Download Here:

Following A Fugitive
Luke 22:35-38
November 29, 2020

This morning we return one final time
To the upper room here in Luke’s gospel.

After these final 4 verses, Jesus and the disciples will depart and go to the Mount of Olives and Jesus will enter the Garden of Gethsemane where He will pray before His arrest.

In order to keep the whole evening in perspective.
• You know about the Passover Meal, the washing of the feet, and ultimately the Lord’s Supper announcement.
• You know about the announcement of a traitor, the discussion and dispute the followed with the disciples.
• You know how Jesus praised the 11 and promised them a kingdom.
• You know how Jesus announced the sifting and scattering of these men in order to prove their faith.

This morning we will read in Luke’s gospel about
Jesus final announcement of His coming death.

And that is where the synoptic gospels break the story
And move on to the garden and the praying of Jesus.

If you want to fill in your timeline with Luke’s gospel,
• Then after the text we read today you can throw in John 14 where after this
announcement Jesus addresses the troubled hearts of the disciples.
• Jesus announces the coming Holy Spirit and actually tells the disciples they
should rejoice in His announcement because He is going to the Father.
• And at the end of John 14 they all leave the upper room.
• It is on the way to the Mount of Olives that John includes the conversations of
John 15, 16, and the prayer of John 17.

Perhaps that helps you bring the entire evening and events into focus.

But here we have LUKE’S FINAL ANNOUNCEMENT of the upper room
And it is a BOMBSHELL!

It is so big and so important that before we work through the text,
I just want to pull it out and address it by itself first.

The bombshell announcement comes in verse 37, “For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH THE TRANSGRESSOR’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.”

That is a HUGE announcement from Jesus.

Already in Luke’s gospel we have several times when
Jesus announced His coming death.

That is not new.
Luke 9:22 “saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”

Luke 9:44 “Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.”

Luke 18:31-33 “Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. “For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again.”

It is true that they haven’t really grasped it when He has announced it,
But still, He has said it several times.

In Luke 18 He even alluded to the fact that His death was of prophetic fulfillment saying, “all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished.”

So He’s announced His death and that it is a prophetic death.

WHAT MAKES THIS ONE DIFFERENT?

Namely the passage Jesus identifies as being a prophecy about Him.

Do you recognize the verse He quotes?
“AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH THE TRANSGRESSORS”

Isaiah 53:12 “Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.”

• Many times we read Isaiah 53 and certainly we talk about the atonement of Christ from that magnificent chapter.
• We even read how the apostles, obviously inspired by the Holy Spirit, take that chapter and apply it to Jesus.

But unique here is that the first person to ever take that chapter
And apply it to Jesus…WAS JESUS!

He said that chapter is about Me!

This is now the second Isaiah passage that Jesus has claimed to fulfill.

Luke 4:17-21 “And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.” And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS EQUALLY AS BIG.

TURN TO: ISAIAH 53

Now, I like outlines as a way of understanding passages so let me just give you a quick one for Isaiah 53.

1. HIS HUMILIATION (1-3)
2. HIS PROPITIATION (4-6)
3. HIS AUTHENTICATION (7-9)
4. HIS GLORIFICATION (10-12)

Here Isaiah speaks of a man who was identified as “the arm of the LORD”
Which is a reference to saving might and saving power,

But who was not recognized as such.
• He was not recognized because His form and His appearance were not overly
impressive.
• He was ultimately despised and forsaken and acquainted with grief and He
was not esteemed.

He was God’s means of salvation, but no one recognized it.
THAT IS HIS HUMILIATION.

From there Isaiah saw His awful death,
• Even announcing that He would be “pierced through”

But Isaiah said it wasn’t for His own sin, but for OUR sin.

God was laying our iniquity on Him and then punishing Him for it.
THAT IS HIS PROPITIATION.

Thirdly we see how even in His affliction, He never argued or fought back.
• He was led away, He was slaughtered, He was cut off
• And no one seemed to see why that was happening.

But even though He was being executed as a criminal still
GOD INTERVENED AND GAVE HIM AN HONORABLE BURIAL
For He was buried in a rich man’s tomb with honor.

Though executed, was actually endorsed by God.
THAT IS HIS AUTHENTICATION.

Even though God would authenticate Him, God was still pleased to crush Him
• Because God was accomplishing salvation for His children through that death.

Through His death He would justify the many
Because He is bearing their iniquities

Because of this sacrificial act God would exalt Him
THAT IS HIS GLORIFICATION.

It is a remarkable chapter.
It is a glorious truth.

And it is that last verse that we focus on for today.
(12) “Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.”

That statement “numbered with the transgressors”
Is the greatest summation sentence of the entire chapter.

“numbered” in Isaiah 53:12 is the Hebrew word MANAH (mu-nau)
It means “to be reckoned” or “to be assigned”

In Luke’s gospel in the Greek it is the word LOGIZOMAI (lo-geed-zo-my)
Which means the same thing. “to be reckoned”

It speaks of identification.
It speaks of having a sentence passed on one’s character.

In this instance, think of a MUG SHOT of a criminal.
Just to see that picture is to associate it with guilt and shame and lawlessness.

That is what is spoken of here.
This man that Isaiah wrote of
Would be a man who would suffer the reputation blow
Of being labeled a transgressor of the Law.

This man that Isaiah wrote about,
Would be innocent, but would be treated by man and even by God
As though He were a traitor and a criminal.

• His reputation would be smeared
• His honor would be stripped
• His teaching would be discredited
• He would be labeled; branded; regarded; numbered as a transgressor.

And for the first time in History Jesus announces who this man is.
Jesus says, “IT IS ME.”

That chapter is “that which refers to Me”

And by quoting once sentence
Jesus makes the clearest statement that could possibly be made
As to the PURPOSE of His death.

• He is going to die so that He can bear the punishment that sinners receive.
• He is going to bear our griefs
• He is going to carry our sorrows
• He is going to be pierced through for our transgressions
• He is going to be crushed for our iniquities
• He is going to be chastened for our well-being
• He is going to be scourged for our healing
• Our iniquity is going to be laid on Him
• He will be cut off from the land of the living because of our transgression
• He will receive the stroke that we deserve
• He will be crushed because of our guilt
• He will bear our iniquities
• He will be poured out to death for our sin
• He will be numbered with the transgressors

HIS DEATH IS FOR OUR SALVATION.
Jesus was the first to announce that.

He would be considered a fugitive
In order to save those who really are.

That is the massive announcement here this morning.

But because of that fact there is A SECONDARY CONSEQUENCE
That the disciples need to be aware of.

AND THAT IS WHAT THESE FINAL 4 VERSES ADDRESS.

• If Jesus is ultimately labeled as a transgressor, what sort of effect will that have
on His followers?
• If Jesus is going to be branded as a fugitive, what sort of effect will that have
on His ministry?

I think you know the answer.
Anyone who sticks with Him after this night
Will also be labeled traitors, fugitives, conspirators, and transgressors.

We understand collusion
We understand guilt by association

And this is the consequence Jesus is about to announce
To these 11 faithful disciples in the room.

Let’s work our way through these 4 verses together.
#1 THEIR FORMER MINISTRY
Luke 22:35

Here Jesus simply reminds them of
What ministry has been like over the first 3 years.

And while there have been trials and hardships
And decisions of faithfulness to be made,
STILL, FOR THE MOST PART THE MINISTRY HAS BEEN A POSITIVE ONE.
• There have been record crowds…
• There has been extreme popularity at times…

And here Jesus even reminds them of
What it was like the first time He sent them out on mission.

“And He said to them, “When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?” And they said, “No, nothing.”

And we remember that commission.
Luke 9:1-6 “And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing. And He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics apiece. “Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that city. “And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” Departing, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.”

The disciples were going out to preach and minister,
THEY COULD EXPECT a certain level of HOSPITALITY as they went.

Certainly not everyone would be enthused with their ministry,
But they would always be able to find someone who was.

Even in the next chapter when Jesus sent out the 70 we read:
Luke 10:4-7 “Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way. “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ “If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. “Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house.”

Jesus told them as they went to count on hospitality.
• Someone would feed them
• Someone would clothe them
• Someone would house them
• It was going to be a favorable mission.

And we even remember the exuberant response of the 70
When they came back from that short term mission.

Luke 10:17-20 “The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”

When they came back, it was just like Jesus said.
• They found people to be hospitable…
• They found illnesses to be healable…
• They found demons to be subservient…

And for 3 years that has sort of been what missions was like.
• Certainly there were always a few who rejected…
• Certainly there was the occasional debate with the religious elite…

But for the most part, people welcomed Jesus into town.
• They loved His miraculous power…
• They fed Him…
• They clothed Him…
• They honored Him…

Being one of the main followers of Jesus had its perks.

So long as Jesus was regarded as the Messiah
Or at the very least as a Teacher or even a Prophet
FOLLOWING JESUS WAS AN HONORABLE THING.

But as we said, JESUS’ TITLE IS ABOUT TO CHANGE.
• Jesus title is about to shift in the public eye from Messiah to Transgressor.
• Jesus title is about to shift in the public eye from Teacher to Traitor.

Things are going to change.

All that easy stuff was their former ministry.
#2 THEIR FUTURE MINISTRY
Luke 22:36, 38

In a somber announcement Jesus told the 11 that
The days of banquets, celebrations and basic hospitality are over.

Don’t expect that treatment any more.
“But now, whoever has a money belt is take it along, likewise also a bag”

• Don’t count on people feeding you anymore, buy your own food.
• Don’t count on people clothing you anymore, take extra clothes with you.
• Don’t count on people housing you anymore, pay your own way.

And then the somewhat confusing statement,
“and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one.”

Leo already asked me about that verse last week,
And so I’ll give you the same answer I gave him.

“I don’t know”

I can tell you what others say.
MacArthur says Jesus is speaking figuratively when He says this, and in a moment when He tells them, “It is enough” that He is saying, “No more sword talk.”

I read some who see it is a staging prop, that Jesus wanted them to have swords so they would look like a band of rebels at His arrest.

Others today certainly use it as a defense of self-defense and tie it to the 2nd amendment and the need for guns.

Here we simply apply basic laws of Bible hermeneutics.
(Bible interpretation)

And rule #1 of Biblical Hermeneutics is this:
SCRIPTURE INTERPRETS SCRIPTURE

And sort of as a sub-point we’d say that
Clearer passages explain passages that aren’t as clear.

For example.
1 Corinthians 15:29 “Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?”

That verse is in chapter where Paul is defending the resurrection from the dead.
You can read that verse and legitimately ask, “What is Paul talking about when he mentions being baptized for the dead?”

And here’s the best answer I can give you.
I don’t know what he means, but I know what he doesn’t mean.

Based on the rest of Scripture I know Paul doesn’t mean that after a person dies, someone else can be baptized on their behalf and that person be saved.

The rest of Scripture makes that clear.
You let the rest of Scripture shed some light on that verse.

This is how I handle Luke 22:36.

What does Jesus mean when He tells them buy a sword?

Well, in the context, it is obvious He is referring to the fact that
Where they were not formally in danger, now they will be.

Formerly they did not need a sword,
But in the future a sword might be handy.

Does that mean that Jesus endorsed self-defense, even the use of violence?

I can say that this is clearly what the disciples thought He meant at the time.
• They thought He meant that if they found themselves in danger they would have to use a sword to defend themselves.

Luke 22:49-50 “When those who were around Him saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear.”

