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Thinking About The Reward
Psalms 119:49-56
November 7, 2021

Tonight we return to our study of the 119th Psalm.
This is in fact our second time through this wonderful chapter on the word of God.

The first time we looked at this stanza we called it “The Path To Comfort”

And that is easily seen as two verses specifically mention it.
• (50) “This is my comfort in my affliction, That Your word has revived me.”
• (52) “I have remembered Your ordinances from of old, O LORD, And comfort myself.”

And we talked about last time how God’s word
Is the source of our comfort in a variety of situations.

• We saw it as comfort during affliction
• We saw it as comfort during derision
• We saw it as comfort during frustration
• We saw it as the ultimate satisfaction

And certainly we would still hold to all of those truths.

Tonight however, we are going to zoom in a little and focus on
One primary thought in regard to how God’s word comforts us.

Tonight we’re going to think about how God’s word brings comfort
Because God’s word is where we learn
That our faithfulness will be rewarded.

• Christians live in hope that their endurance will be worth it.
• Christians live in hope that the Lord is watching their affliction and will compensate them.
• Christians live in hope that all the pain and hardship here will be totally forgotten when the Lord affirms and rewards their labors.

FOR AN UNBELIEVING WORLD
Messages of a sure and certain judgment are horrifying realities,
But Christians read those verses totally different.

For example, on Sunday mornings we are studying Ecclesiastes.
We will soon come to that culminating passage:

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”

For an unbeliever that verse should terrify them.
That God is watching and will bring to light every hidden thing.

But that verse is not terrifying to a believer.

In fact, when promising persecution to believers for going on mission Jesus actually uttered this promise:
Matthew 10:26 “Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.”

Since we know that a believer is protected from condemnation.
Romans 8:1 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

And so a believer does not fear a sure and thorough judgment.
• A believer longs for the hidden things to be revealed.
• A believer longs for the secret things to come to light.

Passages like Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 are WELCOMED NEWS to a believer
For it is then that we are rewarded.

Just this morning in our study we talked about Matthew 16
How Jesus warned that every deed will be brought to judgment.

Matthew 16:26-27 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.”

But for a believer this is not a terrifying reality, but a welcomed one.
For we are those who have sacrificed this life for the next.

• We are told to endure reproach…
• We are told to respond with a blessing…
• We are told not to take our own revenge…

And all of this is done with the promise
That one day our Lord and righteous Judge will both
Render judgment on the wicked and reward those who are his.

And the only place in the whole world where we find this promise
Is in God’s word.

Only the Scripture gives us this reassurance.

The best a lost world can hope for us some sort of mystical belief in what they typically refer to as KARMA.
• It is really a sentimental hope that all things circle back around.
• If you do what is right then good will win and it will work out for you in the end.
• But history teaches repeatedly that this does not always prove true.
• There have been plenty of people who took the high road and suffered greatly in this life.

A Christian doesn’t hold to this sentimental belief of Karma.
• We know that the righteous can suffer…
• We know that the righteous can even die…
• We have a different and better hope!

The comfort we have comes from the promises contained in God’s word
That every deed will be judged before our Holy Heavenly Father
And on that day it will be worth it all.

This is the comfort that the Psalmist references tonight
And one that is good for us to spend a little time thinking on this evening.

So let’s look at this stanza a little tonight.

As always there are 8 verses contained in this stanza.
• As a whole it carries a very encouraging tone.
• 7 of the 8 verses directly reference themes of hope and encouragement.

We read of hope, comfort, faithfulness, singing, and assurance.

THE OVERALL MESSAGE is that in the midst of a frustrating situation
The Psalmist has found tremendous hope and comfort in God’s word
And he has found it to such an extent that he has decided to endure.

Only 1 verse seems to depart from this positive spin
That is Verse 53, where perhaps more than any other
The Psalmist gives insight to his situation.

(53) “Burning indignation has seized me because of the wicked, Who forsake Your law.”

While every other verse finds him in hope or comfort or assurance
This verse finds him in “burning indignation”.

There is an anger welling up inside of him and he is about to explode.

He says this anger has “seized” him.
• There is a consuming aspect here.
• He is total immersed in his rage at the moment.

And he tells us what it is.
It is “because of the wicked”.

In a generic sense we can see that
“the wicked” have set him off.

They have behaved in such a way
That he is literally overcome with extreme anger.

At this point then we realize that his “burning indignation”
Is Righteous Indignation.

He is angry at the same things that anger God.
There is a wickedness and an evil abounding that has infuriated our Psalmist.

And then he lists the behavior of the wicked that has so infuriated him.
“Who forsake Your law.”

Perhaps you’ll notice that “law” here is NOT CAPITALIZED.
That would indicate that this is not a reference to the Mosaic Law.

It is simply a reference to the common law of right and wrong
Which God has placed over all His creation.

• Certainly Israel was a covenant nation who entered into an agreement with God that they would keep all His Law which was revealed by Moses.
• And you are aware how extreme punishment was to be brought upon them if they failed to keep all the words of that Law.

But that is NOT the “law” the Psalmist is referring to.

The “law” here would be the law
Which Paul referred to that governed Gentiles.

Romans 2:14-16 “For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.”

We are just talking about that universal law of right and wrong
Which God has imprinted on the conscience of every human.

That even a Gentile who did not have the Law of Moses still instinctively knew that
MURDER was wrong and LYING was wrong and STEALING was wrong.

So we understand that what has the Psalmist so upset
Is not that Israel is breaking God’s Law,
But rather it is the world living as though there is no law at all.

It is the world thinking that they can live however they want with no repercussion whatsoever.
Lying, stealing, murdering, adultery, corruption, etc.

It is a carnal world which has seared their conscience and who now live totally oblivious to the expectations of the One who created them.

Paul described them in:
Ephesians 4:18-19 “being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.”

• They are just totally pagan and sensual people.
• No different than a stray dog they just do whatever feels good at the moment with no thought at all to the God who created them.

Has such godlessness ever filled you with anger?
Well it did the Psalmist too.

“Burning indignation has seized me because of the wicked, Who forsake Your law.”

There is a deep-seeded frustration occurring with our Psalmist here.

And that is NOT THE ONLY PLACE he alludes to the problem.

(51) “The arrogant utterly deride me, Yet I do not turn aside from Your law.”

Here he doesn’t call them “the wicked”,
Here they are referred to as “the arrogant.”
• They are the same group.
• They are the people who have arrogantly become a god to themselves
• And thus fallen into every manner of wickedness.

On one hand the Psalmist is angry because of the way they live,
But his frustration clearly ALSO ENCOMPASSES the fact that,
“the arrogant utterly deride me”

And now the situation is taking shape.
• He lives in a godless and wicked world.
• While he tries to honor the Law of God and live righteous,
• He lives in a world that has totally forsaken the law of God and lives wicked.

This is bad enough, but to make matters worse he suffers derision from the wicked for the way he lives.
• They mock him.
• They make fun of him.
• They “utterly deride” him.

His day is now filled with a mixture of ANGER and HUMILIATION.
His day is filled with a mixture of INDIGNATION and REPROACH.

There is another Old Testament figure who felt this unique struggle.
Jeremiah 20:7-10 “O LORD, You have deceived me and I was deceived; You have overcome me and prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; Everyone mocks me. For each time I speak, I cry aloud; I proclaim violence and destruction, Because for me the word of the LORD has resulted In reproach and derision all day long. But if I say, “I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name,” Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, And I cannot endure it. For I have heard the whispering of many, “Terror on every side! Denounce him; yes, let us denounce him!” All my trusted friends, Watching for my fall, say: “Perhaps he will be deceived, so that we may prevail against him And take our revenge on him.”

You hear it also in Jeremiah don’t you?

• I try to do what is right…
• I preach God’s word…
• It only results in derision and reproach…
• I would quit, but my heart is filled with burning indignation…
• I can’t stop speaking the truth, but it brings terrible humiliation down on me…

Some of you have felt this very dilemma in your life.
• Some of you know exactly what the Psalmist and Jeremiah are dealing with.

I might go on to say that if you have never felt this
Then I sincerely hope that someday you do,
For that is a tremendous badge of honor on your life.

Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

• Jesus said that people who get persecuted and blasphemed and lied about
because of their commitment to righteousness are blessed.
• Jesus said that those people have joined the company of the prophets who
walked before them.
• That is a tremendous accomplishment and it brings a tremendous blessing,

If you have not felt that in your life, I certainly hope at some point you do.

BUT, IT IS NOT EASY.
1 Peter 4:4 “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you;”

It is a hard place to be, but a Christian is called to be in this place.

Now, BASED ON WHAT WE’VE TALKED ABOUT the last few minutes
You’d think that our Psalmist must be in a real pit of depression.

Based on verse 53, and the first half of verse 51
You’d think that our Psalmist must really be a miserable man.

AND YET, as we also said, this stanza is one of the most positive and upbeat in the whole chapter.
• Despite his indignation…
• Despite his affliction…
• This Psalmist is singing about hope and comfort and assurance.

(49) “Remember the word to Your servant, In which You have made me hope.”

That is the only request of the stanza.
Everything else simply falls into words of praise or gratitude.

The only request he renders is this.
“Remember the word to Your servant, In which You have made me hope.”

God said something to the Psalmist through His word on which the Psalmist is hanging his hate.
• There was a verse somewhere that God said…
• There was a promise somewhere that God had uttered…

That promise has meant everything to the Psalmist.
It has become the basis of his hope.

Despite the indignation…
Despite the affliction…
The Psalmist has hope and it’s all because of something God has said.

And so his only request is that God remember it too!

And he goes on.
(50) “This is my comfort in my affliction, That Your word has revived me.”

God, You have to remember the promise You made.
• It is my only source of hope…
• It is my only source of comfort…

When I walk down the street and I am enraged at their behavior.
When I walk down the street and I am attacked with their derision.
• There is only one thing that soothes the fire of my burning indignation.
• There is only one thing that comforts the sting of their reproach.

It is that promise that You have made.

And it is a promise of such importance to the Psalmist
That he was not only comforted,
But that promise also gave him the strength to faithfully endure.

Look at 51 again:
(51) “The arrogant utterly deride me, Yet I do not turn aside from Your law.”

The arrogant and the wicked have but one goal
And that is to bring the Psalmist down off of his high horse.

THEY DESIRE TO CORRUPT HIM.
They want him to join them in their crude language and their crude behavior.

And indeed the moment would be much easier if he would.
(It would be much easier just to give in and blend in)

But whatever it is that God has promised to the Psalmist,
He has seen it to be so valuable that
Day after day he has chosen to endure their reproach.

