WEBVTT 00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:02.759 If you have a copy of the scriptures and you'd 00:00:02.759 --> 00:00:05.259 like to follow along, we'll be in the Old Testament, 00:00:05.500 --> 00:00:10.519 Psalm chapter 6. This book of Psalms, it's quite 00:00:10.519 --> 00:00:15.339 large, 150 chapters. It was the hymn book and 00:00:15.339 --> 00:00:18.219 the prayer book of the nation Israel. It was 00:00:18.219 --> 00:00:20.679 used in public worship and also private devotion. 00:00:21.239 --> 00:00:24.059 And while it was written by men, it was divinely 00:00:24.059 --> 00:00:27.699 inspired. We find in the Psalms the description 00:00:27.699 --> 00:00:31.609 of real life situations. And yet also, we see 00:00:31.609 --> 00:00:35.450 each one pointing us to Christ. The book of Psalms 00:00:35.450 --> 00:00:38.929 serves as one of the most complete revelations 00:00:38.929 --> 00:00:41.649 on the character of God. As we look in them, 00:00:41.750 --> 00:00:46.789 we find out who God is, what He has done, and 00:00:46.789 --> 00:00:50.640 how we should respond to Him. The book of Psalms 00:00:50.640 --> 00:00:54.460 records entries from as far back as Moses to 00:00:54.460 --> 00:00:57.399 the post -Babylonian exile, so approximately 00:00:57.399 --> 00:01:01.159 about a thousand years of history and psalms 00:01:01.159 --> 00:01:04.719 and prayers and hymns are recorded in these 150 00:01:04.719 --> 00:01:08.000 chapters. And while there are multiple authors 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:10.500 over the book, today, as we focus in on Psalm 00:01:10.500 --> 00:01:14.219 6, this is a psalm of David. And while there 00:01:14.219 --> 00:01:16.879 are several types of psalms, this is actually 00:01:16.879 --> 00:01:19.379 a psalm of lament. There are many. There are 00:01:19.379 --> 00:01:22.680 psalms of thanksgiving. There are psalms of kingship. 00:01:22.739 --> 00:01:26.239 There are psalms of trust. This is a psalm of 00:01:26.239 --> 00:01:28.859 lament. And chronologically, it is the first 00:01:28.859 --> 00:01:32.439 one that we find in the book of Psalms. Interestingly, 00:01:32.700 --> 00:01:35.120 when we look into a psalm of lament, they all 00:01:35.120 --> 00:01:38.180 have the same pattern. They are written in times 00:01:38.180 --> 00:01:42.409 of great sorrow and great loss. But yet, even 00:01:42.409 --> 00:01:44.810 though there is pleading and sadness, each ends, 00:01:44.909 --> 00:01:48.129 every one of them, with a confidence, a renewed 00:01:48.129 --> 00:01:51.370 confidence of being delivered from God himself. 00:01:52.709 --> 00:01:55.530 We find David today, we will find him pleading 00:01:55.530 --> 00:01:59.390 with the Lord, feeling very distant, feeling 00:01:59.390 --> 00:02:04.230 crushed, feeling anxious, worried, and perplexed. 00:02:04.230 --> 00:02:06.870 And these are all very natural human emotions. 00:02:07.870 --> 00:02:10.430 that we all find ourselves feeling from time 00:02:10.430 --> 00:02:13.389 to time. And if you've ever felt any of those 00:02:13.389 --> 00:02:16.669 emotions or been overcome by the convicting power 00:02:16.669 --> 00:02:19.569 of the Holy Spirit or an injustice that has been 00:02:19.569 --> 00:02:21.909 done to you, I would say, friend, you're in good 00:02:21.909 --> 00:02:24.389 company. Because many saints before you have 00:02:24.389 --> 00:02:27.889 felt that as well. We see King David today will 00:02:27.889 --> 00:02:31.270 wrestle with many emotions through Psalm 6, but 00:02:31.270 --> 00:02:32.889 we're also going to point ourselves forward to 00:02:32.889 --> 00:02:35.069 David's greatest son, the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:02:35.270 --> 00:02:38.530 who Isaiah would say, as a man of sorrows, and 00:02:38.530 --> 00:02:41.110 felt every one of these emotions in the same 00:02:41.110 --> 00:02:43.849 way that we would. One who can resonate with 00:02:43.849 --> 00:02:47.150 his people. We've got three main points today. 00:02:47.250 --> 00:02:49.729 Our first we'll see is our sin is crushing because 00:02:49.729 --> 00:02:53.990 God is infinitely holy. Let's look into verse 00:02:53.990 --> 00:02:59.289 1 together. O Lord, do not rebuke me in your 00:02:59.289 --> 00:03:03.310 anger, nor chasten me in your hot displeasure. 00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:06.139 Now we find David here very quickly in verse 00:03:06.139 --> 00:03:09.740 1 in sorrow. We find him in anguish. Spiritually, 00:03:09.740 --> 00:03:12.240 we would say he is in a valley. And we find him 00:03:12.240 --> 00:03:14.960 very aware, though, of his own sin and his own 00:03:14.960 --> 00:03:18.620 guilt. Made evident in this first verse where 00:03:18.620 --> 00:03:21.340 he asked the Lord to withhold his heavenly rebuke 00:03:21.340 --> 00:03:24.580 and discipline. And to rebuke is to correct with 00:03:24.580 --> 00:03:27.680 firm discipline. And while a parent may discipline 00:03:27.680 --> 00:03:31.129 a child, this is different. In the original language, 00:03:31.370 --> 00:03:33.509 David fears a discipline that may very well destroy 00:03:33.509 --> 00:03:36.229 him. It is more than just normal discipline. 00:03:36.490 --> 00:03:40.250 The king here is becoming undone as this psalm 00:03:40.250 --> 00:03:42.889 begins to unravel. He feels the burden of his 00:03:42.889 --> 00:03:46.280 sin. It's weighty. And I think we can all relate 00:03:46.280 --> 00:03:48.539 to that. When we sin, if we are believers, and 00:03:48.539 --> 00:03:51.099 we transgress, there is conviction that is brought 00:03:51.099 --> 00:03:54.319 upon us by the Holy Spirit. And it feels, at 00:03:54.319 --> 00:03:58.060 times, heavy. And it can feel weighty. And it's 00:03:58.060 --> 00:04:00.240 hard to articulate and describe until you have 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:02.340 felt it for yourself. But you feel that weight. 