Pastor Jack Graham | The Blessing | Prestonwood Baptist Church

((music playing)) Heat. Heat. ((music playing)) >> ((music playing)) >> We say it, we sing it, we post it, we text it, we say it all the time. God bless you. >> Amen. >> God bless you. But what does it mean? Why are we asking God to bless us? What is the blessing of God?

That's what I want to talk to you about today. The blessing. And what you just heard a beautiful song, scripture set to song. It's not poetry. This is God's word delivered to us in Numbers chapter 6. the sixth chapter of Numbers. And it's a prayer and a promise that the blessing of God, his blessing, this isn't a hallmark blessing.

This is a heavenly blessing that comes directly from God to his people. And as we think about a brand new year and asking God for his blessing upon our hearts, our homes, our nation, and the world, we need to know how to pray so that the blessings of God could benefit those who call upon his name.

Every heart, every human heart is made, created for blessing. We cry out for this blessing and God spoke it and God gave it to us over and over again in scripture. We're we're told of the blessing of God. Over 300 times in the Hebrew language itself, this word blessing shows up in scripture and in the New Testament.

Another word adds on to just the magnitude of the miracle of the blessings of God upon our lives. Numbers 6 verses 24- 27 put it this way. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. and so shall they put my name on the children of Israel and I will bless them.

This benediction, this blessing delivered by the priest in the days of the Old Testament was a prayer and a promise for Israel. But every believer, including Christians, can receive these blessings from God. In fact, in Ephesians chapter 1 verse three, we're told that in Jesus Christ that we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

Amen. >> We are blessed and we are invited to implore the Lord for his blessing. Our nation desperately needs the blessing of God. We sing God bless America and we pray that he will. But it comes when we boldly ask when we pray and God gives us the word.

This is similar when God says give this to the people. These words is similar to what Jesus said when he gave us the model prayer known as the Lord's prayer. He said pray in this way. So this is a prayer that you can pray for yourself. It's a prayer that you can pray for your children, your family. can pray for our church, our congregation is is for one and all who call upon the name of the Lord.

God invites us. This prayer comes directly from him. I like to say that the prayer that gets to heaven is the prayer that starts in heaven. Do you know what I mean by that? The prayer that gets to heaven is the prayer that starts in heaven. God has a desire.

God has a word. God has something he wants to accomplish or do in our lives and flowing out of the heart of God, flowing out of his word. He places it by his spirit into our hearts. And it's like a circle that comes down from heaven and into our hearts.

And we pray it back to him. That's closing the circle. And that's why I say the prayer that starts in heaven is the prayer that gets to heaven because we pray back what God puts in us to pray. That's right. And that's what we're seeing here that God gives us this magnificent prayer.

It is a priestly prayer. It was given to Aaron and the sons of the priests to deliver to the children of Israel. Well, we are priests unto God. In fact, the scripture says we are a royal priesthood. We no longer need a priest to intercede for us because we have a great high priest, the Lord Jesus Christ.

We don't pray to saints. We don't pray to Mary. We don't pray through anybody else. We don't pray through the church. We pray through the Lord Jesus Christ and the authority that has been given to us. We are our own mediator. And so in that sense, when you pray, you're praying like a priest, the spiritual leaders of the home.

I speak to to men today, to husbands and fathers and and grandfathers. The paternity of this prayer is that spiritual leaders in the home should pray this over our children. And certainly we pray it on our church. We are on the verge in this nation, I believe, of a massive spiritual awakening.

We're seeing signs of it everywhere. Bible sales are exaggerated in in growth. We're seeing that especially among young people. We're seeing young people headed back to church, many for the first time, some returning uh to church. And we see that in particular with young men, and we're seeing churches and university campuses experiencing great worship and and revival.

We see it with proathletes. I don't know if you've noticed it. I've watched a lot of football till my eyes are blurring uh these past few days. And so many of these young athletes are testifying publicly of their faith. It's not something that we are used to seeing in this magnificent way that we're seeing it today.

So, it is happening. We are on the verge of something magnificent happening in this country. That God would bless America and that God would bless his church and that God would bless our homes and our families. And here is the blessing. Now, what is this blessing? It is a prayer.

