PSALM

SURPRISING GRACE
PSALM 73:23

Introduction:

This is the second Psalm ascribed to Asaph, and the first of eleven consecutive Psalms bearing the name of this eminent singer. Some writers are not sure that Asaph wrote them, but incline to the belief that David was the author and Asaph the person to whom they were dedicated. Asaph was A Levite, one of the leaders of David’s choir and Psalms 50 and 73-83 inclusive are attributed to him. He is mentioned along with David as skilled in music, and a “seer,” 2 Chronicles 29:30, “Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.”

In this Psalm David had just been confessing to God his foolishness and ignorance. However, the text shows that David was saved and accepted in the presence of God.

I. “NEVERTHELESS I AM CONTINUALLY WITH THEE”

A. David belonged to God by faith in his Savior.

1. He had a clean heart, John 1:47, “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!”

2. David was not one to be downcast or discouraged long, Psalms 42:11, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”

3. By God’s power in his life, David was determined to do God’s will, Psalms 16:8, “I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.”

B. David was continually in God’s presence as are all believers.

1. We are continually upon God’s mind, Psalms 139:2, “Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.”

a. He knows our wanderings, Psalm 56:8, “Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?”

b. He knows and understands our thoughts, John 2:24-25, “But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men , 25- And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.”

2. We are continually before God’s eyes, Psalms 139:3-5, “Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 4- For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. 5- Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

3. We are continually in God’s hand, Psalms 37:24, “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.”

4. We are continually on God’s heart, 1 John 4:9, “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.”

a. God thinks upon us, Psalm 40:17, “But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.”

b. He is there to uphold our life, Psalm 54:4, “Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.”

c. He is our helper, Hebrews 13:6, “So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

II. GOD’S LOVE IS AS STRONG AS DEATH

A. God declares the strength of His love, Song of Solomon 8:6, “Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.”

1. In Old Testament times a seal was used to indicate ownership of a person’s valued possessions, Jeremiah 32:44, “Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidences, and seal them, and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south: for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the LORD.”

2. So God has put his seal upon us, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, “Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22- Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.”

B. God sees us in Christ who is the strength of His love.

1. He sees us washed in the blood of the Lamb, Revelation 1:5, “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,”

2. He sees us wearing garments that are washed in the blood of the Lamb, Revelation 7:14, “And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

3. These are robes of righteousness in which He has clothed us, Isaiah 61:10, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketha himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”

III. WE ARE ACCEPTED IN GOD’S PRESENCE

3. These are robes of righteousness in which He has clothed us, Isaiah 61:10, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”

IV. WE ARE ACCEPTED IN GOD’S PRESENCE

A. We are continually in His favor in every situation, Psalms 23:4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

1. He stands at our right hand, Psalms 109:31, “For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.”

2. He is our keeper, Palms 121:5, “The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.”

B. We stand continually in His presence because of the Blood of Jesus Christ, Revelation 1:5-6, “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6- And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

CONCLUSION

To conclude these thoughts we look at verse 24 of our text: “Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.” David was sure of God’s wise counsel and of his salvation in the Lord.

Earlier in this chapter David had abhorred his sin and confessed it to the Lord. “Nevertheless,” he concluded, “since I belong to Christ I am continually with God!”

SATISFACTION–PSALM 65:4

“Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.”

Introduction:

The Lord has blessed us during the past several years. Many souls have been rescued from spiritual

destruction and the Word of God has been preached not only to the lost, but also the God’s people.

The Lord has given you a new pastor having taken your former pastor to Glory. You should be satisfied – or should you?

I. It Would Be Easy To Be Satisfied.

A. You don’t need to be worried any more; Everything is in order.

B. We don’t need to work so hard now; we have a new pastor.

C. Now we can rest; we are satisfied.

II. However There Is A Greater Satisfaction.

A. The challenge of the future,  Luke 10:2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

John 4:35, Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

B. The unlimited opportunities,  Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”

1. When a church has no vision of the future it begins to become cold and useless.

2. When it does not accept the challenge, the church has no purpose.

III. The Greatest Satisfaction….

A. …Is to be an Ambassador for the Savior, 2 Corinthians 5:20, Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

B. …Is to win the lost now…..2 Corinthians 6:2 “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

1. Now is the time.

2. Now is the day of salvation.

C. …To see a life transformed,  2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Conclusion:

“I am satisfied with Jesus, but the question comes to me, is He satisfied with me.”

Psalm 17:15 “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.”

MOURN FOR AMERICA
PSALM 55:1-8

Key verse: v. 2, Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;

Introduction:

Hedonism is the philosophy that “pleasure is the principal good and should be the aim of action.” America has been overrun by a generation of immoral pleasure seekers. Hollywood is the center of this cesspool of sin. They have declared war on the Bible and those who believe that it is the Word of God.

Fundamental Christians are said to be the cause of all to the bad things that happen to this country. The bad thing about this is that many people are falling for this lie.

There is cause to mourn for America and pray “because of the voice of the enemy.”

I. MOURN FOR THE NATION

A. Toleration gives men a license to sin.

1. Liquor and drugs has taken over the country, Proverbs 23:29-30, “Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? 30- They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.”

2. The fear of the Almighty God has been forsaken, Psalm 36:1-3, “The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. 2- For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful. 3- The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.”

B. The results of such toleration.

1. Sin is rampant:

a. Unmarried couples have increased 1000% in the USA flaunting God’s Word.

b. Abortion is common: 1.5 million children are aborted every year in America.

c. Before WW II Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood said, “The most merciful thing a large family can do to one of its infant members is to kill it.”

