In this sermon, the speaker outlines five key ingredients for a fulfilling relationship with God. The first ingredient is the recognition of God's power, as seen in verse one. The second ingredient is the desire for God, emphasized in verse two. The third ingredient is working with God, as mentioned in verse six. The fourth ingredient is speaking to God, highlighted in verse eight. Lastly, the fifth ingredient is trusting in God, as stated in verse twelve. The speaker also provides practical illustrations to help understand these concepts, such as the example of a plane defying gravity. The sermon emphasizes the importance of recognizing God's power, desiring a relationship with Him, actively working with Him, speaking to Him, and ultimately trusting in Him.

Here in the family Bible, please open your Bible to Psalm number 84. If you want to say psalm, you may. Psalm number 84. Psalm 84, reading at verse number 1. It's a real joy seeing all you young people here this morning. I think that's exceptionally good. You never grow old these days, you just mature. And so it's nice to see you here, and I know the Lord is going to bless us in a very definite way. How amiable are thy fervent echoes, O Lord of hosts. Now you young people, please know that so often you come across that expression, O Lord of hosts. Now verse 2. Mine soul longeth, yea, even fainted for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cries out for the living God. Yea, the sparrow is found in house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she milling her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, they will be stilled in the path I have awaited them. They go from strength to strength, every one of them in thine appearance before God. O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer. Give ears, O God of Jacob. Behold, O God, our shield, and look upon the saints as I am anointed. For a day thy courts is better than a thousand in the strength person hath elsewhere. May I repeat that? It says here, for a day thy courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee. Now the Lord will add his blessings to the public reading of his word to each of our hearts this morning. Now you notice that these twelve verses are divided into three. And twice we come across a little puzzle. See that? Which just simply means to pause and think of that. Pause and think of that. Now that's just what we're going to do this morning for a short time. We're just going to pause and think of one or two very precious truths for us in this wonderful, beautiful psalm. I want to speak this morning on God's prescription for real, true, lasting happiness. May I repeat that? God's prescription for real, true, lasting happiness. Now before doing so, you'll notice that the book of Psalms, 150 of them, divided into five. For instance, we have the first book from Psalm 1 to Psalm 41. Then from Psalm 42 to Psalm number 72, that's the second book. Then from Psalm 73 on to Psalm 89, you have the third. Then from Psalm number 90 to Psalm 106, you have the fourth. And then from Psalm 107 to the end, you have the fifth book of the Psalms. Now it's not without significance that the whole Bible starts with five outstanding books. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. And those first five books, divine, are rather dovetailed right in to those five books of the Psalms. They dovetail right in. Now we often refer to Psalm 1 as the seed plot of the Psalter. That's the book of Psalms. And you come to Genesis, and we liken that again to the seed plot of the whole of the Scripture. Seeds that are dovetailed in Genesis we find come into fruition and into full bloom throughout the rest of the whole of the Bible. The same in the book of the Psalter, the book of Psalms. We have in Psalm number 1 the seed plot. And seeds sown there generally spring up and bring forth fruit and beautiful flowers that are going to adorn your heart and life as you seek to learn the secret of crowning Christ, Lord of all, in your heart. Now, may I go back again? Some time ago I was speaking at a Bible college in Arizona, and asked one of the talks, Dr. O. Fogey. He said to pronounce his name O. Fogey, but his name really is O. Fogey. He said, Mr. Boswell, how do you pronounce the full book of the Bible? Do you pronounce it Deuteronomy or Deuteronomy? Looking at him, I said, Deuteronomy, Doctor. How do you? He said, Numbers. In the book of Genesis, Athena is born and brought up. Now, did you get that? Born and brought up. Then in the book of Exodus, it is redeemed and brought up. In the book of Leviticus, it is sanctified and brought in. In the book of Numbers, it is instructed and brought through. And then in the book of Deuteronomy, it is preserved and brought home. Now, I want to go back over that with you, because I wanted to get that outline of the real blessing to you. So, Genesis, you're born and brought up. If you think you came from a monkey, I don't think for one moment you did. You don't look like it anyway. And I certainly didn't come from a monkey, and I'm sure you didn't either. So we were born and brought up. Then again, we are redeemed and brought up. That's in Exodus. Then in Leviticus, we are sanctified and brought in. Now, that's the section of Psalms we're dealing with this morning. Sanctified and brought in. Then the fourth book, the book of Numbers, you're instructed and brought through. But then in the last book, you are preserved and brought home. And what starts off as a solo in Psalm number one, developed into a duet, a trio, a quartet, and it goes right on to the account of Psalm 150. You have the whole choir gathered and have an orchestra, all united, and all that's got breath, just praising the Lord. Now, when we read in the Scripture, praise the Lord, that means in