It is a promise for God's provision, for God's protection, for God's presence, for God's pardon, and for God's peace. I hope you'll take notes on this message, and going forward throughout the year, you'll get so much more out of the message if you'll open your Bible and underline and underscore and take some notes.

So, if you're looking for an outline, this is it. First of all, God blesses us with his provision. God blesses us with his provision. The Lord bless you. And what God has in mind here is that when we pray and when we ask, God pours out his blessings.

Therefore, we are to pray bold believing prayers. Why? Because bold believing prayer honors a great and big God who is able to answer God's provision. From the beginning, God has chosen to bless his people. In fact, in the opening stanzas and scriptures in the word of God, it says when he created Adam and Eve that God, what did he do?

He blessed them. He blessed them at the outset. Blessing has been described as God's default setting. Did you know that God wants and wills to bless you? >> God's not holding out on you. And prayer is not co overcoming God's resistance, but laying hold of his highest willingness to pour out his favor and faithfulness upon your life.

Psalm 84:11, one of my favorites, says, "The Lord God is a son and a shield. He gives grace and he gives glory and no good thing will he withhold from them who walk uprightly." God wants to bless you. And if you don't believe this, you will doubt the goodness of God.

And if you doubt the goodness of God, you will question the grace of God in your life. And you won't tr trust him for blessing and even more blessing in your life. God wants to bless you beyond your ability to ask or to seek it. Ephesians 3:20 is a favorite verse here at Prestonwood.

That God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we could ask or think according to the power that works within us. Do not underestimate the ability of God to bless your life. He choose that would have been a good place for an amen. God wants to bless you.

And that my prayer for you as your pastor is that this would be a brand new season of blessing upon your life, your family, our church, and our community. And it's a choice that we make. The Lord bless you. If God desires to bless you, and he does, then it is a choice.

It's a decision that you make to receive the blessing. There's nothing you can do for it to earn it or deserve it. We'll see that in a moment. But God says, "I set before you blessing and cursing." He said, "You have a choice to make. You can choose the blessing or you can choose the consequences of the cursing."

God is in the blessing business. God chooses when we choose to receive our blessing. And I'm thinking, you may be thinking right now, "Oh, is he talking about health, wealth, and prosperity?" No. God's blessings are so much better than money or fame or fortune or success. He may choose to bless you with some of those things, but in fact, some of God's greatest blessings come in disguise.

They come through tears. They come through sorrow and grief and sadness and adversity and failure. Jesus said straight up in John 16:33, "In this world, you're going to have tribulation. >> There's going to be trouble." But his words didn't end there. Never put a period where God puts a comma. >> There's not a period there in this world there will be tribulation.

He said in the next breath, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world. Take heart because God has promised you in good days as well as bad days in all seasons of life to bless you. On the other side of the struggle, there comes the breakthrough.

And with the breakthrough comes the blessings. Now I want to say very clearly that before you pray this prayer and ask God for blessings upon your life, God will not bless disobedience. God will not bless my disobedience to him. If there is unresolved, unrepentant of sin in my life, it cuts me off from the blessings of God to flow freely in my life.

It can cut me off from the fellowship and the favor of God in that moment. In fact, David the psalmist said in Psalm 66 and verse 18, "If I regard iniquity or cherish iniquity, sin in my heart, God will not hear me." God will not take us further than one step further than the measure of our obedience to him.

God's blessings come when we align ourselves with him and his will. When we purpose to please him in our lives and when we are aligned with him and his word and seek his will and ask for his blessings, he's promised to deliver and always right on time. So God's blessing means first provision.

It also means protection. The blessing of God means that he protects us. May the Lord bless you and what's the next? Keep you. which means to guard or to cover. A new year always brings us new challenges and one of the challenges that we face is some uncertainty and with uncertainty.

Fear can creep in and anxiety can take over. But the same God who faithfully watched over you in the past is with you now in the present. And the one who has been faithful to you throughout all the days of your life is not going to stop now or never because he knows the future.

He knows the future of the world. He knows the future of your world. He transcends time. God transcends time and he governs our lives perfectly. He guides our lives perfectly. And when he says, "I'm keeping you," God's saying, "I I've got you. I'm holding you. I'm keeping you close.

