INTRODUCTION

Pleasure is powerful. We love doing the things we love doing. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to frame the Ten Commandments as the ‘Ten Pleasures.’ If we can find pleasure in them, we will do them more heartily and lovingly.

This is especially important because our flesh, the world, and the devil have been very successful in presenting the commandments as pleasure-killers and therefore God as a great Killjoy-in-the-Sky. “They’re having fun…I’ll soon put a stop to that” “They’re happy… let me fix that.”

It’s therefore vital to highlight verses like Psalm 37:4 which call us to delight in God. Why and how should we delight in God?

BACKGROUND

We’ve been preparing the groundwork for viewing the Ten Commandments as the Ten Pleasures:

• The Path to Pleasure (Redemption, Relationship, Rules, Reward)
• The Person who is our Pleasure (Christ is revealed in the law)
• The Power of our Pleasure (We have an inner King, Teacher, Priest, husband)

Now we want to enjoy the first pleasure. Before we do so, notice three points

• The preface underlines that redemption and relationship (1-2) comes before rules and reward (3 ff)
• The context of freedom from bondage indicates that the commandments are part of our freedom.
• It’s the first commandment ands therefore the most important and most foundational.
• It’s stated negatively (no other gods beside me), but it implies the positive (have me as your only God)

It’s the positive aspect of the commandments that we want to focus on in this series, and therefore we will look at Psalm 37:4 which states the commandment positively.

This Psalm was written in the context of gross and painful injustice, everything going wrong in the world, and therefore it’s especially striking and stunning that David calls us to delight in God, to find joy, pleasure, and happiness in him.

What’s the positive of the first commandment?

1. GOD COMMANDS DELIGHT IN HIMSELF

Delight yourself in the Lord (Ps. 37:4).

Reject idols

There are many strong and successful competitors for our hearts. John Calvin described the human heart as an idol factory. Here are some of the idols that come off our conveyor belts every day.

God is not forbidding us from finding happiness in all these areas. He’s forbidding us putting them first in our hearts, putting them so high that they rival God’s exclusive place as our only God, or detaching any good in them from God. They must never become our identity, our security, our hope, our trust. They must not become our masters, our controlling influence, our primary interest, our greatest loyalty, or our worship.

The seriousness of idolatry is underlined by the words “you shall have no other gods before me.” That means ‘in God’s presence, in front of his eyes.’ Having an idol “before God” is like having sex with someone else in front of your husband or wife. God wants exclusive loyalty (Mat. 6:24; 22:37; Mk. 12:30)

Rejoice in God

God deserves our delight and can be our delight. He can be our greatest joy and pleasure, a source of ultimate and total satisfaction. We can be captivated, enthralled, excited, enthused, energized, ravished by God. That doesn’t always come immediately. There can be many steps from the depths of drudgery to the dream of divine delight.

Legalism > Obligation > Coercion > Drudge > Guilt > Fear > Resentment > Boredom > Rebellion >

Knowledge > Grace > Faith > Commitment > Obedience > Service > Comfort > Praise > Enjoy > Delight!

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

Rejoice that you know the one true God. The one true God is revealed in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is a beautiful symphony in three movements with a crescendo of joy beginning at Creation, increasing at Calvary, and then amplified worldwide at Pentecost.

Delight in this one true God. The Bible does not condemn pleasure but says, “Get it in God.” (Neh. 8:10; Ps. 34:8; 43:4; 63:3; 70:4; 100:2; Sos 2:3; Isa 58:14; Hab. 3:17-18; Gal. 5:22; Phil. 4:4)

GOD-ONLY DELIGHT
= GOD-SIZED DELIGHT

What does God promise his delighters?

2. GOD PROMISES TO SATISFY US WITH HIMSELF

…and he will give you the desires of your heart (Ps. 37:4).

God can do what no idol can do. He can fill and satisfy our hearts with himself. There’s so much of him to go around, no one will ever lack or lose out.

This promise does not mean that if we can delight in God enough he will give us whatever we want. No, it means that when we delight in God, he will change the desires of our heart so that he can give us what we desire. By delighting in him, we will want what he wants and desire what he desires.

A heart that delights in God is a heart that is being re-structured, re-ordered, and re-organized so that it wants God’s will and God’s glory more than anything else. When we delight in God we will only ask for what delights God. Nothing will give us more satisfaction and pleasure than God being satisfied and pleased.

Some people treat God like a call-center employee. We don’t care about who it is—their name, character, personality, past, interests, home—only about what he can do for us. But delighters are more interested in who God is than what he can do for us.

