00:00:01
S1: Are you tired of feeling down and gloomy, looking for real ways to actually change how you feel? Stay tuned for today's Bold Steps message.
00:00:09
S2: But let me tell you, when you jump start the sacrifice of praise, then your emotions catch up with your joyful noise. If you've entered in praise and thanksgiving, you can leave this place having your heart turned around because you've gotten into the presence of God and God has been able to speak to you.
00:00:40
S1: Welcome to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. Mark is founding pastor of New Life Community Church in Chicago. I'm Wayne Shepherd. You know, when we look around the world today, most of what we see doesn't actually look so good. From corruption and politics to the growing division within our culture and even with other countries. There's no shortage of negative headlines. And with all the darkness and despair that we see, what can we do as followers of Christ to maintain our joy and shine to those around us? That's exactly what we're discussing on today's program. We'll be looking at Psalm 100. So if you have your Bible, go ahead and join us there. As Mark Jobe begins part two of a message titled breaking Through the Gloom.
00:01:21
S2: They've done some studies on singing. Study after study has found that singing relieves anxiety and contributes to the quality of life. Ephesians chapter five, verse 18 through 19 talks about being filled with the spirit, and when someone is filled with the spirit, in other words, filled with God, they speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. They sing and they make music in their heart to the Lord. When you are filled with God, you start singing. When people are full of joy on Fridays, people tend to hum a lot more. They say, why are you so happy about. It's Friday. Saturday is here. I don't have to go to work. There's something about when our heart is full of joy that we tend to sing. But I believe that there's something. There's something else going on here. Sometimes we need to sing in order to see our heart start to get full of joy. You see, it's easy to sing and hum. And when we're happy. But what about when we're not happy? And it's time to just to make a joyful noise. Sometimes when you're not happy, you need to start just making a joyful noise. I believe that's the power of worship. We devote about 20 minutes to worship in this place when we can, a little bit longer. And I know for some of you, like you're enduring it just standing and we gotta stand long. But I want to, I want to encourage you, when you truly sing along to these words, you are literally lifting up your voice with a whole bunch of people around you that are saying, Lord, you are good today, God. We are thankful for who you are. God, we bless your name because there's no one like you. There's something powerful about corporate worship that invites the presence of God and brings the joy of God in us. Sometimes we have to sing. Some of you need to try it occasionally. And the psalmist says, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all you people. Not only do we need to make a joyful noise, but the second thing the psalmist tells us to do is to know who is God. Know who is God. Remember that you belong to God and he belongs to you. Verse three says, know that the Lord, yeah, he is God. You know, sometimes in the middle of all the chaos, all the bad news, all the circumstances, you need to stop and remember who is God. You need to stop and remember that God is God and you're not. You can't save people change people fix people, turn people around. But God can. You can't turn the economy around, but God can. You can't heal cancer, but God can. You can't change someone's attitude, but God can. You can't fix your cousin's marriage, but God can. You can't forgive sins, but God can. You don't know the future, but God does. You can't see into the future what's going on, but God does. You can't climb a mountain, but God can overcome any obstacle. God is able. So remember who God is. The psalmist says, be still and know that He is God. Some of us in the middle of our chaos and trouble were so busy and worried, running around. And sometimes you need to be still and remember who God is. And then he says, it is he who has made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. When you stop and remember that He is God, and that God knows your story and that you are his, I want you to think about this for a second. God is not a distant character. This generic force in the universe that doesn't know your name, the God of Scripture is a God that knows your story and knows your name. And before you were born, he knew you. Before your parents even know knew you, he knew you. God has seen you when other people haven't. He knows your thoughts and your heart. He's tracked your story. He knows your middle name. Yeah. Even though you don't tell other people about it. He knows it. He knows the secrets of your heart. He knows the longings and the desires of your soul. Not only that, the Bible tells us that His Holy Spirit dwells inside of us. God knows you. There's something powerful about knowing that God knows you, and even though he knows you, he loves you. Romans tells us 828 says, and we know that for those who love God, all things. What things? All things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Those that love God, all things work together. The bad, the good, the unexpected. They collude together by God's sovereignty, and they actually work together for the good of the people that love God. God can even take your bad circumstances and use them as stepping stones for good purposes. All things work together. This is not a world in which just random things happen without anybody being in control. This is not a world where chaos reigns and there is no rhyme or reason. We live in a world where there is a sovereign God. You may not understand why things happen. You may have difficulty, understand suffering in this world and injustice in this world. But I want you to understand that God is not confused, that God does have a plan. That God does allow bad to happen because of our choices. But in the end, the final chapter of this book is written and the end God wins. In the end, justice comes in the end. There is a future with a hope, a purpose, and a destiny as written in Scripture. Isaiah 41 verse ten says, fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Jeremiah 32 verse 27 says, behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? Once in a while, in the middle of your chaos, in the middle of your anxiety, in the middle of your inability to figure things out, you need to take a deep breath, slow down, and remember who God is. Yeah, you're on the throne, God. I remember it. You're still on the throne, regardless of my circumstances. And I am yours and you are mine. It tells us in this verse. And we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. I kind of wonder why oftentimes the Bible compares us to sheep. I really don't like that comparison. I'd rather be a tiger.
