Download Here:

The Suffering Servant – Part 1
Psalms 69
April 19, 2020

Tonight we come to the 69th Psalm and I must say that
I find it very fitting for where we walk in our day.

I have certainly felt the Lord working
His sanctifying work on me over the past few weeks.

One of the things that I have become keenly aware of is that
I still have a long way to go in the “death to self” department.

In a sermon John MacArthur preached called “God’s Pattern for Husbands” he gave a brief monologue about dying to self.

I suppose death to self, is the real issue. Somewhere along your pilgrimage as a Christian, you need to learn to die to yourself regularly. It saves you from being defensive, revengeful, retaliatory, [and] hostile, accumulating the list of things against you.
When you are forgotten or neglected or purposely set aside and you sting and hurt with the insult or the oversight, but your heart is happy and you count it a privilege to suffer for Christ; that is dying to self.
When your good is evil spoken of, when [others] misunderstand you, when your desires are not interesting to [others] when your advice is disregarded and your opinions are ridiculed, and when you are abused, when you are mistreated, or misunderstood, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend yourself; that is dying to self.
When you lovingly, patiently bear any disruption; any irregularity; any annoyance; when you can stand face to face with folly and waste and extravagance and insensitivity and endure it as Jesus endured it; that is dying to self.
When you are content with any food, any clothes, any climate, any society, any interruption, or any solitude; that is dying to self.
When you never care to refer to yourself in a conversation or to record and recite your own good works, or to pursue commendation; when you can truly love to be unrecognized for something good; that is dying to self.
When you see someone else prosper, someone else reach goals that you desire, and you can honestly rejoice with that other person in spirit; feel no envy and not question God while your needs are far greater and [you are] in desperate circumstances; that is dying to self.
-John MacArthur, from sermon “God’s Pattern for Husbands – Part 1”
https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/1946/gods-pattern-for-husbands-part-1 quoted at: 34:00 minutes.

I often include that quote as part of our training for our mission teams as we prepare because
• I am acutely aware that at some point the mission trip is going to push the boundaries of our personal sense of right and wrong.
• If the backward culture, unfamiliar diet, or fluid schedule don’t get you then the airlines certainly will.
• I remind our mission teams that if we are going to go and be representatives of Christ in the world then we are going to have to die to self.

I stumbled across that paper this week and realized that
God is continuing that process in my life because inwardly
I have not always handled this quarantine very well.

In fact, there have been a couple of days
Where I have been extremely angry about it.

And while I would like to just pass it off as righteous indignation
It is more likely that it has simply exposed that
My flesh is still very much alive and must be killed.

And you know that this is necessary.
Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”

Colossians 3:5-10 “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him”

Death to self is necessary and honestly there are few things
That accomplish that better than a little SUFFERING.

Tonight’s Psalm is good for me.
It is a Psalm all about suffering, but more than that
It is a Psalm that reminds us HOW TO SUFFER CORRECTLY.

And you know that we could have a full sermon-length introduction just on the topic of suffering correctly.
• 1 Peter speaks all about suffering like Christ.
• James deals with the issue of suffering right out of the gate.
• Paul actually told the Philippians that suffering had been “granted” to them.

We could say a lot about it just by way of introduction,
But because it is a lengthy Psalm we really don’t have time to do that.

But tonight, let’s just examine this 69th Psalm and hear David’s heart
As he walks through this time of hardship.

We actually see 7 aspects to David’s suffering in this Psalm.
#1 UNJUST SUFFERING
Psalms 69:1-4

Now we certainly point out the first words of the Psalm
Because they are important.

“Save me”

• We are aware that James tells us to “count it all joy when you face trials of various kinds”
• We know that the writer of Hebrews assures us that “God disciplines those whom He loves”
• We’ve heard Peter tells us that if we suffer as a Christian we should “glorify God in this name”

We understand the Bible’s mandate to suffer the correct way,
But that does NOT MEAN that
In our suffering we cannot pray for deliverance.

David is about to outline his suffering,
But it is not lost on us that his first words are “Save me, O God”

This is the legitimate response of the believer in his trials.
Of all the different avenues a man can seek to escape his suffering,
None are as important or as powerful as praying to God about it.

Indeed this was the whole point of what Jesus taught us this morning.
• Be like the persistent widow.
• Pray night and day to God for justice.
• And Jesus promised that God will give it.

That is where David begins.

From there we learn that it is most certainly because David needs saving.

(1b-3) “For the waters have threatened my life. I have sunk in deep mire, and there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and a flood overflows me. I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched; My eyes fail while I wait for my God.”

It is poetic language but it is not hard to understand.

David is drowning, and he can’t swim.
• The horror of being in the water is that there is not handhold to grab hold of.
• There is not foot rest to support your weight.
• All you can grab is water and it does not allow you pull yourself up.

David is there.
He can’t escape.

All he can do is cry out for help,
But that cry has gone on so long that he is ABOUT TO LOSE HIS VOICE.
“I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched; My eyes fail wile I wait for my God.”

He is just speaking of a lengthy time of suffering
That he has not been able to escape.

And adding to the struggle is the fact that
Thus far God has allowed it to continue.

I would venture to guess that most people here
• Have been in that boat at one time or another,
• Where suffering is intense
• And it has already gone on longer than you ever thought possible.

Let me just point out to you that
It is when suffering extends our limits that death to self occurs.

It is when the suffering moves beyond what we can handle
And we come to the end of ourselves
That we actually come into the place where God works on us.

I feel certain you have been there.
That is where David is.

But to make matters even worse for David.
His suffering is unjust.

(4) “Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; Those who would destroy me are powerful, being wrongfully my enemies; What I did not steal, I then have to restore.”

David’s suffering isn’t a quarantine or an illness or anything abstract.
David’s suffering is persecution.

• He is hated, but the problem is that he is hated “without a cause”
• And his enemies are many.
• David says they are “more than the hairs of my head”
• Not only that, but they “are powerful”

We just simply point out that
David is suffering and he is suffering unjustly.

Now we get to see how he handles it.
How do you suffer when you are suffering unjustly?

#2 HOLY SUFFERING
Psalms 69:5-12

When we read verse 5, it is NOT so much an admission of guilt
As it is an acknowledgement that God is his judge.

There is no hiding his true character from God.
There is no hiding his actions from God.
God knows everything about him.

In this incident David has already proclaimed that
His suffering is undeserved
And now he appeals to the God who knows that.

“O God, it is You who knows my folly, And my wrongs are not hidden from You.”

If David was guilty, God would know it.

But instead of being guilty, David actually has pure motives.

His goal is to suffer well as an example
And an encouragement to those who are watching.

(6) “May those who wait for You not be ashamed through me, O Lord GOD of hosts; May those who seek You not be dishonored through me, O God of Israel,”

It is David’s hope that in his suffering that he can suffer in such a way
As to encourage the brethren.

Have you ever considered that in your suffering?
• It is very easy to get self-absorbed.
• It is very easy to get angry.

Have you thought about your suffering
As a tool for the encouragement of the body?

We remember Paul while jailed, writing to the Philippians.
Philippians 1:13-14 “so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.”

Paul saw his suffering as an opportunity to encourage the brethren.
• He even wrote to the Philippians regarding how they should follow his lead and
suffer like him.

Philippians 1:27-30 “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents — which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.”

His hope was to be an encouragement.

That is what David says here.
• There are those who are hurting who are waiting on God,
• I hope I don’t let them down.
• I hope I can be a model of strength and encouragement to them.

• There are also those who are counting on me to do the right thing.
• I hope I do not dishonor them.

You see that proper mindset from David.
He is suffering unjustly, but he still wants to suffer well.

Beyond that, we also get a picture of WHY he is suffering.

(7-9) “Because for Your sake I have borne reproach; Dishonor has covered my face. I have become estranged from my brothers And an alien to my mother’s sons. For zeal for Your house has consumed me, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.”

David actually says why he is suffering.
• It is “for Your sake”

David’s desire to obey and follow God has caused him suffering, even in the midst of his own household.
• “I have become estranged from my brothers and an alien to my mother’s sons.”

Why?
• “For zeal for Your house has consumed me.”

They hate me because I am so passionate about You.

What that really means is that they hate God,
And since David is passionate about God
The hatred they have for God has spilled over to him.

And there is so much there regarding suffering for Christ that is echoed in the New Testament.

• Jesus Himself told us that He would cause division even among our families.
• Jesus said they would hate us because they hate Him.

Paul said:
Colossians 1:24 “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.”

That doesn’t mean that Christ’s suffering was insufficient, rather it means that the world wasn’t finished persecuting Christ when He left.
And now their animosity falls to His church; His body.

And Paul said, I feel that animosity.

WE UNDERSTAND WHAT DAVID IS SAYING.

We remember the lament of Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 15:16-17 “Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts. I did not sit in the circle of merrymakers, Nor did I exult. Because of Your hand upon me I sat alone, For You filled me with indignation.”

Jeremiah 20:8-9 “For each time I speak, I cry aloud; I proclaim violence and destruction, Because for me the word of the LORD has resulted In reproach and derision all day long. But if I say, “I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name,” Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, And I cannot endure it.”

And his suffering even came from his own home.
Jeremiah 12:6 “For even your brothers and the household of your father, Even they have dealt treacherously with you, Even they have cried aloud after you. Do not believe them, although they may say nice things to you.”

YOU GET IT.
It is suffering, not for stupidity, but because of holiness.

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

Well that’s how David is suffering.

(10-12) “When I wept in my soul with fasting, It became my reproach. When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them. Those who sit in the gate talk about me, And I am the song of the drunkards.”

He is a scorned and hated and rejected man because he is righteous.

Let me remind you that this is the highest calling of the believer.
To suffer reproach because of the name of Christ.

Peter said:
1 Peter 4:14 “If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”

Jesus said:
Matthew 5:11-12 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

In short, we are not just called to be sufferers, but holy sufferers.
We are called to suffer like Christ
And we are called to suffer because of Christ.

DAVID DID.

Unjust Suffering, Holy Suffering
#3 FAITHFUL SUFFERING
Psalms 69:13-19

We call this faithful suffering because in his pain
David does not turn on God.
Rather, in his pain David draws nearer to God.
He remains faithful so that the suffering can accomplish its perfect work.

• Now you still see David crying for an answer.
• You still see David crying for deliverance.

• BUT YOU ALSO SEE DAVID’S FAITH in God’s sovereign control, God’s loyalty, God’s compassion, and God’s omniscience.

He is trusting God in the midst of the suffering.

SOVEREIGNTY
(13a) “But as for me, my prayer is to You, O LORD, at an acceptable time;”

• He doesn’t run to another.
• He doesn’t pray to another.
• God remains his only hope.

And David even acknowledges that all times are in God’s hands.
While he prays for deliverance, he also trusts the timing of God.

That is faithful suffering when your God is sovereign.

LOYALTY
(13b-15) “O God, in the greatness of Your lovingkindness, Answer me with Your saving truth. Deliver me from the mire and do not let me sink; May I be delivered from my foes and from the deep waters. May the flood of water not overflow me Nor the deep swallow me up, Nor the pit shut its mouth on me.”

You are well acquainted now that “lovingkindness” is CHECED
(God’s loyal covenantal love)

David doesn’t question God’s loyalty in suffering, he counts on it.
It is because of God’s loyalty that David can cry for deliverance.

He is trusting God.

COMPASSION
(16-18) “Answer me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness is good; According to the greatness of Your compassion, turn to me, And do not hide Your face from Your servant, For I am in distress; answer me quickly. Oh draw near to my soul and redeem it; Ransom me because of my enemies!”

His suffering doesn’t cause him to question God’s compassion.
It is his belief in God’s compassion that causes him to pray for help
And to even pray for redemption.

Do you see the difference between suffering in faith
And suffering without faith?

OMNISCIENCE
(19) “You know my reproach and my shame and my dishonor; All my adversaries are before You.”

He also trusts that God knows what is going on.
• Reminiscent of Hezekiah spreading the Assyrian letter out before God, David is well aware that God knows what is going on.

That’s faith isn’t it?

That is faithful suffering and the way we are called to do it.
To trust God in the storm even when we can’t see.

