What are the marks of true religion? How do you know that what you have in your heart is real? How do you know that what you have experienced in your life and your heart is a genuine work of God's spirit in your life? How do you know that what you have is vibrant, alive? As I mentioned a moment ago, how do you know that what you have is real, which is really a very profound question. One that I'm sure you have asked many times before, how do I know that what I have is real? How do I know that it is a real genuine religion, you might say, in my own heart. Many of us have ponder that question, and we've not been the first to ponder it. Jonathan Edwards, brilliant man, at the same time a tender man, very compassionate man in the first great awakening. Ponder that same question, how does one know for sure that what he or she has in their heart is real, vibrant Christianity. He went on to ask, how do I know that it is a real, vibrant fellowship with God? All these revivals were going on around him, and all these people were saying, well, you've got to have this experience and you have to have that experience. So Jonathan Edwards sat down and wrote out a list of those things that are not genuine experiences, you might say. Some of those in that list would surprise some of you, talking about emotional experiences and physical and bodily experiences and moving testimony, you can read it for yourself in his book on religious affections. But I mention that because really that's what David is doing in Psalm 16. He is making a list for us, a list of internal signs of a genuine experience of true religious, true fellowship with God, real Christianity. You know why this is important for us to talk about in our day, why it's important for us to talk about in our church because counterfeit religion is probably the greatest enemy in the church. Persecution is not the greatest enemy of the church. We talked about that a little bit this morning anyway, Satan's strategy, Satan's strategy of persecution has backfired every time on Satan's persecution always leads to revival, it always leads to reformation. Persecution is not the greatest enemy. False prophets are not the greatest enemy. In fact, if anything, false prophets actually serve to strengthen a church's commitment to truth, the counterfeit religion. Counterfeit religion is a very challenging, difficult challenge for the church. Again, people who think they believe, people who think they have, what is genuine, what is real in their hearts, but they really don't. They really don't have it. This Psalm 16 divides easily into two parts, verses 1 to 6. David deals with what does a person look like who has a genuine work of a Holy Spirit going on in their lives? The first is 7 to 11 deal with the benefits for that person. What are the blessings that that person who really has a genuine walk with the Lord, with the Holy Spirit, than what are their benefits, what are their blessings? The first Roman numeral, if you'll notice in our outline of the bulletin, taken up the first 6 verses, description of the genuine faithful servant. This person, according to David, has 6 qualities, 6 qualities in his heart. The first one, letter A, the one who genuinely has fellowship with God, looks to the Lord for security. Look at verse 1. He says, Preserve me, O God, for in you I put my touch. Now the name for God here in the first verse of Psalm 16 is the name L. L means strong one. So he says, in you, Preserve me, O strong one, for in you, strong one. I put my trust. The application is pretty simple. What about you? Can you say that? Can you say, can you pray, from your heart, honestly, verse 1 to Psalm 16? Can you say that David's cry in verse 1 is your own cry? Could you make that your own cry? Would you say that the Lord is your first security? Or would you say that he is your last resource? For example, when you say, let's pray about it. Well, is that a sign of surrender because everything else has failed? And when you say, let's pray, are you saying, well, I've tried everything else in my life? I've tried everything else in my arsenal. I don't have anywhere else to go. Mine is well prayed. Is that the motto of your life? Work, work, work, work. Work, don't work. Pray. Or is your motto, the Christian motto, the Christian motto is pray. Pray, pray, pray. Then work. That's the first quality. He looks to the Lord for security. The second is he looks to the Lord as is ultimate good. Look at verse 2. He says, oh, my soul, you have said to my Lord, you are my Lord. My goodness is nothing apart from you. My goodness, and you say, my goodness, and all of my life. One of the good things in my life, David is saying, my goodness is nothing apart from you. So what do you lift in your goodness? Spot portfolio, family inheritance, job security, the doctor's advice. So that's my goodness. I put my security in the goodness of my doctor's advice. Is that true? Or the medication perhaps that he prescribed? What David is saying, what would be true for us to make application to us and our life tonight is that there is one blessing that all of us as Christians enjoy presently in this sanctuary right now. A blessing that nobody can take away from us. A blessing that it does that it is always as no matter the circumstances of our life. And that is that my