What good is Faith? Tim from CMS
St. Paul's Anglican Church Chatswood - SermonsJuly 21, 201222:2520.53 MB

What good is Faith? Tim from CMS

What good is Faith? Tim from CMS

Series: Wisdom

Speaker: Steve Jeffrey

Date: 22nd July 2012

Passage: Psalm 73:1-28


00:00:00 --> 00:00:03 Well, firstly, can I say thank you very much for having us here this morning.
00:00:03 --> 00:00:06 It's a real privilege to be able to speak to you.
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 We've got lots of news that we want to tell you,
00:00:10 --> 00:00:11 but as we mentioned earlier,
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 we're going to be coming back a bit later on in the year
00:00:14 --> 00:00:20 to give you much more time and to be able to tell more news.
00:00:21 --> 00:00:23 We're looking forward to telling you our news,
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 and I wonder what kind of news you're expecting.
00:00:30 --> 00:00:33 I hope you're expecting great news of success
00:00:33 --> 00:00:37 and of wisdom
00:00:37 --> 00:00:40 and of walking with the Lord
00:00:40 --> 00:00:44 and of the great things that result from that.
00:00:46 --> 00:00:50 But what if we had failures to report?
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 How would that be received?
00:00:53 --> 00:01:00 This psalm is a record of a godly man
00:01:00 --> 00:01:05 who's speaking about a time of failure in his life.
00:01:08 --> 00:01:11 We're not so good at talking about the bad stuff
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 when we talk about the Christian life
00:01:13 --> 00:01:14 and the fear of the Lord
00:01:14 --> 00:01:17 and the great things that result from wisdom.
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 It's generally all positive things.
00:01:19 --> 00:01:24 It's true in other areas of our life too.
00:01:24 --> 00:01:26 We prefer everything to be reported
00:01:26 --> 00:01:28 from a positive point of view.
00:01:29 --> 00:01:32 A difficult employee is not a problem,
00:01:32 --> 00:01:33 he's a challenge.
00:01:34 --> 00:01:36 At least that's what somebody told me recently.
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 Politicians always tell us of their successes
00:01:40 --> 00:01:44 and conveniently omit any of their failures.
00:01:44 --> 00:01:48 It's not just in the outside world,
00:01:48 --> 00:01:49 in the church too.
00:01:49 --> 00:01:52 It's difficult to speak of difficult times.
00:01:54 --> 00:01:55 Whilst we were away,
00:01:55 --> 00:01:57 my mum and dad sent me
00:01:57 --> 00:02:01 issues of the Southern Cross magazine.
00:02:01 --> 00:02:02 You know the one I mean.
00:02:03 --> 00:02:05 And there are many stories in there
00:02:05 --> 00:02:06 of church plants
00:02:06 --> 00:02:09 and testimonies of people
00:02:09 --> 00:02:11 who have been converted and so on.
00:02:11 --> 00:02:13 But there were not many articles
00:02:13 --> 00:02:16 on churches that shrink
00:02:16 --> 00:02:17 or that disappear
00:02:17 --> 00:02:20 or policies that have turned out
00:02:20 --> 00:02:22 in retrospect not to have gone well
00:02:22 --> 00:02:23 or so on.
00:02:24 --> 00:02:25 On the whole,
00:02:25 --> 00:02:29 we're not so good at dealing with failure.
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 Unless we can blame it on something.
00:02:34 --> 00:02:35 But this psalm
00:02:35 --> 00:02:38 is a testimony of regret.
00:02:38 --> 00:02:41 Even in spite of a godly
00:02:41 --> 00:02:43 and a wise life.
00:02:46 --> 00:02:48 Now don't get me wrong.
00:02:48 --> 00:02:50 Leading the Christian life
00:02:50 --> 00:02:51 in the fear of the Lord
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 ought to be a cause
00:02:53 --> 00:02:54 of great happiness
00:02:54 --> 00:02:55 most of the time.
00:02:56 --> 00:02:57 And it's right
00:02:57 --> 00:02:58 that that theme
00:02:58 --> 00:03:00 should be centre stage.
00:03:01 --> 00:03:02 The fear of the Lord
00:03:02 --> 00:03:03 is the beginning of wisdom
00:03:03 --> 00:03:05 and of a blessed life.
00:03:05 --> 00:03:08 But it shouldn't be
00:03:08 --> 00:03:10 the only thing on stage.
00:03:11 --> 00:03:12 It's right
00:03:12 --> 00:03:13 that most of the psalms
00:03:13 --> 00:03:16 should be full of praise
00:03:16 --> 00:03:18 and of things
00:03:18 --> 00:03:18 learned
00:03:18 --> 00:03:20 and positive experiences.
00:03:22 --> 00:03:24 But like this psalm,
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 there are sometimes occasions
00:03:27 --> 00:03:28 when we need to admit
00:03:28 --> 00:03:30 that despite living
00:03:30 --> 00:03:31 in the fear of the Lord
00:03:31 --> 00:03:33 and trying our best
00:03:33 --> 00:03:34 to live a godly life,
00:03:34 --> 00:03:36 things have not gone well.
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 Life is not always good
00:03:40 --> 00:03:41 for Christians.
00:03:44 --> 00:03:45 When we were overseas,
00:03:46 --> 00:03:47 we met a number of families
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 who had to return
00:03:49 --> 00:03:50 after a short time
00:03:50 --> 00:03:53 back to their sending churches
00:03:53 --> 00:03:56 through no fault of their own.
00:03:56 --> 00:03:57 But I remember thinking
00:03:57 --> 00:03:59 how hard it would be
00:03:59 --> 00:03:59 for them
00:03:59 --> 00:04:01 to report back
00:04:01 --> 00:04:02 to their sending churches.