#4 SOLITARY SUFFERING
Psalms 69:20-21

It escalates the degree of David’s suffering.
• Not only is he suffering unjustly…
• Not only is he suffering for doing right…
• Not only is he maintain faith while suffering…
• BUT HE IS SUFFERING ALONE

• David says that he has no sympathy.
• David says that he has no comforters.
• Instead of food he is given gall.
• Instead of water he is given vinegar.

This is certainly a stinging and difficult suffering,
But it has not changed David’s faith or trust in God.

David still has not turned on God.
David still cries out to God.

It is certainly a difficult day when all of our other nets are removed.
When truly our only source of deliverance is God.

It is there that we find out the degree of our faith
And also the greatness of God’s power.

Unjust Suffering, Holy Suffering, Faithful Suffering, Solitary Suffering
#5 PATIENT SUFFERING
Psalms 69:22-28

This is the stanza of the Psalm that causes most people confusion.
• Again, it is a failure to understand the role and importance of the imprecatory Psalms.

If you only determine to pass them off as “unchristian”
Not only do you render a large portion of the Psalms incomprehensible,
But you also rob yourself of a rich treasure God has for you.

As I have told you, we do not reject the imprecatory Psalms.
• They are God’s Psalms.
• They are inspired by God’s Spirit.
• They are not now irrelevant (that cannot happen to God’s word)
• They are not now put on the “does not apply today” shelf.

We sing these songs!
We pray these prayers!

Instead of taking our own revenge (of which we are strictly forbidden)
We go into our closet and we lay our cause out to God
And ask Him for vengeance for vengeance is His.

• We are not ok with the oppression of the righteous.
• We are not ok with blasphemy of God’s name.
• We are not ok with the slaughter of the innocent.
• We are not ok with the mocking of the arrogant.

So we take our requests to God.
• We pray for His return (as we learned this morning)
• We pray for His righteous reign.
• We pray for His vindication.

The judgement of the wicked is as much the work of God
As the salvation of the humble is.

And we pray for that.
• While we turn our other cheek…
• While we go our extra mile…
• While we respond with a blessing…
• We lay our justice at the feet of God and ask Him to deliver.

That is what David is praying here.
It is an imprecatory prayer.

In the New Testament we see them most often in the book of the Revelation.
• The saints below the altar crying out “How Long?”
• Or the elders singing “Hallelujah! As the great harlot is destroyed”

But this is also part of the model prayer.
• When Jesus taught us to pray “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
• When Jesus taught us to pray “deliver us from the evil one.”

These are certainly references to our Lord’s coming
And His judgment on the wicked.

And David does that.
He pours his frustration out to God.

(22-25) “May their table before them become a snare; And when they are in peace, may it become a trap. May their eyes grow dim so that they cannot see, And make their loins shake continually. Pour out Your indignation on them, And may Your burning anger overtake them. May their camp be desolate; May none dwell in their tents.”

That is harsh poetic language of judgment that David asks for.

BUT WHY?
(26) “For they have persecuted him whom You Yourself have smitten, and they tell of the pain of those whom You have wounded.”

Remember the book of Obadiah?
It is a judgment on Edom.

Why?
Because when God judged Jerusalem, t
Hey stood at the crossroads and cut down the survivors.

Obadiah 10-11,14 “Because of violence to your brother Jacob, You will be covered with shame, And you will be cut off forever. “On the day that you stood aloof, On the day that strangers carried off his wealth, And foreigners entered his gate And cast lots for Jerusalem — You too were as one of them…Do not stand at the fork of the road To cut down their fugitives; And do not imprison their survivors In the day of their distress.”

They had no right to persecute God’s people, but they did.
And God judged them for it.

The same is what David prays here.
He cannot seek his own revenge,
But he can most certainly patiently wait for the wrath of the Lord.

(27-28) “Add iniquity to their iniquity, And may they not come into Your righteousness. May they be blotted out of the book of life And may they not be recorded with the righteous.”

It is a simple prayer for the justice of God.
• We are thankful God is merciful and gracious and compassionate,
• But we are also thankful He is holy and just.

We do not take our own revenge in our suffering,
But we do patiently wait for God’s vindication;
Which He will surely bring.

Luke 18:7-8 “now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

David is patiently suffering.

#6 HOPEFUL SUFFERING
Psalms 69:29-33

Here David is still suffering. Here David is still in pain.
But he is looking to the day of salvation and deliverance
When that suffering is over.

(29) “But I am afflicted and in pain; may Your salvation, O God, set me securely on high.”

He is looking with hope to the day when it is over.
But even in the midst, he worships
And he understands that this is the desire of God.

(30-31) “I will praise the name of God with song And magnify Him with thanksgiving. And it will please the LORD better than an ox Or a young bull with horns and hoofs.”

God loves a sufferer’s song more than a rich man’s dollar.
God loves a sufferer’s gratitude more than a priests offering.

David sings songs of salvation even while suffering
Because he is suffering with hope.

Romans 5:3-5 “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

This worship, this gratitude, this hope even while suffering
Is evidence that the Holy Spirit dwells within us.

Worship while suffering is what Paul calls “proven character”.
IT PROVES WHOSE WE ARE.

DAVID WORSHIPS WITH HOPE.

And do you remember how EARLIER he was concerned about being an encouragement?

Well, because he sang while suffering, HE WAS an encouragement.
(32-33) “The humble have seen it and are glad; You who seek God, let your heart revive. For the LORD hears the needy And does not despise His who are prisoners.”

David’s song in the night was precisely what other humble believers needed to hear.
• It is the song of Paul and Silas while in jail in Philippi…
• It is the worship of Job while burying his children…
• It is the celebration of Peter and John after a flogging…

It is suffering with hope, and it encourages the weak.

Unjust Suffering, Holy Suffering, Faithful Suffering, Solitary Suffering, Patient Suffering, Hopeful Suffering
#7 VICTORIOUS SUFFERING
Psalms 69:34-36

With eyes to eternity.
David moves from earth to heaven where the victory is won
And recounts the total praise that will be God’s forever.

(34) “Let heaven and earth praise Him, The seas and everything that moves in them.”

WHY?
(35-36) “For God WILL save Zion and build the cities of Judah, That they may dwell there and possess it. The descendants of His servants will inherit it, And those who love His name will dwell in it.”

With eyes of faith David looks to the victory of the city
Where there will be no more crying or pain or death
And already begins to sing the song of the victorious.

This is how we must suffer as well.
• No matter how difficult, unjust, or solitary.
• We must suffer holiness, faith, patience, hope, and victory.

That is the example David lays out.
And you see that.

BUT I’M BETTER YOU’VE SEEN MORE THAN THAT
AS WE WORKED THROUGH THIS PSALM.

Perhaps you read verse 4 about “those who hate me without a cause” and it sparked a memory in your mind.

John 15:24-25 “If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. “But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, ‘THEY HATED ME WITHOUT A CAUSE.’

Perhaps you read verse 9 “For zeal for Your house has consumed me” and it sparked a memory.

John 2:15-17 “And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; and to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME.”

Perhaps you read also in verse 9, “the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me” and it sparked a memory.

Romans 15:3 “For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “THE REPROACHES OF THOSE WHO REPROACHED YOU FELL ON ME.”

Perhaps you read verse 21, “They also gave me gall for my food and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” And it sparked yet another memory.

Matthew 27:34 “they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink.”

No doubt some of you already picked up on this.

But while David wrote the Psalm, this Psalm is really about
The true Suffering Servant, who is Christ.

What I want you to do now is jot down this outline,
• Perhaps even in your margin
• And then you can go home and look at Christ in this Psalm
• And rejoice in His victorious suffering.

(1-4) THE SUFFERING SERVANT
• See Christ hated without a cause (4)
• See Christ surrounded by His foes (4)
• See Christ having to pay for what He did not do. (4)

(5-12) THE SANCTIFIED SERVANT
• See Christ examined by God (5)
• See Christ as the only hope of His brethren (6)
• See Christ suffering because He was righteous (7-8)
• See Christ zealous for God (9)
• See Christ mocked for and cursed and slandered (10-12)

(13-19) THE SUBMISSIVE SERVANT
• See Christ in the garden praying, “not My will, but Yours” (13)
• See Christ praying for this cup to pass (14-15)
• See Christ suffering in agony yet enduring (17-18)
• See Christ contemplating the shame and reproach that is coming (19)

(20-21) THE SLAUGHTEED SERVANT
• See Christ hanging on the cross (20)
• See His heart broken (20)
• See everyone mocking and scoring (20)
• See Him suffering alone (20)
• See them give Him gall and vinegar to drink (21)

(22-28) THE SUPREME SERVANT
• See Christ as the exclusive Savior (26)
• See Christ as the exalted King
• See Christ as the sure and certain Judge of His accusers
• See Christ’s life mean death for those who hate Him
• See that acceptance or rejection of Christ is the most important decision this world ever makes.

(29-33) THE SATISFYING SERVANT
• See the salvation Christ purchased (29)
• See that His sacrifice was more pleasing that goats or bulls (31)
• See that the humble love what He did (32)
• See that the needy are revived through His offering (32)
• See how the prisoners are released through His suffering (33)

(34-36) THE SAVING SERVANT
• See Christ exalted in heaven (34)
• See every tongue confessing and every knee bowing (34)
• See the host of heaven crying worthy is the Lamb (34)
• See the redeemed in the new Zion (35)
• See the redeemed dwelling there with Him (35)
• See those who love His name dwelling with Him in heaven (36)

That is your homework for the week.
(these notes will be on the website with the sermon post if you want a guide)

And then next week,
• We’re going to come back and we will study this Psalm again.
• Next time we will look to the glorified Savior who was the true example and suffering Servant.

Download Here:

Praying For Justice
Luke 18:1-8
April 19, 2020

This morning we come to a pretty familiar story.
This story of the persistent widow is not uncommon to us, we’ve all heard it before.

In one sense it is quite an easy story to understand.
• The analogy Jesus makes is pretty obvious to us, as is His point about persistence in prayer.

But in another sense it is a widely misunderstood story
• And one that we miss the point of completely.

To show you how we miss the point,
I would just first direct your attention to the final verse of the text.

Look at verse 8.
• This is after we are told to pray and not lose heart.
• This is after we are told about the persistent widow and the unrighteous judge.
• This is after we are reminded that God is not at all like the unrighteous judge.
• This is after we are reminded that God will bring about justice for us.

And then at the end of vs 8 we read this rather peculiar statement.
(8b) “However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

In my studies I had actually written on my scratch sheet:
“Why does He mention the second coming here?
Why not say, ‘However, do you trust Him enough to pray day and night?’”

It almost seems like the reference
To the second coming comes out of nowhere.

We might ask:
• What does His coming have to do with our praying about injustice?
• What does His coming have to do with our persistence in prayer?

This is one of those places in the Bible where
THE CHAPTER BREAK is extremely unfortunate.

If you were with us two weeks ago, and even before that, you’ll know that
We have been listening as the Lord spoke of the coming of His kingdom.

• It all started back in 17:20 when the Pharisees sort of dared Him to produce
signs of His kingdom.
• Jesus instead told them that the spiritual kingdom was here and they needed
to enter it.
• He did, however, then turn to His disciples to talk to them about the coming
of His kingdom.
• And so you know that 17:22-37 was all about the second coming and the
setting up of Christ’s kingdom on earth.

And the temptation is to think that
The sermon was over at the end of chapter 17, but it wasn’t.

When you get to chapter 18 we read, “Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart.”

Nothing there indicates a new audience or a new setting.

In fact, if verse 18:1 was actually 17:38
You’d be more likely to unite it with the previous train of thought.

THE SERMON CONTINUES

Now remember what Jesus told them?
Luke 17:22 “And He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.”

Jesus told His disciples that there was coming a time
When He would be gone and they would long for Him,
But would not see Him.

• During this time would be great deception.
• If you read Matthew’s gospel you know there would also be persecution.

And one might ask: How are believers supposed to endure this time period without Christ in which deception and persecution abound?

AND THE ANSWER: We are to “pray at all times and not to lose heart”

“lose heart” translates EKKAKEO and it means “to be utterly spiritless;
to be wearied out, exhausted; to give up, or lose courage.”

And so perhaps you understand now a little better
Why the purpose of this parable.

It is NOT a simple parable about prayer in general,
But rather IT IS the specific instruction of our Lord to His disciples
Regarding how we are to handle this difficult period
Between His ascension and His second coming.

