Eyes on the Prize Part 1

In The Three Little Pigs, each pig built a different house. One with straw, one with sticks, and one with brick. When the big bad wolf came to blow down their houses, the only house he couldn’t blow down was the brick house. The third pig's house had such a firm foundation that he didn’t have to fear the wolf. In today’s message, Dr. Timothy Brown reminds you that God is your firm foundation. With Him, there’s no need to fear the enemy; He will have your back!

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:02

Welcome to Truth for Transformation with Dr. Timothy Brown. You're about to hear a message from God's Word filled with biblical wisdom, practical insights, and life-changing truths. A message designed to inspire your faith and give encouragement.

SPEAKER_00 0:21

David used this phrase, the rock of escape. That no matter what happens to you, God is there protecting you. He's your fortress. He's there guiding you. I just want to speak hope to somebody that's going through a tough time. God is your rock. He's a firm foundation. And ultimately, this points us to Jesus. Jesus is our firm foundation. He is our rock. And if you build your life upon him, the winds may blow, the waves may beat against your house, but if it's centered on Christ, your life will stand.

SPEAKER_01 0:53

In the three little pigs, each pig built a different house. One with straw, one with sticks, and one with brick. When the big bad wolf came to blow down their houses, the only house he couldn't blow down was the brick house. The third pig's house had such a firm foundation that he didn't have to fear the wolf. In today's message, Dr. Timothy Brown reminds you that God is your firm foundation. With him, there's no need to fear the enemy. God will have your back. Prepare your heart, open your mind, and get ready to embark on a journey of faith with Dr. Timothy Brown in the book of Psalms chapter 18 with today's edition of Truth for Transformation.

