Psalms Of Deliverance (Part 10)

A story from the east tells about a father who had a family of quarreling children. So one day he called them altogether and he picked out the strongest among them, and he handed them a stick as a breaker snap with a gesture of contempt. The young man snapped the stick and headed back to his father. Then he had already a bundle of sticks. And he handed them to him is another break this one since I happen was content to broker sticks and given back to his father and that happen again in a bundle of three and four and five sticks that were bundled together and finally he handed him a bundle of 10 sticks. And he said Brinkley's board tried and finally he had to admit failure. He could not break them in the father looked at his sons and he said, let me tell you something that you must never forget that strength is in unity that a house divided cannot stand that anyone can destroy you one by one, but to stand together in unity and United you will find the strength to make your enemy free, some 133 is all about the unity of the spirit. It is the kind of unity that gives strength is the kind of unity that brings about the blessing of God. It's the kind of unity that sends your enemy fleeing is the kind of unity that produces peace is the kind of unity that makes the world sit up and take notice. Psalm 133 on the three versus how good and pleasant it is when the brethren work together in unity. It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard running down on errands. Down upon the caller's role. It is as if the dew of Herman were for design for their the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. Father is a plea of my heart that you would imprint those words in our hearts that they will become our motto and they will become our source of strength open our eyes to understand that we construct the blessing of God and that we can bring about the blessing of God by obedience to your word. In Jesus name, amen. What is that unity that the psalmist is talking about what first of all let me tell you what it is not then I'll tell you what it is this unity that the psalmist is talking about is not uniformity is not conformity. What I mean by this, I will explain the difference because it's very important. There are some people who think that unity is your lump together a group of churches or group of denominations and have them join together in organizationally and have organizational unity and essay.

This is a unity of the Bible is talking about. That is not the unity that the Bible is talking about. Listen to what Pastor Adrian Rogers, one of the great Christian leaders of our time at said and I quote he said it is better to be divided by the truth then be united in error.

It is better to speak the truth that hurts and then heals the falsehood that comforts then kills it is not love and it is not friendship. If we fail to declare the whole counsel of God. It is better to be hated for telling the truth than to be loved for telling a lie is impossible to find anyone in the Bible who was a powerful God who did not have enemies and was not hated it is better to stand alone with the truth than to be wrong with the multitude, it is better to ultimately succeed with the truth than temper succeed with a lie.

I once amen to that biblical unity is not unity at any price. Biblical unity is not unity that comes out of compromise of one's conviction biblical unity is not the unity that is go along to get along biblical unity is not unity with everyone everywhere know as a matter fact, the prophet Amos asks the question going to walk together unless they agree biblical unity is a unity of purpose. Biblical unity is unity of direction biblical unity is a unity of total agreement upon the truth. Biblical unity is the unity of having a common commitment to the truth of the word of God.

Psalm 133 verse one says how good and pleasant it is when the brothers or brother dwell together, live together in unity. Most of you know this, but limited you anyway. There is no use for me having unity was some pastor who does not believe in the virgin birth, and that is bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.

That is not unity is hypocrisy that is not used my pretending to be in unity with church leaders who denied the divinity of Jesus Christ and that Jesus is on the way to heaven. That is as phony unity as a three dollar bill now that is not the biblical unity that the psalmist is talking about. I wanted to listen carefully because the word brethren here means that they have common spiritual ancestry. The word brethren here means that they are of the same mindset brethren means that they are of the same conviction brethren means that their work of the same cloth as a youngster growing up I used to watch my mother and my four sisters always nipping and always often knitted wool and I would hear them say that you could never knit rule with caulking that it wrecks the garment that you can only knit together scenes that are of the same nature and that is why the Bible is very clear that a husband and wife must be knitted together in unity.

There is no compromise on their that members of one body must be in unity. The true believers in Jesus Christ must be in unity as brothers and sisters of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the way, before I could get away. Let me tell you two things about this text. David is saying that unity is beautiful and he also says unity is blessed of God is unity beautiful while the other beautiful because it's a gift of God see the one thing that Satan hates his two-seat Christians United. The one thing that absolutely makes Satan tremble is to go into a Christian home and see the husband and wife in the family United. The one thing that Satan dreads is when a husband and wife pray together in unity.

The one thing that Satan will do his utmost to undo as a church that is united in purpose and goal. Why, because whatever looks beautiful to God. Satan hates at several phone someone called the unity of the spirit, a rare and exotic plant, but it ought to be commonplace. It ought to be commonplace in the Christian home, it ought to be a commonplace in the Christian church because that is God's desire for the whole. This is God's desire for his church. This is God's purpose for the home.