(52) “I have remembered Your ordinances from of old, O LORD, And comfort myself.”

• When he walks through the crowd and the point and curse…
• When he walks through the crowd and they mock and abuse…
• Immediately to his mind enters the “ordinances” of God.
• This promise which God has made.

And when the Psalmist again brings that truth to mind he is able to once again comfort himself.
• He is able to ignore what they say.
• He is able to see the folly in their behavior.
• He is able to reassure himself that he is walking the correct path.

Even though he is filled with anger as we saw in verse 53
He is able to stay the course and remain faithful.

IN FACT, he is not only able to control his anger,
But he is actually able to respond with a song!

(54) “Your statutes are my songs In the house of my pilgrimage.”

Oh, I love this one!

A “pilgrimage” is a journey.

Now, you’d expect him to say
“The ROAD of my pilgrimage”

As if to indicate that this path he is walking
Is a temporary journey but he is able to sing while he walks along.

But that isn’t what he calls it.
He calls it “the HOUSE of my pilgrimage”

He isn’t just passing through, at least not today.
HE LIVES HERE.
• He lives here as an alien in a foreign land.
• His citizenship is somewhere else.
• He is a foreigner, he is a misfit, he is an outcast.
• He doesn’t belong.

And the locals have noticed.
• Just as Abram was derided as “the Hebrew” (one who crosses over)
• So this man is also a stranger and an alien in a foreign land.

And the natives mock and deride him as they see him in the streets.

But he is not going anywhere.
• Not today, not tomorrow…
• For the time being, this is his home.
• It is certainly temporary, but his home none the less.

Yet despite the derision and frustration our Psalmist is singing.

He isn’t just barely surviving because he clings to God’s word,
He is rejoicing in God’s word!

With every jab and every attack he clings the harder to God’s word
And he grows to love it even more.

And then, when he GOES HOME AT NIGHT and he is finally alone, but he is forced to remember the awful things he heard and saw.

And when his mind would carry him into despair
Over having to face all the cruelty again tomorrow,
The Psalmist again retreats to his oldest and dearest friend.

(55) “O LORD, I remember Your name in the night, And keep Your law.”

• Even at night when his thoughts might get the better of him.
• Even at night when the hours can be long, he remembers who God is and the
law God has given.

And his confidence is renewed.

And all of this culminates in that final statement.
(56) “This has become mine, That I observe Your precepts.”

He says, “I have one thing that sets me apart, I have one thing on which I hang my hat. I do what God commands.”

And now here, having examined the whole of the stanza
WE FINALLY BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS PROMISE IS.

For a while I wondered if it was God’s promise to judge the wicked.
• I sort of wondered if this was perhaps a hidden imprecatory prayer.
• But he doesn’t mention the judgment of the wicked anywhere.
• Furthermore, he doesn’t close the stanza by saying, “But this I know, they have offended You.”

That is not his focus.

HE IS FOCUSING ON THE FACT THAT
Each day, and when he returns home at night
He is able to take comfort and rejoice in the fact
That he has done what God has asked.

WHY IS THAT COMFORTING TO A BELIEVER?

IT ISN’T, UNLESS
You have read in God’s word
That He will one day reward those who obey Him.

AND INDEED HE HAS MADE THAT PROMISE.

I think of Paul as he faced trials and affliction.
Romans 8:16-25 “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”

There is a certainly a mouthful there, but do you see THE MAIN IDEA.
“the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that is to be revealed to us”
• Creation knew it…
• The Spirit inside of you knows it…

Paul says, “For in hope we have been saved…[and] with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”

Despite the current frustrations and hardships and sufferings
He would cling to the hope and comfort that one day it will all be worth it!

He said the same to the Corinthians:
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

You can easily see our Psalmist there.
• He knew that things today where hard,
• But he continually encouraged his heart with the truth
• That one day it would be worth it.

TURN TO: HEBREWS 10

Hebrews 10:32-39 is a solemn call to hold fast and not shrink back and not be dismayed.
• Yes, you live in a world where you are maligned and mistreated.
• Yes, you live as a stranger in a foreign land.
• But don’t give up, don’t give in.

And do you see at the heart of that passage THE BASIS for the call?

(36-38) “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY. BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM.”

“so that when you have done the will of God,
You may receive what was promised.”

Do you see the same truth the Psalmist was hanging on to there?

And then of course you realize that the writer of Hebrews gives you
An entire chapter of examples of people who did what is asking you to do.

We call it the “Hall of Faith”

Look at how these people lives.

(11:8-10) “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”

• Do you see Abraham living daily as an alien?
• Do you see him on his “pilgrimage”?
• But he did not stop, he did not give in because he was looking for the city which God was building.

There was a reward to be had!

(11:13-16) “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”

• Again you see them as “strangers and exiles on the earth”
• But they won’t go back.
• They want “a better country”
• They are looking to the reward!

(11:35-38) “Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.”

• Here people even willfully endure horrific treatment.
• They keep facing hardship.
• They wouldn’t even accept a release because they wanted “a better resurrection”

It was not about this life, it was all about the coming reward.

But then look at the ultimate example:
(12:1-3) “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

• Jesus went through greater affliction than any of them and He did it “for the joy set before Him”

Are you getting the point?
• As Christians we hang our hat on this.
• As Christians this is the source of our hope and our comfort.

Though the evil of this world causes us “burning indignation”
Though the derision and persecution of this world is a stinging insult.

We do not retreat.
We do not give in.
We faithfully cling to God’s word and to obedience.

WHY?

Because God’s word promises that
• One day His Son will return to judge the living and the dead.
• Every secret thing will be revealed.
• Every secret sin of every unbeliever will be exposed and he will reap the full judgment of God for it.
• And every righteous deed of every saint will also be revealed and he will receive a full reward for it.

Matthew 10:40-42 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. “He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. “And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”

We cling to that!

As the disciples watched The Rich Young Ruler walk away…
Matthew 19:27-29 “Then Peter said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?” And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.”

That was the type of promise that sustained our Psalmist
While living as a persecuted alien in an evil land.

That is the promise that will sustain you as well.

• One day, it will be worth it all.
• One day you will be rewarded.
• One day every secret thing will be revealed
• And you will rejoice that you determined to obey God.

This is our hope.
This is our comfort.
We have a reward!

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Is This Really Life?
Ecclesiastes 11:7-10
November 7, 2021

Many times during our Disciple Now weekends
We like to give the kids IMPROMPTU CHALLENGES.

We like to give them a random title
And they have to either perform a dance that fits the title or a skit that fits the title.

• Two years ago was Kori Swaringen’s famous dance entitled “Mood Swinging
Cheerleader”
• Last year the favorite skit was “Bingo Night at the Nursing Home”

• We’ve had titles like “Field Trip Gone Wrong”
• Or “An Email Sent To The Wrong Address”
• Or “Bringing Home Something Hideous”

We have learned that if you give random titles, especially those that are somewhat contradictory then the result can be quite humorous.

Studying this text this week made it feel to me
Like someone gave the preacher such a challenge.

It sounds to me like someone challenged him to be
“A Pessimistic Motivational Speaker”

That’s exactly what you get when you read these 4 verses.
• No sooner will he drop a positive and uplifting word of encouragement on you
• Than does he instantly pull the rug right out from under you.

In fact, I told Carrie that if you could just delete the last half of verses 8, 9, and 10
Then you’d have all the makings for a perfect Joel Olsteen sermon.

I’ll go ahead and give you all the points at the start and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

1) REJOICE IN EVERY MOMENT

(7-8a) “The light is pleasant, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun. Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all”

And you can hear the motivational speaker telling you to
Enjoy that sip of coffee, look for the good, and embrace the positive in life

You’ve heard it, I’ve heard it.
Learn to see the good in everything
Embrace your blessings and look for more
It’s textbook motivational talk.

2) REALIZE YOUR DREAMS

(9a) “Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes.”

There it is again.
• Rejoice in the moment and realize your dreams!
• Speak positive truth into your future and positive results will come.

I heard one this week, “Whenever you say ‘I am’, whatever you follow it with you are inviting into your life.”
• If you say, “I am rich” you are inviting money.
• If you say, “I am smart” you are inviting knowledge.
• If you say, “I am fat” you are inviting calories

You get it.
• Just go out and seize your dreams, realize you dreams.
• Claim that promotion
• Declare your success
• Move forward and expect the waters to part for you

That’s sure what it sounds like.

3) REMOVE YOUR OBSTACLES

(10a) “So remove grieve and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body”

Anything that grieves you or angers you or causes you pain, CUT IT OUT.
You don’t need negative people circumstances in your life.

• Trim your circle…
• Turn off the negative…
• You need to be surrounded by eagles not Eeyore’s…

I’m telling you if you can cut off the end of those last 3 verses
You’ve got solid gold in the arena of motivational speaking.

You could repackage and restate this stuff in just about every arena.

Want to talk to a group of students?
• Rejoice in every moment…
• Realize your dreams…
• Remove your obstacles…

Want to encourage an athletic team?
• Rejoice in every moment…
• Realize your dreams…
• Remove your obstacles…

OUR WORLD LOVES IT!
It’s the kind of stuff I see circulating on Facebook all the time.

It’s secular wisdom all about making your life
Better, Happier, and More Successful.

SO WHY IS THE PREACHER SAYING IT?
Is that what he thinks? – NOT AT ALL!

THE PREACHER IS NEARING THE END OF HIS SERMON.
HE IS NOW BRINGING THE POINT HE WANTS YOU TO DWELL ON.

And that MAIN POINT comes in to focus at THE END of each verse.

Because just when the audience gets all excited
At him regurgitating the shallow wisdom of the day
The preacher reaches forward and yanks the rug right out.

Rejoice in every moment!
(But it’s futile because death is coming)

Realize your dreams!
(But know God is following what you do and will judge you for it)

Remove your obstacles!
(But you better do it fast because life is fleeting)

And I’ll tell you again:
HE’S PREPARING YOU FOR THE GOSPEL

He is punching hole after hole in the common wisdom of the day
So that he can drive you to the truth.

It’s like he’s sitting right beside you in one of those motivational speeches and he’s pointing out how shallow all the advice really is.

AND HIS SOLE OBJECTIVE IS
To prepare you to be truly amazed when you see Jesus.

And by the time we’re done
I’ll show you how Jesus catapulted right off of this sermon into His invitation to humanity.

So let’s work our way through those 3 points I gave you
And examine the problem with those shallow yet common pieces of advice.

#1 REJOICE IN EVERY MOMENT (A Futile Plan)
Ecclesiastes 11:7-8

There we read that first part again.

“The light is pleasant, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun. Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all”

Now, in order to be fair let me remind you again that
This is NOT TOTALLY BAD advice.