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

We become what we worship (Ps. 115:8). The more we delight in God, the more we will be like him and desire like him. Delighting in God develops us to be like God. We resemble what we revere. Worship changes us into his image, it restores his image in us (Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18).

Delight in God to delight in his will. This applies both to actively obeying his prescriptive will (the moral law), and submitting to his providential will (the unfolding of his plan for our lives). Delight in God’s character, God’s Word, God’s world, God’s salvation, God’s church, God’s worship, God’s people, God’s mouth, God’s ears, God’s eyes, God’s hand, God’s mind, Gods heart. Delight in the Father, in the Son, and in the Holy Spirit. Why not give it a try?

GOD-SATISFACTION IS OUR SATISFACTION
GOD-DELIGHT IS OUR DELIGHT

SUMMARY

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What do you find most pleasure in? How does that affect you and change you?

2. Why is misrepresenting God as a killjoy the devil’s favorite tactic?

3. What idols have you (or are you) delighted in?

4. How do the words ‘before me’ in the first commandment help you to worship God alone?

5. How can you better do and delight in God’s prescriptive will and submit to his providential will?

6. How does this sermon change your view of God? Of the Christian life? Of evangelism?

PDF OF SERMON NOTES

INTRODUCTION

I have an eating disorder….and so do you. We all do to one degree or another. Every single person alive has an eating disorder. I’m going to prove that to you today but I also want to share the cure with you. We begin by distinguishing between appetite and hunger.

Appetite is a person’s general desire to eat food and dictates how much food we want to eat as well as the type of food we feel like eating. Hunger is our body’s biological response to a lack of food. It occurs when the body recognizes that it needs more food and sends a signal to the brain to eat. Eating disorders usually result from disorders of appetite or hunger or both. For example:

• Someone has an appetite even when their body lacks signs of hunger (leading to over-eating)
• Someone lacks an appetite even when their body has signs of hunger (leading to under-eating)
• Someone lacks both appetite and hunger (again leading to under-eating)

Hunger is largely physiological but appetite is affected by many factors: physical, social, sensory, cultural, cognitive, habitual, geographical, economic, historical, etc.

A healthy and balanced appetite and hunger is a gift of God. It means everything is combining to give us reasonable and appropriate desires and cravings for food and a satisfaction with it. Only Adam and Eve experienced that, and only before the fall of humanity into sin. After that, every human being has suffered with disordered eating of one kind or another.

However, as with every part of God’s curse, this part is also ultimately intended to be a blessing as it sends us to God for healing, not just physical but spiritual healing. In John 6:22-35, we see Jesus addressing and curing disordered eating. He basically says to everyone, “You have an eating disorder that I alone can cure.” What is Jesus’ cure for our eating disorder?

NB: Like all mental health problems, not all eating disorders are only the result of personal sin. They can be in whole or in part a physiological or biological problem.

What eating disorder do I have?

1. JESUS RE-ORDERS OUR PRIORITIES (26-27)

The day after the ‘Feeding of the 5,000′ the crowd searched for Jesus, eventually located him across the lake in Capernaum, and asked how he’d got there (22-25).

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal” (26-27).

They prioritized the physical and temporary

The crowd’s priority was food for their bodies, and viewed Jesus primarily as someone who could fill their bellies. Hence his solemn rebuke: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves” (26). It wasn’t even his miraculous signs they wanted to see; they just wanted food. It wasn’t “Fill our eyes with your miracles, but fill our stomaches with food.” Their whole day was filled with food-finding, prompting Jesus to say, “Do not work for the food that perishes.” Jesus was not forbidding working in order to get money for food to live, but making life all about that and primarily about that. Why? Because it doesn’t last. Our health doesn’t last, our working ability doesn’t last, our money doesn’t last, our food doesn’t last, our being filled doesn’t last.

Jesus prioritizes the spiritual and eternal

Jesus reverses their priorities: “Work…for the food that endures to eternal life which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Make spiritual food your greatest concern, focus, passion. Why? Because it lasts; it lasts longer than physical food, it lasts longer than life itself, and lasts even into eternity. It is non-perishable. It has no expiry date. Get your greatest satisfaction from Jesus. Jesus was telling the crowd, “Seek me by all means but seek me for the right reasons. I’m not here primarily to satisfy your bodily appetites but your spiritual appetite. God the Father has made clear that I am his way of filling up hungry humanity.”