00:04:04 --> 00:04:05 How could you
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 stand in front of a church
00:04:07 --> 00:04:07 and say,
00:04:07 --> 00:04:08 well, we accomplished
00:04:08 --> 00:04:09 pretty much nothing
00:04:09 --> 00:04:10 and we're sorry
00:04:10 --> 00:04:11 to be back
00:04:11 --> 00:04:11 three weeks
00:04:11 --> 00:04:12 after you sent us?
00:04:15 --> 00:04:15 Often,
00:04:15 --> 00:04:16 we are addicted
00:04:16 --> 00:04:17 to success.
00:04:17 --> 00:04:18 I use the word addiction
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 because addiction
00:04:20 --> 00:04:21 tends to crowd out
00:04:21 --> 00:04:22 other things
00:04:22 --> 00:04:22 and sometimes
00:04:22 --> 00:04:24 our thirst for success
00:04:24 --> 00:04:25 and growth
00:04:25 --> 00:04:26 in godliness
00:04:26 --> 00:04:27 and wanting
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 to hear positive news
00:04:29 --> 00:04:30 of the results
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 of living a godly life
00:04:32 --> 00:04:32 in the fear of the Lord.
00:04:32 --> 00:04:33 Often,
00:04:33 --> 00:04:34 that thirst
00:04:34 --> 00:04:35 for success
00:04:35 --> 00:04:37 can drive out
00:04:37 --> 00:04:37 our willingness
00:04:37 --> 00:04:39 to hear
00:04:39 --> 00:04:40 the negative.
00:04:43 --> 00:04:43 And it's
00:04:43 --> 00:04:44 psalms like
00:04:44 --> 00:04:45 Psalm 73
00:04:45 --> 00:04:47 that enable us
00:04:47 --> 00:04:48 to retrieve
00:04:48 --> 00:04:49 our bearings
00:04:49 --> 00:04:50 and get a grip
00:04:50 --> 00:04:51 on reality.
00:04:53 --> 00:04:54 Otherwise,
00:04:54 --> 00:04:55 we simply
00:04:55 --> 00:04:55 have no place
00:04:55 --> 00:04:57 for understanding
00:04:57 --> 00:04:58 doubt
00:04:58 --> 00:04:58 or sin
00:04:58 --> 00:04:59 in the Christian life.
00:05:01 --> 00:05:02 There is a happy ending
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 to Psalm 73
00:05:04 --> 00:05:06 but it comes
00:05:06 --> 00:05:06 after
00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 a very difficult
00:05:08 --> 00:05:08 time.
00:05:11 --> 00:05:11 You know,
00:05:12 --> 00:05:12 I think
00:05:12 --> 00:05:13 Christians today,
00:05:13 --> 00:05:14 probably more than
00:05:14 --> 00:05:15 say,
00:05:16 --> 00:05:17 20 or 30 years ago,
00:05:17 --> 00:05:18 are reasonably
00:05:18 --> 00:05:18 comfortable
00:05:18 --> 00:05:20 talking about
00:05:20 --> 00:05:20 doubt
00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 in the Christian life.
00:05:23 --> 00:05:24 In some
00:05:24 --> 00:05:24 Christian circles,
00:05:25 --> 00:05:25 it's actually
00:05:25 --> 00:05:26 fashionable
00:05:26 --> 00:05:27 to talk about
00:05:27 --> 00:05:27 your doubts
00:05:27 --> 00:05:28 and your struggles
00:05:28 --> 00:05:30 as a regular thing.
00:05:31 --> 00:05:32 But one thing
00:05:32 --> 00:05:33 that we're not
00:05:33 --> 00:05:34 comfortable about
00:05:34 --> 00:05:35 is speaking
00:05:35 --> 00:05:36 of regret
00:05:36 --> 00:05:38 in the Christian life.
00:05:40 --> 00:05:41 Regret is saying
00:05:41 --> 00:05:41 something like,
00:05:42 --> 00:05:42 look,
00:05:42 --> 00:05:43 I have been living
00:05:43 --> 00:05:43 as a Christian,
00:05:44 --> 00:05:46 living in the fear
00:05:46 --> 00:05:46 of the Lord
00:05:46 --> 00:05:48 and I regret
00:05:48 --> 00:05:49 doing so.
00:05:49 --> 00:05:52 what a waste
00:05:52 --> 00:05:54 of my time.
00:05:56 --> 00:05:57 But that's
00:05:57 --> 00:05:57 exactly what
00:05:57 --> 00:05:58 the psalmist
00:05:58 --> 00:05:58 writes.
00:05:59 --> 00:06:00 If you have a look
00:06:00 --> 00:06:00 at verse 13
00:06:00 --> 00:06:01 and 14,
00:06:01 --> 00:06:01 he says,
00:06:01 --> 00:06:02 surely in vain
00:06:02 --> 00:06:03 I have kept
00:06:03 --> 00:06:04 my heart
00:06:04 --> 00:06:05 pure.
00:06:06 --> 00:06:06 He's not
00:06:06 --> 00:06:07 lamenting
00:06:07 --> 00:06:08 some sin
00:06:08 --> 00:06:08 he committed,
00:06:08 --> 00:06:09 he's lamenting
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 living in the fear
00:06:11 --> 00:06:12 of the Lord.
00:06:12 --> 00:06:13 He's lamenting
00:06:13 --> 00:06:14 and regretting
00:06:14 --> 00:06:15 his life
00:06:15 --> 00:06:15 of godliness.
00:06:15 --> 00:06:18 In vain
00:06:18 --> 00:06:19 I washed
00:06:19 --> 00:06:20 my hands
00:06:20 --> 00:06:20 in innocence.
00:06:22 --> 00:06:23 And all
00:06:23 --> 00:06:23 that he has
00:06:23 --> 00:06:24 experienced
00:06:24 --> 00:06:25 has been bad.