00:09:00
S3: Black Panther. A bear, but a sheep.
00:09:06
S2: I've been around sheep. And here's the thing about sheep. First of all, they're not that bright. Nah. I grew up in a village in northern Spain. Sheep were. My best friend was the son of a shepherd. They weren't bright. The other thing about sheep is they're extremely vulnerable. They don't have horns on their head. They can't camouflage themselves. I mean, they're just white right in the middle of everything. They have no teeth. They have no claws. They're extremely vulnerable. But one thing that sheep have in the biblical context is they have a shepherd. There are some of the most vulnerable animals on earth. Rabbits can run, tigers can fight. Bears can roar. Chameleons can hide sheep. But put a good shepherd around a sheep. And you don't want to mess with those sheep because there's a shepherd, guides them, cares for them, watches out for them, protects them. And I love the fact that God acknowledges our vulnerability in calling us sheep. Yet at the same time acknowledges that he is the shepherd. No matter how strong you may feel today or how invincible you may feel, I want to tell you. All of us human beings, we share a common characteristic. We are extremely vulnerable. Cancer can hit in a moment. A heart attack can leave you paralyzed. A car can hit you while you're crossing the street. Life can change immediately. We are extremely vulnerable in life, but thank God that in the midst of our vulnerability, we have the Shepherd, the Shepherd of our soul that watches, that cares, that knows us, that controls our destiny and our future. Number three, verse four. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him. Bless his name. Number three. Thank your way in the door. Make some noise. New hope. Know who God is. Thank your way in the door. Enter his presence with the ticket of thanksgiving and praise. Notice what he says in verse four. He says. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Can I tell you something about thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is the language of God. It's the language of the people of God. There are some people here today that you feel distant from God. You feel like God hasn't spoken to me in a long time. I don't know what it is, but I feel like I can't get really close to God. Can I tell you that one of the keys to entering into the presence of God in such a way that he can speak to us, is an attitude of gratitude. You see, you can't enter into the gates of the presence of God when you're full of criticism, negativity, complaint, and darkness. You. You're kept in the outer courts when you all. All you see is the bad in life. What you don't have in life, what should be and can't be. When you look at life, some of you wake up in the morning and you already predict a rotten day. This is going to be a terrible day. My back hurts. Traffic's going to be terrible. Where's my coffee? This is nasty. The job is terrible. I can't stand this day. It's Monday. And I just feel like God's distant. Well, maybe God feels distant because you're in the outer courts. And the ticket inside the gates of the presence of God is gratitude and thanksgiving. I wonder what would happen if you got out of bed tomorrow and you said, thank you, God, that I can walk. Bless you, that I have air in my lungs. And you say, well, pastor, I have emphysema. Well, I have air in one lung at least. Thank God that I have air in one lung. Praise God that I. My mind is more or less still there. Thank God that I can drive a car and not walk to work. Thank God that I'm not sleeping in a cardboard box under Lower Wacker Drive. Praise God that I can eat some food. It may not be caviar or a New York steak, but it's carne asada. Maybe, you know, praise God that that that I have something in life. You need to find something to thank God for and start focusing on what you're going to thank God for. Because let me tell you, a spirit of ingratitude could be in a millionaire mansion and still complain. It's not about your circumstances. It's about the attitude that you have towards your circumstances. And when you look at life, do you whine about what you don't have? Do you complain about what's going wrong? Do you focus on what's missing? Do you find yourself spiraling down this. Complaining. Jealousy. Comparison. Competitive hole So that you're always unhappy, always discontent, always fuming about something, always critical of somebody. Or have you learned the power of thanksgiving? Where you wake up and you find something to thank God for?
