I commence our service this afternoon
by singing hymn number 686. The tune is Chester, number 879. Jesus, caster, look on me. Give me sweet simplicity. Make me poor and keep me low. Seeking only thee to know. Make me like a little child.
of my strength and wisdom spoiled, seeing only in thy light, walking
only in thy might. In number 686, June Chester,
number 879. O come, O come, O come, O come,
O come, O come, ? In him, O God, in him shine ?
? Shine in him, O God, in him shine ? ? The High Lord is come ? ? Fleeing
from the righteous crowd ? ? Fleeing from the righteous crowd ? O'er the fields of virgin mines,
How still the heavens o'er us shine! In my winter nights of bliss,
may we all be at thy feet. ? I have little time ? ? How much
I have wished I saw this day ? ? She did not leave me when I cried
? ? For me, for me, did not cry. ? Thee, O Lord, are we blest, Ever
weary, strong they rest, ? In heaven is your throne ? ?
Glowing from thy precious blood ? ? When he came ? ? And was silent
? ? When he came ? ? In which heaven and earth ? Our reading this afternoon is
from the Book of Psalms. I'm reading Psalms 107 and 116.
Psalms 107 and then 116. Psalm 107, O give thanks unto the Lord. For he is good, for his mercy
endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the Lord
say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy, and
gathered them out of the lands from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness
in a solitary way. They found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul
fainted in them. Then they cried unto the Lord
in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.
And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go
to a city of habitation. Oh, that men would praise the
Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children
of men. For he satisfieth the longing
soul and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Such as sit in
darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction
and iron, because they rebelled against the words of God, and
contemned the counsel of the Most High. Therefore he brought
down their heart with labour. They fell down, and there was
none to help. They cried unto the Lord in their
trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. He brought
them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and break their
bands in sunder. Oh, that men would praise the
Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children
of men. For he hath broken the gates
of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder. Fools, because
of their transgression and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. Their soul abhorreth all manner
of meat. They draw near unto the gates
of death. Then they cry unto the Lord in
their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses.
He sent his word and healed them and delivered them from their
destruction. Oh, that men would praise the
Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children
of men. Let them sacrifice the sacrifices
of thanksgiving and declare his works with rejoicing. They that
go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters,
these see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep.
For he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth
up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven,
they go down again to the depths, their soul is melted because
of trouble. They reel to and fro and stagger
like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end. Then they cry
unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their
distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so
that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad, because they
be quiet. And so he bringeth them unto
their desired haven. Oh, that men would praise the
Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children
of men. Let them exalt him also in the
congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of
the elders. He turneth rivers into a wilderness,
and water springs into dry ground, a fruitful land into barrenness
for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. He turneth a wilderness
into a standing water, and dry ground into water springs. And
there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare
a city for habitation. And so the fields and plant vineyards
which may yield fruits of increase. He blesseth them also, so that
they are multiplied greatly, and suffereth not their cattle
to decrease. Again they are minished and brought
low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow. He poureth contempt
upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness where
there is no way. Yet setteth he the poor on high
from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock. The righteous
shall see it and rejoice, and all iniquity shall stop her mouth. Whoso is wise and will observe
these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness
of the Lord. And if you would turn on to Psalm
116. I love the Lord because he hath
heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his
ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. The
sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell got hold
upon me. I found trouble and sorrow. Then
called I upon the name of the Lord. O Lord, I beseech thee,
deliver my soul. Gracious is the Lord, and righteous,
yea, our God is merciful. The Lord preserveth the simple,
I was brought low, and he helped me. Return unto thy rest, O my
soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou
hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my
feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in
the land of the living. I believed, therefore have I
spoken. I was greatly afflicted. I said
in my haste, all men are liars. What shall I render unto the
Lord for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation
and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto
the Lord now in the presence of all his people. Precious in
the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. O Lord,
truly I am thy servant, I am thy servant and the son of thine
handmaid. Thou hast loosed my bonds. I
will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call
upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord
now in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the
Lord's house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye
the Lord. May God bless these portions
of his own holy word to us and help us all to pray. Heavenly
Father, once again in thy mercy, We are spared for another service,
another appointed time for worship. Lord, we do pray that we all
may know that preparation of the heart and also the answer
of the tongue, which is of the Lord as we come before thee.
