Practice Creative Devotion
Written by Ryan Simmons
Saturday, 15 January 2005 19:00
"As followers of Jesus, we delight in God and His presence in our lives. In response to our relationship with God, we experience broken heartedness over sin and joy over God's character and grace. Therefore, we will seek to practice spiritual disciplines daily as a means of participating in life in Christ. These disciplines especially center on praying and studying Scripture. Time spent in this manner enables us to welcome God into every part of our lives. We also commit to gathering weekly for corporate worship." - Gateway Community Church Covenant
Psalm 119:11; Matthew 5:3-12; John 4:23-24; Romans 12:11; Galatians 5:22-23; Colossians 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; 2 Timothy 2:4-7, 15
Sermons Outline
Psalm 63:1-8
"1 O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6 On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me. "
What does it mean to have a devotional life?
1. David has an intense longing
v.1 ... earnestly...thirsts...yearns...
Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."
2. David has a comforted reflection
v.2 ... "I have seen you in the sanctuary..."
Matthew 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
3. David has animated praise
vv.3-4 "... in your name I will lift up my hands."
4. David has confident meditation
vv.6-7 "... Because you are my help..."
In Acts 12, we see that Herod was going to put Peter to death, but God released him through an angel. Peter was in a deep sleep. The angel had to strike him to rouse him from sleep and tell Peter to get dressed.
David knew God was going to come through for him.
5. David had exclusive dedication
v.8 "My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me."
How do we experience that kind of exclusive devotion?
1. Exclusive devotion is born out of a desparate longing.
2. Exclusive devotion requires a right understanding of what God has done for us.
3. Exclusive devotion is about the person not the activity.
- Its who you are, not "what you do."
- Its about Who you are devoted to.
- its not about 'the quiet time' but its about God. The quiet time is a tool for helping us connect with God.