired of living. I really know why I'm here so many disappointments so much trouble so much heartache, but life is yours. God has given your life. That's why you're still living today, because God has a purpose in you being alive and he gives you life to enjoy and fiddle.

Enjoy this because you figured out how to make it miserable it all is not made everybody else know if you're miserable. The problem is you haven't come to the Lord to learn how to rejoice, even in the midst of adversity or death.

Say what you meant what you mean death's mind when November was going to die, but for the child of God. Death is yours in a unique way other people make dread death. Other people may have a lot of uncertainty about, and I wonder what happens after you die, but for the child of God you can say with the beloved apostle to die is gain.

Death is yours because when you come to the end of the journey.

It's not a dead end road. It's not annihilation. It's not perpetual sorrow but it's eternal joy to die is gain since the possible death is yours things present, whatever's going on at the moment so it's pretty tough right now my burdens are heavy, but even the things that are going on that you may not understand this present time.

Some situations that you certainly cannot appreciate, yet all of this is in the hands of the sovereign God and your loving heavenly father and some people are given to constantly worry about the future. I just don't know what might happen down the road and if this happened, that happen not be devastated under the house. My committee says even things that are to come. Our yours the same God that cares for you today will care for you in the future. All things are yours.

Romans chapter 8 verse 28 and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. So when you take a text like that. You could say yes sir, all things are mine. I don't always know why I can't figure out what God is doing but I know that he is wise and good and loving and I'm happy to say my times are in his hand's even your trial are yours. Philippians chapter 1 verse 29 for unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. I like that part of this given the believe that even my believing was by the grace of God. Faith itself is God's gift but to say that it was given to me to suffer but God has a purpose in the suffering's of his people and so God gives to us things to enjoy beautiful things good things. Secondly, sometimes joy is lost because the Lord's face is hidden. John Newton uses the terminology when Jesus is no longer I see.

That's when I'm in stress. That's when nothing seems right, the beautiful things around them lost their beauty.

The sweetness of the Psalter monster sweetness.

Nothing is right if his face is hidden now. Sometimes his face is hidden because of our sin.

And it's important that we acknowledge and want to become aware of it, that the Lord has withdrawn his comfort and hidden his face because of our sin we have and confess our sin to make things right with him. We need to acknowledge our sin and claim his promise that if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Hosea chapter 5 verse 15 the Lord was speaking to the prophet to his people who were terribly disobedient. They had turned the false gods of the pagans around them and as a result, the Lord says I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offense and seek my face in their affliction, they will seek me early. I would withdraw. I would go to my own place to hide my face because of their sin and then in their affliction, they will seek when trouble comes, they'll recognize they been on the wrong path. They'll see that they have forsaken me, the true and living God, and they will return Psalm 27 verse nine, the psalmist says hide not thy face far from me put not thy servant away in anger. I was been my help.

Leave me not need to forsake my old God of my salvation when the psalmist speaks of the anger of the Lord. Obviously he's concerned about his sinfulness that might invoke God and anger, and so is saying hide not thy face from me.

So sometimes the Lord's face is hidden because of our sin. Sometimes it is hidden because we have forgotten his mercies we failed to give thanks for the with family mindful of them. I was the case with Jeremiah the prophet is called the weeping prophet had many sorrows and difficulties to deal with and Lamentations chapter 3 verse 18 and I said my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord remembering might affliction them.

I measure the wormwood of the ball getting down to pretty low level is not my hope is perished from the Lord. This is a prophet of God says it's all over. I got no more. Verse 21.

This I recall my mind therefore have I hope it is on the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning great is thy faith and in fact I was in darkness, it forgotten the mercies of the Lord. How many times have you been down on the linoleum you been down in times of discouragement and darkness and all you could think about was her troubles and you reviewed them when you rehash them when you played the scenes back over and over again. You would forgotten the mercies of the Lord, the Lord would have us pause in the midst of our adversities saying to him. Why don't count your many blessings name them one by one. Go back over the abundant mercies the amazing benefits. The multitude of blessings that God has showered upon you then Psalm 77 we find the same sort of experience is the psalmist even jumps to incorrect conclusions because he has temporarily forgotten the mercies of the Lord. Psalm 77 reading in the seventh verse, will the Lord cast off forever. Will he be favorable. No more is his mercy clean gone forever. To this promise fail forevermore. God forgot to be gracious at the end, anger, shut up his tender mercies. Selah bears the distress. There's a deep soul.

Trouble there is the spiritual affliction and I said this is my infirmity but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high. This was my weakness. I want to remember my years. I want to remember what God has done for me in the past I will remember the works of the Lord, surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also. Of all my work and talk of thy doing the fight. The Lord sometimes hides his face from his own children seems difficult for some people to grasp what we've observed in the message today that he does this. Sometimes because of our sin, as he says in the prophecy of Hosea. I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offense, but sometimes it's because we have forgotten mercies and we haven't been attentive to those things that is done for sin, he draws us back to himself. Sometimes it is simply to teach us lessons we could learn no other way when we're in those seasons of dark part that we must stay ourselves upon our God continuing to trust him as he leads us along the way, I encourage you to write us this week until next week.

At the same time. May the Lord richly bless you all and Baptist Bible hour is come to you under the direction of Elder Lucero Bradley Jude Rose all mailed to the Baptist Bible Lord Cincinnati, OH 45217. That's the Baptist Bible Lord Cincinnati, OH 45217 will