And that explains their statement in verse 38
(38) “They said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”

They understood Jesus announcement of danger
And they immediately looked for a sword.

Now, we must also note that
• After finding just 2 swords Jesus said, “It is enough”,
• And we must note that 2 swords isn’t much for 12 people, especially with a Roman cohort (at least 480 soldiers) on the way.

Clearly Jesus didn’t have a war on His mind here.

We also must note that at the arrest Peter is actually going to use one of those swords and try to take a guy’s head off.

Jesus will respond:
Luke 22:49-51 “When those who were around Him saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus answered and said, “Stop! No more of this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.”

The disciples understood the statement to mean it was time to fight,
But Jesus’ response here makes one cautious about their understanding.

No sooner do they strike with a sword
Than does Jesus rebuke them,
And immediately undo what they just did.

They thought Jesus meant to fight for the kingdom, clearly Jesus did not.

Furthermore, (if we allow Scripture to interpret Scripture) THERE IS NOT ANOTHER INSTANCE in all of the New Testament where the apostles either used a sword or encouraged others to do it.

We might also remember Jesus’ words to Pilate:
John 18:36 “Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”

SO WHERE DO WE LAND?
• If you want to use this verse to speak of self-defense, it is hard to argue
with you since Jesus clearly said to take a sword.
• If you want to use this verse to defend using a sword, you also have a
difficult time on your hands since the rest of Scripture will stand against it.

That’s why I told you, I’m not sure what Jesus meant.
I know what the disciples thought He meant.
And I know how Jesus responded very soon after.

BUT THE BASIC POINT TO BE MADE IS THAT
THE DAYS OF SAFETY ARE OVER.

The hospitality and safety and camaraderie that you formerly experienced
IS A THING OF THE PAST.

Future missions are going to be cold and lonely and dangerous.
The Former Ministry, The Future Ministry
#3 THEIR FUGITIVE MINISTRY
Luke 22:37

Here Jesus tells the disciples
WHY this ministry will go from friendly to dangerous.

Namely because that famous prophecy is about to be fulfilled.

“For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH THE TRANSGRESSORS’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.”

I am about to be labeled as a fugitive.
I am about to be as a transgressor.

Think about this night.
• The false witnesses will call Him a liar…
• The chief priests will call Him a blasphemer…
• They’ll take Him to Pilate and call Him an insurrectionist…
• They’ll stand Him before Herod who will mock Him as a phony…
• They will stand Him before the crowd who will condemn Him as a transgressor who deserves crucifixion…

The public persona of Jesus is going to change drastically.

This helps you understand THE SIFTING PROCESS that is about to occur.

Luke 22:54-61 “Having arrested Him, they led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest; but Peter was following at a distance. After they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter was sitting among them. And a servant-girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, “This man was with Him too.” But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.” A little later, another saw him and said, “You are one of them too!” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” After about an hour had passed, another man began to insist, saying, “Certainly this man also was with Him, for he is a Galilean too.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.”

See how that works?
It wasn’t knowing Jesus that threatened Peter,
It was the accusation that Peter was with Jesus or one of them.

They had Jesus on trial and Peter was accused of being part of His gang.

Up until that night being associated with Jesus had been a good thing.
• During the triumphal entry being associated with Jesus was amazing.
• Even during the temple sermons as Jesus silenced the chief priests being associated with Jesus was great.

But all of a sudden the public view of Jesus had changed.
Now to be associated with Jesus made you a criminal.

John 15:18-20 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.”

John 16:1-4 “These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. “They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. “These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me. “But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.”

It’s the danger of guilt by association.
“If you ride with an outlaw, you die with an outlaw.”

The days of easy and hospitable missions are over.
You are about to enter this world labeled as a criminal gang.

THINK ABOUT THAT.

Honestly, we have known nothing of that thus far in America.
• Jesus, by in large, has maintained a good reputation in America.
• And so following Jesus has been a relatively easy thing.
• For years being a Christian has even been considered a good thing.

But what happens when the public perception on Jesus changes?
• What happens when Jesus is seen as a fugitive, not a Savior?
• What happens when Jesus is labeled a hoax, not holy?

Are you prepared to follow Christ even when the world hates Christ?

You can see the apostle’s struggle in this.
1 Corinthians 4:9-13 “For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.”

2 Corinthians 4:7-11 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”

Peter would recognize that the title “Christian” was a derogatory term in his day and yet he encouraged the church to embrace it.

• Called fools for Christ.
• Considered fugitives because of Christ.

THE EASY DAYS WERE OVER.

And on this night, as Jesus ate this final Passover with them,
They were each forced to address this new reality in their hearts.

Would they be willing to be fools for Christ?
Would they be willing to be fugitives for Christ?

Many of you have read the book of John Bunyan called “Pilgrim’s Progress”.

• John Bunyan was a preacher in the 17th century who had been arrested sentenced to 3 months in jail
• For violating the Conventicle Act of 1593 which made it illegal to attend services outside of the perish.
• The act arrested and then banished ministers who gathered groups of 5 or more as they were seen as a threat to the crown.
• If the charged would swear to stop they were released after 3 months and then banished..

Bunyan would not swear the oath and ended up serving 12 years.
• But as he was a fugitive for Christ his wife and children would occasionally visit him in jail;
• One of which was his blind daughter Mary.
• Bunyan was poor before he was imprisoned and now his family was all but destitute without him.

As his family would visit and depart,
Bunyan wrote in his book “Grace Abounding”:

“The parting with my wife and poor children hath oft been to me in [prison] as the pulling the flesh from my bones . . . especially my poor blind child, who lay nearer my heart than all I had besides; O the thoughts of the hardships I thought my blind one might go under, would break my heart to pieces.”
https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/gallery-of-people-around-john-bunyan

Here was a man who was contemplating and living and suffering
Under exactly the type of thing Jesus warned the disciples of.

Bunyan had become a fugitive because He followed a Fugitive.

We see in Scripture that we are called to proclaim the truth
“in season and out of season”,
when Jesus is esteemed and when He is not.

And that is the weight of what Jesus told the disciples here.
Be faithful even when it isn’t popular.

DOES THIS SOUND UNFAIR?
Does this sound unjust?

Does it sound wrong for you to be considered a fugitive just because you identify with Jesus?

Perhaps until you go back to our Lord’s announcement
And remember that the only reason He was considered a fugitive
Is because He identified with you.

He asks you to identify with Him and become a fugitive in the eyes of men
Because He identified with you and became a fugitive in the eyes of God.

CERTAINLY THAT IS NOT TOO MUCH TO ASK

This morning we are going to come again to the Table of the Lord.
• Certainly it is a reminder of His atonement on our behalf.
• Certainly we remember the meal earlier in the night.

But perhaps this morning we partake in a different light.
Perhaps this morning we partake
Contemplating the high cost of identifying with Him.

Jesus offered Himself to the disciples
And then bid them to face hostility on His behalf.

1 Corinthians 11:26 “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”

We have often sung the hymn of the Getty’s called “Behold the Lamb”
We remember that final verse.

“And so with thankfulness and faith We rise to respond: and to remember
Our call to follow in the steps of Christ As His body here on earth.
As we share in His suffering, We proclaim: Christ will come again!
And we’ll join in the feast of heaven Around the table of the King.

Communion hymn

This morning we partake in that mindset.
We share in His sufferings, but we do so in hope of His return.
We partake and we proclaim Christ (no matter the cost) until He comes.

We will have a time of preparation and then partake.

Download Here:

Sifting The Saints
Luke 22:31-34
November 22, 2020

As you know we are currently in the Upper Room, where Jesus has been preparing the disciples for His soon coming death and resurrection.

While our main focus has been the text of Luke’s gospel,
We have looked at the other gospels a little too so that we can better piece together the events of this night.
• After the cryptic instructions to finding the room
• Jesus and His disciples gathered where they began their Passover meal.
• During the meal Jesus got up and washed their feet.
• Jesus then instructed them about serving and loving one another.
• He then took bread and wine and instituted the Lord’s Supper
• After this event Jesus announced that there was a traitor in their midst
• First a discussion occurred as to who it would be
• They all denied that it was them, even Judas.
• In that commotion Peter asked John to ask Jesus who it was
• Jesus during that time confronted Judas, who took the sop and left
• None of the disciples thought anything of it, since now they were in a debate as to who was the greatest.
• Jesus addressed their debate and we learned what true greatness was.
• Then Jesus (LAST WEEK) commended the remaining disciples for staying with Him and promised them reward.

This has been then events of the night in that upper room.

And THIS MORNING we come to ANOTHER TRAGIC ANNOUNCEMENT.

Just a few moments ago Jesus announced
That there was a traitor in their midst.
Now He will announce that all of them will scatter from Him.

Matthew and Mark present near identical accounts:
Matthew 26:31-32 “Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED.’ “But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”

Jesus there quotes:
Zechariah 13:7 “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, And against the man, My Associate,” Declares the LORD of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; And I will turn My hand against the little ones.”

Both Matthew and Mark show particular interest to the fact that
The denial of the disciples was prophesied in the Old Testament.

In part to demonstrate the horror of the crucifixion
And the reality that Jesus would suffer alone for our sin,
It was determined that all the disciples would flee.
The prophet Zechariah prophesied it.

But Luke’s gospel takes a different approach to this event.
Luke is quite fond of making sure you see behind the scenes
And the work of the enemy in all of this.

• It was Luke who showed us earlier in chapter 22 that Satan entered Judas as part of causing the betrayal.
• And now Luke wants you to see his role in the sifting process.

We know that Satan already owned Judas.
• He was using him as the traitor who would betray Jesus to the authorities.
• But it is apparent that Satan was not content with simply Judas;
HE WANTED THEM ALL.

The objective of Satan is to cause every single follower of Christ
To deny Christ and fall away from the faith.

He is a liar – He is a thief – He is a deceiver – He is a tempter

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…”

Satan seeks to drive a wedge between God and His children in any way possible.
• He will tempt you to sin…
• He will accuse God of injustice to you…
• He will accuse you of sin before God…

He will use deception, temptation, persecution, and any other means necessary TO SEEK TO DESTROY the followers of Christ.

And yet, the remarkable truth is that he has a 0% success rate

Oh, he wins his small battles here and there, even as you see here,
BUT HE NEVER WINS THE WAR.

Those whom Christ saves, He saves forever.

Later on this very night
Jesus will give His famous High Priestly prayer for the disciples.

John 17:11-12 “I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.”

Jesus said none perished, except for Judas
And that was only for the fulfillment of Scripture.

John 6:38-40 “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.”

Those whom Christ saves He saves forever.

BUT that doesn’t keep the enemy from attacking.

WHY? Why attack if you can’t win?
• Because he doesn’t know who the elect are.
• Satan doesn’t have access to the Lamb’s Book of Life.

His objective is simply to shake everyone in order to
Try and knock loose the imposters who are hanging by a thread.

In this way, Satan actually UNKNOWINGLY DOES THE WILL OF GOD.

Remember John 15?
John 15:1-2 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.”

John 15:6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.”

Jesus will never lose one His own,
But at the same time no one who simply says “Lord, Lord”
Without truly trusting in Christ will be saved.

Or consider what John the Baptist said about Jesus.
Matthew 3:12 “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Jesus will sift out the wheat from the chaff.

And one of the ways we see false and fruitless branches removed
IS ACTUALLY THROUGH THE SIFTING OF SATAN.