00:15:27
S1: Well, don't go anywhere because Mark will be right back to continue this pivotal lesson in just a minute. You're listening to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. A message about breaking through the gloom. And real quick, we just want to remind you that if you ever miss one of these daily teachings on the radio, or if you want to go back and revisit a message, you can do that anytime by visiting our website at bold steps.org or for easy listening straight from your phone, just open up your podcast app and subscribe to the Bold Steps podcast. You'll find us by searching for Bold Steps with doctor Mark Jobe. And then Mark also has a one minute feature you can subscribe to called the Bold Steps Minute, where you'll find short segments of daily encouragement and biblical insight from Mark. To start listening today, just subscribe through your podcast app or visit bold steps.org. Now back to our message for today. It's titled Breaking Through the Gloom with Mark Jobe here on Bold Steps.
00:16:23
S2: You see, you can't get close enough to hear God if you're criticizing and complaining. If you enter into his presence, the outer courts with thanksgiving, you enter in through the gates with thanksgiving, and then you enter into the courts. The temple courts had an outer gate and an inner court and an inner sanctum. I believe the outer gates are the ah ah, the attitude of thanksgiving. The courts are the place of praise. You see, thanksgiving and praise are different. Thanksgiving is gratitude for what is around us. Praise focuses on the character of God and thanking God for who he is and how he is. It's a heart of worship. And then in the inner sanctuary there is adoration and worship. Listen, some of you haven't heard God because you're so full of complaining and criticism that you need to start coming into his courts with, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and then enter into his courts with praise. You get close enough to God so he doesn't have to scream out to you. So you're close enough to God that you can hear his voice as he whispers to you. Pastor, I don't get anything out of the message. Well, maybe it's me. Could be. Maybe it's because you fought all your way into the parking lot. You came and stomping your feet, crossing your arms. You're in the outer courts. Even when God's trying to speak to you, you haven't opened up your ears with praise. You haven't softened your heart with thanksgiving. God hasn't let you into his presence because there's just complaining and negativity. So you're in the outer courts. What would happen if you came to church and when you woke up in the morning, you started thanking God. You did. You kept it 100. Yes. Psalm 100. What would happen if by the time you entered service, you weren't all concerned and worried about arguing with people, but when you walked in this place, you'd spent the morning worshiping and thanking God. What would happen if you came into this place of worship? And already it was like, hey, I don't need worship to warm me up. I'm already warmed up. I'm ready to hear God. I'm ready to listen. My heart's in the right place. I'm not fighting with anybody. I'm not arguing with anybody. I'm here to receive. And then God could. The moment the worship start, you would get much more out of this service. The moment the singing started, you wouldn't be thinking about the bass or the sound or the stage or the temperature. You'd be saying, here I am, God, I want to hear you. I'm hearing your voice. You're speaking to me. You're encouraging me. I'm getting a lot out of this because I've already entered his gates with Thanksgiving. I've stepped into his courts with praise, and now I can hear the voice of the living God speaking to my life. The Bible tells us that we have to give a sacrifice of praise. First Thessalonians chapter 518 says, give thanks in all circumstances. In what circumstances? All circumstances. Hebrews chapter 13, verse 15 says, through him. Then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise. That is the fruit of our lips that give thanks to his name. How many of you know that praise sometimes is a sacrifice? You know when it's the greatest sacrifice? When I don't feel like giving it. When things are going good, it's easy. It's not a sacrifice. When things are bad. Things are hard. It's hard to give stuff that doesn't come easy. The Bible says that sometimes we need to give a sacrifice of praise. That means I'm going to give you something that's not easy. Hard for me to give today. It could start slow. Don't worry about it. Thank you Lord. I don't feel like giving thanks, but thank you, Lord. I don't feel like praising you, but praise you, Lord. Come on. How many of you feel like that sometimes? You say, well, pastor, I don't want to be a hypocrite. Let me tell you, it's never been a hypocrite to thank God for what you know you should thank God for even when you don't feel like it. A hypocrite is someone who pretends to be something that they're not. When you sacrifice, that's not hypocrisy, that's obedience. When I thank God, when it's hard, that's obedience. When I praise God and my circumstances don't lend themselves. That's obedience. But let me tell you, when you jump start the sacrifice of praise, then your emotions catch up with your joyful noise. And by the time you leave this place, if you've entered in praise and thanksgiving, you can leave this place having your heart turned around because you've gotten into the presence of God and God has been able to speak to you. Ephesians 520 says, always giving thanks for all things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. God, even our father. Let me give you the last point in keeping it 100. You need to make a joyful noise. You need to know who God is. You need to