• This time period when we long for Him.
• This time period when we so badly want to see Him.
• This time period when injustice and evil and godlessness abounds.
• This time period when God is mocked and Christ is rejected.
• This time period when babies are aborted and immorality is sought.

• How do we handle such a time without losing heart?
• How do we handle this time period without growing weary?
• How do we handle this time period without losing courage?

The answer: WE PRAY

This parable is specifically about
• Praying for the Lord’s return.
• Praying for God’s vengeance and justice.
• Praying for Christ’s return and the day in which He will judge His enemies.

As Christians we pray for that day.

John said:
Revelation 22:20 “He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”

Now to that end, BEFORE WE GET FURTHER into our text let me remind you again of those truths we have so often studied in the Psalms.

They are called the Imprecatory Psalms.
The Psalms where David calls down judgment on His enemies.

Psalms 5:8-10 “O LORD, lead me in Your righteousness because of my foes; Make Your way straight before me. There is nothing reliable in what they say; Their inward part is destruction itself. Their throat is an open grave; They flatter with their tongue. Hold them guilty, O God; By their own devices let them fall! In the multitude of their transgressions thrust them out, For they are rebellious against You.”

Psalms 7:6 “Arise, O LORD, in Your anger; Lift up Yourself against the rage of my adversaries, And arouse Yourself for me; You have appointed judgment.”

Psalms 10:12-15 “Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up Your hand. Do not forget the afflicted. Why has the wicked spurned God? He has said to himself, “You will not require it.” You have seen it, for You have beheld mischief and vexation to take it into Your hand. The unfortunate commits himself to You; You have been the helper of the orphan. Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until You find none.”

And as we have studied these we have talked about
How so many of the current Christian community
View prayers like that as actually “Un-Christian”.
They say, “We must never pray like that.”

And of course the go-to passage is where Jesus prayed on the cross
That God would forgive His enemies.

And we certainly do not overlook the importance of that prayer.
• Certainly we pray for our enemies.
• Certainly we pray for those who persecute us.
• We pray for their repentance.
• We pray for their salvation.

But at the same time we do not pray that
They will be able to live in sin indefinitely and spurn God forever.

WE STILL LONG FOR JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Psalms 7:12-16 “If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword; He has bent His bow and made it ready. He has also prepared for Himself deadly weapons; He makes His arrows fiery shafts. Behold, he travails with wickedness, And he conceives mischief and brings forth falsehood. He has dug a pit and hollowed it out, And has fallen into the hole which he made. His mischief will return upon his own head, And his violence will descend upon his own pate.”

We want repentance, but we are not willing to just roll over
And treat evil as something we will tolerate forever.

• We pray for the day when Christ will come and judge His foes.
• We pray for the day when Christ will come and set up a new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells.

Romans 8:24-25 “For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”

Philippians 3:17-21 “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”

We know this wicked world will be destroyed when Christ comes,
But that doesn’t keep us from eagerly waiting for Him.

Our desire for the wicked to repent does not in any way diminish
Our desire for the Lord to return and judge the wicked.

In fact, tonight we’re going to look at Psalms 69.
It’s a Psalm with several Messianic fulfillments

For instance:
Psalms 69:21 “They also gave me gall for my food And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”

You recognize that event. It spoke of the cross of Jesus
When they gave Him vinegar on the cross.

Do you want to see the very next verse?
Psalms 69:22-28 “May their table before them become a snare; And when they are in peace, may it become a trap. May their eyes grow dim so that they cannot see, And make their loins shake continually. Pour out Your indignation on them, And may Your burning anger overtake them. May their camp be desolate; May none dwell in their tents. For they have persecuted him whom You Yourself have smitten, And they tell of the pain of those whom You have wounded. Add iniquity to their iniquity, And may they not come into Your righteousness. May they be blotted out of the book of life And may they not be recorded with the righteous.”

That catch you off guard?
You were expecting, “Father forgive them” weren’t you?

THE POINT IS that even in His righteous suffering,
And even while He prayed for the forgiveness of His persecutors,
Even Christ looked with an eye to the future of His coming kingdom
And the day His enemies would be destroyed.

Or perhaps you remember these Psalms?
Psalms 57,58,59.
We called them the “Destroy Not” Psalms.
They were set to “Al-tashheth” which means “destroy not”

But we noted that was a strange distinction
Since in those Psalms we read statements like:

Psalms 57:2-3 “I will cry to God Most High, To God who accomplishes all things for me. He will send from heaven and save me; He reproaches him who tramples upon me. Selah. God will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth.”

Psalms 58:6 “O God, shatter their teeth in their mouth; Break out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD.”

Psalms 59:5 “You, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, Awake to punish all the nations; Do not be gracious to any who are treacherous in iniquity. Selah.”

Psalms 59:13 “Destroy them in wrath, destroy them that they may be no more; That men may know that God rules in Jacob To the ends of the earth. Selah.”

How can you call those the “Destroy Not” Psalms?
Because they weren’t sung for God’s benefit, but for our benefit.

They were songs of David sung to remind him and his men
To never take their own revenge,
But rather to leave room for the wrath of God.

Remember?
Romans 12:19 “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.”

Even Jesus taught us to pray:
Matthew 6:10 “’Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.”

WE KNOW OUR ROLE. On this earth, without Christ, as evil abounds.
• We are tempted to lose heart.
• We are tempted to shrink back.

BUT WE DON’T.
Instead we pray for the return of the Lord
When He will come and set all things right.

• We are tempted to take our own revenge and take matters into our own hands.

BUT WE DON’T.
Instead we pray for the return of the Lord
When He will come and set all things right.

We, in many ways, are like the martyrs below the altar:
Revelation 6:9-11 “When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, ” How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.”

So I hope you now have a better understanding
Of what we are talking about in this parable.

• We have a widow who wants justice.
• We have a widow who wants vindication.
• We have a widow who wants deliverance from her opponent.

• She is not losing heart.
• She is not taking matters into her own hands.
• She is instead doing exactly what we must do.
• She is bringing her burden to her judge.

The blessing for us, is that unlike her we have a righteous judge.

So let’s look at the story together and learn how we are to respond
During this time of evil while we wait for the return of Christ.

Let’s break this story down into 3 points this morning.
#1 THE PREFACE
Luke 18:1

We actually find here what is NOT COMMON to all of the parables.
• And that is that Luke actually makes sure we get the point of the parable right off the bat.

Luke prefaces the parable with this explanation.

“Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart.”

Jesus has mentioned that He will be leaving.
• During His absence His disciples will long for His days and won’t see it.
• He has told us that deception will abound.
• And we know that evil and persecution will abound as well.

In fact we read passages like:
1 Timothy 4:1-2 “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,”

Or
2 Timothy 3:1-5 “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.”

Or
2 Peter 2:1-3 “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”

Or perhaps even more relevant to the current point:
2 Peter 3:3-4 “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.”

We see the promises all throughout the Bible that
This world is not getting better, but is in fact getting worse.

As time goes on and we still await the return of the Lord,
Our world seems to take His absence as a sign
That He isn’t coming at all.

Some even mock that He won’t come.

Certainly we see irreverence on the rise.

I’m sure some of you caught the news conference by Governor Cuomo this past week in which he said, “The number is down because we brought the number down. God did not do that. Fate did not do that. Destiny did not do that. A lot of pain and suffering did that.”
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/progressivesecularhumanist/2020/04/new-york-governor-andrew-cuomo-god-did-not-stop-spread-of-virus/

And that’s to not even mention some of the other attacks of governors on Christianity in the past 2 weeks.

We know how Christ is mocked and how people say His return is myth.

JESUS EVEN PROMISED THAT.

Remember Luke 17 when He spoke of His return.
• He said it would be like the days of Noah and the days of Lot.
• Both of those days where extremely immoral days.
• Days when men lived in the grossest and vilest sin imaginable.

And they lived in that sin with absolutely not thought given to judgment.

Remember how Jesus put it?
Luke 17:27 “they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.”

Luke 17:28-29 “It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.”

They were undisciplined, unholy, unconcerned men.
• They lived in their worldly pleasures with absolutely no concern of a coming judgment.
• They ignored the righteous men in their midst that they might swim in the filth of their sin.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT.
We understand the pain of living in a sinful world.

We understand what Peter says about righteous Lot.
2 Peter 2:7-8 “and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds),”

That’s a good way to put it isn’t it?
TORMENT
• We are tormented by abortion.
• We are tormented by sexual immorality.
• We are tormented by homosexuality and other sexual perversion.
• We are tormented by greed and deception and a lack of integrity.

And all the while it just keeps getting worse
And Jesus still hasn’t appeared.
We long for His days but we don’t yet see them.

So what’s the command?
“pray and not to lose heart”

THIS STORY IS ABOUT THAT.

The Preface
#2 THE PARABLE
Luke 18:2-5

You understand this story pretty well without much explanation.

1) AN UNRIGHTEOUS JUDGE (2)
“In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man.”

Incidentally, there was a specific warning in the Old Testament
That all judges must do this.

2 Chronicles 19:6-7 “He said to the judges, “Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the LORD who is with you when you render judgment. “Now then let the fear of the LORD be upon you; be very careful what you do, for the LORD our God will have no part in unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe.”

But this judge didn’t care.
• In fact later, he’ll say this about himself. (4b) “Even though I do not fear God
nor respect man,”

“respect” is a Greek word which means “to be put to shame”

What Jesus is saying is that this judge “was not ashamed before people”
• He didn’t care what they thought.
• He wasn’t worried about their opinion.
• He had no shame.

He was just a vile and carnal man with no moral code.
He was only a judge for what he could get out of it.

2) A HELPLESS WIDOW (3)
“There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’”

She must have been ALONE because in their culture
Any women would have rather a man go on her behalf.
She was a widow. She was helpless.

She had no power to resist or stop her legal opponent.
HER ONLY HOPE was that this judge would act on her behalf.
Literally that he would vindicate her.
That he would give her justice.

You already understand what a FAR-FETCHED NOTION that was
Since this man already rejected the two great social pressures
That would have caused him to do it.

On one hand it is all throughout God’s word
• That He would have us care for the orphans and widows; but this man didn’t
fear God.

On top of that, there is a certain social pressure
• That society would put on a judge to help the less fortunate, and he didn’t care
about that.

In reality, he was probably more likely to rule in favor of the opponent
Because this widow had nothing to offer him that would profit him
And it is likely that the opponent did.

She was in a tough predicament.

3) THE INITIAL JUDGMENT (4a)
“For a while he was unwilling”

• He just said, “No”.
• There was nothing in it for him.
• His only motivation was what was good for him and this widow had nothing.

She was on her own.
He didn’t care about her.

4) THE EVENTUAL JUDGMENT (4b-5)
“but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’”

You do need to understand the culture a little here.
It is true that women in that day had no basic rights.
Yet, they were held in high respect and had honor.

And this meant that they could get away with certain behaviors
That men could not get away with.

• Namely, they could badger and beg and even yell non-stop at the judge without real fear of repercussion.

We might understand that in today’s unwritten rules like,
“You should never hit a woman”.

If a man gets in your face and starts mocking and threatening, you might feel at liberty to sock him in the nose, but you won’t do it to a woman because she is a woman.

Well that’s where this man was.
There was a certain honor in place
And a certain line that even he couldn’t cross.

He couldn’t stop this woman from continually badgering him.

He actually said, “by continually coming she will wear me out.”

“wear out” is HUPOPIAZO (hoo-poe-pee-od-zoe)
Which literally means “to strike in the face” or “to treat roughly”
Or “to beat black and blue”.

1 Corinthians 9:27 “but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”

This woman was gnawing on him and beating him up
From the inside out and he couldn’t take it any longer.

So finally he consented.
• Not because he feared God.
• Not because he respected man.
• But because this woman wouldn’t leave him alone,

He gave “her legal protection”
He gave her justice – He gave her vindication.

THAT’S THE PARABLE.

The Preface, The Parable
#3 THE POINT
Luke 18:6-8

“Hear what the unrighteous judge said”

What did he say?
“because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection”

He basically stated that there’s no other way of dealing with her
Than to give in to her requests.

To which Jesus responds.
“will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night”

The important thing here obviously is to recognize the CONTRASTS.
• We contrast an unrighteous judge who does not care for this widow,
• With a righteous Father who certainly cares for His elect.

