WHAT DO YOU VALUE?

Psalm 11:1-7

INTRODUCTION: In the last fifty years we have been involved in a culture war. Our values today are determined not upon what the Word of God says we should value but upon how we feel about what is truth and what is not truth for us. The word of God asks a very penetrating question: Psalm 11:3. You might ask: “What are values?” “Values are those beliefs that we hold to that control the way we chose to live.” Professing to believe something does not mean that you value something most: Matthew 6:21; Matthew 7:15-23. Truly what people say they value often conflicts with what they really value: Proverbs 11:3; John 10:27; 1 John 3:1-6. Our conflicting values should be a red light to anyone who says they have received Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior: 2 Corinthians 13:5; John 14:15; James 1:22-25; Psalm 36:2’ Proverbs 23:7. What we value will be played out in the choices we actually make in our lives. There are three ways people arrive at their system of values.

I. THE SELF DECIDES!

“I am an autonomous human being. I am perfectly capable without any help or input to choose that which is appropriate for my life.” Proverbs 16:25. Woody Allen famously said “A heart wants what it wants!”

II. OUR VALUES ARE DETERMIND BY OUR SOCIETY!

We are relational beings that cannot live in isolation very well. So as a society we arrive at some degree of consensus within our society our sense of values based on what our society finds acceptable for our time. The problem comes when, as in our present society we have so many different opinions of what we value that it begins to tear our society apart: 2 Corinthians 10:12.

III. OUR VALUES ARE DETERMINED BY THE SOVERIGN LORD ACCORDING TO HIS WORD!

Psalm 100:3: We were created by the Lord God of heaven and earth. We exist for Him and in the end we will all give an account of our lives to Him: 2 Corinthians 5:10. Those who believe this find their values shaped by the very nature of God and by His holy will revealed in His Word. The person who says: “I believe in God and His Word but I do what I want to do,” is living a contradictory life style and one day will have to account for that. As a nation today we are literally destroying the foundation upon which our nation was formed and that is why Psalm 11:3 is such an important verse in Scripture. Isaiah 5:20 is a good description of where our nation is today. It is truly time for the Church of Jesus Christ to be salt and light in our society. We have the living Word of God to share with our society: Proverbs 9:10. Wisdom, in the Hebrew language always means the ability to do skillfully whatever you do. So in this area of “What do you value?” our wisdom of God and His Word helps us to be salt and light. As we come to know and follow God’s Word for what we value we will not only be smart between the ears but we will know God’s will and live it for God’s glory. Proverbs 1:1-5. So what can we, as God’s people do as we see the foundations of our nation being destroyed? We can go back to the Word of God, the covenant of God and tells others they also must make the Word of God the foundation for what we as a people value! Psalm 144:15