00:06:26 --> 00:06:26 All day long
00:06:26 --> 00:06:27 I've been plagued,
00:06:27 --> 00:06:28 I have been punished
00:06:28 --> 00:06:29 every morning.
00:06:32 --> 00:06:32 He'd been living
00:06:32 --> 00:06:34 the godly life.
00:06:36 --> 00:06:37 Not cheating
00:06:37 --> 00:06:37 on his taxes,
00:06:38 --> 00:06:38 not stealing
00:06:38 --> 00:06:39 his neighbour's
00:06:39 --> 00:06:40 donkey
00:06:40 --> 00:06:41 or nicking
00:06:41 --> 00:06:41 his wheat
00:06:41 --> 00:06:43 or whatever
00:06:43 --> 00:06:43 he did
00:06:43 --> 00:06:44 back then.
00:06:45 --> 00:06:46 And you know
00:06:46 --> 00:06:46 what?
00:06:46 --> 00:06:47 It got him
00:06:47 --> 00:06:47 nowhere.
00:06:49 --> 00:06:49 Absolutely
00:06:49 --> 00:06:50 nowhere.
00:06:52 --> 00:06:53 He kept
00:06:53 --> 00:06:53 on receiving
00:06:53 --> 00:06:54 bad news.
00:06:55 --> 00:06:55 Meanwhile,
00:06:56 --> 00:06:57 the bad guys
00:06:57 --> 00:06:58 were doing
00:06:58 --> 00:06:59 very well
00:06:59 --> 00:07:00 on Easy
00:07:00 --> 00:07:00 Street
00:07:00 --> 00:07:01 and he
00:07:01 --> 00:07:02 envied
00:07:02 --> 00:07:03 them.
00:07:05 --> 00:07:05 In verse
00:07:05 --> 00:07:06 4 he says,
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 those bad guys
00:07:08 --> 00:07:08 they just have
00:07:08 --> 00:07:09 no struggles.
00:07:09 --> 00:07:10 Their bodies
00:07:10 --> 00:07:11 are healthy
00:07:11 --> 00:07:12 and strong,
00:07:13 --> 00:07:13 free from
00:07:13 --> 00:07:14 burdens.
00:07:14 --> 00:07:15 they got
00:07:15 --> 00:07:16 away with
00:07:16 --> 00:07:16 all sorts
00:07:16 --> 00:07:17 of violence.
00:07:18 --> 00:07:19 Pride
00:07:19 --> 00:07:19 was at the
00:07:19 --> 00:07:19 centre of
00:07:19 --> 00:07:20 their hearts.
00:07:20 --> 00:07:21 They said
00:07:21 --> 00:07:22 no to
00:07:22 --> 00:07:22 God.
00:07:22 --> 00:07:23 There was
00:07:23 --> 00:07:23 no fear
00:07:23 --> 00:07:24 of God
00:07:24 --> 00:07:24 in their
00:07:24 --> 00:07:24 lives
00:07:24 --> 00:07:25 and the
00:07:25 --> 00:07:25 result,
00:07:27 --> 00:07:28 their lives
00:07:28 --> 00:07:28 were great.
00:07:30 --> 00:07:30 And the
00:07:30 --> 00:07:31 psalmist
00:07:31 --> 00:07:31 said,
00:07:33 --> 00:07:33 I regret
00:07:33 --> 00:07:35 being
00:07:35 --> 00:07:36 a believer.
00:07:36 --> 00:07:40 all day
00:07:40 --> 00:07:41 long I've
00:07:41 --> 00:07:41 been
00:07:41 --> 00:07:42 afflicted.
00:07:42 --> 00:07:42 Every
00:07:42 --> 00:07:43 morning
00:07:43 --> 00:07:43 brings
00:07:43 --> 00:07:44 new
00:07:44 --> 00:07:44 punishments.
00:07:47 --> 00:07:48 This
00:07:48 --> 00:07:48 isn't
00:07:48 --> 00:07:48 just
00:07:48 --> 00:07:49 a
00:07:49 --> 00:07:50 passing
00:07:50 --> 00:07:50 thought
00:07:50 --> 00:07:52 on his
00:07:52 --> 00:07:52 part.
00:07:54 --> 00:07:55 The
00:07:55 --> 00:07:56 psalm
00:07:56 --> 00:07:56 does not
00:07:56 --> 00:07:56 mention
00:07:56 --> 00:07:57 any
00:07:57 --> 00:07:58 scale
00:07:58 --> 00:07:59 of time
00:07:59 --> 00:08:00 explicitly,
00:08:00 --> 00:08:01 but the
00:08:01 --> 00:08:01 amount
00:08:01 --> 00:08:02 of detail
00:08:02 --> 00:08:03 and number
00:08:03 --> 00:08:04 of examples
00:08:04 --> 00:08:05 that he
00:08:05 --> 00:08:05 gives,
00:08:07 --> 00:08:07 lead me to
00:08:07 --> 00:08:08 think that
00:08:08 --> 00:08:08 it's at
00:08:08 --> 00:08:08 least weeks
00:08:08 --> 00:08:09 and probably
00:08:09 --> 00:08:10 months that
00:08:10 --> 00:08:11 he was
00:08:11 --> 00:08:11 experiencing
00:08:11 --> 00:08:12 this.
00:08:12 --> 00:08:15 it's not
00:08:15 --> 00:08:16 an isolated
00:08:16 --> 00:08:16 thought,
00:08:17 --> 00:08:18 but countless
00:08:18 --> 00:08:20 examples that
00:08:20 --> 00:08:20 he gives
00:08:20 --> 00:08:21 in verses
00:08:21 --> 00:08:23 4 and 5
00:08:23 --> 00:08:23 and all the
00:08:23 --> 00:08:24 way up to
00:08:24 --> 00:08:24 11.