general. But when it says, praise ye the Lord, that means in particular. So this morning, in general, we're all going to praise the Lord, but individually this morning, our hearts are going up, and you are personally going to praise Him. Now, with that simple outline again, we're going back to our psalm. And here we've got God's prescription for real, true, lasting happiness. There are five ingredients in the psalm. Five ingredients in the psalm. One, we have the recognition of God in verse number one. The recognition of God. If I'm going too fast for you, then just stop me and tell me to go back over it, will you? And I'll try and put the brake on. You see? But don't do it too often, because we won't get through this morning. On the other hand, too, then, some of those youngsters will stop and say to me, Uncle Jim, just let me hear you sing it once more. It fills me through and through. Have you got that? Well, there it is. And you know, as you get a grip of this wonderful truth, it's just going to thrill you through and through. Got it? So in verse number one it says, the recognition of God in the life. In verse number two, it's the desire for God. Verse number six, walking with God. Verse number eight, speaking to God. And in verse number twelve, trusting in God. Now that is the prescription. You've got the five ingredients, the recognition of God in verse one, the desire for God in verse two, walking with God in verse number six, speaking to God in verse number eight, and then lastly trusting in God in verse number twelve. Now with that simple outline before you, let's take the first ingredient and we'll go as far as we can this morning. One, the recognition of God in the life. Now that again divides itself into five. It divides itself into five. For instance now, in verse number one you come across that title, the Lord of Hosts, the Lord of Beasts, or the God of Power. The God of Power. Now we've got to recognize Him in our lives as the God of Power. Then in verse number three, we've got to recognize Him as the God of Provision. He cares for the sparrow and provides food for the sparrow. Then in the same verse, the Lamb sent us, we've got to recognize Him as the God of Preeminence, my King and my God. Verse number eight, we recognize Him as the God of Purpose. His great purpose in saving your soul and mine. Then in verse number eleven, we recognize Him as the God of Protection. Now the central one, of course, is verse number three, and it says the God of Preeminence. And when we've learned that secret of recognizing Christ as Sovereign Lord, as the Preeminent One, Lord over all, in every compartment and department of our lives, then the other four don't kill Him beautifully. We shall know Him then as the God of Power. We shall know Him as the God of Provision. We shall know Him as the God of Purpose. And we shall know His purpose, His plan, His blueprint for our own lives when we recognize that He is Lord. He sung in one of our hymns this morning, He's cleansed my heart from sin and now He rules within. Now against that sentence, I put a great big question mark. Is He really ruling and reigning Lord Supreme in your life? Or do you just know Him as a spare wheel? Or do you know Him as a steering wheel in your life? Now that's something we've got to face frankly and squarely if we're going to know real joy, real power, moment-by-moment victory in our lives. But we must recognize that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Not just in heaven, but reigning and ruling Lord Supreme in each of our hearts and lives. Now with that simple introduction, go back to the first one then. We recognize Him as the God of Power. In Psalm number 14 you'll read these words, The fool has said in his heart, there is no God. The Revised Version's a change. The fool has said in his heart, there is no God for me. He recognizes there is a Supreme Being. There is a Mastermind behind this wonderful universe. He recognizes that. But He also says, I don't want Him in my life. I don't want Him to interfere with my life. And so again, the fool has said in his heart, there is no God for me. But the truly happy man, the man that knows real joy and real peace and real victory, is the one who recognizes God not as a Supreme Being, a Mastermind, and there's been a moment in the life of that person when they receive the Lord Jesus as a Lord and as a Savior. We recognize Him this morning as the God of Power. In John 1 verse number 12 we'll read this wonderful word, But to as many as receive Him, not it. It's not a religion. It's not a code of rules. It's not a catechism. It's not a creed. It's not a dogma. It's not a theory. But to as many as receive Him. And the whole thing depends upon our reception of Him. And once we receive Him, says the scripture, we also receive power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. The most tragic verse in the whole of the scripture is verse 11 of John 1. Do you know what it says? He came unto His own, but His own received Him not. It's the most tragic verse of all the God's holy words. Again, He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But that tragedy can be transformed into a glorious triumph by that little word, but. But to as many as receive Him, to them give ye power. And the life of tragedy becomes a life of glorious triumph by receiving Christ as Lord and Savior. So the moment you receive Him, young people, that moment you receive power. You receive power. But then when I go in my word again to Romans 1, verse 16, I read wonderful words. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It is the power, the dynamic of God unto salvation to everyone that believes it. Please notice, the moment you receive Him, you receive power. And Paul is standing up and triumphantly saying, I am proud of the gospel of Christ. He's proved its dynamic, he's proved its mighty power in his own life. He's known that power from sin's penalty. He knows that power from sin's day-by-day power. Sin and sorrow. So now he says, Christ did not just die to deliver you from hellfire and one day place you in heaven. That's a very poor, negative way of preaching the gospel. His great purpose in saving you from sin is this. Not simply to deliver you from sin's penalty, but to give you power and a life that gives you power. And if you're not living in victory, it's not his fault. It's certainly not his fault. And then he said, if you're not living in victory, you're a contradiction in terms. I dare not say a thing like that. That would be too bad, wouldn't it? But come again, will you? Now, he wants you to get this deep down in your own heart that there is victory delivered from the power of indwelling sin. And when the parable says in Romans 6, verse 14, He means that. Remember that grand, old, cozy, sometimes thing written by Hudson Pope? Sin shall not have dominion over you. Oh, what a glorious message, and it's true. God has said it, it must stand. Pass it on, it's simply grand. Sin shall not have dominion over you. But then, when I turn in my Bible to Ephesians 1, verses 19 through to the end of that wonderful chapter, this is what I read. Now, follow me closely here. It says, God, by the exceeding greatness of His power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and placed in power above all principality and power, might and dominion, name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come, and has put all things under His feet, and given Him to be head over all things of the church, which is His body, the form of Him that shall live all under it all. Now, I missed out one sentence. What was the sentence? Now, those of you who are acquainted with your Bibles, what was the sentence I missed out? I did it purposely. Can you tell me what it is? Huh? Get it. God, by the greatness, not at all, God by the exceeding greatness of His power, that's what I missed out, which is to us world, who believe. Now, it's the sentence I missed out. Which is to us world, who believe. Now, get a glimpse of these breathtaking words. Let them stroke into your heart. Your soul will stand back and fully on fire. I could hear Paul again say, God, by the exceeding greatness of His power, which is to us world who believe, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and placed Him far above all. Not only is it a living, it was not a mere spirit. It was a God that is far above all principalities. It is beyond all description of power. Every name that is named is beyond all dispensation of power, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And, beloved, I want you to get this. I just see all heaven's hierarchy. And all of us angelic beings. The cherubim, the seraphim. And we bow before Him this morning. We worship and we adore. Now, beloved, He's got the highest praise that heaven affords. The head once crowned with thorns is crowned with glory now. And the Christ of the cross is the Christ of heaven's throne. Get it carefully. Do you know that all that power came into your life and my life the moment we were born again? All that power is at your disposal and mine. And on the campus, you see, I can't live a life without it. I'm getting fooled on every time by that particular sin or that habit, that temptation. Listen. All this power is at your disposal and mine. But we must be hold of this power by faith. Is it your disposal? Is it my disposal? Are we willing to appropriate it by faith this morning? Can I give you a very practical illustration? You go to the airport, and you take your little boy with you to the airport, or maybe... You see, little girls are very precious to me. But it so happens, you see, that this... You go out to the airport, and you'll find a little girl, a boy, saying, Look, Daddy, at school the other day, a schoolteacher told me that 64 people were going onto that plane, and there were five in the crew, and all the boxes and cases and bags all went onto that plane. Now, how do you make that happen? If the law of gravitation brings everything... You see, you know, true, the law of gravitation brings everything toward the air, but there's another law at work now called the law of aeronautics. And as long as you obey that law, that plane will rise. But what has it done to God? A law of life. By taking a scissor from his pocket, he passes... Now, what are you getting at, you're saying? Romans 8, verse number 8. The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. The old Edenic nature, your sinful nature, and my sinful nature, is the law of gravitation. It keeps the air flow cool, the downward flow. But now, since we are saved, we've got now a new principle, a new part in our life altogether, which is much stronger, much stronger than the old principle. And listen, the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free... It's not a grand word. Set me free from the law of sin and death. But as long as I now obey by the indwelling spirit the new principle, the new law, then it falls. And so the great thing is, trust and obey. For there's no other way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey. I do trust you believe that, do you? Do you believe the Holy Spirit came into your life at the very moment you were born again? Did you receive the Holy Spirit sometime after you were saved, as some people teach? Now, the Bible is crystal clear in Romans 8, verse 9. If you have not the spirit of Christ, you're none of His. And you're thinking, I just can't be a Christian without having the Holy Spirit. But the Holy Spirit came into your life at the very moment you were born again, and He's there. And at the very moment by death, you