Commit Thy Works unto the LORD (Proverbs 16:3)

Michael Spangler: Let's turn to Proverbs 16. It is a Proverbs day, and as far as I have planned, so will every Wednesday be at Salem Creek Academy for as long as the Lord gives us strength. So we'll read Proverbs 16 and now verses 1 to 20. Our text will be verse 3. The preparations of the heart in man and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes. The Lord weith the spirits. Commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thought shall be established. The Lord hath made all things for himself, yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. Everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord. Though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. By mercy and truth, iniquity is purged, and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil. When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right. A man's heart diviseth his way, but the Lord directeth his steps. A divine sentence is in the lips of the King. His mouth transgresseth not in judgment. A just weight and balance are the Lord's. All the weights of the bag are his work. It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness, for the throne is established by righteousness. Righteous lips are the delight of kings, and they love him that speaketh right. The wrath of a king is as messengers of death, but a wise man will pacify it. In the light of the king's countenance is life, and his favor is as a cloud of the latter rain. How much better is it to get wisdom than gold, and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver? The highway of the upright is to depart from evil. He that keepeth his way preserveeth his soul. Pride goeth before destruction, and in haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with a lowly. than to divide the spoil with the proud. He that handleeth the matter wisely shall find good, and who so trusteth in the Lord, happy is he. Again, our text is verse three. Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. Last week in Proverbs, we considered that the eyes of the Lord are in every place. And now that was a strong motive to watchful, holy living. Today, in regard to that same holy living, we are called to consider its manner. But in all our works, we must commit them to that same Lord whose eyes are in every place. Consider in our text, the command given. and the motive given for that command. So first, the command. Commit thy works unto the Lord. Regarding those works, this is a command that considers three aspects of them. The first is the nature of those works. When it says thy works, it doesn't mean any works whatsoever. It's certainly does not mean that we should commit sinful works to God. Only good works can be committed to a good God. For, as we say with Psalm 5 verse 4, thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with thee. If we're to commit works to the Lord, they must be works that are pleasing to Him. that is there done according to His Word. But those works also must have a good beginning. That means they start in a good heart. A heart that, according to the sum of the law that we heard yesterday, loves God. Because from that heart then come all the issues of life. Proverbs 4, 23. We must commit a good heart and from it good works and those only to the Lord. Second, this speaks to us of the end of those works. This word unto describes the direction in which those works go forward. And they go in one direction if they're truly good works, unto the Lord. And that means, as it says in 1 Corinthians 10, 31, regarding our eating and our drinking, unto the Lord's glory, not of course, unto his diminishment or his... or disobedience to him. So unto the Lord's glory. That means that by doing good, we bring glory to the good God. This is described in Ephesians 6-7 as regards the duty of the slave. This is our duty too. With goodwill doing service as to the Lord and not to men. Looking to God and self-consciously acting as His servants in everything that we do. Believing Romans 11-36. that of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory forever. Amen. So in committing our works to the Lord, we're to consider their nature and their end, but third, and especially so here, their manner, the way in which we do them. This word commit, literally roll, as if we would take a burden too heavy to lift. and do what we can to push it so that it rolls and lands upon the Lord. This speaks especially of the way we do our works and it points us to trust. Trust is the manner in which we're to do our works. We're to do our works trusting God. Psalm 37.5 says something very similar and makes this more explicit. Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him. and he shall bring it to pass. There are three things in our works that we should trust God for. The first thing to trust him for is power. The power of good works does not come from ourselves. Adam had power by nature to do good works, but that nature was corrupted. And now by nature we are dead in sins. Without power to do good works, if we therefore are to do anything that's pleasing to God, God has to work it in us. And that's what he says in Philippians 2, verse 12, we're told, to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. We are to work. But then verse 13, lest we make a mistake, it says, for it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure. And Paul, the mighty apostle whose works were very great, confessed, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4 13. We must trust God for power. in our works. We must also trust Him for success. That those works will have their desired end, not just their chief end, the glory of God, but all the lesser ends. That if we want certain things as results of our work, we