I'll never leave you or forsake you." And that that means in terms of our daily walk and and our daily life and activities, God's got that. But even more, he's got your future with him. First Peter 15 says, "We are kept by the power of God." Speaking of our salvation, we are secure in his sovereign will for our lives.

We are kept by this power. We know that heaven is our destiny because he has promised it to all who believe and receive him and trust in him. And so, we have this security. We don't need to fear that we could ever lose or throw away the salvation that we've been given freely and fully in Christ.

We are secure in him. The number one verse for 2025 that was selected by verse because of the number of downloads of this verse or lookups of this particular verse. Do you have any idea what it might be? It is a verse that was written in the fly leaf of my dad's Bible. is a verse that I've known pretty much all my life.

Many people are picking up on this great verse. Isaiah 41 and verse 10. >> Fear not, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness. So God has you.

God is holding you. It's not a matter of you're holding on to God. He's holding on to you. The Lord bless you and keep you. He is the God who never sleeps or never stumbles or stutters. There is no reason to fear when you follow Jesus because when you're walking with Jesus, you're walking arm in arm, heart and heart, life and life.

Psalm 34:7 says, "I sought the Lord and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears." When you say yes to Jesus, you begin to say no to fear in your life. So no fear in this year. According to Winston Churchill, he said fear is a reaction.

Courage is a choice. And so make the choice to choose courage. You say, "Well, I'm afraid. I have issues of anxiety in my life. I don't know what's going to happen." 1 John 4:18, perfect love cast out fear. [snorts] You say, "Well, I don't love God perfectly. That's why I have fear."

He's not talking about our love for him. I don't do anything perfectly. Certainly, my love for God is not perfect. I would love for it to be, and so would you, no doubt. But it's not the love of man to God that cast out fear, but it's God's love for us.

His love is perfect. So this year, anytime you feel the fear, anytime you are anxious, I want you to say this to yourself and mean it. I am perfectly loved by God. >> God loves me perfectly. >> He's got you. The Lord bless you. And the Lord keep you.

He's guiding. He's guarding. He's governing. He's ordering your steps and orchestrating your lives. Psalm 37, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. And though he fall, he will not be utterly cast down. For the Lord upholds him with his strong right hand. The Lord is keeping you.

And then God's blessing is not only his provision and his protection. But he goes on to say, "And the Lord make his face to shine upon you." That's God's presence. The blessing of his presence, his faith speaks of his presence. God's shining face means that he approves of you, that he takes delight in you.

If you take your child and put that child's face in your hands and look at your child affectionately and lovingly, the child knows that you're near. The child knows that you're close and the child is secure in that you have all the attention of the child and the child has your attention as well.

And when God's face shines on you, when the light of his presence falls on you, then the shadows and the darkness flee because in his presence, his fullness of joy and his right hand, Psalm 16:11, are pleasures forever more. You see, the blessing is beyond provision. The provision is wonderful.

It's even bit more than his protection. It is his presence itself. What we need to know the most is that his approval, his pleasure, his goodwill, his grace is for us. That's why we sang a moment ago, having celebrated God is with us. Today, we're celebrating God is for us.

He's here and he's looking at you. You have God himself. The father's face is toward you. You may not have all you want, but I assure you in Jesus you have all you need. >> Amen. Amen. >> Because God is enough. His presence. If you know God is with you, that he's looking at you, that he's shining his light upon you, then you are blessed.

You're blessed more than you could possibly imagine. Then comes God's pardon in this prayer. God's pardon. He said, "And be gracious to you." This is all the undeserved, unmmerited favor of God. Just like salvation, we don't earn the blessings of God. We receive them and he is gracious to us in this.

The God of grace gives to us what we can never achieve ourselves. This is most perfectly demonstrated in the gospel itself that Jesus died for you on the cross to do what you could never do for yourself and that is to forgive you and to change your heart and change your life.

He rose again on the third day. This is the message of salvation and this is grace. And this same grace which saves us, sustains us and strengthens us. He said be gracious to you. We are saved by grace. We live by grace. We even die in grace. And with this grace, he forgives your past.

He sustains your presence. What does Lamentations 3 tell us? That his mercies are new every morning. verses 23 and 24 that his grace is there before you get up. His grace is ready to meet you there. His mercy is new every morning. So this grace sustains you in the present, forgives your past, your guilt, and secures your future.