Lord, let us not come merely out of duty or out of custom,
out of tradition. Lord, it is a good habit to be
in. to come to the service of the
house of God. Oh, that we might have more than
that. Lord, grant that real hunger and thirst in our heart for the
things of God. Oh Lord, give us an appetite
that we once never had. Once we were indifferent to all
these things, even if we kept coming to the services. They meant nothing to us. Oh
Lord, if that should be the case of any now. Oh Lord, we pray
that our world appear to them, even this day, show them the
necessity of coming as a sinner unto a holy God. Lord, we tremble
at that thought, and yet to whom else can we go? Only thou canst
forgive, only thou canst pardon, only the blood of Jesus Christ,
thy Son, can wash us clean from all our sins. So Lord, we do
pray that we might come before thee rightly this afternoon. Help us to come with thanksgiving
in our heart. We've read the psalmist's words,
what shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward
me? Lord, help us to dwell upon thy
benefits toward us. May we not forget them, as another
psalmist says, and let them die without praise. make us come
with a thankful heart. We may still have many needs,
we may still have many troubles and difficulties. Lord, help
us to be thankful for those times when Thou hast in the past delivered
us and appeared for us to strengthen our faith to come again in another
time of need and pour out our case before Thee. Oh Lord, we
thank Thee that Even one like David, though a sinner, yet with
much to see of the grace of God in his heart. But even he was
brought to that. I am poor and needy, yet the
Lord thinketh upon me. Lord, think upon us today. Think upon us this afternoon. We are poor and needy. Many may
feel it. Lord, if any don't feel it, if
any think they are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing.
Oh Lord, do appear to them and show them that they are in fact
poor and needy. Oh Lord, as we come with that
feeling of unworthiness, yet may we come in faith to believe
that they will not cast out any that come unto thee. Oh Lord,
what a precious word that is, that in no wise, not in any way,
shall such a soul be cast out, or do encourage seeking souls
this afternoon, or do remember, maybe as it were, returning souls,
those that have known thee, but at least in spirit, if not outwardly,
have drifted away, have become cold and faint and hard-hearted. Lord, we so easily become complacent,
we forget God, We need thee, Lord, to return unto us. Lord, like that good shepherd,
go after thy lost sheep, wherever those sheep might be this afternoon. Lord, go after them until they
are found and bring them back. Lord, we do pray that there shall
be a gathering in of thy sheep to thy fold, be it here, as we
would pray, but also Anywhere, Lord, where the truth is proclaimed,
where thy people assemble together, may there be that gracious gathering
in and building up that thou would strengthen those things
that remain. Lord, so many feel to be, as
it were, ready to die. There doesn't seem to be a future
for them. Lord, thou knowest how often
thou hast come and built up again. where perhaps we might have judged
there was only ruin and decay. Lord, do gather in thy people,
we pray. Lord, do make us ready to receive
them when they come, with all their problems, with all their
differences there may be from us and our traditions. Lord,
where thou dost bring them, where there is that leading of the
Holy Spirit, give us the grace to receive such in a right spirit. to give a welcome. Lord, to all
that come, we do pray that we might see thy hand. Lord, do
grant a revival in our own land and the nations of the world.
Lord, do send forth thy spirit to bring souls out of darkness. How great is that darkness. Men
love the darkness because their deeds are evil. Yet, Lord, there
is a people upon whom thou hast shined. God, who commanded the
light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts. Oh
Lord, give that knowledge of salvation, give that knowledge
of the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And Lord,
do renew it. We know thy people are saved
forever, they cannot be lost, but we can lose the joy of thy
salvation. We can lose that joy Lord, when
we become backsliding and, oh Lord, we pray, Lord, stir us
up to a renewal of that sense that Thou art with us and that
our hearts might be full of praise and honour and glory unto Thy
holy name. Oh, that men would praise the
Lord. Lord, not just other men, but
may we personally, individually, praise the Lord. for his goodness,
his wonderful goodness. May we know these things, if
any. O Lord, do not know that thou
art a wonderful God. May it be a time, even this afternoon,
when thou would show that to their soul, that thou would make
these things real to those that may hold them only as a knowledge,
as it were, imparted from one generation to another. in their
head. Lord, we do need a head knowledge,
we need an understanding, but we need much more. We need that
work of thy spirit in our hearts. Lord, we do pray that each soul
here, and if there are any souls listening in from other locations,
Lord, that all might eat of thy word this afternoon and be filled. Oh Lord, what a wonderful thing
to be filled, with thy blessing. May we, Lord, may we not be tentative
to ask for these things, though they're great things, though
they're not things that we can ever say we deserve or merit.
