CHRIST CREATIVE BAPTIST CHURCH
A SERMON PREACHED ON SUNDAY
JANUARY 24, 1999
BY
THE REV. DR. GEORGE ST. ANTHONY FERGUSON, SR.
AUTHOR: David And Several Others
THEME: Praise To The Lord
DATE: 10 Century BC
TEXT: Psalm 84:6
No matter where you live in this world, you will find a valley. Valleys can be found in Africa. Valleys can be found in Asia. Valleys can be found in Europe. Valleys can be found in Australia. Valleys can be found in North America. Valleys can be found in South America. Valleys can even be found in Antarctica. Valleys are all over the earth. What is a valley? A valley is a glen. A valley is a gorge. A valley is a dale. A valley is a hollow. A valley is a canyon. A valley is formed anytime there are two land masses that are high and next to each other. Two plateaus next to each other will form a valley. Two hills next to each other will form a valley. Two mountains next to each other will form a valley. For example, the Kidron Valley in Israel is a valley formed by Mount Zion and the Mount of Olive. Merriam Webster’s Dictionary defines a valley as an elongate depression of the earth's surface usually between ranges of hills or mountains; a low point or condition. Any one of us can find ourselves in a physical valley. But in addition to a physical valley, we may find ourselves in an emotional valley, a psychological valley or a spiritual valley. And every now and then we find ourselves in a bad condition. We find ourselves at a low point. We find ourselves between a rock and a hard place. We find ourselves in a state of depression. We find ourselves in a valley. And one day, the writer of Psalm 84 told us about a valley. So on this Fourth Sunday, the Lord told me to preach on the topic: In The Valley.
We are in the 84th number of the book of Psalms. As we begin this sermon you should know that David is not the writer of this Psalm. In fact, we do not know who wrote this Psalm. But whoever wrote this Psalm was a knowledgeable man when it came to the things of God. This Psalm was written to the chief musician, the minister of music, of the Temple. This Psalm was to be played upon the Gittith or an instrument made famous by the Philistines in the city of Gath. Psalm 84 was written for the sons of Korah. The sons of Korah were descendants of Korah the Levite who conspired against the spiritual leadership of Moses and Aaron in the Wilderness. God judge Korah and those who were on his side and 14,700 people died that day. But God showed grace on the sons of Korah and from that day forward they became eminent in the Levitical service. They carried the Ark of the Covenant and other items of the Tabernacle. King Solomon made them the singers, ushers and police force after he built his Temple. This Psalm was written for the sons of Korah. Psalm 84th tells us how the Jews found delight in the house of God. By the time we get to Psalm 84, Psalm 1:1 said, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful." Psalm 42:1 said, "As the hart pants after the water brooks, so pants my soul after you, O God." Psalm 73:1 said, "Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart." And here Psalm 84 begins by saying, "How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!" The tabernacles of God are pleasant. The Temple of God is kind. The churches of God are lovable. You ought to be happy to come to the house of the Lord on Sunday. You should be glad when its time to go to church. You should be pleased to be in church whenever the doors of the church are open. David said I was glad when they said unto me, let us go unto the house of the Lord. And the writer of Psalm 84 in V2 said, My soul longeth, ye, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God." My first point is this: Your soul ought to strongly desire to be with the living God. When was the last time you could not wait to go to church? When was the last time you strongly desired to be in church? When was the last time your soul longed to be in church? If it has been longer than one week, that’s too long. If you really wanted the Lord in your everyday, day to day, routine life, then
YOUR SOUL SHOULD LONG TO BE IN THE CHURCH OF THE LORD
YOUR SOUL SHOULD FAINT TO BE IN THE CHURCH OF THE LORD
YOUR HEART SHOULD CRY OUT TO BE IN THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD
YOUR FLESH SHOULD CRY OUT TO BE IN THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD
When your body wants to get out of bed to be in church, you know the Lord is in control of your life. This is the day that the Lord has made we will rejoice and be glad in it. Say amen, somebody. I’m talking about In The Valley.