SPEAKER_00 1:39

Well, we are going through the book of Psalms this summer, and I just want to remind you to read two Psalms a day. So even if you're a week behind, you weren't here last week, read two Psalms a day, and by the end of the summer, you will have read all 150 Psalms. So what we're doing is we're taking selected Psalms and going through the series. So it's no particular order, but just as the Lord leads. So we're going to be skipping around through the whole book. So as you read, just know that God is with you, He's for you, He's rooting you on, and He's got great plans. So Psalm 18, I've entitled this Eyes on the Prize. Eyes on the Prize, How to Understand God's Purpose for Your Life. So we are going to look at Psalm 18 and understand that God's got a purpose. And David, the book of Acts, tells us in Acts 13 that David served God's purpose in his generation. So this is King David writing, and he's going to tell about a time in his life, it's actually a collection of times, when people were out to get him. If you have your Bible open, you'll notice the Hebrew translation, it's uh this the heading, it'll say, When David was delivered from his enemies and from the hand of Saul. So what's interesting about Psalm 18 is this is one of the few passages that's mentioned twice in the Bible. It's one of the only songs that I know of that's mentioned twice. So it's also in 2 Samuel 22. And this is right before David's final words in 2 Samuel 23. You're like, well, what's the significance of that? For a passage to be mentioned twice in the Bible, it means that God really wants you to pay attention. And so David is talking about God's deliverance and its gratitude. So I want to speak to a group of people that maybe you're going through a tough time, but you still believe God has better days for you. I want to speak to an individual that you're going through a time of really despair, a time of depression, and you want to give up. And I want to remind you from David's life that you don't need to give up because God has a purpose greater than what you currently understand. So go ahead and turn to Psalm 18. And again, I've entitled this Eyes on the Prize, Pursuing God's Vision for Your Life. So as you as you turn to Psalm 18, I want to start off with a little story. You'll see a young lady on the screen. Her name is Beth Bethany Hamilton. And as you can tell, something happened to her and her surfboard. What was it? Shark attack. She was surfing along one of the islands in Hawaii, and a tiger shark came out and took out her left arm, and also you could see it bit through the board. So Bethany at the time was only 13 years old, and she was kind of going pro, great surfer, wanted to do the circuit, and it would be really easy for her to give up. But because of her faith in God, Bethany decided God's got a greater purpose. Even though this is horrible, I mean, a 13-year-old losing your left arm, losing potentially your dreams of being a professional surfer on the circuit, she rallied. And within a year, she was back on surfing. And so she presented herself to a group of children in Thailand. She went to a place that had been hit by a tsunami in Thailand, and she encouraged a group of 50 kids saying, Hey, you don't have to be afraid. The winds may blow, the waters may roar, but God's got a purpose. And even though I lost this arm, God still has something significant in store. So fast forward, she got married, she had a family, she's used her faith in her times of discouragement to encourage others. So that's kind of the backdrop. We see David and he's struggling. So I want us to look at Psalm 18, and we're going to kind of go through this verse by verse. And I want to give you several truths that will encourage you today, no matter what you're going through. The first truth is this love God with your entire being. Love God with your entire being. So we start in verse 1, David's words, I will love you, Lord, my strength. So notice how David starts off with, God, I will love you. So notice the word will, it's the declaration. No matter what happens to me now, I'm gonna still love you. No matter what trials come my way, I will love you, O Lord. And this word love, I want you to write this in your notes if you're taking notes. In the Hebrew, it's a unique and a rare word. It's not your typical word for love. It's the word for love that talks about intense connection, emotion, feeling close to God. So what David's saying is no matter what comes after me, no matter who attacks me, God, I am making the choice. I will love you, O Lord. And notice he says, my strength. Did you know that strength for God and strength for life flows out of love for God? If you feel weak today, I just want to encourage you to keep loving God because strength flows out of love for God. And Jesus tells us in Mark, what is the greatest commandment? He says, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. So you see the connection. I love God, and guess what? Strength flows out of love for God. So when I read this story about David, I'm so encouraged that if I love God, I'm gonna live for God. It's gonna change my life, it's gonna change the way I do things. So I didn't give my wife's permission, but this is a good story, so I don't have to get her permission for this story. She's like, what now? So Lori and I are gonna celebrate 14 years of marriage. And here's the thing is it 15? It's 15. See, guys get it wrong. So oh, okay. It is 15, okay. Commercial break. We'll talk about that later. See, part of speaking, sometimes tensions in the room, that's good. No, I gotta relieve it. So here's the relief of the tension. So I love her more than I did 15 plus years ago when I met her. And here's the thing about love. It's interesting. She has this nurturing ability about her. If six kids weren't enough, she wants to have a miniature farm, okay? We don't have a lot of land, we have a little homestead. So she starts off with, honey, can we get some chickens? And I'm like, oh, how many chickens are we talking about? Four or five. And a week later, is twelve okay? Okay, baby, that's fine. A few weeks pass by, honey, uh, the kids really want a goat. Can we get a goat? One goat, how much does that cost? Okay, one goat's fine. Well, honey, goats are pack animals, so we have to have at least two. All of a sudden, two turn into four. A few weeks pass by. Well, the kids really want bunnies, and they're gonna start their own rabbit business. Can we get some bunnies? And I'm like, well, how much does it cost? All right, one turns into two, turns into three, and then eventually there's gonna be a time bunnies, right? So here's the thing. Why do I why do I acquiesce to my wife? Well, it's this. Here is the grid that goes through. Is it sinful? If the answer is no, then the next question is, can we afford it? And if the answer is yes, I like to show my love by just saying, okay, dear, go for it, go for it. Now, a few years from now, there there may be like a tropical zoo going on in my house, but here's the reality: love for God overflows in your daily life. So I just want to encourage you, if you love God, it's gonna show. It's gonna show in your daily life. And that brings us to our second truth. Not only do we love God with our entire being, but if we want to keep our eyes on the prize, if we want to fulfill God's purpose for our lives and our generation, like David did, live for God with your life centered on Him as your firm foundation. So in verse 2, notice the scripture continues on the Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer. So I just want to encourage you today. Some of you may be going through a time where you want to give up. Some of you may feel like you're in this dead-end job, and if you had another option, you would have another job. Some of you are going through marital struggles right now, and it's like, I thought opposites attract, and I didn't realize that opposites also attack, right? And you're like, why am I going through all of these things? Some of you have got the bad bill of health that the doctor said this could be cancer. And so I just want to remind you of these words. David says, the Lord is my rock. This word rock is used about 20 times in the Psalms. And it brings back to a time in the book of Samuel. David was a man that God had anointed to be king. And King Saul heard about what God was doing in David's life, and did he like it? No, he didn't like it. King Saul came after David. So David found himself in the wilderness. He went from one wilderness to the next. And in one of the particular wilderness experiences, Saul was there to kill David. And David found himself hiding in a rocky place. He found himself hiding in caves and places. So when he says, God is my rock, it takes him back to the place of refuge, the place of shelter. So in this story in 1 Samuel, Saul comes after him, and then all of a sudden, God's intervention steps in. They give a report to Saul, hey, the Philistines are coming after you. You need to go back and protect Israel. So Saul leaves, and David used this phrase, the rock of escape. That no matter what happens to you, God is there protecting you. He's their fortress, he's there guiding you. I just want to speak hope to somebody that's going through a tough time. God is your rock. He's a firm foundation. And ultimately, this points us to Jesus. Jesus is our firm foundation. He is our rock. And if you build your life upon him, the winds may blow, the waves may beat against your house, but if it's centered on Christ, your life will stand.