Satan attacks them all in hopes of removing the redeemed,
All he ever succeeds in doing is weeding out the chaff.

BUT YOU SEE THAT even though it ultimately fulfills God’s purpose, SATAN SIFTS in hopes of stealing back the redeemed of God.

THIS MORNING WE GET A PICTURE OF THAT.
• It is actually a picture quite similar to what we read in the first few chapters of the book of Job.
• We get evidence of a conversation between Satan and God regarding the legitimacy of the faith of His elect.
• But as you will notice, there is not a shred of doubt from the Lord as to what the end result will be.

But let’s examine this passage together this morning
And learn a little bit about when Satan seeks to sift the saints.

4 things
#1 THE SOURCE OF SIFTING
Luke 22:31

The statement here is clear.
“Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat;”

The process of sifting wheat was a two-part process.

First the farmer would take the wheat and thrash it.
• Typically he would spread it all out on a floor and beat it with flail so as to
loosen the wheat grain from the stalk and the hull.

Secondly the farmer would winnow the grain.
• He would take a winnowing fork and throw it all in the air so the wind would
blow away the chaff and the heavier grain would remain.

This entire process was known as SIFTING

And Jesus tells Peter and that
This is what Satan has demanded permission to do to them.

Incidentally the word for “you” in the verse is PLURAL.
• Satan is not just demanding permission to get at Peter, but at all of them.
• It might be more accurately translated “Satan has demanded permission to sift you all like wheat;”

SATAN WANTS TO THRASH YOU.
That is to say, he wants to put you on the floor
And beat you to loosen anything that might come free.

AND SATAN WANTS TO WINNOW YOU.
That is to say, he wants to toss you around and let the wind blow over you
To see if there is anything in you that is real and weighty and heavy.

You may notice that the word “permission” is actually italicized which means it is not actually in the Greek text.

So most literally it simply says that “Satan has demanded to sift you”
I suppose translators add the word “permission” because they do not want
To give the impression that God is required to do anything Satan wants.

The word for “demand” is EXAITEO (ex-i-tay-o)
It can be a request, even a begging request, or it can be a demand.

It can be used in a POSITIVE SENSE as in someone begging for pardon,
It can be used in a NEGATIVE SENSE as in a demand to hand someone over for arrest or torture.

It is best to see this in a legal sense.
• God is the righteous Judge.
• He always judges in righteousness.
• Satan is the prosecuting attorney.
• He is out to condemn the defendant.

In a just and legal system the prosecuting attorney
Has the right to cross examine the witness.

That is what we see here.
Satan is only demanding justice
Which God is obligated by His own holy nature to grant.

IN SHORT, Jesus has now revealed that Peter and the rest of the apostles are about to be cross-examined.

They are about to be put through the ringer and tested
By a skeptical adversary to see if they are really genuine or not.

We’ve seen this before.
Job 1:6-12 “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.” Then Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing? “Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. “But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.” Then the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD.”

• That was another peak into the spiritual realm where we see this sort of transaction take place.
• Satan is there doing the same thing in regard to Job that he does for the disciples.
• He is demanding right to put Job through the ringer to see if his faith is really legitimate or not.

Job passed the first line of interrogation with flying colors.
He praised and blessed God.

And then Satan approached God a second time.
Job 2:1-6 “Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD. The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.” Satan answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. “However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.” So the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life.”

It is Satan threshing and winnowing; ultimately sifting Job
To determine if his faith in God is legitimate or not.

Later in his epistle, Peter teaches us this about Satan:
1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

Satan doesn’t know who the elect are.
He doesn’t know whose faith is legitimate.
And so he seeks to sift.

Those who ARE NOT real are sifted out as fruitless branches.
Those who ARE real will never be removed for the Lord will not let them go.

In fact, if you follow the analogy of the vine and the branches
All the sifting of Satan produces in their life is more fruit since sifting from Satan only produces pruning which in turn makes the vine even more fruitful.

BUT YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT IS OCCURRING HERE.
• Satan is out to sift the disciples.
• He goes before the Judge and wants the right to cross-examine.

I’ve always imagined when Jesus said this to Peter
That Peter must have been shocked at Jesus’ next statement.

The Source of Sifting
#2 THE SURVIVAL OF SIFTING
Luke 22:32a

Incidentally he calls Peter “Simon” any time Peter looks more like the old man than the new and in this room Peter is brimming with pride and is much more of a Simon.

So Jesus tells him that Satan has demanded to sift them.

I’m sure Peter hoped Jesus would have said next, “But I told him to get lost, so you guys just stick with me.”

But that’s NOT the answer.
Jesus says, “but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail;”

Jesus tells Peter that the request was granted.
• You guys are all about to be sifted.
• You guys will be threshed and winnowed by the enemy to put your faith to the test.

But you’ll notice that there is SUPREME CONFIDENCE here from the Lord
That these men will survive.

Not because the disciples are strong
But because “I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail;”

Never underestimate the importance or the power
Of the intercession of Christ on our behalf.
Christ does not pray prayers that don’t get answered.
He always prays according to the will of the Father and is always answered.

When He prays that your faith won’t fail…it won’t fail.

This is such a confidence for the church.
Hebrews 7:23-25 “The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

Jesus isn’t just able to save, but is able to save forever.
Because He lives to make intercession.
This is security here.

TURN TO: ROMANS 8:28-39

Of course we begin with the sovereign prerogative of God.
(READ 28-30)
• That everyone He foreknows ends up glorified.
• He doesn’t lose anyone in the process.
• In short, if God wants you saved, you are saved and saved forever.
• There is no evidence of someone who gets foreknown, predestined, called, justified and then unjustified. God glorifies everyone He justifies.

And that is what prompts Paul’s great statement.
(READ 31)
• I mean, if God wants us saved, who can stop Him?

And then Paul begins to flesh it out a little more.
(READ 32-39)

Do you see all those reasons?
(32) Do you really think God would go to the extent of giving His own Son for your salvation and then renege on the offer?

(33) Do you really think Satan can undo your salvation since God knew you were a sinner when He justified you in the first place?

(34) Can Satan really make an accusation stick when Christ paid for your every sin and sits right next to the Father reminding Him of that?

Nothing can undo what Christ has done.
That is the point. Christ is praying.

Satan is asking to do his worst to try and pull the disciples away And Jesus doesn’t even break a sweat.

He has never lost one of His own, and He never will.

Satan is about to find out with the disciples
The same thing he found out with Job.
The relationship between God and His children cannot be undone.

The source of sifting, the security of sifting
#3 THE SERMON OF SIFTING
Luke 22:32b

I call this the sermon because when this is all over
It was supposed to inspire a sermon in the apostles.

“when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

In short, the only thing Satan is going to be able to accomplish
Is to prove your faith legitimate.

You aren’t going anywhere.
You’re going to have a rough couple of days, but you’ll be back.

And when you come back,
You’ll have a message of hope and encouragement for your brothers.

We don’t see the message here, but the rest of the New Testament certainly bears that encouraging word out.

TURN TO: 1 PETER

This book could almost be called “The Encouragement of Peter that he learned after being sifted by Satan”

Namely because Peter is writing this to persecuted believers.
They are also being sifted.

But notice, right out of the gate the encouragement that Peter gives.
(1:3-7)
• Peter acknowledges that they are suffering various trials.
• He sees that life is hard.
• But Peter also knows that trials are necessary, because they prove faith.

And you’ll notice that Peter, like Christ, isn’t the least bit worried that one single true believer is going to fall away.
• He tells them in verse 5 that they are “protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the las time.”
• They aren’t going anywhere.
• All this trial (this sifting) will do is prove their faith and cause them to rejoice.

Peter learned that first hand.

TURN TO CHAPTER 4

(READ 4:12-14)

Did you catch it there?
Peter said that this suffering isn’t strange.

What is the purpose? “for your testing”

You’re being sifted.
And when you pass the test…well that’s the best news you’ll ever get.

(14) “If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”

• Satan won’t be able to separate you from God.
• Satan won’t be able to pull you away.
• All Satan will be able to do is prove that your faith is real.

And Peter is still not finished.
LOOK AT CHAPTER 5

(READ 5:6-11)

Peter also learned a valuable lesson in his sifting didn’t he?
He learned the importance of humility.

(Incidentally, if you studied through Job with us
You’ll know that Job was also confronted for his pride)

It was Peter’s pride that God crushed and pruned during his sifting.

And part of Peter’s encouragement to his brethren is to let go of pride.
(6) “humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God”

And then listen to Peter talk about sifting and how it works.
We already read verse 8 about how Satan prowls around to sift and devour.

But look at Peter’s encouragement.
(READ 9-10)
• Trust God and resist him (don’t take the bait)
• Know that other brothers are accomplishing this same thing – you aren’t alone
• And after the sifting is complete, God Himself will restore you.

Did not all of that happen to Peter?
He learned didn’t he?

And as a result of his sifting, not only will God prove his faith,
And prune his pride, but God will also use him
To encourage other believers in their sifting process.

That is the sermon of sifting.

And it should have ended there,
But Peter’s pride comes to the forefront so Jesus gets specific.

Source of…Security of…Sermon on
#4 THE SPECIFICS OF SIFTING
Luke 22:33-34

It is clear that PETER DEFINITELY UNDERSTOOD
What Jesus meant regarding sifting.

Peter knew that Satan was about to attack
And that the attack was ultimately meant to remove the false disciples from the true ones.

And JUST LIKE the conversation earlier in the night
The disciples immediately GO INTO DEFENSE MODE again.

Remember when Jesus said there was a traitor
We first got a discussion and then a dispute about greatness.

Now, when Jesus announces that sifting is coming
They all flex their spiritual muscle again.

Matthew 26:33-35 “But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Peter said to Him, ” Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too.”

Mark’s gospel adds that “Peter kept saying insistently” that he would not deny.

John 13:36-38 “Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.” Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.”

And of course that falls in line with what Luke records here.
“Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!”

In short, Jesus just said that Satan was going to sift them
And the answer of the disciples was a hearty, “Bring it on!”

I’m not afraid of prison
I’m not afraid of death
There is nothing that he can do to me
He can try, but he will fail

And certainly that was Peter,
But the other gospel accounts tell us that was all of them.

To which Jesus announces:
(34) “And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”

• Not only will you run from prison and death…
• Not only will you deny Me…
• You will deny Me 3 times before the sun even comes up.

What we have on display here is clear and evident pride.
It is self-sufficiency
It is self-reliance

The same pride that caused them to say, “I am the greatest”
Is now at work in their assurance that
They can endure anything the devil would throw at them.

Of course you know what is coming.
JESUS IS RIGHT.
• They’ll all run.
• Peter will deny 3 times.
• Peter will even deny before a slave girl and call down curses upon himself.

THEIR PRIDE WILL FAIL THEM.

It brings to mind the warning of Paul:
1 Corinthians 10:12 “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.”

And it certainly helps us understand why when Peter wrote his epistle to the suffering church he reminded them of the importance of humbling themselves before God as they sought to resist the devil.

BECAUSE SATAN WILL USE YOUR PRIDE AGAINST YOU.

But here is where you need to make sure you understand it accurately.

Satan sifted the disciples.
They all ran, Peter did deny 3 times.
DID SATAN WIN?