Listen! The psalmist said, yes, the sparrow has found a home in the house of the Lord. Sparrows use to always fly in and around the Temple in Jerusalem. They flew around it so much that they made the Temple their new home. And did you know that since the Rosenfeld company put that chicken wire up under the yellow awing downstairs, all the pigeons who found a home under the awing now find a home on the ledges outside our windows. In a sense, they have found a home in the house of the Lord. The sparrows found a home in the house of the Lord but Jesus told us that we of more value than many sparrows. The song says, His eye is on the sparrow and I know he watches me. And the psalmist said, the swallow had found a nest in the Temple for herself and her babies. How many of you know that church is the place for families and friends? You should find a home in the church. You should find a dwelling place in the church. You should find a place to raise your children in the church. You should find you and your family at the alter of God. You should find you and your family at the alter of prayer. The Lord is the Lord of hosts. The Lord is my King. The Lord is my God. The Lord is in His holy temple... He alone is worthy of all praise. And V4 says, "Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah." My second point is this: You will always be blessed when you come to church. The psalmist said blessed are they that dwell in your house. In other words, if you consistently come to the house of the Lord, you will be blessed. If you week in and week out come to the house of the Lord, you will be blessed. If you rarely miss coming to the house of the Lord, you will be blessed. You ever wondered why you seem to keep missing your blessings? You miss church, you miss your blessing. You don’t come to church, your blessings won’t come to you. You ignore church, your blessings will ignore you. What I am trying to tell you is that if you chose not to come to the place that God has told you where to meet Him every Sunday then God will chose not to send His blessing to you. I did not say that, God said that. God said if you tithe, then He will open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that you will not have room enough to receive it. Your problem is that you want to do it your way, not God’s way and you keep missing your blessings. You want to come to church when you want to and you keep missing your blessings. You don’t want to give your tithes and offerings and you keep missing your blessings. You don’t want to help this church to grow and you keep missing our blessings. And yet you still want to know why all this hell keeps coming on you. God will let the devil make your life a living hell and take you straight to hell even though your name is on the church roll. You better make sure your name is on the heavenly roll. You better make sure your feet are planted on the solid rock. You better come to church Sunday after Sunday. And the psalmist said those who consistently come to church will still be praising God. You ever wonder why some people just can’t stop praising the Lord and other just can’t seem to get started? The difference is this. First, people who don’t know the Lord will never praise the Lord. Period. They might come to church out of tradition or form or fashion but they will never praise the Lord. But second, many Christians who are still babes in Christ will not praise the Lord. Many Christians who are flesh oriented, carnal Christians will not praise the Lord. Many Christians who have lost the joy of the Lord will not praise the Lord. Many Christians who have left their first love will not praise the Lord. But
IF YOU ARE GROWING IN CHRIST, YOU WILL STILL BE PRAISING THE LORD
IF YOU ARE A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST, YOU WILL STILL BE PRAISING THE LORD
IF YOU KNOW THE LORD WOKE YOU UP THIS MORNIN’ AND STARTED YOU ON YOUR WAY, YOU WILL STILL BE PRAISING THE LORD
IF YOU KNOW THE LORD PUT FOOD ON YOUR TABLE, CLOTHES ON YOUR BACK, MONEY IN YOUR POCKET, AND A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD, YOU WILL STILL BE PRAISING THE LORD
You’ll still be praising the Lord come Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and come Sunday, you’ll say praise the Lord; its time to praise the Lord again. Oh, give thanks unto the Lord for He is good. For His mercy endures forever. I’m preaching about In The Valley.