00:04:02.419 --> 00:04:05.259 You feel that burden. Sin has a way of doing 00:04:05.259 --> 00:04:07.900 that. And it's a burden that we can't lightly 00:04:07.900 --> 00:04:13.199 escape from. When we transgress, when we cross 00:04:13.199 --> 00:04:16.139 a line that God has said don't cross, when we've 00:04:16.139 --> 00:04:20.100 transgressed God's holy law, you feel it in your 00:04:20.100 --> 00:04:22.959 body. And it's not something you can get away 00:04:22.959 --> 00:04:25.740 from. It is all -consuming. And we see that portrayed 00:04:25.740 --> 00:04:28.980 here in David's opening. verse as he pins it 00:04:28.980 --> 00:04:31.660 down there are really two distinct types of sin 00:04:31.660 --> 00:04:34.399 first of all would be a sin of omission which 00:04:34.399 --> 00:04:37.180 would refer be a failure to do something that 00:04:37.180 --> 00:04:40.180 one ought to do and then there's the sin of commission 00:04:40.180 --> 00:04:44.540 which in contrast is actively transgressing god's 00:04:44.540 --> 00:04:47.439 law so how do we say that very easily essentially 00:04:47.439 --> 00:04:50.139 a sin of omission would be of something that's 00:04:50.139 --> 00:04:52.240 left undone that should have been done while 00:04:52.240 --> 00:04:55.500 a sin of commission is a wrongful action that 00:04:55.500 --> 00:04:58.449 we have taken ourselves The overwhelming point 00:04:58.449 --> 00:05:00.910 is that regardless of the type of sin that we 00:05:00.910 --> 00:05:03.810 have committed, the whole of our sin, all of 00:05:03.810 --> 00:05:07.209 them, regardless of the type, is grievous to 00:05:07.209 --> 00:05:09.230 God. And that is a big statement, to say that 00:05:09.230 --> 00:05:12.509 our sin is grievous to God. Christopher Ashe, 00:05:12.629 --> 00:05:14.329 in his Psalms commentary, would put it this way, 00:05:14.810 --> 00:05:19.129 Unlike sinful human anger, the wrath of God is 00:05:19.129 --> 00:05:24.509 hot, settled, righteous hostility toward sinners. 00:05:25.100 --> 00:05:28.199 David says something here in verse 1, very pointed. 00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:31.920 He says, Nor discipline me, Lord, in your wrath. 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:36.060 In the Bible, the wrath of God always, every 00:05:36.060 --> 00:05:38.720 single time that it is recorded, is directed 00:05:38.720 --> 00:05:44.120 squarely at sin. Our sins, every one of them, 00:05:44.180 --> 00:05:46.800 and though they are many, are grievous to God. 00:05:46.839 --> 00:05:49.639 And you might ask, why? Because of His holiness. 00:05:50.019 --> 00:05:53.550 R .C. Sproul famously... said that there was 00:05:53.550 --> 00:05:57.850 only one attribute of God that was elevated to 00:05:57.850 --> 00:06:00.889 the third degree, and it was His holiness. And 00:06:00.889 --> 00:06:02.910 you probably remember in the book of Isaiah, 00:06:03.189 --> 00:06:05.670 it is Isaiah who is in the throne room of God, 00:06:05.750 --> 00:06:08.430 and he hears the seraphim around the throne and 00:06:08.430 --> 00:06:11.730 the elders, and they're proclaiming, Holy, Holy, 00:06:12.129 --> 00:06:18.819 Holy is the Lord God Almighty. At no point do 00:06:18.819 --> 00:06:22.040 we say God is just, just, just, or that He is 00:06:22.040 --> 00:06:25.160 love, love, love, or that He is wrath, wrath, 00:06:25.360 --> 00:06:28.819 wrath. There is one attribute that is taken of 00:06:28.819 --> 00:06:30.800 God to the third degree, and that is that He 00:06:30.800 --> 00:06:35.819 is holy, holy, holy. And because of such, we 00:06:35.819 --> 00:06:38.040 almost cover our hand with our mouth as we say 00:06:38.040 --> 00:06:42.839 it, because it is so much to think of how holy 00:06:42.839 --> 00:06:46.079 God is. How holy is He? He is infinitely holy. 00:06:47.209 --> 00:06:50.689 He is perfectly pure. He is separate from sin. 00:06:50.790 --> 00:06:54.389 And He is unchanging in His righteousness. Sin 00:06:54.389 --> 00:06:57.829 is not only a violation of His law, but a personal 00:06:57.829 --> 00:07:02.509 offense to His holy character. God's holiness 00:07:02.509 --> 00:07:06.310 is both moral perfection and it is majesty. Because 00:07:06.310 --> 00:07:11.810 He is holy, sin is in... Rebellion to God. And 00:07:11.810 --> 00:07:14.069 we are sinners, and therefore our sin is open 00:07:14.069 --> 00:07:17.149 rebellion against Him. Not just His law, but 00:07:17.149 --> 00:07:21.430 also His lordship. That is why even the smallest 00:07:21.430 --> 00:07:23.509 of sins, if you wanted to categorize them, even 00:07:23.509 --> 00:07:26.529 the smallest of sins deserves eternal punishment. 00:07:26.810 --> 00:07:29.649 Not because the act itself was infinitely large, 00:07:29.850 --> 00:07:32.870 but because the one who is offended is infinitely 00:07:32.870 --> 00:07:36.290 holy. And any sin, big and small, relegates us 00:07:36.290 --> 00:07:40.040 as a sinner. Fallen in the eyes of God and must 00:07:40.040 --> 00:07:44.139 be dealt with. Sin grieves God because it denies 00:07:44.139 --> 00:07:45.800 what He is worthy of. And you say, what is that? 00:07:46.279 --> 00:07:50.680 Perfect obedience and worship. As believers, 00:07:50.879 --> 00:07:54.279 graciously, after we come to Christ, we have 00:07:54.279 --> 00:07:57.060 the Holy Spirit indwelling us and residing in 00:07:57.060 --> 00:08:00.100 us and convicting us. of our sin and bringing 00:08:00.100 --> 00:08:03.040 it to the forefront of our minds and showing 00:08:03.040 --> 00:08:05.579 us the error in our ways, and it's that same 00:08:05.579 --> 00:08:08.579 Spirit who we grieve, the one who convicts us 00:08:08.579 --> 00:08:12.600 of our sin, sanctifies us, and comforts us as 00:08:12.600 --> 00:08:16.420 believers. A regenerate heart cannot sin peacefully 00:08:16.420 --> 00:08:19.579 because the Holy Spirit within us will not allow 00:08:19.579 --> 00:08:22.639 it. Paul said something that describes this very 00:08:22.639 --> 00:08:25.720 well. In 2 Corinthians 7, Paul said, You felt 00:08:25.720 --> 00:08:29.180 a godly grief. so that you suffer no loss through 00:08:29.180 --> 00:08:32.779 us. For godly grief produces a repentance that 00:08:32.779 --> 00:08:37.139 leads to salvation without regret. The Holy Spirit 00:08:37.139 --> 00:08:39.899 produces godly grief, and this is important, 00:08:40.080 --> 00:08:44.820 not guilt or shame, but repentant sorrow with 00:08:44.820 --> 00:08:48.299 the purpose of driving us back