The Healing Word

Guest (Male): The Healing Word ministry on one place is brought to you by the generous donations of people like you. At any time during today's message, feel free to send a prayer request or make a donation using the links provided. Now, I pray you will be blessed as Pastor Jack Morris delivers a message from the word of God that will encourage and strengthen your faith in Him.

Pastor Jack Morris: The Lord knows how to deal with that roaring lion that's walking around seeking whom he may devour, and you're one of those that he wants to devour. But listen to this: when the lion hunts, the nature of the lion and the nature of Satan is this: the lion looks for the weak. Are you listening? He looks for the weak. Secondly, he looks for the unguided. He looks for the weak, he looks for the unguided, and he looks for the person who's alone. Now he'll bring you down if you don't have the word of God.

Guest (Male): Psalm 107 verse 20: He sent his word and healed them. Welcome to the Healing Word, a radio ministry of the Largo Community Church. Here's Pastor Jack Morris with today's message that will grow your faith in God and lead you to a closer walk with Jesus.

Pastor Jack Morris: Now, this is one of the saddest, most poignant stories in all the Bible. This psalm is making reference to that sad, poignant story. It's a story of a fugitive father running, fleeing from a son who wants to kill him. Can you imagine your children turning on you like that? But that's what happened to David, King David, and his son, Absalom, wanted the father's throne.

You see, Absalom couldn't wait until his dad died. He's going to just help death along and get rid of dad so I could get all dad's money and all dad's power. When our children just grow up thinking that the only way life can be happy and successful is to get and gain the material, to gain power, this is what happened to Absalom. It's a sad, sad story.

But this psalm is a clear picture of what faith can do, how faith in God can triumph in the fiercest of our trials, in the fiercest presence of adversity. Hear this word today: adversity comes. It comes to all. Things have been smooth for a little while, but look out. We're in a world that breaks people, but we're in God who keeps us when we put our faith and our trust in Him.

Now, there are three selahs in this psalm, three paragraphs. I'm going to break it down and help you to look at it. Simply, it's on the screen. Selah means to pause, to hush. It's the instrumental interlude. This psalm, like many of the psalms, were sung. David penned this psalm and they would sing two verses, a selah. They would stop. "Consider what you're singing," that's what he was saying.

Stop and think about what you're reading. Stop and consider what the sermon is delivering. Then go on to the next and then pause again. So we're going to do that now. We're going to look at that first selah, and I want you to look at the screen and read those first two verses in unison. There it is, together: "O Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, God will not deliver him."

Selah. Now what is he saying, selah? Just stop right there. Just stop right there and consider what you've just read. David is saying, "I'm stopping to consider what's going on in my life." Friend, we do not choose trouble. Trouble chooses us. It follows us. It hounds us. David was facing the greatest trial of his life. His son had rebelled against him.

His son was trying to overthrow his kingdom. This was the greatest difficulty and the greatest trial of his life. There's a lot of difficulty that is just waiting to pounce on us, but God is able to keep us, to bless us, to help us in all of our difficulties. God allowed this to happen to King David. He didn't spare him from it, but David found God in the midst of his difficulty, in the midst of his trouble.

Not only, listen to this, not only did the son go after the father. The father had to leave the palace, had to flee for his life, took some of the servants and ran for the hills and to the caves to get away from his son. But in addition to that, his son ridiculed his father's faith. This is what the son said: "God will not deliver him." You see, the last "God will not deliver him."

Now the son thought, "I'm bigger than God." This is what Absalom was saying. His mind was so corrupted and so deceived that he begins to ridicule his father's faith. Instead of embracing his father's faith, he tried to tear it down. "I can take care of this situation. God can't even stop me from what I'm doing." God can stop you, Absalom. God can stop you, and God did stop him.

But friend, this is very similar to what happened to Jesus when He was on the cross. Not only did they want to kill Jesus, and not only did they indeed kill Jesus, but this is what they said. He was on the cross, bleeding, dying, but just before He died, they said, "He trusted in God. Let God deliver Him now if He'll have Him."

