Single Minded with Christ • Psalm 119:113

44:53 Teaching begins

Notes

Here is a contradiction: I believe Jesus died for my sins and that He rose again from the dead. But I’m not exactly following Him. I experience doubt, fear, I don’t know where I’m at with God and I’m stuck. What’s that?

The problem is being double-minded. That always leads to doubt, fear, ignorance.

The solution is to become single-minded.

We’re going to meditate together on this scripture, Psalm 119:113.

I hate the double-minded, but I love Your law.

1. To be double-minded is to think that you can go two directions at the same time. The classic example is 1 Kings 18, the showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal.

A. 1 Kings 18:21 Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word.

B. This is weird, that they would try to follow both Baal and the Lord. Why would they do that? They’re trying to deal with their big problem. They don’t want to die.

1. Their big thought is: I need a good harvest. A bad harvest is a disaster. It’s the difference between life and death. They’re afraid to die.

2. I’m solving this big danger by seeking the favor of anyone who can help me, God or Baal. See, Baal is the god of fertility. Harvests are his specialty. What is God’s specialty? Well, everything, but that also makes him spread thin. Can He do everything? Will He do everything?

3. I want to live another year. So I’m reducing my risk of danger. This is a practical issue.

2. The source of double-mindedness is doubt, ignorance, and fear.

A. These Israelites are the people of the Lord. But there’s some doubt about Him. Will He provide for me? Does He even know my name? Can I trust Him with my life?

B. Doubt also shows ignorance. There might be another god that I don’t know about. Baal is supposed to be the fertility god. He’s got authority and power to give good harvests. Some people say he’s just a made-up god. I don’t know.

C. Doubt and ignorance leave me open to fear. What if Baal exists and I’m ignoring him? I know when someone ignores me I get offended. I don’t feel like doing favors for anyone who offends me. If I offend Baal I run a risk of being cursed. And underneath all this is I’m scared to die. That’s the fear motivating my life. Just let me survive, whoever you are. I don’t want to die.

D. Following the Lord and following Baal is a way of reducing risk of danger. I don’t want to live in risk, so I will try to make everyone happy so no one curses me or ruins my life.

E. This opens the door to self-fulfilling prophecy.

1. If I have a good harvest, then I can think, “What do you know? It worked. I did a good job honoring the gods and I was rewarded for it.”

2. If it’s a bad harvest, then I say, “I failed. I must have done something wrong. I’ll have to work harder to please the gods.”

F. When do you get out of fear, doubt, and ignorance? Never. You never know if you’ve done enough. You have to live in darkness.

G. There is no such thing as Baal. Someone thought up Baal. But it’s not just some person that made up Baal. There are spiritual forces of wickedness behind Baal. There is spiritual power there, but it’s not God. It’s unclean power. That power wants people to stay in doubt, ignorance, fear, and misery.

3. The psalmist says he loves the law of the Lord. The law clearly reveals the truth about the only God, who is good.

A. The Bible clearly reveals that God exists apart from His creation. He is eternal and existed before creation in eternity. There is no other god. No one else is eternal, only God. So there aren’t 12 other gods to worry about. There aren’t millions of gods. There is one God.

B. The Bible shows clearly that God created all things in an orderly way. It shows that He upholds all things that He made. Everything depends on Him for existence and for life.

C. The Bible shows clearly that the real problem with this world is that man sinned against God. Sin brought separation from God and that is death.

D. The Bible clearly shows that God is working out His eternal plan to bring man back into relationship with Himself. God took one man and made a covenant with him, that He would bless him, and make him a blessing, and that all the earth would be blessed through him. God gives, He heals, He blesses. He has promised to make all things new and give eternal life.

E. The Bible clearly shows God’s nature, what kind of God He is. God is good. He is the creator, the supreme power in the universe, and He is good. There is no evil in God. He is holy and pure. He is faithful, He is gracious and compassionate. He is love.

F. The Bible clearly shows that God keeps His promises. He is confident about His ability to do what He says. He might wait 1000 years, or even 2000 years, but He always keeps His promises. Nothing can prevent God from blessing. Nothing can destroy His plan. He has all power, He is love. He will give glory, eternal life, blessing forever.

G. The psalmist says, “I love this. I love knowing the truth. I love knowing Your goodness, your faithfulness. I love your confidence. I love this clarity.”

H. So he looks at double-mindedness and says, “I hate that. I hate lies and wickedness that keep people in doubt, ignorance, and fear.” You can see in verse 104, “Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way,” False ways kill, steal, and destroy.

4. So what? To be saved from double-mindedness you need to be made single-minded. You need the word of God and the life of God in you.

A. I want to read the verse in 1 Kings 18:21 again. Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word.

B. The people know that Elijah is right. They can’t defend their actions. They know better. But they are stuck. They are passive. They can’t get out of their double-mindedness on their own. They can’t save themselves.

C. They need the revelation of God and they get that revelation of God. Elijah prepares twelve stones for the altar. He puts wood on to burn. He digs a trench all around the altar and has the people pour four barrels of water three times on the sacrifice until the trench is filled. This sacrifice can’t burn because it’s been doused with twelve barrels of water. Elijah prays, and the fire of God falls on that sacrifice and burns up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the water, and the soil. There’s nothing left but a hole in the ground.

C. Back in Psalm 119 there are two verses near v. 113, vv. 116-117 and they are saying this same thing: I need your word and I need Your life in me.

1. I need Your word to live and be safe. Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. That is life and safety.

2. My heart is not enough to follow you on my own. I also need Your life in me to hold me up in my heart. I need You to not let me be ashamed of my hope, don’t let me look for satisfaction here and now. In verse 117 it means that I may gaze with approval on Your word. If I decide that I’m waiting for God’s promise in vain, I won’t gaze with approval on God’s word, I’m going to ignore it. That’s the opposite of love. The psalmist says, “I love Your word.”

3. That heart to love the word of God comes only from the Holy Spirit. He is the single-minded One who comes into your heart to give you a single-minded love for His word. So you need the word and the Holy Spirit living in you.

D. Just like Israel, you can’t save your own life. If you try to save yourself, you will lose your life. But if you lose your life for Jesus’ sake you will find it. Lose your life to Him. Ask Jesus to save you because He died on the cross for you. He paid for your sins.

E. Then ask Jesus to fill you with His Holy Spirit. The very life of God comes into your soul like fire. The Holy Spirit is single-minded for Jesus. He will use His word to make you single-minded for Jesus, to uphold you that you may live and be safe and not lose your hope. The Holy Spirit will give you love for His word.

F. Are you stuck between two opinions, between obeying Jesus and obeying something else that’s not God? Don’t be stuck anymore. Turn back to Jesus and ask Him to cleanse your heart. Look to Him on the cross, dying for your sins. Ask Him to fill you with His Spirit and make you single-minded for Him. We’re having communion this morning. Seek the Lord, confess your sins, let Him make you single-minded.

Let’s pray.