But Lord, we would come with that large petition and pray
that each soul might be moved by thy word. Let none hear the
word and it not profit them, not being mixed with faith in
their heart. Oh Lord, how solemn And many
of us here, no doubt, have been in that position to hear the
word preached faithfully for many years and it has never profited
us because we had not the faith that is the gift of God. Oh Lord,
we pray that as we trust we have received that gift, that thou
wilt give it also to others that know it not as yet. Won't you
be with the children and the young people? Watch over them.
in life. We pray that thou will guide
them, those still in education, to bless their learning, make
them wise in the things that they will need in their future
lives, their future careers, whatever that holds for them. They may not have any idea of
what they will end up doing, but Lord thou hast an appointment
for each and we do pray that they may know even if it is afterwards
looking back, that thou hast prepared them for that particular
pathway, that thy hand has been in it, thou hast guided them
and led them and provided for all their needs. Lord, we do
pray that they may, even while they are young, be brought to
call upon thee. They will have their troubles
and their problems, their distresses. O Lord, may they be those that
truly pray that bring their concerns unto thee, cast their care upon
thee in faith, knowing that thou dost care for thy people. Lord, do work mightily in them
and do guide parents and grandparents and, oh Lord, all those that
may have any role to play in the upbringing of younger ones. Lord, we need thee to. impress
upon us what our own example teaches them. Lord, we've come
so very far short in many ways. We're not always as we should
be. Lord, do help us and do help
us in our lives in general to walk uprightly, to bring light
into this dark world. It is a requirement that has
said we should shine as lights in this dark world. Lord, help
us to shine more brightly, to be a truer light. Lord, serve thee more fully as
we ought to do. Lord, we do need thy grace, we
need thy help. We feel that we do so often fail
in these things. Help us, Lord, day by day, we
pray, to bless the word that has been spoken here this morning. We thank thee, Lord, that thou
hast granted at least sufficient restoration to our friend and
brother to enable him to take the service. We do pray that
thou continue to restore him to his usual health and strength. Lord, we know we are very delicately
made. We are fearfully and wonderfully
made. Lord, do be with him and strengthen
him. help him to continue here, bless
his labours here and indeed elsewhere, wherever he may go to proclaim
the gospel. Lord, do be with each of thy
servants this day and all those that are sent out to preach the
word, whether we know them or so many others throughout the
whole earth. Lord, where the word is preached
in truth and in sincerity, do thou bless it and own it and
let it be for good to those that hear we pray. Lord we ask that
thou would look down upon us now in thy mercy. Lord do open
up thy word with sweetness and with power as we speak or as
we hear. Lord may all that is done be
to the glory and honour of thy name. May thy word be an encouragement
and a help Lord, if need be, and thou alone knowest the need,
but if need be, may it be a reproof and a correction. May it, Lord,
bring forth exercise in the souls of the hearers and the speakers. Lord, may thy word be real to
us and blessed to us. This day we pray. We ask that
thou would look down in mercy upon us. Whatever our difference
is, Come as sinners before thee, we're united in that. Oh Lord,
we pray that each might feel it, each might come personally
to confess their sin, to grant us that grace of true repentance
to forsake those sins. May we come, Lord, daily asking
thee for the grace and the help that we need to overcome the
temptations and the sins that are in our pathway. and in our
heart, and so quickly rise up to the surface. Lord, do quell
that sin, we pray. Make us more faithful unto thee. Lord, we pray that thou wilt
have mercy, that thou wilt heal us, that thou wilt cleanse us,
that all our sin might be washed away. Lord, we have but one plea,
and oh Lord, as we ask all things, we ask this especially in the
name and for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Continue our service by singing
hymn number 987, the Junior Centenary, number 112. Oh, what amazing words of grace
are in the gospel found, suited to every sinner's case, who knows
the joyful sound. To sinners poor like me and you,
he says he'll freely give, come thirsty souls and prove it true,
drink and forever live. Hymn number 987, tune, centenary
number 112. O come, O come, all ye faithful
joyful and triumphant O come, O come, all ye faithful joyful and triumphant ? Spirits of the free ? ? Stay
at rest ? ? And let your light shine on us ? ? Come let with all your heart
and voice ? ? O come let us adore him ? ? O come let us adore him ? ? Your name to the angels sing
? ? Let strength within me ? ? O close my eyes ? ? And make me see ?
? From the ashes of the world destroyed
? ? And taken with them to the fire ? This is all I need from thee,
This is all I need from thee, O come, let us adore Him, O come,
let us adore Him, Lord may be pleased to help us
all, let us consider together in Psalm 107, in particular verse
6. Psalm 107 and verse 6. Then they cried unto the Lord
in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. You have, of course, very similar
words. None, I think, are exactly the
same. But in verse 13, then they cried
unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their
distresses. And then again in verse 19, then
they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saveth them out
of their distresses. And lastly, in verse 28, then
they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them
out of their distresses. So four very similar verses and
of course this very wonderful psalm is constructed principally
around these four different experiences of the Lord's people. And I think
if we were to just look at those experiences in complete isolation
we might really wonder, could this really be the Lord's people?
