Download Here:

A Song To Make God Grieve
Psalms 81
September 6, 2020

Tonight we come across a song of the saddest sort.
In fact, it is a song that actually ends with the grieving of God.

And as you start out reading the Psalm that sounds a little peculiar
Because it seems to start with such joy and excitement.

“Sing for joy to God our strength; Shout joyfully to the God of Jacob. Raise a song, strike the timbrel, The sweet sounding lyre with the harp. Blow the trumpet at the new moon, on our feast day.”

It sounds quite exciting.
It sounds quite enormous.

And yet, by the time we get to the end of the Psalm
We see God is not rejoicing, He is grieving.

(13) “Oh that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways!”

And then the Psalm ends with all the realities that could be true for Israel
If they were only willing to listen to God, BUT THEY WON’T.

In fact, verse 11 says, “But My people did not listen to My voice, And Israel did not obey Me.”

What that teaches us is that whatever the singing of the first 3 verses was,
It was a far cry short of what God was actually looking for.

And some might say, “Well if the song causes God to grieve, we should never sing it!”

And yet the reality is that Israel sang it all the time,
And we can only hope that the church never does.

NOW LET ME GIVE YOU THE BACKDROP.
The setting of this Psalm is most likely “The Feast of Trumpets”.

The feast of trumpets was exactly what it sounds like.
On the first day of the 7th month – Tishri (September/October)
Trumpets were blown as a sort of gathering together of God’s people.

Leviticus 23:23-25 “Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. ‘You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD.'”

Trumpets were typically symbolic of the moving of God,
And here they were to gather the people in preparation of that.

Then on the 10th day of that same month was “The Day of Atonement”
• You remember the ordinance of the two goats, one a scapegoat which was sent away and the other the sacrifice which was carried into the Holy of Holies.

It was the day in which all your sins committed in ignorance
Were atoned for before God.

And then on the 15th day of the same month the children of Israel were to celebrate “The Feast of Booths”.
• They were to live in brush arbors for a week remembering God’s great deliverance and provision for their ancestors who were brought out of Egypt and who lived in booths in the wilderness.

What you ultimately had was 3 full weeks of worship.
• Worship which was KICKED OFF by the blasting of trumpets.
• Worship which INCLUDED the great atonement of all sin.
• Worship which CULMINATED in a week long remembrance of God’s great
provision.

It was to be a tremendous time of worship in Israel.

THAT IS THE SETTING BEHIND THIS PSALM.
That is what Asaph is actually talking about in the first 3 verses when he is calling the children of Israel to singing and shouting and blasting of trumpets.

It was to be a grand worship service.
• The problem is that by the end of the Psalm, God is clearly not pleased;
• In fact He is grieving the entire scene.

You know that this is NOT AN ISOLATED REALITY in the Old Testament.
In fact, we see this response from God often.

Very frequently we find God announcing that
He is not pleased with the traditional and ceremonial worship of Israel,
But rather that He is put off by it.

Isaiah 1:10-15 “Hear the word of the LORD, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the instruction of our God, You people of Gomorrah. “What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” Says the LORD. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. “When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts? “Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies — I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. “I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.”

Amos 5:21-24 “I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. “Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings. “Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. “But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Isaiah 29:13 “Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,”

And certainly we’ve figured this out by now.
God is not looking for a people
Who will simply go through a prescribed order of service
So as to “get Him off their back”.

HE FINDS NO JOY IN THAT AT ALL.

And this is what we are confronted with here in Psalms 81.
• It is a response of God to the worship of His people,
• It is a sad announcement to those people of what they are actually missing
• Because their worship is only routine and not from the heart.

Instead of being delighted with this 3 weeks of worship,
God is actually frustrated.

And what a terrible thing to occur.
God forbid that our relationship with God ever become simply routine.

And yet, we know it can happen.

We all remember the infamous church at Ephesus.
Revelation 2:2-5 “I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. ‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. ‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place — unless you repent.”

It is a sad reality,
But one that we must always remember as a potential reality
So that our worship does not grow routine
And our love does not grow cold.

Let’s work our way through this Psalm
And listen as God responds to this superficial worship.

4 points tonight.
#1 GOD’S REQUIREMENT
Psalms 81:1-5a

As we pointed out, the Psalm seems to begin with a bang!
• It is a big celebration.
• The orchestra is firing on all cylinders.
• It’s a grand time of singing and song.

(1-3) “Sing for joy to God our strength; Shout joyfully to the God of Jacob. Raise a song, strike the timbrel, The sweet sounding lyre with the harp. Blow the trumpet at the new moon, At the full moon, on our feast day.”

Perhaps you’ve even been in services or conferences like this.
Where a large crowd was gathered and the music was powerful and the singing was loud.
• Certainly there is no problem there.
• Worship of God should be joyful…
• Singing should be loud…
• Music should be sweet and beautiful…
• Trumpets should be blown…

Psalms 150 “Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty expanse. Praise Him for His mighty deeds; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness. Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre. Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe. Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!”

We certainly understand that a great King deserves great praise.

But when we come to verse 4
Perhaps for the first time we begin to pick up on the problem.

For in verse 4 THE MOTIVATION for this great time of singing is given.

(4-5a) “For it is a statute for Israel, An ordinance of the God of Jacob. He established it for a testimony in Joseph When he went throughout the land of Egypt.”

Were it not for the rest of the Psalm,
We might not pick up on a problem here.
But the coming grief of God certainly confirms this to be a problem.

The worship of God here is NOT in response to His great intervention
(as trumpets would suggest)
The worship of God here is NOT in response to His great pardon
(as the coming Day of Atonement would warrant)
The worship of God here is NOT in response to His great provision
(as the Feast of Booths would commemorate)

The worship of God here is only because He told them to do it.
It “is a statute for Israel, An ordinance of the God of Jacob.”

When Israel was being delivered from Egypt, and God was leading them out of their bondage, He prescribed these feasts and told them to do it.
And that is why they are here.

• It is social pressure…
• It is to keep God off their back…
• They are doing it because they dare not do it…

It is not prompted out of love or gratitude,
But out of requirement and fear of the repercussions if they don’t.

It is the sort of attitude God addressed through David in Psalms 50
Psalms 50:7-15 “Hear, O My people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you; I am God, your God. “I do not reprove you for your sacrifices, And your burnt offerings are continually before Me. “I shall take no young bull out of your house Nor male goats out of your folds. “For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills. “I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine. “If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and all it contains. “Shall I eat the flesh of bulls Or drink the blood of male goats? “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving And pay your vows to the Most High; Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.”

God’s issue was not with their failure to bring animals for slaughter.
Indeed they were good at that.

God’s issue was that in all their sacrifices there was not GRATITUDE,
There was no DEVOTION, there was no TRUST, and there was no HONOR.

• What an empty worship service
When people only attend because they know they are required to come.
• What empty singing
When people only regurgitate a song they have learned from memory.
• What empty music
When it is nothing more than people performing because they are under some social obligation.

This is what God perceived.
• They were singing…
• They were shouting…
• They were striking the timbrel…
• They were playing the harp…
• They were blowing the trumpets…

But they were only doing it because God had commanded them to do it,
Not out of love and gratitude toward Him.

Jesus taught us a great truth about worship, when He said:
John 4:23-24 “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

To worship in spirit is to worship with the heart and with the emotions, with love and passion and gratitude toward God.

To worship in truth is to worship in the way in which God has prescribed worship to occur, and to accurately worship the truth of who God is.

To worship in spirit but not in truth is emotionally worship God for what He is not or in a way which He has not desired.

To worship in truth but not in spirit is to go through all the right motions, but to be empty of love and true devotion.

The latter was the problem here.
• They knew when to sit…
• They knew when to stand…
• They knew what to say and when to say it…
• But their hearts were far from Him.

That is the scene.
Now God is going to begin to address it.

God’s Requirement
#2 GOD’S REVELATION
Psalms 81:5b-7

The beginning of verse 5 references God bringing Israel out of Egypt.
• Certainly in the Old Testament that is the big deliverance.
• The Exodus was in effect “the cross” of the Old Testament.

And after referencing it in the beginning of verse 5
God begins to recount that event from His perspective.

(5c-7a) “I heard a language I did not know: I relieved his shoulder of the burden, His hands were freed from the basket. You called in trouble and I rescued you; I answered you in the hiding place of thunder;”

It is a reference to God’s deliverance of the slaves in bondage.

“I heard a language I did not know:”
• That certainly doesn’t mean that God didn’t understand Egyptian,
• Rather He is simply referring to the fact that His people were slaves in a foreign land.
• His children were in bondage.
• They were afflicted.
• They were under a heavy burden.

“I relieved his shoulder of the burden, His hands were freed from the basket”
• You picture God taking that bar off their neck with which they were carrying water.
• You picture God letting them set that bucket full of mud down.
• God told them they were finished being slaves.
• He totally liberated them.

To sum it up, He says, “You called in trouble and I rescued you;”
• You were a slave in bondage in a foreign land, but I intervened.
• I showed up and led you out with a mighty hand.

And we remember the story of the plagues and the plunder
And how God led His people out of Egypt and through the Red Sea.
HE SAVED THEM.

And then He revealed Himself to them.
“I answered you in the hiding place of thunder;”
• This was at Sinai where God made His will known.
• Here God revealed Himself.
• Here God gave His Law.
• Here God entered into covenant and agreement with His people.

He promised that so long as they were faithful to Him,
That He also would be faithful to them.
It was a joyful marriage ceremony following the great deliverance.

And all should have been well.
But look at the last line of verse 7.

“I proved you at the waters of Meribah. Selah”
• God doesn’t say, “I proved Myself to you at Meribah”
• God says, “I proved you at the waters of Meribah”

That is to say, that after all the deliverance,
I caused you to show your true colors to Me at Meribah.

What happened there?
It was when the children of Israel put God to the test and grumbled at their lack of water.

What did God prove on that day?
• That these people were really not devoted to Him at all.
• They didn’t really love Him.
• They didn’t really desire Him.
• They only sought to use Him.

Psalms 95:8-11 “Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness, “When your fathers tested Me, They tried Me, though they had seen My work. “For forty years I loathed that generation, And said they are a people who err in their heart, And they do not know My ways. “Therefore I swore in My anger, Truly they shall not enter into My rest.”

Incidentally the writer of Hebrews warns the church to not be like those people.

But hopefully you get the point of what God is saying here.
• He is observing this celebration of trumpets…
• He is witnessing this time of feasting…
• And He sees the people going through the rituals surely enough…

But He says, “I know who you are.”
Your singing doesn’t fool Me.
Your musical abilities haven’t fooled Me.
You have already shown Me your true colors, I know what is in you heart.

It is reminiscent of Jesus.
John 2:23-25 “Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.”

Literally John says the people were believing in Jesus,
But Jesus wasn’t believing in them.
He knew them.

It is what Jesus actually confronted the Pharisees with:
Matthew 15:1-9 “Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? “For God said, ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,’ and, ‘HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.’ “But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,” he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. ‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'”

Jesus knew the heart.
He knew that it was nothing more than empty ceremony.
It was nothing more than a shallow display of tradition.

And God here is saying the same thing as He is observing this feast of trumpets.
• He hears the singing, He knows the songs.
• But He also knows what is in their heart.
• They are a people, who despite His great deliverance, have never truly loved Him.

And at the end of verse 7 we get that famous “Selah”
Which is a call to just stop and ponder that a moment.
• After bringing up “Meribah” God simply calls for a pause in the festivities for all to sit and ponder their true motivation.

We must take advantage here and do the same.
• Why am I here?
• Why do I sing?
• God knows my heart, what does He see when I attend a worship service?

It must be examined.

Well, after exposing this crowd to their very core
God now begins to give the expectation and explanation
Of what He really wants.

And we find this to be so important to our understanding of worship.

God’s Requirement, God’s Revelation
#3 GOD’S REPROACH
Psalms 81:8-10

If they are willing, God will set them straight.
If they would desire their worship to be pleasing, God will oblige them.
If they want to know, God will show them what they are missing.

“Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, if you would listen to Me!”

You can feel the heart of God in that passage.
• As though He has now for generations sought to gain the attention of these empty worshipers.
• As though He has at feast after feast begged them to do it differently.

And finally, having gained their attention,
GOD NOW REVEALS WHAT HE DESIRES.

(9-10) “Let there be no strange god among you; Nor shall you worship any foreign god. “I, the LORD, am your God, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.”

• Here they are at a great feast singing and blasting trumpets…
• Here they are about to celebrate the atoning sacrifice…
• Here they are about to live in booths commemorating God’s deliverance…

And all the while God is not pleased with their worship.

And when He finally gains their attention,
And they finally give Him an ear,
HIS REQUEST IS ACTUALLY HEARTBREAKING.