to Christ. Conviction, 00:08:48.299 --> 00:08:51.480 church, is part of sanctification. The Spirit 00:08:51.480 --> 00:08:54.899 does not condemn believers. But the Spirit does 00:08:54.899 --> 00:08:58.100 expose sin so that what? So that we can put it 00:08:58.100 --> 00:09:01.899 to death in our lives. A believer's grief over 00:09:01.899 --> 00:09:07.039 sin is actually a sign of life. a sign and evidence 00:09:07.039 --> 00:09:09.879 that the Spirit is active and present within 00:09:09.879 --> 00:09:11.679 us. And this is what we would call a part of 00:09:11.679 --> 00:09:14.200 progressive sanctification, which is the Holy 00:09:14.200 --> 00:09:17.000 Spirit's continual work in the hearts and lives 00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:20.279 of believers to continually conform us more to 00:09:20.279 --> 00:09:23.740 the person of Christ while we are here on this 00:09:23.740 --> 00:09:26.480 earth. It is the Holy Spirit that applies the 00:09:26.480 --> 00:09:29.700 Word of God to our hearts, the Holy Spirit that 00:09:29.700 --> 00:09:32.980 brings holy sorrow over sin and then draws us 00:09:32.980 --> 00:09:37.820 back to repentance. When sin troubles us as believers, 00:09:38.080 --> 00:09:41.679 it's not the Spirit's rejection. It is His redemptive 00:09:41.679 --> 00:09:45.580 presence within our lives. He convicts not to 00:09:45.580 --> 00:09:49.879 destroy, but to restore. Let's look into verses 00:09:49.879 --> 00:09:55.120 2 and 3. David writing, Now have mercy on me, 00:09:55.179 --> 00:09:59.429 O Lord, for I am weak. Lord, heal me. For my 00:09:59.429 --> 00:10:03.690 bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled. 00:10:04.029 --> 00:10:08.590 But you, O Lord, how long? We see David in a 00:10:08.590 --> 00:10:11.450 very desperate place here as he's writing. He 00:10:11.450 --> 00:10:15.070 is crying out for God's favor. Be gracious to 00:10:15.070 --> 00:10:18.889 me, he says. Heal me. He says, my bones are troubled. 00:10:19.129 --> 00:10:22.429 My soul is troubled. He says, Lord, how long? 00:10:22.610 --> 00:10:24.809 How long will this go on? How long am I going 00:10:24.809 --> 00:10:27.490 to feel this? And we see David is shaken here. 00:10:28.110 --> 00:10:31.190 He says his bones and his soul, which is not 00:10:31.190 --> 00:10:33.610 really a comparison of the material to immaterial, 00:10:33.830 --> 00:10:36.509 but a way of him expressing his whole being, 00:10:36.649 --> 00:10:40.269 his whole person. He is feeling it all over. 00:10:40.909 --> 00:10:43.210 And he says, Lord, how long will this go on? 00:10:43.309 --> 00:10:45.429 Let us consider in our day -to -day lives for 00:10:45.429 --> 00:10:48.850 just a moment. When we think of everyday experiences 00:10:48.850 --> 00:10:51.789 that we all go through, something that is pleasurable, 00:10:51.889 --> 00:10:54.870 something that is happy, it seems that it can 00:10:54.870 --> 00:10:57.370 almost sweep by. so quickly. A good day, even 00:10:57.370 --> 00:10:59.470 though we enjoy it, it goes very quick, it's 00:10:59.470 --> 00:11:03.470 very fast, very good. But then pain and sorrow 00:11:03.470 --> 00:11:07.610 enter. And it seems that time can pass so slowly. 00:11:08.070 --> 00:11:10.730 Sitting in the doctor's office, waiting for test 00:11:10.730 --> 00:11:13.210 results that we fear are going to be unfavorable. 00:11:13.269 --> 00:11:15.889 A conflict, be it at work or in our personal 00:11:15.889 --> 00:11:18.149 life, that we know we're going to have to deal 00:11:18.149 --> 00:11:20.049 with, but we can't do it just then. It's going 00:11:20.049 --> 00:11:21.950 to take some time until we can get to it in similar 00:11:21.950 --> 00:11:26.850 situations. Those things pass so slow, and time 00:11:26.850 --> 00:11:29.049 just seems to drag on. And David is feeling that 00:11:29.049 --> 00:11:32.169 here. He is feeling a deep conviction of sin, 00:11:32.250 --> 00:11:34.350 and it brings him to the point of almost distress. 00:11:34.480 --> 00:11:37.580 in this language, and we ask ourselves at this 00:11:37.580 --> 00:11:42.200 point, in suffering and in sorrow, when we suffer 00:11:42.200 --> 00:11:46.700 and when we sorrow, does Christ understand what 00:11:46.700 --> 00:11:49.360 we are going through when our souls feel this 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:52.679 trouble, that our bones and our soul is shaken 00:11:52.679 --> 00:11:54.639 and troubled and we're just in deep distress? 00:11:55.379 --> 00:11:58.240 Friends, our Savior not only understands what 00:11:58.240 --> 00:12:01.059 we are going through, He superseded our sorrow 00:12:01.059 --> 00:12:05.529 in every point. It was Christ who cried out in 00:12:05.529 --> 00:12:09.250 the shadow of the cross in John 12, 27. Jesus 00:12:09.250 --> 00:12:13.769 said, Now my soul is troubled. And what shall 00:12:13.769 --> 00:12:17.330 I say? Father, save me. Save me from this hour. 00:12:17.809 --> 00:12:22.190 But for this purpose I came to this hour. Jesus 00:12:22.190 --> 00:12:25.649 Christ, the Son of the eternal God, the one who 00:12:25.649 --> 00:12:29.700 was called the God -man. came to earth to dwell 00:12:29.700 --> 00:12:32.500 amongst His people and literally be God in flesh. 00:12:33.879 --> 00:12:36.200 John would say He was the Word made flesh and 00:12:36.200 --> 00:12:38.620 dwelt amongst us. May I say, church, there is 00:12:38.620 --> 00:12:41.879 great encouragement in serving a Savior who also 00:12:41.879 --> 00:12:44.879 suffered. How does Christ understand your sorrow? 00:12:46.019 --> 00:12:48.860 He understands our heartaches. He understands 00:12:48.860 --> 00:12:51.899 our sorrows. He understands our deepest anxieties, 00:12:51.899 --> 00:12:54.340 our deepest seasons of bereavement and grief 00:12:54.340 --> 00:12:58.220 and sorrow and loss because as the God -man in 00:12:58.220 --> 00:13:02.240 his humanity, he experienced every single human 00:13:02.240 --> 00:13:05.899 emotion that we would ever encounter yet without 00:13:05.899 --> 00:13:10.169 sin. We serve a Savior who can resonate with 00:13:10.169 --> 00:13:13.690 us because He is a personal Savior. He is a personal 00:13:13.690 --> 00:13:16.570 Redeemer. One who made full atonement for sin. 00:13:16.649 --> 00:13:19.269 One who fulfilled the grand plan of salvation. 