When they're described as rebelling against God, when they condemn,
that is condemn the counsel of God, they ignore his word, his
direction, they know clearly what he's saying, but they say,
that's not for me, I won't do that. When they are so tossed
about by all the storms that they come into, when they are
in darkness. Perhaps we wonder could this
really be the people of God? But I think we prove in some
cases sadly that that is the case. When we are born again
we don't lose our old nature do we? We do have now a new spiritual
nature but The old nature, the old man, as we sometimes refer
to it, is still there. We are still rebellious. Remember,
disobedience is rebellion. It's described by Samuel, isn't
it, to King Saul. Rebellion is like witchcraft. You may think, well, I'd never
be involved in witchcraft. I hope not, but I wouldn't dare
say you'll never be involved in rebellion. Because that is
our nature, isn't it? Why is it likened to witchcraft? Well, because it's setting up
some other power, isn't it? Maybe ourselves or some other
power and saying, well, that's equal to God. We don't need to
obey God. We can listen to this person
or listen to our own voice. All of the rebellion We have
to be so very careful, don't we? And these things are described
in this psalm, aren't they? Four things. But you see it does
say, it begins with giving thanks unto the Lord for he is good,
for his mercy endureth forever. And there then follows these
four examples that illustrate that point. That God is good,
in spite of our sin. That's no excuse. I don't want
anyone to think that in saying that we're excusing sin and saying
it doesn't matter. No, it absolutely does matter.
Each and every sin matters. But it is true that in spite
of that, the Lord is good. And His mercy does endure forever. Now, verse 2. I must just draw
your attention to that. Let the redeemed of the Lord
Say so. I think far too often the redeemed
of the Lord are quite happy to think about that. And that's
as far as it gets. But that's not what the scripture
says, is it? It says let them say so. Let them tell other people
that they have experienced this. Let the praise of God, again
there's a great theme of this psalm, isn't it? Oh that men
would praise the Lord. We can't do that, can we, if
we're not talking about what He has done. What saying that
this has been my experience. It may have to be one of these
experiences. It may involve the confession
of our sin. But others, as I want to come
to in more detail, it's not necessarily the experience isn't always prompted
by our sin. Maybe it's for another purpose
in God's hand. But all of them, all of those
experiences should lead to this the redeemed of the Lord saying
the Lord is good saying his mercy endures forever praising him
again we have that four fold repetition don't we oh that men
would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful
works to the children of man but also want to consider this
word then. Then they cried unto the Lord. Now we're not to add to scripture
at all but in order to understand it in my mind I put those words
in as well. Then and only then they cried
unto the Lord in their trouble. One of the reasons that we do
come into trouble, not always this reason but One of them is
to bring us to pray, isn't it? To make us feel our need to pray. Otherwise we can so easily go
on our way careless, indifferent. Doesn't matter, we're not in
any trouble, we don't need God. Oh, solemn, but real experience,
isn't it? Even for the redeemed of the
Lord. We're not always in the spirit that we ought to be, are
we? But then, Oh, the Lord causes it to come. Then, yes, then they remembered
their God. Then they remembered the value,
the privilege of prayer. And they cried unto the Lord.
And it was no vain repetition of some standard set of words,
was it? This was a cry from their heart.
They needed God. They needed deliverance. They
couldn't deliver themselves. Clearly they felt that. They
were powerless. As one experience describes it,
at their wits end, at the full extremity of their own knowledge
and wisdom. They'd gone, if you like, beyond
even that. They just didn't know what to
do. So they cried unto God. Makes us think of Jehoshaphat,
that king of Judah. You can read in that wonderfully
instructive 20th chapter of the second book of Chronicles We
read as Jehoshaphat there was surrounded by a multitude of
Enemies far greater than his own army. There was no prospect
whatsoever of Saving Jerusalem in his own power and the strength
of his own army and we read Jehoshaphat feared oh There's no surprise
there is there? Do you think he wouldn't have
feared in the same situation? They were coming to take his
kingdom, probably take his life, take away his family. Of course
he feared, only natural. But what isn't natural is that