God says, “Stop worshiping foreign gods”
Put away your idols.

It is a dissatisfied husband who is grieved with his wife,
• And she finally asks, “What do you want from me?”
• To which he answers, “I want you to end your affair.”

And we now understand why this worship was so empty to God.
And we now understand why this celebration was so grievous.

They showed up in God’s city to sing God’s praises and all the while,
God knows their heart and that it is full of idols.

Could there be any wonder why God is not blessed by this feasting?

He actually calls their idols “strange” and “foreign”
AND THOSE ARE FITTING WORDS.

For idolatry is STRANGE and it is FOREIGN.
In fact it is stupid.

TURN TO: ISAIAH 44

In the first 5 verses God is laying out for Israel what great blessing and benefit He would greatly pour upon them.
• I chose you
• I created you
• I will bless you

In verses 6-8 God asks if they know of any other god who can do those things?
• And of course the answer is no.

(9-19) God gives a great description of the stupidity of idolatry.
• How stupid idolatry is.
• How foolish to trust in a strange god who cannot save and who has never saved.

(21-22) And then God calls them back to Himself again.

Do you see how strange idolatry is?
Do you see how foreign it is to just pick some other god
who has never saved to be the one you worship?

TURN TO: JEREMIAH 10:6-16
It is the same message: how stupid is idolatry!

Why would you abandon the God who actually created you and saved you for some strange foreign god who’s never done a single thing for you?

Jeremiah 2:11-13 “Has a nation changed gods When they were not gods? But My people have changed their glory For that which does not profit. “Be appalled, O heavens, at this, And shudder, be very desolate,” declares the LORD. “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns That can hold no water.”

It’s just foolish.

But we certainly understand where God is coming from here.
• You attend these feasts…
• You go through the motions…
• You sing the songs…
• You play the instruments…

But in your heart you love and serve and worship other gods.

If you want your worship to be pleasing to Me
(9) “Let there be no strange god among you; Nor shall you worship any foreign god.”

If you want to please Me then worship only Me.

And look, we may not worship specific foreign gods,
But you have to understand that all idolatry fits here.
• It could be our money…
• It could be our government…
• It could be our time…
• It could be our family…
• It could be our possessions…
• It could be our doctor…

Anything that we trust in for our happiness or safety or future…
Anything else that owns a piece of our heart that we will not give up…

Jesus described idols as weeds in the heart.
Luke 8:14 “The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.”

And are we really to suppose that we can spend 6 days loving our idols
And then show up here for a scheduled worship service
And think that God will be pleased?

Jeremiah 7:9-11 “Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery and swear falsely, and offer sacrifices to Baal and walk after other gods that you have not known, then come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’ — that you may do all these abominations? “Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” declares the LORD.”

GOD DESIRES DEVOTION.

He says, (10) “I, the LORD, am your God”
Leave all the others alone.

“I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide and I will fill it.”

Trust in Me!
• I’m the One who saved you!
• I’m the One who cares for you!
• Leave those others behind and worship and serve Me only.

And shouldn’t Israel have grasped that?

At Sinai:
Exodus 20:1-6 “Then God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

At Kadesh-barnea:
Deuteronomy 6:4-6 “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.”

If they got nothing else, they were supposed to get this one thing.
• I am your God.
• You will have no others.
• You will love Me with all your heart.

Israel never did.
• They went through the motions, but they didn’t love God.
• And thus He was not pleased with their empty celebrations.

But now God has once again appealed to His people.
Put away your foreign gods and come to Me.

We’ll look at their answer.
God’s Requirement, God’s Revelation, God’s Reproach
#4 GOD’S REMORSE
Psalms 81:11-16

And there is the tragic answer.
“But My people did not listen to My voice, And Israel did not obey Me.”

God said, “I don’t want your singing, I want your heart.”
And Israel said, “No”.

• They would go through the religious services…
• They would sing the songs…
• They would celebrate the feasts…
• They would check off the boxes…
• But they WOULD NOT give God sole possession of their heart.

(12) “So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, to walk in their own devices.”

And you certainly you know the tragic results of that.
(It’s the Romans 1 effect)
• When God allowed them to worship gods that couldn’t save,
• They faced peril and were not saved.
• They ended up destroyed by Assyria and Babylon.

If you trust in that which cannot save,
Then in the day of peril you will not be saved; that’s the reality.

And notice the grief of God.
Notice all the “WOULD HAVE” statements here.

It is God lamenting what could have been
If Israel had only determined to love and trust Him alone.

(13-16) “Oh that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways! “I would quickly subdue their enemies And turn My hand against their adversaries. “Those who hate the LORD would pretend obedience to Him, And their time of punishment would be forever. “But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, And with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Look at what they could’ve had.
• I would’ve destroyed their enemies if they had only loved Me…
• I would’ve made their enemies bow down to Me, if they had loved Me…
• I would have fed them and blessed them immensely, if they had only loved Me…

It is the grief of God that Israel chose suffering
Because they were unwilling to give up their idols
And worship and serve Him only.

Incidentally you see this grief carry all the way into the New Testament.
Matthew 23:37-39 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. “Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! “For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'”

Luke 19:41-44 “When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

It was the same grief of Christ
For a people who were only interested in surface religion
But who refused to give their total love and devotion to Him.

And this grief also became the apostle’s grief.
Peter preached in Jerusalem.
Acts 3:17-26 “And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. “But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. “Moses said, ‘THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you. ‘And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ “And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. “It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.’ “For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”

“If you’d just repent and return to God and trust in Jesus
God would send the time of restoration and His refreshing presence.”

But Israel has remained stubborn and obstinate,
Choosing rather to suffer than give up their idols.

And while we are not Israel we certainly must learn from such realities.
• OUR WORSHIP CANNOT JUST BE some traditional empty response to a schedule.
• OUR WORSHIP CANNOT JUST BE some form of empty attendance,
• Where we expect that God is pleased because we stood when were supposed to stand
• And we sang when were supposed to sing
• And we sat quietly through the service.

All things must be done with a genuine love for Him.
He saved us! He rescued us!

And all He has asked in return is that we love Him and no other.
That we love Him with all our heart and soul and mind and strength.

God’s call is that we desire Him more than anything else.
And God promises that those who love and worship Him
Will not be disappointed.

And perhaps this is why
• So many today attend church and yet find no fulfillment in God.
• Perhaps it is because their worship has not been worship at all.
• Perhaps they are merely going through the motions and therefore have never received the true blessing of knowing God.

We’ll close tonight with one last passage.
TURN TO: ISAIAH 58

Here again is that famous cry of God
To put away the empty routine of religion
And give your heart to seeking God
And then finding the true blessing of knowing Him.

We desire to sing a song that delights the heart of God,
Not one which only grieves Him.

Download Here:

Beware The False Gospel
Luke 20:45-21:4
September 6, 2020

• I realize it has been a few weeks since we have been in Luke’s gospel together.
• I hate it when we are forced to have such interruptions that break up our continuity and flow, but some things are beyond our control.
• Nevertheless, this morning we want to jump back into our study of Luke’s gospel.

As you have studied with us, you know that
There is a real feel here in Luke’s gospel
That he is really narrowing his focus in on the gospel.

Certainly Jesus is focused in that regard, and Luke has picked up on that.

We have said that ON ONE HAND Jesus is securing a crucifixion.
We’ve seen His behavior noticeably change to that which is far more confrontational and direct towards His enemies.
• Things like purposely fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah by entering Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt.
• Things like turning and condemning the crowd that cheered Him on during that parade.
• Things like declaring to the Pharisees that a failure to honor Him would secure judgment.
• Things like clearing the temple of the corrupt money trade there.
• Things like seizing the temple as His own place of preaching the truth.
• Things like condemning everyone who questioned what He was doing.

There can no longer be neutral ground.
You are either for Jesus or you must be against Him.
He is not allowing for men to be on the fence.

He is securing a crucifixion because apart from His death
No salvation can be purchased for the children of God. He has to die.

But ON THE OTHER HAND as Jesus is forcing the hand of the religious elite, Jesus is also preaching and clarifying the gospel.

In fact, Luke pointed that out for us.
Luke 20:1 “On one of the days while He was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel…”

That is what Jesus has been doing.
He has been “preaching the gospel”.

And it has afforded us a tremendous look at the gospel Jesus preached.

He began with THE NECESSITY OF REPENTANCE
(20:1-8) the religious leaders sort of surprise attacked Him asking who He thought He was to set up shop and teach in the temple.
• He responded by questioning them about the baptism of John, which spoke to the necessity of repentance.
• It was, by the way, a repentance which they had rejected.

He then spoke of THE NECESSITY OF FRUIT AND SUBMISSION TO GOD’S SON
(20:9-18) was the parable of the vine-growers who refused to produce fruit that the vineyard owner demanded.
• When the Son came, they killed Him, which is exactly what they would do to Jesus.

He then spoke of THE NECESSITY OF RENDERING TO GOD WHAT HE DESIRES
(20:19-26) as Jesus was questioned about paying taxes to Caesar
• He reminded that man must “render to Caesar that which is Caesar’s and to God that which is God’s”
• It was a reminder that they owed God a debt of righteousness that they had failed to pay.

He then spoke of THE NECESSITY OF CONTEMPLATING THE COMING JUDGMENT.
(20:27-40) the Sadducees confronted Him about the resurrection with a bizarre hypothetical story.
• Jesus reminded that heaven is only for those who are worthy and that all will rise from the dead to give an account before God.
• These people were not ready for judgment.

And as we noted, every one of those messages
Produced the exact same result in the crowd.
ALL OF THOSE MESSAGES CONDEMNED.

In fact:
Luke 20:39-40 “Some of the scribes answered and said, “Teacher, You have spoken well.” For they did not have courage to question Him any longer about anything.”

The first leg of the gospel is always to show men
Their need for the gospel, and Jesus effectively did that.

He then spoke of THE SALVATION WHICH COMES ONLY THROUGH HIMSELF.
(20:41-44) Jesus preached Psalms 110:1 about Himself as the Person of the Gospel. He is both God and Man.
• He is David’s Son the perfect human and rightful King, and substitute for humans.
• And He is David’s Lord, the God of all creation capable of paying an eternal debt.

And so if we were to sum up the gospel which Jesus has been preaching,
IT WOULD GO LIKE THIS.

• All the requirements of God are fulfilled only in the God/Man Jesus Christ.
• Sinners therefore must repent of their sin, and trust in Him
• That they might be made pleasing to God and escape the coming judgment.

That has been His message. That is the true gospel.

• Man is sinful, deficient before God, and headed to judgment.
• Christ alone is the only human to ever satisfy God’s righteous requirement, and therefore the only means of salvation to sinners.
• This salvation occurs when we repent, and confess Christ as Lord as David did, and are therefore justified through Him in God’s sight.

That is the gospel and that is what Jesus has been preaching.

But no sooner does Jesus finish articulating the true gospel than does He GIVE A VERY SOBER WARNING about those who preach a false one.

We read (45-46) “And while all the people were listening, He said to the disciples, “Beware of the scribes…”

It is apparent that from Jesus perspective
There is a great threat which exists among the people.

It is actually the threat of a false gospel.

And it is a threat that brings with it THE MOST OFFENSIVE AND CONFRONTATIONAL SERMON that Jesus ever preached.

You are likely more familiar with MATTHEW’S VERSION of the sermon.
• It is recorded in Matthew 23 where 8 times Jesus uses the phrase, “Woe to
you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites…”
• Jesus turns His gaze and fixes His sites right on the religious elite who are
standing in the temple.
• And He casts condemnation and woe upon them to the degree that He never
does any other time in Scripture.

And the reason?
They promoted a false gospel.

Matthew 23:15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.”

In short, they preach a message that condemns men to hell.

And just to make sure we understand the gravity here.
Our world gets caught up in all sorts of justice scenarios today.
• “Social Justice” has been the dominating headline now for over a month.
• Certainly for years now we have been concerned about the grievous sin of abortion and the unjust slaughter of the unborn.

But as bad as things like racism or political corruption or even abortion actually are, they still cannot be compared
To the heinous crime of preaching a false gospel.

There is no greater sin you can commit against humanity than that.

For while there are certainly wrongs and injustices that are committed against humanity today which make life miserable and even bring death
A FALSE GOSPEL ACTUALLY CONDEMNS MEN TO HELL.

And perhaps that helps you understand why
• When Jesus went on His most vicious attack, it WASN’T against the
corruption of Rome or the injustice of racism.
• When Jesus went on His most vicious attack it WAS aimed at those who
distorted the gospel.

That is where Jesus pronounced His woe.
That is where Jesus pronounced His judgment.

And in Matthew’s gospel, it reads like a machine gun blasting
Of the religious leaders who propagated this false gospel.