SPEAKER_01 12:08

You've been listening to Pastor Timothy Brown. We'll be right back with the message. But first, we'd like to share some exciting news with you. We're releasing Dr. Timothy's new book called Go After Jesus. This book is a fresh approach to discipleship and focuses on your identity in Christ as the launching pad for Christian growth. In Go After Jesus, Pastor Timothy paints the picture of the six identities for every follower of Christ. You are a seeker, a disciple, a friend, a fisherman, a warrior, and a lover. We're currently offering two free chapters of this book as a digital download. To get your free chapters, go to Dr. Timothy's website at drtimothybrown.org. Now let's get back to the rest of the message with Pastor Timothy.

SPEAKER_00 12:53

God is also your fortress. When I think of fortress, my mind takes me back to studying in Western civilization and studying world history. And I I read about you hear about these castles, right? And you think about the dragons that come and you're in a castle and nothing can penetrate the castle, right? And you have the moats and you have all this stuff. Well, you go back way before that, there were fortresses. It was a high tower. And the idea was I feel secure, but I also have a position on a rock or a high tower. I can see what's happening. So from God's perspective, I see what the enemy's doing, and I'm not afraid because God is my rock and he's my fortress. So I want to give you seven applications. You're like, okay, Timothy, this is David, but this is me. I'm living in the 21st century. I've got bills to pay, I've got issues going on. You don't understand what I'm going through. And the truth is I don't. But the good news is God does. So I want to give you seven applications about what is it like to know God is your rock and God is your fortress. The first one, these are truths that you can apply. My life has a firm foundation. I no longer have to stand on sinking sand. I no longer have to feel like I'm always being shaken because I'm planted on Jesus. I'm planted on the rock. And yes, life's going to happen. We learned last week it's not your best life now, it's your best life later. So things will happen. We live in a fallen world, but when they do, I don't have to be moved. And that's why Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15, 58 58, therefore, brothers and sisters, he says, be firm, let nothing move you. Always give yourselves to the work of the Lord. Why? Because I have this rock, I have this fortress. God is with me, He's for me. The second application is I don't have to fear the winds and waves that come against me. So if life is hitting you hard, if the winds of circumstances are beating you down, listen, remember to pray. Remember to trust God, remember to keep on. What about tomorrow? Jesus said, don't worry about tomorrow because today has enough problems of its own, right? Give us this day our daily bread. What about tomorrow? What about the next week? Focus on what God is doing right now in the storm. And one day he's going to speak peace to your storm. And you will make it to the other side. Third application as I can feel secure and protected in the strong fortress of God's loving care. So if you know that God not only loves you, but he cares for you and he protects you. When I'm in the fortress of God's protection, I feel cared for. I feel like there's someone that gets me. I feel like there's someone that understands what I'm going through. And Scripture tells us that Jesus was tempted in all areas like we are, yet without sin. So we have a high priest who can sympathize with their weaknesses. He understands your struggles because Jesus lived on this earth for 33 years and he went through struggles and he overcame, and you too can overcome. Number four, I know that if God is for me, nobody can do eternal harm to me. And the reason why I put the word eternal is that there is temporal harm people can do. Can people kill a Christian? Yeah. But that's the worst they can do, right? If you are in Christ, no one can do any eternal harm if you're in Christ. So that gives you a little boldness, that gives you a little confidence that when storms of life come, I am secure in his arms, in his hands. I can stand strong, number five, even when everything is going wrong, because God is unshakable. I told the first service I wish we had special effects in the church. I would love to press a button and the whole congregation start rumbling. And it's like, though the mountains tremble, though the mountains roar, God is firm and He's gonna get you through it. Number six, I have a safe place to run in times of distress and frustration. Growing up in student ministry, we used to have this song, and I butchered it the first time. They're like, you can't sing, and I know I can't sing. But the song goes, the name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and are safe. How many of you remember singing that song growing up? Listen, you can run to God. Don't run from him in times of trouble. Run to him. Because he's waiting. He's waiting for you. Number seven, I have a place to recharge and find renewed strength in the face of new challenges of each day. So the idea of security and shelter is not just to hide out. We're not called to live a monastic life where we're just hide out from all harm. No, it's to get healed up so we can be sent out. Some of us have been hurt in the battle. We're a church that's a safe place. We have so many pastors and leaders that come to heal, and I just want to encourage you, this is a safe place to heal. This is a place of grace and truth, and people are healed up. But here's what happens after you're healed up, God often sends you out. You know, the measure of success of a church is not determined by its seating capacity, how many people you can sit, but by its sending capacity. We are a great commissioned