Sermons
Taste and See
Sun, Apr 16, 2017
Teacher: Tom Blackford Series: Sunday Sermons PM - 2017 Scripture: Psalm 34:8-9
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Taste and See
Psalm 34:8-9
INTRO:
Good evening. I invite you to turn in your bibles with me to Psalm 34:8-9. Here is what we read: “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.”
I have recently watched with interest our great grand nephew Jack eating. Being only two he seems to have no problem putting things in his mouth. His mother may have had concerns but in a short time she will likely have trouble getting him to put the food she wants him to have in his mouth. Watching him I remembered that as we reared our children we tried to get them to eat different kinds of food. As we would make the attempts we would often say to them, “Taste it. You’ll like it.” If they never tasted something they could not say whether they liked it or not. There are some foods that because of what they are or the way they look I have no desire to taste. You might say I have prejudged my opinion of those things. Certainly I cannot say that I do not like those things, because I have never tasted them though I strongly suspect I would not like them. I may have no intention of tasting them, but I cannot tell you that I do not like them because I have not experienced them.
Taste is such a very powerful function. Since it is one of our senses, it’s only useful; it is only valuable if we put that taste to use. Those folks that are in the culinary profession greatly prize their ability to taste. The Psalmist in our text has challenged us to taste and see that the Lord is good. This is a very interesting passage from the Psalmist and I quite like it. There is in this Psalm both a challenge and a promise. The challenge is taste and see and implied is that once we do, we will understand the greatest blessing will come to a person who trusts God, the one who has a great reverential fear for God.
I. TO MAKE A JUDGMENT WE MUST EXPERIENCE THE RELATIONSHIP
A. Until we have put something to the test, until we have experienced something, we cannot make an intelligent decision concerning that thing. Still there are those people who arbitrarily disrespect God.
1. I did not arbitrarily decide I do not like beef tongue. When I was a little boy, I can remember this as well as if it was yesterday, my Father liked beef tongue. My mother dutifully cooked the tongue and both of them thought that if I would eat it I might like it and it would expand my understanding of foods. “There it is, son. Taste it. You might like it.” No way. But you see, I didn’t arbitrarily make that decision. I tasted it. I experienced it and I made an informed decision at about four years of age: This is not fit for human consumption. At least I can tell you that I experienced it.
2. How sad it is when people arbitrarily, without ever having established a right relationship with God, without ever having tested the relationship just dismiss it as something that is not good.
3. They have no idea what they are missing.
B. “O taste and see that the Lord is good” and the challenge - is to experience a relationship.
1. Put it to the test. Only when you have tested it can you make an intelligent, informed, rational decision concerning it.
2. I remember when we studied the book of Malachi that the Lord was chastising His people because they were actually stealing from Him their tithes and their offerings. In chapter 3 of the book that has just four chapters, at verse 10 God through the prophet says this: Malachi 3:10 - “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” But the part of this little verse that I want you to notice is right in the middle: “Prove me herewith, saith the Lord of hosts.” Put me to the test. I have made you a promise and you haven’t experienced me. You have not tested me. You’ve just robbed me of your tithes and offerings. I’ve made you the promise: If you will do this I will do that. What I want us to notice is that even the Lord says, put Me to the test. Prove me to see if I will keep My promises.
C. What are some of the proof points that might bring a person to finally understand the goodness of the Lord?
1. Well, for example, only a person who has experienced God’s forgiveness can really know the joy of forgiveness and the goodness of God. I remember this passage of the eighth chapter of the book of Acts. It’s the concluding verse about the conversion of the Ethiopian nobleman. At verse 39 the Bible says: “And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he (the eunuch, the man who had been baptized into Christ) and he went on his way rejoicing.” He is rejoicing in the forgiveness he’s received from God. Only such a person who’s known that forgiveness can know how good God really is. Think of the hymn “Amazing Grace”, a beautiful hymn from one who has tasted of what God offers.
2. Only a person, for example, who is a prayerful person, is going to know the joy of God’s answer to prayer. In II Corinthians chapter 12 and at verse 9, the apostle Paul, a prayerful man hears this answer from God: 2 Cornithians 12:9 - “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” I know the joy of God’s answer to prayer. It wasn’t the answer I was seeking, but He answered my prayer and I rejoice in the answer that He gave me, most gladly.
3. Only that person who has drunk deeply from the word of God is going to know the wisdom of God in providing direction for our lives. Returning to the book of Psalms the 19th chapter and verses 10 and 11 listen to how the Psalmist describes the word of God: Psalms 19:10-11 - “More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the droppings of the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: In keeping them there is great reward.”[ASV] This is the kind of explanation, the kind of description that only a person who has drunk deeply from the word of God could give. He knows that the counsel of the word of God is more valuable than gold, even the finest gold. He knows that the counsel of the word of God is sweeter than honey because he has experienced that counsel.