Matthew Henry noted 9 important contrasts here that further emphasize the point.

1) This widow was a stranger, but we are God’s own elect, whom He knows and loves.
2) She was one, but the praying people of God are many.
3) She came to a judge who bode her keep her distance, but we come to a Father who bids us come boldly to Him.
4) She came to an unjust judge, but we come to a righteous Father.
5) She came to this judge purely on her own account, but God Himself is engaged in the cause which we are soliciting.
6) She had no friends to speak for her, but we have an Advocate with the Father, His own Son who ever lives to make intercession for us.
7) She had no encouragement given her to ask, but we have a promise that if we ask it will be given to us.
8) She could have access to the judge only at some certain times, but we may cry to God day and night and at all hours.
9) Her importunity was provoking to the judge, but our importunity is pleasing to God.
(Henry, Matthew [Matthew Henry’s Commentary in one volume; Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI; 1960] pg. 1481)

It is an obvious contrast isn’t it?
If that unrighteous judge would bring about vindication
For this widow then certainly God will for us.

THIS IS THE ANSWER TO THE FRUSTRATION
That all believers feel as we long for the return of Christ.

As we see a world of evil and corruption and immorality and blasphemy and defiance.
• We, like the disciples, long to see the days of the Son of Man.
• We feel the anguish of righteous Lot.
• We identify with the Psalmist’s prayers for justice.

But here, our Savior reminds us that VINDICATION IS A CERTAINTY for God’s children.
• He will not leave us as orphans.
• He will come to us.
• He will vindicate us.
• He will come and make everything right in the end.

That is a certain promise meant to encourage us.
In your frustration, in your despair,
Cry to God who will most certainly respond.

Now, we do need to do a little work on that next phrase
Because it is a little MISLEADING.

(7b-8) “and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly.”

Now, in reading that statement IT DEFINITELY SOUNDS LIKE that
If you will simply cry out to God for justice then He’ll give it to you quickly.

There is a problem however isn’t there?
The Bible is filled with stories of BELIEVERS who cried out for vindication or justice WHO DID NOT receive it quickly. (At least not by human terms)

That is the point of all those imprecatory Psalms.
That is why we so often read the phrase, “How long..?”

We know that many believers lived lives of great injustice,
And were even martyred before any vindication in this world occurred.

We certainly do not doubt any words from our Lord,
But is it possible that perhaps
This is not exactly what He was saying?

“delay long over them” actually translates MAKROTHUMEO
• In relation to time MAKROS means “distant”
• THUMOS means “wrath”

The word Jesus used here literally means “to be patient”

It is translated “delay long” because translators assumed
Jesus was reinforcing His answer that God will vindicate.

However, there is much reason to believe
What Jesus was actually doing
Was EXPLAINING WHY VENGEANCE IS DELAYED.

Let me show you some OTHER PLACES that MAKROTHUMEO is used.
Romans 2:4 “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”

Romans 9:22 “What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?”

In both of those you see that what Paul referred to was
GOD PATIENTLY ENDURING SINNERS.
He was delaying His wrath in judgment and giving them an opportunity to repent.

Paul actually credited that patience as the reason for his own salvation.
1 Timothy 1:16 “Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.”

Peter speaks of this same concept going on during the days of Noah.
1 Peter 3:20 “who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.”

But perhaps the most telling usage of this word
Comes in Peter’s second letter.
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

There we are reminded that the reason Christ seems slow in regard to His promise to come and vindicate His children is because He is patient.
• He is not willing that one single one of His elect should perish.
• He will not judge the world until every single one of His sheep are found.

Peter mentions it again later.
2 Peter 3:15 “and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,”

And this gives us a better explanation
Of what Jesus is talking about here in Luke’s gospel.

He certainly promises that God will vindicate His children,
But at the same time He explains why there is a delay.
He is patiently waiting for all of His elect to come in.

A better way to read the verse would be like this:
“will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night?” (YES) “but He exercises patience over them.”

And then Jesus says:
(8) “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly.”

Which DOES NOT speak to quickly in a calendar sense,
But rather in a sudden sense.
His return is a sudden event
And that is what He is saying here.
• Do not lose heart in this world.
• Do not quit praying.
• Do not quit trusting.

God is a good Father who faithfully cares for His elect.
He most certainly will bring vindication for His own.

The only reason for His delay
Is that He is patiently waiting for all His elect to come home,
But when they do, His return and judgment will be sudden and swift.

And then Jesus ends this story with a very important question.
(8b) “However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

What is He talking about?

When the Lord returns there will be two types of people.
• Those who eagerly sought and anticipated His return as evidenced by their faithful prayer and not losing heart.

• And those who dismissed His return as evidenced by their busyness in all of the world’s ventures.

Those who were only interested in the affairs of this world
Will be judged suddenly.
Those who were ready for the return of the Lord will be saved.

And the implied question is: WHICH ARE YOU?

Have you given up on the Lord?
• Are you tempted to lose heart when looking at this wicked world?
• Have you adopted the “if you can’t beat ‘em you might as well join ‘em”?
• Are you convinced that He’s not coming back and so you aren’t concerned about the way in which you live?

Or, are you faithfully holding to the promise?
• When life is unjust, are you able to refrain from taking your own revenge because you still believe that one day Christ will return and vindicate you?
• Are you able to simply cast all things on Him in prayer and trust His coming?
• Are you walking in faith that He will come and set all things right?

That is how we handle this difficult time
Between the Lord’s ascension and His departure.
We walk in faith that the Lord’s timing is perfect and His day of reckoning will come.

2 Peter 3:9-10 “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.”

Download Here:

The First Fruits
1 Corinthians 15:20-22
April 12, 2020

Tonight we want to CONTINUE OUR CELEBRATION of the fact that
We serve a risen Savior.

And we want to do that by looking at a few verses
Here in the famous 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians.

We recognize this chapter as the pinnacle chapter
On the need for and the power of and the particulars of
And the effect of the fact that Jesus rose from the dead.

There is so much truth just in this one chapter regarding the resurrection.

It of course ends with that famous declaration of Paul.
1 Corinthians 15:50-57 “Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We are reminded that while death is certainly a consequence of sin,
God (as He does all things)
Has even CAUSED DEATH TO BE GOOD for those who love Him.

God promises that all death can do is usher us into His glorious presence.
These physical bodies were never fit for an eternal heaven.
This “flesh and blood” cannot inherit it.

There MUST BE A SETTING ASIDE of this earthly flesh,
And the primary way that this occurs is through death.

But when that happens to a believer
Paul makes this profound and wonderful statement, “then will come about the saying, “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?”

Death is certainly a cause for anxiety as our world has recently proved.
• Some fear death in general.
• Some fear the process of death.
• Some fear the uncertainty of death.
• Some fear the finality of death.

But Paul here gives the universal proclamation
Of every single believer who ever experiences death.

The universal proclamation of those in Christ
Who walk into the valley of the shadow of death,
“Is that it? Is that all you’ve got?”

“O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?”

Those in Christ will walk into death’s dark valley and realize that
All the anxiety, all the fear, all the sorrow, all the uncertainty,
WAS ALL WAY OVERHYPED.

DEATH HAS BEEN DEFEATED.

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Certainly a study of 1 Corinthians 15 is meant to leave every believer
With a sigh of relief regarding the process and power of death.

In Christ Jesus there is nothing to fear.

Perhaps in that light we can better understand how Paul could say:
Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

Or
Philippians 1:23 “But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better;”

All death can do is usher a believer into the presence of their Savior.
There is no reason to fear.

THAT IS PART OF WHAT WE CELEBRATE HERE THIS EVENING.
Lack of fear is a consequence of what happened
On the first Easter Sunday morning.

As one German writer put it:
“We live between two Easters. And in the power of the first Easter, we go to the second Easter.”

That is what we want to focus on tonight.
We want to look at the first Easter, because in that first Easter
We find our confidence that the next Easter is on its way.

For just a little BACKGROUND to 1 Corinthians 15.

The theological problem is actually specifically laid out for us.
1 Corinthians 15:12 “Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?”

The problem is clear.
There are some in Corinth
Who do not believe in a bodily resurrection of believers.

The reason for this doubt is even explained.
1 Corinthians 15:35 “But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?”

They could not wrap their minds around
A physical bodily resurrection of the saints.

How can a decomposed body in the ground rise again?
• It didn’t make sense.
• And so they denied it.

Now, let me tell you what they DID NOT DENY.

They were NOT doubting that Christ rose from the dead.
Believing that is a prerequisite for salvation

Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;”

If you don’t believe Christ was raised from the dead
Then you are not a Christian at all.

That was not the issue.
They believed in the resurrection of Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 “Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”

Paul does leave in there the possibility that perhaps they didn’t really believe
Like they said, but that’s not the real thrust.

They did claim to believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
The Corinthians believed the gospel.

THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THEY HAD NOT
ACCEPTED THE FULL RAMIFICATIONS OF THE GOSPEL.

They believed the FACTS about Christ accomplished
Without believing the BENEFITS of what He accomplished.

• There were philosophers in their day who denied the resurrection as absurd and unpractical and nonsensical.
• With, as we said, their main objection being that it would be nothing short of some sort of zombie apocalypse.

And so the Corinthians, as they were at times prone to do,
Chose to save face in an academic world
By rejecting some of the supernatural claims of the gospel.

In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul sets out to correct this area of deception.
• It is not so much a chapter meant to prove the resurrection of Jesus (though it clearly does)
• As much as it is a chapter meant to prove the effects of the resurrection in the lives of believers.

This chapter is meant to show all who believe in Christ
That the resurrection of Jesus proves resurrection for us.

Because Jesus stepped out of the grave,
• We don’t just have the promise of forgiveness and eternal life (something the Corinthians believed)
• But we also have the promise of our own bodily resurrection.

The first Easter proves the second Easter.

For time’s sake we are only going to exposit three verses,
But we will look at a few others in the chapter as we go along.
We are going to primarily study 1 Corinthians 15:20-22.

And we can break those three verses down into 3 points.
#1 THE EVENT
1 Corinthians 15:20a

“But now Christ has been raised from the dead”
• It is the undeniable fact that Paul has just proven.
• It is the essential truth on which Christianity rests.
• It is the event which solidifies the perfect righteousness of Christ and therefore that His sacrifice was acceptable to the Father.

IT IS HUGE!

And if you are into EVIDENCE as to why we know
“Christ has been raised from the dead” the Bible gives us some.

Paul lays out some at the beginning of this very chapter.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8 “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.”

One of the reasons we know Christ rose is very simply the eye-witness accounts.
• As one historian put it, according to eye-witness testimony. Namely those who can verify seeing Christ alive, then dead, then alive again.
• By simply looking at eye-witness testimonies and the sheer number of people who were eye-witnesses.
• It is historically easier to prove that Jesus is alive than it is to prove that George Washington or Oliver Cromwell is dead.
It is a strong evidence.

Of course some have accused the eye-witnesses
Of lying about their account of the resurrection.
They claim it was an invented conspiracy meant to deceive.

And things like that do happen in the world.

The problem with that notion is that
• Before Jesus rose, these so-called deceivers were filled with fear, trembling,
and hiding out.
• They fled from death, they fled from persecution, and they wanted no part of
suffering.

And yet, after they claimed Jesus rose,
• They had tremendous boldness.
• They faced arrest, flogging, torture, imprisonment, and martyrdom
• Instead of denying this story that they were accused of inventing.

Obviously they believed their message was true.

But I’ll even tell you that eye witnesses and other apologetic arguments
Are NOT THE STRONGEST defense of the resurrection of Jesus.

There is one undeniable proof of the resurrection of Jesus
That far outdistances every other proof.

It has far more power, far more credibility, and cannot be broken.
It is the one reason we believe Jesus rose more than any other.

SCRIPTURE SAYS HE DID.

Paul even pointed that out.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”

Do you remember when Jesus appeared to the men on the road to Emmaus and they were distraught because Jesus was dead?
Luke 24:21-27 “But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. “But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. “Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.” And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.”

These men doubted the resurrection despite eye-witness testimony.
And Jesus rebuked them for their foolishness and lack of belief.