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

Let’s admit our disordered priorities. “I confess that I have disordered appetites, that I prioritize my body over my soul, physical food over spiritual food, the temporary over the eternal. I try to satisfy my spiritual needs with sensual pleasures and it leaves me spiritually anorexic or obese. I confess that I spend an hour thinking about bodily needs for every minute on spiritual needs (Deut. 8:3).

Let’s get our priorities from Jesus. Jesus can re-order our appetites and therefore our priorities. He can give us healthy appetites and satisfy them with imperishable food. Just as our body is composed of what we put into it, so our soul can be re-constituted by changing our inputs. Jesus can change what we desire and how much we desire. He can take away or give control over harmful desires as well as give us new healthy desires.

What do I do first?

2. JESUS RE-ORDERS OUR WORK (28-29)

They started with what they could do

Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” (28).

Jesus had just called them to prioritize the spiritual and eternal over the physical and temporary. They clearly got the message, at least part of it, because they are now prioritizing the works of God over their own work for food. But they missed a critical part of the message. Jesus had said that he would GIVE them imperishable food. They respond by asking, “What do we do to earn it. They are wanting the work of God instead of working for food, but they still think they must work to do the works of God, rather than simply receive it by faith.

Jesus started with what he does

Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent” (29).

“You want to talk about doing the works of God, start by believing the work of God.” Don’t start with your work but with God’s. Look at God’s work in sending his Son and put your faith in that work of God, that Sent One. Before you work, God must work. God works so that you work. God’s first work is faith in Jesus. You can’t start any good work until God starts his good work in you.

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

Let’s admit our wrong starting point. “I confess that I start with myself, my work, my deeds. I confess that my focus is often, what I must do to please God, to work for God. I confess that this wears me out, leaves me feeling guilty, depresses me, and leaves me anxious because I can never do enough and nothing I do is good enough.

Let’s start where God starts. God starts with his work in sending Jesus then his work of giving faith in Jesus. Both are God’s works, both are miraculous works, both come before any work we can do for God. God has done all the work that needs to be done and calls us to put our faith in his work. Faith is the opposite of work. It’s resting in the work of someone else. That’s a beautiful starting point to any day.

How satisfying is this?

3. JESUS RE-ORDERS OUR SATISFACTION (30-35)

They tried satisfaction through the senses

So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat’” (30-31).

We’re back to square one again here. They ask Jesus to do another food miracle. They are back to trying to get satisfaction through their eyes and their mouths. Moses did it for our fathers, so why can’t you do it for us?

Jesus offers satisfaction through their spirit

“It wasn’t Moses but God who gave you bread from heaven thousands of years ago,” Jesus corrected them. And the same thing is true today, “My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (32-33). Jesus says, “I am heaven’s life-giving food, enough to feed the whole world, should the whole world want it.

At last they seem to get it, “Sir give us this bread always” (34). They recognize their hunger and the only one who can fully and forever satisfy them. Jesus doesn’t keep them waiting any longer but declares plainly how he fully satisfies the deepest needs of humanity. Jesus said to them,

“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (35). Coming to Jesus and believing in Jesus are two ways of saying the same thing. Both result in satisfaction that no amount of physical food can ever offer.

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

Let’s confess our unsatisfied appetites. “I confess I’ve tried to satisfy my heart through my eyes and mouth and I’m as empty and hungry as I’ve ever been. Sometimes I just feel sick.

Let’s find our greatest satisfaction in Jesus. God the Father has given us true bread, the bread of truth from heaven to this world and offered his life-giving Son to us. Have we begged, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Whatever other disappointments we face in this world, this is true: insofar as we believe in Jesus and come to Jesus we will be satisfied by Jesus. Like bread, Jesus is necessary food, a basic staple of life, not a luxury. Like bread, Jesus is universal food, suitable to every culture, palette, and digestive system. Like bread, Jesus is daily food, not rare or occasional but an everyday food. Like bread, Jesus must be taken inside if we are to get any benefit from it.

SUMMARY

PRAYER

Lord I confess all my disorders. Re-order them by giving us this bread always.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Which parts of ourselves and of our world have escaped God’s curse upon sin which which parts have suffered from God’s curse?

2. Where do you see disorder in your eating or drinking?

3. How has Jesus changed your appetites?

4. What damage do we do to ourselves if we start with our work and not God’s?

5. How has Jesus satisfied you?

6. What areas of life remain that still need satisfied and how can Jesus meet that?

PDF of Sermon Notes

INTRODUCTION

The most popular Bible verse in 2020 was Isaiah 41:10. Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. In 2019 it was Philippians 4:6. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. In 2018, Isaiah 41:10 was back on the top spot. In 2017 Joshua 1:9 was the winner. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

What does this tell us? it tells us there’s a lot of fear and anxiety in the world, and that many turn to the Bible for help. Why is that? It’s because, deep down, we have a sense that however big our anxiety is, God is bigger. Therefore, the more we know of God in our lives, the less we will know of anxiety in our lives. Big fear can be defeated by our bigger God. How does God calm our inner storms? Jesus shows us how in John 6:16-21.