And the answer is a resounding NO!
Yes, the disciples fled…
Yes, Peter denied 3 times…
Yes, Friday was a rough day for them…

But what did Jesus say up in verse 32?
“when once you have returned…”

Where do we find them by Sunday evening?
• They are once again in the upper room with Jesus worshiping Him.
• We certainly remember the end of John where Jesus reinstated Peter and told him to shepherd His sheep.

What do we learn about the disciples?
They were genuine wheat.
• Weak wheat? Yes
• Fickle wheat? Yes
• Overconfident wheat? Yes
• But wheat none the less

They were a branch that needed pruning,
But they were a fruitful branch none the less.

And while Satan hit them, he DID NOT conquer them,
And he was NOT ABLE TO sever them from Christ.

Such is the security of the relationship between Christ and His own.
John 6:39 “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.”

John 10:27-29 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

I have always loved the Westminster Confession’s statement on security of the believer.

I. They, whom God hath accepted in His Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally, nor finally, fall away from the state of grace: but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved.

II. This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father; upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ; the abiding of the Spirit, and of the seed of God within them; and the nature of the covenant of grace: from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof.

III. Nevertheless, they may, through the temptations of Satan and of the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of the means of their preservation, fall into grievous sins; and, for a time, continue therein: whereby they incur God’s displeasure, and grieve His Holy Spirit, come to be deprived of some measure of their graces and comforts, have their hearts hardened, and their consciences wounded, hurt and scandalize others, and bring temporal judgments upon themselves.

They recognized that true believers can struggle and have trials and moments of failure, but they will never fail totally and they will never fail finally.

Such was true of the disciples.
• They were sifted, and though they had a rough day, they returned and served God the rest of their lives.

The lesson for you and me today is this:
• Satan will also sift you and me, and God will allow it and use it.
• Those who are truly in Christ will never be lost, those who are not will fall.
• So TRUST CHRIST

Hebrews 3:12 “Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.”

Download Here:

Singing When The Throne Is Empty
Psalms 89
November 15, 2020

Tonight we come to the 89th Psalm.
It is a lengthy Psalm, but the point is clear
And one that reminds us why we love the Psalms so much.

How often we find within this book sentiments and emotions,
Doubts and discouragements that we too can feel in life.

Peter wrote regarding suffering in his 1st epistle:
1 Peter 5:8-9 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.”

Peter certainly acknowledged the realness of suffering,
But he also was quick to remind that we are not alone in it.

Throughout the world our brethren are also suffering and they are winning!
“accomplished” is a word that means “to bring to an end; complete”

They are finishing it…
They are enduring it…
They are completing it…
Be encouraged by them.

That is the type of encouragement we also see in the Psalms.

We see real people with real suffering and real questions
And as we see their walk we are encouraged in ours.

Especially when they are Psalms that express confusion, like this one.

To sort of INTRODUCE the Psalm, it reads like this:

Apparently the Psalmist has been reacquainted with the prophecy concerning the lineage of David.
• Perhaps he was reading the passage where David’s lineage was discussed (2 Samuel 7)
• Perhaps there was a song already written about the blessings God pronounced on David’s line and this caused him to ponder it.

It doesn’t really matter how the truth entered his mind.

But here is what happens.
• He becomes acquainted with the prophecy, ponders on it, searches it out, exposits it,
• And then lifts up his eyes and looks at the world and says, “What happened? Where is the fulfillment of this promise?”

Recently we’ve talked about false prophets who like to deceive people by taking a Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other
And convincing people that the end is near.

Well here is a man who took a Bible in one hand
And a newspaper in the other
And noticed that they didn’t match and he wants to know why.

• Where is the fulfillment of all these promises?
• Where is the blessing God spoke of?
• Where is the goodness we were supposed to be receiving?

EVER HAD A MOMENT LIKE THAT?
You read God’s promises in the Bible and then look at your life and wonder if God forgot what He promised?

I know those aren’t the types of emotions we mention out loud in church,
But they can be the real types of emotions we feel at home in the closet.

Well Psalms 89 is one of those moments.

It is lengthy, so we will have to move quickly,
But I think it’s important not to break this one in half
But to make sure we cover it all in one sitting.

So let’s work our way through it tonight.
We’ll bread it down into 5 points.
#1 THE PSALMIST’S PASSAGE
Psalms 89:1-4

Now I will tell you that there are some who think that perhaps verses 1-37 represent a common song or Psalm that the Psalmist already knew.

• It would sort of be like you driving down the road and a song comes on the radio that you know well and have sung many times.
• But on this day, as you sing it, you say to yourself, “I’m not sure if that song is true or not.”

There are some who think that is what is happening here.
That the Psalmist is first quoting for us a Psalm that already existed in his day (though not preserved in Scripture)

It could be.

What they do agree on is that
If the Psalmist is NOT quoting an existing Psalm then based on the end of the Psalm, verses 1-37 is some of the most disciplined song writing you’ll ever see.

Because until you get to verse 38
YOU’D NEVER GUESS the Psalmist is struggling at all.

“I will sing of the lovingkindness of the LORD forever; To all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth.”

That’s positive isn’t it!
• I want everyone to know about the loyalty of God.
• I want everyone to know about the faithfulness of God.
• I’m going to sing about it forever and to everyone.

And then we get a glimpse of what prompted such a statement,
And it was a specific Bible passage.

(2-4) “For I have said, “Lovingkindness will be built up forever; In the heavens You will establish Your faithfulness.” “I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant, I will establish your seed forever And build up your throne to all generations.” Selah.”

Now this is just A PARAPHRASE here,
But what the Psalmist is doing is referencing the portion of Scripture
Were God announced His loyal covenant with David.

TURN TO: 2 SAMUEL 7:8-17
• You know the story.
• David wanted to build God a house
• God told him no because he had shed much blood
• God announced that his son would build His house
• But God also told David that his lineage would never depart for all eternity

It was a remarkable promise!
God told David that He would cause his kingdom to endure forever.

1 Kings 8:16 “Since the day that I brought My people Israel from Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house that My name might be there, but I chose David to be over My people Israel.”

Isaiah 9:7 “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”

It is the David Covenant.

I don’t know if the Psalmist was reading 2 Samuel 7 or if he was singing a song about 2 Samuel 7 but either way the passage he is referring to becomes clear.

God made an announcement that David’s line would last forever
And the Psalmist is blown away
By God’s loyalty and faithfulness to David.

That is the Passage
#2 THE PSALMIST’S PERCEPTION
Psalms 89:5-37

Now this is obviously a long segment of the Psalm,
But basically it is THE EXPOSITION of 2 Samuel 7.

• These 30+ verses would be equal to the sermon preached on 2 Samuel 7.
• These verses would stand as the explanation of those promises.

The Psalmist begins talking about the greatness and grandeur of God.
(READ 5-10)

The references there are to the power of God.
• The Psalmist references that even in the heavens the angels are mesmerized
by the omnipotence of God.

(5) “The heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.”

No one can equal or rival or compare to the God of heaven.
(6-8) “For who in the skies is comparable to the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty is like the LORD, a God greatly feared in the council of the holy ones, And awesome above all those who are around Him? O LORD God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty LORD? Your faithfulness surrounds You.”

Even in the heavens, among the holy angels, there is reverence and awe regarding the greatness of God.

His power is like no other.
(9-10) “You rule the swelling of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them. You Yourself crushed Rahab like one who is slain; You scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.”

The sea was always a picture of that which could not be tamed.
Filled with uncertainty and danger, yet God’s power is described in the fact that He can still the sea. (Obviously we think of Jesus here)

“Rahab” was a reference to Egypt and how God crushed that mighty nation that He might deliver His people.

No one can thwart the plan of God.
He does whatever He wants to do.

Psalms 115:3 “But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.”

Psalms 135:6 “Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.”

And all things belong to and answer to this powerful and mighty God.
(11-12) “The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and all it contains, You have founded them. The north and the south, You have created them; Tabor and Hermon shout for joy at Your name.”

Everything belongs to this mighty God.
All the heavens; all the earth; from pole to pole; to the highest mountains.

We would refer to it as the TOTAL AUTONOMY OF GOD
• He has all the power
• He has all the authority
• He has all the right

He can do whatever He wants with all that is His,
And since everything is His, He does whatever He wants.

• He answers to no delegation…
• He needs no wise counsel…
• He will never stand judgment for anything He does…

HE HAS TOTAL AUTONOMY.

AND THIS WOULD BE A TERRIFYING THING where it not for the fact that while God is all powerful, HE IS ALSO JUST.

(13-14) “You have a strong arm; Your hand is mighty, Your right hand is exalted. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You.”

He is a good God.
He is a righteous God.

Deuteronomy 32:1-4 “Give ear, O heavens, and let me speak; And let the earth hear the words of my mouth. “Let my teaching drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, As the droplets on the fresh grass And as the showers on the herb. “For I proclaim the name of the LORD; Ascribe greatness to our God! “The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.”

And those realities lead the Psalmist to shout out that being a person in covenant with this great God is an awesome thing!

(15-18) “How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! O LORD, they walk in the light of Your countenance. In Your name they rejoice all the day, And by Your righteousness they are exalted. For You are the glory of their strength, And by Your favor our horn is exalted. For our shield belongs to the LORD, And our king to the Holy One of Israel.”

It is good to be the people of God.
For we have a powerful and just God.

We have a glorious God.
• A God who goes before us.
• A God who lights our way with His glory.
• A God who exalts us in His righteousness.
• A God who strengthens us for His glory.
• A God who extends grace and favor to us.
• A God who shields us.

It is good to be the people of God!

This entire DOXOLOGY of praise was INSPIRED by the fact that
God chose to make a kingdom for David that would never pass away.

TURN BACK TO: 2 SAMUEL 7:18-24

Those are the same things David said in response aren’t they?
• God promised an enduring kingdom and David said, “Wow! We are so blessed to have a God like You!”

Psalms 33:12 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.”

And then the Psalmist continues,
This time OUTLINING THE SPECIFICS of the passage he referenced.

Here he begins to unpack and explain
Exactly what God was promising when He made that promise to David.

(19-25) “Once You spoke in vision to Your godly ones, And said, “I have given help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. “I have found David My servant; With My holy oil I have anointed him, With whom My hand will be established; My arm also will strengthen him. “The enemy will not deceive him, Nor the son of wickedness afflict him. “But I shall crush his adversaries before him, And strike those who hate him. “My faithfulness and My lovingkindness will be with him, And in My name his horn will be exalted. “I shall also set his hand on the sea And his right hand on the rivers.”

You can see there the START of the kingdom as God sovereignly chose David and gave him the kingdom.
(20) “I have found David My servant;”

You can see the STRENGTH of the kingdom God promised to David.
(23) “I shall crush his adversaries before him, and strike those who hate him.”

You can see the SCOPE of the kingdom God promised him.
(25) “I shall also set his hand on the sea And his right hand on the rivers.”

That was a reference to David inheriting the full land promised to Abraham.
Exodus 23:31 “I will fix your boundary from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River Euphrates; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out before you.”

David’s kingdom would be from the sea to the Euphrates.

And if we go on, you can see the SOVEREIGNTY of David’s kingdom.
(26-29) “He will cry to Me, ‘You are my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.’ “I also shall make him My firstborn, The highest of the kings of the earth. “My lovingkindness I will keep for him forever, And My covenant shall be confirmed to him. “So I will establish his descendants forever And his throne as the days of heaven.”

This is just the Psalmist fleshing out for you
What God clearly promised David back in 2 Samuel 7.