But He DIDN’T rebuke them for failing to believe the women.
He rebuked them for failing to believe the prophets (the O.T. Scriptures)

And then Jesus opened their eyes and He explained the Scriptures.
• Not apologetic proofs…
• Not scientific arguments…

When Jesus wanted to solidify their faith that He was alive
(and bear in mind they didn’t know it was Him yet)
He preached the Scriptures to them.

There’s your ultimate and concrete proof.
The Bible says Jesus rose from the dead.

“But now Christ has been raised from the dead,”
• You can read that here.
• You can read it in Psalms 16.
• You can read it in every account of the gospels.
• You can read it several times throughout the book of Acts.

The Bible is loud and clear about this fact.
Jesus was dead, He was buried, and God raised Him from the dead.

And this fact of His resurrection IS HUGE for the Christian faith.
(12-19) Paul actually laid out for the Corinthians
What the negative ramifications would be if Jesus were not raised.

1 Corinthians 15:12-19 “Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.”

THE GOSPEL IS POWERLESS
“our preaching is vain, your faith is vain”

THE APOSTLES ARE FALSE WITNESSES (THE BIBLE IS NOT TRUE)
“Moreover we are found to be false witnesses of God”

FAITH IS WORTHLESS, FORGIVENESS IS A MYTH
“your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.”

DEAD BELIEVERS ARE IN HELL
“those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.”

BELIEVERS ARE FOOLISH IDIOTS
“we are of all men most to be pitied.”

The resurrection is a big deal.
But we rejoice bed “Christ has been raised from the dead.”

1. His sinless perfection has been proved.
2. His work on the cross is validated.
3. He has saved those who believe in Him.

Romans 4:25 “He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.”

4. The cross has been validated.
5. Salvation has been confirmed.
6. God raised Him proving that we have in fact been justified.

That is good news! That is THE EVENT.
#2 THE EFFECT
1 Corinthians 15:20b

And this really zeroes in on the doubt of the Corinthians.

“the first fruits of those who are asleep.”

“asleep” there is of course A REFERENCE TO DEATH.

Paul says that Christ was raised, “the first fruits of those who are [dead]”

What does he mean by “first fruits”?

Well anyone who farms or has planted a garden
Knows what “first fruits” are.

They are the first piece of fruit that comes off the plant.
They are the first vegetable picked off of the vine.

PAUL’S POINT IS SIMPLE
The “first fruits” were simply an indicator that more is on the way.
They were a visual promise of a greater harvest yet to come.

• Last year HANNAH pulled her first squash sometime in late April, little did
she know that way more was on the way. Hundreds of them!

That is what Paul points out here.
• The resurrection of Christ certainly proves Christ’s righteousness.
• The resurrection of Christ certainly proves justification is true.
• The resurrection of Christ certainly proves salvation occurred.
• The resurrection of Christ certainly proves eternal life is real.

BUT THAT IS NOT ALL IT PROVES.

THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST ALSO PROVES
THAT WE WILL BE RAISED AS WELL.

John 14:19 “After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.”

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

John 6:37-40 “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

And here we learn that all of those promises from Jesus
Were validated when He stepped out of the grave.
His resurrection proved that the others will come too.

And so what we are seeing here is that
His resurrection was more than just theological proof of salvation. His resurrection is also a credible hope that we stand on.

1 Peter 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”

We have hope of our own resurrection because of Jesus’ resurrection.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-16 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.”

We believe that Jesus died and rose and so
We believe that the dead in Christ will rise too.

Ephesians 1:18-20 “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,”

Paul said, “Do you understand what sort of power is working for you?”

It is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead
And seated Him above everything in the heavenly places.
The same power that raised Him is the power that will raise you!

WE HAVE HOPE!

Before Jesus was raised we might wonder if it was possible.

Now, I know there were other people who were raised.
• Jairus’ daughter
• The widow’s son
• Lazarus

But Jesus was the first to rise to never die again.
His was a special resurrection.

And we might wonder if such a thing were even possible.
YES IT IS!! We saw it happen with Jesus and so we know it can happen for us.

He was “the first fruits”

Hebrews 2:14-16 “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.”

We no longer fear death.
We are no longer enslaved.

• Because Jesus rose we know we will rise.
• He was the first, but many more are coming.
• His resurrection provided that living hope.

And so you see Paul isn’t so much defending forgiveness here
As He is defending that because of Christ you will rise from the dead too.

THE GOAL AND THE AIM IS TO REMOVE ALL FEAR OF DEATH.
It is to set you free from the concerns that currently plague our world.

Death has no power!
Death has been defeated!
Christ defeated it!
And everyone in Christ will rise too!

What is there to fear?

That’s the point.

But this isn’t Paul’s first rodeo.
He’s been in plenty of debates before.

THE QUESTION ISN’T whether or not Christ rose.
• They believed that.
• And they understand his logic that Christ is the first of many.

BUT HERE’S THE QUESTION:
• Just because one man rose, why do you think that means the rest of us will?
• Just because something happened to one man, why do you think the same thing will happen to the rest of us?

Well, here comes the evidence.
It’s that beloved illustration of Adam.

The Event, The Effect
#3 THE EVIDENCE
1 Corinthians 15:21-22

“For since by a man came death, but a man also come the resurrection of the dead.”

If you don’t know what he is talking about look at the next verse…
“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”

Now some of you are well-acquainted with this analogy,
But it’s quite likely that some of you don’t know what he is talking about.

Paul is talking about the reality of a causal relationship.

Let me give you AN EXAMPLE you are likely more familiar with.
Exodus 20:5-6 “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.”

Now Scripture teaches that
• God does not punish the children for the sins of the fathers.
• Nor can a man’s righteousness save his children.

Rather what Moses speaks of is that the effects of a father’s life
May certainly penetrate and trickle down through his children.

We share in the effects of the consequences of the actions of our fathers.

There is a causal-effect that passes down.

And ultimately what Paul wants you to see is that
As children of God through Christ; if you are in Christ,
Then you receive the effect of His work.

His blessings and His rewards pass down through Him to you.
You will receive what He received.

And SOMEONE MIGHT ASK, how does that work?
• Well, you’ve seen it before. You saw it in Adam

We all know the story so we don’t have to turn there,

• But in Genesis we find there was a specific command. “Don’t eat from the tree in the middle of the garden or you will die.”

• Defying that command, Adam ate from the tree, and what was the effect? Eventually he died.

Genesis 5:5 “So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.”

So Adam ate, Adam sinned, and Adam died
As a result of breaking God’s command.

But something peculiar happened after that.
Aside from Eve NO ONE ELSE ATE from that tree,
Yet we SEE THE SAME FATE reoccurring.

Read Genesis 5 sometime.
• “Seth…and he died”
• “Enosh…and he died”
• “Kenan…and he died”
• “Malalalel…and he died”
• And so on, and so on, and so on.

Wait! Only Adam ate, but everyone kept dying.
That is because Adam’s one act affected all his progeny

Everyone who was “in Adam” received the same fate as Adam.

Romans 5:12-14 “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned — for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.”

Paul says there the same thing.
And even explains a little more.

• We know that sin is the cause of death, but from Adam to Moses there were no
commands.
• So no sin could be adequately charged since no laws could be broken.
• And yet people still died.
• It is because the one act of Adam affected all those who were in Adam.
• And that is all of humanity.

The consequence of one man’s actions can spread to all his progeny.
There is a causal-effect.
We all got death because Adam got death and we were in Adam.

THAT IS UNDENIABLE FACT.
• We all die.
• No arguing it.

BUT HERE IS THE GOOD NEWS.
(22) “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”

DON’T MISREAD THAT STATEMENT.
Paul is NOT promoting universalism as if to say that
Every single human will be made alive just because Christ rose.

Paul IS SAYING that as everyone “in Adam” dies,
So also everyone “in Christ” will be made alive.

We are all born in Adam and so we all die.
Those who are born again are in Christ and they will be “made alive”

One man’s actions and one man’s consequences
Are applied down through His progeny.

Romans 5:18-19 “So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.”

So you see what Paul is proving.

NAMELY THIS:
• When we saw Adam die it should have put a pit in our stomach
knowing that thanks to him death is coming for us all.

• But also when we see Christ rise it should fill us with hope
knowing that thanks to Him, all of us who are in Him, will rise
from the dead.

Do you see that?
• Christ really is “the first fruits”
• Christ’s resurrection gives us hope of what is to come.

Just like Adam gave us fear and death.
Christ gives us life and hope.

And this is what Paul wanted for the Corinthians.
What a horrible condition to live in to think that death is final.

IT IS NOT
Christ rose (first Easter)
If we are in Christ we will rise (second Easter)

NOW LET ME BRING THIS HOME TO YOU ON THIS EASTER SUNDAY.

First, everyone here was born in Adam. (death is coming)
• If you are not in Christ then death is all you will ever receive.
• First you get the first death, which is the death of this body.
• And then receive the second death, which is eternity in hell.

Revelation 20:11-15 “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Apart from Christ there is only death.
The first death and then the second.

• If you have NOT BELIEVED in Christ.
• If you have NOT TRUSTED in Him.
• If you have NOT FORSAKEN your own goodness as insufficient before the Father and run to Jesus for forgiveness and righteousness.

Then the first death should terrify you
Because all that waits on the other side is judgment.

I would invite you to repent of your sin,
Forsake your own “goodness” and run to Jesus for forgiveness.

Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;”

IF YOU HAVE BEEN BORN AGAIN IN CHRIST
But if you have believed in Christ and confessed Him as Lord than let me give you the greatest word of hope I know to give.

THERE IS NO REASON TO FEAR DEATH
• It is not final
• It is not permanent
• It’s not even strong anymore, Christ defeated it

Our world is spiraling into fear of death.
• They have proven that fear of death is greater than fear of poverty
• They have proven that fear of death is greater than fear of inconvenience
• They have proven that fear of death is greater than fear of loneliness
• They have proven that fear of death is greater than fear of hunger

Because our world quickly handed over all those things
In order to try and escape death.

Fear of death is real, but for those in Christ it is not necessary.
Death cannot hold you.
In Christ it can only introduce you to your Savior face to face.

Jesus is alive, there is no reason to fear.
1 Corinthians 15:50-57 “Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Download Here:

The Bread of Life
John 6:48-58
April 12, 2020

This morning we gather here on this Easter Sunday,
And we do so because here we commemorate the resurrection of Christ.

It is THE event that separates Christianity from every other religion.
OUR SAVIOR LIVES.

And as Peter said, in His life we have our hope.
1 Peter 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”

• We don’t have a fake hope
• We don’t have a frail hope
• We don’t have a fools hope
• WE HAVE A LIVING HOPE.

Tonight we will study 1 Corinthians 15:20
1 Corinthians 15:20 “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.”

Christ’s resurrection is “the first fruits”.
That is to say is His the picture that more is on the way.

What God did in Him, God will do through Him for every believer.
It is the ultimate hope of those in Christ.

The absolute worst this world can do to us
Can only usher us into the presence of Christ
Because we hold the promise of eternal life and resurrection.

We love Easter and we love what it represents.

This morning, as we go to the word of God
We are going to look at a small portion of the sermon Jesus preached
At the synagogue in Capernaum in John 6.

And we are looking at this text because Jesus has so much to say here
About LIFE, RESURRECTION, ETERNAL LIFE and LIVING FOREVER.

Just notice how much our Lord speaks of:
• (35) “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life;” (again in vs. 48)
• (39-40) “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but RAISE IT UP on the last day. “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have ETERNAL LIFE, and I Myself will RAISE HIM UP on the last day.”
• (44) “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will RAISE HIM UP on the last day.”
• (47) “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes as ETERNAL LIFE”
• (51) “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will LIVE FOREVER”
• (54) “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has ETERNAL LIFE”
• (57) “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also WILL LIVE because of Me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will LIVE FOREVER.”

It’s all throughout the passage.
Jesus is talking about life, eternal life, resurrection, and living forever.

That makes this chapter a tremendous one to settle in for a moment here this morning on this resurrection Sunday.

Now, you already know that John 6 is quite a lengthy chapter
So there’s no way to study it all this morning.
We don’t even have time to outline it all this morning.