Now LUKE’S GOSPEL at first appears to be a little scaled back.
When you read the same sermon in Luke’s gospel it doesn’t come with
The ferocity of pronouncing woe or calling men hypocrites.

And so the blow feels a little softened here.
But that is not the case.

Rather, Luke uses a different tactic
Which is meant to move the reader to absolute horror.

Luke shows you an example of a victim of the false gospel.
That victim comes to us in the first 4 verses of chapter 21.

And when you rightly understand what is going on in this woman’s life,
You will then understand why Jesus is so angry at the false gospel.

And hopefully you will also be moved to disdain and disgust
And therefore heed the warning that Jesus is giving.

So let’s talk a little bit about this false gospel Jesus is now warning against.
We can break our text down into 2 main points.
#1 THE WARNING
Luke 20:45-47

As we noted, Matthew’s gospel gives much more detail to the sermon,
And we will reference it,
But at its core the sermon is simply a warning to the disciples
About the damning effects of the false gospel.

AND EVEN MORE THAN THAT,
Jesus shows us exactly what the false gospel looks like.

And to answer quickly: IT LOOKS LIKE RELIGION.

(45-46a) “And while all the people were listening, He said to the disciples, “Beware of the scribes…”

Interesting to note that up in verse 39 it was the scribes who commended Him for silencing the Sadducees.
• But Jesus refuses to side with them.
• These men are clearly the enemy, and even though they have ceased questioning Him, Jesus is not finished.

The entire crowd, and especially the disciples
Need to know the truth about who they are.
And Jesus pulls no punches.

You can see 5 clear truths about these scribes that Jesus warns the disciples about, and they are all warnings that add up to a false gospel.

1) WHAT THEY DISPLAY (46a)
“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes…”

The scribes, by the way, were the notorious scholars of Israel.
They were the great theologians and experts on all things regarding God.

There was even sort of a heretical story floating around about a matter in heaven in which God was debating a person in heaven regarding a question about purity. To answer the debate a scribe was called to heaven to answer and settle the debate.

These men were firmly seated as models of orthodox theology
And there were never questioned.
That is until Jesus exposed them as preachers of a false gospel.

And the first point He made
Was with regard to their overly pious display before the people.

If you read the more detailed account in Matthew’s gospel you read:
Matthew 23:1-5 “Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. “But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.”

• They were men who constantly enforced rules upon others that they themselves were unwilling to follow.

• Their goal was simply to put forth a very pious and impressive display of their own righteousness by which they would impress others.

• Jesus mentioned there even the broadening of the phylacteries and the lengthening of the tassels on their garments.

That is what is pictured here in Luke’s gospel
When Jesus says they “walk around in long robes”.

Numbers 15:37-41 “The LORD also spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. “It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God. “I am the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the LORD your God.”

This blue tassel was to be sewn on the hem of the garment
As a visible reminder of the importance of obedience to God.

The scribes, seeking to make a great show,
Lengthened their tassels so as to put on a greater display.

It was their way of saying that obedience was more important to them
Than it was to the average person.

• They liked to be noticed for it…
• They liked to be recognized as strict proponents of obedience to the Law…

That was their display.

2) WHAT THEY DESIRE (46b)
“and love respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets.”

Again, Matthew’s gospel fills in the gaps.
Matthew 23:6-12 “They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. “But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. “Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. “But the greatest among you shall be your servant. “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”

Matthew’s gospel makes it clear that their objective was to receive for themselves the glory that only God deserves.
• They wanted to be called father, though only one is our Father.
• They wanted to be called teacher, though only one is the Teacher.
• They wanted to be called leader, though only one is the Leader.

Their goal was to clothe themselves
In the glory and honor that only belonged to God.

• They wanted to be esteemed, they wanted to be honored, they wanted to be glorified, and even worshiped.
• Men needn’t look to God for an example of holiness, men only needed to look at the Scribes…that was their mentality.

And Jesus said that is all they want.
They use their religious piety to gain human glory.

3) WHO THEY DEVOUR (47a)
“who devour widows’ houses,”

We will elaborate on this one more in a moment, but THE POINT was that
In their religious power and esteem, they preyed upon the weak.

All throughout the Old Testament, the prophets were clear that
God’s will was to care for the widow and vindicate the orphan,
But these men did just the opposite.

They took advantage of the weak and unsuspecting.
Matthew 23:13-15 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. [“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.] “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.”

In short, their quest didn’t stop with simply their own personal glory.
In their hypocrisy they also devoured the weak.
• They kept men out of heaven…
• They devoured widow’s houses…
• They led men straight to hell…

They weren’t innocent, they were defiling.
Jesus would later compare them to whitewashed tombs that looked beautiful on the outside, but inside were full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.

Hence, they looked beautiful,
But all they offered was death and defilement to others.

Their fame and glory grew at the cost of the weak
And on the souls of condemned men.

To Jesus they were not beautiful, they were the worse form of evil.
They looked religious while they sent men to hell.

4) HOW THEY DECEIVE (47b)
“for appearance’s sake offer long prayers.”

They’re manner of hooking the unsuspecting
Was through their intense religious zeal.

Matthew 6:5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.”

In short, they impress men with their religious lingo and jargon.
• They dress religious
• They walk religious
• They talk religious
• They even pray religious

But it is all a sham.
• They are not pleasing to God.
• They will not be rewarded by God.

THE ONLY THING THEY ACHIEVE through their hypocritical religion
Is to deceive men that they are devout.

All of their praying and preaching and benevolent work
Is only that they might convince the unsuspecting
That they are legitimate.

They deceive men by acting pious.
That is why Jesus favored the word HUPOCRETES
When speaking with them.

It was a word that meant “actor” and it is where we get our word for hypocrite.

Jesus knew their heart and He knew everything they did
Was only that it might deceive their audience.

5) WHAT THEY DESERVE (47c)
“These will receive greater condemnation.”

Be sure and notice the word “greater” there.

They will not just be condemned in hell, but they will receive the worst condemnation in hell.
• Worse than the rapists…
• Worse than the murderers…
• Worse than the sex traffickers…

I recently saw a quote by Paul Washer: “When Jesus comes back it’s not the liberal politicians who ought to be trembling, it’s the pastors…because so many have built their ‘ministries’ on the dry dead bones of unconverted church members.”

These religiously devout proponents of a false gospel
Will receive the hottest corners of hell.

Their punishment will be the most severe.
Because these men send people to hell with their false gospel.

WHAT IS THEIR GOSPEL?
That man pleases God through religious effort.

Is that not what they preach?
Is that not what their lives demonstrate?
• If you want to go to heaven then you must be religiously devout.
• If you want to go to heaven then you must work harder.
• If you want to go to heaven then you need longer tassels, longer prayers, more giving, greater devotion…

That is exactly what Jesus was exposing in the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 5:20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

They taught men that salvation was through strict observance of the Law. We call that legalism.

That if you are to be saved then you must earn it through your own devotion.

And that is what these men put forward every day of their lives.
And all they ever did was condemn themselves and their hearers.

Their legalistic message remains the worse message
This world has ever been taught.

• Worse than socialism…
• Worse than communism…
• Worse than racism…
WORSE THAN THEM ALL IS LEGALISM

And incidentally, you see this all throughout the New Testament.

Remember early on in the life of the church, there were some Judaizers who sought to get the Gentiles to be circumcised and come under the Law.

Acts 15:1 “Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

Again:
Acts 15:5 “But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.”

They were in effect telling the new Gentile believers that
“Believing in Jesus was fine, but if you want to be saved
There is some work that must be done on your part.”

Remember Paul’s response?
Galatians 1:6-9 “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”

The infamous “I DIDN’T STUTTER” passage.
Men who distort the gospel by adding works will go to hell.
Paul said it twice to make sure you get it.

When Paul wrote to the Corinthians to defend his apostleship.
You will remember they were also plagued with false teachers.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.”

There they are again, just like the scribes Jesus confronted.
Men who act righteous and act religious but are actually servants of Satan.

Which is why Paul also warned the Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 11:1-4 “I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me. For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.”

• It was a message about the Spirit and about Jesus, but it was the wrong message.
• It was a deceptive message of legalism preached by people who disguise themselves in good works.

Or go to Paul’s letter to Timothy.
Remember Paul warned Timothy of a problematic message.

1 Timothy 4:1-4 “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude;”

Paul said those were doctrines of demons where men were told that in order to be pleasing to God they needed to abstain from certain foods or not get married.
It was legalism and Paul said it came straight from Satan.

Or look at Philippians.
Philippians 3:1-3 “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,”

Paul there warned of dogs and evil workers and “the false circumcision” (phonies) who teach men to put confidence in the flesh.

Is that not what the scribes did?
They walked around certain they were pleasing to God
Because of their long robes and longer prayers.

They taught men that the way to heaven
Is through strict religious adherence.

Even to the Colossians Paul wrote:
Colossians 2:8 “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.”

Paul warned them of spiritual pirates
Who lead you away from reliance upon Christ.

And this is so false and so detrimental.
Here is why:
Colossians 2:9-14 “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

Salvation only comes through the person and work of Christ.
• Only He satisfied God’s righteous requirements…
• Only He appeased God’s holy wrath…

But these men try to get you to work for what only Christ can give.
It looks good because it is so pious and religious
But the end is nothing but hell and destruction.

Paul would go on to say to the Colossians.
Colossians 2:16-23 “Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day — things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God. If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (which all refer to things destined to perish with use) — in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.”

They look good, but they can’t save.

If you try to make any human work a condition for salvation
You are distorting the gospel.

And that includes things like bible reading, prayer, church attendance, baptism, communion, giving, evangelism, etc.

Those are all good things as EFFECTS OF salvation,
But if you try to make any of them conditions for salvation
Then you are preaching a false gospel

AND ACCORDING TO JESUS AND PAUL YOU WILL GO TO HELL FOR IT.

The true gospel receives all merit from Christ and Christ alone.
THERE ARE NO HUMAN WORKS THAT HELP TO SECURE IT.

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Titus 3:4-7 “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Romans 3:28 “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.”

AND SO YOU SEE THE ISSUE.

Jesus has come into the temple preaching the true gospel.
• That sinful man must repent and trust in the Son in order that they might be
made pleasing to God.

The scribes have been preaching a message
• That says you must be more religious in order that you might please God.

AND JESUS EXPOSES IT AND CONDEMNS IT.

Now, as we said, Matthew’s gospel was much more detailed and appears at first to have been much harsher, but that isn’t necessarily the case.

Luke’s punch in the gut comes
When he shows you a victim of this heinous gospel.

So first you see the warning.
#2 THE VICTIM
Luke 21:1-4

Now, I know that likely your whole life
You heard this story as a crowning example of sacrificial giving.

Someone likely asked you to give and then probably brought up the widow who gave her last two cents and then held her up as a shining example of sacrificial giving.

That is not at all the point of this story.
1. Jesus hasn’t been talking about giving at all, He’s talking about the gospel.
2. Jesus does not commend this woman, He merely points her out.

This woman IS NOT an example for everyone to follow.
This woman IS a victim of the false gospel Jesus just condemned.

She is one of those widows who had been devoured back up on verse 47.

Let me show you.
(1) “And He looked and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury.”

Now these are all people who have bought the preaching of the scribes.
• They are all in effect blasting a trumpet when they give.
• They are following the lead of the religious elite.
• They are proving their piety through their outward display.
• They are in effect earning God’s favor through their giving.

(or so they think)

The false gospel of the scribes had been effective.

The problem is that there was no other means of salvation than this.

AND THAT PUT ONE WOMAN IN A TERRIBLE PREDICAMENT.

(2) “And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins.”

Important note here is the word “poor”
It is PENICHROS in the Greek.
And it speaks of “one who is poor but not one who is destitute”.

That is how this woman entered.
• She was poor, but she did have two pennies.
• And then, because she was told that salvation hung in the balance,
• She gave those two pennies to the treasury.

And then Jesus said:
(3-4) “And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.”

That should ring a bell.
Matthew 23:4 “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.”

That’s exactly what they had done to her.

Now, Jesus calls her “this poor widow”

Only this time for “poor” He uses the word PTOCHOS
Which means “totally poor; reduced to begging.”

Now do you see what the gospel of the scribes did to this woman?
• They had convinced her that her only hope of salvation was through
giving her last two pennies.

This was not a commendable example of giving.
This was a tragic victim of the false gospel of the scribes.

Through their legalistic standards they had devoured her house
And laid upon her a burden none of them would bear.

THIS STORY IS SUPPOSED TO PUNCH YOU IN THE GUT.
• It is supposed to move you to pity.
• It is supposed to make you hate the effects of the false gospel.