• God was in effect calling David His “firstborn” which of course entitles David to the birthright and the blessing of God.
• God called him “the highest of the kings of earth” which is absolute sovereignty.
• God said “My lovingkindness I will keep for him forever” which is to say I will never cut off My loyalty from him.
• God said his throne would be forever.

It’s just the Psalmist outlining what God promised David.

But even that isn’t the main point that the Psalmist wanted to seize upon.
• Yes you see the Start of David’s kingdom
• Yes you see the Strength of David’s kingdom
• Yes you see the Scope of David’s kingdom
• Yes you see the Sovereignty of David’s kingdom

But the aspect of the prophecy that most stood out to the Psalmist was THE SECURITY OF DAVID’S KINGDOM

(30-37) “If his sons forsake My law And do not walk in My judgments, If they violate My statutes And do not keep My commandments, Then I will punish their transgression with the rod And their iniquity with stripes. “But I will not break off My lovingkindness from him, Nor deal falsely in My faithfulness. “My covenant I will not violate, Nor will I alter the utterance of My lips. “Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David. “His descendants shall endure forever And his throne as the sun before Me. “It shall be established forever like the moon, And the witness in the sky is faithful.” Selah.”

That’s pretty remarkable isn’t it?

It’s one thing to be so delighted in David
• That you would make all those promises to him and to give him such a great kingdom.

But to pass that on to his lineage with the promise of
No matter how wicked they might be,
I will not revoke this promise to David.

That is just a remarkable promise.

And notice, God said, “I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David.”

That is God putting His holiness on the line as collateral.
“If I don’t do this, then you have the right
to no longer consider Me to be a holy God.”

This is a serious promise.
This is an amazing promise.

Psalms 2:7-9 “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.'”

Now, as we said, this is the exposition of 2 Samuel 7.
• I don’t know if the Psalmist here read that passage and did his own exposition,
• Or if he is simply quoting a song someone else did about it.
• But it is clear that the opening 37 verses of this Psalm are filled with praise and gratitude to God for what He promised to David.
• It is just pure joy to ponder and rejoice in this magnificent promise of God.

God said that David’s kingdom would last forever and no matter how wicked and corrupt his children were, God would never (33-34) “break off My lovingkindness from him, Nor deal falsely in My faithfulness. My covenant I will not violate, Nor will I alter the utterance of My lips.”

Write it down in blood!
This is a done deal.
This is My promise.

And the Psalms feels like a glorious song of praise.
Until we get to verse 38.

#3 THE PSALMISTS PROBLEM
Psalms 89:38-45

OUCH!
That word “But” packs a punch there doesn’t?

• You said David’s kingdom would last forever.
• You said even if his sons were wicked, you’d never reject David.

But the Psalmist is here looking around him.
And do you know what he sees? AN EMPTY THRONE

Oh, he knows the promise…
He’s quite familiar with 2 Samuel 7…
But still, the throne is empty.

TURN TO: 2 KINGS 25:8-21

Zedekiah reigned from 597 to 586BC
• He was the last King to ever sit on the throne in Israel.
• He was deported to Babylon.
• And yes, after 70 years Israel did return to her land.
• Yes, she did rebuild her temple.
• And yes, Zerubbabel was a governor whom God called “a signet ring”
• But still, there was no king.

Throughout the ages,
• Israel would fall victim the Greek civil war and would spend time in the kingdom of the Ptolemies and then under the kingdom of the Seleucids.
• They would revolt and win their independence
• But then they would fall under Roman rule in the New Testament.
• And modern history has seen them scattered, oppressed, and afflicted.
• Yes, we saw them reestablished on their land, and they do have a government in place,
• But they have not had a king for over 2600 years.

And the Psalmist can’t get past it.

He’s holding 2 Samuel 7 in one hand and a newspaper in the other
And he can’t figure it out.

When he looks around he SEES ANYTHING BUT
The type of blessing they were expecting under a Davidic kingdom.

(38-45) “But You have cast off and rejected, You have been full of wrath against Your anointed. You have spurned the covenant of Your servant; You have profaned his crown in the dust. You have broken down all his walls; You have brought his strongholds to ruin. All who pass along the way plunder him; He has become a reproach to his neighbors. You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries; You have made all his enemies rejoice. You also turn back the edge of his sword And have not made him stand in battle. You have made his splendor to cease And cast his throne to the ground. You have shortened the days of his youth; You have covered him with shame. Selah.”

All he sees is an empty throne.
• He sees rejection
• He sees reproach

He is having a tough time reconciling what he sees with what he reads.

That is his problem.
#4 HIS PLEA
Psalms 89:46-51

Here we see the ever familiar “How long, O LORD?”

Now, let me just point out that in the context of this Psalm,
This prayer is a tremendous statement of faith.

After what we just read and the apparent failure of the promise of God, we would EXPECT the Psalmist pray, “What happened, O LORD?”

BUT HE DOESN’T.
He still doesn’t question the “if” only the “when”.

He still believes God will keep His promise,
It’s just a matter of when God will do it.

But make no mistake, he is confused.
(46-51) “How long, O LORD? Will You hide Yourself forever? Will Your wrath burn like fire? Remember what my span of life is; For what vanity You have created all the sons of men! What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah. Where are Your former lovingkindnesses, O Lord, Which You swore to David in Your faithfulness? Remember, O Lord, the reproach of Your servants; How I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the many peoples, With which Your enemies have reproached, O LORD, With which they have reproached the footsteps of Your anointed.”

Can you hear his frustration?
• God, I’m not going to live forever (I don’t have all day)
• Where is this promise I read about?
• Where is that loyalty we sang about in verse 1?
• Can you see the reproach we are dealing with, where is the blessing?
• Do you see how the world mocks you, where is the king You promised?

And, AS WE SAID, it’s not the kind of frustration that we typically hear expressed in the church, but it is certainly that which may be more commonly expressed in the closet.

We come to church and we like to pretend it’s all under control,
But you and I both know there are days when we read the promises of God,
Then look at life and wonder what in the world happened.

I just finished another WWII documentary last week.
• There was about 3 minutes of footage on Holocaust survivors.
• It was almost more than I could bear…

Throughout the documentary excerpts are read from the published diary of a nurse named June Wandrey. The published diary is called “Bedpan Commando”. Upon treating some Holocaust survivors she writes:

“You have to gently shake some of the patients to see if they are still alive. Their breathing is so shallow. Each time I breathe a wee prayer for them. God are You there? God, where are You?”

Life can do that can’t it?
When you witness horror and tragedy and it doesn’t line up
With the prosperous blessings we see promised in Scripture.

It’s hard to mesh them sometimes.

That is where the Psalmist is.
• He isn’t quitting…
• He hasn’t defected…
• But he wants to know “How long..?”

And then he ends
#5 HIS PERSEVERANCE
Psalms 89:52

It seems so small, almost like an afterthought.
But contained here are the very words of Job
• Who witnesses the loss of all that he had, and who sat down in confusion in the ash heap and said, “Blessed be the name of the LORD”

It is worship in confusion.
It is singing a song to an empty throne.

“Blessed be the LORD forever! Amen and Amen.”

That is faith over understanding.
And we certainly commend the Psalmist for that.

BUT THE PSALM HAS OPPENED UP QUESTIONS FOR US TO ANSWER.

What do we do with such a Psalm?
What do we do with such a dilemma?

There is a passage I want to read to you from the New Testament.
2 Corinthians 1:20 “For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.”

That verse is so important.
All the promises of God are fulfilled to us in Jesus.

John 5:39 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;”

The Psalmist couldn’t figure out what was going on
Because the Psalmist had never seen Jesus.

I can almost picture Psalm 89 being Simeon’s prayer
• In the temple as day after day he waited to see a King.
• He wasn’t getting any younger and I can almost hear him saying, “Remember what my span of life is; for what vanity You have created all the sons of men! What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol?”

Can’t you hear Simeon reminding God that I’m about to die
And I haven’t seen it yet.

The Psalmist was in despair because he hadn’t seen Jesus.

But when you see Jesus, all of God’s promises come into focus.

So let’s just make an obvious statement here.

Apart from Jesus God’s promises are unfulfilled.
Without Jesus there is only confusion.

Imagine reading the Old Testament WITHOUT KNOWING Christ.

Isaiah 9:2-7 “The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. You shall multiply the nation, You shall increase their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian. For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire. For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”

Apart from Jesus you wouldn’t know what to do with a promise like that.
• But Matthew 4:12 says Jesus fulfilled it.
• It was all about Him.

Isaiah 42:1-4 “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. “He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. “A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. “He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.”

What would you do with that if you couldn’t read Matthew 12 and here that it was talking about Jesus?

Isaiah 61:1-2 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,”

Isaiah made that promise over 2800 years ago.
What would you do with that if Jesus hadn’t walked into Nazareth in Luke 4, grabbed a scroll and said, “That is Me!”

Consider that poor Ethiopian Eunuch stuck
As he couldn’t rationalize the promises of God in the Old Testament.

Acts 8:29-35 “Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER; AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT, SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH. “IN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY; WHO WILL RELATE HIS GENERATION? FOR HIS LIFE IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH.” The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him.”

That man didn’t know what to do with Isaiah 53
Until Philip showed him Jesus.

This next week, if you’re following the Hebrews daily devotions,
We talk about Hebrews 2 and another apparent failed promise of God.

Hebrews 2:6-8 “But one has testified somewhere, saying, “WHAT IS MAN, THAT YOU REMEMBER HIM? OR THE SON OF MAN, THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HIM? “YOU HAVE MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS; YOU HAVE CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR, AND HAVE APPOINTED HIM OVER THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.” For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.”

The writer flat out says that God “placed all things in subjection”
Under the feet of man, but WE DO NOT SEE IT that way.

But then he says:
Hebrews 2:9 “But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.”

We may not see the promise exactly fulfilled as we expected it,
But we do see Jesus who IS the fulfillment.

SO HERE’S YOUR APPLICATION FOR TONIGHT.
• When you look at this crazy world where right is wrong and wrong is right.
• When you read your Bible and read about how God is sovereign and God is holy but it looks like Satan is having way more victories than God is.

Here’s what you do.
You pray: Psalms 89:46-52.

• You pray with eyes of faith.
• You DON’T pray “What happened?”
• You pray “How Long?”
• You pray, “Come Lord Jesus!”

The promise is clear.
That kingdom will last forever,
It still exists today “for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”.
We’re just waiting for God to manifest it on the earth.

So in the midst of seemingly irreconcilable promises
We recognize that all promises are fulfilled in Jesus
And we pray that He would return quickly to manifest them.

Right now, if you look at the world, it can look like there is an empty throne.
• That’s how it looked to the Psalmist.
• But that is only an illusion.

God’s promises have not failed.
They are fulfilled in Jesus and one day we will see them on the earth.

Download Here:

For Those Who Stay
Luke 22:28-30
November 15, 2020

As you know, we are currently in the upper room
With Jesus and His disciples.

• Since Jesus was aware of Judas’ plot to betray Him, Jesus gave cryptic instructions to Peter and John regarding how to find this room.
• When they took the Passover, it was during supper that Jesus first washed the disciple’s feet.
• He said it was an example of the service that they should have for one another.

And then Jesus said:
John 13:17-21 “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. “I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘HE WHO EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.’ “From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.”