thank your way in the door. And lastly, you need to lean on his goodness. God is faithful and good towards his people. Notice with verse five says the final verse. It says, for the Lord. Oh man, for the Lord is good. That's a simple but profound statement. The Lord is good. Not only is the Lord good, but his love is steadfast. And not only does love steadfast, but his faithfulness is true from generation to generation. What does that mean? That means that God is not moody, that you don't wake up one day and say, does he love me? Does he love me not? Oh, I know you've had a boyfriend like that. That one day he loves you. The next day he wants to leave you. The other day he wants to marry you. The next day he wants to divorce you and you're not even married. I know you've had relationships like that, but let me tell you something. God is not that way. God loves you through your thick and thin. God loves you and your good and bad. God loves you and is faithful even when you're not faithful. God's love is true today, tomorrow, the day after. God is faithful. He's true. He's consistent. He doesn't change. The world can fall apart, but the love of God continues. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. The Bible says nothing can separate you from the love of God. I love that about God, that he is faithful and true and steadfast. 100% of the time. That means that when life isn't so good, you need to remember that God is good. And offer a sacrifice of praise. Some of you today need to break through the gloom that you've been living in. I'm talking to someone today. that's been so down and out and dark that you've had thoughts of hurting yourself, ending it all. I'm talking to some today who you've self-medicated your sadness and depression. And so you've become addicted to something because you're sad over something else. I'm talking to some of you today that God is saying, you know, it's time to break out of that gloom you've been living with. You've allowed this world to brainwash you into depression, to blind you into despair, to take on the atmosphere of hopelessness. But I'm saying, go a little higher. Come on, break through the cloud. Go a little higher. Go a little higher. Break through the gloom. When you get on top, God is saying to some of you, feel the shine of my love on you. Understand that I haven't changed. Remember that I am faithful and true. I am sovereign, still on the throne. I have a purpose and a plan for your life, and it is a good purpose and a good plan for your life. I love you, I forgiven you, I'm there. My presence is powerful. I can turn you around, heal you, change you, reconstruct you, deliver. You do what it takes. That's what God is saying to some of you.
00:25:40
S4: Yeah. So I hope that this message has breathed fresh air in some of you that have felt like I'm living below the cloud line instead of above the cloud line. I want to just take a moment just to pray for you right now. If you've been feeling like I've been living in gloom. Father, I pray in Jesus name for that man, that woman that has tried to shake off the gloom. But it just persists. They wake up in the morning feeling it. They go to bed at night feeling it. They've lost their joy. I thank you, Lord Jesus, that you're seeking to break them out of that place of gloom. And I pray, spirit of the living God, that even today, Holy Spirit, you would infuse them with a new sense of hope. God, that you would rekindle their joy, that they would begin to once again stand firm and confident in your sovereignty. And I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.
00:26:41
S1: Amen. You're listening to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe, a message titled breaking Through the Gloom. Mark, thank you for those final thoughts and prayer. If you'd like to listen again to any part of this message, or share it with someone who needs to hear it, just visit us online at bold steps.org. And before we go, be sure to check out this month's exclusive Bold Step Gift, a timely and encouraging book by Doctor Erwin Lutzer called The Church in Babylon. Heeding the call to be a light in the darkness. Just like the Israelites in Babylon, we're learning to hold on to our faith in a culture that doesn't always share our values. And this book will point you back to the one place our confidence was always meant to rest in Christ. Whatever chapter in life you're in right now, this is a resource that will help you stand firm and keep your eyes on him. We'll send you a copy today. When you give a gift of any amount to support bold steps. Call 800 D.L. Moody. That's (800) 356-6639, or give online at bold steps.org/give. You can also give through the mail by writing to us at Bold Steps, 820 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, 606 ten. Once again. 820 North LaSalle, Chicago, Illinois, 606 ten. And then, if you'd like to connect with our Bold Steps community. Feel free to join us on social media by liking and following our pages on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Now, before we close, I want to remind you that if you haven't already signed up to receive Mark's free weekly devotional called The Bold Stepper Weekly, be sure to do that today. Start your week off in courage and inspired with truths from God's Word, as Mark shares insightful personal teachings that can relate to your day to day life. Just visit our website, Bold steps.org, and look for the Bold Stepper weekly to sign up. That's our time for today, but make plans to tune in tomorrow when Mark brings a new message titled How to Approach God. That's the important discussion and you don't want to miss it. Coming up Wednesday right here on Bold Steps with Mark Joe, Bold steps is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of the Moody Bible Institute.