“The light” here is a reference to life.

• Did you wake up this morning? That’s a good thing, rejoice.
• Did you see the sun? That’s a good thing, rejoice.
• Have you lived a long life? That’s a good thing, rejoice.

There is nothing intrinsically anything wrong with that advice.

Have you ever encountered that guy who didn’t rejoice in those things?
(He’s no fun)

You say, “Good morning” and he says, “What’s good about it?”
Nobody likes that guy.

There IS a certain wisdom in the encouragement
To rejoice in the simple realities of life.

The preacher has even told us that previously in the sermon.

Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 “I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime; moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God.”

Ecclesiastes 5:18 “Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward.”

The preacher has never suggested that you should hate this life.
He has been more than happy to point out to you
That you ought to enjoy the simple little pleasures.

That is some of the relief that God gives to this cursed world.

• So clearly “The light” (being alive) is a good thing.
• Clearly “it is good for the eyes to see the sun.”
• Clearly “if a man should live many years, let him rejoice in them all”

Yes, that is fine advice.

BUT HERE IS THE PROBLEM
If that is all there is in your life, you are going to be disappointed.

WHY?

Because the preacher also gives a DOSE OF REALITY.
“and let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many.”

“The light” is a reference to life.
“the days of darkness” is a reference to death.

Enjoy life while you have it because death is coming
And you’re going to be dead a long time.

JUST DO THE MATH.

How long did Adam live? (Genesis 5 says 930 years) But how long has he been dead?

How long did Moses live? (Deuteronomy 24 says 120 years) But how long has he been dead?

You get the point.

And that is why the preacher pulls the rug out and says:
“Everything that is to come will be futility.”

• Yes, enjoy life, but it won’t last.
• Yes, enjoy good things, but they won’t last.

God promised it back in the garden didn’t He?

Genesis 3:19 “By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.”

Hebrews 9:27a “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once…”

Ecclesiastes 9:2-3 “It is the same for all. There is one fate for the righteous and for the wicked; for the good, for the clean and for the unclean; for the man who offers a sacrifice and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the good man is, so is the sinner; as the swearer is, so is the one who is afraid to swear. This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all men. Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they go to the dead.”

YOU GET THE POINT.

IT’S NOT THAT there aren’t good things to enjoy in this life or that having life at all is not a reason to rejoice.

IT’S JUST THAT it doesn’t last long.

And so seeking to satisfy your soul with this life is a futile effort.

That is what is so shallow about all the motivational preachers out there
Who keep telling you to love this life.

I certainly don’t think you ought to be some sort of negative grump,
But expecting all your satisfaction out of this life is a futile venture.

“Everything that is to come will be futility.”

• It’s all going to end.
• Everything you own will end up in a land fill.
• And some day your body will return to the dust.

So rejoicing in every moment is a futile plan.

Rejoice in every moment
#2 REALIZE YOUR DREAMS (A Foolish Pursuit)
Ecclesiastes 11:9

Here comes the second piece of advice we commonly hear today.

(9a) “Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes.”

Now again, to be fair, that’s NOT TOTALLY BAD advice.

In fact, just as before, we’ve heard this already in some cases from the preacher.

Ecclesiastes 8:15 “So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to be merry, and this will stand by him in his toils throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.”

Ecclesiastes 9:7-9 “Go then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works. Let your clothes be white all the time, and let not oil be lacking on your head. Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.”

Again, there is something to be said for pursuing
And realizing the things that bring you enjoyment.

This life is hard. This world is cursed.

And if you can eat your bread and drink your wine and enjoy your spouse
Certainly that takes some of the sting out of the suffering of this life.

BUT THE PROBLEM IS THE SAME.

• If you make it your sole ambition just to find rejoicing and pleasantness
• And if you “follow the impulses of your heart” and “the desires of your eyes”
• You may very well end up in sin.

1 John 2:15-16 “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.”

Jeremiah is very clear:
Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?”

Clearly if you follow your heart or your eyes
You are very likely to end up where you should not be.

SO IS THE PREACHER GIVING US BAD ADVICE?
No, rather he’s exposing bad advice.

For look at what he says next.
“Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.”

Herein lies the danger with pursuing all that you want.

YOU AREN’T THE FINAL SAY IN YOUR LIFE.

Just because your heart thinks it is good
Does not mean God thinks it is good.

And one day you will answer to Him for all that you do.

If we might finish the verse we quoted a moment ago:
Hebrews 9:27 “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,”

We could go on:
2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

Revelation 20:12 “And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.”

Even the end of this book states:
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”

I know in our culture we celebrate people
Who work hard and who overcome the odds
And who never give up and who realize their dreams.

Hollywood makes movies about people who won’t give up and who achieve their goals.

And so it is has ALMOST BECOME UNIVERSAL ADVICE
That it’s always good to pursue your dreams
and to accomplish them at all cost.

But Hollywood doesn’t give you the whole story.

Some people accomplish their dreams
Through great CORRUPTION and even SINFULNESS.

• The Bible warns us about how people who want to get rich fall into deadly traps.
• Our world is filled with ATHLETES who have been scandalized because they used performance enhancing drugs to achieve their dreams.
• We all know the stories of POLITICIANS who finally ascended to power but they did so through corrupt means.

There’s nothing wrong with dreams or pursuing those dreams
But if you think obtaining your dream is the end all to happiness
Be very careful.

Remember God will judge everything about this life.

Realizing your dreams can be a foolish pursuit.

There is a third point.
#3 REMOVE YOUR OBSTACLES (A Fleeting Purpose)
Ecclesiastes 11:10

“So remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body,”

This is NOT SAYING – “Don’t grieve or Don’t get angry.”

Any more than if the preacher looked at a man with a broken leg and said, “Don’t hurt”

What he IS SAYING is
“Remove the things that cause you grief or anger or pain.”

And that is also a common mindset in our world.

And again, it’s NOT totally wrong.
After all, who pursues what they know will hurt?

It’s probably the most common prayer that is prayed every day.

“Lord, bless us, watch over us, protect us, comfort us, heal us, give us a good day, etc.”

The overwhelming majority of prayer requests on a daily basis
Deal with these very issues.

I certainly can’t rebuke anyone for desiring those things.

But the point again of the preacher is that
If this is your understanding of how to live your best life
Then we have a problem.

WHY?
“because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.”

• You can seek to remove everything that grieves you…
• You can seek to remove everything that angers you…
• You can seek to remove everything that causes pain…

BUT IT WON’T WORK

• Sooner or later something is going to grieve you.
• Sooner or later something is going to anger you.
• Sooner or later something is going to hurt.

Life if full of grief and frustration and pain.
There is no satisfaction there.

So again what you have here is
Not necessarily bad advice but rather it is UNREALISTIC advice.

It is shallow advice.

• You won’t be young forever.
• You won’t be in your prime forever.
• Your youth will pass away and because life is “fleeting”

James 4:14 “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”

SO DO YOU HEAR THE PREACHER?

He regurgitates for you the common wisdom that
The world loves to spew at you as to how to live the good life.

The world says if you want the good life:
REJOICE IN EVERY MOMENT

The preacher says that is fine, but it will be short-lived.

The world says if you want the good life:
REALIZE YOUR DREAMS

The preacher says that is fine, but remember you’ll be judged for it.

The world says if you want the good life:
REMOVE YOUR OBSTACLES

The preacher says that is fine, but you better do it fast because life is a vapor.

THE POINT?
THIS IS NOT THE GOOD LIFE.

FURTHERMORE, You don’t get to keep this life.
• It is on loan.
• You are only here a short time.
• It will soon pass away.
• And you will be judged for how you lived it.

Trying to squeeze satisfaction out of this life is a futile endeavor.

And so what you have here is the preacher
Simply blowing holes in all the common messages of the world.

And his goal,
as we have said from the beginning,
IS TO PREPARE YOU FOR CHRIST.

NOW LET ME SHOW YOU FIRST
How Christ is the real answer you’ve been looking for.

It is interesting that in verse 7 when the preacher wanted to talk about life
HE DIDN’T CALL IT LIFE.

What did he call it? “light”

John 1:4 “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.”

John 1:9 “There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.”

John 8:12 “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

2 Timothy 1:10 “…Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,”

When the preacher explains to you that
There is nothing in this life which can completely satisfy you
He is preparing you for the True Light.

Jesus comes to give life that the world knows nothing of.

THE PREACHER SAID: the problem with this life is that it ends in death.

But what does Jesus say?
John 11:25-26 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

JESUS OFFERS TRUE LIFE.

THAT MEANS the advice to “Rejoice in every Moment” is a bit misleading.

If you want something to rejoice in,
Rejoice in the fact that Jesus gives true life that death cannot destroy.

NEXT the preacher talked about pursuing that which is pleasant and following the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes.

THE PROBLEM WAS that pursuing those things
Has a very real possibility of ending you up in JUDGMENT.

But what if you pursue satisfaction in Jesus?

John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”

The life Jesus brings is a true life that DOES NOT END IN JUDGMENT.

If you follow the impulses of your heart
You may one day greatly regret it,
But no one will ever regret following Jesus.

There is no regret in Jesus.

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

If you want something to pursue or realize,
Pursue Christ where there is no condemnation.

Finally the preacher talked about REMOVING those things from your life which cause you grief or anger or pain.

THE PROBLEM WAS that even if you achieve it,
It will be short-lived because this life is fleeting.

But in Jesus life is anything but fleeting.

John 6:40 “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

John 6:47 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.”

John 10:28 “and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”

So what you learn initially is that
WHAT THE WORLD IS PURSUING IS IN FACT A NOBLE PURSUIT,
It’s just that they are pursuing it in a place they will never find it.

• This life is futile
• This life is followed (judgment)
• This life is fleeting

Only in Christ do you get life which is FULFILLING
Only in Christ do you get life which is FREE
Only in Christ do you get life which is FOREVER

And once you realize that the motivational speeches of this world are selling you snake oil the sooner you’ll be ready to run to Christ.

Now that is the INITIAL APPLICATION.

But you still need to see ONE MORE THING.

YOU’VE ACTUALLY HEARD THIS SERMON BEFORE.

You heard Jesus preach this very thing.

TURN TO: MATTHEW 16:24-27

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.”

The world tells you to love this life and rejoice in it and find satisfaction here.

The preacher said that is futility because this life ends in death.

What did Jesus say?
“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

Jesus said this life won’t satisfy so give it up
And take hold of that which really is life.

The world tells you to pursue your dreams and follow your heart.

The preacher said that is foolish because God will judge you.