NB: While all anxious people need more theology, some may also need specialist counseling, medical help, and other practical remedies. Anxiety is often a multidimensional problem requiring a multidimensional approach. Physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, vocational, social, and relational factors may all contribute to anxiety.

BACKGROUND

John 6 reveals Jesus as both our provider when we’re hungry (6:1-15) and our peace when it’s stormy (16-21).

What storms overwhelm us with fear?

1. LIFE IS STORMY (16-19)

When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened (16-19).

The disciples had five reasons to fear. It was dark, it was stormy, and they were in a small boat, they were in the middle of the lake, when they saw what they thought was a ghost. No wonder they were frightened. They had good reason to be.

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

We have many good reasons for fear because there are many storms in our world:

• Medical storms: We’re sailing along happily when out of the blue the pop-up storm of cancer capsizes us and sends us to the bottom of the ocean. “Will I die?”
• Financial storms: We’re full-steam ahead when the tsunami of job loss overwhelms us and we begin to sink. “Will I have enough for the month…for bills…for tuition…for retirement…?”
• Relational storms: Our marriage was coasting along, but unfaithfulness has torn our sail and our heart. “Will our marriage survive?”
• Family storms: Your daughter is cutting herself. Your son is experimenting with drugs. Your sister won’t talk to you. You’re sailing backwards. “Will we ever be a happy family again?
• Friend storms: You’ve worked so hard to get friends on your boat, but they keep disappointing and hurting you, and jumping on to other boats. “Will I ever have friends?”
• Conflict storms: Stormy relationships with employees, colleagues, bosses, neighbors, clients, the school, the church, the doctor, the insurance company. “Will I ever see blue sky again?”
• Church storms: So many churches and denominations have torn up the map that tell us what to believe and how to live. “Will there be a church left for my kids?”
• National storms: America used to be a nation with borders and morals. Now it has no borders and no morals. “Is our ship sinking? Or has it already sunk?”
• Global storms: Dark clouds of terrorism, climate change, pandemics, and shortages are gathering. “Is the world coming to an end?”
• Spiritual storms: You’ve rejected God. Or, you’ve fallen into temptation and now addiction. Guilt and hopelessness are raining down upon you. “Can God ever shine his love on me?”
• Eternal storms: The horizon at the end of life looks dangerously stormy. “Am I ready for my final journey? Am I ready to die? Am I ready to face God?”

As you can see, many of these fears are legitimate and understandable. It’s not a sin to be afraid. It’s what we do with that fear that matters.

What should I do with my fear? Take it to Jesus.

2. JESUS IS PEACE (20-21)

But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going (20-21).

Do you find it helpful when someone says to you, “Don’t be scared,” or “Don’t be afraid,” or “Stop being anxious”? Of course not. We have good reason to be fearful. We need good reasons to not be fearful. Bare commands never work. We need to know ‘Why?’ Why should I not be afraid? Give me a reason to calm down.

That’s what Jesus does here. He gives the disciples a reason to substitute peace for panic, the greatest reason of all. “It is I; do not be afraid.” He doesn’t try to minimize the danger they were in. He magnifies himself to minimize their fears. “It is I” therefore “Do not be afraid.” Or “Do not be afraid” because “It is I.”

What is it about this one letter “I” that can have such a calming effect? It’s not just that it diverts our attention away from our “I” to another “I” (although that is therapy itself). It’s who the “I” is that calms their fears and gives them peace. The more they knew his “I” the less they knew fear. When they were glad about who the I was, they took him into the boat, and the fear was over

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

Listen to who the “I” is, to listen to your fear less. Let’s get to know this “I.”