2. The payment for sin, Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

a. If you forsake God, Joshua 24:19-20, “And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. 20- If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.”

b. God withholds good things from you, Jeremiah 5:25, “Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.”

c. The unbelievers will die in their sin, John 8:24, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”

d. Hell is their destination, Psalm 9:17, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”

II. MOURN FOR VIOLATION OF GOD’S WORD

A. A Breach of God’s Word is spiritual prostitution, Hebrews 10:25, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

1. No love for the preaching of God’s Word, 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

2. No love for the Lord’s people, John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35- By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

3. No love for the souls of men, Proverbs 14:21, “He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.”

B. It is an affront to the Lord, Hebrews 10:29, “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”

C. It is to neglect His great salvation, Hebrews 2:3, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;”

III. MOURN FOR THE PRIDE OF THE NATION

A. Our condition is low, but our hearts are high, Proverbs 8:13, “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.”

1. With our pride comes our shame, Proverbs 11:2, “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.”

2. With our pride comes contention, Proverbs 13:10, “Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.”

3. With our pride comes our destruction, Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

B. However, Christ has overcome the world and sin, John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

1. Men who are overcome by sin are slaves to their sin, 2 Peter 2:19, “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.”

2. After knowledge of Christ your return to the world is worse than before, 2 Peter 2:20, “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.”

3. Greater is He that is in you, 1 John 4:4, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

CONCLUSION

The only way to have victory in your Christian life over this world is by being faithful to Jesus Christ. If you give an inch the devil will take a mile. If you participate in his game he will win. Your life for the Lord will be dishonorable and defeated.

GOD SPEAKS TWICE
PSALM 53:1-6

Introduction:

“The evil nature of man is here brought before our view a second time, in almost the same inspired words. (See Psalm 14).

All repetitions are not vain repetitions. We are slow to learn, and need line upon line. David after a long life, found men no better than they were in his youth.

Holy Writ never repeats itself needlessly, there is good cause for the second copy of this Psalm; let us read it with more profound attention than before.

If our age has advanced from fourteen to fifty-three, we shall find the doctrine of this Psalm more evident than in our youth.” —Charles H. Spurgeon

I. THE EVIL NATURE OF MAN

A. The FACT of sin, v. 1; Genesis 6:12, “And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.”

1. Many say, “There is no God to punish and avenge the wicked,” Psalms 10:4, “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.”

2. That means no law, no order, no restraint to lust, and no limit to passion, Romans 1:28, “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;”

B. The FAULT of sin, v. 1.

1. It is iniquity, = gross injustice or wickedness, Job 15:16, “How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?”

a. Iniquity causes love for God to become cold, Matthew 24:12, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”

b. Iniquity results in hypocrisy, Matthew 23:28, “Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.”

2. It is that in which there is no good, v. 3; Romans 7:18, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.”

3. It is that in which there is a lack of the knowledge of God, v. 4; Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”

a. Because they have rejected knowledge, John 12:48, “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”

b. Without knowledge of God man is like a beast, Psalms 73:22, “So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.”

C. The fountain of sin, Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

D. The folly or foolishness of sin, v. 4; Jeremiah 4:22, “For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.”

E. The filthiness of sin, Isaiah 64:6, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

F. The fear and shame that results from sin, v. 5; Psalms 35:26, “Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.”

G. The faith of the saints, v. 6; Psalms 50:2, “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.”

1. The Lord has done great things for them, Psalms 126:2, “Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.”

2. God’s people will triumph in His praise, Psalms 106:47, “Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise.”

3. We will draw water out of the wells of salvation with joy, Isaiah 12:3, “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”

CONCLUSION

OUR CONFIDENCE

PSALM 46:1-11

Introduction:

Come what may the Lord’s people are happy and secure in Jesus Christ. He is the sure defense of the saints of God. He explained that God’s presence makes Zion secure from all her enemies. This is the teaching of this psalm.

I. GOD IS OUR REFUGE

Psalms 62:7, “In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.”

A. Israel’s boast was in Jehovah, the only living and true God, John 17:3, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

1. The Lord is the only living God, Jeremiah 10:10, “But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.”

2. He is the only God of Truth, Isaiah 65:16, “That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.”

B. God is a far better refuge from distress than the high places of the world, vv. 7, 11.

1. The Lord is with us, Numbers 14:9, “Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.”

2. The Lord is our Captain, 2 Chronicles 13:12, “And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.”

3. Who can be against us, Romans 8:31, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”

II. GOD IS IN OUR MIDST

A. He is in the midst of our camp, Deuteronomy 23:14, “For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.”

1. Our camp should be holy, Genesis 17:1, “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect [upright].”

2. God will not dwell where there is uncleanness, 2 Corinthians 6:16-17, “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17- Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,”

B. God will help us in difficult times, Psalms 30:5, “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

1. He is the stability we need, Psalms 62:2, 6, “He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. 6- He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.”

2. Trusting in the Lord, we are unmovable, Psalms 125:1, “They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.”

3. His help comes early, Psalm 143:8, “Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.”

III. BE STILL, AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

A. Sit down and wait in patience, you believers!

1. Be still and let the Lord work, Habakkuk 2:20, “But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.”

2. The Lord will deliver the Philistines into our hands, 1 Samuel 17:46, “This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.”

B. God will be exalted in the earth, Psalms 21:13, “Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.”

1. He is exalted as head above all, 1 Chronicles 29:11, “Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.”

2. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, Isaiah 2:11, “The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.”

C. The victorious saints sang with harps the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb, Revelation 15:3, “And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.”

D. In this song God is praised for His great deeds, justice, truth, glory, and holiness, Revelation 16:7, “And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.”

E. Who should not fear Him? Jeremiah 10:7, “Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.”

CONCLUSION