It is the same thing we saw last week in Luke’s gospel.
Luke 22:21-22 “But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. “For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”

• And after this announcement you know that it set off first a discussion as to who this might be, and finally a dispute as to which of them was the greatest.

And Jesus spoke up to that dispute by reminding the disciples again
That as Christians we don’t use service as a means of obtaining power.
Rather, we use leadership as an avenue to serve others.

With Jesus as our example, we humble ourselves,
Put our brothers before ourselves,
And give up our lives for our brethren.

And as we said last week, it seems that Luke included the story
(Which was omitted by other gospel writers)
Because it demonstrates for us THE GREATNESS OF JESUS.

There was never another like Jesus who was ranked so high,
But who stooped so low to serve others.

• He gave up His glory to become human…
• He gave up His freedom to fulfill all righteousness…
• He gave up His dignity to serve others…
• He gave up His life to save us all…

THERE IS NONE GREAT LIKE JESUS.

But after that interjection in the story
This morning we come back to the flow of the conversation.

• Jesus just outed the traitor.
• Jesus just said one of His own will turn on Him
• And Jesus pronounced “woe” on that man.

It is that same “woe” that He pronounced on the Pharisees earlier this week.
That OUI in the Greek.

Mark 14:21 “For the Son of Man is to go just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”

Better to have been miscarried in the womb
And to have never seen the light of day
Than to have been born to such a heinous sin.

Consider the prophet Jeremiah for a moment.
He was hated and despised and persecuted
And ignored as a prophet in Jerusalem.

Because his life was so hard, he said:
Jeremiah 20:14-18 “Cursed be the day when I was born; Let the day not be blessed when my mother bore me! Cursed be the man who brought the news To my father, saying, “A baby boy has been born to you!” And made him very happy. But let that man be like the cities Which the LORD overthrew without relenting, And let him hear an outcry in the morning And a shout of alarm at noon; Because he did not kill me before birth, So that my mother would have been my grave, And her womb ever pregnant. Why did I ever come forth from the womb To look on trouble and sorrow, So that my days have been spent in shame?”

Because of his affliction Job said:
Job 3:3-4 “Let the day perish on which I was to be born, And the night which said, ‘A boy is conceived.’ “May that day be darkness; Let not God above care for it, Nor light shine on it.”

And you likely understand why they had such thoughts.
Both of those men suffered greatly.

And yet, while they lamented the day of their birth, God never did.
GOD NEVER AGREED WITH EITHER OF THEIR ASSESSMENTS.

Their suffering was bad, certainly,
But God upheld that both of those men had a purpose in life
And that it would be worth it in the end.

And yet, such was NOT THE CASE for Judas.

Of that man Jesus Himself said, “It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”

When the omniscient, eternal Son of God looks into your future
And declares that a miscarriage would have been better for you,
You can rest assured that your destiny is bad.

Such was the penalty for the apostasy of Judas.

When the writer of Hebrews says:
Hebrews 10:29-31 “How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Such was the penalty for the apostasy of Judas.

• Judas trampled Christ underfoot
• He regarded the blood of the covenant as unclean
• He insulted the Spirit of Grace.
• And Judas ultimately fell into the hands of the living God.

“woe to that man by whom [Jesus] is betrayed.”

Now, that was the announcement.
That was the pertinent news of the moment.

Granted, it turned into a defense argument and ultimately a dispute about greatness which Jesus had to correct,

But the conversation started with Jesus announcing a traitor
And pronouncing woe upon him.

Now, Luke doesn’t mention it,
But it is helpful to understand that it was during this debate and dispute
That Jesus also released Judas to go fulfill his plan.

Remember that it was during all those discussions that Peter motioned to John and told John to ask Jesus who it was.

John 13:26-30 “Jesus then answered, “That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.” So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” Now no one of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose He had said this to him. For some were supposing, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus was saying to him, “Buy the things we have need of for the feast”; or else, that he should give something to the poor. So after receiving the morsel he went out immediately; and it was night.”

• That also helps you understand why the disciples were a little clueless regarding Judas.
• They were busy in their argument about greatness and so they didn’t notice all that was happening and they weren’t sure why Judas left.

I bring that up so that you’ll see where we are in the setting of the night.

1. The Passover has been eaten…
2. Jesus has washed their feet…
3. Jesus has explained the Passover as pointing to His sacrifice…
4. Jesus announced that one of them was a traitor…
5. The disciples started arguing about who it was and who was the greatest…
6. In that confusion Jesus confronted Judas and sent him out…
7. Jesus then corrected the backward thinking of the disciples regarding their argument…

SO HERE WE ARE IN THE ROOM.
And Jesus is now going to continue with the point He was making
Before the dispute and argument broke out.

He announced a traitor and pronounced judgment on him.
BUT THAT WAS ONLY HALF OF THE MESSAGE.
It’s just that He was interrupted.

Here is the other half of the message.
(28-30) “You are those who have stood by Me in My trials; and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

When you put those two together
It becomes clear what Jesus was proclaiming around the table.

• Those who betray the Son of Man and depart from Him are cursed.
• Those who stand with the Son of Man are rewarded.

And now that Judas was gone
Jesus could clarify that reward to the remaining 11.

So let’s take a few minutes and look at these 3 verses in Luke’s gospel
As they are of great encouragement to us.

3 things here
#1 THE REALITY
Luke 22:28

“You are those who have stood by Me in My trials;”

In direct contrast to Judas,
Who has now left the room to carry out his Satanic agenda,
Jesus now shows heartfelt gratitude to the remaining 11.

Now I realize that to some degree
Such a statement can cause you to be a little skeptic.

After all,
• Before this night is over all 11 of these disciples are going to flee.
• Before the rooster crows in the morning, Peter will have denied 3 times.

And certainly Jesus knows that, in fact He’s about to announce it.

But knowing that about the disciples
It can cause us to wonder a little by as to
Why Jesus would here commend them for their endurance.

I’d prefer to stop and thank God
That He knows the difference between stumbling and totally falling away.

It is true that every one of these disciples is about to stumble.
But don’t confuse their weakness with Judas’ apostasy.

They will all stumble, and to some degree they will all fall,
But none of them will fall FINALLY and none of them will fall FATALLY.

They’re all coming back…Judas never did.

THERE’S A BIG DIFFERENCE THERE.

And I’m thankful
That when Jesus covered all our sin, it wasn’t just the sin in the past,
But even the sins we have yet to commit.

That grace is on full display here.
• For even though Jesus knows what they are about to do,
• It doesn’t stop Him from acknowledging their faithfulness
• It doesn’t stop Him from offering them the kingdom.

That is good news for me and that is good news for you.

It reminds me of what the writer of Hebrews said
To those bewildered believers who were struggling so mightily
That they debated leaving Jesus.

After giving them several severe warnings about the danger of leaving, HE ALSO SAID:
Hebrews 6:9-12 “But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

• Those believers were struggling, but God is merciful to those who struggle.
• God would not forget their “work” or “the love which [they had] shown toward His name.”

Even in their moment of weakness and failure,
God remembered their moments of faith.

And while every moment of failure is regrettable,
Not all failures are final or fatal.

Clearly that is the case for the 11.
And Jesus here, despite what is about to happen,
Takes a moment to thank them and commend them
For what they have already done.

And it is worth examining that a little.

Jesus said, “You are those who have stood by Me in My trials;”

Can we think about that for a moment?

It was John 1
• Where the Pharisees and sent priests and Levites to quiz John regarding this
baptism he was performing.
• John made no bones about confessing Jesus as the Messiah,
• But certainly everyone there must have known that whoever this Messiah was,
He was already being rejected by the priests.

And yet we read:
John 1:35-37 “Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.”

That was John and Andrew.
And despite the stigma they went and recruited James and Peter.
Jesus would recruit Philip and Philip would recruit Nathanael

• Later those men would leave fishing businesses behind for Jesus.
• Later those men would leave their father behind for Jesus.
• Later Matthew would leave his tax booth behind for Jesus.

They latched on to this Messiah.

And it wasn’t always easy.
• They would see Him scorned in the synagogue for healing on the Sabbath.
• They would see Him rebuked by Pharisees for not washing His hands.
• They would see Him run out of His own hometown and nearly thrown off a cliff.

But still they stayed.

Even when the cities of Bethsaida, Chorazin, and Capernaum
Would reject Jesus, still they stayed.

• When they tried multiple times to arrest Jesus in Jerusalem…
• When Jesus cleared the temple and angered the entire Jewish mafia…
• When Jesus offended and made enemies of every religious bigwig…
• When Jesus caught the attention of Herod who had killed John the Baptist…

Still they stood with Jesus.

And all the while we saw plenty of others unwilling to stick with Jesus.

Luke 9:57-62 “As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

• One man was unwilling to be homeless…
• Another was unwilling to let go of his inheritance…
• And another wasn’t willing to part with his reputation…

But even at such a cost, the disciples stood with Jesus.

• Even when Jesus promised them that they would sheep in the midst of
wolves…
• Even when Jesus promised that they would be hated by everyone because of
His name…
• Even when Jesus promised that they could be betrayed by the members of
their own families…

Still they stood with Jesus.

In John 6 Jesus preached that He was the bread from heaven who could bring life to the world and that He would return to heaven.

John 6:66-68 “As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. 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.”

• When the Rich Young Ruler measured between his wealth and Jesus and
ultimately chose to keep his wealth, the disciples again chose to stand
with Jesus.

• While the Rich Young Ruler kept his wealth the disciples left houses and
farms, wife and children, brothers and sisters, father and mother, and they
did it all for Jesus.

And when Jesus announced here in the upper room
That one was a traitor
And would thus seal the fact that Jesus was about to die.

STILL THEY STOOD WITH JESUS.

I’m aware that they are about to make a mistake.
I’m aware that they are going to stumble a little.

In fact Jesus is about to reveal that Satan wasn’t content with just Judas,
But that he in fact wanted all of them.

Satan is about to sift them all,
And they’re going to have a rough couple of days,

But their stumbling won’t last long.
They’ll run on Friday, but by Sunday they’ll be worshiping again.
And after the Holy Spirit comes, they’ll never run again.

Jesus knows that.
• They had decided to follow Jesus.
• They had stuck with Him.

And incidentally, that is always the encouragement.

Hebrews 10:32-39 “But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one. Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY. BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.”

That was certainly the disciples.

And that is not just the reality of their life,
But you know that that is also the requirement for yours.

You must stand with Jesus.
You must bear His reproach.
You must embrace His rejection.

And these men did.
• Not perfect…
• Moments of weakness…
• But all in all they stood with Jesus…

And Jesus is not about to forget that.
Jesus is not about to overlook that.

He promised that if you even give a cup of cold water to someone in the name of a prophet you will certainly receive your reward.

This men had stood with Jesus and they would be rewarded.

That is the Reality.
#2 THE REFERENCE
Luke 22:29a

“and just as My Father has granted me a kingdom…”

This is an important reference to make.
Jesus is making A COMPARISON regarding their reward.

He is saying, “I’m going to do for you what My Father has done for Me”

Now if you’ll think about the upper room for a second
You’ll understand the significance of this statement.

We know that Jesus is about to die a horrible death.
And certainly Jesus knows that.

But we also saw that even on the eve of such hardship
There is a hope which Jesus maintains.

Remember it?
Luke 22:14-18“When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.”

Jesus is on the eve of His great suffering and yet we find anticipation.
He is anticipating the kingdom which His Father had given Him
And the banquet meal He will one day eat in that kingdom.