S1: Are you tired of feeling down and gloomy, looking for real ways to actually change how you feel? Stay tuned for today's Bold Steps message.
00:00:09
S2: But let me tell you, when you jump start the sacrifice of praise, then your emotions catch up with your joyful noise. If you've entered in praise and thanksgiving, you can leave this place having your heart turned around because you've gotten into the presence of God and God has been able to speak to you.
00:00:40
S1: Welcome to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. Mark is founding pastor of New Life Community Church in Chicago. I'm Wayne Shepherd. You know, when we look around the world today, most of what we see doesn't actually look so good. From corruption and politics to the growing division within our culture and even with other countries. There's no shortage of negative headlines. And with all the darkness and despair that we see, what can we do as followers of Christ to maintain our joy and shine to those around us? That's exactly what we're discussing on today's program. We'll be looking at Psalm 100. So if you have your Bible, go ahead and join us there. As Mark Jobe begins part two of a message titled breaking Through the Gloom.
00:01:21
S2: They've done some studies on singing. Study after study has found that singing relieves anxiety and contributes to the quality of life. Ephesians chapter five, verse 18 through 19 talks about being filled with the spirit, and when someone is filled with the spirit, in other words, filled with God, they speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. They sing and they make music in their heart to the Lord. When you are filled with God, you start singing. When people are full of joy on Fridays, people tend to hum a lot more. They say, why are you so happy about. It's Friday. Saturday is here. I don't have to go to work. There's something about when our heart is full of joy that we tend to sing. But I believe that there's something. There's something else going on here. Sometimes we need to sing in order to see our heart start to get full of joy. You see, it's easy to sing and hum. And when we're happy. But what about when we're not happy? And it's time to just to make a joyful noise. Sometimes when you're not happy, you need to start just making a joyful noise. I believe that's the power of worship. We devote about 20 minutes to worship in this place when we can, a little bit longer. And I know for some of you, like you're enduring it just standing and we gotta stand long. But I want to, I want to encourage you, when you truly sing along to these words, you are literally lifting up your voice with a whole bunch of people around you that are saying, Lord, you are good today, God. We are thankful for who you are. God, we bless your name because there's no one like you. There's something powerful about corporate worship that invites the presence of God and brings the joy of God in us. Sometimes we have to sing. Some of you need to try it occasionally. And the psalmist says, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all you people. Not only do we need to make a joyful noise, but the second thing the psalmist tells us to do is to know who is God. Know who is God. Remember that you belong to God and he belongs to you. Verse three says, know that the Lord, yeah, he is God. You know, sometimes in the middle of all the chaos, all the bad news, all the circumstances, you need to stop and remember who is God. You need to stop and remember that God is God and you're not. You can't save people change people fix people, turn people around. But God can. You can't turn the economy around, but God can. You can't heal cancer, but God can. You can't change someone's attitude, but God can. You can't fix your cousin's marriage, but God can. You can't forgive sins, but God can. You don't know the future, but God does. You can't see into the future what's going on, but God does. You can't climb a mountain, but God can overcome any obstacle. God is able. So remember who God is. The psalmist says, be still and know that He is God. Some of us in the middle of our chaos and trouble were so busy and worried, running around. And sometimes you need to be still and remember who God is. And then he says, it is he who has made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. When you stop and remember that He is God, and that God knows your story and that you are his, I want you to think about this for a second. God is not a distant character. This generic force in the universe that doesn't know your name, the God of Scripture is a God that knows your story and knows your name. And before you were born, he knew you. Before your parents even know knew you, he knew you. God has seen you when other people haven't. He knows your thoughts and your heart. He's tracked your story. He knows your middle name. Yeah. Even though you don't tell other people about it. He knows it. He knows the secrets of your heart. He knows the longings and the desires of your soul. Not only that, the Bible tells us that His Holy Spirit dwells inside of us. God knows you. There's something powerful about knowing that God knows you, and even though he knows you, he loves you. Romans tells us 828 says, and we know that for those who love God, all things. What things? All things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Those that love God, all things work together. The bad, the good, the unexpected. They collude together by God's sovereignty, and they actually work together for the good of the people that love God. God can even take your bad circumstances and use them as stepping stones for good purposes. All things work together. This is not a world in which just random things happen without anybody being in control. This is not a world where chaos reigns and there is no rhyme or reason. We live in a world where there is a sovereign God. You may not understand why things happen. You may have difficulty, understand suffering in this world and injustice in this world. But I want you to understand that God is not confused, that God does have a plan. That God does allow bad to happen because of our choices. But in the end, the final chapter of this book is written and the end God wins. In the end, justice comes in the end. There is a future with a hope, a purpose, and a destiny as written in Scripture. Isaiah 41 verse ten says, fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Jeremiah 32 verse 27 says, behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? Once in a while, in the middle of your chaos, in the middle of your anxiety, in the middle of your inability to figure things out, you need to take a deep breath, slow down, and remember who God is. Yeah, you're on the throne, God. I remember it. You're still on the throne, regardless of my circumstances. And I am yours and you are mine. It tells us in this verse. And we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. I kind of wonder why oftentimes the Bible compares us to sheep. I really don't like that comparison. I'd rather be a tiger.