But I do need to give you context and the scene.
• (1-14) It began with Jesus feeding the 5,000.
• (15) When Jesus noticed they wanted to make Him King, He left.
• (16-21) That night He walked on water (He’s back in Galilee; Capernaum)
• (22-25) The crowd from both sides flocks to Him to hear Him preach in the synagogue
• (26-34) The crowd simply tries to solicit more bread out of Him and He seeks to reveal that they need spiritual bread, not physical bread.

John 6:29-32 “Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” So they said to Him, “What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform? “Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT.'” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven.”

But the crowd just doesn’t get it.
The simply want bread and they are seeking any way they can
To manipulate Jesus into giving it to them.

So inn verse 35 Jesus makes HIS GREAT ANNOUNCEMENT.
(First of 7 “I Am” statements He makes in John’s gospel)

• “I am the Light of the World”
• “I am the Door”
• “I am the Good Shepherd”
• “I am the Resurrection and the Life”
• “I am the Vine”
• “I am the Way, The Truth, and The Life”

Here we read the first
John 6:35 “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”

It is a great announcement, but the problem is that
THE PEOPLE ARE TOO STUBBORN TO HEAR IT OR BELIEVE IT.

John 6:36 “But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe.”

• And from there Jesus begins to reveal that the reason they don’t believe is because they can’t believe apart from the sovereign prerogative of God.
• Jesus actually outlines those precious doctrines of sovereign election and effectual call, noting that no one can come to Him unless the Father draws them.
• But we don’t have the time to get into those truths this morning.

But this morning we are going to pick up sort of mid sermon in verse 48
• Because here Jesus confronts and even argues with the non-believers in this
synagogue.
• And as He confronts them He will outline for them the true blessing and
benefit of His life and death and resurrection.

And though I’d love to look at the entire sermon,
This morning I just want to make sure you see this portion.

So we are going to study verses 48-58.
And we can break these 11 verses down into 3 points.

#1 THE DECLARATION
John 6:48-51

Now He’s already said this all before,
But in the midst of the sermon He emphatically DECLARES IT AGAIN.

These are marvelous theological truths that Jesus boldly proclaimed.
1) “I am the bread of life’

He uses here the analogy of bread to describe His benefit to the world.

Certainly we all understand bread.

The only person I know in the world who tells me they don’t care for bread is Peggy,
But I’ve even caught her eating donuts.

And the analogy of bread is worth examining for a moment.

You know this about bread.
TO BE OF ANY VALUE, IT HAS TO BE EATEN.

While bread smells good, looks good, might even feel good,
It does your body no good if it’s not eaten.
You have to receive it and eat it.

SO IT IS WITH JESUS.
• Jesus can be examined, watched, studied, read about, sang about, but if He is not accepted there is no eternal benefit.

PEOPLE ONLY EAT IT WHEN THEY ARE HUNGRY
We’ve all had times in our lives when we were so full you couldn’t offer us another roll or piece of cornbread or cinnamon roll.
Hunger has to be there…a felt need.

SO IT IS WITH JESUS.
• People don’t desire Him if they are not aware of their need.
• If there is no spiritual hunger, no recognition of starvation, then people are not interested.

WHEN YOU EAT IT, IT BECOMES PART OF YOU
I’ve forever remembered a girl in Jr. High who when offered a roll,
She turned it down saying, “You might as well tape it to your thighs”.
You are what you eat, and when you eat bread it becomes a part of You.

SO IT IS WITH JESUS,
• As He will tell us in a moment.
• (56) “he who eats My flesh and drinks My flood abides in Me, and I in him.”

Hopefully you understand a little better now what Jesus meant
When He referred to Himself as “the bread of life”

We also learn from Jesus here.
2) That He is “the bread which comes down out of heaven”

Jesus not only claimed to be sustenance to the world,
But also the One who came from heaven; that is from God.
He is God’s appointed savior.

3) If one eats of this bread he will “not die”

That is certainly good news.
• Unlike the fathers back during the Exodus (vs. 49) who ate in the wilderness.
• They at the manna but still died.
• If you eat this bread you won’t.

In fact Jesus says the one who eats this bread (51) “will live forever”

5) The bread He gives “is My flesh”

When He speaks about bread, He is talking about His own life.
He is the bread.

4) Jesus “will give” this body “for the life of the world”

That’s what you call a great offer!
I am offering to give My life so that you can live.

Galatians 1:3-4 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who GAVE HIMSELF for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,”

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and GAVE HIMSELF up for me.”

Ephesians 5:2 “and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and GAVE HIMSELF up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and GAVE HIMSELF up for her,”

He came to give His life.
That is why He reminds you that the bread is actually “My flesh”

He will pay the ultimate price.
He will give the ultimate sacrifice.
He will give up His physical life for the world.

THAT IS THE DECLARATION OF JESUS.
• I have come to give Myself up so that you can live.
• That was why He came.

And at that point any hungry person in need of forgiveness
Should flock to this bread of life
So that they might gain this eternal life.

But as we said, you have to be hungry.
• You have to know your need.
• You have to sense your poverty.
• And these Jews weren’t, so instead of a great response, we get an argument.

The Declaration
#2 THE DEBATE
John 6:52-57

Here was their response.
(52) “Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?”

Jesus gave an analogy and they tried to take Him literally.

Not the first time, by the way.
Jesus told Nicodemus he needed to be born again, and he said:

John 3:4 “Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?”

To take either of these statements literally is absurd.

Jesus most certainly was not advocating cannibalism here.

As if they were supposed to literally cut off one of His fingers and eat it for salvation.

Incidentally, this is one of those verses that the CATHOLIC CHURCH uses to advocate transubstantiation, (that the bread and wine literally become the body and blood of Jesus),
But that interpretation is just as far-fetched
As the Jewish misunderstanding here.

You don’t get life by physically eating Jesus.

In fact, Jesus had ALREADY TOLD THEM what He meant.

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

They had to “behold the Son and believe in Him”

That is what the analogy of “eating” represented.
Jesus simply meant that they had to embrace and accept Him.

We use analogies like that today.
• Someone may tell you a tall tale and you respond with, “You’re feeding me a
bunch of bologna”

Is that really what they are doing?
No, it’s just an analogy to mean you aren’t accepting what they are saying.

But the Jews here tried to argue with Jesus on a hyper-literal plain
And pass His requirement of accepting Him
Off as being ridiculous and absurd.

But, in one sense we are glad they argued
Because it prompts from Jesus a truly wonderful set of statements
Which show us the true benefits of believing in Him.

NOW, we’re going to break what Jesus says here down a little further
So that it’s easily digestible.
(If you’re taking notes, here’s where we’re headed)

Jesus is going to give two main truths about His flesh.
1) IT IS ESSENTIAL (53)
2) IT IS EFFECTIVE (54-57)

So first let’s talk about why Jesus flesh is ESSENTIAL.
LET’S TALK ABOUT: Why it is essential that Jesus come from heaven in a human body and give that body up for the life of the world.

Why did that have to happen?
(53) “So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.”

Did you catch that last part?
“you have no life in yourselves”

That is to say, that in and of yourself,
So far as it depends upon you; you are spiritually dead.

Ephesians 2:1-3 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”

This death, by the way,
• Came to you from your father Adam who sinned & brought death to the world.
• And thanks to him we are all born dead.
• That is what Paul said, “And you were dead”

We know what dead is.
• Dead doesn’t respond to stimulus.
• It can’t see, it can’t smell, it can’t taste, it can’t touch, it can’t respond.

But it also can’t decide to just not be dead.

Have you ever been at the cemetery when all of a sudden a hand pops through the ground and then slowly pulls itself and a body out of the dirt, and then says, “There, I did it!”

You’ve never seen that because a dead man can’t resurrect himself.
That is what Jesus is talking about.

A physically dead man can’t raise Himself
And a spiritually dead man can’t do it either.

“you have no life in yourselves.”

There is nothing in you
That is accounted as living or valuable on your own.

Romans 3:10-18 “as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.” “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,” “THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”; “WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”; “THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.” “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”

Humanity, on his own, is dead.

That makes partaking in the flesh of Jesus
(beholding and believing in Jesus) ESSENTIAL.

“unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.”

• You can argue all you want about the statement…
• You can say it is foolish and hard to understand…
• You can say, “I’m not hungry” or “I don’t want it”…
• BUT WHERE ELSE DO YOU PLAN ON GETTING LIFE?

HE IS THE ONLY VENDOR.
His flesh, His offering of Himself, is essential.

But, His flesh is also EFFECTIVE

Here Jesus lays out the effectiveness of His flesh in two ways.
• He lists the first in verse 54 by saying, “He who eats…”
• And the second in verse 56 by saying, “He who eats…”

He’s giving you two reasons that explain
The effectiveness of the offering of His life for us.

His flesh is effective because it is ACCEPTABLE to God.

(54-55) “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. “For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.”

Jesus reiterates again that same promise.
• If you eat His flesh and drink His blood you’ll have eternal life and resurrection.
• That’s the glorious promise and He makes it again.

BUT WHY?
(55) “For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.”

That’s interesting.

Incidentally we learned the same about Him in regard to being light.
John 1:9 “There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.”

• As opposed to an “untrue” light Jesus is the true one.
• As opposed to “untrue food and untrue drink” Jesus flesh and blood is “true”.

It is NOT a lie.
It can be TRUSTED.

When Jesus says that He gives His flesh for the life of the world,
He also says that you can be certain that His offering will work.
You can trust that it will be acceptable to God.

There will be NO SHOCKING DISAPPOINTMENT after partaking.
You won’t eat that bread only to find out that it didn’t work.

When Jesus gives this bread, the One He gives it to will accept it.

We are talking about the absolute perfection of the life of Christ.
• This is why it is so important that Jesus be sinless.
• This is why it is so important that Jesus resist Satan’s temptation.
• This is why it is so important that Jesus lived under and fulfilled the Law.
• This is why we love it when the Father twice speaks from heaven, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

And incidentally, this is why the resurrection is so important.
The resurrection proves that when Jesus died He really was sinless.

• Had He possessed some secret sin…
• Had He privately offended God…
• Where He not true or not real…

Then after He died, God would have left Him dead
Like every other sinner before Him, but God raised Jesus up.

The resurrection is the ultimate testimony that Jesus was in fact sinless.
It is the ultimate testimony that Jesus was in fact perfect.

Jesus His flesh is indeed “true food” and His blood is indeed “true drink”

God approved! God accepted!

Can you say that about any other offering that was ever given to God?

• Can you tell me of any other offering ever made throughout the history of the Old Testament
• That caused God to tear the veil and give permanent access to the people?
• No, only the offering of Jesus.

Hebrews 10:1-7 “For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE. “THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.'”

Jesus didn’t offer God another goat or another bull.
Jesus offered God a righteous and holy and obedient life.

Jesus offer of salvation is a true offer.
Jesus offer to give His body so that we might live is an acceptable offer.

You can’t say that about any other offer.
But let me show you the other reason it is so effective.

His flesh is effective because it can be APPLIED to believers.

(56) “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.”

Jesus reminds that for all those who eat His flesh and drink His blood;
(That is who behold and believe in Him.)

Jesus says that person “abides in Me, and I in him.”

As much time as we have spent talking about these realities lately as a church body, you should be keenly aware of what Jesus is speaking of here.

But if you’re joining us new this morning,
We are talking about the oft mentioned reality of Scripture
Of being “in Christ” or “in Him”

What we see here is that when we believe in Jesus.
We are found to be “in Him” and He is found to be “in us”

Now this is exactly what we said about bread earlier.
When you eat bread it literally becomes a part of you.

Jesus pushes that analogy here.

That when we believe in Him,
We actually believe “into Him” and He “into us”.

I am in Him, and He is in me.

AND THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THIS ARE HUGE.

There is a SUPERNATURAL CONNECTION and IDENTIFICATION
That is here produced.

We saw one recently in our Ephesians daily devotion.
Ephesians 1:22-23 “And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

We see the union there with Christ and His church (those who believe)
• He “fills all” and is “in all”.
• And we are “the fullness of Him” (a word that means completion)

We are eternally united with Him.
• All that happens to Him, happens to us.
• The way the world treats Him, they treat us.
• The way the Father treats Him, He treats us.

There is a supernatural union, an eternal fellowship.

BUT IN AN EVEN GREATER SENSE,
Here Jesus speaks of the great reality of IMPUTATION
That occurs for believers which provides them with eternal life.

When He was found in us.
• He was treated as we deserved to be treated.