00:08:27 --> 00:08:27 And he
00:08:27 --> 00:08:28 concludes,
00:08:28 --> 00:08:29 this is what
00:08:29 --> 00:08:29 the wicked
00:08:29 --> 00:08:30 are like,
00:08:30 --> 00:08:31 always care
00:08:31 --> 00:08:31 free,
00:08:32 --> 00:08:33 they increase
00:08:33 --> 00:08:34 in wealth.
00:08:37 --> 00:08:38 And he
00:08:38 --> 00:08:39 envies them
00:08:39 --> 00:08:40 and more
00:08:40 --> 00:08:41 than that,
00:08:41 --> 00:08:41 he regrets
00:08:41 --> 00:08:43 living a
00:08:43 --> 00:08:43 life in
00:08:43 --> 00:08:44 the fear
00:08:44 --> 00:08:44 of the
00:08:44 --> 00:08:44 Lord.
00:08:45 --> 00:08:45 He
00:08:45 --> 00:08:45 regrets
00:08:45 --> 00:08:46 it.
00:08:47 --> 00:08:47 In
00:08:47 --> 00:08:48 vain I've
00:08:48 --> 00:08:48 kept my
00:08:48 --> 00:08:49 heart
00:08:49 --> 00:08:49 pure.
00:08:53 --> 00:08:53 We
00:08:53 --> 00:08:54 know I'm
00:08:54 --> 00:08:55 glad that
00:08:55 --> 00:08:56 the psalmist
00:08:56 --> 00:08:57 told me that
00:08:57 --> 00:08:58 he felt like
00:08:58 --> 00:08:58 that.
00:09:00 --> 00:09:01 And I'm
00:09:01 --> 00:09:02 glad that
00:09:02 --> 00:09:03 God allowed
00:09:03 --> 00:09:04 this psalm
00:09:04 --> 00:09:05 to be
00:09:05 --> 00:09:05 published.
00:09:07 --> 00:09:07 God
00:09:07 --> 00:09:08 didn't
00:09:08 --> 00:09:09 censor
00:09:09 --> 00:09:10 it as
00:09:10 --> 00:09:10 an opinion
00:09:10 --> 00:09:11 that might
00:09:11 --> 00:09:12 disturb the
00:09:12 --> 00:09:13 faith of
00:09:13 --> 00:09:13 the
00:09:13 --> 00:09:14 faithful.
00:09:17 --> 00:09:17 The
00:09:17 --> 00:09:18 psalms are
00:09:18 --> 00:09:19 remarkable for
00:09:19 --> 00:09:20 their lack
00:09:20 --> 00:09:21 of censorship
00:09:21 --> 00:09:22 of human
00:09:22 --> 00:09:22 emotion.
00:09:25 --> 00:09:26 Whilst we
00:09:26 --> 00:09:26 were overseas,
00:09:26 --> 00:09:28 I frequently
00:09:28 --> 00:09:29 visited a
00:09:29 --> 00:09:29 bookshop.
00:09:30 --> 00:09:31 And on one
00:09:31 --> 00:09:32 occasion I was
00:09:32 --> 00:09:32 trying to find a
00:09:32 --> 00:09:33 book on a
00:09:33 --> 00:09:33 certain topic,
00:09:33 --> 00:09:34 I won't tell
00:09:34 --> 00:09:34 you what,
00:09:34 --> 00:09:35 and I couldn't
00:09:35 --> 00:09:35 find what I
00:09:35 --> 00:09:36 wanted.
00:09:36 --> 00:09:37 I asked the
00:09:37 --> 00:09:37 manager,
00:09:38 --> 00:09:39 and he said,
00:09:39 --> 00:09:40 oh, we're not
00:09:40 --> 00:09:40 allowed to sell
00:09:40 --> 00:09:41 books on that
00:09:41 --> 00:09:41 topic.
00:09:43 --> 00:09:44 Now, if you
00:09:44 --> 00:09:44 went to this
00:09:44 --> 00:09:45 bookshop and
00:09:45 --> 00:09:45 you just scanned
00:09:45 --> 00:09:46 the shelves,
00:09:47 --> 00:09:47 you'd not think
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 anything awry,
00:09:49 --> 00:09:50 you'd not notice
00:09:50 --> 00:09:51 anything missing.
00:09:52 --> 00:09:53 But if you look
00:09:53 --> 00:09:53 more carefully,
00:09:55 --> 00:09:56 entire sections
00:09:56 --> 00:09:58 were missing.
00:09:59 --> 00:10:00 Accounts of
00:10:00 --> 00:10:00 battles that the
00:10:00 --> 00:10:01 country had lost,
00:10:02 --> 00:10:02 for example,
00:10:02 --> 00:10:04 recent political
00:10:04 --> 00:10:04 history,
00:10:05 --> 00:10:06 criticism of the
00:10:06 --> 00:10:07 national religion,
00:10:07 --> 00:10:08 no matter how
00:10:08 --> 00:10:08 academic,
00:10:09 --> 00:10:10 books on biology,
00:10:11 --> 00:10:12 there was a lot
00:10:12 --> 00:10:13 of censorship.
00:10:14 --> 00:10:15 And most people
00:10:15 --> 00:10:16 were not aware
00:10:16 --> 00:10:16 of it.
00:10:18 --> 00:10:19 They simply knew
00:10:19 --> 00:10:20 subconsciously that
00:10:20 --> 00:10:21 there were some
00:10:21 --> 00:10:22 things that you do
00:10:22 --> 00:10:22 not talk about.