00:13:19.889 --> 00:13:22.929 But one who's not far away. And one who's not 00:13:22.929 --> 00:13:25.370 distant. But one who is approachable. One who 00:13:25.370 --> 00:13:30.259 draws near. One who is an advocate. One who is 00:13:30.259 --> 00:13:33.259 a mediator for his people. Consider this verse 00:13:33.259 --> 00:13:36.080 in John 12 for just a moment because we see the 00:13:36.080 --> 00:13:39.899 echo of Psalm 6 -3 here in John 12. We listen 00:13:39.899 --> 00:13:43.600 not only to David's words here in the psalm, 00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:47.960 but we see here our Savior in John 12 as he cries 00:13:47.960 --> 00:13:50.500 unto the Father in anticipation of the agony 00:13:50.500 --> 00:13:52.799 in the shadow of the cross that was before him. 00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:55.940 And while it was terrible for David to sorrow 00:13:55.940 --> 00:14:00.220 in Psalm 6, It was all the worse for our Savior 00:14:00.220 --> 00:14:04.440 to endure the anger and wrath of God, a pure 00:14:04.440 --> 00:14:08.870 and holy Savior, yet... In anticipation of feeling 00:14:08.870 --> 00:14:12.649 the full weight of God's wrath, Christ knew unequivocally 00:14:12.649 --> 00:14:15.590 what laid before Him at the cross, that the Father 00:14:15.590 --> 00:14:17.690 would turn His back on Him and that the sins 00:14:17.690 --> 00:14:19.509 of all who would ever come to Him would be placed 00:14:19.509 --> 00:14:22.190 upon Him and laid on Him. And He is showing that 00:14:22.190 --> 00:14:26.269 emotion here. No wonder His soul was troubled. 00:14:26.350 --> 00:14:29.350 No wonder our Savior sweat as it were great drops 00:14:29.350 --> 00:14:33.309 of blood. But yet He drank the cup that was before 00:14:33.309 --> 00:14:37.919 Him down to the bitter dregs. And he experienced 00:14:37.919 --> 00:14:40.960 this agony and he experienced all of these emotions 00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:45.740 until he declared in John 19, it is finished. 00:14:45.980 --> 00:14:50.460 In every way, church, in every way that we feel 00:14:50.460 --> 00:14:56.159 overcome, Christ is there. He is more than enough. 00:14:56.220 --> 00:14:59.679 And when we feel sorrowful, when we feel overcome, 00:15:00.019 --> 00:15:05.690 behold him, look to him and abide in him. because 00:15:05.690 --> 00:15:10.409 he is a Savior who understands. Number two, we 00:15:10.409 --> 00:15:13.769 plead on the basis of God's steadfast love. Look 00:15:13.769 --> 00:15:17.190 at verses 4 -7 here. David says, Return, O Lord, 00:15:17.330 --> 00:15:21.009 deliver me. O save me for your mercy's sake. 00:15:21.350 --> 00:15:24.049 For in death there is no remembrance of you, 00:15:24.149 --> 00:15:28.250 and in the grave who will give you thanks? I 00:15:28.250 --> 00:15:43.120 am weary. Now David says something very interesting 00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:47.340 here. He says, Now that's specific language. 00:15:47.740 --> 00:15:50.580 And there is a turning for us also. And the first 00:15:50.580 --> 00:15:54.710 turning is a turning of repentance. But that 00:15:54.710 --> 00:15:57.529 isn't even possible unless God first turns to 00:15:57.529 --> 00:16:02.710 us in grace. David says, Notice very interestingly, 00:16:02.950 --> 00:16:05.710 David is the king over all Israel here, a power 00:16:05.710 --> 00:16:09.029 of position. He was the sovereign over the nation. 00:16:09.610 --> 00:16:11.950 But he feels as though he's bearing the wrath 00:16:11.950 --> 00:16:14.769 of God and he cries unto his covenant Lord on 00:16:14.769 --> 00:16:18.710 what? On the basis of covenant love. What is 00:16:18.710 --> 00:16:23.579 the word that he uses? It's chesed. Steadfast 00:16:23.579 --> 00:16:25.940 covenant love. It's our pastor's favorite word. 00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:28.279 And David pleads it out here in distress. He 00:16:28.279 --> 00:16:31.519 says, God, deliver me now on what? On the basis 00:16:31.519 --> 00:16:35.240 of your steadfast, your chesed covenant love. 00:16:35.340 --> 00:16:37.879 And there's some heaviness in these verses. David 00:16:37.879 --> 00:16:40.179 sort of bears out his soul here in very descriptive 00:16:40.179 --> 00:16:43.500 language. He says he's very weary. And we can 00:16:43.500 --> 00:16:46.200 resonate with this. Every night, he says, I flood 00:16:46.200 --> 00:16:50.379 my bed with tears. He says he drenches his couch. 00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:54.899 with weeping, that he's very exhausted, that 00:16:54.899 --> 00:16:59.480 he's very, very tired. Night after night, without 00:16:59.480 --> 00:17:02.620 reprieve, a place that he used to find rest, 00:17:02.840 --> 00:17:04.960 a place that used to be a place of solace for 00:17:04.960 --> 00:17:09.220 him, is now not. And he's very tired. He finds 00:17:09.220 --> 00:17:11.359 there is no rest under the wrath of God, and 00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:13.680 in addition, he's growing weak of all of his 00:17:13.680 --> 00:17:16.740 many foes. Now this psalm is certainly one of 00:17:16.740 --> 00:17:20.029 tears, at least up until this point. And in this 00:17:20.029 --> 00:17:21.950 life, in the lives that each and every one of 00:17:21.950 --> 00:17:24.170 us will live, there are many seasons that we 00:17:24.170 --> 00:17:28.470 will weep many tears. There's times where we 00:17:28.470 --> 00:17:33.869 will say goodbye to loved ones. We stand at the 00:17:33.869 --> 00:17:38.410 graveside with the hope that we have in the resurrection 00:17:38.410 --> 00:17:41.250 of Christ. There's times of sickness and disease 00:17:41.250 --> 00:17:44.430 that we'll stand in the doctor's office and get 00:17:44.430 --> 00:17:47.589 very hard reports and bad news. There's times 00:17:47.589 --> 00:17:50.900 that we stand around. The bedside in a nursing 00:17:50.900 --> 00:17:53.599 home when things look very bleak. There's times 00:17:53.599 --> 00:17:55.960 of personal tragedy, not just in our lives, but 00:17:55.960 --> 00:17:58.099 in the lives of other believers here and friends 00:17:58.099 --> 00:18:00.160 that we just have even outside the church. We 00:18:00.160 --> 00:18:02.839 walk through with them and we weep many tears 00:18:02.839 --> 00:18:05.799 as we struggle to navigate the circumstances 00:18:05.799 --> 00:18:10.759 of life. There are times when a man and woman 00:18:10.759 --> 00:18:13.259 are married together and they have such a strong 00:18:13.259 --> 00:18:16.539 desire to have children and yet they battle infertility. 