They not only wanted Him dead, but their anger, your mouth—the mouth is set on fire of hell. It's a little thing, but oh my God, the damage it can do. The damage it can do. They weren't satisfied in crucifying Jesus. They had to ridicule Jesus. "He said God will save him. He says he trusts in God. All right, let's see what God will do for him now."

But Jesus obviously was obedient to the Father out of love for you and me. Often what looks like failure and defeat may be God's method of leading us into a richer, deeper experience with Him. You see, not only was David brought back to the palace and received his kingdom back, the same thing happened to Jesus. Jesus was alive.

He could have come off the cross and still been alive, but God had a greater miracle. God said, "Go ahead and kill him. I'll raise him up. I'll deliver him. I'll show you my almighty power. I have the power not to just take him off the cross, but power to bring him out of the darkness of the tomb." Now I want you to look at this again. How many manys do you see up there?

Three. "Many are my foes," said David. "Many rise up against me," said David. "Many are saying of me, God will not deliver him." The repetition of many: there are many, many, many difficulties, many troubles, many situations that are unpleasant, unexplainable. Many of them. Sometimes it just seems like the whole world is against us, and I'm sure that's how David was feeling at that moment.

Sometimes we feel like we are just stuck in the vicious cycle of trouble. It just goes round and round and round. When is it ever going to let me go and let me loose? One problem leads to another problem. Trouble turns into more problems and more trouble, and it's a downward spiral. But now notice the last word up there. What is the last word? Selah.

Selah says stop and consider. Yes, well, that's what I'm doing right now. I'm acknowledging it. We're not to stick our head in the sand and say as a Christian, "I don't have any problems anymore. I'm just footloose and fancy-free. Life is made up of beautiful things. Life is a bowl of cherries. Life is a nice package with a pink ribbon tied around it."

No, we're going to acknowledge, we're not going to deny. We know there is a real devil. We know that there are problems in this world. We're going to stop and consider what it is that's bothering me. Friend, what you have to do to get out of this vicious cycle is to name your trouble. Don't just say, "God deliver me from all my troubles."

No, that's just a big broad stroke. If you don't know them, why do you want God to know them? God knows them, but He wants you to know your problem so that when He delivers you, you will know it was a mighty deliverance.

Guest (Female): Pastor Morris will return in a moment with the conclusion of today's message following this important invitation. The Church of Friendship and Joy, where Christ is honored and people are loved. This is what you'll discover at the Largo Community Church, located in South Bowie, right off of Central Avenue.

We invite you to join us in worship this Sunday at either the 9:00 or 11:00 service to experience a wonderful fellowship of believers and faith-building messages based on God's word that are sure to encourage your faith and spiritual formation in Christ. Infant care is provided and there are Sunday School classes available for all ages. So why not join us this Sunday? The church is located at 1701 Enterprise Road in Mitchellville, Maryland. For more information, visit our website at largocc.org. Now, let's rejoin Pastor Jack Morris for the conclusion of today's message.

Pastor Jack Morris: A few days ago, I preached a sermon saying that love and faithfulness before me and goodness and mercy behind me. Remember that one? Yes, that's it. That's your place in the Lord. Notice glory, this is what God does. Put that scripture back up again. See what happens. You see, "But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, you're my glory." My light, my splendor, my joy, my happiness.

This is where it comes from. It doesn't come from down here in a horizontal way at all. It comes from the Lord, the Father of lights in whom there is no shadow of turning. God never turns from His child, never turns away from His children. God does. "But you, O Lord, are my glory." You see what happened? Jesus purchased our salvation.

He was glorified when He came out of the grave on resurrection morning. Now, what has He done with that glory? He's given it to you and me.

Guest (Female): We'll return to the message today following this invitation for you to check out thehealingword.com. There you'll find inspirational testimonies, messages from the word of God to empower your spiritual life, and the Pray Now app that you can access to pray with Pastor Morris over a need in your life. Everything we offer on thehealingword.com is our free gift to you. So go there today and be healed. Now, let's join the conclusion of today's message.