00:10:25 --> 00:10:26 I think that
00:10:26 --> 00:10:28 regret in the
00:10:28 --> 00:10:29 Christian life is
00:10:29 --> 00:10:30 something that in
00:10:30 --> 00:10:31 church we
00:10:31 --> 00:10:32 subconsciously believe
00:10:32 --> 00:10:33 ought not be
00:10:33 --> 00:10:34 talked about.
00:10:34 --> 00:10:35 But the psalm
00:10:35 --> 00:10:36 here forces us
00:10:36 --> 00:10:37 to because it
00:10:37 --> 00:10:38 makes it public.
00:10:43 --> 00:10:43 Successful
00:10:43 --> 00:10:44 Christian living,
00:10:46 --> 00:10:47 stories about
00:10:47 --> 00:10:47 living in the
00:10:47 --> 00:10:48 fear of the
00:10:48 --> 00:10:49 Lord and the
00:10:49 --> 00:10:50 great benefits
00:10:50 --> 00:10:50 that arise from
00:10:50 --> 00:10:52 this, ought to
00:10:52 --> 00:10:53 take center stage.
00:10:54 --> 00:10:55 But they ought
00:10:55 --> 00:10:56 not to be the
00:10:56 --> 00:10:57 only things on
00:10:57 --> 00:10:57 the stage.
00:10:58 --> 00:10:59 Because sometimes
00:10:59 --> 00:11:00 these stories of
00:11:00 --> 00:11:02 success can act
00:11:02 --> 00:11:03 subconsciously as
00:11:03 --> 00:11:04 senses.
00:11:04 --> 00:11:05 We just don't
00:11:05 --> 00:11:06 want to listen to
00:11:06 --> 00:11:07 things like that.
00:11:10 --> 00:11:12 People feel ashamed
00:11:12 --> 00:11:13 of saying anything
00:11:13 --> 00:11:14 negative.
00:11:16 --> 00:11:17 But if doubts and
00:11:17 --> 00:11:20 struggles, and not
00:11:20 --> 00:11:20 just doubts and
00:11:20 --> 00:11:21 struggles, but if
00:11:21 --> 00:11:24 sheer regret and
00:11:24 --> 00:11:26 pure envy, if that
00:11:26 --> 00:11:28 becomes unspeakable
00:11:28 --> 00:11:31 publicly in church, then
00:11:31 --> 00:11:32 it's not long before
00:11:32 --> 00:11:34 they become unspeakable
00:11:34 --> 00:11:36 privately before God.
00:11:37 --> 00:11:38 And after a while,
00:11:39 --> 00:11:40 people simply don't
00:11:40 --> 00:11:42 know what to expect of
00:11:42 --> 00:11:43 the Christian life.
00:11:45 --> 00:11:46 The Bible is very
00:11:46 --> 00:11:47 different.
00:11:48 --> 00:11:49 There are entire
00:11:49 --> 00:11:50 books in the Bible,
00:11:51 --> 00:11:53 like Job, like
00:11:53 --> 00:11:55 Ecclesiastes, that
00:11:55 --> 00:11:56 explore this darker
00:11:56 --> 00:11:58 side to life.
00:12:00 --> 00:12:01 And there are
00:12:01 --> 00:12:04 psalms, which we
00:12:04 --> 00:12:05 should probably
00:12:05 --> 00:12:06 consider just to be
00:12:06 --> 00:12:07 like church songs.
00:12:07 --> 00:12:08 There are psalms that
00:12:08 --> 00:12:10 speak of times of
00:12:10 --> 00:12:11 regret and of
00:12:11 --> 00:12:13 anger and of
00:12:13 --> 00:12:15 sadness, despite
00:12:15 --> 00:12:16 living a godly
00:12:16 --> 00:12:17 life.
00:12:19 --> 00:12:20 They're not the
00:12:20 --> 00:12:22 majority, but they
00:12:22 --> 00:12:23 are there.
00:12:24 --> 00:12:25 The life of
00:12:25 --> 00:12:27 Jesus is not
00:12:27 --> 00:12:28 dissimilar.
00:12:29 --> 00:12:31 Of the three
00:12:31 --> 00:12:32 years, approximately,
00:12:32 --> 00:12:33 that we believe he
00:12:33 --> 00:12:34 engaged in public
00:12:34 --> 00:12:36 ministry, teaching, and
00:12:36 --> 00:12:38 so on, about so
00:12:38 --> 00:12:38 much is written.
00:12:40 --> 00:12:41 And about the
00:12:41 --> 00:12:42 same is written about
00:12:42 --> 00:12:43 the last week of his
00:12:43 --> 00:12:45 life, which was a
00:12:45 --> 00:12:46 terrible event.
00:12:52 --> 00:12:54 But our God is
00:12:54 --> 00:12:56 kind and
00:12:56 --> 00:12:58 generous and
00:12:58 --> 00:13:00 not insecure, and
00:13:00 --> 00:13:01 he does not act
00:13:01 --> 00:13:03 like a censor.
00:13:04 --> 00:13:05 When Jesus
00:13:05 --> 00:13:07 cried out on the
00:13:07 --> 00:13:08 cross, my God, my
00:13:08 --> 00:13:09 God, why have you
00:13:09 --> 00:13:10 forsaken me?
00:13:11 --> 00:13:12 God didn't
00:13:12 --> 00:13:14 say to the
00:13:14 --> 00:13:15 gospel writer, I
00:13:15 --> 00:13:15 think you should
00:13:15 --> 00:13:16 leave that bit
00:13:16 --> 00:13:16 out.
00:13:17 --> 00:13:17 A bit
00:13:17 --> 00:13:18 uncomfortable, that
00:13:18 --> 00:13:19 bit, especially
00:13:19 --> 00:13:20 coming from the
00:13:20 --> 00:13:20 Son of God.