ultimate good, my ultimate welfare is found in God alone. And this Michael alluded to in his prayer and actually we'll say more about this tonight. It's all that I need. My ultimate good, my ultimate welfare is found in him alone. Therefore, let me make sure names. Because my ultimate good is not in this world but in God alone. Therefore, let me minister to you. That's the way our marriage is not a thing. My good is found in God. Therefore, Betsy, let me make sure names. But that's true for ministers. Well, it's true for the Christian life. For the person who has genuine fellowship with God. Thirdly, this individual delights in the Lord's people. Verse three. And to the saints, your translation makes a holy ones or loyal ones, godly ones, noble ones. That's what the word means. And to the saints who are on the earth, they say they are the excellent ones. And whom is all my delight? You have to remember, you have to keep in mind. David's not looking at the world through rose-colored glasses here. He knows what it is to be stabbed in the back. He knows what it is to have those who profess to believe to turn their backs on you. He knows what it is to be betrayed by people in the church. And yes, David can say the saints, the Christians, they're my delight. They're the ones that I want to be like. They're the ones I want to spend time with. Again, can you say that? Can you say because this is a mark now of one who genuinely has fellowship with God. Can you say that the people of God are your closest friends? These are the people that my wife and I, we choose to spend time with this group of individuals. Can you say that? But the saints, with all of their wars, with all of their shortcomings, all of their problems, and all their peculiarities, they're the ones in whom I take the light. Again, they're the ones that my wife and I, we're going to desire to spend the greatest chance of our time with. If you know the reason, because they're the ones I can count on. They're the ones that aren't going to let me down. They're the ones that are going to be there in times of need. And not only so, not only do I want to pursue this thing time with them, they're the ones I want to be like. Can you say that about the people sitting around you? And I can you say that about the membership of Trinity Church? Not only do I want to be like them, I want my children to be like their children. That's real fellowship. The friend of mine, Andy Chapman, is actually like younger than me, he's in my youth group. He's growing up now, but we were sitting in CCBY one time when I was in Columbus. And he was, again, one of the youth. And I know he kept looking over at these, I know his passion was too, but he kept looking over at these Air Force tiles from Columbus Air Force base. And when they got up to leave, Tim's there goes the salts of the earth. That was his passion, as I said, that you know what he's doing today? Flies yes, out of Columbus Air Force base. Because he knew that's what he wanted to be like. That's the kind of man he wanted to be. And that's what he's doing. Peter Brown in his biography of a gustant of hip-hop opens one of the final chapters with these words. He says, a gustant will never be alone. And one of the points of the chapter is that it talks about the blessings of having Christian friends, Christian fellowship, always around you, and the support of friends that you know are never going to let you down. Or at least they're going to be there in times of trouble. People that are going to support you and you walk with the Lord. Personally, I identify with that. I've got his always given me Christian friends. I don't know why his friends. We have a huge youth group growing up in high school especially. Law Reform University Fellowship in college had Christian friends through seminary. You might say well of course, but that's not necessarily true. They're good Christian friends and seminary and then married that same best friend. And now it's coupled and the churches we've been in and you know Trinity. Certainly has been wonderful friends to us. And I cannot have imagined it being greater your love, your friendship, and support. I identify because of you, because of the membership at Trinity Church, I can identify with this verse in this song. Delighting in the saints, the excellent ones.
You need to ask yourself a very important question to ask yourself, do I delight in God's people? It's such a serious question because if you don't delight in God's people, then how can you say you delight in God? You can't say it. You can't say if you delight in God and at the same time choose to spend the better part of your time and the individuals who have exchanged Jehovah for idols who don't serve God like you do. In fact, that would be a genuine mark of one who does not have fellowship with God. Fourthly, this person worships only the Lord. In my notice, really just in passing that while David it's certainly not ashamed to declare his allegiance to God alone, solely to God. At the same time, he mentioned is the manifold and multiplying sorrows of those who worship false gods, as rather than worshiping the true God, look at verse four, their sorrows shall be multiplied to hasten after another God. Their drink offerings are blood, I will not offer nor take up their names on