He was looking past the scorn of the cross to the joy of the kingdom.

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

• I’ve told you before but the word “despising” there when it says that Jesus was “despising the shame” of the cross.
• Doesn’t mean He hated the shame of the cross or dreaded the shame of the cross.
• The word there literally means “to think little of”

That means that even when facing the pain of the cross
And bearing the eternal wrath of God
Jesus thought it was a little price to pay
In comparison to the kingdom He would receive.

In view of the kingdom. With “the joy set before Him”
He thought little of the shame He was about to bear.

Isn’t that remarkable?

Well, Jesus is now offering
That same hope and encouragement to the 12.

What the Father has done for Me, I also want to do for you.

Reality, Reference
#3 THE REWARD
Luke 22:29b-30

“I grant you that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

• Do you want something to look forward to?
• Do you want something to carry you through the coming days?

And by the way, the coming days are going to be hard.

In verses 31-34 He’s going to reveal that they’re all about to be sifted by Satan.
In verses 35-38 He’s going to reveal that hospitality as they knew it is over.

It’s about to get rough.

• But in those rough moments, do you want some incentive to carry you through?
• Do you want a piece of joy to look forward to?

WELL HERE IT IS.
Because You guys have stood with Me on earth,
You will get to sit with Me in My kingdom.

• I’ll be eating that bread and drinking that wine in the kingdom thoroughly enjoying the bride I purchased,
• And on that day, I want you there eating and drinking and celebrating with Me.

You guys are invited.

And not only that, but you (and add in Matthias who will replace Judas) will also “sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

(Don’t think of judge here in a courtroom sense,
Think of it in an Old Testament “Judges” kind of sense)

These men will rule and reign with Christ.
The apostolic authority that they are about to receive
Will carry over with them all the way into the millennial kingdom.

Jesus has granted them to sit and rule with Him.

All because while everyone else was going back
To their farms or their families or their comforts,
These men chose to leave it all and follow Jesus.

And Jesus wants them to know that they will be rewarded for that.

Now, this is not the only time we see this.
(I want to bring this application to you)

TURN TO: MATTHEW 19:27

• You are familiar with Matthew 19 as the chapter which contains the incident with the Rich Young Ruler.
• Remember, he was faced with the decision to keep his wealth or obtain Jesus and he chose his wealth.
• Jesus then remarked how hard it was for a rich man to get into heaven.

But then Peter asked the question that everyone was thinking.

(27) “Then Peter said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?”

It’s a fair question.
We chose opposite of that guy, did we choose correctly?

And first you see the same revelation which Jesus reiterates here in the upper room.
(28) “And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

• Same promise.
• Jesus hasn’t wavered.
• When My kingdom comes on this earth and I sit on My throne, you guys will sit and judge with Me.

Now, that is the case for the disciples, but WHAT ABOUT US?
What about other believers?

(29) “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.”

• When you stand with Jesus, there is no fear of being cheated.
• There is a reward to be claimed.
• There is compensation to be received.

Everyone who stands with Jesus and who loses this world
As a result will be more than compensated
On the day when Jesus reigns.

Isaiah 25:6-9 “The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, And refined, aged wine. And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, Even the veil which is stretched over all nations. He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken. And it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”

Those who stand with Christ will be compensated.

And do you want some more good news?
• Keep looking in Matthew’s gospel.
• Chapter 19 ends with sort of a cryptic statement.
• (30) “But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.”

What in the world does that mean?

• Well, I would point you to chapter 20.
• Jesus gives a parable and at the end of the parable He says:
• (20:16) “So the last shall be first, and the first last.”

So obviously the first 15 verses of Matthew 20 are a parable
To explain what He means and it ties directly to this idea of compensation.

(READ MATTHEW 20:1-15)
• You likely remember the parable, and it is such good news for us.
• It is the story of a land owner who just keeps hiring people all day long.
• And at the end of the day he pays them all the same (the agreed upon wage)
• Now some are frustrated by that, thinking they deserve more.

And then we get the answer of the landowner
Which means the world to us.

(15) “Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’”

• Did the landowner cheat those men who worked all day? No
• How about those who only worked a little? No

Why is that good news for us?

While our circumstances most certainly could change,
And persecution could break out upon the church in America,
IT IS STILL OBVIOUS THAT
We have had thus far an easier burden than other believers.

• Those apostles bore the heat of the day didn’t they?
• Believers in the Middle East are bearing the heat of the day aren’t they?

Can we really expect as believers in padded pews and air conditioned buildings to receive an inheritance with those people?

And according to this parable,
So long as you work the vineyard, then YES.

It’s never been totally about what you earned.
It’s always been about His generosity.

That was good news for the disciples
• Because in a few hours they were about to mess up pretty big,
• But fortunately for them Jesus is generous
• And He does not forget all the labor they already put in.

And that is good news for us because Jesus will reward us as well.

And that is the simple point of the Lord here in this room.

There was a traitor in their midst,
• He departed from Jesus.
• He traded the glories of heaven for 30 pieces of silver.
• And woe was pronounced upon him.

But at the same time Jesus looked around that room with gratitude to all of those who didn’t choose the world.
• They lost houses and farms…
• They lost earthly relationships…
• They lost their reputations…
• But they stuck with Jesus.
• And Jesus looked at them to tell them it is only a matter of time before our pain
will be over and we will sit around My table in My kingdom.

SO THERE IS THE ENCOURAGEMENT TO YOU.
WHICH ONE ARE YOU?

• Are you standing with Jesus?
• Are you forsaking this world for His?
• Have you said good-bye to the things of this world that you may gain Christ?

For this Jesus also said:
Matthew 10:37-39 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.”

These disciples lost their life, but they inherited a better one.

How about you?
What are you clinging to?

The sufferings of Christ here are real.
But the glories that follow make these sufferings worth it.

Hebrews 13:12-14 “Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.”

Download Here:

The Song Of The Uncomforted
Psalms 88
November 8, 2020

Tonight we come upon what may be
The darkest Psalm in the entire book of Psalms.

It begins with the only positive statement in the entire Psalm.
(1) “O LORD, the God of my salvation,”

And it DESCENDS from there.
It is a Psalm which will give no relief.

We often times find our Psalmist in pain or turmoil or fear
But it seems like there is always a ray of sunshine somewhere.

For example,
• The writer may speak of his affliction but somewhere in the Psalm we read of the relief or the peace of God he receives.
• Or perhaps the Psalmist may lament his extreme pain, but we are accustomed to then reading, “Nevertheless I will hope in You…”

This Psalm gives us none of that.
• No relief is offered in this Psalm…
• No explanation is given in this Psalm…
• No consolation is given in this Psalm…
• It ends dark.
• It feels unresolved.

And while it does not produce a great emotional joy boost
In a person when they read it,
We should all be extremely grateful for a Psalm like this.

It is a song for those who are UNCOMFORTED.
It is a song for those who are NOT CONSOLED.
It is a song for those who SING IN THE DARKNESS.

You might call this the Ecclesiastes of all the Psalms.
• “Everything is meaningless…”
• “What’s the point?”

You’ve heard the old man tell that young man
To take of his rose colored glasses and take a dose of reality.

You’ve heard that old man tell that young man to quit watching the Hallmark channel and start watching Fox news where everything is wrong.

That book just comes with a realness that can be difficult to swallow
But must which must be understood.

This Psalm is like that.
It is harsh and dark and unresolved.

Apart from calling God “the God of my salvation”
There is nothing else positive in it.

And you may ask how such a song can be glorifying to God?

How can singing a song where no victory is claimed and no peace is given be seen as glorifying to God?
• Because even at this dark moment…
• Even when pain is intense…
• Even when answers aren’t present…

The Psalmist is still singing…
The Psalmist is still crying out…

In short, there is pain and confusion and even some frustration,
BUT THERE IS NOT A DEPARTURE.

Let me read again to you A FAMILIAR PARABLE.
Luke 18:1-8 “Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. “There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ “For a while he was unwilling; 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.'” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; 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?”

We like that parable because it fast-forwards to the end.
• We like the story because before it leaves, we actually see the widow granted
the protection she seeks.

But how many days and how many nights
Did she endure rejection before she received her relief?

How many times did she have to get up off the floor and approach again?

We firmly believe that
• All things work together for good for those who love God.
• God will bring about justice for His elect.

But you certainly know it’s not always immediate.
• Sometimes you go to bed in pain…
• Sometimes you go to be in turmoil…
• Sometimes you go to be without comfort…

In those time the importance is
That you CONTINUE TO SING and that you CONTINUE TO PRAY.

This Psalm is harsh, but it is honest.
• He is not manipulating God.
• He is not trying some gimmick to make God answer.
• He is just here again, for the umpteenth time, crying for justice from God.

So far he hasn’t gotten it,
But the fact that he keeps asking is evidence of his faith.

Now certainly I DON’T WANT all my songs to be like this.
I like the silver lining.

But I am glad to know that on the day when my spirit is not consoled
That there is still a song that God has preserved for me to sing.

So on the day you are not comforted, sing the 88th.

There is ONE OTHER important note to gain as we work our way through

As you read it, there are A COUPLE OF PASSAGES
That I want to just sort of put in the back of your mind.

Isaiah 53:3-4 “He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.”

Our Savior was familiar with grief.
Our Savior was familiar with pain.

Our Savior even knew what it felt like to be forsaken.
Psalms 22:1-2 “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; And by night, but I have no rest.”

And there is a two-way street there.

ONE SIDE: Christ came and suffered such grief and rejection so that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest.

He was afflicted and He was rejected
Partly so He could know what it was like to be human.

THE OTHER SIDE to that street is since He suffered in this way, now there is a fellowship to be gained when you suffer like this.

Philippians 3:10 “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;”

On the day you suffer without comfort…
On the day it feels like you’ve been forsaken of God…
On that day, fellowship with Christ for that was His pain also.

There is a fellowship to be gained there.
Christ didn’t just write this Psalm, He lived it; He sang it.

There is comfort there for us.

So let’s work our way through this Psalm of the uncomforted.
3 main points.
#1 HIS COMPLAINT
Psalms 88:1-9

As we said, the first line of verse 1
Offers the ONLY POSITIVE FEEL in the entire Psalm.

“O LORD, the God of my salvation”

It is important to note that the Psalmists loyalty and worship
Did not consist purely on what God might do,
But on what God had done.

We must always keep the perspective that
If God has clothed us in the righteousness of His Son
And atoned for our sin with the blood of His Son
Then regardless of the pain God allows we are in the positive.

Job said:
Job 13:15 “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him.”

When Job’s wife wanted him to curse God and die, he said:
Job 2:10 “But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”

We’ll read several statements of Job in this Psalm,
You know that at times JOB was very FRUSTRATED and very CONFUSED.

But one thing was NEVER on the table.
• Regardless of the silence…
• Regardless of the pain…
• Regardless of the confusion…
JOB WASN’T GOING ANYWHERE.

Job 19:23-27 “Job Says, “My Redeemer Lives” “Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! “That with an iron stylus and lead They were engraved in the rock forever! “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. “Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God; Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me!”

Job was in great pain and confusion but he said, “Write it down in the rock with an iron pen…My Redeemer Lives!”

All of that is bound up here in the opening line of Psalms 88.
The Psalmist knows who he is calling upon.

And yet, the mood is one of frustration and complaint.