00:13:20 --> 00:13:26 God is not
00:13:26 --> 00:13:27 insecure.
00:13:28 --> 00:13:28 He's so
00:13:28 --> 00:13:29 different to the
00:13:29 --> 00:13:31 dictators of the
00:13:31 --> 00:13:33 Middle East that we
00:13:33 --> 00:13:33 read about.
00:13:35 --> 00:13:36 Now, it's not just
00:13:36 --> 00:13:37 that God wants us to
00:13:37 --> 00:13:39 be honest with our
00:13:39 --> 00:13:39 feelings, although
00:13:39 --> 00:13:40 that's true.
00:13:42 --> 00:13:43 In this psalm, it's
00:13:43 --> 00:13:45 not honesty which
00:13:45 --> 00:13:46 comes to the fore,
00:13:46 --> 00:13:48 but it's that God
00:13:48 --> 00:13:49 wants us to know
00:13:49 --> 00:13:50 that there is a
00:13:50 --> 00:13:51 way out.
00:13:53 --> 00:13:56 God trains us to
00:13:56 --> 00:13:57 acknowledge the
00:13:57 --> 00:14:00 darkness and to
00:14:00 --> 00:14:01 be assured that
00:14:01 --> 00:14:02 there is a way
00:14:02 --> 00:14:03 out of the
00:14:03 --> 00:14:03 darkness.
00:14:04 --> 00:14:05 This psalm is not
00:14:05 --> 00:14:06 just a candid
00:14:06 --> 00:14:07 admission of
00:14:07 --> 00:14:08 regret.
00:14:08 --> 00:14:11 It is also the
00:14:11 --> 00:14:11 account of
00:14:11 --> 00:14:13 thanksgiving, where
00:14:13 --> 00:14:14 he says, I move
00:14:14 --> 00:14:15 through that time of
00:14:15 --> 00:14:16 regret, and I
00:14:16 --> 00:14:20 see now how
00:14:20 --> 00:14:21 good God is.
00:14:24 --> 00:14:25 You know, the
00:14:25 --> 00:14:25 writer of this
00:14:25 --> 00:14:26 psalm speaks of
00:14:26 --> 00:14:27 personal regret, but
00:14:27 --> 00:14:28 it also speaks of a
00:14:28 --> 00:14:31 time of a return to
00:14:31 --> 00:14:32 confident and happy
00:14:32 --> 00:14:33 faith in God.
00:14:34 --> 00:14:35 And he concludes
00:14:35 --> 00:14:37 by saying how good
00:14:37 --> 00:14:38 God is.
00:14:38 --> 00:14:42 I had this period of
00:14:42 --> 00:14:44 regret, and then I
00:14:44 --> 00:14:45 realized how great
00:14:45 --> 00:14:47 God is, and how
00:14:47 --> 00:14:49 the life of lying
00:14:49 --> 00:14:50 and violence that I
00:14:50 --> 00:14:52 envied won't end
00:14:52 --> 00:14:55 well, and how one
00:14:55 --> 00:14:56 day they will be
00:14:56 --> 00:14:57 swept away in your
00:14:57 --> 00:14:58 anger, oh Lord.
00:14:58 --> 00:14:58 God.
00:15:03 --> 00:15:05 The writer reminds us
00:15:05 --> 00:15:06 of some wonderful
00:15:06 --> 00:15:06 things.
00:15:08 --> 00:15:09 In verse 22, when
00:15:09 --> 00:15:11 I was a senseless and
00:15:11 --> 00:15:14 ignorant beast, God
00:15:14 --> 00:15:16 you still held on to
00:15:16 --> 00:15:17 me.
00:15:17 --> 00:15:19 You've always held my
00:15:19 --> 00:15:20 right hand.
00:15:21 --> 00:15:22 This psalm is a great
00:15:22 --> 00:15:24 testimony to the
00:15:24 --> 00:15:26 weakness of man and
00:15:26 --> 00:15:28 the strength of God in
00:15:28 --> 00:15:29 hanging on to us, even
00:15:29 --> 00:15:31 in the middle of the
00:15:31 --> 00:15:32 times when we regret
00:15:32 --> 00:15:33 being a Christian.
00:15:37 --> 00:15:38 And after that time of
00:15:38 --> 00:15:40 regret, when we come
00:15:40 --> 00:15:41 back to a time of
00:15:41 --> 00:15:42 faith, as this
00:15:42 --> 00:15:45 psalmist does, we
00:15:45 --> 00:15:46 come back to God and
00:15:46 --> 00:15:47 we say, whom have I
00:15:47 --> 00:15:48 in heaven but you?
00:15:48 --> 00:15:49 There is nothing in
00:15:49 --> 00:15:51 heaven on earth or on
00:15:51 --> 00:15:52 earth that can replace
00:15:52 --> 00:15:53 you, oh God.
00:15:53 --> 00:15:55 To live with you is all
00:15:55 --> 00:15:56 I desire.
00:15:58 --> 00:16:01 When Steve asked a
00:16:01 --> 00:16:03 moment ago, everybody,
00:16:04 --> 00:16:04 you know, what is it
00:16:04 --> 00:16:07 that they would want
00:16:07 --> 00:16:07 to have that somebody
00:16:07 --> 00:16:08 else has that they
00:16:08 --> 00:16:09 haven't got?
00:16:11 --> 00:16:12 I said a new iPad.
00:16:15 --> 00:16:16 You know, there are
00:16:16 --> 00:16:16 times when you feel
00:16:16 --> 00:16:17 like that.
00:16:18 --> 00:16:19 If only I had this or
00:16:19 --> 00:16:20 that.
00:16:21 --> 00:16:23 But to know God, well
00:16:23 --> 00:16:24 that is the best thing
00:16:24 --> 00:16:25 of all.