II. WHY SOME MIGHT MAKE A NEGATIVE JUDGMENT?
A. Why is it, we might ask, that some people make a negative decision concerning a relationship with the Lord.
1. First of all I suspect there are some people who are just unwilling to contemplate, to even think that it’s possible that God could be good. They just refuse to consider the possibility that the Lord is good.
2. Their minds are closed to that possibility. Over in the 28th chapter of the book of Acts beginning at verse 23 I’d like to read several verses. I’d like you to listen to this because it is the reason why some people make a negative decision concerning a relationship with the Lord. Beginning in verse 23: Acts 28:23ff - “And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul made one statement, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” [para]
3. Here are people who just refuse to consider the possibility that God is good, that Jesus Christ is Lord and that He is good. Their eyes, their ears, are closed and they’ve been closed by prejudice and bias.
4. There are people with prejudices that cannot see beyond their prejudice to the possibilities that exist. These people could not. There are some people who will not consider the possibilities. In Second Corinthians chapter four at verse three the apostle by the Spirit of God explains: 2 Corinthians 4:3 – “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
5. The first thing I want us to notice is that, yes, each person has a choice to make—whether or not we’re going to taste and see, and whether or not we’re going to experience that God is good.
i. Yet, what this passage goes on to explain is that the devil is busy. He is busy trying to make people blind and close their minds and hearts to God, to Christ and to the gospel.
ii. Some people make a negative decision simply because they do not want to contemplate the possibility that God is good, that the Lord is good.
iii. Some people make a negative decision because they have hearts that are not attuned to spiritual things. There is in them not a single shred of a thought of anything spiritual. They are people that are carnally minded. They have no spiritual interests.
iv. Some people are blind because they have had faulty teaching.
B. Perhaps they have minds which are attuned only to secular, worldly things.
1. In the book of Romans in the eighth chapter there is this marvelous discussion as the chapter begins, of a life that is lived in the spirit or a life that is carnal. I won’t read it all but just look at verse seven where the writer says: Romans 8:7 – “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God.” These are people who simply do not want to think in terms of spiritual things.
2. Their minds are worldly, carnal. Do you remember a man named Esau? Many of you probably do. Remember the old Bible stories you’ve read to your children or that have been read to you as children from the Old Testament. Esau sold his birthright for a dish of soup. I want you to turn to your Bibles to the 12th chapter of the book of Hebrews. Look at how he is described by a New Testament writer inspired by the Holy Spirit. At verse 16; Hebrews 12:16 - “lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.”
3. The birthright under the rules of the ancient world had a spiritual facet. It wasn’t just that I’m going to get two parts of my father’s property and you get one. There was a spiritual implication. In the Patriarchal Age the first born would be the spiritual guide or leader of the family, but here was Esau who didn’t care about the spiritual. All he cared about was filling his stomach. It seems he was a profane person with no spiritual interest.
4. In Matthew’s gospel, chapter 16 at verse 23 we read: Matthew 16:23 - “But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me: (now, look at the last part of the verse) for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” Peter had a problem. The problem was that he was thinking carnally. Peter just did not comprehend the necessity of what Jesus was saying. Then there are people who have no interest whatsoever in God or spiritual matters. These are not things that are of any concern to them.
C. Their hearts are not turned in a spiritual direction.
1. We may know some people are like that. Perhaps some folks make a negative choice in reference to their relationship with God because they’re saying to themselves: I have plenty of time to do that at some future point in my life, but right now I’m concerned about my profession. I’m concerned about my family. I’m concerned about insuring our future.
2. At this point in my life I just don’t have time to think about God. I don’t have time to think about spiritual things. There will come a time, I’m sure, when I will have taken care of my professional security and my family will be reared and we have our future satisfied. We can take care of ourselves. Then at that point in time I will stop long enough to experience this special taste, but not until then. Going to bible study and worship takes a big chunk out of my time. I work hard and I need to have down time to relax not spend it with a bunch of people I don’t have any connection with. I’ll have time later for that when things are settled in my life.
3. There is in the 24th chapter of the book of Acts what we might call a classic illustration of this very kind of deferring—putting it off. At verse 25, is a man named Felix; Acts 24:25 – “And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.”
i. Felix put off making a decision concerning his soul. He put off making a decision in terms of his relationship with God, and yet, he has made a decision… That’s the point we need to understand here. He made a decision because he refused to taste and see. Scripture tells us that he did hear from the apostle Paul concerning faith in Christ, but he made the decision to look for a convenient time to act on it, he put it off.
ii. Because there was no action taken it was easy to continue to put it off and put it off and put it off and finally to be in a condition that only can be described as lost to an eternity in hell because he said: I just don’t want to think about that right now. Maybe I’ll have time later on to experience this special taste, but not right now.
III. AND SOME ACTUALLY “LOSE” THEIR TASTE FOR THE LORD
A. Not only are there some people who just don’t want to get involved in this taste. There are some folks who actually lose their taste for the Lord. Such a thing is suggested in a passage from the sixth chapter of the book of Hebrews, verses four through six. Would you turn there and read with me because this is relevant to you and me this evening. Hebrews 6:4-6- “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.”