• I know: I know you, your circumstances, storm, your world, your fear, your everything.
• I care: I not only know; I care. I remember how horrible fear is and empathize.
• I rule: I am in control. I rule over the storm, and the fear, anxiety, and worry it produces.
• I provide: I am Lord of all and can therefore give you enough of the all for right now.
• I heal: I can heal your body, your family, your friendships, your soul, your nation.
• I love: In a world of hate, I can bring you into a world of love.
• I forgive: Yes, you brought a lot of this on yourself, but I can forgive and forget all your sin.
• I accept: When you are rejected I accept you. When you are shut out, I welcome you in.
• I keep: There are many threats to you and your family, but I keep you in the palm of my hand.
• I promise: In the storm of lies and deception, I am the truth and I speak the truth
• I assure: When spiritual doubts assail you, I assure you of true faith.
• I’m powerful: You are up against mighty forces but I am all-powerful.
• I’m patient: Yes, you have long sinned against me, but I am rich in patience and mercy.
• I’m present: You feel alone but I am with you. I will never leave you or forsake you.

Take the “I” into the boat, and you will be in the eye of the storm. The bigger we can make his “I” the smaller he will make our fears.

CONCLUSION

PRAYER

Peace-full Jesus, pacify my storm with who you are. Use your ‘I’ to be the eye of my storm.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Why are people so afraid in our world?

2. What stirs up your fears? What are your biggest fears

3. How has God calmed your fear in the past? What verses has he used?

4. What verses can you think of that support each of Jesus’ “I’s” on page 4?

5. What other ways does God calm fears in the Bible?

6. Who can you bring this “I” to among your family and friends?

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“Some Christians are practical, whereas others are more theological.” You’ve heard that, haven’t you? Maybe even said it. It’s often used to excuse some Christians from their lack of theology, and to excuse others from their lack of practical Christianity.

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If God came to you and said, “I’ll give you one prayer request,” what would you ask for? What’s the one thing you would request? That’s a revealing question isn’t it? It helps us discover our highest priority, our deepest longing, and our hidden motivation. And that’s good, because our priorities, longings, and motivations often influence and control us without us realizing it.

In Psalm 27, King David tells us what he asked for when given when given this prayer opportunity. He was facing external and internal enemies. He asked for a sight of God’s beauty because God’s beauty expels ugly fears.

Five-minute podcast. Two-minute podcast.

How does your church pick its leaders? Here’s what I’ve seen:

• Some churches pick old leaders who don’t have the ability for the work
• Some churches pick unqualified leaders who don’t have the character for the work
• Some churches pick young leaders who don’t have the spirituality for the work

In 1 Timothy 3:1-7, God describes the Christ-like leadership he wants to see in the church.

The context is public worship and church order (1 Timothy 2). He then moves on to official church leadership.

LEADERSHIP IS A GOOD ASPIRATION

The work is important

“The saying is trustworthy (1)”.

All the other “faithful sayings” are about salvation through Christ. Paul is warning us that if we g wrong in church leadership and we’ll eventually go wrong in salvation.

The desire is noble

“If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task” (1).

“Overseer” means supervisor, shepherd, pastor, elder. “Noble” means high and lofty.  To “aspire” or “desire” means to stretch out for something.

Christ-like leaders know the enormity of the task, and have the energy for the task.

“So, if I want to be a church leader, I should be a church leader?”

LEADERSHIP HAS HIGH QUALIFICATIONS

“Therefore an oversee must be above reproach (2).

“Above reproach” means a good reputation. Criticism has nothing to stick to. This qualification results from two characteristics: self-control and family control

Self-control

“The husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money” (2-3).

Self-control sums up verses 2-3. The leader is to be self-controlled in sexual matters, behavior, thinking, studying, addictive substances, conflict, speech, finances, and so on.

Family control

“He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” (4-5).

Leading well in the home is an indicator that someone will lead well in the church.

Self-control and family control are evidence of Holy Spirit control.

Are you saying, “This doesn’t sound too hard”?

LEADERSHIP STARTS DEVILISH OPPOSITION

The devil wants to puncture you

“He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil” (6).

A balloon is filled with hot air, rises high in the sky and then bursts resulting in a catastrophic fall. That’s what the devil wants to do and the way he does it is giving us way too high thoughts about ourselves.

The devil wants to trap you

“Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil” (7).

The devil wants to trap leaders because he knows that if he can bring down the leaders, he can bring down the church and hinder the spread of the Gospel.

The devil targets leaders because he knows leaders are targeting him.

LIVING THE BIBLE

“Jesus, we worship you as the perfect leader. You aspired to leadership and were up to the task. You were perfectly qualified by your perfect self-control and family control. You defeated the most devilish opposition, puncturing and trapping the devil in the process. Help us to be (and find) able, qualified, and spiritual leaders who will be up to the work, suited to the work, and safe for the work.”

You can catch up with previous episodes at the Living the Bible website or subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcast. Growing your faith five minutes a day.