This is God's purpose for his church, you know, when Adam and Eve were created by the Lord there were created in unity not only unity with God by doing unity with each other, but when Satan and sin came into the lives unity disintegrated. God said that it is not good for Adam to be alone and so he gave him Eve. While he didn't give him Eve so he can fight with her. He did not give him Eve so that the two of them will frustrate each other and fight with each other now. He did not give him Eve so that they can imitate each other now.

He gave him Eve so that they can complete teacher. They might fulfill each other in a legend has it that after Adam will leave for a little while he went to God is a God. I have two questions. First with me ask you this woman you made. She's so beautiful why did you make us a beautiful God said well so that you my love is it okay but God. The second question is this why did you make a soda. God said that's easy so she can love you is is humanity's first sin separated them from God. Humanity second soon when Cain killed Abel separated them from each other and that is why only God only God the Holy Spirit when he truly dwells in the lives of his children can bring about that unity again that was lost forever. No one can organize this unity of the spirit listen lodges can do it. Clubs can do it institutional church try all they make, they cannot create that unity that only God can give it my look okay on the outside but deep down there is why division only God can unite people together when they come under his authority under the authority of his word deal with the secret of the beauty of unity is the real secret is because it comes from God. You can have all the contracts and the agreements in the world but God is the one who gives true unity.

It is a gift from the indwelling Holy Spirit is all in the Old Testament is a symbol of the Holy Spirit everywhere. Oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. I wanted to look at verse two of Psalm 133.

David is telling us that it is God who pours oil is the one who does the pouring God is the one who does the anointing God is the one who pours the oil on the head of the high priests. God is the one who pours his favor upon his children. In order to unite them to see God is the one who fills the entire home with the fragments of his beauty break this verse a little bit because again to see that there is a progression here when the oil was poured in the head moves downward. First, the oil of God speaks of the glory of Christ, who is our high priest, the oil of God speaks of the majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ who is not only the high priest but he is the head of the church he run on this one. Whenever Jesus is placed at the Hilton whether being a home institution, a business, a church, any group of people whenever Jesus Christ is the head whenever he is placed at the helm, beautiful unity would result. Whenever sin is allowed to come into our home whenever sin is allowed to come into any group of believers together whenever sin is allowed to flourish in the hearts of the church of Jesus Christ, you can be sure that turmoil and strife will dominate my power dried up. I think will know any family when they have a rebellious member of the family and I'm not talking only about children because not only children can be rebellious. A father can be rebellious and walks out of his family, a mother could be rebellious and walks out of the family. Whenever there is rebellion in the family regardless is doing that rebelling. There is and there is strife not only for the person whose rebelling for everybody.

You see, it does not only affect that individual. It affects everybody around when you walk around thinking that you are sending a new rebellious and doesn't affect anybody else.

The church doesn't know about a limit tell you something God knows that's all that matter, but you are causing pain to the rest of the body. The oil goes from the head of the high priest down into Aaron's beard, which speaks of the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus was separated from sin since before eternity. He was sinless, pure holy son of God. He was every bit human. He was every bit sympathetic and loving and caring and then Doyle progresses from the head to the beard into Aaron's garment which is the church of Jesus Christ, the faithful body of the Lord Jesus Christ Aaron's garment was the garment of a ministering priest not going to tell you something that might not sit well with some of you, but that's okay. Nothing new for me. There are so many ministers and priests who are in the ministry for what they can get out of it and that is why the church is in the state it's in.

They are not in it so that they might serve as conduit of the blessing of God and the mercy of God and the preaching of the word of God.

They are not in it.

So there be a conduit of the anointing of God they not in it so that they may be channeled that anointing they not in it so that they may be selflessly given themselves, proclaiming of the gospel friend of mine told me it was six months before I started this church.

I have never forgotten it. He put both hands on my shoulders and said Michael let me tell you something. There's only two ways that you can be a pastor.

You either be a conduit in a channel through whom God works will be a cork that will block the power of God to you think I have ever forgotten that one waking moment.

Not one waking moment I forgotten those words and how true they are. Then Doyle goes down from Aaron's garment into the skirt of his garment and into the ground which speaks of God's mercy and his grace that reaches down to every repentant sinners, so all the brethren who are the brothers.

The brothers are laid up all the repentant sinners. You and I you and I are Christ's representatives so that people might come to believe in him, though some people who think that the clergy and the bishops, the priests and the Popes, and they are other representatives of Christ on earth not biblical at all. The Bible says that every true regenerative Christian is a priest.