Pastor Jack Morris: Listen, I'm going to say something very important to you now. How many military people do we have here today? Raise your hand, let me see your hand. You've heard of the Medal of Honor. Well, Jesus fought the battle, Jesus won the war, Jesus was victorious, but He pins the Medal of Honor on you.

Now, in 19—well, they started America started giving out medals of commendation back in the Civil War, but I believe it was 1960 that they had now a Medal of Honor for the Army, the Navy, which also includes the Marines, the Air Force. The Medal of Honor. I'm going to just allude to some of the wording that's on that medal: "Conspicuous gallantry and being intrepid."

I think that was Jesus. Very conspicuous on a cross, dying there naked and ashamed, very conspicuous for everybody to see. Watch Him now, this gallant Savior. Look at Him. He "at the risk of life," the Medal of Honor reads. Jesus risked His life, He gave His life "above and beyond the call of duty."

He didn't have to die for anybody, but He did way and way beyond. He said, "No one takes my life from me. I give it. I have power to lay it down, have power to take it again." And it says "in action involving actual combat with an opposing armed force." Jesus went against the gates of hell.

Jesus died and ascended into Hades and into Sheol, and after three days, He burst asunder and He came forth. And God blessed Him. God's glory was upon Him, but you get the Medal of Honor. This is what David is saying: "But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, you are my glory." God wants to glorify you with the glory that was upon Jesus Christ.

Now notice it goes on to say: "the one who lifts up my head on high." Now you can imagine how depressed David must have felt with his son chasing him, his son out to kill him. His head was hanging low. You know, people who are sad usually their eyes are down, their head isn't up. But God blessed David that he said, "You lifted up my head on high.

I couldn't lift up my head. I was so sad, I was so depressed." Anybody here sad or depressed today? God will lift up your head. Let God be a shield around you. Let God's glory come upon you. Let God lift up your head. And then he went on to say: "And He answers me from His holy mountain."

David was thinking of Jerusalem, the mountains around the city of Jerusalem where the temple of God is. David was saying God comes from the church. What I've heard in the church comes to me from His holy mountain, His holy word. And then it says, selah. Now David said, "I first considered my problem." But I didn't consider it too long.

I looked at it just long enough to get it in perspective. But then I broke the hypnotic power by looking to the Lord. And he said, "He lifts up my head, He's a shield around me, He's my glory, He answers my prayer." Friend, am I talking about anybody here today? Has any of that happened to you today?

Well, then talk about it, share it, speak about it. Talk to the Lord Jesus about it and say, "Lord, you're all around me. You're around my kids, you're around my spouse, my husband, my wife. You're my glory. You have brought your light and happiness and joy into my home, into my life. You're the one who has lifted up my head.

Lord, we've called out to you and what we've heard in the church has come to us from your holy mountain, your holy word. It's ours. Selah." Now look at verse 4. It says: "To the Lord I cried aloud, and He answered me from His holy hill." He answered me. Isn't that strange? Is that new to you that God can answer a prayer that you pray?

But you have to pray it first. And when you pray it, wow, the power comes, the answer comes, the glory comes, the salvation of the Lord comes. Now let's look at the third selah. Let's read it together: "I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side. Selah."

So now he said, "I'm going to stop and I'm going to consider this. I've considered my problem, my first selah. I've considered what God is to me, the second paragraph, the second selah. Now I'm going to consider what God has done for me." "I lie down and sleep." Now how can any man sleep when an whole army and your son is out to kill you?

They might slip up on me while I'm asleep. But "God gives his beloved sleep," the scripture says. Anybody having insomnia, having sleeping problems? You begin to praise the Lord. You begin to testify. You begin to talk about it, sing about it, praise the Lord. The peace of God that transcends all understanding will fill your heart and mind, and you'll be able to go to rest.

And he said, "I wake because the Lord sustains me." I don't have to worry about it all myself anymore. I used to think that, but not now. It's the Lord who sustains me and He keeps me. And notice he said, "I will not fear. I will not fear." Some of you need to just put your foot down and say, "I'll stop this. I'm going to break this problem. I'm not going to fear."