You're still standing because God has been good to you. Because God is gracious to you. People look at your life maybe and they say, "Man, you are you are really lucky." Well, let me tell you something. Luck has nothing to do with it. >> It's not good vibes or coincidences.

How many times have you prayed? How many times have you called on the name of the Lord when no one was looking? How many tears have you shed when you were struggling? How many times did you fail and you wondered if you could get up again and God sustained you and God gave you grace?

And in the midst of that grace, you're still standing. You're still going. And it's not luck. It's the Lord. It's the Lord's blessing upon your life. He has been gracious to you. >> Hallelujah. >> And then as the Lord lifts up his countenance upon you, it means that he looks with you with favor and affection and attention that you are a wanted child.

I heard a story speaking of American history about Thomas Jefferson. And Jefferson was with then president was crossing a river, a turbulent river with some of his men. And the the river was uh almost uncrossable, unpassable. And there were some people waiting on the other side who needed to get back to the other side. and a man asked Jefferson, not knowing that he was the president of the United States.

The man asked Jefferson if he would take him to the other side. And Jefferson gladly did it. And when the man later was told, "That was the president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, who gave you that ride. Why did you pick him of the other horsemen? Why did you pick that man?"

He said, 'I don't know except Jefferson had a yes face. God has a yes face. >> Amen. >> You don't have to try to bend the will of God or break heaven and earth to receive the blessings of God. And then finally comes peace. There is God's promise of peace.

Now, peace in the Hebrew language is shalom. And we've been learning a lot about shalom because Dr. Johnston has produced a brand new Bible called the Peace of God Bible. And many of us are are reading through it. I'm actually reading through the scriptures with the study notes and devotionals of of the peace Bible.

And so you I hope by now have listened and learned that peace is more than the absence of conflict or calmness or quietness even emotionally. It can be that. It comes with that. But really shalom means wholeness. It means wellness. It means completeness lacking nothing. It speaks of spiritual health and strength for life's demands.

One man said, "Peace is the possession of adequate resources." Peace is the possession of adequate resources. And so this peace that is promised to all of us who are believers and followers of Jesus is a peace from God that comes from within, not without. Jesus promised this peace.

We learned this with Christ in the upper room, didn't we? In John chapter 16:33, he said, "My peace I give to you." Which means that this gift of peace, you could have this peace in times of uncertainty and chaos and confusion, calm days as well as turbulent days.

For some, this peace, for some of you that I'm speaking to today, this peace means making peace with your past because your life seems wrecked by what happened in the past, what happened yesterday. And you're wondering, can I ever recover? I've made so many mistakes. How can I ever make peace?

I have so many regrets in my life. One of the devotional writers that I have read through the years is Oswald Chambers and his book My Utmost for His Highest is classic. And I came across these words in Chambers's work. He said, "Our yesterdays," and just listen, and then I'm going to put something on the screen that will will prepare you for a brand new year.

Chambers said, "Our yesterdays present irreparable things to us, irreparable things to us." It is true that we have lost opportunities which will never return. But God can transform this destructive anxiety into a constructive thoughtfulness. Thoughtfulness for the future. Let the past [snorts] sleep. >> Amen. >> But let it sleep in the bosom of Christ. >> And then here's what I want to leave you with today.

God's peace. Leave the irreparable, the irreparable past in his hands and step out into the irresistible future with him. >> Amen. >> With peace in your heart, with the prayer of God's blessing upon your lips, step out into the irresistible future that God has prepared for you. The scripture says, "Forget not the former things.

Do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing. What is the new thing that God will do in your life if you will pray in faith? I've often said the Christian life is a series of new beginnings. This peace, supernatural and sweet peace of God.

It's what Paul was talking about in Romans 4 when he said, "Rejoice." He's in jail. His circumstances are not good. His future was uncertain. But he said, "Rejoice in the Lord always." And again, I say, "Rejoice." And then he went on to say in verse six, he said that the peace of God that you would pray with thanksgiving in your heart and the peace of God which passes understanding or explanation.

God does things in our hearts that we can't explain. And this is his peace. Who is this man? Is he a mad man? No, he's a God man. He's a man at peace because the blessings of God flowed through his life. In closing, verse 27 says, "So they shall put my name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them."