00:18:17.180 --> 00:18:20.400 For years. And they do it normally in private 00:18:20.400 --> 00:18:22.980 and in isolation. And it's so very hard as they 00:18:22.980 --> 00:18:26.460 want children so bad and yet struggle with infertility. 00:18:26.500 --> 00:18:28.440 There's times that we weep tears over broken 00:18:28.440 --> 00:18:31.299 relationships in our lives, broken friendships, 00:18:31.380 --> 00:18:33.940 disappointments of circumstances and people. 00:18:36.200 --> 00:18:38.799 But friends, in all this sorrow, we see in this 00:18:38.799 --> 00:18:42.000 particular passage that we're seeing, David is 00:18:42.000 --> 00:18:46.480 genuinely repentant. And in genuine repentance, 00:18:47.150 --> 00:18:51.470 There is true peace. But in that genuineness, 00:18:51.470 --> 00:18:55.869 we have an onus to unload our burdens to God. 00:18:55.930 --> 00:18:58.250 When we find ourselves in these seasons of sorrow 00:18:58.250 --> 00:19:01.809 and hardship and tragedy, we cannot allow ourselves 00:19:01.809 --> 00:19:04.950 to try to bear it up on our own. That's our natural 00:19:04.950 --> 00:19:08.710 inclination. In our flesh, it is do better, try 00:19:08.710 --> 00:19:12.500 harder. I've got this. I can do this. And you 00:19:12.500 --> 00:19:15.319 do not. I do not. None of us are equipped to 00:19:15.319 --> 00:19:18.079 carry the struggles that come with this life 00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:22.480 of brokenness. We have the privilege and the 00:19:22.480 --> 00:19:26.680 access and the advocacy of Jesus Christ the righteous. 00:19:28.079 --> 00:19:30.900 Once Christ ascended back into heaven, He was 00:19:30.900 --> 00:19:33.519 seated at the right hand of the Father. The Scriptures 00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:37.819 would tell us day and night, right now, He advocates 00:19:37.819 --> 00:19:41.900 for those who are His, for believers. And friends, 00:19:41.940 --> 00:19:45.279 when we are suffering, we cannot give in to the 00:19:45.279 --> 00:19:48.140 desires and the leanings of our natural man, 00:19:48.240 --> 00:19:51.440 our flesh, we would say, to grow cold. That is 00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:54.059 the natural, to grow cold, to begin to drift, 00:19:54.259 --> 00:19:57.339 to move ourselves into isolation, to seek some 00:19:57.339 --> 00:20:01.140 sort of self -help. When we feel overburdened, 00:20:01.140 --> 00:20:03.500 when we feel convicted, when we feel like life 00:20:03.500 --> 00:20:07.460 circumstances are too much, we must abide. When 00:20:07.460 --> 00:20:10.279 we don't feel like it, abide. When it hurts, 00:20:10.480 --> 00:20:13.539 abide. When we have nowhere else left to turn, 00:20:13.660 --> 00:20:17.410 we abide in God. Christ. He is the only place 00:20:17.410 --> 00:20:19.769 of refuge. He is the only place of shelter to 00:20:19.769 --> 00:20:23.269 which believers can run. When we're struggling, 00:20:23.369 --> 00:20:26.289 we are tempted to look right, to look left, to 00:20:26.289 --> 00:20:28.869 look for help all over, and the only place we 00:20:28.869 --> 00:20:32.109 can truly go for help and reprieve is up. God 00:20:32.109 --> 00:20:34.410 is the only one who is prepared to deal with 00:20:34.410 --> 00:20:36.750 the troubles of this life because His Son experienced 00:20:36.750 --> 00:20:40.450 them in every single point. And in that, we are 00:20:40.450 --> 00:20:43.609 never alone. We want to look left, we want to 00:20:43.609 --> 00:20:47.119 look right, but we look up. to the one who all 00:20:47.119 --> 00:20:50.140 good things come from. David's very vulnerable 00:20:50.140 --> 00:20:53.220 here, to the point that he says his eyes waste 00:20:53.220 --> 00:20:56.539 away because of grief. He's pouring out his soul 00:20:56.539 --> 00:20:59.180 near to the Lord. He speaks of his own weakness, 00:20:59.279 --> 00:21:01.920 which is a very humble point that we must all 00:21:01.920 --> 00:21:05.059 get to if we pour ourselves out before the Lord. 00:21:06.180 --> 00:21:08.339 Then there's a shift here, and he speaks also 00:21:08.339 --> 00:21:11.140 of his many foes. Christopher Ashe again. David 00:21:11.140 --> 00:21:14.230 speaks here in anticipation. But as we look to 00:21:14.230 --> 00:21:18.009 Christ in this psalm, Jesus in fulfillment endures 00:21:18.009 --> 00:21:20.990 the deepest grief known to humankind. For he 00:21:20.990 --> 00:21:24.069 understands the hostility of his enemies is at 00:21:24.069 --> 00:21:26.890 the same time the expression of the wrath of 00:21:26.890 --> 00:21:30.069 God falling on him. And in this is the paradox 00:21:30.069 --> 00:21:33.390 of the psalm. One will not be resolved until 00:21:33.390 --> 00:21:38.069 centuries later. Number three, heard and accepted. 