(It’s like those wheel chairs that show up at a Benny Hinn crusade, and after taking their offering, they are ushered off to the side so that they will never make it on stage)

This woman is one of those people, and it’s supposed to make you sick
When you read about how they manipulated her.

BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT THE FALSE GOSPEL
DOES TO EVERYONE…EVENTUALLY.

And such is the reality of all legalistic preaching.
It puts on people a burden they cannot bear.
• You can give all you have…
• You can serve tirelessly…
• You can pray without ceasing…
And you will never satisfy God’s holy requirement.

You will end up poor, destitute, and still condemned.
That is the tragedy of the false gospel.

Perhaps you remember the story of Martin Luther and Yohan Tetzel.
• Remember he was the preacher who came to town selling indulgences that he might pay for his mighty cathedral.
• He would say, “whenever a coin in the coffer rings, a soul from purgatory springs”.

In the movie “Luther” there is actually a scene of a young single woman with a daughter who is poor and destitute. One day in great joy she runs to Martin Luther to show that she has spent all she has to purchase and indulgence for her daughter. Luther is grieved, he gives her back the money she spent and says regarding her certificate, “This is worthless”

Friend, I would remind you again of the gospel.

Salvation is a free gift through Jesus Christ
To those who trust in Him,
Not those who work for it or sacrifice for it.

Those who try to earn their salvation only end up being condemned to hell
For no man can pay the price that Christ alone was able to pay.

TURN TO: ISAIAH 55

That is the gospel.
• What gospel do you believe?
• What gospel do you preach?

Download Here:

Praying For Revival
Psalms 80
August 16, 2020

Tonight we come to the 80th Psalm.
It is yet again a Psalm of Asaph,
And one where the main thrust of the Psalm is easily spotted before us.

We see the same phrase repeated 3 times, and really even a fourth.

(3) “O God, restore us And cause Your face to shine on us, and we will be saved.”

(7) “O God of hosts, restore us And cause Your face to shine on us, and we will be saved.”

(19) “O LORD God of hosts, restore us; Cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.”

It is literally spelled out in triplicate for us.
Asaph wants reconciliation with God and the salvation that it brings.

The only difference in any of those statements is that each time Asaph mentions them, he adds another reality about God.

• In verse 3 it is just “O God” – which is of course enough, as Asaph even appeals to His authority, glory, and power.

• In verse 7 however it is “O God of hosts” – which brings into play God as the commander of the armies of heaven.

• In verse 19 it is “O LORD God of hosts” – which of course adds the covenantal name of God referring not just to God, but to “our God”.

But he makes essentially the same request at the end of each stanza.

He even makes the same request a FOURTH TIME
In a little different, yet more descriptive way.
(14) “O God of hosts, turn again now, we beseech You; Look down from heaven and see, and take care of this vine.”

It is basically the same request, though the different way of asking it gives us some added insight into exactly what Asaph wants.

1) “O God, restore us”

“restore us” is SHUWB (shoove) in the Hebrew.
It literally means “turn back”

• It can be used negatively as in one who commits apostasy and turns back from following the Lord.

• Or it can be used positively as in one who repents and turns back to the Lord.

Asaph actually uses the SAME WORD IN REFERENCE TO GOD
In verse 14 where he asks God to “turn again now” toward Israel.

This word is really the thrust of the Psalm.
• He is asking for two estranged parties to be reconciled.
• He wants each to turn back to the other.

It is noteworthy however that the One who is called upon
To produce the restoration is not the people here, but God.

• Asaph isn’t preaching to the people telling them to “turn back” to God.
• Asaph is praying to God asking Him to turn the people back to Him and for
Himself to turn back to the people.

If we were Arminian this would seem bizarre since they put all the emphasis on man, but since we aren’t, this makes perfect sense to us.

• A leopard can’t change its spots.
• If repentance is going to occur it is because God must grant it.
• If reconciliation is going to happen, God must initiate it.

• Sinners don’t seek for God.
• Sinners don’t look for God.
• Sinners don’t wake up in the morning and desire God.
God has to instigate that.

Even those who are redeemed but backslidden (as would be the case in this Psalm) often do not instigate revival.

You can likely testify even in your own life of times when you were backslidden and GOD BROUGHT YOU TO REPENTANCE and you realize that it likely didn’t start with you but with God first grabbing you to turn you back to Him.

This is what makes prayer so essential regarding revival.
If God and sinners are estranged,
Who do you think is more likely to make the first move?

You get the idea.
Asaph is praying to God asking Him to reconcile and “restore”
Wayward Israel back to Himself.

2) “And cause Your face to shine upon us”

You likely pick up on that phrase as that priestly blessing.
Numbers 6:25-26 “The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.’”

This is the other side of the coin.
Asaph not only wants estranged man to return to God,
But he is also asking offended God to return to man.

For man to return repentance is required.
For God to return mercy is required.
And that is certainly what Asaph prays for throughout this Psalm.

3) “and we will be saved.”

The end objective is also clear.
Asaph wants the people of Israel to be “saved”

Very rarely does the word “saved” in the Old Testament
Mean the same thing as we commonly see it in the New Testament.

Rather when Asaph prays for salvation
He is asking for deliverance from their enemies.

The idea is that
• Israel has turned away from God.
• God has in response given Israel over to their enemies.
• Asaph is praying for reconciliation and the deliverance that accompanies it.

This is really the thrust of the Psalm.
He wants revival that results in deliverance.

Verses 14-16 seem to give great CLARIFICATION to this.
(14-16) “O God of hosts, turn again now, we beseech You; Look down from heaven and see, and take care of this vine, Even the shoot which Your right hand has planted, And on the son whom You have strengthened for Yourself. It is burned with fire, it is cut down; They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.”

Asaph wants God to turn back to Israel.
• He wants God to again care for this vine, because this vine has been “burned with fire”, “cut down”, and it is perishing.

And that gives us some insight into the CONTEXT of this Psalm.
THE EXACT SETTING IS DIFFICULT.

• Some set it during the period of Isaiah as the northern kingdom was being attacked by the Assyrians and the southern kingdom was being threatened with the same.
• The Septuagint actually labels it “Concerning The Assyrian”

• They do this because you see a clear reference to the tribes of “Ephraim…and Manasseh” which were destroyed in the Assyrian invasion.

So the setting of the Psalm must be before that.

• “Benjamin” is also mentioned with them which must link the trial to more than just the northern kingdom since “Benjamin” was part of the southern kingdom along with Judah.

Another option is that these 3 tribes are mentioned to sort of
Seek to MOVE GOD TO QUICKER and greater compassion.

• Often times when Israel is referred to it is referred to as “Jacob”.
• When just the northern kingdom is in view the prophets prefer “Ephraim”
• When just the southern kingdom is in view the prophets prefer “Judah”

But this Psalm addresses them a little differently.
• Jacob isn’t mentioned, rather it is Joseph, who of course was the favorite son
of Jacob since he was the son of Rachel.
• And the tribes that are mentioned are the 3 tribes that are mentioned are the 3
tribes which came from Rachel; Ephraim and Manasseh being Joseph’s sons and Benjamin being his younger brother through Rachel.

Perhaps there is a special play going on here
Where Asaph seeks to sort of appeal to the “heart strings” of God
In an effort to move God to compassion.

This isn’t Simeon or Reuben or wicked Judah we’re talking about here.
It’s Rachel’s boys that are suffering.

Perhaps mercy is the goal.

BUT EITHER WAY IT MAKES THE EXACT SETTING DIFFICULT.

What is clear is that all Israel is under some kind of siege.

This Psalm contains sort of A BRIDGE.
(8-13) “You removed a vine from Egypt; You drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground before it, And it took deep root and filled the land. The mountains were covered with its shadow, And the cedars of God with its boughs. It was sending out its branches to the sea And its shoots to the River. Why have You broken down its hedges, So that all who pass that way pick its fruit? A boar from the forest eats it away And whatever moves in the field feeds on it.”

Asaph reminds God that He started something with Israel that He has yet to finish.
• He made the decision to rescue them from Egypt…
• He made the decision to clear Canaan of the pagan people…
• He made the decision to plant Israel there…
• He even allowed Israel to be established, to grow, and to spread…

But now they are afflicted and Asaph seems PERPLEXED.
“Why have You broken down its hedges, so that all who pass that way pick its fruit?”

• Even in verse 4 he asked “How long will you be angry with the prayer of Your people?”

There is now a discord.
There is now a separation.
Israel has strayed, God is angry, and Israel is suffering.

There are TWO PASSAGES IN ISAIAH that speak so similar to this issue
That it helps us understand to an even greater extent
What was going on behind this Psalm.

TURN TO: ISAIAH 5:1-7
• We’ve looked at this many times.
• The youth just looked at it Wednesday night.

But it is almost the exact same thing that Asaph is saying here.
We have a vineyard owner who went to great lengths
To establish his vineyard, but he ends up laying it waste.

Asaph asked why, but Isaiah told us.
(2b) “then He expected it to produce good grapes, but it produced only worthless ones.”

Because the vineyard failed to produce fruit
The vineyard owner made a decision
To do exactly what Asaph just witnessed.

(5-6) “So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed; I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground. “I will lay it waste; It will not be pruned or hoed, But briars and thorns will come up. I will also charge the clouds to rain no rain on it.”

If the vineyard won’t produce fruit
Then I’m not going to keep working it, defending it, or watering it.

The parable finally gives us insight at the end.
(7) “For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel And the men of Judah His delightful plant. Thus He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; For righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress.”

This would be the exact answer to Asaph’s question
As to why God had broken down the hedges of His vineyard.

Israel had rebelled against God
And failed to give Him the righteousness and justice He required.
THAT IS CLEAR.

But there is even more here than just simple cause and effect.
GOD IS NOT JUST DISTANT, HE IS ANGRY.

Asaph referenced that is (4b) “angry with the prayer of [His] people”.

ISAIAH ALSO EXPLAINS THAT.

TURN TO: ISAIAH 1:1-17

Isaiah 1 begins with the lament of God because
His sons no longer honor Him as a son should honor their father.

(READ 1-3)
• You will notice that Asaph will refer to Israel as the (15) “the son whom You have strengthened for Yourself”
• And as (17) “the man of Your right hand”
• And as (17) “the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself”

Asaph saw them as a rejected son.
Isaiah 1 reveals that the rejection did not start with God, but with Israel.
The refused to honor God as He deserved.

Not only that, but as a corporate people they turned away from God.
(READ 4)

And the result of their apostasy was that God severely punished them.
(READ 5-9)

• From the top of their head to the sole of their feet God had stricken Israel and still they had not repented.
• It had gotten so bad that the only reason they weren’t completely destroyed like Sodom was because of the covenantal promise of God to leave some as survivors.

It pictures the defection and the punishment that Asaph is talking about.

But it also explains the anger of God.
(READ 10-15)

Do you see it?
• God is angry; He doesn’t even want to hear their prayers.
• They are so far removed from what He wants them to be that He is actually hiding His eyes from Israel and covering His ears from their prayers.

Now, I give you all of that just so you will understand
The situation behind this Psalm.

Asaph is writing Psalms 80 as a prayer to God
In hopes that these two sides can be reconciled to one another.

It is a prayer for revival and it is a needed one.
• That is why 3 times Asaph asks God to intervene and turn Israel back.
• That is why 3 times Asaph asks God to be merciful and turn again to Israel.
• That is why 3 times Asaph asks for revival so that deliverance might occur.

And just that setting gives us hope that no situation is too drastic
That we cannot pray for the revival of God’s people.
Asaph is praying for revival and it is sorely needed.

Now in that, let’s look at his 3 requests to God.
(We learn about praying for revival)

#1 YOUR PREFERENCE IS NEEDED
Psalms 80:1-3

When we speak of preference we are talking about
That sovereign bias that God demonstrated toward Israel.

It is what Calvinists refer to as “Unconditional Election”.
Namely that God sovereignly chose to set His preference and love
On a people who did not deserve it.

It is peculiar and marvelous, but real none the less.
• We saw God sovereignly electing Abram out of Ur of the Chaldeans.
• We saw God pass that election on to Isaac and Jacob.

Through Moses God even spelled it out.
Deuteronomy 7:6-8 “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. “The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”

There was no reason why God should have
Chosen Abram or his descendants, but He did.

We are familiar with that tremendous analogy in Ezekiel 16 where Israel is likened to a newborn baby thrown out into the field to die.
• It was unwanted
• It was unimportant
• It was helpless

But God chose to give life to it and set His love upon it.

Asaph is referring to that kind of preference here.
For whatever reason, God has chosen these people,
And Asaph is calling upon that sovereign election here.