00:09:00
S3: Black Panther. A bear, but a sheep.
00:09:06
S2: I've been around sheep. And here's the thing about sheep. First of all, they're not that bright. Nah. I grew up in a village in northern Spain. Sheep were. My best friend was the son of a shepherd. They weren't bright. The other thing about sheep is they're extremely vulnerable. They don't have horns on their head. They can't camouflage themselves. I mean, they're just white right in the middle of everything. They have no teeth. They have no claws. They're extremely vulnerable. But one thing that sheep have in the biblical context is they have a shepherd. There are some of the most vulnerable animals on earth. Rabbits can run, tigers can fight. Bears can roar. Chameleons can hide sheep. But put a good shepherd around a sheep. And you don't want to mess with those sheep because there's a shepherd, guides them, cares for them, watches out for them, protects them. And I love the fact that God acknowledges our vulnerability in calling us sheep. Yet at the same time acknowledges that he is the shepherd. No matter how strong you may feel today or how invincible you may feel, I want to tell you. All of us human beings, we share a common characteristic. We are extremely vulnerable. Cancer can hit in a moment. A heart attack can leave you paralyzed. A car can hit you while you're crossing the street. Life can change immediately. We are extremely vulnerable in life, but thank God that in the midst of our vulnerability, we have the Shepherd, the Shepherd of our soul that watches, that cares, that knows us, that controls our destiny and our future. Number three, verse four. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him. Bless his name. Number three. Thank your way in the door. Make some noise. New hope. Know who God is. Thank your way in the door. Enter his presence with the ticket of thanksgiving and praise. Notice what he says in verse four. He says. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Can I tell you something about thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is the language of God. It's the language of the people of God. There are some people here today that you feel distant from God. You feel like God hasn't spoken to me in a long time. I don't know what it is, but I feel like I can't get really close to God. Can I tell you that one of the keys to entering into the presence of God in such a way that he can speak to us, is an attitude of gratitude. You see, you can't enter into the gates of the presence of God when you're full of criticism, negativity, complaint, and darkness. You. You're kept in the outer courts when you all. All you see is the bad in life. What you don't have in life, what should be and can't be. When you look at life, some of you wake up in the morning and you already predict a rotten day. This is going to be a terrible day. My back hurts. Traffic's going to be terrible. Where's my coffee? This is nasty. The job is terrible. I can't stand this day. It's Monday. And I just feel like God's distant. Well, maybe God feels distant because you're in the outer courts. And the ticket inside the gates of the presence of God is gratitude and thanksgiving. I wonder what would happen if you got out of bed tomorrow and you said, thank you, God, that I can walk. Bless you, that I have air in my lungs. And you say, well, pastor, I have emphysema. Well, I have air in one lung at least. Thank God that I have air in one lung. Praise God that I. My mind is more or less still there. Thank God that I can drive a car and not walk to work. Thank God that I'm not sleeping in a cardboard box under Lower Wacker Drive. Praise God that I can eat some food. It may not be caviar or a New York steak, but it's carne asada. Maybe, you know, praise God that that that I have something in life. You need to find something to thank God for and start focusing on what you're going to thank God for. Because let me tell you, a spirit of ingratitude could be in a millionaire mansion and still complain. It's not about your circumstances. It's about the attitude that you have towards your circumstances. And when you look at life, do you whine about what you don't have? Do you complain about what's going wrong? Do you focus on what's missing? Do you find yourself spiraling down this. Complaining. Jealousy. Comparison. Competitive hole So that you're always unhappy, always discontent, always fuming about something, always critical of somebody. Or have you learned the power of thanksgiving? Where you wake up and you find something to thank God for?