The psalmist said blessed is the man whose strength is in God. The psalmist said blessed is the man whose heart is in the ways of God. My hope is built on nothing less... And V6 says, "Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools." My final point is this: We will all go though a valley. Most scholars believe that this verse refers to the time when the Jews were forced from Jerusalem into Babylonian captivity. That’s when the Jews said by the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yes, we wept, when we remembered Zion. The Jews said we hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. The Jews said for there they that carried us away captive required of us a song. The Jews said and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, sing us one of the songs of Zion. The Jews said how can we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land. The Kidron Valley East of Jerusalem became the Valley of Baca. The Kidron Valley became the Valley of Weeping. The Kidron Valley became the Valley of Tears. And all of us go through valleys. You are going to the valley, in the valley, or coming out of the valley. The valley is when you have sinned. The valley is when you have done wrong. The valley is when you have committed an iniquity. The valley is when you have done a transgression. The valley is when you have reached the lowest of the low. The valley is when you scrape the bottom of the barrel. The valley is when reaching the bottom of the barrel is an uphill climb. The valley is real. And you need someone to help you. You need someone to stand by you. You need someone to deliver you. You need someone to save you. You need a burden bearer. You need a load sharer. You need someone to forgive you. You need Jesus. And I don’t know about you but in my 44 years of living, I have found out that it is in the valley of my life, the valley of my despair, the valley of my pain that I learn so much about God. When I’m on the mountain top, I can see for miles but I usually don’t learn nothing. When I’m on the mountain top, I’m looking all around but I usually don’t learn anything. When I’m on the mountain top, I can observe everything below but I usually don’t learn a thing. But when I’m in the valley, I can’t do anything but lean on the Lord. When I’m in the valley, I can’t do anything but trust in the Lord. When I’m in the valley, I learn who God is. When I’m in the valley, I learn what God is all about. When I’m in the valley, I learn what God can do. When I’m in the valley, I have to be still and know that He is God. When I’m in the valley, I learn that God can do anything but fail. When I’m in the valley, I learn that God is will never leave you nor forsake you. Moses and the Jews were in a valley and Pharaoh was behind them, and the Lord parted the Red Sea. What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you. And when you are in the valley, you better hear what the Lord is trying to tell you. When you are in the valley, you better learn what the Lord is trying to teach you. When you are in the valley, you better see how you got to the valley and why you are in the valley or the Lord will let you go back through the valley. And some of us act like we love the valley. We act like our home is in the valley. We act like we shouldn’t be anyplace else but in the valley. But the valley is not for a Christian. The valley is not where a Christian ought to be. The valley is not where a Christian out to live his or her life. You are to walk through the valley not live in the valley. O yes, you will have a valley experience in your life. All of us will have a valley experience. Most of us will have many valley experiences. Some of us will have almost nothing but valley experiences. None of us will escape this life without going through the valley experience. Your valley experience may be how the love of money rooted you in evil. Your valley experience may be how your uncontrollable sexual appetite destroyed you. Your valley experience may be how power corrupted you absolutely. Your valley experience may be alcohol addition. Your valley experience may be drug addition. Your valley experience may be your lack of self control. Your valley experience may be the lost of your marriage. Your valley experience may be the lost of your job. Your valley experience may be your low paying job because of your low level of education. Your valley experience may be the lost of your love one. Your valley experience may be the lost of your health. But what ever your valley experience is, the Lord can and will make a way somehow. The writer of Psalm 84 said who, passing through the valley of Baca, make it a well; the rain also fills the pools. The valley of Baca is the valley of weeping. The valley of Baca is the valley of mourning. The valley of Baca is the valley of tears. The valley of Baca is anyplace where you are in pain. But when you are in pain, you ought to pour your heart out to God and cry out to the Lord. Cry out, Lord have mercy on me. And when you cry out, you make your valley a well of faith. When you cry out, you make your valley rain with hope. When you cry out, you make your valley a pool of love. And your valley experience does not mean that this is the end of you. Your valley experience is just another stepping stone of opportunity for you to know that God is God all by Himself. Your valley experience is just another stepping stone of opportunity for you to know that the Lord He is God. Your valley experience is just another stepping