What did Jesus say?
Don’t follow your heart, “follow Me”

And He asked:
“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.”

If you pursue the desires of your eyes you’ll end up in judgment.
If you follow Me you step out of judgment into life.

The world tells you to remove anything that discomforts you.
The world tells you to reject grief and frustration and pain.

The preacher said that is fleeting.

What did Jesus say?
“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross…”

Jesus DIDN’T tell you to spend your life
Seeking to avoid grief or frustration or pain.

• Jesus actually taught us that mourners are blessed.
• Jesus taught us that those who are persecuted are blessed.

Because these receive a kingdom that can never be shaken.

IF YOU FOLLOW THE ADVICE OF THIS WORLD
They will have you seeking a Life you can’t keep,
Pleasure that will bring judgment,
And Comfort that won’t last.

If you listen to the preacher you’ll seek Jesus.
• And if instead of gratifying yourself you will deny yourself.
• And if instead of seeking this world you will forsake this world.
• And if instead of keeping this life you will lose this life.

And in Jesus you will find true life
And in Jesus you will find no condemnation.
And in Jesus you will find eternal life.

That is the whole point to this book of Ecclesiastes.

This world is a sinking ship and it does not supply what it promises.
QUIT SEEKING IT!

Those MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKERS are selling you SNAKE OIL.
It’s not that everything they offer is bad
It’s just that they don’t offer anything that lasts.

That has been the consistent message of the preacher.
He has exposed the empty promises the world is offering.

He is preparing you for the day Jesus walks by and says follow Me.

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

And so again this is what I declare to you.

YOUNG MAN,
• You may feel invincible, YOU AREN’T.
• You may have a ton of dreams to pursue, BUT YOU’LL BE JUDGED.
• You may just want what feels good, IT WON’T LAST.

Take it from the old preacher.
Jesus is the One you seek.

Download Here:

Thinking About Confidence
Psalms 119:41-48
October 31, 2021

The last time we covered this passage the sermon was entitled,
“How To Answer Wisely”

That was taken primarily from the dilemma which was revealed in verse 42. “So I will have an answer for him who reproaches me…”

The Psalmist was clearly dealing with the issue
Of being able to answer those who persecuted him.

Even in the last stanza of Psalm 119
We discovered how fear of reproach had greatly impacted our Psalmist.

Psalms 119:39 “Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your ordinances are good.”

In the previous stanza the Psalmist actually prayed that God
Would turn away these sort of negative reproaches from him.

And certainly we understand that mentality.
After all Jesus taught us to pray:

Matthew 6:13 “‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’”

I certainly don’t have a problem with praying
That I can avoid persecution or attack.

And yet, we also know that because of the condition of this world,
Some reproach is absolutely unavoidable.

It is coming.

And so while the Christian may certainly pray to escape reproach,
The Christian at the same time must be prepared to answer it.

And that is what we discussed last time we studied this stanza.
We talked about how to make that wise answer.

We’re not going to rehash that entire sermon here,
But I do think some discussion is certainly necessary.

Peter addressed this topic sort of head on.

1 Peter 3: 13-15 “Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;”

There was a sense in which Peter understood that if you do what is right
Then you should be able to avoid most confrontation and reproach.

However, Peter also knew that is not always true.
There will come times that you will “suffer for the sake of righteousness”

Jesus taught:
Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

And that is what Peter was talking about.
• Peter knew that there would be times when the righteous would suffer simply because they are righteous.
• Peter knew about reproach.

And at that point Peter gave some stellar advice.
• “Do not fear”
• “Do not be troubled”
• “sanctify Christ as Lord in your heart”
• “always be ready to make a defense”
• “always be ready to give an account for the hope that is in you”
• “give an account with gentleness and reverence”

That is all sound advice.

It was directed to people just like this Psalmist.
Avoid reproach if you can, but when it comes
And you are called to give an account, then give a splendid account!

You may remember the early church here.
TURN TO: ACTS 4:23-31

• On the previous day, Peter and John had been going to the temple to pray where they encountered a crippled man and Peter healed him.
• This drew a crowd and Peter began to preach about Jesus and the necessity that Israel repent and return.
• The chief priests came up with the Sadducees and arrested Peter and John and put them in jail.
• On the next day the intimidation began.
• Peter and John were surrounded by Annas and his entire mobster family in order to intimidate them.
• But Peter and John remained confident and boldly proclaimed that they must obey God rather than men.
• Verse 21, “When they had threatened them further, they let them go…”

Peter and John went to the church and told them all about it.
• The miracle
• The sermon
• The arrest and night in jail
• The interrogation
• The threats

In some sense the church was just put on notice.
How do you respond?

Here is how the early church responded:
(READ 23-31)

• No fear, no intimidation.
• They sanctified Christ as Lord
• And they prayed

Verses 29-30, “And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”

They wanted confidence.
They wanted to know what to say and they wanted the boldness to say it.

The church began to contemplate how to respond to reproach.

This is something that the church must do.
• We certainly desire to live in peace with all men.
• We certainly desire things like unity and harmony.
• We certainly desire to get along in our society.

But there are times when the church must also
Voice both her dissent and her response.

Certainly this is a requirement for elders.
Titus 1:9 “holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.”

But you are also aware that
You may not always be in the company of your pastor.

There may very well come a time
• When you are called upon to give an account.
• When you are called upon to “have an answer for him who reproaches”

Now this stanza of Psalms 119 actually outlines responsibilities here.

• Verses 41-43 speak to what would be God’s responsibility.
• Verses 44-48 speak to what would be our responsibility.

You notice the Psalmist’s prayer to God.

(41-42) “May Your lovingkindness also come to me, O LORD, Your salvation according to Your word; So I will have an answer for him who reproaches me, For I trust in Your word.”

The Psalmist prays first and foremost for God to provide
• “lovingkindness” and “salvation”
• Just as God has promised or “according to Your word.”

During that reproach he is asking God to be loyal to me and to save me.

We might better understand it as him asking,
“Be on my side, and bail me out!”

I need You to show up and give me an answer.

And this is certainly warranted.
Jesus said:
Matthew 10:19-20 “But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. “For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”

And that was certainly proved true with Peter and John for even when they were surrounded by the Chief Priests we read:
Acts 4:13-14 “Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply.”

It is clear that in that instance Christ was for them
And Christ delivered them or saved them.

• He gave them wisdom.
• He gave them confidence.
• And even though they were uneducated and untrained in debate, Jesus bailed
them out.

That is what the Psalmist wants.
Help me God in that situation.

The Psalmist also prays (43) “And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I wait for Your ordinances.”

It is a call very simply that God would not let him forget the Scripture.

Remember what Jesus told the apostles:
John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”

• That was a promise given to the apostles and it is such that allowed them to
record the New Testament.
• We might simply pray that God help us remember His word any time we are
called to give an account.

But simply we see at the outset that the Psalmist understands
That a certain part of this burden falls on God.

He is not going into this battle alone.

• He prays that God will show him loyalty.
• He prays that God will deliver him.
• He prays that God will bring His word to mind so he’ll have an answer.

And all of those are really good prayers.
I highly recommend you pray all of that
Any time you are called to give an account.

Tonight as we think about confidence that is a very important part of it.
IT IS CONFIDENCE IN GOD.
• It is confidence that God will not fail you.
• It is confidence that God is for you.
• It is confidence that God will deliver you.
• It is confidence that God will bring His word to your mind.

Your confidence in that situation rests upon who God is & what God does
We certainly never miss that.

But the thing I want to look at a little more closely TONIGHT
Is the SECOND HALF of this stanza.

It is in verses 44-48
Where the Psalmist talks about his responsibility in this process.

I hesitate to say that applying these principles will give you confidence.
I think certainly it is best that all our confidence be in God.

But I will say that FAILING TO APPLY these principles
Will CERTAINLY ERODE any confidence that you might have.

To put it another way.

If you aren’t faithful to take care of your responsibility in this area,
It is going to make it extremely difficult for you to be confident
When you are called to give an account even with God on your side.

Let me explain what I mean.

In these last 5 verses the entire emphasis shifts to the Psalmist expressing to God what he will do.
• (44) “I will keep Your law continually”
• (45) “I will walk at liberty”
• (46) “I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings”
• (47) “I shall delight in Your commandments”
• (48) “I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments”
• (48) “I will meditate on Your statutes”

They are statements of commitment.
They are statements of action.

And this is what I want you to understand.

You should never be confident in your own ability or knowledge or faithfulness, but if you don’t do the things the Psalmist mentions here you’re going to have a really tuff time being confident even in God.

So let’s look at the Psalmists commitment; his responsibility.

There are 3 main things here you should see.
#1 HIS COMMITMENT TO OBEY GOD’S LAW
Psalms 119:44-45

You see the commitment very easily.
• “I will keep Your law continually”
• He goes on to add “Forever and ever.”

I know we can get into the gospel implications of this and recognize that no man has ever obeyed the law continually or forever and ever except for Christ.

That we understand.

And yet, no Christian ever goes to God and says,
“God I’m committed to obey 75% of Your word.”

Though we certainly fail
The Christian ambition & commitment is exactly what this Psalmist says
• It is the goal…
• It is the objective…
• It is the ambition…
• To “keep Your law continually, Forever and ever”

Let me ask you WHY?
Certainly because it’s God’s law and we want to please Him.

But more than that…
• We are talking about the dilemma of being called to give an account.
• We are talking about have “an answer for him who reproaches”

WHY IS OBEDIENCE SO IMPORTANT IN THAT SCENARIO?
(45) “And I will walk at liberty”

Very simply put the Psalmist recognizes that
There is a freedom that is only found in being a law-keeper.

We know that in a judicial sense in our own country.
If you break the law you lose your freedoms.

While it is true that you may lose your freedoms even if you are obedient to the law, you will certainly lose them if you disobey it.

Remember what Jesus said
As He prepared the disciples for their first missionary journey.
Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.”

What is He saying?
When the world wants to beat you in the head,
Don’t supply the hammer.

1 Peter 4:15-16 “Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.”

Think about the many trials of Jesus.
• It would have been far easier for them to condemn Him if they actually had any evidence against Him.
• Now to be sure, they hated Him so much that they invented false charges but the point is that He didn’t make it easy.

If you want to be able to give a defense to those who reproach you I can promise you that your defense will be much easier
If you are actually innocent.

It will be much easier for you to defend the truth you proclaim
If you have lived the truth you proclaim.

The fastest way our world discredits the Christian message
Is by pointing out the inconsistent living of Christian people.

Part of being able to give a good defense is by living an obedient life.