“I have cried out by day and in the night before You. Let my prayer come before You; Incline Your ear to my cry!”

God is the God of his salvation, but for the moment He is distant at best.

From the Psalmist’s perspective
God has put him on hold and won’t pick up the phone.
And that leads to the complaint.

And you’ll see why.
THE SEVEREITY (3-5)

(3-5) “For my soul has had enough troubles, And my life has drawn near to Sheol. I am reckoned among those who go down to the pit; I have become like a man without strength, Forsaken among the dead, Like the slain who lie in the grave, Whom You remember no more, And they are cut off from Your hand.”

You can hear him here lament the severity of his trial.

“my soul has had enough troubles”
• In other words he is crying “Uncle”
• Enough is enough!
• Point received!

In his mind this should have stopped by now.

“And my life has drawn near to Sheol. I am reckoned among those who go down to the pit; I have become like a man without strength.”
• He says, people say he’s as good as dead.
• It’s like I’ve got one foot in the grave.
• He is on spiritual hospice.

I’m at the end here God!

And here I am at the end and I still can’t get Your attention.
(5) “Forsaken among the dead, Like the slain who lie in the grave, Whom You remember no more, And they are cut off from Your hand.”

That is NOT a theological point, but rather a practical one.
Dead people are cut off from earthly relationships.

And this is the Psalmist complaint.
“Here I am, about to die, and You’re ignoring me like I’m already dead.”

It’s like I’m a wounded patient who is beyond saving
So You’ve moved on to the next wounded man.

It is a hard place to be.
That’s one complaint – The Severity

Severity
THE SOURCE (6-8)

(6-8) “You have put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in the depths. Your wrath has rested upon me, And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah. You have removed my acquaintances far from me; You have made me an object of loathing to them; I am shut up and cannot go out.”

I’m suffering terribly and it is YOU who put Me here.

How can one not see the suffering of Christ in verse 7?

verse 7, “Your wrath has rested upon me, And You have afflicted me with all Your waves”

• It is undeserved affliction.
• And not only is God afflicting him, but God has removed any and all comforters
from Him.

This too was so true of Christ.
As He died upon the cross,
His followers had fled, one had betrayed, one had denied,
Gathered around the cross was a multitude of mockers enjoying His death

But it has also been true of the saints throughout the generations.

• We see Joseph alone in a prison waiting there 2 years AFTER the cupbearer was supposed to speak on his behalf.
• We see Jeremiah alone being lowered into a well because his message was so hated.
• Certainly Job had people around him, but none of them were friends.

AND ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE WERE IN THAT SITUATION
BECAUSE GOD PUT THEM THERE.

Later in life Joseph even said, “It was not you who sent me here but God”
Jeremiah complained at God saying “You have deceived me and I was deceived”

Even at the end of his life, suffering in the Mamertine prison Paul wrote:
2 Timothy 4:16 “At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them.”

Paul also suffering there because of the gospel.
The suffering was severe and the sovereign God was the source.

That is the Psalmist.

He is complaining because of the severity of his suffering
And because God has caused it without offering any comfort whatsoever.

Severity – Source
THE SILENCE (9)

“My eye has wasted away because of affliction; I have called upon You every day, O LORD; I have spread out my hands to You.”

And despite all this, You still won’t answer.

Job 30:20-23 “I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer me; I stand up, and You turn Your attention against me. “You have become cruel to me; With the might of Your hand You persecute me. “You lift me up to the wind and cause me to ride; And You dissolve me in a storm. “For I know that You will bring me to death And to the house of meeting for all living.”

It is a hard place to be.
And the Psalmist is complaining about it.

But find fellowship in knowing that Christ has been there too.

Hebrews 2:14-15 “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.”

Christ embraced human life and Christ endured human death.
There is fellowship in His sufferings and there is sympathy in His heart.

But the Psalmist isn’t feeling it.
There is only the complaint.

#2 HIS CASE
Psalms 88:10-12

Here the Psalmist appeals to logic
And how it doesn’t make sense
For God to be responding the way He is.

Boy, welcome to human suffering 101,
When God doesn’t respond in a way that seems logical to you.

Many times in our hardship, when we think we clearly see what would be best in a situation, we are slammed against the rock of Isaiah 55.

Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

We are often forced in our suffering to not only endure pain,
But also endure the shattering of our logical sense of what is right.

But that hasn’t stopped the Psalmist from giving HIS LOGICAL APPEAL.
It is his case as to why God
Should stop ignoring him and come deliver him.

It is framed in 5 questions.
• “Will You perform wonders for the dead?”
• “Will the departed spirits rise and praise You? Selah.”
• “Will Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave, Your faithfulness in
Abaddon?
• “Will Your wonders be made known in the darkness?
• And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

Now, from the Psalmists perspectives and by his logic
The answer to every one of those questions is “NO”.

He is approaching this with a TEMPORAL MINDSET in his questioning.

And HIS POINT is that once death occurs
A person offers no benefit to God on the earth.

• It does no good to provide money for the electric bill for a dead man.
• The dead man will not testify of such a provision or praise God for it.
• The dead man will not go and tell other dead men about what God did.
• The dead man will not shout praises in the casket.
• The dead man will not preach the gospel of righteousness in the grave.

And so the logic of the Psalmist is:
“What good am I to You dead?”

• It just doesn’t make any sense that You would let me die since there is no
benefit in it for You.
• I can do much more for you as a living man that as a dead man.

THAT IS HIS LOGIC.

And you’ve likely applied that very logic
At times in your life and in your suffering.

• A young person tragically dies too soon and someone says “what a waste”.
• Lamented is how much that life could have accomplished but now that death has occurred it can’t accomplish anything.

That is the Psalmist’s logic.

I do think it is also worth noting then that BY DEFAULT
The Psalmist declares to us what is THE PURPOSE OF LIFE.

• It is that God might perform wonders and be praised accordingly with our life.
• It is that God’s lovingkindness might be declared.
• It is that God’s faithfulness might be declared.
• It is that God’s wonders might be declared.
• It is that god’s righteousness might be declared.

The Psalmist clearly sees those things as the obligations of life
And so he is arguing with God
That letting him die doesn’t make any sense.

And we can understand that.

However, we SHOULD ALSO POINT OUT that while the answer to all of the Psalmists questions are “NO”.

If you apply those same questions to Christ then they all become “YES”.

Did God perform wonders for the dead with Christ?
Yes God raised Him.
Did the departed spirits rise and praise Him?
Yes Jesus clearly testified of the Father after He rose.
Was God’s lovingkindness or faithfulness or wonders or righteousness declared in the grave?

Yes
1 Peter 3:18-20 “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, 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.”

And the obvious point there is that our logic fails
Because we don’t know what God knows.

In our mind God should always respond to our suffering a certain way
Because in our limited understanding it makes the most sense.

But God knows what we do not.

Consider the Lazarus story.
By the time Jesus showed up to Bethany the sisters and all their friends were just like this Psalmist.

They were filled with complaints about severity and silence.

John 11:21 “Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

John 11:32 “Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

John 11:37 “But some of them said, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?”

But that is because Jesus knew what they did not.
John 11:4 “But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.”

It is just an important reminder that our logic is flawed.
We don’t have all the facts.

The death of Jesus looked like a real low point in human history until 3 days later when He stepped out of the grave.

I’ve told people repeatedly that
We are not supposed to know everything right now.
Right now we are supposed to have faith.

Someday in the future when we know fully
Then we will see why God was so right in what He did.

But the simple point is that we have a Psalmist here complaining to God
Because God is not doing what seems logically right.

His Complaint, His Case
#3 HIS CONFUSION
Psalms 88:13-18

And since God has not done what is logical
The Psalmist is just going to spell out what doesn’t make sense here.

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS (13-14)

(13-14) “But I, O LORD, have cried out to You for help, And in the morning my prayer comes before You. O LORD, why do You reject my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me?”

I have prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed …BUT NOTHING.
It doesn’t make sense that You would ignore me.

Job 23:8-9 “Behold, I go forward but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him; When He acts on the left, I cannot behold Him; He turns on the right, I cannot see Him.”

I still remember reading the biography of Adrian Rogers written by his wife Joyce. In it she talked about the day they lost an infant child to SIDS. She mentions that the hardest thing she had to do was surrender the right to understand.

The Psalmist is fighting that battle right now.
Even Jesus on the cross said, “Why have You forsaken Me?”

It’s a real issue in our lives when we suffer.
UNYIELDING TERRORS (15-17)

(15-17) “I was afflicted and about to die from my youth on; I suffer Your terrors; I am overcome. Your burning anger has passed over me; Your terrors have destroyed me. They have surrounded me like water all day long; They have encompassed me altogether.”

There are some phrases there that are hard to swallow.
• “from my youth on”
• “all day long”

Let those sink in.
• This is NOT some “Johnny come lately” infirmity.
• This has been the infirmity of his life.

This is being born with a disease that makes life harder for you than anyone else and never being told why and never getting any relief.

It just never stops.
It never lets up.

How often we have spoken of our ability
To handle the shock of tragedy,
But it is the duration of tragedy that seems to really wear us down.

When it just won’t relent.

We have only the command of Scripture.
Proverbs 3:11-12 “My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His reproof, For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

And we have the promise of Scripture.
Hebrews 12:11 “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

God is making us a sharer of His holiness.
God is producing righteousness in us.
BUT IT IS HARD.

The Psalmist is also confused about:
UNAVAILABLE CONSOLATION (18)

(18) “You have removed lover and friend far from me; My acquaintances are in darkness.”

This seems extremely harsh and confusing.
Suffering and suffering alone.

• We already mentioned Christ being abandoned by His own.
• We mentioned Paul alone in prison.
• We mentioned Joseph and Jeremiah in their suffering.
• We still remember Job, who had friends but was still alone.

Job 16:1-2 “Then Job answered, “I have heard many such things; Sorry comforters are you all.”

Job 19:13-22 “He has removed my brothers far from me, And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me. “My relatives have failed, And my intimate friends have forgotten me. “Those who live in my house and my maids consider me a stranger. I am a foreigner in their sight. “I call to my servant, but he does not answer; I have to implore him with my mouth. “My breath is offensive to my wife, And I am loathsome to my own brothers. “Even young children despise me; I rise up and they speak against me. “All my associates abhor me, And those I love have turned against me. “My bone clings to my skin and my flesh, And I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth. “Pity me, pity me, O you my friends, For the hand of God has struck me. “Why do you persecute me as God does, And are not satisfied with my flesh?”

It is not just suffering, it is suffering alone.

AND WITH THAT THE PSALM ENDS.

There is no “Nevertheless”
There is no “But…”

We desperately want a verse 19 which says, “Then God answered me from the pit. He renewed His compassion for me, and raised me up.”

BUT IT’S NOT THERE.

Oh, make no mistake, IT WILL COME.
If not in this life then in the next.

But this Psalm isn’t about that day.
• This Psalm is about the 100’s of days before that day.
• This Psalm is the song of that widow 2 years before the judge granted her legal protection.

This is the song BEFORE the comfort comes.

I have told you how I love the imprecatory Psalms
• Because it gives me a place to go with my frustration.
• I can lay it at the feet of a righteous Judge and let it go.

This Psalm is like that regarding the frustration of our suffering.
• We sing this Psalm and also lay it at the feet of “the God of my salvation” and let it go.

We certainly don’t want to sing it every day,
But on that day it is great to have a song to sing.