we read Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the Lord. The work of the Holy Spirit in
Jehoshaphat in his distress Then he cried unto the Lords. Is that why the Lord brought
this? Partly, we don't know, but it
may well be. Partly he brought it so that
Jehoshaphat would pray unto him. And Jehoshaphat there very wonderfully
sets a good example to all the people, doesn't he? We might
live to see a monarch on our throne that would likewise call
the people to prayer. He brought them all. In their
distress, the people, they were going to be killed, they were
going to have their houses taken away from them, an enemy living
there, their families at risk. They were in great distress as
well, weren't they? And Jehoshaphat brought them
all together to pray to God, to cry unto the Lord. And yes, although he says, neither
know we what to do, I know that means practically, we don't know
practically how to deliver ourselves, well really we know we can't
deliver ourselves, but he did in one sense, he did know what
to do. He cried unto the Lord. And he cried a very wonderful
prayer, didn't he? I don't want to dwell too long
upon it, but I do love that prayer of Jehoshaphat. To begin with,
It comprises four questions, and I won't say this carefully,
I don't want to be misunderstood, but you see the first three questions,
they establish a factual basis about the existence and power
of God, but I say it carefully, so what? So what? The devils
also believe and tremble. You see, his first question was
this, are not thou God in heaven? Good thing to know that there
is a God in heaven, but that in itself doesn't help him. Rulest
not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen. Well, yes, it's
a good thing to know that God is the sovereign ruler over all
the earth, but it still doesn't actually practically help Jehoshaphat,
does it? In thine hand is there not power
and might, so none is able to withstand thee. Is not God the
Almighty One? Well, yes, of course He is, but
again, that doesn't really help, does it? But then this fourth
question. Oh, don't stop short when you
cry. When you cry unto the Lord, don't
stop short of knowing the answer to this fourth question. Art
not thou our God? Now, that does make all the difference,
doesn't it? If the answer to this is yes,
yes I am your God, then it's personal. Then we can expect
answers to that prayer, can't we? Then we can expect deliverance. Faith ought to expect deliverance. It shouldn't be a surprise. I
know, again, we fail so much in that, don't we? But you see,
Jehoshaphat did really know the answer even to that question
because later on in that prayer he says, O our God. So he does know. Are not thou
our God? Yes, I do know. Thou art our
God. It is personal. We can truly
in faith look to thee to be delivered out of this distress. And you
know in the case of Jehoshaphat and the people at that time,
how very wonderfully they were delivered. It wasn't by their
own might, was it? It wasn't by their own strength.
It wasn't even by their own courage, although they did have to go
out and confront, or be ready at least to confront the enemy.
But now it was all the power of God, wasn't it? one of those
opposing nations against another so that they all destroyed one
another. People didn't need to fight in
that battle, did they? But you see really how wonderfully
Jehoshaphat put this psalm, as it were, into practice, if I
can say that, because even though as yet all he, I say all carefully,
but all he had had was a word from this man called Jehaziel,
upon whom the Spirit of the Lord had come, that they would be
delivered. They would not need to fight,
but they did have to go forth to confront the enemy. That's
all he knew. He wasn't told any detail, he
wasn't told how or when this deliverance would come. But he
didn't go out, as we might say, cautiously, did he? He didn't
go out saying, well, I better put my strongest, most valiant
warriors at the forefront, just in case we do have to fight after
all. He set the singers at the forefront
of the army. Human reasoning would say, you're
sacrificing the choir, if you like. They'll be sure to be slaughtered. But he had begun to praise God. He didn't have his deliverance
as yet, or at least he hadn't experienced it, he hadn't seen
it, but he began to praise God. All that men would praise the
Lord were Jehoshaphat did. It was only afterwards, indeed
we read when they began to sing and to praise, that's when the
Lord set each of those opposing armies against one another. but
the praise had already come. Wonderful faith they had, didn't
they? Do you and I really go out, we
haven't got to confront literally an army, but do you and I go
out to confront our problems and our difficulties singing
the praise for our deliverance before we've even received it?
I don't think that's presumption. I think that is great faith here.