00:21:38.430 --> 00:21:42.220 Read verses 8 through 10 here. David says, Depart 00:21:42.220 --> 00:21:45.140 from me, all you workers of iniquity. For the 00:21:45.140 --> 00:21:48.799 Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord 00:21:48.799 --> 00:21:51.420 has heard my supplication. The Lord will receive 00:21:51.420 --> 00:21:56.180 my prayer. Let all my enemies be ashamed and 00:21:56.180 --> 00:21:59.960 greatly troubled. Let them turn back and be ashamed 00:21:59.960 --> 00:22:02.059 suddenly. Now church, we've seen a big shift 00:22:02.059 --> 00:22:04.099 here. from the end of verse 7 to the way verse 00:22:04.099 --> 00:22:06.380 8 starts, every psalm of lament will conclude 00:22:06.380 --> 00:22:09.420 with confidence, a renewed confidence, not in 00:22:09.420 --> 00:22:10.779 David's strength, but in the strength of his 00:22:10.779 --> 00:22:13.619 Lord, the one that he has now prayed to. And 00:22:13.619 --> 00:22:15.500 we see this dramatic shift. The king is almost 00:22:15.500 --> 00:22:18.180 a new person here, as it were. And he speaks 00:22:18.180 --> 00:22:20.359 with a resolute voice. The weeping is over. The 00:22:20.359 --> 00:22:23.039 sorrow is over. And he commands all evildoers 00:22:23.039 --> 00:22:25.259 that are around him to leave. He says, depart 00:22:25.259 --> 00:22:28.079 from me, all you workers of evil. But we hear 00:22:28.079 --> 00:22:29.700 something deeper here if we really look within 00:22:29.700 --> 00:22:32.970 the text. We hear the voice of a man. whose prayers 00:22:32.970 --> 00:22:37.589 God has heard. His confidence is based on three 00:22:37.589 --> 00:22:40.549 things. First of all, the assurance that the 00:22:40.549 --> 00:22:43.490 covenant Lord has heard the sound of his weeping. 00:22:44.230 --> 00:22:47.170 Secondly, that God has heard his pleas and his 00:22:47.170 --> 00:22:51.170 humble cries. And thirdly, that his prayer has 00:22:51.170 --> 00:22:55.089 been heard by God Almighty. The king has wept 00:22:55.089 --> 00:22:59.589 over his sins. But we too in Christ may be confident 00:22:59.589 --> 00:23:02.650 that God hears our prayers. And church, that 00:23:02.650 --> 00:23:06.490 is no small thing. Why then do we find ourselves 00:23:06.490 --> 00:23:08.670 when we're in the midst of sorrow, grief, and 00:23:08.670 --> 00:23:14.250 anxiety? Why do we pray? Why then do we run to 00:23:14.250 --> 00:23:17.829 Christ? Because as David said, his plea was heard 00:23:17.829 --> 00:23:23.009 and accepted. We have the gift of prayer if we 00:23:23.009 --> 00:23:24.630 are a believer in Christ, if we are someone who 00:23:24.630 --> 00:23:26.650 has came to faith and trusted Him as Savior. 00:23:27.109 --> 00:23:29.670 But prayer is much more than just asking for 00:23:29.670 --> 00:23:32.450 and getting things. Prayer at its most basic 00:23:32.450 --> 00:23:35.829 level is communication with a holy, righteous 00:23:35.829 --> 00:23:37.990 God. And I would say let's take it one step further. 00:23:38.170 --> 00:23:42.230 Prayer is communion with a holy, righteous God. 00:23:42.349 --> 00:23:46.109 Down through the ages of history, prayer is how 00:23:46.109 --> 00:23:50.500 men and women have sought the face of God. the 00:23:50.500 --> 00:23:54.500 only one who can hear and accept our prayers. 00:23:54.940 --> 00:23:58.339 Why then do we run to Christ? Because it is through 00:23:58.339 --> 00:24:01.299 Christ that we have access to the throne room 00:24:01.299 --> 00:24:03.859 of heaven. It is through Christ that we have 00:24:03.859 --> 00:24:07.339 advocacy to the Father. And because He was the 00:24:07.339 --> 00:24:11.519 man of sorrows and can resonate with His people. 00:24:11.759 --> 00:24:14.420 Isaiah would put it this way in Isaiah 53, speaking 00:24:14.420 --> 00:24:17.740 of our Lord Jesus Christ, He was despised and 00:24:17.740 --> 00:24:21.670 rejected by men. A man of sorrows and acquainted 00:24:21.670 --> 00:24:25.369 with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces 00:24:25.369 --> 00:24:29.390 from him. He was despised and we did not esteem 00:24:29.390 --> 00:24:33.109 him. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried 00:24:33.109 --> 00:24:38.950 our sorrows. Yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten, 00:24:39.009 --> 00:24:44.900 and afflicted by God. Church, we can know. That 00:24:44.900 --> 00:24:47.579 the Lord is with us moment by moment because 00:24:47.579 --> 00:24:50.940 He sent His own Son to walk through this world's 00:24:50.940 --> 00:24:56.680 sorrows. Why? Why did God do this? Why was it 00:24:56.680 --> 00:24:59.380 that Christ had to suffer in such a way so that 00:24:59.380 --> 00:25:02.759 the full wrath of God could be poured out against 00:25:02.759 --> 00:25:06.839 sin and be satisfied? Christ, who came to this 00:25:06.839 --> 00:25:10.160 earth, lived as the God -man, 100 % God, 100 00:25:10.160 --> 00:25:15.119 % man, yet without sin. No transgressions at 00:25:15.119 --> 00:25:17.819 any point. Paul would write, the one who knew 00:25:17.819 --> 00:25:22.619 no sin took on sin, became sin for us, for those 00:25:22.619 --> 00:25:26.519 who were sinners. When Christ was on the cross, 00:25:26.640 --> 00:25:28.380 He did not become a sinner at that point, but 00:25:28.380 --> 00:25:31.579 He carried the sins. The weight of those sins 00:25:31.579 --> 00:25:34.700 were placed upon Him at that time, and He bore 00:25:34.700 --> 00:25:38.690 them, not for His sake, but for our sins. For 00:25:38.690 --> 00:25:41.150 all those, it was a definite atonement for all 00:25:41.150 --> 00:25:43.950 those who would ever come to faith in Christ. 00:25:44.230 --> 00:25:47.009 That is why our Savior died. And if we are not 00:25:47.009 --> 00:25:50.049 careful, we can almost become too comfortable 00:25:50.049 --> 00:25:53.809 with the crucifixion of Christ. We need to make 00:25:53.809 --> 00:25:57.750 it very personal and understand that it was my 00:25:57.750 --> 00:26:01.900 sin. that drove Him to the cross. It was my sin 00:26:01.900 --> 00:26:04.940 that was on each nail print in His hand, the 00:26:04.940 --> 00:26:08.440 spear wound in His side. Christ had nothing to 00:26:08.440 --> 00:26:11.400 pay for. He was sinless. He was perfect. He was 00:26:11.400 --> 00:26:14.299 God in... It would have been against his holy 00:26:14.299 --> 00:26:16.900 nature to have sinned. And those nail prints 00:26:16.900 --> 00:26:19.920 that are in his hands right now and will be there 00:26:19.920 --> 00:26:22.180 through eternity as a proof of purchase for his 00:26:22.180 --> 00:26:25.319 bride were because of me and all who had ever 00:26:25.319 --> 00:26:28.740 come to faith in Christ. Nothing of his. He bore 00:26:28.740 --> 00:26:31.559 that wrath, the full wrath of God, the full weight 00:26:31.559 --> 00:26:34.480 of it as the Father turned his back. on his son 00:26:34.480 --> 00:26:37.339 and for the one and only time in redemptive history 00:26:37.339 --> 00:26:39.660 there was a break where the father turned his 00:26:39.660 --> 00:26:41.579 