And that name, his name is our name as well. For this is not only for the children of Israel, but it is for the child of God through Jesus our Lord. So what is this blessing? The Lord will bless you beyond your imagination. The Lord will keep you when you feel fragile.

The Lord will shine on you when you feel that your world is dark. The Lord Lord will be gracious to you when you feel shame and condemnation. That Lord will give you peace when you are anxious and afraid. You don't earn it. You don't deserve it. You just receive it in Jesus name.

So would you bow your heads with me in prayer? And if you have your family members around you, a husband or wife, your children, if you're sitting alone, put your hand over your heart because we're going to pray this together. Maybe put an arm on someone near to you.

In fact, I think we should stand up. Let's stand up and gather your family. If your family is around you, get up close together. And if you are the leader of your family, if you are the husband, if you are the father, if you're a single parent, you're the mother, you're the leader of your family, I want you to speak this to your children around you.

So I don't want you to say it to me. I want us to one another speak the blessing to each other. So, this is going to be a little bit like a wedding. I want you turn and face the bride. Do it. Or face your friend or face your family.

Come on. You're not moving. I need you to move. I promise you, it's going to be worth ((music playing)) it. And I want you to repeat with me the words of this blessing. >> The Lord bless you >> and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you. >> And be gracious to you. >> The Lord lift up his countenance ((music playing)) upon you. and give you peace. >> Lord, this is our prayer and this is your promise to us in Jesus Christ.

And now if you don't know Christ as your savior, you know the blessings of God are not automatic. They are in Christ. We are blessed because of what he has done, not because of what we have done. And these blessings cannot come, they will not come to you apart from a relationship with God.

And that relationship happens when you ((music playing)) know Jesus as your Lord and your Savior. So the ministers of our church are going to stand here at the front and upstairs in the balcony. And if you want to make a public declaration, a profession of your faith in Jesus Christ, then I'm going to ask you to come down one of these aisles.

Leave right where you're standing. Come alone or come together as a couple, as a family, but come down this aisle and openly follow Jesus as your Lord and your Savior. Because that's what he's asked us to do. ((music playing)) Come and let us pray the blessing of God upon you.

You're not saved by coming forward. You're not saved by walking down an aisle. But if you're putting your faith and trust in Jesus and you're you're praying and you're asking God ((music playing)) to save you, he will save you. He will forgive your sins. He'll come in to your life and he will bless you beyond ((music playing)) your imagination.

And the greatest blessing of all is knowing that you're going to heaven and that ((music playing)) your future is with him. If you need a church home, you're looking ((music playing)) for a church family and everybody needs a church family. I want to ask you to come as well. Lead the way.

You've been thinking about it. It's the first Sunday of the year. What a great time to do it today. Come forward and say, "I want to join this church and be a faithful member of ((music playing)) Prestonwood." As we sing together, we're going to sing it. The Lord bless you and keep you.

Who'll be the first to come ((music playing)) and say, "I will follow Christ." Come on. [singing] ((music playing)) >> Shine upon you. >> Come as a couple just like this one. >> Come with a ((music playing)) friend. restore [singing] you and give ((music playing)) you peaceful. >> Amen. >> Lord bless you. ((music playing)) >> Who's next? [singing] >> I know there's more >> and online ((music playing)) 74788. >> Text the word Jesus to that number.

((music playing)) And we're standing by to encourage you in your faith. God bless you ((music playing)) >> as you come. Don't wait on others. ((music playing)) [singing] ((music playing)) >> ((music playing)) >> God bless you. Maybe you'd like to come ((music playing)) for prayer and to rededicate your life to Christ. Do it now. Do it today. ((music playing)) Heat. Heat. ((music playing)) ((music playing)) >> ((music playing)) >> As always, we celebrate new life in Christ.

We sang it at the start of the service. A new creation. If anyone be in Christ, a new creation. So, thank God for these who have come. For those of you online, again, that number is 74788. Text the ((music playing)) word Jesus. And uh we're off to a brand new year.

And I'm praying for you. And I'm praying over our church this blessing that the Lord would bless you and keep you, make his face shine upon you, be gracious to you, and give you peace. Amen. The best is yet. God bless ((music playing)) you and have a great day. ((music playing))