They've had a word from God, You are going to be delivered,
that's all they needed. So they began to praise him. Oh yes, they had had to cry unto
the Lord but he delivered them out of their distresses. How wonderful if we can have that
spirit of praise even in our trouble. Case brings to mind
Paul and Silas in prison, bound in the stock's hand and feet,
at midnight, figuratively at least, the darkest hour, the
low point, one might say, of their experience. They sang praises
unto God. And they didn't do it quietly,
did they? They didn't just whisper it to one another. The prisoners
heard them, and I think we can be sure the jailer heard them
as well. They didn't know, did they, what
would come of that? Was it their praises? Was it
their singing that at first was used to draw that jailer into
concern for his own soul? We don't know precisely, but
it may well have been so. They praised. Long before the
earthquake had shaken the prison and their bonds were loosed,
they were praising God. Such a high standard as it were
if i can say that doesn't it but it is what we ought to be
if we trust that we are the redeemed of the lord we ought to be like
that didn't we we shouldn't need to wait until god has accomplished
the deliverance we should praise him now as we commit this matter
to him as we cry unto him we should be joining it with praise
i want to come to an end to again to Paul, but earlier on in his
life still known at the time as Saul of Tarsus. Now, if Jehoshaphat didn't know
what to do, well, Paul is at the, or Saul rather I should
say, is at the opposite end as it were. He knew exactly what
he was going to do, didn't he? Or he thought he did. He had
it all planned out. He'd taken the letters of authority
from the chief priests, he was on his way to Damascus, Probably
had a list of names of known Christians and he was going to
round them up and put them in prison. Had it all worked out. He wasn't in any distress, was
he, as he set out for Damascus. Completely self-confident. He confesses this, doesn't he,
elsewhere, how he thought he was doing God's service in this
respect. Not a shadow of a doubt in his
mind. But he was cut down on the way
to performing those things, and he never did get to perform those
things, did he, that he had planned. The Lord met him. The Lord brought
him down. Far from saying, this is what
I've already decided to do, he's brought to cry out, isn't he,
Lord, what will thou have me to do? No longer I'm telling
God what I'm going to do, but Lord, what will thou have me
to do? Now I think what's so special
and so remarkable, well there's many things of course, but one
thing that does stand out, Paul saw of Tarsus as a Pharisee. He would have said thousands
of prayers, wouldn't he? That was one of their chief occupations. He would have done it publicly
on the street corners in the prominent places of the temple,
arms flung out wide, head thrown back, so everybody knew that
he was praying. Everybody would think what a
holy righteous man he was. But when he was cut down by God
on that road to Damascus, as the Lord spoke to Ananias and
said that he must go and speak to Saul, Ananias, again, perhaps
we could say understandably he has concerns about that, doesn't
he? I've heard about this man, I
know what he's coming here to do. Now, the Lord could have
said many things to Ananias, couldn't he, that would demonstrate
the change in Saul. He could have said, well, he
started out very proud, but I've humbled him. He could have said,
well he started out with a plan and he knew what he wanted to
do and I've changed all that and now he's asking me what he
should do. He could have said all sorts
of things but the only thing that the Lord said to Ananias
to demonstrate and to prove to Ananias what a change had occurred
in Saul was simply this, wasn't it? Behold, he prayeth. As I say, he'd said, Thousands
of prayers before this, but I think this is At least on that road
that first prayer. What will thou have me to do?
He's now beginning to pray Really from his heart for the first
time in his life He's in great distress all of a sudden isn't
he he's blind We shouldn't overlook these little details for someone
who's had their sight to go instantly blind like that it must be very
terrible thing very distressing wasn't it that on its own but
far more than that everything that Saul had believed in had
just vanished as it were the Lord had shown him you're completely
wrong Saul utterly wrong in everything that you thought and planned
and intended to do you've completely gone wrong cried unto the Lord, didn't he? He prayed. We have Jesus' own
words to that effect. He prayeth. But look at how the
word then has had to unfold in the life of Saul of Tarsus. Before
all of that, he didn't pray. He didn't cry unto the Lord.
But then he did. Then, when God appeared to him
then when God overturned all his plans and intentions then
he cried unto the Lord in his trouble. Oh and don't we see
wonderfully then as it unfolds through the acts of the apostles
and the writings of Paul and so on how he delivered him out
of that distress. Very wonderfully the Lord appeared
to him and and did deliver him. Now, as I say, sometimes these
things may come upon us in the pathway, even if we are being
obedient. It seems to me that this first
experience of the redeemed of the Lord doesn't call our attention
to any sin, does it? It's really just saying the redeemed
of the Lord are pilgrims. They're going through a wilderness,
their journey lies through the wilderness, and they're hungry
and they're thirsty, they're feeling faint, the way is difficult. But it doesn't actually directly
say there was any sin, it occasioned immediately in this context.
But then they cried unto the Lord. Perhaps we think of those
times when the apostles were crossing the Sea of Galilee in
complete obedience to what Jesus said. And on one of those occasions
we do read the Lord constrained them to get into the boat or
into the ship. And I've often wondered, again
we don't want to idly speculate, but we do know that at least
four of them were experienced fishermen They knew those waters
of the Sea of Galilee very well. I understand that storms do come
down very suddenly upon that sea and can be very troubled
even though obviously it's an inland sea. They would have known
all of that, wouldn't they? They probably could see the signs
of the approaching storm. Probably, I can't say for certain,
but probably that was why the Lord needed to constrain them.