When we are found in Him.
• We are treated as He deserves to be treated.

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.”

• On the cross Christ was identified with believers, and bore the wrath we deserve
• We are also united with Christ and receive the inheritance that He deserves.

This is why Paul could say in Romans 6 that
• We were crucified with Christ
• We were buried with Christ,
• We were raised with Christ.

This is why Paul could say in Ephesians 2 that
• We are seated with Christ in the heavenly places.

This is why Paul could say to the Galatians.
Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

What Christ was promising here to this crowd is that
Not only is His flesh effective in that it is acceptable to God,
But it is also effective in that He can be applied to us.

That means that God accepts Christ’s perfect life on our behalf.

This is why those who eat His flesh and drink His blood (believe in Him)
Will have eternal life.

And that is what Jesus says next by way of analogy.
(57) “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me.”

We DON’T have the promise of life because of anything we do.
There is no life in us.
We HAVE the promise of eternal life because of what He did.

He lived righteously.
He bore God’s wrath on sin.
And all that He did is applied to those who believe in Him.
Those who accept Him.
Those who eat His flesh and drink His blood.

That is Christ’s answer to this debate.
• Eating My flesh is essential because you have no life anywhere else.
• Eating My flesh is effective because God will accept it on your behalf.

The Declaration, The Debate
#3 THE DECLARATION
John 6:58

I know the point is the same is the first.
That’s because after answering the debate,
Jesus returns back to that same declaration.

What He said in verses 48-51 He here says again.

(58) “This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.”

He has returned again to the main point of the sermon.

These people all showed up wanting actual bread.
• He filled their stomachs yesterday and they wanted Him to do it again today.
• It was yet another group of people who totally missed the point of who Jesus was and what He came to do.

So many in our world only see Jesus as the fixer of earth’s discomforts.
• We are hungry, give us food.
• We are sick, give us healing.
• We are poor, give us riches.
• We are discontent, give us fulfillment.
• We are sad, give us joy.
• We are scared, give us peace.

And so many in His day and our day continued to flock to Him
That He might make this life more comfortable.

And together they miss the true purpose and the great offer.

Jesus didn’t come to give you bread.
Jesus IS the bread.

He came to live a perfectly righteous life before God
So that He might, on your behalf, satisfy God’s holy requirements.

He came to die a sinner’s death at the hands of God
So that He might, on your behalf, satisfy the wrath of God on your sin.

He came to rise from death by the power of God
So that He might, on your behalf, destroy the power of the enemy and set you free from fear of death.

He came to save sinners from their sin and from the wrath of God which surely dwelled upon them, so that all who believe in Him might be forgiven and have eternal life.

These people only wanted a dinner roll, He told them…
“I am the bread of life”

Friend, that is what I would tell you this morning as well.

I would tell you the same thing Jesus told this crowd.
• You have no life in yourself.
• You must obtain life from another source.
• Jesus is that source of life.

• His life was acceptable to God.
• His life can be applied to you.

But you must eat the bread.
You must believe in Him. You must accept Him.
And this is something you do personally.

One other thing I know about bread is that no one else can eat it for you.

You, you personally, you apart from anyone else, must believe in Christ.
You must eat the bread.

AS YOU CONTEMPLATE YOUR DECISION

Let me show you the folly of these people.
Most of these people didn’t like what Jesus just told them.

John 6:60 “Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?”

And even later.
John 6:66 “As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.”

When Jesus was handing out bread they all wanted Him.
But when Jesus offered spiritual life they were not interested.

There was no hunger for forgiveness.
There was no hunger for salvation.
Not for most of them.

But there were a few.
John 6:67-69 “So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. “We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”

And there it comes to you friend.
What about you?

• Will you today confess Jesus as the Son of God?
• Will you today confess Jesus as the bread and only source of life?
• Will you today realize that in you there is no life, only death?
• Will you turn from your own goodness and self-reliance and run to Jesus?
• Will you believe in Him and confess Him before men?

That is the invitation to you today.
Believe in Christ, eat the bread.

And if you do,
• You will abide in Him and He will abide in you.
• As they sang, you can wear His righteous robe instead of your filthy one.
• Your sins will be forgiven based on His sacrifice.
• Righteousness will be applied to your account.
• And you will be given eternal life.

Don’t seek this world which will only leave you empty, seek Christ.

John 6:49-50 “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. “This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.”

Download Here:

Bringing Up The Ark
Psalms 68
April 5, 2020

Psalms 68 can be a difficult Psalm to deal with
Because it has many allusions and statements
That are not greatly explained within it.

However, the key to understanding the Psalm
Is actually found through your cross-references.

That is to say, when you realize that several verses that David says here
Are actually quotations from earlier times.

In fact, there are really 2 passages of Scripture
That seem to greatly influence what David has to say here.

The first is:
Numbers 10:35 “Then it came about when the ark set out that Moses said, “Rise up, O LORD! And let Your enemies be scattered, And let those who hate You flee before You.”

• This phrase was the statement of Moses, which he first made as the Ark of the Covenant was built and for the first time they moved from Sinai toward the Promised Land to claim their inheritance.

• It was likely the statement Moses made each time the glory cloud would move and Israel would follow.

You likely recognize it as verse 1 of Psalms 68
“Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered, And let those who hate Him flee before Him.”

The Second passage David recites is Judges 5.
• Judges 4 and 5 is the story of the judge Deborah and Barak.

The story goes like this.
• (4:1) “the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD”
• (4:2) “the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan”
• (4:2) “the commander of his army was Sisera”
• (4:3) “the sons of Israel cried to the LORD for…he had oppressed Israel for twenty years”
• (4:4-7) Deborah was a prophetess and judge and she summoned Barak to go and fight Sisera and the LORD “will give him into your hand”
• (4:8-10) Barak said, I’ll only go if you go with me, and she said OK, but God will give the glory of the battle to a woman.
• (4:11-6) So they went and “The LORD routed Sisera…”
• (4:17-22) Sisera fled on foot, a woman named Jael welcomed him into her tent where she gave him milk, he went to sleep, and she drove a tent peg through his temple.

And in Judges 5 we read Deborah and Barak’s song.

As they recount their victory they point out that
When God moved, He moved as a terrifying force.
Judges 5:4-5 “LORD, when You went out from Seir, When You marched from the field of Edom, The earth quaked, the heavens also dripped, Even the clouds dripped water. “The mountains quaked at the presence of the LORD, This Sinai, at the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel.”

Perhaps you recognize that as verses 7&8 of Psalms 68
“O God, when You went forth before Your people, When You marched through the wilderness, Selah. The earth quaked; The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel.”

There are other allusions made in Psalms 68 that sound very familiar to what Deborah sang in Judges 5, but that is the direct quotation.

So first you simply understand that in this Psalm
David is recounting how when God is on the move
His enemies are scattered.

He remembers Moses requesting it.
He remembers Deborah testifying of it.

And in this Psalm David builds on their statements
To sing a new song about the blessed reality of having God’s presence.

Many see Psalms 68 as a song that might have been sung as David brought up the Ark of God to Jerusalem, and I see no reason to argue with that.

The story which is found in 1 Chronicles 13-16.
David desired to bring up the Ark of God.

1 Chronicles 13:3 “and let us bring back the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul.”

• And you also remember the story that they tried to move it on an ox cart, contrary to the way God had commanded it to be moved
• When it nearly fell because the oxen stumbled, Uzzah reached out and touched it and God killed him.
• David was angry and afraid and left the ark at the house of Obed-edom.
• For 3 months God blessed Obed for having the ark and so David went back to get it and this time moved it correctly.

1 Chronicles 15:13-15 “Because you did not carry it at the first, the LORD our God made an outburst on us, for we did not seek Him according to the ordinance.” So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel. The sons of the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles thereon, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD.”

• And as the Ark came up, David danced before it.
• 1 Chronicles 16 even contains a song of thanks that David sang once the Ark was in place.

WHY DID DAVID WANT IT?

The Ark symbolized the presence and thus the favor of God.

When God commanded it to be built and gave its specifications to Moses.
Exodus 25:21-22 “You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I will give to you. “There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.”

God promised to meet with them there.

Perhaps you remember after the golden calf incident
• That God commanded Moses to move the Ark outside of the camp
• Stating that I will not go with you into the Promised Land.
• This move greatly grieved the children of Israel.

And later prompted Moses to pray.
Exodus 33:15-16 “Then he said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. “For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?”

God’s Ark signified His presence and His favor.

We see the importance of God’s presence again in the book of Ezekiel
• When we actually read of God’s glory departed from the mercy seat, the temple, and ultimately the city.
• Nebuchadnezzar comes in and burns the temple to the ground and God’s people are exiled.
• They learned that they had nothing so valuable as the presence of God.

The ray of hope comes at the end of Ezekiel when the prophet sees the future city and says:
Ezekiel 48:35 “The city shall be 18,000 cubits round about; and the name of the city from that day shall be, ‘The LORD is there.'”

The point is that God’s presence means everything.
And David wants God near in Jerusalem.

So David sets out to move the Ark of God to Jerusalem
And sings this song as he goes.

It is lengthy and so we can’t spend a great deal of time on every verse, but I think you will see the overall purpose of the song.

There are 4 points to be made here.
#1 THE JOYFUL CONFIDENCE OF GOD’S PRESENCE
Psalms 68:1-6

We already pointed out that David is here quoting Moses as the Ark of God set out from Sinai toward the land of promise.

And David is simply recounting that when God moves, He wins.
No one can stand in His way.

“Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered, And let those who hate Him flee before Him.”

Moses said it and David agrees.

David even adds some analogies to aid in the picture.
(2) “As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; As wax melts before the fire, So let the wicked perish before God.”

The picture is that the world can hate God and stand in opposition to God,
BUT THEY CANNOT STOP GOD.

They will be like “smoke” trying to defy the wind
Or like “wax” seeking to defy the fire.
They just won’t stand.

Moses knew it and so did David.

BUT DAVID ALSO KNEW THAT
While God’s presence is terrifying for His enemies,
It is an absolute blessing for His people.

(3-4) “But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God; Yes, let them rejoice with gladness. Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts, Whose name is the LORD, and exult before Him.”

If you are the wicked you should greatly fear the approach of the LORD,
But if you are the righteous, this is a joyful occasion.

Verse 4 reads “Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts”

• However you will notice the word “song” is italicized which means it is not in
the Hebrews.
• Many have noted that perhaps the word “highway” is a better fit.

“Lift up a highway for Him who rides through the deserts.”

Isaiah 57:14 “And it will be said, “Build up, build up, prepare the way, Remove every obstacle out of the way of My people.”

Isaiah 40:3-4 “A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. “Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley;”

It brings to mind the ministry of JOHN THE BAPTIST who would go before the Lord and tell everyone to “make His paths straight”.
• A glorious King is on the way.
• A glorious God is coming through.
• Lift up the highway
• Make His way straight.

“and exult before Him”

Praise Him as He comes!

BUT DAVID STILL ISN’T DONE.
• He wants the people to see why having God’s presence is such a blessing.
• Here is why we want Him so badly.

(5-6) “A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, Is God in His holy habitation. God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.”

Just follow the analogies.
• “a father of the fatherless” we see His great compassion.
• “a judge for the widows” we see His great defense
• “God makes a home for the lonely” we see a great friend and companion
• “He leads out the prisoners into prosperity” we see Him as a deliverer

Why wouldn’t you want a God like that in your midst?
One who pleads for the orphan, the widow, the outcast, and the captive…

He is a gracious God and His presence is good.

The only ones who don’t receive His favor are those who rebel against Him.
“Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.”

BUT YOU SEE THE THEME AND POINT OF DAVID.

God we are happy to bring You to dwell among us!

And instantly coming to our mind are all the Psalms
That boast of the wonder and joy of God’s presence.

Psalms 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.”

Or we remember Psalms 48 where David walked around Jerusalem, saw all her buildings, and boasted in the security of God.
Psalms 48:1-3 “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion in the far north, The city of the great King. God, in her palaces, Has made Himself known as a stronghold.”

We remember Asaph learning the futility of riches and ultimately saying:
Psalms 73:28 “But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.”

Or that famous 84th Psalm in which David sings:
Psalms 84:10-11 “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

The point is simply that there is joy in the presence of God.