my lips. There's no greater tragedy of soul that doesn't worship God as someone said to me in the second hand, but still that one had said in our church, I'm not going to worship and I church again until they have an 8-15 service again. What a tragedy. What they're depriving their soul of that nourishment and worship of God with other people. It's a great tragedy for that individual and others who worship other gods. Fifthly, this person finds their desire ultimately placed on the Lord. Look at verse five, do you, O Lord, are the portion of my inheritance and my cup? It says, you maintain my law. Your translation may say, you support my law. You realize, of course, that David knew distant inheritance or did you know that? First Samuel 26, verse 19, tells us that. But David knew what the lead by Christmas, David knew what Abraham had learned, what you and I need to learn, is that God was his inheritance. Again, Michael's prayer. God was all we needed. God was enough as long as he had God. Then that was enough. Numbers 18, verse 20 says, then the Lord said to Aaron, you shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them, I am your portion. And you're inheritance among the children of Israel. David knew that the priest had not only received, not only had, the priest had received much more than the trust of Israel. They had not received less, they received more because their portion was the Lord. Can you say, as we go through these, that David has this single-minded pursuit of God? Because we've said already many times, if all I have is God, if all I have is God, then that's enough. And that's what makes him conclude this section of the Psalm in verse 6 by saying the lines that fall into me in pleasant places. I have a good or a beautiful inheritance so he finds his contentment in fellowship with God. For all we know, we're led to believe that when David penned this verse, he owned not one parcel of land. So I say, as with contemplating, we're going to the Psalm, wonder what David owned, what did he have? The point is, it didn't matter what he had. It didn't matter what he owned and what he didn't. The same thing is true for you. It doesn't matter how many houses or how many cars or how much land. Because the Christian can always say the line has fallen for me in pleasant places. No matter the situation in my life, the lines have fallen for me in pleasant places. No matter the difficulties of my life, the lines have fallen for me in pleasant places. No matter the trial in which I find myself tonight, the lines have fallen for me in pleasant places. Only the Christian can say that. The lines have fallen for me. That's what the Christian says. Ultimately, my heart is not in this place. My blessings do not ultimately lie in this world or a material possession. The Christian says, I'm content. No matter my circumstances, I am content. Because my lines have fallen for me in pleasant places. I want you to say that with me. I want you to use that right with me. Repeat it with me. I'll say it again first. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places. You can say that from your heart. If you look at the outline, we'll run through this first section. Again, just to sum it up, we'll do the second section very quickly. But just to look again, it's genuine believer. If someone is looking to the Lord for his security and his welfare, the person who delights in God's people, they'd love to worship God. They desire the Lord above everything else in life. They know and appreciate God's provision no matter how large or how small. What I'd love for you to do with me is pray. Take that list right there and pray that for your elders, pray for your deacons, that the man who are leading this church, the ones who are setting the course of this church for the next years. Because who wouldn't want to be led by a man that's subscribed in the first half of the verse of Psalm 16? Who wouldn't want to have as their shepherd a man who really lives out the first half of Psalm 16? So pray that, urge you. I challenge you to make that your prayer for the officers of the church. David not only tells us what kind of man what he looks like, but he also tells us the blessings that are this man because of his commitment. The first blessing is that he knows the goddess of God. Look at verse 7. I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel. My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. In other words, when we ask God for goddess, we don't check our brains at the door. Almost every comment they are read on that subject said that very same thing. That doesn't mean we don't think. John thought that looking to the Holy Spirit for goddess does not spare us the bother of thinking. Talking about a night season, that's the leading to the fact that this is more than just trying to figure out a situation. It means if you can't figure it out, it still means that I will come to grips with this situation in my life. Richard Baxter says, or said, Christ leads me through no darker rooms than he has been before himself. That's how we're made able to come to grips with whatever situation we find ourselves because we know Christ has been there before us. And when we know that's true in our lives, we come to find out it's not so much the goddess we need as it is a God. As