church called to go into all the world and do what? Make disciples. Alright, that brings us to truth number three. Someone say eyes on the prize. How do I know God's vision for my life? How do I know his purpose and his plan? Well, number three, call upon God both in the good times and in the difficult times. So look at verse three. He says, I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised. So shall I be saved from my enemies. So right now you may be in a battle, but remember that God is the one who fights your battles for you. You may be in a war, but remember, as a Christian, we're not fighting for victory, we're fighting from victory. We go from victory to victory. We go from glory to glory until we're glorified in his presence. And the next verse continues The pangs of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid. Verse 5 says that the sorrows of Sheol surrounded me, the snares of death confronted me. Look at verse 6. In my distress, I called upon who? I called upon the Lord. Now, so many of us, when we're in danger, I like to call my wife, I like to call my parents, I like to call friends. And there's nothing wrong with that. But scripture teaches us remember, your first line of defense and offense is to call upon God. Why? God knows what you're going through. God knows about your struggle before you entered into it. God already has a solution for your struggle. God knows, God cares, and God acts. I'm going to give you that again. Write this down. These six words summarize all 50 verses in this Psalm. God knows, God cares, and God acts. God knows about you. He knows about your struggle. God cares for you deeply. And then God acts. We're going to see in the psalm how he acts. He moves heaven and earth. How many of you have heard music by Jeremy Camp? Raise your hand. It is a famous hit song, I Still Believe. And this song was written about a time in his life where he really had a struggle that he didn't think he'd get through. He married a lovely bride by the name of Melissa. You see a picture there. But prior to getting married, after they got engaged, Melissa had an exam, and the doctor said, I'm afraid to tell you the news, Melissa, because you're getting married. But this is ovarian cancer. And your life is probably going to end within a short period of time. And Jeremy and Melissa didn't give up. He decided to go ahead and marry her, even though the prognosis she was probably going to die. He's like, We're just going to trust in a miracle. We're going to pray. Every concert, let's have people pray for my wife's healing. And it was months afterward, after they got married, that she passed away. And it would have been so easy for Jeremy to say, forget God, forget the church. I I just I prayed. God took her. What kind of God would do that? But instead, he composed these words. I still believe. So I just want to speak to someone that you've been hurt, you want to quit, you want to give up. I just want you to know that David was in a situation where he said, I felt like I was going to die. I felt like my life was over, and then God came through. And so for Jeremy, that wasn't the end of his story. He didn't give up, he continued. And people encouraged him. Jeremy, you've got to continue to live your life. You're a young man. God's going to do something. And three years later, he met this young lady who was a worship leader for Benjamin's. For those of you who grew up in the youth ministry in the 90s and 2000s, there was a like a Christian rock band named Benjamin's Gates. She was the lead singer. So they connected, and even though he thought he could never love again, guess what? There was life again for Jeremy. That was 2003. So fast forward two decades later, he's still singing, he's still praising God. Because you know why? God is my rock. God is my fortress. God knows, God cares, and God acts on our behalf. Amen. The fourth truth, how do I know that God's got a plan for my life? How do I keep my eyes on the prize? Number four, believe in God's infinite goodness and unmatched strength. So I want you guys to look at verse 7. This verse is powerful. Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations of the hills also quaked and shake. Shaken. Why? Because he was angry. Smoke went up from his nostrils, devouring fire from his mouth. Coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also and came down with darkness under his feet.

SPEAKER_01 23:17

We're glad you joined us on today's edition of Truth for Transformation with Pastor Timothy Brown. We're working our way through the Book of Psalms, the original collection of worship music. God knows how music can connect people to his heart. It can take us from knowing something about God into a place of knowing him deeply. It connects the mind to the heart. The psalms are an amazing how-to for worshiping God. You'll find calls to lift your hands, clap, bow down, sing, shout, and even dance. When did you last see dancing in church? Also, the psalms show us a wide array of what we can pray and sing to God about. We can celebrate God for his greatness, and we can call out and lament, asking God to deliver us. Sometimes we think we can't tell God how we really feel, but the Psalms show us that God can handle all our emotions. There are even psalms that call for God to bring justice against Israel's enemies. We hope today's message has led you closer to God. If you'd like to share your thoughts with us, ask a question, or just say hello, please find us on social media at Dr. Timothy Brown Ministries. You can also find us online at drtimothybrown.org, where you can connect and learn more about our ministry. Remember, it's through your support that this ministry is possible. Your giving fuels the mission. And being on mission for God is so important. To give, go to drtimothybrown.org. Thank you again for joining us on Truth for Transformation.