Notice how he APPROACHES God.
(1) “Oh, give hear, Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock;”

• It brings imagery to our minds of David’s tremendous 23rd Psalm, and the blessing of being one of God’s sheep.
• God leads them and cares for them and provides for them and protects them.
• And ultimately God leads His sheep safely home.

You know the Psalm.

And Asaph brings that reality up here.
• God, You are our Shepherd.
• You are our only Shepherd.

He’s not arguing that they have been good sheep,
Only that they are His sheep.

And you understand the point here.
Just because a shepherd has wayward sheep doesn’t make him any less committed to the care of those sheep.
• They may be rebellious…
• They may be dumb…
• They may be prone to wander…
• But if they are your sheep, you care for them.

Asaph brings that to God.
You are our Shepherd.

But it’s not just OBLIGATION, it’s also about AUTHORITY.
“You who are enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth!”

He is no ordinary shepherd.
• He is also the sovereign and holy God of the universe
• Who sits upon the throne higher even than the angels.

He is not only obligated to save the sheep, He has the authority to do it.
• He has the authority to rebuke any wolf.
• He has the authority to turn away any lion.

And beyond that, He has the POWER to handle them as well.
(2) “Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up Your power And come to save us!”

You are strong enough to deliver!

IT IS JUST A SIMPLE PICTURE OF
• Sheep who have wandered off and have found themselves in danger.
• And though they earlier were escaping their shepherd, they are now in great need of him.
• And the only hope and sole desire of the sheep is to see their strong and glorious shepherd come over the hill top to save them.

We used to have a Basset Hound named “Daisy”.
• She was a typical basset in the sense that she was “prone to wander”
• They’ll put their nose down and not know where they are when they get done.
• Several times Daisy escaped from our yard, followed her nose and got lost.
• So I would go looking for her.
• Every time I would find her (sometimes no more than a block away) she would
light up and come running to me whimpering like I was the greatest hero she had ever seen.
• When she got in danger she needed her owner to find her.

These sheep are in that situation.
Asaph is calling for God to once again demonstrate
His sovereign preference of them, and go find them once again.

God, rise up in Your glory, stand up in Your power,
And come get Your sheep.

And then the first of 3.
“O God, restore us And cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.”

That is how you pray for revival.
• Certainly when we preach for revival we call for repentance,
• But when we pray for revival we appeal to the sovereign grace of God who chose us when we were sinful, and who must restore us again when we are wayward.

Asaph cries out that God’s preference for them is needed.

#2 YOUR PUNISHMENT IS SUFFICIENT
Psalms 80:4-7

There is really NO REQUEST made in this section.
It is just a question.

(4) “O LORD God of hosts, How long will You be angry with the prayer of Your people?”

We read Isaiah 1 and we know why God is angry with the prayer of His people.
Isaiah 1:10-15 “Hear the word of the LORD, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the instruction of our God, You people of Gomorrah. “What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” Says the LORD. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. “When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts? “Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies — I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. “I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.”

God was angry at their prayer because it was superficial.
• They only prayed to keep God off their back while they continued in the sin they loved.
• It was hypocrisy and God hated it.

Asaph doesn’t question God’s right to be angry,
He only asks “How long will You be angry..?”

The punishment was certainly justified.
The punishment was certainly just.

But now Asaph appeals to the mercy of God
That perhaps His anger might now subside.

And to do that, Asaph LAYS OUT FOR GOD the plight of the people.
(5-6) “You have fed them with the bread of tears, And You have made them to drink tears in large measure. You make us an object of contention to our neighbors, And our enemies laugh among themselves.”

• Again, as we said last week, it’s not that God isn’t aware of their suffering.
• Asaph is not enlightening God here.

Rather, Asaph is merely restating their suffering once again to God
That he might move God to compassion and mercy.

It’s his way of saying,
“You have punished them severely, please now relent.”

He wants God to be moved with mercy.

This is also a fitting prayer for revival.
• Not only do we remind God of His sovereign grace to choose us,
• But we also appeal to God’s great mercy and compassion to forgive us, and deliver us from our self-inflicted wounds.

Asaph simply hopes that God will look upon
The punishment He has inflicted and say it is enough.

Your Preference Is Needed; Your Punishment Is Sufficient
#3 YOUR PLAN IS UNFINISHED
Psalms 80:8-19

We already looked at verses 8-13 and remembered how Israel was the beneficiary of God’s sovereign election.
• We remember the miracle of the Exodus.
• We remember the miracle of the Conquest.
• We remember the miracle of the David Kingdom and how Israel grew.

But at the present it all looks for not.
(13) “A boar from the forest eats it away And whatever moves in the field feeds on it.”

• Specifically Assyria was making their way through the Northern Kingdom and laying it waste.
• They were even threatening the Southern Kingdom of Judah.

It is what sparked the request of Asaph.
(14-16) “O God of hosts, turn again now, we beseech You; Look down from heaven and see, and take care of this vine, Even the shoot which Your right hand has planted, And on the son whom You have strengthened for Yourself. It is burned with fire, it is cut down; They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.”

Very simply Asaph just wants God to intervene and stop the onslaught.
• See what is happening…
• This is Your vine!
• They are attacking it!

• Everything that You purposed for this vine is being ruined.
• Everything that You promised for this vine is being undone.
• What You started has not been completed.

And yet another request.
(17-18) “Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself. Then we shall not turn back from You; Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.”

The son here is Israel.
And he is a son who was once strengthened by God but is now in peril.

THINK OF THE PRODIGAL HERE IF YOU WILL.

And the request is that God, by His sovereign power, and great mercy would “Let [His] hand be upon the man of [His] right hand, upon the son of man whom [He] made strong for [Himself].”

He is asking God to mercifully receive His wayward son back to Himself and once again restore Him and finish what He started.

(18) “Then we shall not turn back from You; Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.”

He simply says that
If God will come get them, forgive them, and restore them,
Then they will stay true to God forever.

And again that common prayer.
(19) “O LORD God of hosts, restore us; Cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.”

It is very simply Asaph’s prayer for revival.
• That God would remember His preference of Israel.
• That God would be merciful to their punishment.
• That God would restore them as His son and finish what He started.

It is certainly a model prayer for revival.
We would certainly be inclined to pray this way even today for the church.

BUT LET ME GO AHEAD AND GIVE YOU THE PROBLEM.

TURN TO: 2 KINGS 17:6-23

Even though Asaph pleaded with God to come save, forgive, and restore Ephraim and Manasseh, HE DID NOT.

At least not in the way Asaph surely hoped.

But here is where we must turn again to the gospel.

Asaph prayed that God would be Israel’s shepherd and come save the sheep.

He did.
John 10:11-15 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. “He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. “He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.”

• Jesus was exactly the shepherd that Asaph prayed for.
• He came in authority and power to save.
• Jesus is the Good Shepherd.

Asaph also wondered if the punishment of God on Israel had not been sufficient?

The answer is that it had not.
• God continued with the annihilation of the Northern Kingdom.

The reality is that temporal suffering will never satisfy the debt of our sin.
• The Bible has been emphatic that the wages of sin is death, not suffering.
• The wages of sin is death not just eating the bread of tears.
• The wages of sin is death not just drinking tears in large measure.
• The wages of sin is death not just being an object of contention to your neighbor.
• The wages of sin is death not just being a laughingstock.

And for this we see Christ again as the suffering servant
Who came and bore God’s wrath to finally satisfy His fury.

1 Peter 2:24-25 “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.”

Asaph also lamented this chosen vine that was now destroyed.
It was destroyed because it failed to produce fruit.

But Jesus said:
John 15:1-5 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

God didn’t simply overlook the fruitlessness of this wayward vine,
He sent Jesus to be the true vine
That they could tap into for their fruit of righteousness.

And Asaph prayed that God would restore His son Israel to His right hand.

Instead God sent His Son,
Who would be exalted back to His right hand
That He might restore the wayward sons back to God.

John 1:11-13 “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

The simple gospel point is that Asaph longed for revival,
And God did send it when He sent Christ.

He sent Christ to be what they were not.

They were wayward sheep deserving of death
• Christ was the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for them.

They were a fruitless vineyard deserving of destruction
• Christ was the True Vine who provided them with the fruit of righteousness they did not have.

They were the prodigal son under judgment
• Christ came in humanity as the true Son of Man that He might fulfill their righteous obligation and reconcile them to the Father as children of God.

Everything Asaph prayed for was ultimately fulfilled in Christ.
AND THUS HE REMAINS THE ONLY HOPE FOR REVIVAL.

So now, when we pray for revival,
• We don’t pray that God would simply overlook our sin,
• But rather we run to Christ because in Him we have forgiveness and fruit and
reconciliation.

And we pray for men to run to Christ that they might have the same.

Revival occurs when Christ is exalted
Because it only occurs through Him.

Download Here:

Gospel Commitment Is Essential
1 Corinthians 9:19-27
August 16, 2020

This morning we come once again to a service
That I have come to view as vitally important to our growth as a body.

It is a service we set aside to remind our students and teachers, And really all of us, of the central calling that we all have
As ambassadors for Christ.

We often quote that verse I love in 2 Corinthians 5:21.
2 Corinthians 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

We love that verse because so clearly expresses us to the gospel message
Of Christ’s perfection which is imputed to us
And Christ’s atonement which was accomplished for us.

We should also then be familiar with the context of that verse.
2 Corinthians 5:18-21 “Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

This reality that through Christ we have been reconciled to God
Is a message that has been entrusted to the church.

• God is saving men.
• God is reconciling men.
• And God has “committed to us the word of reconciliation”.
• We are “ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal
through us”

If the church doesn’t share the gospel the world never hears it.
There is no way that the church should be confused
As to her purpose here on earth.

WE ARE HERE FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE GOSPEL.

While at our recent youth camp we studied 6 essentials.
• Salvation is Essential
• The Deity of Jesus is Essential
• The Humanity of Jesus is Essential
• Personal Holiness is Essential
• Church Involvement Is Essential
• Gospel Focus Is Essential

I would remind the youth, and introduce the rest of you to the point of that last essential.

Romans 1:14-17 “I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”

The point was simple;
• We are under obligation for the purpose of the gospel.
• Because only the gospel leads men to salvation.

We pointed that out to the youth in light of
THE CURRENT DISTRACTIONS that are occurring in our world.

The church gets easily distracted from her primary function.

Some have bought into the POLITICAL NARRATIVE
They think the church’s duty is to bring about political and moral change.
• Politics and boycotts and voting and things of that nature become the main
focus.

The problem of course is that even if we win that battle and completely turn the world to the right men are still separated from God and will die in hell.
• They may enter hell more moral
• They may enter hell more conservative
• They may enter hell more descent but they still enter hell

Jesus never dealt with the political climate of His day.
• When asked about yielding to Caesar Jesus told us to “render to Caesar that
which is Ceasar’s”
• He never once attacked the Roman political structure as if to turn their pagan
culture through political means.

Many Christians are distracted thinking that the redemption of the world will come through political reform and it will not.

Others in our day have bought the SOCIAL NARRATIVE
They think the church’s duty is social justice.
• Many of the “cutting edge” and “relevant” churches have totally bought the social justice and “Black Lives Matter” movement.
• Pastors, even the Southern Baptist Convention and its leaders are spending a great deal of time apologizing for past injustices and seeking to maintain social credibility in our world.

But yet again this is not the church’s main fight. Certainly we oppose unjust oppression in every form, but our mission on this earth is not to rid the world of injustice.
• A man may be freed from his injustice and still go to hell.

In Jesus Day
• 1 out of 5 men in the Roman empire in Jesus’ day was a slave (1 out of 3 in the city of Rome) and Jesus never touched it.
• Jewish Law permitted slavery even among fellow Jews and Jesus never addressed it.
• In fact Jesus’ own followers began to refer to themselves as DOULOS
• While Jesus healed many, there are plenty of times recorded where Jesus left even though crowds of sick wanted Him to stay and work miracles, but He left to preach the gospel.

Many Christians are distracted thinking that the goal of the church is social reform and to make this world a better place to live,
But this world is a sinking ship,
We’re looking for a new heavens and a new earth where justice dwells.

And that is really what we focused on
For the 6th and final segment of youth camp with our kids.

To remind them that the primary function of the church is to preach the gospel to sinners. Only the gospel leads men to reconciliation with God.
GOSPEL FOCUS IS ESSENTIAL

This morning I’m adding a 7th to that list.
It’s sort of a continuation of youth camp.

This morning I would add:
GOSPEL COMMITMENT IS ESSENTIAL

What’s the difference between gospel focus and gospel commitment?
• Gospel focus emphasizes our primary target and objective.
• Gospel commitment emphasizes the cost of fulfilling that objective.

And for that we look this morning to the book of 1 Corinthians.