Because they were only applying a human logic to it. And the Lord had a purpose. So
they were constrained. They were obedient. They got
into the ship and they began to cross the sea. But then a
great storm came up, didn't it? No, no fault in them in that
sense. They were being obedient. And
perhaps there may be one There is trouble that you feel you
are being obedient to what the Lord would have you to do, but
there's still a storm coming. Or maybe you're experiencing
the storm, it's not coming, it's already arrived, and you're being
tossed about. As we read in this psalm, rising
up as it were to the heavens, going down again into the depths,
tossed to and fro. Oh, but what's the purpose of
it? Does it bring you to cry? unto
the Lord in your trouble? Does it cause you to come to
the Lord and pour out your heart to him, Lord? Why is this? I am being obedient to the command
I have received. Well, why was that storm, why
did that storm come? Well, it was to show them another
aspect of Jesus, wasn't it? To show them clearly that he
had almighty power over the wind and the waves. They didn't know
that and they wouldn't have known that if they hadn't gone through
that experience. Maybe the Lord is bringing you
through that experience to prove to you his character, to prove
to you his almighty power. Maybe he's put you in an impossible
situation. There's no way out. Your wisdom,
your strength is not sufficient. You cannot see a way out. Then cry unto the Lord. in that
trouble. He does deliver his people out
of these things. I think of what Moses said why
the children of Israel as they did wander in the wilderness
what that was about. I know at times they came into
trouble because of their sin and we'll come on to that but
at times they came into trouble even in obedience and Moses says
to them This is the purpose, to humble thee, to prove thee,
to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his
commandments or no. Now when it says for God to know
that, it doesn't mean that God didn't know, it means to demonstrate
it to them, to show them so that they would know, have we kept
the Lord's commandments or not? It would reveal to them what
was in their hearts. Would they rebel? Sadly, at times,
we know they did. Or would they obey the commands? It's noticeable, I think, here,
isn't it, in this psalm. In verse four, they wandered
in the wilderness in a solitary way. The word solitary, although
it's often used in a different sense, but it really means unique. They wandered in the wilderness
in a unique way. And why was it unique? Because
God was leading them. There were not two fiery, cloudy
pillars, were there? There was only one. So it was
a unique pathway. And for all their other sins
and backslidings, we don't read that they ever failed to follow
the leading of that fiery, cloudy pillar. In that, they did the
right thing. It was a solitary way. It wasn't
the way they would have chosen. They would have gone the quickest
coast road and been in the land of promise in, I think, about
a fortnight of travel. But that wasn't God's way, was
it? This is a unique way because it's God's way. I think is it
Isaiah 55, I think it is, where we, yet my thoughts are not your
thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. Now you may say well
that's obvious, I know that perfectly well, I've known that in a sense,
I could say I think I've known that all my life, I know my ways
are not necessarily God's ways, my thoughts are not his ways,
but the next verse is much harder isn't it to understand, for as
the heavens are higher than the earth, So are my ways higher
than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts, they're not
just different, they are different, but they are infinitely better,
aren't they? This is why this was a unique
way, it was God's way. The flesh didn't like it, the
flesh wanted to go back to Egypt, the flesh wanted bread and meat
and all sorts of things to eat and to drink and in abundance
and they weren't getting it but it was the right way again later
on in this psalm we have he led them forth by the right way and
that's still that same unique way now you can contrast that
with verse 40 the princes, in other words the
powerful, the self-righteous, if you like, in this life. He
causeth them to wander in the wilderness where there is no
way. No way. Which is better? To be following
the Lord's way with all its trials and difficulties that are associated
with it, but it is the right way? Or to be left to follow
a The path of your own devising where there's no way. There's
no way. You won't be delivered in just
following your own thoughts and your own ways in this wilderness. We're all in a wilderness in
this sense, aren't we? We're all pilgrims passing through
the wilderness of this life. But are we in the solitary way
that is the Lord's way? Or are we just wandering aimlessly? You see, although we use that
word wandering, perhaps wrongly in our mind, it conjures up something
that was aimless and purposeless. Well, no, it was always God's
way, wasn't it? God had a purpose in every part
of that journey, even when he led them round in circles, as
he did at least twice in that journey. There was a purpose
in him, to humble thee, to prove thee. to know what was in thine
heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no.
Is that why you're in distress this afternoon? Because you will
not keep his commandments. Oh, it does bring distress. It
does. It brings that problem of our
conscience, doesn't it? If we know that this way that
I'm determined to walk is not the way that God has spoken to
me. sometimes experience these things,
don't we, to be able to speak of them when we've determined
our course of action, but it's not proving to be the Lord's
way. And we have to submit, we have to be humble, don't we?