I've got the Lord, I have Jesus in my heart, and He sustains me. With ten thousands problems. He started out by talking about the many, many, many problems, but he said, "I have ten thousand problems that assail me, and I'm going to stop and I'm going to consider, I'm going to praise the Lord and I'm going to receive from the Lord." Now look at what happens here.

I'm going to read verse 7. David goes on, now he starts to pray. He said, "Arise, O Lord! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked." Do you hear what he's saying? Strike the enemy. The scripture says Satan goes around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Satan wants to eat you alive.

He does not only want to cause you harm and pain—he wants to do that, yes—but he ultimately wants to destroy your faith in God and destroy the happiness of your life and take away everything that God has given you. He wants to completely, ultimately destroy you. But David said, "I'm not going to be afraid. I'm not going to be terrified."

I have God to sustain me. I have the Lord on my side. I am going to be okay. Now what happened here? Listen to me, I have to close right now. What happened here? The scripture says basically this: that the devil—that Jesus took the devil, broke his jaw, knocked his teeth out. Did I read that right?

"Strike all my enemies on the jaw and break the teeth of the wicked." Friend, you look to the Lord and the devil will knock the teeth out of Satan. You take a lion that has a broken jaw and no teeth, he might be able to gum you, but he can't bite you anymore. The Lord knows how to deal with that roaring lion that's walking around seeking whom he may devour.

And you're one of those that he wants to devour. But listen to this: when the lion hunts, the nature of the lion and the nature of Satan is this: the lion looks for the weak. Are you listening? He looks for the weak. Secondly, it's the nature of the lion and the nature of Satan: he looks for the unguided. He looks for the weak, he looks for the unguided, and he looks for the person who's alone.

Now he'll bring you down if you don't have the word of God, the milk of the word, the meat of the word. If you're not getting the word, if you're just getting a meal once or twice a month, if you're not into the word, you're going to get weak and his attention is going to come after you. And some people are saying, "Oh, why me? Why my kids? Why did this happen to my house?"

Listen, friends, only God can save you. When you're not with your children, only God knows where they are and God will be there with them. The devil is looking for the weak, and the devil is looking for the unguided. I can try to shield myself, but David said the Lord is a shield around me, around me. And the devil is looking for that person who's alone.

And when that lion sees that type of person, the lion roars and pounces and destroys. Now friend, we have heard the truth today. We know the truth. It's what we do with the truth. We can't be shallow with the truth and casual with the truth. This is the truth of God's word. So today be strong in the Lord.

Put on the whole armor of God. What is the armor of God? It's the word of God. It's prayer. It's fellowship with the church. The scripture talks about the general assembly and the church of the firstborn. You can't be casual with your church. The church is His body. It's purchased with His blood. It belongs to Him.

And when you're part of that, then that means you belong to Him also. We can't let ourselves—and what I mean we let ourselves, we do that to ourselves. We harm ourselves. We weaken our faith. We separate ourselves from the general assembly and the church of the firstborn. We become weak, we become isolated, we become alone.

The devil is there and down you come, or your family, or whatever it is that is born of God, whatever it is that God has originally given you. You've allowed the devil to take you down. Friend, put on the armor of God. Take His word. Pray. Come to His church. Sing His praises. Give forth His testimony. Tell of all that God has done for you.

Live in close fellowship. Now look up at the screen with me and read the conclusion together: "The cycle of trouble is broken when we let go, look to God and let Him intervene. From the Lord comes deliverance." Say it again: "From the Lord comes deliverance." Say it again: "From the Lord comes deliverance." Amen! Amen! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Guest (Female): Do you need Pastor Morris to pray with you about a struggle or decision you're wrestling with? The Pray Now app is available to you right now. Go to thehealingword.com, click Pray Now and select the topic that matches your request. Pastor Morris will provide encouragement, pray with you, and deliver a brief message on overcoming and living in victory. Again, Pray Now at thehealingword.com.

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