The Full Reward of the Righteous

Psalm 16 &

Psalm 58:11 So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth. <<reward: fruit>>

--FULNESS, REPLETE, COVERED OVER

• Does it pay to Serve God

Introduction - (Its Difficult) Is it worth serving God?

A. It is Difficult to be Christian

Mt 16:24 ¶ Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Joh 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

Lu 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

1Jo 2:1 ¶ My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

1Pe 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

Php 2:12 ¶ Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Lu 10:27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

It is difficult, but is it worth it?

• John the Baptist was Beheaded

• Peter crucified upside down

• Some placed in logs and sawn in two

• Children died giving testimony of Christ in the Roman arenas -- Columbine teenage girl "do you believe in God?" "YES"and then shot --- some of her peers said of Cassie Bernal who had been hidding under a table praying aloud, testified they thought she was singled out because she was praying.

• if it rains on the just and unjust alike ... what is the point?

Mt 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

-- He is worthy!

Eze 36:22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.

B. It is Easy, but not Worth it to be Wicked

• The Wicked Have it so Easy Psalm 73:1-14;
• But it is not worth it because of their end Psalm 73:15-28

Ps 73:28 But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.

1. Fullness of Preservation

David, sojourning among idolaters, and being obliged to leave his own country through Saul's persecution, cries to God for help; expresses his abhorrence of idolatry, and his desire to be again united to God's people,

Psalm 16:1-4 Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. 2 O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee; 3 But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight. 4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.

ILLUSTRATION: Henry J. Westermeyer --- Have you become discouraged? Have you allowed something to keep you from being what you know you should be? Have you allowed depression or disaster to make you lose heart and to slacken your effort? If so, remember the Word of the Lord: "That no man take thy crown." Be diligent; in season and out of season. Be faithful in the face of storm, as well as in times of sunshine, for if there is "no battle, there will be no victory; no cross, no crown."

Re 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

• Fully Preserved -- nothing lost
• David found himself in an holy place, but he was born of a holy seed!
• prayer, intercession
• A Request to kept separate
• Is it worth it? How? increasingly complicated?
• You can make it!

2. Fullness of Provision

Psalm 16:5-7 — The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. 6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. 7 I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.

• Praise, thankfulness
• Necessaary to keep an ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE

Ezekiel 36:27 — [God promised to restore scattered Israel and that "I will put my Spirit within you"]

3. Fullness of Power

Prophecy of the Resurrection of Christ

Psalm 16:8-11* — I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. 10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

• Where does this come from? IN a HEATHEN LAND, DAVID RECEIVED REVELATION OF Christ's Resurrection
• Fulness of Joy : glee, exceeding gladness IN HIS PRESENCE

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Lu 4:1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

• "replete" : filled or well-supplied with something.
• "covered over"

Joh 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Ac 2:28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.

Ac 6:3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

Ac 6:5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:

Ac 6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

Ac 7:23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.

Ac 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

Ac 9:36 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did

Ac 11:24 For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.

Ro 15:14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

Php 2:26 For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.

Php 4:12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

Heb 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Jas 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

1Pe 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

1Jo 1:4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

2 John 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.

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