1 Peter 2:11-12 “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

1 Peter 2:15 “For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.”

That is also why when Peter told you to be ready to give an account he began by saying, “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts”

Nothing will derail your defense of the gospel faster
Than when people start pulling out all your instances of disobedience.

But even beyond that, nothing will erode your confidence faster
Than your own awareness of your failures.

Have you ever contemplated sharing the gospel or preaching repentance to someone only to have this thought: “Who am I to tell them to repent?”

You may have been extremely convicted about the truth of your message
But it was your own disobedience that eroded your confidence.

YOU WERE AFRAID, not because you were wrong,
But because YOU WERE HYPOCRITICAL.

You had yet to deal with the log in your own eye
And knew you were not equipped to deal with the speck in theirs.

It is a real dilemma.

If you want to maintain your confidence
On the day when you are called to give an account
That will be much easier if you have been obedient.

• So obey the Scriptures.
• And in those areas where you have not obeyed, repent of your disobedience.
• Make it your ambition to live an obedient life
• And I promise you it will be far easier to give an account to those who reproach you.

You need a commitment to obey God’s Law
#2 A COMMITMENT TO PROCLAIM GOD’S LAW
Psalms 119:46

Here the Psalmists commitment is still clear.
“I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings And shall not be ashamed.”

We’ve talked about this many times.
• We’ve read Paul’s famous “I am not ashamed of the gospel”
• We’ve listened as Paul told Timothy “Do not be ashamed”
• We remember our Lord saying to “Confess Me before men”

We know the passages and we understand the calling.

Where I think we often fail is in the preparation.

I heard John MacArthur say one time that “Sermons should never be the primary goal of your Bible study, they should only be the overflow of it.”

And I certainly understand the point
That there is primarily a desire in our study of God’s word
To commune with God and to know Him better.

However,
I would point out that even though the majority of Christians may not study the Bible with an eye to writing a sermon…

Every Christian should study the Bible with the expectation
Of sharing what they have learned with someone.

Certainly we study the Bible to see God and to learn truth.

• But when you study the Bible do you give any thought to how you might explain the passage to someone else?

• When you study the Bible do you give any thought to how you might apply it to a situation or someone’s life?

• When you study the Bible do you contemplate how this truth confronts the culture and how you might use it to do so?

I love the specific word the Psalmist uses here.

He says, “I will also speak of Your TESTIMONIES before kings”

• God’s word is certainly called His “law” as something we are to obey.
• God’s word is certainly called His “precepts” as guides for living.
• God’s word is certainly called His “statutes” as that which is engraved in iron and immovable.
• God’s word is certainly called His “ordinances” as that which governs life.

But God’s word is also called His “testimonies”
As that which is to be proclaimed.

When we read God’s word there must be an understanding,
Even a commitment to realize that some day
I will be called upon to proclaim these truths I am learning.

Do you remember the rebuke that the writer of Hebrews gave to his congregation?
Hebrews 5:11-14 “Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.”

Do you think of yourself as a teacher?
• The Bible calls us a kingdom of priests, does that not include teaching?
• We are lights in darkness.
• We are salt to the tasteless.

There is very much an EXPECTATION
That you will be the one to disseminate truth to the world.

2 Timothy 3:13-17 “But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

Again we understand that God has given His word to be shared.
• That we will use it to confront an evil culture.
• That we will use it to bear witness to Christ.
• That we will use it to give an account of our own hope.

• We use it to teach.
• We use it to reprove.
• We use it to train in righteousness.

The Psalmist knew this in his study.

He wasn’t just studying God’s word as some sort of elective in life. It wasn’t just some hobby. He was training for battle.

He was learning God’s word and digesting it
Because one day he might be given the opportunity to testify of it.

And this is yet another reason why so many Christians
HAVE NO CONFIDENCE to share the word of God.

• They have never considered in their own mind that this is their job.
• They have never made that inward commitment like this Psalmist that they
are going to share God’s word.
• They have always sort of side-stepped the job to someone else.
• And so they have no confidence to do it.

Now again, no man shares God’s word in his own strength.
Our confidence most certainly is in God,

But at the same time
IF YOU HAVE NOT yet begun to consider yourself a bearer of truth
Then I promise in the moment you’ll have no confidence to do so.

You need a commitment to obey God’s Law
You need a commitment to proclaim God’s Law
#3 A COMMITMENT TO LOVE GOD’S LAW
Psalms 119:47-48

The language is great here isn’t it!
• “I shall delight in Your commandments, WHICH I LOVE”
• “I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, WHICH I LOVE”
• “I will meditate on Your statutes.”

This reality feeds the first two commitments.

We read the Psalmists prayer in verse 43,
“And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I wait for Your ordinances.”

It is a cry that God will let him both understand and remember His word.

And we read about
• How God will bring to your remembrance all that He said.
• How not to worry when you stand before kings for God will supply the words.

BUT HERE IS THE QUESTION.
Have you filled up the storeroom?

One thing we are NOT LOOKING FOR on the day of reproach
Is some NEW REVELATION.

Nor are we seeking to argue in our own logic.

When we are called to answer a reproach
There is only one thing we want to answer with
And that is THE WORD OF GOD.

Jeremiah 23:28-29 “The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in truth. What does straw have in common with grain?” declares the LORD. “Is not My word like fire?” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock?”

• We have no desire to give men our anecdotes…
• We have no desire to wow men with our logic…
• We have no desire to show men our experiences…

Isaiah 55:11 “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

What else would we give?

But the question to be asked now is have you feasted on it?
• Have you delighted in it?
• Have you loved it?
• Have you submitted to it? (“lift up my hands to”)
• Have you meditated on it?

Do you really expect on the day of reproach
That God is simply going to pop into your head
Some Bible passage that you have never read?

Or is it far more likely that God will bring to your remembrance that passage that you have studied and meditated on and loved?

Carrie shared her testimony during Disciple Now
(If you haven’t watched it, you should, it is great)

Even before I heard her share I knew some of the verses she would use.
• I knew Matthew 16:24 was coming out (“deny yourself”)
• I knew Philippians 3 was coming out (“count them but dung”)
• I knew Lamentations 3:22 was coming out (“mercies new every morning”)

Carrie was being called to give an account of the hope that is in her.
And those are the passages
That she has wrestled with perhaps more than any other.

• Those are the ones she has studied.
• Those are the ones she has meditated on.
• Those are the ones she has lifted up her hands to.
• And therefore those are the ones that she loves!

We all have them.
Romans 1:16 – “I am not ashamed of the gospel…”
2 Corinthians 5:21 – “He made Him who knew no sin…”
Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation…”

What are yours?
Those verses that you’ve digested and meditated on and perhaps wept over and finally submitted to and lifted up your hands to?

Are those not now the verses that you love?
And are those not now the verses that you are more prone to proclaim?

Well that’s great, now go get some more!
That is the commitment that is needed.

And again, it’s not that your confidence
Will ever be in your own Bible knowledge,
But I can promise you a lack of Bible knowledge
Will not help your confidence
In the day you are called to give an account.

When Paul spoke of the gospel armor he wrote:
Ephesians 6:15 “and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;”

• You stand on this.
• This is your traction.
• Your foundation is this gospel of peace.
• Be prepared for it.

2 Timothy 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”

BE READY.

So tonight as we just think a little bit about
Having confidence to answer him who reproaches
I simply want you to contemplate your own preparation.

• Be committed to obedience
• Be committed to proclamation
• Be committed to loving God’s word

It’s not that you should be confident in your own abilities,
That comes in God.

But a failure to be committed to those things
Will most certainly rob your confidence.

Download Here:

Be Ready
Ecclesiastes 11:1-6
October 31, 2021

After taking a week off for our annual Disciple Now,
This morning we return to our study of this book of Ecclesiastes.

And since we are in the second half of this book,
We are looking “The Noble Pursuit of Wisdom”.

That is what the preacher has been instructing us in.
And we have seen this wisdom in various ways.

We’ve seen the wisdom that can be gained through mourning and sorrow and even attending a funeral.

Ecclesiastes 7:2 “It is better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting, Because that is the end of every man, And the living takes it to heart.”

The preacher taught us that
There is wisdom in avoiding a party and attending a funeral
Because it is more likely to push us
To contemplate the realities of death and judgment.

We’ve seen the wisdom of pursuing righteousness even though righteousness doesn’t always bring an immediate and temporal reward.

The preacher told us
• Not to expect that righteousness will instantly make life easier,
• But also not to think that the wicked will get away with it.

A wise man holds to righteousness
But doesn’t allow suffering to push him toward wickedness.

Ecclesiastes 7:18 “It is good that you grasp one thing and also not let go of the other; for the one who fears God comes forth with both of them.”

That is a wise man acknowledges that righteous men can suffer,
But still holds to the fact that it is better than wickedness.

We’ve seen the wisdom of civil submission.

Ecclesiastes 8:2 “I say, “Keep the command of the king because of the oath before God.”

Ultimately reminding us that it is our fear of God that teaches us
To respect His authority even when we don’t understand it.

Ecclesiastes 8:12-13 “Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life, still I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly. But it will not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God.”

We’ve seen the wisdom of contemplating death and thus learning to enjoy life and to prepare for eternity.

Ecclesiastes 9:12 “Moreover, man does not know his time: like fish caught in a treacherous net and birds trapped in a snare, so the sons of men are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them.”

So man should certainly live with the coming expectation of judgment.

We’ve seen the wisdom of showing respect because a humble response is more successful then a violent one.

Ecclesiastes 10:10-11 “If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success. If the serpent bites before being charmed, there is no profit for the charmer.”

That was a proverb reminding us to avoid being defensive and combative,
But to speak with honor and respect
If we want to have success with the king.

All of this is simply practical wisdom from the preacher
And all of these things certainly come with gospel implications.

A person who attends a funeral or accepts a rebuke
Is finding the type of humility needed to also respond well to God.

Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

A person who learns to pursue righteousness
Is ultimately a man who will run to Christ who alone provides it.

Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

A person who learns to submit to civil authorities
Is ultimately learning the type of meekness needed to submit to Christ.

Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.”

A person who embraces the reality of death and judgment
Is ultimately a person who will seek for life beyond the grave.

Matthew 13:47-50 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. “So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

I just simply want to remind you this morning that
The truths we are learning here from the preacher in Ecclesiastes
Are not just temporal wisdoms designed to give you a more enjoyable life.

Rather, the wisdom he is imparting
Is the very wisdom which you will need
If you are going to respond properly to Christ and the kingdom of heaven.

If you can’t learn to embrace mourning and rebuke here,
• What will you do when Christ confronts your sin?

If you can’t learn to submit here,
• What will you do when Christ calls you to deny yourself?