have to trust God to bring those desires to pass. This is what is prayed in Psalm 90 verse 17. us. That is to say, let us see the establishment of our works in the coming of the blessings of that work upon us. That we'd have a return for our labors, that we would eat of the fruit of our own hands. So, for power, for success, we trust the Lord in our works, but also third, for reward. Not just the reward that comes from the works themselves, that would be the success, but the reward that God gives to all who serve Him faithfully. believing by faith, Hebrews 11 6, that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. This is the way we commit our works unto the Lord, expecting a reward from him, even while we trust him for the power and the success of those works. So thus the command, commit thy way unto the Lord. But then our text moves on to a motive. Why should we do this? Why should we have that trust in Him, of committing our works to Him? Because that trust will have what it trusts in. That reward that's expected by believers as they work, it will come. God will give it. He will give the power, He will give the success, He will give the reward. It says here, thy thought shall be established, that is, thy plans, but also we can say thy hopes. The things that in your mind you have in mind for this particular work, and so far as they're good, God will give thee thy thoughts. He'll give thee thy plans. He'll give thee, as it says elsewhere, all the desires of thy heart. The power will be worked in you. Your prayer for success will be answered, and he will establish the work of his of thy hands upon thee. And the reward that you diligently seek will be granted here and in eternity. This is what Psalm 128 verse 2 says, This is what Isaiah 65 23 says, even against fears of the contrary. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble, for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord in their offspring with... And this is what Paul says in light of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15, 58. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. Why? Same motive as our text. For as much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. We can summarize our text then in other words, that good works done while trusting God will surely be established. And that serves as our doctrine today. Good works done while trusting God will surely be established. And let's apply this doctrine now in three ways. The first thing this requires of us is to fulfill the manner of working that our text calls us to, committing our way into the Lord, especially by trusting Him. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart. As Proverbs 3 says, believe in God. And as Christ adds, believe also in me. Putting your whole self all your works upon the Lord as upon the unmovable foundation of your life. This means three things. One, what it does not mean. This does not mean trust in your works themselves and it cannot mean that because that would be the opposite of trusting in the Lord. Paul speaks of the folly of trusting in the merit. of your works, as if they themselves by their own power would earn for you the eternal favor of God." He says in Galatians 2.16, we know that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. And so, even we Jews have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. You remember how Christ illustrated this in Luke 18? He told this parable to those that trusted in themselves that they were righteous and they despised others, especially the Pharisees, his opponents. And he speaks about a Pharisee in the temple. Unlike the publican, he's boasting in his prayers. And he thanks God that he's not like other men, even this publican. And he presents his outward works as if God now had to bless him. because he deserved it. This is folly. This is the opposite of trusting in the Lord. This is trusting in yourself. Do not trust in your works themselves. The second thing is also something you are not to trust. Do not trust in the approval of men. Some people show they trust in this because it's all they work for. They're content if dad and mom are happy, if the boss is happy, if other men see them and applaud for them. Well done. When others say that's what they live for, that's what they work. This cannot be for the Christian. It's not that we despise the approval of men and especially not of good men. The approval of good men and children, the approval of your good parents is a help to you in determining the approval of the Lord. But they are not the same thing. And we need to realize that often men will approve of things that God does not. And they will despise things that God approves of. And so we have to live for God only, not for the approval of men. Paul understood this in Galatians 1-10. said, I yet please men, I should not be the servant of Christ. This is a first commandment issue. You must trust not in men, but in God. So don't trust in your works. Don't trust in the approval of men. Third, trust in the Lord only. We heard the direction to the slave in Ephesians 6. Consider the direction to the same in Colossians 3.23. And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men. Looking to Him for power, for success, and for reward in all your works. Trust in the Lord and in Him only. Remembering the warning of Psalm 127 verse 1. Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. The house may indeed be built and the city may for a time be safe, but it is vain because you do not have the favor of the Lord and that favor is everything. The man that trusts him and him only is truly safe. So trust the Lord. The second application is while trusting the Lord, keep working. I said this in another sermon. Trust is not merely passive. We don't simply wait on God all of a sudden to fill us with power to work. No, we work trusting the Lord to give the power, but we must engage our will in what God calls us. do. The text says commit thy way unto the Lord and what it assumes is that thy way thy works rather that thou hast works that there are works going on and you must maintain them while committing them to the Lord. Galatians 6 9 addresses this let us not be weary in well-doing and it gives a similar motive as our text for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. Your works are not in vain. They will be established. They will have a reward. Therefore keep working and do not give up. Some of you have run in races. They're ready there at the end to put that medal on your neck. So keep running. Keep running. Don't give up. 1 Peter 4 19. Even when much labor, many labor to hinder you. and you're suffering under their hand, it says, wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well-doing. Yes, commit your soul to God, to commit your works to Him, but keep those works going in well-doing as unto a faithful Creator. So keep working. And third and finally, if you are trusting God and you are continuing to do good works for His glory. then you should expect establishment. Our text is a promise from God and He will not fail to keep it. Thy thoughts shall be established. Those godly and good plans and desires and hopes that you have, God will not leave you hanging. He will give you the end of your works. This means three things for us. First, we cannot judge our own works by the sight of them. Christian works, especially to worldly men, seem very insignificant. They'll look and see the smallness of our work and the weakness of those who do it and they will mock us. Do you remember that they mock Christ upon the cross? Psalm 22 verse 8, they took these very words on their lips. He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him. Let him deliver him. Seeing he delighted in He committed his works unto the Lord. Let the Lord now establish his thoughts while he's hanging on the cross. Not realizing that God was establishing Christ's thoughts there. The thoughts that took him to the cross, namely the thought to save all of his people. That's exactly what he was doing there. There was no failure. But to the eyes of men, it was an abject failure. Remember Nehemiah 4, how Sanballat heard about the building of the wall and he mocked the Jews. What do these feeble Jews? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they make an end in the day? They're so zealous they think they'll finish this wall today. Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? Now Tobiah added, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall. how weak, how easily destroyed their work is. Nehemiah in response committed his works unto the Lord by prayer, even a prayer of imprecation. Hear our God for we are despised and turn their reproach upon their own head and give them for a prey in the land of captivity and cover not their iniquity. And they then kept on working. Remember I preached recently on the mustard seed and on the leaven. The apparent smallness of the works of the kingdom of God is no proof that this promise will not be fulfilled. Expect establishment and do not judge works by your own sight. Second, do not bind God to your own wisdom in establishing your thoughts. Sometimes our thoughts are too great. motivated by pride and ignorance, we expect God will establish our works and our thoughts in some way that He's not expecting to. And thus we're disappointed and we think perhaps our faith was vain when it really wasn't faith. We simply had our own idea and thought it was better than God's idea of how we would be established. Proverbs 16, 9, which we read says, but the Lord directeth his step. It is right to expect good things from God, but if we are too specific in our expectations, then we can fail to see the wisdom of God in directing our steps in a way we did not expect. I ask you, if God led you in response to your works in a way you did not expect that was less pleasant or wasn't the exact way that you hoped, did God do wrong to you? God forbid we'd even think that. And yet, in our unbelief, we often do. And we'll think this promise is not true. Don't do that. James 4 warns against this. Go to now, ye that say, today or tomorrow we will go into such a city and continue there year and buy and sell and get gain. I have this great plan and I believe, Psalm 90 verse 17, that God will establish the work of my hands. And so this business venture cannot fail. Well, sometimes just because we have such foolish thoughts, God makes our business venture fail. That doesn't mean His promise failed. It means we did because we expected something from Him that He had not specifically promised. He calls them for humility. What is your life? It's a vapor. He ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that. This is part of trusting God, that we trust Him to reward in the way that He sees best, which will always be good, even if it isn't according to our specific desires. So don't judge works, your own works by your sight. Do not bind God to your own wisdom in His manner of rewarding you. But third and finally, as our text says, work expectantly by faith. looking to Him with your eyes as the eyes of servants look under the hand of their masters. Psalm 123 verse 2. And if you truly believe what our text says, then you'll be able then, looking back on a long life of service to the Lord, to say with Paul at the end of his life, 2nd Timothy 4, 7 to 8, I have fought a good fight. I finished my course. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day. And here he applies it to you and not to me only, but unto all them also that love is appearing. Let's stand and