back on the son on the cross why because god 00:26:41.579 --> 00:26:45.420 could not look upon sin but yet christ took it 00:26:45.420 --> 00:26:47.900 to the full measure he carried the weight of 00:26:47.900 --> 00:26:50.940 my burdens he stood in the garden he sweat draped 00:26:50.940 --> 00:26:52.680 great drops of blood and he hung on the cross 00:26:52.680 --> 00:26:55.019 not because he had to but because of his love 00:26:55.019 --> 00:26:58.839 for you and i and all that would come Friends, 00:26:58.859 --> 00:27:00.579 we should never get too comfortable with the 00:27:00.579 --> 00:27:03.640 cross because we were the ones who drove the 00:27:03.640 --> 00:27:06.140 nails. And it was for us that that blood had 00:27:06.140 --> 00:27:08.619 to be shed, that an atonement had to be made. 00:27:08.700 --> 00:27:11.740 Every word that came out, everything against 00:27:11.740 --> 00:27:14.299 our Lord, even the spear wound in His side because 00:27:14.299 --> 00:27:18.519 of His love for us. Lest we never forget it. 00:27:19.319 --> 00:27:21.960 And Christ dealt with that sorrow and that pain 00:27:21.960 --> 00:27:25.819 until He would look up and say, It is finished. 00:27:25.940 --> 00:27:29.109 Not for a little while. Then... and forever. 00:27:30.970 --> 00:27:34.390 It was a grand design that through this atonement 00:27:34.390 --> 00:27:38.970 made by the Son that we might now bring our complaints, 00:27:39.349 --> 00:27:44.009 our griefs, and our afflictions to God in Jesus' 00:27:44.190 --> 00:27:47.630 name. And we know for certain that the Lord has 00:27:47.630 --> 00:27:51.049 heard our pleas and He has accepted our prayers. 00:27:51.210 --> 00:27:53.660 There's great peace in that. Does that mean that 00:27:53.660 --> 00:27:55.240 God is going to answer every prayer I ever pray? 00:27:55.319 --> 00:27:57.259 No, it does not. But does it mean that He's going 00:27:57.259 --> 00:28:00.579 to hear every prayer that I ever pray? Yes, He 00:28:00.579 --> 00:28:03.880 hears the prayers of those who are His. And there 00:28:03.880 --> 00:28:06.039 is great peace in that. And there is great comfort 00:28:06.039 --> 00:28:07.920 in that. When I don't know what to do and I am 00:28:07.920 --> 00:28:10.180 overcome and we are overwhelmed, that we have 00:28:10.180 --> 00:28:13.059 access through Jesus Christ. That's why we pray 00:28:13.059 --> 00:28:15.839 in Jesus' name. It is not a formality. We pray 00:28:15.839 --> 00:28:18.099 in His name because He is our advocate and our 00:28:18.099 --> 00:28:23.519 mediator to the Father. In 1 John 5, John would 00:28:23.519 --> 00:28:26.519 put it this way, Now this is the confidence that 00:28:26.519 --> 00:28:29.359 we have in Him, that if we ask anything according 00:28:29.359 --> 00:28:33.000 to His will, He hears us. And if we know that 00:28:33.000 --> 00:28:36.220 He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we 00:28:36.220 --> 00:28:39.400 have the petitions that we have asked of Him. 00:28:39.579 --> 00:28:42.420 Church, this is certainly not an original thought, 00:28:42.559 --> 00:28:44.599 but it has long been said that one of the greatest 00:28:44.599 --> 00:28:47.779 gifts of a believer of Christ is the ability 00:28:47.779 --> 00:28:50.140 to pray and that God would hear the prayers. 00:28:50.829 --> 00:28:53.630 of His children. And while that is true, it is 00:28:53.630 --> 00:28:56.450 also true that that is one of the most underutilized 00:28:56.450 --> 00:29:00.210 gifts that we have. How many times do we try 00:29:00.210 --> 00:29:02.109 to carry our burdens and we try to carry all 00:29:02.109 --> 00:29:04.210 these things instead of just taking them to the 00:29:04.210 --> 00:29:07.630 Lord? Christ has already died for them. He's 00:29:07.630 --> 00:29:09.869 already carried our burdens, our sorrows, our 00:29:09.869 --> 00:29:14.230 griefs. Take them to Him. When we go to God in 00:29:14.230 --> 00:29:17.029 prayer church, we have confidence. that He hears 00:29:17.029 --> 00:29:19.529 our prayers. It is not a hope -so thing of maybe 00:29:19.529 --> 00:29:22.289 it got there. No. Find great confidence in this 00:29:22.289 --> 00:29:24.970 psalm. If you are a child of God, your prayer 00:29:24.970 --> 00:29:30.970 has been heard and accepted. Church, we are granted 00:29:30.970 --> 00:29:33.569 grace and peace through these prayers that we 00:29:33.569 --> 00:29:36.150 pray. When we walk through the dark valleys, 00:29:36.269 --> 00:29:39.049 and there are many in this life, we need one 00:29:39.049 --> 00:29:42.960 thing, and that is God alone. It is his mercies 00:29:42.960 --> 00:29:45.720 that are new every morning as we read from Lamentations. 00:29:46.160 --> 00:29:50.019 And it is Christ who we find the ultimate source 00:29:50.019 --> 00:29:53.859 as grace and peace. We have great confidence, 00:29:53.900 --> 00:29:57.839 but only if we are those who weep for our sins 00:29:57.839 --> 00:30:01.619 because it is the hatred of sin that is the inseparable 00:30:01.619 --> 00:30:05.079 mark of the repentant spirit. Thomas Watson would 00:30:05.079 --> 00:30:09.319 say, until sin be bitter, Christ will not be 00:30:09.319 --> 00:30:12.720 sweet. We must lament one to love the other. 00:30:13.119 --> 00:30:16.640 So now what? So how do we live in light of going 00:30:16.640 --> 00:30:19.259 through this text this morning? Church, it is 00:30:19.259 --> 00:30:21.460 my sincere hope to the saints that are gathered 00:30:21.460 --> 00:30:23.980 here at Kitts Hill that you find great encouragement 00:30:23.980 --> 00:30:27.500 in Psalm 6. And while it's been filled with tears 00:30:27.500 --> 00:30:29.460 and it's been filled with sorrow and distress 00:30:29.460 --> 00:30:32.680 and grief and bereavement and anxiety, we do 00:30:32.680 --> 00:30:35.059 see great confidence here. We see a portrait 00:30:35.059 --> 00:30:38.190 of David weeping on his couch. But where does 00:30:38.190 --> 00:30:42.190 he go in such great distress? What example have 00:30:42.190 --> 00:30:43.710 we been given this morning in the Scriptures? 