If you can’t learn to humble yourself here,
• What will you do when Christ exposes your sin and demands repentance?

If you are unwilling to acknowledge the certainty of death now,
• What will you do when Christ calls you to lose this life that you may gain the next?

You see that all this wisdom that is given to us by the preacher
Is ultimately wisdom that prepares us for the gospel.

It is the type of instruction that teaches us
To put aside the foolishness of our flesh so that we might run to Christ.

Ecclesiastes is a great book for preparing us for the gospel.

It is important that you understand that so that we give the proper weight and seriousness to the preacher as he teaches us wisdom.

Well THIS MORNING his wisdom continues.

And as he has masterfully done throughout the book,
• The preacher on the surface gives us what may simply be seen as practical advice for living,
• But what is really wisdom to prepare you for salvation.

Some see it as practical advice about commerce.
• They see the reference to (1) “cast your bread on the surface of the waters” as a reference to shipping of goods across the ocean.

• I’m not sure that is his intent, but many have seen that as practical advice about commerce.

• Certainly people have read his advice to (2) “divide your portion to seven, or even to eight” as sound advice regarding diversification and preparation for the future.

Verses 3-6 follow practical admonitions regarding farming.
• The importance of diligent labor, avoiding procrastination, and even embracing a little uncertainty as you work.

You can see a lot of practical wisdom regarding life in these verses.

Yet, does anyone really believe that the preacher’s only objective here
Was to teach you better commerce or better farming practices?
Of course not!

JESUS gave plenty of farming parables as well,
And yet none of them actually had to do with farming.

The preacher’s objective
• Is more than to give you temporal advice, though his advice is sound.
• Is to impart to you the kind of wisdom that is needed to enter the kingdom of
heaven.

He is giving you parables so that you will
Take logical advice and apply it on a spiritual level.

And just so you can be thinking as we work our way through this text,
The point of his imparted wisdom this morning is that you BE READY.

And you already realize that those are two words which our Lord delivered frequently.

NOW TO GET STARTED
I want to make THE DIVISIONS in the text easy for you to see.

3 times in these 6 verses the preacher makes the same application, and it revolves around what you don’t know.
• (2) “…for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.”
• (5) “…so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.”
• (6) “…for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.”

The divisions of the text align around what you and I do not know.
• We don’t know about misfortune.
• We don’t know the activity of God.
• We don’t know the potential for success.

We live life in the dark in all 3 of those areas.

So let’s listen to the wisdom of the preacher here and we’ll divide our text along those three areas of ignorance.

#1 YOU DON’T KNOW WHEN MISFORTUNE WILL COME, SO BE PREPARED
Ecclesiastes 11:1-2

These verses are not totally unfamiliar to us,
We actually hear them quoted from time to time and with various connotations.

If you are looking merely for the face-value wisdom in them,
There is a reference to how you manage your finances or your treasure.

Verse 2 clearly has to do with the idea of DIVERSIFICATION.

However even in an earthly wisdom mindset
There is a bit of confusion regarding what is meant in verse 1.

We read, “Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days.”

It is a rather cryptic statement.
• Some, as we said, have taken it as a reference to shipping and commerce.
• Namely that a man should be busy in exporting and importing goods.

But that is a problematic application because
• IF “cast your bread on the surface of the waters” is a reference to shipping,
• THEN it is hard to understand what is meant by “you will find it”.

To “cast your bread on the surface of the waters”
Is to most certainly lose your bread.

No one who ever tossed a piece of bread into a pond
Ever expected to get it back, let alone to eat it one day.

If you throw bread in the water, it’s quite likely that an animal will eat it, but even if they don’t, it’s going to be soggy and ruined and you’re never going to want to eat it.

So the statement here is actually somewhat absurd.

If you “cast your bread on the surface of the waters” then “you will find it after many days.”

Well that’s just dumb sounding.
How does that work?

I don’t think the reference here is to COMMERCE, for that is a logical business with a logical expectation.

I think the reference here is to BENEVOLENCE; to generosity.
• How many of you have ever given money to the poor and expected to get it back?
• How many of you ever gave a meal to a poor man and expected a return on it?

No one.

From a purely financial standpoint, giving your bread to the poor
Is as bad of an investment as throwing it into the water.

Yet, this is the wisdom of the preacher.

But there is very much some practical wisdom here.
Proverbs 19:17 “One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, And He will repay him for his good deed.”

Certainly the New Testament affirms this:
Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

The preacher says that this is wisdom.

But from a worldly perspective
Few things make as little sense as pure benevolence.

When the world gives they do it for the certain gain.
• They do it if they can reap tax benefits from it.
• They do it if they can reap social benefits from it.

I laughed recently at an article that exposed the Anheuser-Bush Beer company.
• In 2017 the beer company donated 2 millions cans of drinking water to help
hurricane victims. That’s good.
• They then ran around $40 million dollars worth of advertisements in the
Superbowl to tell people about it.
• https://www.mic.com/articles/187623/budweiser-spent-a-ton-of-money-on-a-super-bowl-ad-thats-all-about-its-charitable-efforts

The world is generous when there is profit to it.

But true wisdom understands that generosity is profitable
Not because of our earthly reward
But because God rewards generosity.

This is why Jesus said:
Matthew 6:2-4 “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”

Luke 14:12-14 “And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. “But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

And that idea is stretched further in verse 2
Where he goes on to say, “Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.”

There again many take that verse as a mere text talking about
The importance of saving and diversification.

Sort of that “keep something for a rainy day”
And “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” mentality.

But be careful that you don’t allow your interpretation of one text
To contradict what is clearly taught in Scripture.

You cannot allow the preacher here to be at odds with Jesus
Who was adamant that we not store up treasures on earth.

Be careful that worldly logic doesn’t drive your interpretation of this text.

The New Testament certainly speaks of diversification,
But not in a way in which you might not expect.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.”

And so it seems best again to follow along with the preacher
As though he is also referring to generosity here.

That would be to say that a man
Should not only be generous and benevolent to the poor,
But to seven or eight different poor people.

You should invest in several of the poor.

WHY?
“for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.”

You don’t know when things may go bad for you
And when you will need the help of others.

Luke 16:1-9 “Now He was also saying to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions. “And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. ‘I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.’ “And he summoned each one of his master’s debtors, and he began saying to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ “And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ “Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ “And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.”

Do you see what the manager did?
• He used benevolence as a means to secure his own future and Jesus praised him for it.

This is the practical wisdom that the preacher is giving here.
You don’t know what misfortune might be heading your way
SO BE PREPARED.

Don’t prepare in a worldly way, prepare in a wise way.
Don’t invest in stocks and bonds and other perishable commodities,
Invest in people and the poor and ultimately in God.

And ultimately the point is to BE READY FOR COMING MISFORTUNE

That is wisdom.
#2 YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT GOD IS DOING, BUT YOU DO KNOW WHAT YOUR JOB IS.
Ecclesiastes 11:3-5

The preacher leaves financial advice and moves TO FARMING ADVICE.

But again, we would be naïve to think that all he has in mind here is farming.
There is a practical wisdom to be gleaned from his instruction.

(3-4) “If the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies. He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap.”

There are two elements of nature that are discussed here.
• Clouds – which when they are full give rain.
• Wind – which when it blows might blow down a tree.

Now to a farmer both of those are realities that they pay attention to.

As I’ve told you before I meet for prayer and breakfast every Friday with 4 farmers.

I’ve heard the conversations:
• “I sure need a rain so I can plow”
• “I sure hope it doesn’t rain, I’ve got hay on the ground.”
• “That cotton sure needs a rain on it.”
• “I wish it would quit raining so I can get in my field.”

And the same is true for wind.
• “I need the wind to die down so I can spray some weeds”
• “A good wind would sure help dry things out”

THE POINT IS that farmers depend on rain and wind.
It can be welcomed or it can be unwelcomed.

And the threat of either can drastically change a farmer’s plans.

“It’s supposed to rain tonight” or “It’s supposed to blow tomorrow”
Are phrases that can drastically change a farmer’s plans.

But there is more to the point.
THE FARMER HAS NO CONTROL OVER EITHER.

That is what is meant by the statement
“wherever a tree falls, there it lies.”

The wind and the rain greatly dictate a farmer’s plans and
They have absolutely no control over whether it comes or not.

BUT HERE IS WISDOM:
(4) “He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap.”

Farmers will understand this.

Let’s say you need to cut hay.
Well you don’t want to cut hay and then have it get rained on.

But what if the farmer goes outside every morning and says, “I better not cut my hay because it might rain.” Well, he’s never going to do it.

What if he needs to spray weeds, but he goes out every morning and says, “I better not spray today because the wind might blow.”
Well, he’s never going to do it.

IN ONE SENSE certainly the point would be that
You can’t always wait for ideal conditions. That is true.

But there’s more here than that.
(5) “Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.”

• Things like wind and rain – that is God’s job.
• Things like plowing and sowing – that’s your job.

God has given you a job to do and you do it.
That’s how farmers operate.

If farmers waited for God to forecast for them the rain and the wind
They might not ever farm at all.

Instead, they have to operate in faith
That God is doing His job and they have to do their job
Even though they don’t know what God might or might not do.

THAT’S LIFE ISN’T IT?

There are things that God has commanded you to do,
But procrastinating or waiting on them
Because you don’t know God’s timetable is A FOOLISH GAMBLE.

We are talking here about the responsibility of man.
(Certainly we love to talk about the sovereignty of God, but don’t swing your pendulum so far that you lose sight of man’s responsibility)

Certainly God is at work to regenerate and awaken and draw and call and save and secure. We love to discuss His work of grace.

But that doesn’t negate the fact that man is also called
To seek, to repent, to trust, and to endure.

And you can never adopt this totally “Let go and Let God” Mentality without falling into disobedience.

Take evangelism for example.
(People often use this chapter to speak of evangelism)
• Can you save anyone? No, God has to do it.
• But what are the means through which God saves? You preach the gospel.

You have no idea who God is working on,
But you are still called to preach the gospel.
You don’t know what God is doing,
But you still have to be prepared to do your job.

But it is also so very true in regard to salvation.
God has commanded you to repent of your sin and trust in Jesus.
But so many wait because they aren’t sure if judgment is coming yet.
• Do you know when the clouds are going to let loose the flood?
• Do you know when the winds are going to topple your tree?

No, so BE READY

God promised to flood the earth but to save Noah.
What did Noah have to do? Build a boat

God sent Joseph to Egypt to save his brothers.
What did Joseph have to do? Ration grain

God sent Judah into Exile to lead to their purification.
What did Judah have to do? Repent

GOD WILL DO HIS JOB, BE SURE YOU DO YOURS.
Be prepared, be ready. That is wisdom.