We don’t have time for a complete history of the Corinthian church.
It will have to suffice this morning just to say that
THEY HAD MORE PROBLEMS THAN ONE CAN IMAGINE.
• Division over who followed which preacher
• Sexual immorality in the form of incest
• Lawsuits among brethren
• The visiting of prostitutes
• Divorce
• Drunkenness during the Lord’s Supper
• Denial of the resurrection
• Just to name a few…

The end result was that their collective sin
And distraction with worldly pursuits
Was making them ineffective
In their primary mission of preaching the gospel.

Consider Paul’s criticism of their lawsuits.
1 Corinthians 6:5-6 “I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren, but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers?”

• Your selfish greed might be causing you to win a lawsuit and obtain your financial justice, but in doing so you are destroying your gospel witness.
• So you’re trading your mission for money.

Much of this book is Paul straightening out the focus of the Corinthians
So that they might embrace their role as a church
Which is to be a light in darkness.

• That they might throw off their hindrances and distractions…
• That they might sharpen their focus…
• That they might get busy about the purpose for why they are here…

It’s an extremely important study for the church even today.

We pick up in chapter 9 verse 19.

If you’ll notice in the passage we read to begin the sermon
Paul is comparing mission work to an ATHLETIC COMPETITION.

• In fact, 6 times Paul uses the word “win”.
• He is talking about winning a competition.

• He also makes sure that the Corinthians focus in on “the prize” for winning.
• He calls it “an imperishable” wreath.

Now, Paul makes this analogy,
NOT because we are in competition with one another
Regarding who can win the most lost souls or something like that.

That is NOT a competition, Paul already made it clear.
1 Corinthians 3:5-7 “What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.”

Paul is not suggesting that we are in some sort of numbers competition
With one another or with the church down the street.

Rather, Paul is making the comparison of
The personal cost required to compete.

Paul looks at an ATHLETE TRAINING for his race
And sees a definite analogy for the church to understand and embrace.

The analogy is this:
SELF-SACRIFICE IS REQUIRED TO SUCCEED IN MISSION.

Success in our mission will require personal sacrifice.
And you see that reality all throughout this text as well.
• (19) “I have made myself a slave”
• (20) “I became as a Jew”
• (21) “I became as…those without law”
• (22) “I became…weak”
• (23) “I do all things…”
• (27) “I discipline my body and make it my slave…”

All of those statements scream of personal sacrifice
For the purpose of a higher goal.

We see that in athletes.
Athletes will make time sacrifices, pain sacrifices, monetary sacrifices, dietary sacrifices, even social sacrifices in order to obtain the prize of athletic success.

And Paul says that if an athlete will do that for a perishable wreath
Then certainly the church should do that for the sake of the gospel

HE IS CALLING FOR COMMITMENT TO THE GOSPEL.

He is calling for us to pay the “death to self” cost of
Putting aside your own personal rights and freedoms for a higher cause.

In short, will you sacrifice your rights for the sake of the gospel?

That is the question,
• And I don’t mind telling you that this passage has convicted me as hard as it
may convict anyone
• Because I am a red-blooded American who loves democracy and hates it
when other people try to make me do what I don’t want to do.
• This text has forced me to evaluate my priorities, I hope it does you as well.

We’re going to break the text down into 3 points and follow Paul’s athletic analogy.
#1 THE COST TO PARTICIPATE
1 Corinthians 9:19-22

I just want you to think about an athlete for a moment
And the various costs they have to pay to be able to enter competition.

For the last few weeks HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES have been attending practices.
• They aren’t mandatory unless you want to play the sport.
• It is the cost for entering.

We may think of OLYMPIC ATHLETES or COLLEGE ATHLETES
• Who cannot accept payment for their services but must compete as amateurs.

We may think of PRO ATHLETES
• Who are given a list of medications that are off limits (not necessarily illegal) if they want to participate.
• NBA players are asked to live in “a bubble” so they can compete.
• MLB players are subject to daily COVID testing.

Other costs are implied and unwritten.
• For example one could ask Colin Kapernick about the cost of political expression if you want to compete
• Or Dez Bryant or Antonio Brown about the cost of social media expression like twitter if you want to compete.

If you break the rules (written or unwritten) that’s fine.
You have that right as a human being.
You just won’t be able to compete.

NOW THIS IS WHERE PAUL IS COMING FROM.
It is the cost to enter the competition.

In this case, it is the cost of SECURING THE OPPORTUNITY
To proclaim the gospel to someone else.

(19) “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.”

Now, this isn’t the beginning of his thought, not by a longshot.
In chapter 8 Paul answered a specific question about rather or not the Corinthians could eat meat sacrificed to idols.

To summarize, Paul said this.
• (8:4-6) – FACT, idols aren’t real, it’s just meat, you are free to eat it.
• (8:7-12) – HOWEVER, not everyone has that knowledge and by eating you
might wreck the faith of your brother who thinks it is a sin.
• (8:13) – DECISION – though I’m free to eat, I’ll never eat again if it offends my
brother.

Then Paul addressed paying the preacher.
• (9:1-14) – FACT, paying your preacher is the right thing to do and all preachers
have the right to expect it.
• (9:15-18) – HOWEVER, I will never require it because I don’t want people to be
confused about my motives.

So you understand Paul has already spent a great deal of time
Discussing the issues of personal liberty.

And he has unequivocally said that
Personal liberties should be readily sacrificed for the purpose of ministry.

And that is where he continues now, as it pertains to evangelism.

(19) “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.”

Paul describes himself as a volunteer slave.
• I had my freedom, I had my rights.
• I intentionally gave those up and became a slave.

WHY WOULD YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT!?!
“so that I may win more.”

The story is told of two young Moravians who heard of a slave owner who bought a small island and determined that he would never allow a missionary to ever set foot on that island. No preacher will ever come here, he said.

Two young Moravians sold themselves to that man as slaves and then used the money he paid for their lives as their passage fare out to the island so that they could be a gospel witness among the slaves.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moravian_slaves

This is the idea Paul has in mind.
It is the cost of securing the opportunity to preach the gospel.

And he goes on TO CLARIFY what he means.
(20-22) “To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.”

Paul there gives 3 different groups of people.
• The Jews (those under Law)
• The Gentiles (those without Law)
• The Weak (those confused about the Law)

And in all 3 instances Paul said
He “became as” them in order to “win” them.

I should say that in the late 90’s and early 2000’s this verse became the battle cry for “Contextualization” and “Culturally Relevant” missions.

A misapplication of this passage opened the door
For all manner of godless behavior in the church,
Which even lingers until today in the forms of pragmatic entertainment.

I’ve heard of all manner of peculiarities performed by churches
Under the guise of being all things to all people.

The most recent was a church in Houston that moved in an MMA fighting arena into their sanctuary in order to “attract” the lost.

That is NOT at all what Paul is talking about.

He’s talking about forsaking his own personal rights and freedoms
In order that he might secure an opportunity to preach the gospel.

Paul knows, if he goes and preaches to a Jew, but does so while eating bacon that Jew isn’t going to hear a word he says.

So, even though Paul is no longer under the Law or dietary restrictions,
He willingly obeys them so as not to offend the lost Jews
So that he might be able to witness to them.

In Acts 15 we have the Jerusalem council where Paul argued vehemently AGAINST making Gentiles receive circumcision.

Paul won and the official statement of the church was that
Gentiles did not have to be circumcised.

And then we go to the VERY NEXT CHAPTER where we read:
Acts 16:1-3 “Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.”

Why would Paul do that?
Because his goal was not to be an offence to Jews.

• Paul refused to allow circumcision to be a part of the gospel message.
• But once the church officially clarified that it was not, Paul willingly participated
just to keep from offending Jews.
• He wanted the opportunity to preach the gospel.

Other times Paul would preach to Gentiles who didn’t have law
• And Paul said in verse 21 to them he would act “as without law, though not
being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.”

• What do you do Paul when a Gentile man asks you into his home?
• What do you do when that man offers you camel meat to eat?
• What do you do when that man tells you he bought this meat in the
market where it had been sacrificed to demons?

All of those things would have been personally detestable to Paul.
So what did he do? HE ATE IT!

BECAUSE HIS OTHER OPTION WAS TO NOT EAT OR NOT ENTER
AND NEVER GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO PREACH.

Or some people were “weak” and so Paul said in verse 22 “to the weak I became weak”

• That would be like a Gentile who was trying convert to Christ who was
superstitious about the meat sacrificed to demons.
• Or a Jew converting to Christ who couldn’t get past unclean meat.

Paul would simply go along with his preferences
So that there was no offense and he could preach the gospel.

But the goal was always the same.
TO PREACH THE GOSPEL SO THAT I MIGHT WIN SOME.

And Paul knew that insisting upon his own personal rights
Was counterproductive to gaining that opportunity.

AND THAT IS THE FIRST POINT.
There is a cost involved in gaining an opportunity to preach the gospel.

You want me to tell you some ways we lose our opportunity?
How about engaging in political arguments on social media?
• Hey, I’m as passionate as the next guy, and I’ve done it too.
• But if the lost man you seek to reach is a democrat and all he ever sees from you his your politically biased posts do you think you really have an opportunity to share the gospel with him?

We never get the opportunity with some people because
We let our own ideas of personal liberty and right get in the way.

We complain at the waitress because our food took too long, and our opportunity for the gospel is shot…
We gripe at the coach because our kid didn’t get to play, and our opportunity for the gospel is shot…
We chew out the manager of the store because he made me wear a mask, and our opportunity for the gospel is shot…

Do you see how insisting upon our own personal rights and privileges
is actually counterproductive to our mission?

WELL, PREACHER YOU MAY NOT CARE ABOUT THE FREEDOMS THIS COUNTRY WAS FOUNDED ON, BUT I DO, AND I’LL FIGHT FOR THEM.

• Believe me, I care.
• I have a short fuse when people start trying to make me do something that
doesn’t make any sense to me.
• Personally, I don’t understand 99% of this COVID stuff going around.

But the question is NOT do you value freedom.
The question is do you value your freedom
More than your obligation to preach the gospel?

And tomorrow if you have to give up one or the other
Either your personal freedom Or your gospel opportunity

WHICH WILL YOU GIVE UP?

Paul said, “There is no personal freedom more important
Than the preaching of the gospel.”

I’ll become a slave if I have to.

That is the cost to entering the race.
#2 THE COST TO COMPETE
1 Corinthians 9:23-25

IN A SPORTING ANALOGY we would simply speak here about the continual work that is required to compete well.

We all know that when a young man gets drafted to play a professional sport that his work isn’t over. He will have to continue to work if he wants to succeed.

Jerry Rice is often referred to as the G.O.A.T.
• He grew up as the son of a brick layer and spent his days catching bricks from
his dad.
• Once pro he did the same workout 6 days a week.
• Before lunch – 2 hours to run the hill (a 5 mile vertical trail)
• He would stop halfway up to run 10 – 40yd sprints.
• After lunch he spent 3 hours on weights where he would do 30 sets of 21
different lifts (630 reps)
• Then came football practice.
• After practice he would stay late and catch 1,000 extra footballs every day.
• And that is not to mention the mental grind of game film and other mental work.

For Jerry Rice it wasn’t about gaining the opportunity to compete,
IT WAS ABOUT COMPETING TO WIN.

And that is Paul’s next point.
• Sacrificing self in order to gain the opportunity to preach the gospel is certainly essential.
• But once you gain the opportunity you must continue to sacrifice so that you can SEIZE that opportunity.

Notice what Paul says:
(23) “I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.”

THERE AGAIN WE HIS COMMITMENT.
“I do all things for the sake the of the gospel”
• Should we talk about his dangerous travel?
• Should we talk about his frequent hardships?
• Should we talk about his persecution?
• Should we talk about his relentless preaching?

Jerry Rice had nothing on Paul in the way of personal sacrifice to obtain a goal.

Now just for clarity sake,
Paul says “I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.”

“fellow partaker” is SYGKOINONOS (soo-koy-no-nos)
It means “participant with others in anything”

Paul ISN’T SAYING I do all this so that I can be saved.
Paul says I do all this because
I want to participate WITH the gospel and NOT AGAINST it.

You understand that don’t you?

Imagine if Jerry Rice signed to play football and then spent his days eating chocolate covered donuts and playing X-box.

Jerry’s coaches would certainly be all over him for wasting his opportunity.
• They’d talk about his wasted potential.
• They’d grieve his lack of effort.
• They would call him his own worst enemy.

AND SO MUCH OF THE TIME THAT IS CHRISTIANS.

We proclaim the gospel, but we live in such a way
As is counterproductive to the message we preach.

Instead of participating with the work of the gospel, we actually work against it.
• This is when we call men to turn from sin while we live in it.
• This is when we call men to deny self, but we refuse.
• This is when we preach the gospel to our child when then watches us lose our
temper at the other driver on the road.