say, yes, the new principle, it just simply can't function at all. It has no longer the downward pull of the body. In this very body, His life... There's a secret. It's not I, but Christ that lives in me. He is the path. See, the path is not something a path comes, right? Please go to verse number 3, then, shall we? Verse number 3. See, I should never turn aside. I should always look straight on. You know what I'm saying? That's what you get for turning aside, you see. You turn to the enemy. Now, verse number 3, then. And it says here, Yea, the sparrow hath found an hat, and the sparrow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young. Now, I'm dealing now with Him as the God of power, and not as the God of probation. So all this mighty power that you'll dispose of in mine, my beloved, all that we need, for time present and for all eternity, is provided for us in God's beloved Son. You're aware of this character, you know. Psalm 23, verse 1 says, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. A little boy was repeating that one day. He was doing it like this, The Lord is my shepherd, I want no more. Now, isn't that lovely? But a little Scottish boy was supposed to repeat the psalm, and he got mixed up. I'm sorry, it was a little girl. He got mixed up, and she mentioned this, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. And she got stuck after the first sentence, and she said, The Lord is my shepherd, that's enough. You see? And she couldn't go any further. And she said, that's enough. But isn't it a wonderful theology? Isn't it wonderful? Isn't it a wonderful truth? The Lord is my shepherd, that's enough. So do you believe that? Do you truthfully say that to me? You can't divorce these two sentences. If the Lord is your shepherd, you shall never want. And you shall never want the psalm, because the Lord is your shepherd. Now, get your deep gums to stir. Now, I want to give you four verses. One, Romans 8, verse 17. You know what it says? Is a child, then an heir, an heir of God, and a joint heir with Christ. A joint heir with Christ. Ephesians 1, verse 3. Blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies, in Christ. Philippians 4, verse 19. My God shall supply all your needs, not your greed, but all your needs according to, not out of the abundant earth, but according to his riches in glory, in Christ Jesus. Three verses. A joint heir with Christ. Blessed with every spiritual blessing. And then, Father, and I love this thought, because it means so much to me. Every need supplied, where? In Christ Jesus. Now, going back with me, I've had it over, to Colossians 2, verses 9 and 10. And do you know what you'll read? I want to go slowly and carefully here. This is what you'll read. And it pleased the Father that in him, that's in his Son, should all fullness dwell. And all the fullness of the Godhead bodily is treasured up in his beloved Son. And do you know what the next sentence says? Oh, young man, young woman, I would love you to get this. Father, Mother, I'd like you to soak into your soul and collect your spirit life today. Do you know what it says? And ye are complete. Where? In him. Aren't you glad you're saying? Aren't you glad you're a Christian? You are complete. The Greek word is, you are made full. In him shall all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And because we are in him, we are truly. Lord, thou art enough. The mind and heart are filled. Oh, fix my eyes so holy, Lord, on thee. That with thy beauty occupy. Once your heart is magnetized to the Lord Jesus, it is demagnetized. A heart's occupation with Jesus Christ. And when your heart becomes occupied with Christ, it ceases to be self. I was talking along this line some time ago in a conference in Massachusetts. And it so happened, a lady came up to me sometime afterwards and said, Here, Mr. Barnes, would you remember her joy in heaven? What do you think of this little planet? Shades of green. That this is one of the smallest of millions of worlds. Earth came into being and the Bible says it's heir to the man. I know you think. I said, I didn't. The Spirit said it. I said, I. And all of these people. Oh, she said. Oh, that's. All young people should only. All the qualities you are today. And you want to share it. I'm entering by faith and appropriated. The full of Christian life. Until you're all on the. And a couple of getting married back in Scotland. According to the Scottish law. And it still holds good, by the way. The bride may have certain liabilities. A boxer. She may have certain liabilities. Or that is she may be in debt. But the bridegroom may be a multimillionaire. Now, is that not what happened at Golgotha? Remember, we came in a state of spiritual bankruptcy. Sold on the scene. Led captured by the evil woman at his will. The question was asked. Will I have this man's life, Lord and Savior? That very moment we said, Lord, I will. It is an exception in the beloved. But all these liabilities. Aren't you glad you're a Christian? A fellow went away in a Mediterranean cruise. And there's a cruising down the beautiful Mediterranean. He's going down and having a wonderful time. But you know, he's taken with him a whole lot of cream crackers and cheese. He didn't want to be hungry on the voyage. He takes the cream crackers and cheese with him. And so during the voyage. One of the other persons would have said to him. How are you getting along with the bride? Oh, he's going down to have your meal. But you got your ticket. Oh, yes, I got my ticket, all right. But don't you know all your meals are included in your ticket? Don't you know all your meals, cream crackers and cheese, went overboard? And Danny went a real good time. Now, listen. We smile at that man's simplicity. I call it stupidity. But we get deep down in his soul.