#3 YOU DON’T KNOW WHEN PRODUCTIVITY WILL BE HIGHEST SO KEEP SOWING.
Ecclesiastes 11:6

Still on the analogy of a farmer,
You don’t know when the best time to sow will be.

• But if you are able to sow in the morning what should you do? Sow
• And if you are able to sow at evening what should you do? Sow

Why?
“you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.”

And certainly that’s fine advice for farming.
• We all know how the cotton farmers will sow at all hours when it is time to put the seed in the ground.

But again we are naïve to think that
The advice here is simply about better farming practices,
Just like we are naïve to think that verse 1 is about financial advice.

The point here is much like the previous ones.
Be ready and SEIZE YOUR OPPORTUNITY.

There are 3 problems that are actually addressed in this text.

1) Preparation – failing to prepare for coming misfortune.

2) Procrastination – not doing what you should when you should.

3) Idleness – failing to seize the opportunity before you.

Now you know and I know that we COULD MAKE some real practical points about WORLDLY SUCCESS here.

• We could talk about good financial practices and good work habits.
• We talk about the practical wisdom of diversification, hard work, and seizing
opportunities.
• And a good motivational speaker could tie all of those in to how you can live a
successful life on this earth.

BUT DON’T FALL INTO THAT TRAP.

The wisdom of the preacher
IS NOT A WISDOM that is concerned with your temporal comfort.

The wisdom of the preacher
IS A WISDOM that is preparing you to stand before God.

THESE ARE PARABLES TO APPLY TO SALVATION.
• Everyone knows not to put all their eggs in one basket.
• Everyone knows that the secret to success is work.
• Everyone knows that you have to seize your opportunities.
• Laziness and sloth will never pay off.

But what is true in a temporal sense is even more true in a spiritual one.
And this is where gospel wisdom is applied.

You can find wisdom here for the believer and the unbeliever.

FOR THE BELIEVER apply it to evangelism.

When you share the gospel, share it at all times and in all seasons.
• You don’t know when it will be effective.
• You don’t know when the soil will receive it.

2 Timothy 4:1-5 “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

We would also remind a believer to be generous and ready to share
And to store up for themselves a true treasure in eternity.

Luke 12:13-21 “Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. “And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.” ’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

It would be a horrible mistake to be a person
Who is rich in this world but not rich toward God.

It would be a horrible mistake
To have a bigger bank account on earth than in heaven.

James said:
James 5:1-6 “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.”

There is a lot of application there.
• I realize that giving to the poor might feel like throwing your bread in the water, but never disregard the value of lending to God or of storing treasure in heaven.

• I realize that sharing the gospel can be discouraging and it may feel like nothing comes of it, but you don’t know what God is doing so do your part and keep sowing.

That would be very practical wisdom to the believer.

And yet, I would argue that the wisdom of the preacher here
Is meant even more FOR THE UNBELIEVER.

To tell the man to let go of this world
That he might take hold of that which is life indeed.

• That he would tell the sinful man to open his eyes to the fact that one day misfortune will come and he had better be ready for it.

• That he would tell the sinful man to not get distracted but to understand he is called to repent and trust in Christ.

• That he would tell the sinful man to not disregard his opportunity for salvation but to seize it.

The fact is that in this life there are things you and I don’t know.
• We don’t know when trouble may come.
• We don’t know what God is doing.
• We don’t know the length of our window of opportunity.

And that is true for eternity.
• A wise man prepares for the future.
• And while the world understands this financially or even in regard to farming.
• WE UNDERSTAND IT SPIRITUALLY

You must prepare for the future (ETERNITY).
The favorite words of Jesus were “Be ready”

Matthew 24:42-44 “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. “For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.”

Luke 12:35-40 “Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. “Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. “Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. “Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. “You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”

• Are you ready for misfortune?
• Are you ready for the harvest?
• Are you preparing today for what will certainly come later?

This is wisdom.
Be ready.

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Thinking About Reverence
Psalms 119:33-40
October 17, 2021

The last time we discussed this stanza from Psalms 119
The clear focus of our study was on verse 38.

“Establish Your word to Your servant, As that which produces reverence for You.”

And indeed, even as I approached this text now ten years later
That was still the verse that really jumped off the page at me.

The Psalmist wants reverence.
• It is literally the word for “fear”
• He understood that it was God’s word and God’s word alone which produced that necessary reality we know as “the fear of the LORD”

He wanted that holy reverence.
And he knew that it only came through the word of God.

We read some great passages from the O.T. that illustrated this point.

When God gave orders concerning a FUTURE KING, He said:
Deuteronomy 17:18-20 “Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. “It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel.”

The king had to be committed to God’s word
Because that was the only thing that would produce
The kind of reverence he needed to be a godly king.

When everyone came to Jerusalem for the FEAST OF BOOTHS:
Deuteronomy 31:10-13 “Then Moses commanded them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, at the time of the year of remission of debts, at the Feast of Booths, when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place which He will choose, you shall read this law in front of all Israel in their hearing. “Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may hear and learn and fear the LORD your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law. “Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.”

When they all gathered they were to read the whole Law
Because it alone could produce the fear of the LORD that was necessary.

And if we go to the New Testament
We might listen to Paul’s admonition to Timothy:
1 Timothy 4:13-16 “Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”

Paul wanted Timothy to read God’s word, teach God’s word, preach God’s word Because it is only God’s word that can “ensure salvation”.

It is only God’s word that produces that type of fear and reverence.

And we understand that.

IT IS GOD’S WORD WHICH LAYS US BARE

We have all experienced what the writer of Hebrews taught:
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

God’s word has a way of exposing and attacking
Even the most hidden crevices of a sinful heart.

IT IS GOD’S WORD WHICH EXPOSES US WITH GOD’S HOLINESS

We know what James meant when he compared God’s word to a mirror.
It first shows us who we are.

But at the same time it shows us the perfection of God and of Christ
And the extreme contrast between who He is and what we are
Is a convicting and condemning reality.

We see our wickedness and our sinfulness in God’s word.

IT IS GOD’S WORD THAT OPENS UP TO US THE REALITIES OF JUDGMENT

No sooner do we learn of our sin and of God’s perfection then are we introduced to the realities of the judgment which sin brings.
• We see the earth flooded…
• We see Sodom burned…
• We see Babel fall…

And it isn’t long until the Law and the prophets show up to show us why.
It is God’s word that teaches us to fear God.

IT IS GOD’S WORD THAT EXPLAINS THE GLORIES OF SALVATION

• Just when God’s word exposes and condemns us…
• Just when God’s word reveals the perfection of a holy God…
• Just when God’s word shows us the coming judgment of sinners…
• It immediately opens up to us the possibility of mercy and forgiveness and salvation.

AND THIS TAKES OUR FEAR TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.
It moves us from the fear that is afraid of God
To the type of fear that reverences and loves God.

John described it like this:
1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.”

God’s word produces all of that.
• It takes sinners who are at enmity with God
• It shows them their pitiful condition
• Then it leads those sinners to redemption
• And turns them into sons who love and respect their Heavenly Father.

We have all witnessed that journey in our lives.
God’s word leads us through all of that.

So we understand the Psalmists cry in verse 38, “Establish Your word to Your servant, As that which produces reverence for You.”

THAT IS A GREAT REQUEST.

Well LAST TIME we really focused on the last half of that verse.

We talked about the “as that which produces reverence for You” part.

TONIGHT I want to focus more on the first part of that verse.

I want to look at the “Establish Your word to Your servant” part.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

We know why the Psalmist wants God to establish His word
(because it will produce reverence).

The question I want to ponder tonight is:
HOW DOES GOD DO THAT?

What did the Psalmist mean
When he asked God to “establish His word” to him?

If you ask God to do that in your life, what exactly are you asking?

The Hebrew word for “establish” is QUM (koom)
And in this particular tense it means
“to raise”, “to set up”, “to build”, “to make binding”

He is asking God to raise up His word or to make His word binding in his life so that it produces reverence.

And I think you’re going to like the imagery the Psalmist uses
To flesh out this request to God.

BUT BEFORE WE FULLY UNPACK HIS REQUEST
Let’s go back to the beginning of this stanza because I want you to understand the Psalmists desire.

(READ 33-34)
“Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall observe it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law And keep it with all my heart.”

What we see here is that the Psalmist has a goal or an objective.
His goal for his life is obedience.

But not just any old obedience.
• He has no interest in half-hearted obedience.
• He has no interest in temporary obedience.

This guy wants total obedience in all ways.

Look at this request.
“Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, AND I SHALL OBSERVE IT TO THE END.”

• That is enduring obedience.
• You give me Your Law and I’m going to keep it forever.

“Give me understanding, that I may observe your law AND KEEP IT WITH ALL MY HEART.”

• That is full obedience.

That is a pretty lofty goal isn’t it?
I want to obey You full and I want to obey You forever.

That is a great goal.
Indeed it should be the goal of every believer.
BUT AGAIN WE RUN INTO A PROBLEM.
(no one has ever been able to live up to such a desire)

No one except Christ.
• Only Jesus can claim to have fulfilled the desire set forth in those verses.
• Only Jesus obeyed God fully.
• Only Jesus obeyed to the end.

It certainly represents a noble goal and a lofty standard for us,
But the reality is that none of us live up to it.

And of course this is why we rejoice again
In the imputed righteousness of Christ.

“In Him” we fulfill this.
“In Him” we identify with this.

But on our own we fall miserably short.

And what becomes apparent in this stanza is that
THE PSALMIST KNOWS THAT ABOUT HIMSELF.

His goal is right on.
Perfect obedience forever.

The problem seems to be that he is WELL AWARE that
He does not live up to such a lofty expectation.

AND IF YOU’RE PAYING ATTENTION
YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT THE PSALMISTS SOLUTION IS

• What is it that he needs to help him obey to the end with all his heart?
• What is the thing he is currently lacking that causes him not to obey like this?

REVERENCE

In his mind, if he had more fear of the Lord;
If he had more reverence, then his obedience would be better.

And that is sound logic.
• Fear is a great motivator.
• You are likely never more compliant than when you are afraid.

SO in order for him to fine tune his obedience
He wants God to “establish” (build up) His word
So that he’ll be more reverent and thus more obedient.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND HIS THINKING?

Now that’s not all you need to see.

At the same time the Psalmist recognizes his problem.
That is to say he knows why he lacks reverence.

He knows why he fails to rightly focus on God’s word at all times.
HE GETS DISTRACTED

There are 3 massive distractions that the Psalmist lists that seem to always catch his eye and pull him away from his devotion to God’s word and the reverence that comes with it.