Paul’s point is that self-sacrifice is still required
Even as you run the race and preach the gospel.

And he gives another analogy.
(24-25) “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.”

Paul talks about men like Jerry Rice who sacrifice so much of their lives to obtain a goal.
• Does anyone in here know how many Super bowls Jerry Rice won?
• Does anyone know when the last one was?
• Does anyone know how many catches or yards he has?
• (Perhaps an enthusiast does, but not the average person)

• Does anyone remember who won the World Series 3 years ago?
• Who was the fastest downhill skier in the last Olympics?

We think all the sacrifice put in to obtaining those goals
And yet the reward is so temporary and so fleeting.

Paul actually told Timothy:
1 Timothy 4:8 “for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

But Paul says here that we actually compete for
An “imperishable” prize.

He also told Timothy:
2 Timothy 4:7-8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

Peter said:
1 Peter 5:4 “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

And here’s the point.
If a man would sacrifice so much of his body to obtain a temporary prize how much more should we to obtain an eternal one?

AND TO THAT PAUL GIVES THE ADMONITION
(24) “Run in such a way that you may win.”

Do what it takes to win!
• Don’t just run, run to win!
• Don’t just be in the game, compete well in the game!
• Even if you have to sacrifice to do it.

Don’t live your life in opposition to the gospel you preach.
• If the gospel calls men to self-denial then deny yourself.
• If the gospel calls men to carrying the cross then carry the cross.
• If the gospel calls men to following Jesus then follow Jesus.

Don’t get distracted with earthly rights
And privileges and riches and comforts.
Put those things away and work with the gospel, not against it.

DO WHATEVER IT TAKES
Not only to secure the opportunity to preach the gospel,
But also to make your preaching successful.

That’s the cost of participating That’s the cost of competing
#3 THE COST TO FINISH
1 Corinthians 9:26-27

If we are to take the sports analogy one more time
We talk about things like the “4th quarter” or what my coach used to call “gut check time”.
• It’s that moment when you are forced to dig deep to finish.
• You’ve sacrificed to get to the game…
• You’ve sacrificed to play the game…
• And now you have to dig even deeper to finish it.

It takes focus, it takes endurance,
It takes a willingness to lay it all on the line for the victory.

And this was certainly Paul.
(26-27) “Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”

“disqualified” is the Greek word ADOKIMOS
It was a word used of testing metals or coins. It means “to not stand the test”.

It has the idea of failing under intense scrutiny.
The word is often rendered “disqualified”.

And here we speak of people who disqualify themselves as a gospel witness by reason of their bad choices and selfish lifestyle.

It is those who run, but don’t finish.
• They ultimately care about themselves
• And the gratification of their own flesh
• And the fulfillment of their own personal rights and freedoms
• And it causes them to kill their witness.

2 Timothy 2:5 “Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules.”

Easy targets here are TV evangelists who get entrapped
With greed or sensual lusts that implode their ministries.

But in reality it is a danger for us all.
• It is when we preach Christ and then blow it with our moral choices.
• Instead of crucifying the flesh, we cater to it, and our gospel witness is the casualty.

That is why Paul says he remains focused on the finish line.
(26-27) “Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”

• He’s not out there just running all over, he has a plan, he has a goal.
• He’s not just flailing his arms in the air, there is a target.

He understands that victory isn’t pure random coincidence.
• He’s not going to accidentally win this race.
• He’s not going to accidentally win someone to Christ.

How many times have you accidentally shared the gospel with someone?

It’s going to be the result of precise effort.
• He is going to have to crucify the flesh and get it out of the way.
• He is going to have to refuse to serve his personal interests and focus on the gospel.
• He is going to have to put aside his own rights and be committed to the mission.

And if he does that day after day after day
Then over time he will win the race.

THIS IS THE CALLING.
It’s not just being gospel focused, it’s being gospel committed.

And so the question.
WHAT IS YOUR PRIORITY?
• Is it your goal just to secure your rights?
• Is it your goal just to satisfy your desires?
• Is it your goal just to make sure no one makes you do what you don’t want?
• Is it your goal just to live comfortable?

Or is it your goal to fulfill your obligation to preach the gospel?

Well then it’s going to require sacrifice.
• There’s a cost to enter the race.
• There’s a cost to run the race.
• There’s a cost to finish the race.

The calling is that you and I would be committed enough to pay that price.

That is my encouragement not only to the teachers and students
But really to all of us this morning.

And this morning, I think we have the perfect gift/reminder for everyone.

This morning all of our students and teachers are going to get a mask.
• We’re doing this because I hate wearing a mask.
• I hate it when a store tells me to wear a mask.
• I hate it when people look at me sideways for not wearing a mask.

(Don’t get me wrong, I don’t care if you do, I just hate it when people try to make me.)

And so for me wearing a mask is a big issue
Of submitting personal rights and freedoms.

But the question hits me.
Would I be willing to wear a mask so as not to offend someone who thinks wearing a mask is important?

These masks have been printed to say:
“I’ll even wear this mask, for the sake of the gospel” 1 Corinthians 9:19-27

We’re going to give one to all the kids and teachers.
We ordered 100 so there’s extras if you’re like me and need this reminder.

But this morning I simply remind you that we are here for one purpose
And that is to preach the gospel and NOTHING, (not even personal rights and privileges), should stop that from happening.

Download here:

When Jacob Is Devoured
Psalms 79
August 9, 2020

We just finished a very helpful panoramic look
At Israel’s history in Psalms 78.

We were overwhelmingly reminded that while Israel may have been
The most unfaithful people the world has ever known,
They still have the most faithful God.

Psalms 78:37-39 “For their heart was not steadfast toward Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant. But He, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; And often He restrained His anger And did not arouse all His wrath. Thus He remembered that they were but flesh, A wind that passes and does not return.”

That of course did not mean that God was some sort of pushover.
• It was well documented throughout the Psalm that at times God was exceedingly angry.
• Israel’s history gives plenty of examples of where the wrath of God broke out against His people.

But the point was that even in His wrath and discipline,
• God never treated them as they deserved.
• He always remembered grace.
• He always showed compassion.
• He never failed to be merciful or to forget His covenant with them.

And those are very important reminders.
That history needs to be etched in your mind permanently.

WHY?
Because during times of distress
You may just have to hold on to that truth by faith.

That is what we see occurring here in the 79th Psalm.
Asaph is sort of having to hold on to the lesson he just proclaimed.

For Asaph is now writing from the carnage
Of the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem.

There are really 2 Psalms that seem to address this terrible scene more than any others.
• Psalms 137 which remembers the destruction of Jerusalem from the captives who are now in Babylon.
• And Psalms 79 which looks upon the destruction of Jerusalem from Israel.

This Psalm has the feel of the book of Lamentations.
• Where one can almost picture Jeremiah sitting down on a rock, looking at the rubble that was once the city; seeing the smoke of the temple rising; gazing upon the dead children in the streets; and breaking out in tears.

It is a Psalm that gives great encouragement
How to pray and sing during days of intense discipline.

IF YOU’LL REMEMBER
Israel fell into terrible and intense idolatry during the days of the Kings.
• It really all started with the foreign wives of Solomon who turned his heart away
to worship false gods.
• That crack in the foundation eventually became idolatry of every kind,
• Including the burning of children in the fire to Molech,
• Even the setting up of a pagan altar in the very temple court in Jerusalem.

And throughout the years
God warned that there would be discipline for such sin.
TURN TO: JEREMIAH 16:1-13

Israel had sinned greatly and God would punish them severely for it.
• He actually promised that He would destroy their cities, burn their temple, and
kick them out of the land for 70 years.

However, even before the destruction occurred
God revealed that the main purpose of such distress
Was not condemnation, but rather sanctification.

God would use this to purify His people.

Jeremiah 29:10-14 “For thus says the LORD, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. ‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. ‘I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’”

Israel was currently idolatrous and rebellious,
But 70 years in Babylon would change that.

It doesn’t make the current distress any less severe,
But it does afford hope even in the midst of it.

This is what Asaph is holding on to.
Not necessarily the promise God revealed through Jeremiah,
But rather THE REALITY OF WHO GOD IS TO ISRAEL.

I want to be careful trying to read our circumstances into the text,
For they are certainly different.

However, we face at our current time
A greater threat to the operation of the American church
Than I have ever known at any other time in my life.

Currently, we have an unprecedented event occurring in America,
• Where a state government is locked in a legal battle with a church over whether or not they are allowed to assemble and worship.

• John MacArthur’s “Grace Community Church” has been threatened with fines and arrest if they do not stop worshiping.

• In Portland, OR last week at a protest rally, protestors gathered to burn Bibles.

• One of the leaders of the “Black Lives Matters” movement has called for the destruction of all white churches in America saying they, with their white European depiction of Jesus are a major source of systemic racism and must be destroyed.

Perhaps like no other day the church
Is about to walk into a period of hardship
Like we have never known in our lifetimes.

REALITIES LIKE THAT CAUSE US TO SIT UP AND
Pay attention to laments like this with a little more concern.

For here we have a living example of faith in the midst of destruction,
And though our situation may be different from theirs,
There are still things very valuable to us to learn.

So let’s work through this 79th Psalm
And see a picture of faith during such hardship.

We’ll break this Psalm down into 4 points tonight.
#1 HIS CRY
Psalms 79:1-4

Just to read that Psalm paints an overwhelming scene of shock and awe.
The things described here were not supposed to be able to happen.
• Foreign armies were not supposed to be able to invade.
• The Temple was not supposed to be defiled.
• Jerusalem was not supposed to be burned.
• Dead bodies were supposed to be buried.

It is just an atrocious scene of carnage and ruin.

(1) “O God, the nations have invaded Your inheritance; They have defiled Your holy temple; They have laid Jerusalem in ruins.”

We have often read that sort of mocking chant from Jeremiah 7,
• When Jeremiah promised judgment
• The people scoffed saying, “The temple of the LORD, the temple of the
LORD, the temple of the LORD”

The idea was that regardless of how bad things got,
Nothing was going to happen because
God wasn’t going to let His temple be destroyed.

And even among those who saw a need for God’s discipline,
Discipline to this degree was certainly not expected.

We remember Habakkuk who lamented the sin of his people.
Habakkuk 1:3-4 “Why do You make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises. Therefore the law is ignored And justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore justice comes out perverted.”

Habakkuk knew the sin of his nation was severe
And he knew (even prayed for) the purifying punishment of God.

But when God told Habakkuk that this punishment would entail the bloodthirsty Chaldeans who would
• “come for violence” (1:9)
• “collect captives” (1:9)
• “mock at kings” (1:10)
• “heap up rubble” (1:10)
It was more than Habakkuk could handle.

Habakkuk 1:12-13 “Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. You, O LORD, have appointed them to judge; And You, O Rock, have established them to correct. Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You can not look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor On those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they?”

The point is, even among those who knew discipline was needed,
Discipline to this degree was still a shock.

THEY DID NOT EXPECT THAT
A foreign nation would enter and destroy everything.

The AFTERMATH was equally shocking.
(2-3) “They have given the dead bodies of Your servants for food to the birds of the heavens, The flesh of Your godly ones to the beasts of the earth. They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem; And there was no one to bury them.”

Death as one thing, but this was DEATH WITH DISHONOR.

Perhaps you remember Jehoiakim, one of Judah’s evil kings.
• It was during his reign that Daniel and his friends were taken.
• It was at the end of his reign that Ezekiel and 10,000 captives were taken.

But he was an evil king and as a result,
God promised a disgraceful burial for him.

Jeremiah 22:18-19 “Therefore thus says the LORD in regard to Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, “They will not lament for him: ‘Alas, my brother!’ or, ‘Alas, sister!’ They will not lament for him: ‘Alas for the master!’ or, ‘Alas for his splendor!’ “He will be buried with a donkey’s burial, Dragged off and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.”

It was disgraceful and dishonorable to not be buried.
• And yet as Asaph looks around that is what he sees.
• He sees the vultures and the beasts feasting on the dead bodies of the slain in Jerusalem.
• It was a horror and a disgrace.

For Asaph says “there was no one to bury them.”

It is just a horrible scene, summed up in verse 4.
(4) “We have become a reproach to our neighbors, A scoffing and a derision to those around us.”

• Not only do we suffer, but we are also mocked.
• We are mocked as the slaughtered people of God.

And yet, that also contributes to the confusion of the entire event.
It’s not just that the nations did this to Israel,
BUT ULTIMATELY IT IS THAT THEY DID THIS TO GOD.

Notice how Asaph described it.
• “invaded YOUR inheritance.”
• “defiled YOUR holy temple”
• “given the dead bodies of YOUR servants for food to the birds”
• “The flesh of YOUR godly ones to the beasts of the earth.”