00:30:43.990 --> 00:30:46.569 He doesn't look beside him. He doesn't even look 00:30:46.569 --> 00:30:48.630 internally to all of the great resources he would 00:30:48.630 --> 00:30:53.049 have had as the king over all Israel. He looks 00:30:53.049 --> 00:30:56.210 up. And he goes to the Lord, even while feeling 00:30:56.210 --> 00:30:58.069 the wrath that he says is all around him. He's 00:30:58.069 --> 00:31:00.490 beset on every side amidst the storms of life 00:31:00.490 --> 00:31:03.509 that he felt. David does not try to do better. 00:31:03.549 --> 00:31:06.250 He does not work harder. He looks to the Lord 00:31:06.250 --> 00:31:10.309 of mercy. And church, we must do the same. We 00:31:10.309 --> 00:31:13.170 must feel the freedom to unload the burdens of 00:31:13.170 --> 00:31:17.289 our heart to a holy, righteous God in prayer. 00:31:17.750 --> 00:31:20.710 When things come up in our lives, we cannot just 00:31:20.710 --> 00:31:23.299 grumble at them. We cannot internalize them. 00:31:23.980 --> 00:31:26.700 We certainly can't be naive or in denial about 00:31:26.700 --> 00:31:30.420 them. Being stoic isn't good either. We must 00:31:30.420 --> 00:31:34.900 take them to God who reigns supreme, the only 00:31:34.900 --> 00:31:38.660 one who has the power to intervene in our circumstances. 00:31:38.900 --> 00:31:41.640 When times are hard, when we get into those deep, 00:31:41.660 --> 00:31:45.420 dark valleys of life, we must abide in Christ. 00:31:45.599 --> 00:31:49.019 Why? Because nothing else will do. When we are 00:31:49.019 --> 00:31:52.369 weary, when we are tired, When our bed, a place 00:31:52.369 --> 00:31:54.250 that was once a place of resting, has been taken 00:31:54.250 --> 00:31:56.930 from us, now there's no rest left in it, run 00:31:56.930 --> 00:32:01.250 to Christ. David poses the question, how long? 00:32:01.769 --> 00:32:05.950 How long will things be hard? There are hard 00:32:05.950 --> 00:32:08.130 days and hard seasons in this life, but they 00:32:08.130 --> 00:32:13.269 are so short in light of eternity. In hope, day 00:32:13.269 --> 00:32:15.930 by day, we abide for the eternal joy that is 00:32:15.930 --> 00:32:18.670 set before us. The whole of the Old Testament 00:32:18.670 --> 00:32:23.109 is a shadow. pointing to one greater, one to 00:32:23.109 --> 00:32:25.650 come. And everything that the Old Testament was 00:32:25.650 --> 00:32:29.970 in word, Christ fulfilled in substance. We long, 00:32:30.190 --> 00:32:34.670 as the people of God, for final separation from 00:32:34.670 --> 00:32:39.609 evil. From the final separation of sin and death 00:32:39.609 --> 00:32:41.869 and sickness and all the things that plague us 00:32:41.869 --> 00:32:44.549 here in this life. And there's a deep longing 00:32:44.549 --> 00:32:47.549 in every believer for this to be resolved. You 00:32:47.549 --> 00:32:50.390 say, who will do it? Christ. The one in whom 00:32:50.390 --> 00:32:52.230 we abide will be the one to bring these things 00:32:52.230 --> 00:32:54.930 to a resolution because, church, there is coming 00:32:54.930 --> 00:32:59.769 a day where Christ will banish evil, sin, sickness, 00:32:59.849 --> 00:33:04.410 and death forever. And on that glad and glorious 00:33:04.410 --> 00:33:08.829 day, we may take comfort. Only then will we be 00:33:08.829 --> 00:33:12.269 truly freed from sin and all of its entanglements 00:33:12.269 --> 00:33:14.470 and the burden and the sorrows that we feel in 00:33:14.470 --> 00:33:17.640 this life, all who are descendants of Adam. Each 00:33:17.640 --> 00:33:20.380 and every one of us are guilty in the eyes of 00:33:20.380 --> 00:33:23.000 a holy God, but through Christ, the one who wept 00:33:23.000 --> 00:33:27.079 for sins, we will be ultimately delivered from 00:33:27.079 --> 00:33:31.539 this estate. Christ will one day gather into 00:33:31.539 --> 00:33:35.140 his kingdom every man, woman, and child who has 00:33:35.140 --> 00:33:37.220 been grieved by their sins and called out to 00:33:37.220 --> 00:33:40.579 the Lord for repentance. Church, it is to Him 00:33:40.579 --> 00:33:45.579 we run. It is to Him we cling. In this psalm, 00:33:45.579 --> 00:33:49.039 we see that God is good. We see that God is faithful. 00:33:49.380 --> 00:33:52.980 And we see that He is a God that can be trusted. 00:33:53.299 --> 00:33:56.519 That in times of despair... No matter what they 00:33:56.519 --> 00:34:00.700 may be, we are admonished to run to his dear 00:34:00.700 --> 00:34:04.299 son, to run and find the man of sorrows, the 00:34:04.299 --> 00:34:07.200 one who can resonate with our circumstances because 00:34:07.200 --> 00:34:11.300 he has felt every human emotion. We run to the 00:34:11.300 --> 00:34:13.579 Lord Jesus Christ because he is one who understands 00:34:13.579 --> 00:34:17.199 and he is one who cares. He is the redeemer and 00:34:17.199 --> 00:34:24.409 lover of our souls now and forever. Amen. Church, 00:34:24.469 --> 00:34:27.590 when we feel that weight, let it drive us to 00:34:27.590 --> 00:34:30.849 Christ. We cannot give in to our yearnings to 00:34:30.849 --> 00:34:35.590 be isolated. Let us abide in Christ regardless 00:34:35.590 --> 00:34:39.250 of how we feel. He is the lover and redeemer 00:34:39.250 --> 00:34:44.130 of our souls. Let us cling to Him. Amen? Amen. 00:34:46.599 --> 00:34:48.619 Good for me, I pray it was good for you this 00:34:48.619 --> 00:34:51.380 morning as we don't get into that book of Psalms 00:34:51.380 --> 00:34:55.119 very often, but it was the hymn book and the 00:34:55.119 --> 00:34:59.179 prayer book of Israel for hundreds and hundreds 00:34:59.179 --> 00:35:01.280 and hundreds of years, and it is good for us 00:35:01.280 --> 00:35:05.619 to get into that book and read what men who were 00:35:05.619 --> 00:35:08.679 divinely inspired wrote and also how we see Christ 00:35:08.679 --> 00:35:12.630 in each and every psalm as well. We'll take this 00:35:12.630 --> 00:35:15.769 moment to go ahead and transition to a time of 00:35:15.769 --> 00:35:18.510 communion. We'll have our deacons go ahead and 00:35:18.510 --> 00:35:20.510 come at this time, if they will, and prepare 00:35:20.510 --> 00:35:23.250 the table as the junior church is coming back 00:35:23.250 --> 00:35:28.650 in. As we transition to the table, we would want 00:35:28.650 --> 00:35:29.829 to say that this is...