stone of opportunity for you to know that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. The writer of this Psalm said those who trust in the Lord go from strength to strength. He said everyone of them in Zion appears before God. He said O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob. Paul said be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. How many of you know that God hears and answers prayer? He might not come when... Don’t wait till the battle is over shout now... The writer of this Psalm said behold, O God our shield and look upon the face of your anointed. If you have been saved by Jesus, then you are the anointed of God. If you have the Holy Spirit in your heart, then you are the anointed of God. Jesus Christ is the anointed of God and He has anointed you as His brother or sister. The Holy Spirit is the anointing of God and He has anointed you by His Spirit. And that’s why the psalmist told us, for a day in your courts is better than a thousand. That’s why the psalmist told us, I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. He was saying, I would rather choose to sit at the threshold of the door in the house of my God than to live in the houses of wicked people. Why was he so happy with God? Why was he so pleased with God? He said for the Lord God is a sun and shield. He lights up our way and protects us from all hurt, harm and danger. He said the Lord will give grace and glory. Aren’t you glad for the grace of God and the mercy of God? Aren’t you glad that one day the God will crown you with His glory? Way do you think you will get a glorified body? His grace and mercy brought us through. Glory to His precious name. And not only did the psalmist say God gives us grace and glory, but no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. God will not withhold any good thing from you if you walk upright before Him. God will not keep any good thing from you if you live right according to His Word. You ever wonder why God withholds certain things from you? God knows that it will not be good for you. Don’t you know that everything that looks good to you ain’t good for you? Don’t you know that everything that seems good to you ain’t good for you? The only things good for you is what God want you to have and wills for you to have. That’s why the writer of this Psalm said blessed is the man who trust in God. You are blessed if you trust in the Lord. You are happy if you trust in the Lord. You’ll have joy if you trust in the Lord. The joy of the Lord... Well, as I head to my seat, I want you to know that there are many valleys in the Bible. There is the Valley of Jericho where Joshua fought the battle of Jericho. The Valley of Megiddo where Jesus will fight the final battle in the world. The Valley of Ajalon where the Sun stood still for Joshua. The Valley of Jehosaphat which is the Kidron Valley. The Valley of Decision where Jesus will come back to on the Day of the Lord. The Valley of Hinnom where the Jews burned trash and their babies to an idol god. And the Valley of the Shadow of Death which is anyplace where the devil tries to steal from you, kill you or destroy you. But there is a God up in heaven who sees you in your despair. There is a God up in heaven who sees you in you sorrow. There is a God up in heaven who sees you in your pain. There is a God up in heaven who sits high and looks low. That’s why David said the Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want. That’s why David said ya though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of death I will fear no evil. Why David? Why did you not fear evil in the Valley of the Shadow of death? Well first of all, David knew that the Lord was his Shepherd therefore he knew that no matter what happened in his life, the Lord would take care of him. Second, David knew that although he was in the valley between two mountains, there was someone greater than the mountains above him and that someone was God. Finally, David knew that beyond the shadow of the valley was the sunshine of God. Jesus is the Sun of God with healing in His wings. You see, where there is a shadow in the valley, there is sunshine on the other side of the mountain. Where there is a shadow in the valley, there is sunshine beyond the mountain. So no matter how dark your days, there is always hope. No matter how dark your hour, there is always hope. No matter how bleak the bosom of blackness in your midnight sky, there is always hope. In the midnight of your mumbling madness, the shining star of the salvation of Jesus comes streaming through. David said ya though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death... That’s why I come to church every Sunday. I find love, joy, and peace. The song says there will be peace in the valley for me someday. The song says I found peace in the valley, its the bright and the morning star. I found love in the valley, and its the bright and morning star. I found joy in the valley, found it to be the bright and the morning star. A-a-amen. Amen. Amen. Jesus is the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valley, the bright and morning star. Jesus is the day star. Jesus is the light of the world. Jesus is alpha and omega, the beginning and end, the first and the last. Jesus is the way out of the valley. And let me ask you this question: "Are you in the valley getting beat up by Satan or on the mountain top praising God? The doors of the church are now open.
© 1998 drsax989238@msn.com
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