00:16:25 --> 00:16:26 It cannot be replaced.
00:16:28 --> 00:16:29 Nothing in heaven or
00:16:29 --> 00:16:31 on earth can replace
00:16:31 --> 00:16:31 you.
00:16:32 --> 00:16:32 To live in fellowship
00:16:32 --> 00:16:34 with God is the most
00:16:34 --> 00:16:35 wonderful thing of all.
00:16:38 --> 00:16:39 You know, we cannot
00:16:39 --> 00:16:40 depend on our own
00:16:40 --> 00:16:43 strength or even the
00:16:43 --> 00:16:44 steadfastness of our
00:16:44 --> 00:16:45 own faith.
00:16:46 --> 00:16:47 In this psalm, the
00:16:47 --> 00:16:49 psalmist candidly admits
00:16:49 --> 00:16:51 that he regretted being
00:16:51 --> 00:16:52 a believer.
00:16:53 --> 00:16:54 Now, we cannot depend
00:16:54 --> 00:16:55 on our own steadfastness
00:16:55 --> 00:16:57 of faith, but we can
00:16:57 --> 00:16:59 depend on God, who
00:16:59 --> 00:17:00 will hold our hand
00:17:00 --> 00:17:01 even though we do not
00:17:01 --> 00:17:03 know it, even in those
00:17:03 --> 00:17:03 times.
00:17:04 --> 00:17:06 God alone is our
00:17:06 --> 00:17:07 refuge.
00:17:11 --> 00:17:13 So this psalm is there
00:17:13 --> 00:17:15 so that when you really
00:17:15 --> 00:17:18 regret being a Christian,
00:17:18 --> 00:17:19 you know that you are
00:17:19 --> 00:17:20 not the first.
00:17:21 --> 00:17:22 And you know that it's
00:17:22 --> 00:17:23 okay to tell God
00:17:23 --> 00:17:24 about it.
00:17:26 --> 00:17:27 The psalm is there to
00:17:27 --> 00:17:30 remind us that lives
00:17:30 --> 00:17:31 in the church, even
00:17:31 --> 00:17:34 godly lives, are not
00:17:34 --> 00:17:36 simple success stories
00:17:36 --> 00:17:36 all the time.
00:17:37 --> 00:17:38 There are some people
00:17:38 --> 00:17:39 who live the godly life
00:17:39 --> 00:17:41 for a long time, who
00:17:41 --> 00:17:42 find themselves saying
00:17:42 --> 00:17:43 to themselves, you
00:17:43 --> 00:17:45 know, I regret being
00:17:45 --> 00:17:46 a Christian.
00:17:48 --> 00:17:51 What a waste of my
00:17:51 --> 00:17:51 efforts.
00:17:54 --> 00:17:55 The psalm reminds us
00:17:55 --> 00:17:56 that those thoughts
00:17:56 --> 00:17:57 do occur to us.
00:17:57 --> 00:17:58 We are not above
00:17:58 --> 00:17:58 them.
00:18:02 --> 00:18:03 Difficulties with faith
00:18:03 --> 00:18:05 are real, and they
00:18:05 --> 00:18:06 ought to be openly
00:18:06 --> 00:18:07 expressed like they
00:18:07 --> 00:18:09 are here in the psalm,
00:18:09 --> 00:18:11 in a frame of coming
00:18:11 --> 00:18:12 back to knowing God,
00:18:13 --> 00:18:14 but there is still a
00:18:14 --> 00:18:15 candid admission that
00:18:15 --> 00:18:16 there was a time when
00:18:16 --> 00:18:17 we felt like this.
00:18:20 --> 00:18:23 In fact, can you
00:18:23 --> 00:18:24 imagine singing a
00:18:24 --> 00:18:26 song, and in the
00:18:26 --> 00:18:27 chorus it said,
00:18:27 --> 00:18:28 surely in vain I have
00:18:28 --> 00:18:30 kept my heart pure.
00:18:30 --> 00:18:31 What a waste.
00:18:31 --> 00:18:32 You can imagine this
00:18:32 --> 00:18:33 song being put to
00:18:33 --> 00:18:35 music, and the music
00:18:35 --> 00:18:35 writer thinking to
00:18:35 --> 00:18:37 himself, I wonder what
00:18:37 --> 00:18:38 sort of music I should
00:18:38 --> 00:18:39 set this to.
00:18:39 --> 00:18:40 How do you express
00:18:40 --> 00:18:41 musically I regret being
00:18:41 --> 00:18:42 a Christian?
00:18:42 --> 00:18:45 Do the drums come in at
00:18:45 --> 00:18:45 that point?
00:18:51 --> 00:18:52 But as well as
00:18:52 --> 00:18:54 acknowledging difficulty,
00:18:54 --> 00:18:55 this psalm also shows
00:18:55 --> 00:18:56 the way out.
00:18:58 --> 00:19:00 It reminds us that the
00:19:00 --> 00:19:02 fear of the Lord continues
00:19:02 --> 00:19:04 to be the beginning of
00:19:04 --> 00:19:05 all wisdom.
00:19:05 --> 00:19:09 It points the way back
00:19:09 --> 00:19:10 to God without being
00:19:10 --> 00:19:11 trite.
00:19:13 --> 00:19:14 It might be that you're
00:19:14 --> 00:19:15 one of those people
00:19:15 --> 00:19:17 not experiencing any
00:19:17 --> 00:19:17 problems at the
00:19:17 --> 00:19:19 moment, and that's
00:19:19 --> 00:19:19 fantastic.
00:19:20 --> 00:19:21 Rejoice in the
00:19:21 --> 00:19:23 experiences of people
00:19:23 --> 00:19:24 like this psalmist,
00:19:25 --> 00:19:26 who have turnarounds
00:19:26 --> 00:19:27 in faith.