00:15:27
S1: Well, don't go anywhere because Mark will be right back to continue this pivotal lesson in just a minute. You're listening to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. A message about breaking through the gloom. And real quick, we just want to remind you that if you ever miss one of these daily teachings on the radio, or if you want to go back and revisit a message, you can do that anytime by visiting our website at bold steps.org or for easy listening straight from your phone, just open up your podcast app and subscribe to the Bold Steps podcast. You'll find us by searching for Bold Steps with doctor Mark Jobe. And then Mark also has a one minute feature you can subscribe to called the Bold Steps Minute, where you'll find short segments of daily encouragement and biblical insight from Mark. To start listening today, just subscribe through your podcast app or visit bold steps.org. Now back to our message for today. It's titled Breaking Through the Gloom with Mark Jobe here on Bold Steps.
00:16:23
S2: You see, you can't get close enough to hear God if you're criticizing and complaining. If you enter into his presence, the outer courts with thanksgiving, you enter in through the gates with thanksgiving, and then you enter into the courts. The temple courts had an outer gate and an inner court and an inner sanctum. I believe the outer gates are the ah ah, the attitude of thanksgiving. The courts are the place of praise. You see, thanksgiving and praise are different. Thanksgiving is gratitude for what is around us. Praise focuses on the character of God and thanking God for who he is and how he is. It's a heart of worship. And then in the inner sanctuary there is adoration and worship. Listen, some of you haven't heard God because you're so full of complaining and criticism that you need to start coming into his courts with, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and then enter into his courts with praise. You get close enough to God so he doesn't have to scream out to you. So you're close enough to God that you can hear his voice as he whispers to you. Pastor, I don't get anything out of the message. Well, maybe it's me. Could be. Maybe it's because you fought all your way into the parking lot. You came and stomping your feet, crossing your arms. You're in the outer courts. Even when God's trying to speak to you, you haven't opened up your ears with praise. You haven't softened your heart with thanksgiving. God hasn't let you into his presence because there's just complaining and negativity. So you're in the outer courts. What would happen if you came to church and when you woke up in the morning, you started thanking God. You did. You kept it 100. Yes. Psalm 100. What would happen if by the time you entered service, you weren't all concerned and worried about arguing with people, but when you walked in this place, you'd spent the morning worshiping and thanking God. What would happen if you came into this place of worship? And already it was like, hey, I don't need worship to warm me up. I'm already warmed up. I'm ready to hear God. I'm ready to listen. My heart's in the right place. I'm not fighting with anybody. I'm not arguing with anybody. I'm here to receive. And then God could. The moment the worship start, you would get much more out of this service. The moment the singing started, you wouldn't be thinking about the bass or the sound or the stage or the temperature. You'd be saying, here I am, God, I want to hear you. I'm hearing your voice. You're speaking to me. You're encouraging me. I'm getting a lot out of this because I've already entered his gates with Thanksgiving. I've stepped into his courts with praise, and now I can hear the voice of the living God speaking to my life. The Bible tells us that we have to give a sacrifice of praise. First Thessalonians chapter 518 says, give thanks in all circumstances. In what circumstances? All circumstances. Hebrews chapter 13, verse 15 says, through him. Then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise. That is the fruit of our lips that give thanks to his name. How many of you know that praise sometimes is a sacrifice? You know when it's the greatest sacrifice? When I don't feel like giving it. When things are going good, it's easy. It's not a sacrifice. When things are bad. Things are hard. It's hard to give stuff that doesn't come easy. The Bible says that sometimes we need to give a sacrifice of praise. That means I'm going to give you something that's not easy. Hard for me to give today. It could start slow. Don't worry about it. Thank you Lord. I don't feel like giving thanks, but thank you, Lord. I don't feel like praising you, but praise you, Lord. Come on. How many of you feel like that sometimes? You say, well, pastor, I don't want to be a hypocrite. Let me tell you, it's never been a hypocrite to thank God for what you know you should thank God for even when you don't feel like it. A hypocrite is someone who pretends to be something that they're not. When you sacrifice, that's not hypocrisy, that's obedience. When I thank God, when it's hard, that's obedience. When I praise God and my circumstances don't lend themselves. That's obedience. But let me tell you, when you jump start the sacrifice of praise, then your emotions catch up with your joyful noise. And by the time you leave this place, if you've entered in praise and thanksgiving, you can leave this place having your heart turned around because you've gotten into the presence of God and God has been able to speak to you. Ephesians 520 says, always giving thanks for all things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. God, even our father. Let me give you the last point in keeping it 100. You need to make a joyful noise. You need to know who God is. You need to