Reference: Psalm 16
If you would like to turn with me to Psalm 16, we are talking about “Mature in Christ”. We are looking back to the Old Testament, but it’s a Psalm that looks forward into the New Testament, and it may well be one that Bob will mention this afternoon as he deals with Christ in the Old Testament. Psalm 16 and Psalm 22 are two of the most well known Messianic references in the Psalms, amongst others. I hope this will encourage you.
As it has spoken to us, particularly verse 11, which is where our main conclusion comes, that you may know fullness of joy on the path of life.
“Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.
Psalm 16 (NASB)
I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord;
I have no good besides You.’
As for the saints who are in the earth,
They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.
The sorrows of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied;
I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
Nor will I take their names upon my lips.
The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.
I will bless the Lord who has counseled me;
Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.
I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.
For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to Or see corruption or the pitundergo decay.
You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”
Alongside agape [ἀγάπη] love, as we touched in recent messages, joy is a key marker of the maturity in Christ that we are to grow into. In fact, joyless Christians are a paradox, an enigma, or (as I’ve said before) even an oxymoron. If we’ve truly received salvation as a gift from God, received by faith in Him, a faith which is itself a gift from Him; and are being transformed from glory unto glory into His very image, then both love and joy ought to be the markers of our belonging to Him. We have great reason to rejoice, no matter what our circumstances may be. Of course the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, and self-control. Love and joy are right there at the beginning, at the pinnacle of that list of aspects of the fruit of the Spirit. Paul says in Philippians 4:4, “rejoice in the Lord always“ – you know it! Do you do it? “Again,” just in case you didn’t get it the first time, “again I will say, rejoice.” And in 1 Thessalonians 5:16: “Rejoice” (there’s that word again) “always“.
Psalm 16 is about experiencing joy and pleasure in God. …
Listen to the rest of this sermon here:
Neil Ward, Foothills Church of Christ, Sunday 8 October 2017