it is, the God Himself. We come to find out that as long as we have the presence of the Lord in our lives, that's all we need. It's a recurring thing in this home. Secondly, this person, a blessing for this person who has their heart set on God, it's stability and versatility. I have set the Lord always before me because, is that my right hand? I shall not be moved. The word may shaken or dislodged or overthrown. He's not being arrogant. He's not, this is not some boastful comment. He's not saying, I'm the captain of my soul and nobody's going to move me. He's saying because I am content with the Lord. Nobody can move me because I'm dependent on the Lord. Nobody can shake the foundation of my life. That's no small assurance, isn't it? Thirdly, this person has real joy. He says in verse 9, therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices. My flesh also shall rest in hope. It means that my flesh shall dwell securely. Why? Because his joy is not circumstantial. His security is not circumstantial. It reminds me, and we'll get to this in our study and act, but the situation in which they possibly find themselves in act chapter 5. When they're brought before the council again and they're beaten and they're ashamed, they're embarrassed. They are, they embarrass them, it's not like they're embarrassed, they embarrass them. They shame them as a better warrior. They were told in verse 41 so they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for the shame of his name. How do you rejoice in suffering? The way they rejoice was that their joy was not circumstantial. Those men love God. Their heart found God's heart. They were sad on God, and that's their security. And then fourthly, a blessing is that they have hope, the hope of the resurrection, and verse 10, for you will not leave, or you will not abandon my soul and she will, nor will you allow your holy one to seek corruption or undergo decay. You know this very rare for the Psalms to talk about the resurrection, to allude to the resurrection, and yet David here very clearly wants us to know he's looking for a fellowship that goes beyond his death, beyond his life. And that's why he's able to allow the Psalm really culminates in verse 11, which is the fifth and final blessing in the fellowship with God. Look at verse 11, you will show me the path of life in your presence, this fullness of joy and your right hand or pleasures forevermore. About a year ago, I noticed a couple of my really more than a couple of friends now, but a couple of letters that were sent to me and in those letters, these were different friends, obviously, from different places. But when they had written, it seemed to me that they were making a point of saying, it's wonderful to be a Christian. That's the way they would sign their letters. Have I told you how wonderful it is to be a Christian sincerely, John, or whoever? And what I really could notice was after I got an email from one of our RYM board members that had gone out to all the RYM board members, and he had closed that letter, that letter was gone. Another email came and said, a friend on the board has rebuked me for not telling you in my letter how wonderful it is to be a Christian. I don't really know where that's coming from. I meant to find out over the last year. I have an idea of where it's coming from, but it's refreshing, isn't it? That's what David is doing at the end of his letter. In essence, he's saying to us, oh, by the way, have I told you how wonderful it is to be a Christian? How wonderful it is to know that you're going to have endless fellowship with God at his right hand, forever and ever and ever. Of course, the fulfillment of the psalm is in Christ. Another swear, Janine got the Acts chapter 2, because I actually had that written down and something that we would read, but I would just point out to you, because we've studied it, in Acts chapter 2, 14 to 41, but in that sermon Peter quotes the psalm. So he explains, in verse 29, man and brother, let me speak three of the youth of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried in his tomb as with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet and knowing that God has sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his body according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne. He foreseen this spoke concerning the resurrection of Christ, that his soul would not be left in Hades for his fleshly corruption. But I just want to point that out that that's certainly the fulfillment of the psalm, that I was closed by asking you, where is your heart? What kind of things do you desire? What, who do you love? And where is your pleasure? What does a person look like who truly loves God? And thank God he's given us a list in this song, may God give us grace that all of us would look like the man described in Psalm 16, as we pray together. Our God, we pray that as a congregation that you would cause us to be really intoxicated with you, and your glory, and your justice, and your love, and your mercy, that you truly would give us officers to set the example of what it means to live out Psalm 16. Please give us a church of men and women and children, so that we could say or describe in this song, start with me, Father, start with me, and we make our prayer in Jesus' name, amen.