The Bible says that every true regenerative Christian is an ambassador of Jesus Christ. Therefore, each one of us have to spread the beautiful fragrance of God's grace and forgiveness to this dying and lost world. Every one of us at the spread the beautiful aroma of God's mercy to a wicked generation. Every one of us is to spread the sweet smelling savor of the healing power of the Lord Jesus Christ was sick. That's on task as I'll call not somebody else itself. Everyone of us just as they do is God's gracious gift to the land of Israel. You know if Israel gets all the rain in the world but does not get that Connie bit of do every morning, it would cease to exist and that is God's gracious gift to them and that is why it's mentioned here and just as God's gracious gift to the land of Israel to make it exist is due.

So those who are in Christ Jesus. You and I are to be his refreshing servants to this parched world.

The beauty of biblical unity in the last verse, verse three, the psalmist tells us about the blessing of unity.

Look at the verse verse three for there the Lord bestows another translation says command his blessing, even life forevermore. Have you ever entered into a home was a spiritual unity the spiritual unity is dominating that home in on him talking about the piece, the serenity, the joy how inviting it is how blessed it is. Have you ever gone to visit a church and as soon as you walked in the door since the presence of the Holy Spirit presence of God to know why I want to tell you why, because squabbling and striving in the home or in the church quenches the Holy Spirit. It really does quarreling holes like Christians give every indication of a presence of sin in the midst, and when sin is present. The Holy Spirit is not ruling supreme and when sin is presence. Love goes out the window and Jesus said they will know that you are my disciples. By the way love one another.

I'm sure you agree with me that if I ask you today to raise your hand if you really want to receive the blessing of God. A lot of Christians have been praying that God will bless and I am in wholehearted agreement.

I've never met a Christian so that I don't want to be blessed. I just have a network only foolishness would deliberately reject God's blessing only foolishness would deliberately refuse the blessing of God. Most people would say oh Michael yeah I want to be blessed.

I want to be blessed of God will the way to receive a blessing from the hand of God is to be united under the spirits authority. I did not so long ago that when a group of thoroughbred horses face an attack from the enemy. They stand in circles facing each other and with their back legs they kick the enemy. Donkeys do the opposite whenever facing inanimate this. This circular facing the enemy facing outside and love the hind leg kick each other the truth, my beloved friends.

Is this that the blessing of God is ordered when unity is practiced that the blessing of God is bestowed. When unity is the norm I wanted from this in your minds by telling you about a visitor who went to visit a mental hospital in a prison where all the prisoners have mental problems and one of the things he noticed is that there were only three guards guarding well over 100 dangerous inmates. I mean, it caught his attention. He immediately went to the deputy warden.

He said aren't you afraid these inmates will overpower those three guards and and run out and escape the deputy's mother said no I'm not afraid at all because lunatics never unite lunatics never unite you know my friend will tell you something Jesus said it in several locations for said it once would've been enough for me.

He said when two or three of you gathered together in my name to be in your mix with assuming but it is he saying in other words, he said if when you coming unity, seeking my glory seeking the glory of my name. I'm going to be right there in a special way. In Matthew 18 he goes in and he says if two of you agree on something on the Badlands earth and heaven Lord was not mean to confess to you, I don't know everything that this verse means is a confession I really don't. I confess to you, I don't understand everything about this verse in Matthew 18, but I believe it and my wife and I practice it with seeing the answer to prayer after answer to prayer simply by holding onto the promise of Jesus. Now that is not the unity for unity's sake will yeah okay I'll agree with you we are.

I agree with Nana this don't agree with somebody because what Jesus means here about unity that it has to be absolutely heart and soul agreement. The agreement that brings about the blessing of God is a total on equivocal agreement.

Maybe someone here today who has not committed the life to Jesus Christ and you say my life is in shambles will until you come under the authority of the Holy Spirit. Your life will continue to be in shambles and thus the first step.

Let me talk to the believers husbands and wives want to decide today to be in total agreement.

Commit to that. And if you can't ask the Lord's award. We having a hard time with that, would you help us because we do want to be in agreement we want to blessing for our family want you blessing for our children. Believers in business together wanted to commit with each other. If you still can't agree just agree to pray to come into agreement. Members of the body of Christ. Small groups want to commit the power of agreement so that you will hear the words of the Lord that he will bestow upon you his blessing.

Father, we thank you that your word is true whether we practice it or not, we thank you that your word is true whether we were willing to obey it or not, I pray in the name of Jesus that the Holy Spirit of God will move into every heart that is within the sound of my voice, where there is rebellion that we the spirit of repentance where there is pride operating to be surrendered, where there is anger operating. Please.

In Jesus name, amen.

Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael. You sat recently featured on leading the way. If you'd like to know more about us, please visit LTW.org that's LTW.Ward