Do you see them?

(38) “Incline my heart to Your testimonies And not to dishonest gain.”

There is the first one.
“dishonest gain”

It is that which has the propensity to catch his eye; to turn his head;
and to lead him astray.

I like the Hebrew word there, it is BESA (beh-tsah)
It can mean “covetousness” or “profit obtained by violence”
Or my personal favorite “filthy lucre”

You’ve seen the word:
Genesis 37:26 “Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it for us to kill our brother and cover up his blood?”

• It was the corrupt profit that Judah wanted from the life of Joseph.
• It was this desire for a profit that led Judah to sell Joseph.

And the Psalmist knew that this temptation
Had the propensity to pull his heart away as well.

Too often he was captivated by the profit of this world.
Too often he was captivated by glittering gold of the world.

This is why even in the Old Testament when Moses was SEARCHING FOR ELDERS to share in the burden of judging the people, Moses laid out criteria:

Exodus 18:21 “Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.”

Spiritual leaders of the flock had to be those who hated dishonest gain.

This is a criteria that carries over into the New Testament
Where elders must be “free from the love of money.”

For Paul even describes false teachers as those who are characterized by it:
Titus 1:11 “For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.”

“sordid gain” is the phrase that the KJV translates “filthy lucre”.

Many of man has been derailed on his quest for godliness
Because he was captivated by the wealth of the world.

Paul told Timothy:
1 Timothy 6:9-11 “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But flee from these things, you man of God…”

Loving money will pull you away from devotion to God’s word
And the reverence it produces.

Well the Psalmist knew that in his own life.
“dishonest gain” had been one of those temptations that had distracted him in the past.

There is another distraction he mentions.
(37) “Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, And revive me in Your ways.”

Do you see the second distraction?
“VANITY”

This ISN’T the same word you are used to in Ecclesiastes
That speaks of a vapor or a mirage.

This word is SAV (shawv)
It means “emptiness” or “worthlessness” or “falsehood”

It is the word used when you are told
Not to “take the name of the LORD in vain”.
(Don’t let that be an empty confession)

But what it has to do with more in this case would be IDOLATRY.

Psalms 24:3-4 “Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully.”

“falsehood” there is the same word as “vanity” here.

It is a man who was allured into trusting and following
The false hopes of the world.

• Certainly it could be a graven image…
• Certainly it could be a false deity…
• But it could also be just a propensity to get caught up in the affairs of life and to put your trust in a man.

Psalms 60:11 “O give us help against the adversary, For deliverance by man is in vain.”

And again the Psalmist spoke of a thing
That had a tendency to push him off track.

And I think I can understand this one pretty easily.

Do you ever get caught up in politics?
(I have)

Is politics wrong?
• No, not necessarily.
• Christians have a civil duty and wisdom exercises that in a godly way.

But have you ever gotten so caught up in politics
That you tend to forget that God is sovereign over all things
And you actually start seeing some politician as your savior?

Not intentionally, but it happens doesn’t it?

Look, there have been plenty of Christians over the last 6 months
Who have longed for the return of Donald Trump
More than they even longed for the return of Christ.

Sometimes we can get distracted by “vanity”
(emptiness, worthlessness, falsehood)

The Psalmist said that he did.
“dishonest gain”, “vanity”

There was a third distraction.
(39) “Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your ordinances are good.”

Do you see the third thing that had a tendency to distract him?
“REPROACH”

The word here speaks of the scorn of the enemy or the scorn of the world.
You might better identify it as persecution.

This one didn’t distract him in the same way as the first two.
• The first two had the propensity to captivate him.
• This one had the propensity to silence him and push him away.

It is when you don’t want to stir up trouble through your convictions.
It is when you just sort of go along with the crowd instead of inviting trouble.

And look, we’ve all been there too.

Someone once said, “There are times when silence is golden, but other times it’s just plain yellow.”

This fear of reproach has caused many of us
To shy away from obedience in our lives.

So I think we understand now where the Psalmist is coming from.

He is a man who wants to obey with all his heart firm until the end.
The problem is that he gets distracted.

He gets distracted by Treasure, Vanity, and Reproach

It has led to a lack of commitment to God’s word
And consequently a lack of reverence for God.

Can you identify?
(probably)

Well, as we said earlier,
His request to remedy all of this was perfect.

(38) “Establish Your word to Your servant, As that which produces reverence for You.”

• He wanted God to build up His word.
• He wanted God to bring His word to the forefront.
• He wanted God to make His word binding in his life.

And we asked, WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN?

Well let me show you what it meant to the Psalmist.

Look again at verse 36.
“Incline my heart to Your testimonies…”

“Incline” is a word that means “to extend” or even “to turn aside”.
It was often used of a man pitching his tents somewhere.

The Psalmist tells God,
• I want you to grab my heart, and I want you to extend it toward Your word.
• I want you to turn it aside.
• I want you to pitch the tent of my heart in You word.

You just grab my heart and force it into Your word
So that I am no longer distracted by dishonest gain.

Look at verse 37
“Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity…”

“Turn away” is a Hebrew word
That means “to pass over” or “to cover”

The Psalmist asks God to in effect put Your hand over my eyes so that I can no longer see those things.

He uses the same word down in verse 39
“Turn away my reproach which I dread…”

There it is again, just put You hand over my eyes
And don’t let me look at that stuff.

Look at verse 35
“Make me walk in the path of Your commandments…”

That word means just what it says.
God, you just push me where I need to go.

Now, as I studied all those words and gained an understanding of what the Psalmist was asking a vivid analogy came to my mind.

My dad was a horse trader as you all know.

His basic operation was to buy a horse, do a little training on that horse,
And then sell the horse for a profit.

Now, the process for this was pretty simple.
• You just had to make the horse ride good when you went to sell it.

I mean certainly you hope that it rides good the rest of its life,
But you have no control over that.

So our objective was simply to take a horse that might not ride good
And “school on it” enough to get it to ride good.

And there were techniques my dad had.
But basically it boiled down to this: “Find something the horse doesn’t want to do, and use whatever means necessary to get that horse to do it.”

Dad would often say, “That horse needs his attention got”
And some horses required more drastic measures than others.

The whole point was to teach that horse reverence.
If you had a horse that wasn’t walking in the fear of you,
It needed to learn that you were the boss and not the horse.

Now, we had techniques we used over and over.

• For example, some horses didn’t like to cross water, so when there was water in our little creek, you could go there and work on them until they crossed.

• There was runway behind our land with some big pipe structure that seemed to scare horses to death and so you could make them ride past it.

• Some horses wanted to go back to the barn, so you could prevent that or make them go slower.

• Some horses just didn’t pay attention so you could jig them through the mesquites until they learned to pay attention to you.

But there was something you quickly learned about riding those horses.
If you controlled their head, you controlled the horse.

(That’s why they put a bit in their mouth)

• That’s why dad would often say, “Pull their head around”
• That’s why people will put blinders on a horse to keep them from getting distracted.

Now, as I read this, I fully understood what the Psalmist was saying.

“I’m like a dumb horse”

• I get distracted by everything…
• I’m afraid of things…
• I don’t always pay attention…
• I want to do things that aren’t beneficial…

So God, put the blinders on me and pull my head around.
Then sink your spurs into my side
And make me go where I might not go on my own.

Do you see that prayer?

• God I want to be a man who obeys whole-heartedly to the end.
• But man I get distracted easily by the things of this world.
• Would you please take control and push me down the right path?

Would you take your word and push it right against my forehead
Until I learn reverence?

“Establish Your word to Your servant, As that which produces reverence for You.”

Have you ever prayed like that?

I didn’t use that wording, but I used to pray all the time, “God, keep me on a short leash, and use a choker chain if You have to.”

It was in essence the same thing this Psalmist is saying.

Now, where I want to close tonight is that
I WANT TO SHOW YOU HOW GOD ANSWERED THAT REQUEST.

I want you to see how He has answered that request for you.

He’s done it in two ways.

1) He sent Jesus to obey Him perfectly in your stead.
• Christ came and perfectly fulfilled the Law and then imputed that righteousness
to you.

So any fear of repercussion for having failed to obey totally is removed
Because in Christ God reckons us righteous.

From God’s perspective we have obeyed Him with all our heart until the end, because Christ did that and we are in Christ.

That’s one way God has answered that prayer.

And that is certainly good news.

But even as we said last week, we don’t just want justification,
WE ALSO WANT SANCTIFICATION.

I am certainly grateful that Christ has fulfilled this requirement on my behalf, but I still want to be obedient to God.

• This Psalmist wanted God to force him into obedience.
• This Psalmist wanted God to take His word and sort of cram it into his life.
• This Psalmist wanted God to take His heart and pitch a tent in the middle of His word.
• This Psalmist wanted God to produce reverence or fear in his life.

He in essence begged God to do it.

Here is the other thing God did for you.
2) He sent His Spirit to produce reverence in you.

Jeremiah 32:36-41 “Now therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning this city of which you say, ‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine and by pestilence.’ “Behold, I will gather them out of all the lands to which I have driven them in My anger, in My wrath and in great indignation; and I will bring them back to this place and make them dwell in safety. “They shall be My people, and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. “I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me. “I will rejoice over them to do them good and will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul.”

That is THE OTHER VERSE in Jeremiah
That references the coming new covenant.

You are already familiar with the first.
Jeremiah 31:33-34 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

You are familiar with what Ezekiel said:
Ezekiel 36:26-27 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.”

Do you see how God has answered that request?
• He sent Christ to justify you by fulfilling this reality on your behalf.
• He sent His Spirit to sanctify you by producing this same reality in you.

What this Psalmist begged for,
God did through Christ and through His Spirit.

I think this is a wonderful way to understand sanctification.

This Psalmist begged for God to manually do this in his life.
And that is precisely what the Spirit of God is doing.

• He is building God’s word in your heart.
• He is covering your eyes from the things of the world.
• He is turning your head away from worthless things.
• He is spurring you down the right path.

That is a glorious reality!
What the Psalmist craved, we are now experiencing.

God has done and is doing in us
What this Psalmist only dreamed of.

He wanted to be revived.
He wanted to live for God.
And we now can do that through Christ.

We’re actually going to study this passage next week at Disciple Now,
But listen to what Paul says.

Galatians 2:19-20 “For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

• Through Christ we now can live to God.
• Through Christ we now have been taught a holy reverence.
• Through Christ we now can obey with all our heart.

And in Christ we will obey to the end.

• How glorious it is to be those who have received this New Covenant.
• How wonderful to no longer be like the Psalmist begging to be made obedient, but now to be in Christ and to see Him doing that in our lives.

Praise the Lord!