It is just a horrible scene where a pagan enemy came in
And did things that no one thought could be done.

The only point of application or explanation that can be made here
IS THE SEVERITY OF GOD’S WRATH AND JUDGMENT.

Jeremiah said people would die without burial for their rebellion
And Asaph saw it happen.

God warned; they had rejected, and God did exactly as He said He would.
• Rebellion and idolatry were not tolerated.
• Their apostasy was not left unpunished.
• God raised up a cruel people to invade His land just like He said He would.

And we certainly learn that God is to be feared.
• It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
• We certainly learn not to take lightly His judgment.

But at the same time WE ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED
For Asaph knows that this is a result of the judgment of God.

• Certainly he must know that God knows all about the scene in Jerusalem.
• Are we to assume that God wasn’t aware that Babylon invaded?
• Are we to assume that God wasn’t aware that vultures were eating the dead?
• Of course not.

God knew that, and Asaph knew God knew that.

Well if God knew what happened, and God even caused what happened,
Then what it is the purpose of Asaph telling Him?

It reveals what Asaph believed about God.
• Obviously Asaph believed God to be compassionate.
• Obviously Asaph believed that God still cared for His people, even in judgment.

Asaph had written
Psalms 78:38-39 “But He, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; And often He restrained His anger And did not arouse all His wrath. Thus He remembered that they were but flesh, A wind that passes and does not return.”

It’s obvious that Asaph believed that,
Or why even approach God with a cry at all?

That’s a good reminder.
Even in unimaginable destruction we still lift our cry to God
Because we believe He is compassionate.

Remember David during his times of punishment…
Remember when he sinned with Bathsheba and God promised to take the life of the child?
• David fasted while the child was sick, but after he died then David arose,
washed his face and ate.
• Those watching David thought this strange.

But David explained why he did it.
2 Samuel 12:22 “He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’”

Remember when David sinned by numbering Israel?
• God gave him the choice of 7 years of famine, or fleeing 3 months from his
enemies, or 3 days of pestilence.

David chose the pestilence and here is why:
2 Samuel 24:14 “Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the LORD for His mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

IT IS A GOOD REMINDER.
The nature of God does not change.
Even in wrath, He remembers mercy and Asaph continues to cry to Him.

His cry
#2 HIS CONFUSION
Psalms 79:5-7

As we said, so much of what happened in Jerusalem was unexpected.
• God had clearly articulated exactly what would happen through Jeremiah,
• But still it seemed so far-fetched that no one believed it.

Well now it did.
And not only was it the SEVERE ATTACK of Babylon,
But the LINGERING EFFECTS of it.

We’ve often said how many times the lingering effects of hardship
Are harder for us to handle than the initial tragedy.

And that is part of Asaph’s confusion here.
(5) “How long, O LORD? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire?”

Clearly to Asaph, the punishment had been severe enough.
• But since there was no relief, it was assumed that God must still be angry.
• Asaph couldn’t figure out why there was still no relief.
• God was still angry and God was still jealous.

Furthermore, Asaph couldn’t figure out
Why all of God’s rage seemed pointed at Jerusalem
While the pagan nations that did the slaughtering seemed unscathed.

(6-7) “Pour out Your wrath upon the nations which do not know You, And upon the kingdoms which do not call upon Your name. For they have devoured Jacob And laid waste his habitation.”

That’s sort of like Habakkuk’s problem isn’t it?
• Why would you focus all your wrath on us, when they are clearly worse than
us?

That continues to be a source of confusion, even in the church.
• When we live in a world of paganism.
• When we see extreme immorality on the rise.
• When the shedding of innocent blood is applauded.
• When unnatural behavior is celebrated.

And then we see the God’s people under attack.
• We tend to wonder, why in the world would God be disciplining us?
• Certainly He must see that we are the good guys (comparatively speaking).

But there is a very clear answer for this.
Amos 3:2 “You only have I chosen among all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”

Luke 12:47-48 “And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.”

TURN TO: EZEKIEL 16:1-34

Why would God be so angry at Israel?
Because He had done for Israel what He had done for no one else.

We certainly lament and abhor adultery in our world.
None of us celebrate the sexual immorality that is rampant in our culture.

BUT BE HONEST.
Which would bother you more,
The adultery of your neighbor or the adultery of your spouse?

1 Peter 4:17-18 “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER?”

In Ezekiel 8& 9,
• Ezekiel is transported back to Jerusalem in a vision where he saw the extreme idolatry of the people.
• He then saw the executioners coming into the city to slaughter.
• There was a man with a writing case who was to put a mark on the forehead of everyone who mourns over sin.
• And then everyone without a mark was to be destroyed.

Ezekiel 9: 6 “Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women, but do not touch any man on whom is the mark; and you shall start from My sanctuary.” So they started with the elders who were before the temple.”

Asaph is confused that God’s ANGER HAS LINGERED.
Asaph is confused that God’s JEALOUSY HAS ENDURED.
Asaph is confused that God HAS NOT DEALT with the really wicked.

But the reality is that God has always promised
More severity to those who know better.
God has always promised more severity
To those who promised loyalty and then didn’t offer it.

But even in that we still learn more from Asaph here.

• The fact that Asaph would cry to God even though God was the cause of the destruction told us that Asaph believed God to be compassionate.

• Now we say that the fact Asaph expressed confusion as to the ongoing judgment of Israel and the escape of Babylon reveals to us that Asaph also believed God to be just.

If you don’t believe God to be just then the suffering of the saints
And the prosperity of the wicked isn’t surprising.

Remember when God promised the destruction of Sodom?
Genesis 18:24-26 “Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? “Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” So the LORD said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account.”

Abraham was perplexed by the revelation
Because he knew God to be just.

Asaph is here in similar confusion.
• He clearly believes God to be just and so he addresses this perceived injustice.

God is not unjust, Israel deserves what they are receiving,
But you still understand the faith of Asaph.

He clearly believes God to be compassionate.
He clearly believes God to be just.

We see that in his cry and his confusion.
#3 HIS CONFESSION
Psalms 79:8-10

WE LOVE THIS BECAUSE
Even though Asaph does not understand all that God is doing
Or why God is doing it that way,
There is one thing Asaph does know…

REPENTANCE IS NEEDED.

He starts in a way that is confusion to some.
(8) “Do not remember the iniquities of our forefathers against us; Let Your compassion come quickly to meet us, For we are brought very low.”

It’s fun to read commentaries on such a verse because

Some will read that statement and say, “God absolutely punishes us for the iniquity of our parents”

And they quote:
Exodus 20:4-6 “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

Exodus 34:7 “who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

Deuteronomy 5:9 “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,”

And then others will read Psalms 79:8 and say, “God absolutely DOES NOT punish the iniquity of the fathers the children.”

And they will quote:
Deuteronomy 24:16 “Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers; everyone shall be put to death for his own sin.”

Ezekiel 18:1-4 “Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, ‘The fathers eat the sour grapes, But the children’s teeth are set on edge’? “As I live,” declares the Lord GOD, “you are surely not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore. “Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.”

So what in the world are we supposed to do with that?

LET ME EXPLAIN IT.
1) Every man stands before God for his own sin, and every man gives an account for his own sin.

That is actually fundamental to the gospel.
• That is the problem with the “Social Justice” movement of our day
• And the WOKE mentality where everyone is a victim.
• It eliminates responsibility for personal sin and seeks to blame everything on a past generation.

That won’t fly at the judgment.

2) Our fathers can create a culture that is makes sin more accessible, more tolerable, and more approvable.

Their decisions affect future generations by making sin easier,
But it doesn’t change that men still die for their own sin
Even if someone else makes it easier.

JUST TO CLARIFY OUR PRESENT DAY.
The main question our society askes is: “Am I a victim?”
The question they should ask is: “Am I a sinner?”

The reality is that past generations may affect your culture,
But the choice to sin in that culture is totally yours.
(In a way then both are guilty)

ASAPH SEEMS TO UNDERSTAND BOTH.

ON ONE HAND he and his people lived in a culture of sin that was created by past generations.
• Past generations had led them into idolatry and wickedness and created a culture where such sin was easy.
• Asaph lamented those sins and asked for deliverance from them.
(8) “Do not remember the iniquities of our forefathers against us; Let Your compassion come quickly to meet us, For we are brought very low.”

ON THE OTHER HAND Asaph also realized his own sin in the midst of that culture, for which he also needed forgiveness.
(9) “Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; And deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name’s sake.”

We might say that our fathers had a hand in the sinful culture we live in,
But ultimately our sin is our fault.

Asaph sought forgiveness and deliverance from both.

And he sought that forgiveness for the glory of God.
“Help us, O God of our salvation, FOR THE GLORY OF YOUR NAME”
“forgive our sins FOR YOUR NAME’S SAKE”

AND THEN HE CONTINUES.
(10) “Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let there be known among the nations in our sight, Vengeance for the blood of Your servants which has been shed.”

It is REMINISCENT of Ezekiel 36 where God promises
To restore Israel to their land, but makes no bones about why.

Ezekiel 36:22-23 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. “I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight.”

Asaph understands that.

The worst effect of the sin of God’s people
Was not the punishment it caused.
The worst effect of the sin of God’s people
Was the blasphemy it caused.

THIS IS WHY ASAPH IS REPENTING.
He longs for forgiveness and restoration,
Not just so that the consequences are removed,
But also so that God is once again glorified.

Yet again we see what Asaph believes.
• We know he believes God to be compassionate.
• We know he believes God to be just.
• And now we see he clearly believes God to be merciful.

Why else would you ask for forgiveness from a God
Whom you have blasphemed among the nations?

Clearly Asaph believes that no matter their sin,
God is merciful and will forgive it.
That is a good thing to remember during such times.

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

His Cry, His Confusion, His Confession
#4 HIS COMMITMENT
Psalms 79:11-13

The final 3 verses serve as sort of an expectation and a promised response to that expectation.
• Even though Jerusalem is in ashes.
• Even though survivors are being led away in chains.
• Even though the birds are feasting on the dead.

Asaph still has an expectation.
It is an expectation that God will act on behalf of His people and will AVENGE them on the enemy.

(11-12) “Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You; According to the greatness of Your power preserve those who are doomed to die. And return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom The reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord.”

He does not yet see what he asks for, but it is clear that he still believes in the loyalty of God.
• He still believes God will preserve the prisoners.
• He still believes God will punish the wicked.

He does not believe that God has forsaken His covenant.
He does not believe that God has forgotten His people.
• God will “preserve those who are doomed to die”
• And God will “return to our neighbors sevenfold in their bosom the reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord.”

He still trusts that, even in a dark day.

And so Asaph can also make this pledge.
(13) “So we Your people and the sheep of Your pasture Will give thanks to You forever; To all generations we will tell of Your praise.”

In view of the scene of verse 1, that is a pretty remarkable promise.
• Asaph looks to the day when God’s sheep will again be in God’s pasture.
• Asaph looks to the day when God’s sheep will be overcome with gratitude.
• Asaph looks to the day when old men will tell stories of God’s deliverance.

That is an optimistic statement in light of the destruction all around him.
• It is eyes of hope.
• It is faith in God’s loyalty.
• It is a commitment to worship God even in the darkness.

And those are good reminders for facing dark days.

And when we read Psalms 79,
It is important that we read it through the EYES OF THE GOSPEL.

The church today IS IMMUNE from the condemnation of God.

Romans 8:1 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

There is no wrath from God for His church
For Jesus bore and satisfied the full wrath of God for all our sin.
WE DO NOT FEAR GOD’S WRATH.

Now, as His church,
We are NOT IMMUNE from living in the effects of a sinful culture.

God’s wrath is clearly displayed on our culture today.
• People say that God will judge America.
• Look, if you believe Romans 1 then you have to say that God IS judging
America.

Romans 1:28-32 “And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.”

Clearly we see that today and we live under
The devastating effects of the sinful choices of our fathers.

We also know that that as His church,
We are NOT IMMUNE from the sanctifying discipline of the Lord.

He will allow trials and suffering to purify us as we live in a sinful world.

So learn from Asaph
And even when you don’t understand what you see
Then remember this.

• Trust that God is compassionate.
• Trust that God is just.
• Trust that God is merciful.
• Trust that God is loyal.

That is who God is.
And with eyes of hope praise God in the midst of the struggle
Because regardless of the trial,
Through Christ we know that we will be redeemed.

Jeremiah 31:27-34 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast. “As I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to overthrow, to destroy and to bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the LORD. “In those days they will not say again, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children’s teeth are set on edge.’ “But everyone will die for his own iniquity; each man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth will be set on edge. “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. “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.”

Regardless of the current destruction, the eternal plan has not changed.
We praise God for that.