B. Verses four and five make it very clear that the writer here is speaking of people who had tasted, who had experienced and who had enjoyed the blessing of a right relationship with God. Yet, they had apparently turned away from that relationship. They had lost their taste for spiritual things.
1. I know that there are people who, as far as our physical senses are concerned, lose their taste for certain kinds of food. It may happen for a variety of reasons. Usually it is the result of something interfering with our bodies; chemo treatments can do this, for example.
i. I heard of a young man who was driving a pickup truck on a dusty road out in west Texas when a crop dusting plane lost power and crashed into the back of his pickup. He was hit in the back of his head by the propeller. It’s a wonder that he lived. Many of the doctors out in Lubbock were concerned that he would not live.
ii. He did survive, but one of the things that he lost was his sense of taste. We can lose our sense of taste—our physical sense of taste.
2. I find it almost incredible, to conceive how a person who has once tasted of the heavenly gift as it’s described in the Bible, can then turn away from that taste—lose their taste for God and for spiritual things. But it happens.
C. In Second Timothy chapter four verse ten there’s a little comment made about a man named Demas. The comment is this: “for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world” Demas is mentioned three times in scripture. The other two times he’s mentioned it is in association with Paul as part of the companions of Paul. This is a man who is involved in the Lord’s work, but this third time he’s mentioned it is “he has forsaken me, having loved this present world”. From a spiritual enjoyment, the tasting of this wonderful relationship with the Lord, he has succumbed to the tastes of the world. The taste of the world had overcome him.
D. What about us? Is our zeal for the Lord and spiritual things as great today as it was when we first began our relationship with God? When we first entered into the kingdom? When we were baptized into Christ? Is our zeal for the Lord and for spiritual things as great as it was? Has it grown? Is it greater now than it was then? Are we finding it difficult at times?
1. Do we find it to be a real struggle to remain faithful in every respect? It wasn’t so difficult when I began, but as time went on and I was more involved with the things in this life, the things of my work or family or whatever, it just got harder. Is that the way we see our relationship with God?
2. Is that how the taste is slipping away in our life? Do you find yourself losing your taste for spiritual things? Perhaps you feel “I’m just not as interested as I was”.
E. You know there’s a thing in the culinary arts called the “cleansing of the palate”. I never was able to understand that exactly, but I remember one time that between courses of a fancy meal (I haven’t had many of those kinds of meals.) they brought a dish of sherbet and I thought, wait a minute I’m waiting for the main dish and they’re bring me dessert? Dumb me I had to ask somebody what this was about. Kind of like wondering what all those forks and spoons and knives were about.
1. I didn’t see the purpose in using all those by the way. You just need one of each right? Anyway, I was told the sherbet was to cleanse the palate. I thought I brushed my teeth to do that though that would be a silly thing to do mid meal I suppose. All that’s humorous in a way, but listen; Do we need to cleanse our palates so that we once again can properly taste and see how good God is?
2. Do we just need to get rid of some of these things that are keeping us from really tasting Him and the things that He has for us?
CONCLUSION:
I know that God is good. I know that. I also know the daily struggle that goes on in so many of our lives to keep the taste as it once was. To keep the taste of the Lord in spiritual things acute and alive and active is a difficult thing. These verses that were written many years ago by the Psalmist are so very relevant to you and me today.
We need to meet the challenge to taste and see that the Lord is good and understand that blessed is the one who trusts in Him, and fears Him. A person who trusts and fears God will have no lack of the Psalmist promise. What about us, folks? Have we experienced a right relationship with God and lost our taste for Him? There may be some here who have. Now we’re just going through the motions. The food no longer tastes as it once did, but we just go through the motions anyway.
I wonder if that is the situation with anyone here tonight? Is there someone who needs to repent of whatever it is that has kept them from tasting, truly tasting, that the Lord is good?
Cleanse your palate and once again understand the joy of your forgiveness, the joy of answers to prayers, and the joy of the wisdom of God directing us through His word.
We are going to sing an old invitation song. If there are children of God in this assembly this evening who need the prayers of brothers and sisters as they repent and seek God’s forgiveness so that they can once again taste what they once did taste of that heavenly gift, can I persuade you to step to the front and ask the prayers of your brothers and sisters.
Maybe there are those here who have never established that relationship with the Lord. Who have never been baptized into Christ and do not know of the blessing that I am speaking about this evening, then I encourage you to make that decision. You will never know the joys of a relationship with God until you have established that relationship in the God appointed way. That relationship begins when you are granted new life by the power of God as you are baptized into Jesus Christ. You need to come. Why don’t you do it now while we stand and while we sing.
# 639—Where He Leads Me
Reference Sermon
Cecil A. Hutson
03 December 2006
Where and when we meet
Chardon, Ohio 44024