00:19:28 --> 00:19:29 These things happen all
00:19:29 --> 00:19:30 the time in the
00:19:30 --> 00:19:30 Christian life.
00:19:31 --> 00:19:32 Do not have an
00:19:32 --> 00:19:34 over-rosy expectation
00:19:34 --> 00:19:36 of the Christian
00:19:36 --> 00:19:36 life.
00:19:36 --> 00:19:37 For even the most
00:19:37 --> 00:19:39 godly person, like
00:19:39 --> 00:19:40 the psalmist here,
00:19:41 --> 00:19:42 will have times when
00:19:42 --> 00:19:43 he regrets being a
00:19:43 --> 00:19:43 believer.
00:19:46 --> 00:19:47 It could be that
00:19:47 --> 00:19:48 you're about halfway
00:19:48 --> 00:19:49 through this psalm,
00:19:49 --> 00:19:51 and currently you do
00:19:51 --> 00:19:52 regret being a
00:19:52 --> 00:19:53 Christian, and you
00:19:53 --> 00:19:54 feel like that those
00:19:54 --> 00:19:56 people on the outside
00:19:56 --> 00:19:57 who have no regard for
00:19:57 --> 00:20:00 God whatsoever, are
00:20:00 --> 00:20:01 frankly doing better
00:20:01 --> 00:20:02 than you, by a long
00:20:02 --> 00:20:02 way.
00:20:05 --> 00:20:06 Well, in verse 2, the
00:20:06 --> 00:20:07 psalmist writes this,
00:20:08 --> 00:20:09 but as for me, my
00:20:09 --> 00:20:10 feet had almost
00:20:10 --> 00:20:10 slipped.
00:20:11 --> 00:20:12 I had nearly lost my
00:20:12 --> 00:20:13 foothold.
00:20:15 --> 00:20:16 Well, don't let that
00:20:16 --> 00:20:18 almost and nearly
00:20:18 --> 00:20:19 turn into a
00:20:19 --> 00:20:20 completely.
00:20:22 --> 00:20:24 Let this psalm from
00:20:24 --> 00:20:25 God remind you that
00:20:25 --> 00:20:26 God understands the
00:20:26 --> 00:20:27 evil in this world,
00:20:28 --> 00:20:29 and he calls you out
00:20:29 --> 00:20:30 of it.
00:20:32 --> 00:20:32 Be patient.
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35 Keep on coming to
00:20:35 --> 00:20:36 church, meeting with
00:20:36 --> 00:20:36 other Christians.
00:20:38 --> 00:20:39 It's during that time
00:20:39 --> 00:20:40 the psalmist said that
00:20:40 --> 00:20:41 he came to a fresh
00:20:41 --> 00:20:43 understanding of God.
00:20:43 --> 00:20:45 He says it was when he
00:20:45 --> 00:20:46 came into the sanctuary
00:20:46 --> 00:20:48 of God, where there
00:20:48 --> 00:20:49 would be the reading of
00:20:49 --> 00:20:50 God's word and the
00:20:50 --> 00:20:52 reminders of the life
00:20:52 --> 00:20:53 of wisdom in the fear
00:20:53 --> 00:20:54 of the Lord.
00:20:54 --> 00:20:54 God's word.
00:20:55 --> 00:20:57 So be patient if that's
00:20:57 --> 00:20:57 you.
00:21:00 --> 00:21:01 Churches need to speak
00:21:01 --> 00:21:02 about the real world,
00:21:03 --> 00:21:05 not just success stories.
00:21:06 --> 00:21:08 A healthy church can
00:21:08 --> 00:21:10 cope with real life.
00:21:14 --> 00:21:15 You know, even in an
00:21:15 --> 00:21:17 unhealthy church, it's
00:21:17 --> 00:21:18 possible for the believer
00:21:18 --> 00:21:21 so to trust God that he's
00:21:21 --> 00:21:24 not worried really by the
00:21:24 --> 00:21:25 silly things that other
00:21:25 --> 00:21:26 people sometimes think,
00:21:26 --> 00:21:27 simplistic views of
00:21:27 --> 00:21:28 success and so on.
00:21:29 --> 00:21:32 God is bigger and
00:21:32 --> 00:21:34 kinder than all that.
00:21:34 --> 00:21:38 I don't know whether the
00:21:38 --> 00:21:39 psalmist felt embarrassed
00:21:39 --> 00:21:41 to write this psalm or
00:21:41 --> 00:21:42 whether he felt that he
00:21:42 --> 00:21:43 was breaking new ground in
00:21:43 --> 00:21:46 the church by including a
00:21:46 --> 00:21:47 song like this.
00:21:47 --> 00:21:48 It must have taken a great
00:21:48 --> 00:21:50 deal of confidence to
00:21:50 --> 00:21:53 candidly tell everybody at
00:21:53 --> 00:21:54 church or the temple at
00:21:54 --> 00:21:56 that time that he had
00:21:56 --> 00:21:58 regretted being a believer.
00:21:59 --> 00:22:00 It must have been his great
00:22:00 --> 00:22:04 confidence in God that in
00:22:04 --> 00:22:05 the end it was God's
00:22:05 --> 00:22:06 opinion of him that
00:22:06 --> 00:22:07 mattered more than
00:22:07 --> 00:22:07 anything else.
00:22:09 --> 00:22:11 I think you can see that
00:22:11 --> 00:22:14 in the memory verse that
00:22:14 --> 00:22:15 we had earlier.
00:22:15 --> 00:22:16 My flesh and my heart may
00:22:16 --> 00:22:18 fail, but God is the
00:22:18 --> 00:22:20 strength of my heart and
00:22:20 --> 00:22:21 my portion forever.
00:22:24 --> 00:22:25 Amen.