Even in the New Testament as Jesus reminds us that He is the vine and we are the branches and that we must abide in Him.
John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”

You can hear that same excitement in David
As he prepares to move the Ark from the house of Obed-edom
Up to the city of Jerusalem.

The Joyful Confidence of God’s Presence
#2 THE REMEMBERED CONQUEST OF GOD’S PRESENCE
Psalms 68:7-18

In the first parts of the Psalm David and Moses both remind that
God’s enemies have no chance of standing before Him.

In these 12 verses we see that historically that has been true.

We can divide this section out a little further.
1) FROM EGYPT TO SINAI (7-10)

Now, as we pointed out, this was part of what Deborah sang
After Sisera was defeated before them.

She recounted the utter terror of God
Which was first demonstrated at Sinai
And how it sent a ripple effect of fear to all the enemies of God.

“O God, when You went forth before Your people, When You marched through the wilderness, Selah.”

(pause for reflection)

“The earth quaked; The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel.”

It was a terrifying scene!

Even for the children of Israel.
Hebrews 12:18-21 “For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. For they could not bear the command, “IF EVEN A BEAST TOUCHES THE MOUNTAIN, IT WILL BE STONED.” And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I AM FULL OF FEAR and trembling.”

And the ripple effects of God’s power rattled the earth.

Remember when the spies arrived in Jericho?
Joshua 2:8-11 “Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, and said to the men, “I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you. “For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. “When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.”

God terrified the world.
He made a declaration to His enemies.

And not just that, but at the same time HE MINISTERED TO THE NEEDS OF HIS PEOPLE.
(9-10) “You shed abroad a plentiful rain, O God; You confirmed Your inheritance when it was parched. Your creatures settled in it; You provided in Your goodness for the poor, O God.”

When God’s presence moved from Egypt to Sinai
He did so with a mighty hand and with a compassionate arm.

He terrified the nations while caring for His people.
That has been historically who God is.

But that was just the first leg of the conquest of His presence.
2) FROM SINAI TO SHILOH (11-14)

God’s presence went several places from Sinai,
I just mention Shiloh because it ended up there during the time of Samuel.

But really we are talking about the times of
The Wilderness Wanderings, the Conquest, and the period of the Judges.

It was a wild time in which Israel encountered many enemies
Who would have gladly wiped them off the face of the earth,
BUT TIME AFTER TIME GOD DELIVERED.

As noted earlier, Deborah certainly sang this song as God delivered from Sisera,
But in reality God did this repeatedly for them.

(11) “The Lord gives the command; The women who proclaim the good tidings are a great host:”

The picture there is of the women singers
Who go before the Ark of God celebrating His great victory.

“proclaim the good news” when translated in Greek is the same word we use for evangelism. These women just travel telling of all the great things God has done.

And that happened numerous times in Israel.

Their rejoicing is because:
(12) “Kings of armies flee, they flee, And she who remains at home will divide the spoil!”

One incident that comes to mind is in Numbers 31
• After God pronounced judgment on the Midianites for the way they deceived
Israel under Balak and Balaam.
• The defeat was so severe and the plunder was so much that even the women
at home enjoyed the riches of the spoils.

Numbers 31:26-27 “You and Eleazar the priest and the heads of the fathers’ households of the congregation take a count of the booty that was captured, both of man and of animal; and divide the booty between the warriors who went out to battle and all the congregation.”

It was just a scene that happened over and over.
God continually caused nations to flee
As He defended and provided for His people.

(13) “When you lie down among the sheepfolds, You are like the wings of a dove covered with silver, And its pinions with glistening gold.

Most likely it is just a reference to the women receiving their spoils
And enjoying the bounty which the Lord provided.

Verse 14 is a tough one.
(14) “When the Almighty scattered the kings there, It was snowing in Zalmon.”

• The only “Zalmon” we have was the mountain where Abimelech (corrupt son of Gideon) chopped down wood so he could burn down the tower of Shechem.

• It is more likely a translated word, not a proper name, which would be “shady mountain” and a reference to the Jebel Druze mountains of Bashan.

• Where in Numbers 21, after killing Sihon, King of the Amorites, God also delivered Og king of Bashan into the hand of Israel.

But the simple reality is that the history of having God’s presence
Is that when God is with us our enemies are defeated.

There was just the belief that
When God is with us, our enemies cannot prevail.

• If you will remember, that was part of the sinful confidence that the children of Israel had in the days of Jeremiah who even though Jeremiah was promising judgment the people kept saying, “The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD”

Their history had taught them that
No foreign army was coming into Jerusalem.
They had failed to understand that God was leaving.

But the point is that God’s presence had always brought victory.

From Egypt to Sinai God made a declaration to His enemies.
From Sinai to Shiloh God defeated His enemies.
3) FROM SHILOH TO ZION (15-18)

This is David now carrying up the Ark of God
And promising that God will have continued dominance over His enemies.

Verse 15 also has a regrettable translation.
• “mountain of God” should just be rendered “mighty mountain”

“A mighty mountain is the mountain of Bashan; A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan.”

• He is just noting that as far as size and grandeur, there were none in the region that could match the majesty of the mountains of Bashan.

And yet, they were about to be JEALOUS
Of this much smaller mountain in Jerusalem.

(16) “Why do you look with envy, O mountains with many peaks, At the mountain which God has desired for His abode? Surely the LORD will dwell there forever.”

The mountains of Bashan might have height and majesty,
But Mt. Zion had the presence of God!

(17-18) “The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands; The Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness. You have ascended on high, You have led captive Your captives; You have received gifts among men, Even among the rebellious also, that the LORD God may dwell there.”

God has ascended Zion in holiness.
• He has settle there with His might army
• He has freed the captives.
• He is worshiped and honored.

I hope that verse rings a bell in your mind because
Paul quoted it to speak of an even GREATER CONQUEST than this.

Paul used to speak of Christ Jesus ascending to the throne of Heaven.
Ephesians 4:8-10 “Therefore it says, “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.” (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)”

David saw the presence of God ascending to Zion
As the ultimate picture of strength and deliverance for His people.

Paul saw the ascension of Christ to Heaven where He sent back His Spirit
As an even greater ascension.

But in both cases we are talking about
The greatness of the presence of God.

GOD’S PRESENCE MEANS JOY AND DELIVERANCE
AND THAT HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY TRUE.

So David is moving the ark and we see:
• The Joyful Confidence of God’s Presence
• The Remembered Conquest of God’s Presence
#3 THE ANTICIPATED CONSEQUENCE OF GOD’S PRESENCE
Psalms 68:19-31

• Moses said that God’s presence would mean deliverance.
• Deborah recounted that historically God’s presence had always meant deliverance.
• So David now gives His announcement of what God’s presence will mean for Jerusalem.

1) DAILY DELIVERANCE (19-23)

(19-20) “Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God who is our salvation. Selah. God is to us a God of deliverances; And to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death.”

What a blessing to have a God in our midst who is not a burden to us,
But rather One who bears our burdens.

But Israel has a God who says, “Come to Me, all you are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”

Our God is a burden bearer.
• He is “our salvation”
• He is “a God of deliverances” (plural)
• “and to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death”

• How many times has our God delivered us?
• How many burdens has He borne?
• How many times has He saved us from death?
Over and over.

And in that deliverance He continues to defeat our foe.
(21-23) “Surely God will shatter the head of His enemies, The hairy crown of him who goes on in his guilty deeds. The Lord said, “I will bring them back from Bashan. I will bring them back from the depths of the sea; That your foot may shatter them in blood, The tongue of your dogs may have its portion from your enemies.”

That is a graphic picture to say the least.
• “shatter the head”
• “your dogs may have its portion from your enemies”

I’m going to crush their head and feed them to your dogs.
That’s intense.

It is a promise of God to those who afflict His people.
YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE.
• I will catch you
• I will crush you
• I will feed you to the wild beasts

Incidentally, we saw that promise spoken of this morning
As we looked at the Second Coming.

God delivers His people daily.
2) CONTINUAL BLESSING (24-27)

Here we see that great procession which led the Ark of God into the city.
• The singers, the musicians, the maidens beating tambourines.

They are all blessing God and rejoicing in His coming.
(26) “Bless God in the congregations, Even the LORD, you who are of the fountain of Israel.”

God is called “the fountain”
That is to say, He is the source.

As we see in the book of Ephesians and the book of James,
Everything good gift comes from Him and through Him to us.
We don’t have anything without Him.

One would do good to remember here
• That apostate church at Laodicea
• Who thought themselves to be rich and well-clothed and to have good
eyesight,
• But they didn’t’ even know they were miserable and poor and blind and naked.

Why?
Because they didn’t have Christ.
He was outside knocking trying to get in.

Apart from Christ we have nothing.
Apart from the fountain we have nothing.

David is rejoicing because God’s presence is the fount of every blessing.

Daily Deliverance, Continual Blessing
3) GLOBAL TRIBUTE (28-31)

Here we see David asking God to “Show Yourself strong”

That is to say, “God, put Your power on display here in Jerusalem.”

Because in doing so You will draw the world to Yourself.
• (29) “Because of Your temple at Jerusalem Kings will bring gifts to You.”

• In verse 31 “Envoys will come out of Egypt; Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God.”

It is not only a picture of tribute,
But also a picture of GENTILES flocking to God for salvation.

And one day the entire world will bow to the God of Israel.
Isaiah 60:10-14 “Foreigners will build up your walls, And their kings will minister to you; For in My wrath I struck you, And in My favor I have had compassion on you. “Your gates will be open continually; They will not be closed day or night, So that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations, With their kings led in procession. “For the nation and the kingdom which will not serve you will perish, And the nations will be utterly ruined. “The glory of Lebanon will come to you, The juniper, the box tree and the cypress together, To beautify the place of My sanctuary; And I shall make the place of My feet glorious. “The sons of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you, And all those who despised you will bow themselves at the soles of your feet; And they will call you the city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.”

Those who don’t will be scattered.
• They are alluded to in verse 30 as “beasts in the reeds” or those who “delight in war”.
• Those who will not submit to Israel’s God will be destroyed by Him.

But you see David here recounting
The wonderful consequences of having God in their midst.

This is why we want You God.
• Your Deliverance
• Your Blessing
• Your Glory and Tribute

The Joyful Confidence of God’s Presence
The Remembered Conquest of God’s Presence
The Anticipated Consequence of God’s Presence

#4 THE FITTING CELEBRATION OF GOD’S PRESENCE
Psalms 68:32-35

Here all the kingdoms of the earth are called to sing.
• They are to give glory to “Him who rides upon the highest heavens”
• That is to honor the greatest and most high God.

• They are to honor the God who “speaks forth with His voice, a might voice”
• They are to “Ascribe strength to God” whose “majesty is over Israel and [whose] strength is in the skies.”
IN OTHER WORDS
• They are to honor the Most High God
• They are to honor the Living God
• They are to honor Israel’s God (saving God)
• They are to honor the God of creation

And David closes with his declaration of praise.
(35) “O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary. The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God!”

He is the God who “gives strength and power to the people.”

Now, I know that is a long song and sort of a rapid way to cover it,
But let’s sort of take a breath now and get the gist of what David is saying.

God has made Him King and David has built a capitol city.
But David knows that there is nothing so valuable to this city as the presence of God.

• God’s presence is their defense
• God’s presence is their joy
• God’s presence is their fount of blessing
• God’s presence is their salvation
• God’s presence is their main attraction
• God’s presence is their strength

Without Him they have nothing.

We make an easy application there and the church easily sings this song.
• We sing it, not only remembering the Ark of God’s presence which ascended to Jerusalem.
• We sing it remembering the Son of God who ascended to Heaven and who sent us His Spirit so that we are now the temple of God.

God doesn’t simply dwell WITH us, God dwells IN us.
And His presence means for us the same thing it meant for David.

Defense, Joy, Blessing, Salvation, Attraction, Strength

• We also have testimonies of deliverance and victory.
• We also have testimonies of Him bearing our burdens and saving.
• We also have testimonies of Him being a father to the fatherless and releasing captives.
• We also have testimonies of Him defeating our enemies and glorifying His name.

His presence is also the most important thing to us.

We, like David, have nothing apart from the presence of God.
So we also sing a song of rejoicing
That God is willing to dwell with us and in us.

“O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary. The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God!”