thank your way in the door. And lastly, you need to lean on his goodness. God is faithful and good towards his people. Notice with verse five says the final verse. It says, for the Lord. Oh man, for the Lord is good. That's a simple but profound statement. The Lord is good. Not only is the Lord good, but his love is steadfast. And not only does love steadfast, but his faithfulness is true from generation to generation. What does that mean? That means that God is not moody, that you don't wake up one day and say, does he love me? Does he love me not? Oh, I know you've had a boyfriend like that. That one day he loves you. The next day he wants to leave you. The other day he wants to marry you. The next day he wants to divorce you and you're not even married. I know you've had relationships like that, but let me tell you something. God is not that way. God loves you through your thick and thin. God loves you and your good and bad. God loves you and is faithful even when you're not faithful. God's love is true today, tomorrow, the day after. God is faithful. He's true. He's consistent. He doesn't change. The world can fall apart, but the love of God continues. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. The Bible says nothing can separate you from the love of God. I love that about God, that he is faithful and true and steadfast. 100% of the time. That means that when life isn't so good, you need to remember that God is good. And offer a sacrifice of praise. Some of you today need to break through the gloom that you've been living in. I'm talking to someone today. that's been so down and out and dark that you've had thoughts of hurting yourself, ending it all. I'm talking to some today who you've self-medicated your sadness and depression. And so you've become addicted to something because you're sad over something else. I'm talking to some of you today that God is saying, you know, it's time to break out of that gloom you've been living with. You've allowed this world to brainwash you into depression, to blind you into despair, to take on the atmosphere of hopelessness. But I'm saying, go a little higher. Come on, break through the cloud. Go a little higher. Go a little higher. Break through the gloom. When you get on top, God is saying to some of you, feel the shine of my love on you. Understand that I haven't changed. Remember that I am faithful and true. I am sovereign, still on the throne. I have a purpose and a plan for your life, and it is a good purpose and a good plan for your life. I love you, I forgiven you, I'm there. My presence is powerful. I can turn you around, heal you, change you, reconstruct you, deliver. You do what it takes. That's what God is saying to some of you.
00:25:40
S4: Yeah. So I hope that this message has breathed fresh air in some of you that have felt like I'm living below the cloud line instead of above the cloud line. I want to just take a moment just to pray for you right now. If you've been feeling like I've been living in gloom. Father, I pray in Jesus name for that man, that woman that has tried to shake off the gloom. But it just persists. They wake up in the morning feeling it. They go to bed at night feeling it. They've lost their joy. I thank you, Lord Jesus, that you're seeking to break them out of that place of gloom. And I pray, spirit of the living God, that even today, Holy Spirit, you would infuse them with a new sense of hope. God, that you would rekindle their joy, that they would begin to once again stand firm and confident in your sovereignty. And I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.
00:26:41
S1: Amen. You're listening to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe, a message titled breaking Through the Gloom. Mark, thank you for those final thoughts and prayer. If you'd like to listen again to any part of this message, or share it with someone who needs to hear it, just visit us online at bold steps.org. And before we go, be sure to check out this month's exclusive Bold Step Gift, a timely and encouraging book by Doctor Erwin Lutzer called The Church in Babylon. Heeding the call to be a light in the darkness. Just like the Israelites in Babylon, we're learning to hold on to our faith in a culture that doesn't always share our values. And this book will point you back to the one place our confidence was always meant to rest in Christ. Whatever chapter in life you're in right now, this is a resource that will help you stand firm and keep your eyes on him. We'll send you a copy today. When you give a gift of any amount to support bold steps. Call 800 D.L. Moody. That's (800) 356-6639, or give online at bold steps.org/give. You can also give through the mail by writing to us at Bold Steps, 820 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, 606 ten. Once again. 820 North LaSalle, Chicago, Illinois, 606 ten. And then, if you'd like to connect with our Bold Steps community. Feel free to join us on social media by liking and following our pages on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Now, before we close, I want to remind you that if you haven't already signed up to receive Mark's free weekly devotional called The Bold Stepper Weekly, be sure to do that today. Start your week off in courage and inspired with truths from God's Word, as Mark shares insightful personal teachings that can relate to your day to day life. Just visit our website, Bold steps.org, and look for the Bold Stepper weekly to sign up. That's our time for today, but make plans to tune in tomorrow when Mark brings a new message titled How to Approach God. That's the important discussion and you don't want to miss it. Coming up Wednesday right here on Bold Steps with Mark Joe, Bold steps is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of the Moody Bible Institute.