I do like that there in Deuteronomy chapter eight, because not only
does Moses say, God, words fail, forgive me, but God set out to
do that, to humble them, to prove them, and so on. But then the
next verse says, and he humbled them. In other words, God did
exactly what he set out to do. He didn't have a plan which failed
to come to fruition. That was why he was doing it,
and he did it. And that was the instruction
that they had to receive. But then, I must hasten, sometimes
we do come into these times of distress because of our sins. Because they rebelled against
the words of God and contend the counsel of the Most High. Because they were like that. I think the third experience
is similar, isn't it? Fools, verse 17, fools because
of their transgressions and because of their iniquities are afflicted. Or we should not despise the
chastening of God. Chastening is not the same thing
as punishment. We need to be careful. This is
speaking of the redeemed of the Lord. The punishment for the
sins of the redeemed of the Lord was laid upon Christ. They're
not punished for their sins. That would make God unjust because
he'd be punishing the same sin twice. That could never be. But
God does chase him. He does bring these things into
our lives to correct us, to reprove us, to show to us why these things
are, as it were, going against us. It's not quite the right
word to use, is it? For all things work together
for good. to them that love God, who have
been called according to his purpose. But these things seem
to go against us, don't they? They're certainly not what we
would choose often. Now, what will really bring us
to cry unto the Lord in that distress? It's this, isn't it? When we're exercised by that. So often, I think, when we begin
to be chastened by God, when we're being reproved for some
sin, some error that is in our life, we rebel, don't we? We kick out
against it. Why should God make things so
difficult, so awkward for me? It wouldn't take anything, as
it were, for God to just straighten out all those kinks, if you like,
in our root, would it? It would be easy for God to remove
all their troubles. Why? Why won't you do that? Well,
it is to show us our sin, isn't it? This chastening hand of God. But are you rebellious or are
you exercised about it? There's a great deal of difference,
isn't there? One puts up the shutters and
says, I'm not going to think about why God's doing that. I'm
just going to complain that he is doing it. It says, Lord, show
me where I've gone wrong. Show me what's wrong, where am
I at fault? What must be changed in my life? Where am I being disobedient
to the will and the word of God? That's the exercise, isn't it?
Now, what a promise you've given to us, isn't it, in the 12th
chapter of the Hebrews. No chasing for the present seemeth
to be joyous, but grievous well i'm sure we can all say as it
were amen to that we know that don't we ah but do you know the
rest of the verse nevertheless afterward there's so much blessing
in that word afterward isn't it because it shows that the
chastening will come to an end if the chastening continued forever
you couldn't say afterward because it wouldn't have ended but afterward
when it's done its work It yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Not to all, is it? This is a
fine sieve unto them which are exercised thereby. Are you exercised this afternoon
because of the chastening hand of the Lord upon you? Things
are not going your way, not going according to your plans. But
instead of being rebellious, you've come humbly. And you said,
Lord, why is this? Not because we're thinking there's
a fault with God, but what's the fault with me? Oh, then,
you see, then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and
he delivered them out of their distresses. Now, I want to move
on to just consider this, you see, This psalm is recorded for
our benefit, isn't it, for our instruction. These things are
shown to us as the way that the Lord delivered them out of their
distresses. And Paul, as he writes to the
Corinthians in the second epistle in chapter one, he says, well
let me go back a verse to verse eight, you see, He says, we would
not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble, our distresses,
if you like, which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed
out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even
of life. Paul was very greatly afflicted. He gives that catalogue, doesn't
he, of all his beatings and stonings and shipwrecks and so on. in
a providential sense, I dare say, than any of us have experienced. But you see, he says, yes, we
did have all that trouble. And he says, we had the sentence
of death in ourselves. We could see this was such a
solemn, serious matter. But there was a purpose in it.
God had some teaching in it. And it was this, that we should
not trust in ourselves, but in God's which raiseth the dead. And then he makes this great
statement, doesn't he? You look carefully at the tenses,
the grammatical tenses that are used. Who delivered us, that's
history, that's past, from so great a death. And doth deliver,
that's in the present tense, that means right now, today,
that's what he's doing. In whom we trust, that he will
yet deliver us, that's into the future. Oh, can you see the hand
of God in your troubles, in your trials, and you can say, yes,
this is something in the past, but he did deliver me. And maybe
you can say, well, right now I'm in distress, there's something
that I feel isn't right, something that's causing me sorrow, something
that's causing me grief, But he is still, even now, he is
delivering me. May feel to be little by little,
but it is a sure deliverance. And it may be then we look to
the future and we know that in the world we will have tribulation,
we will have troubles and distresses. But we trust in God that he will
yet deliver us. We're not yet experiencing that,
we're not yet in that trouble. But when we do, then, Are we
going to cry unto the Lord and he will deliver us? Do we have
that faith, that confidence? Now, we don't, of course, wish,
as it were, distresses and troubles upon any, but we do know that
that is the lot of the redeemed of the Lord, and especially,
I was thinking about this just now in the vestry, and to put
it across simply but I hope faithfully there is one distress really
that I do hope you all experience and that's not because I'm cruel
and hard-hearted but it's that distress over our sin because
you see most of the world they're never distressed by that although
they do have their problems and their difficulties may be just
as great as ours are providential But they never have a distress
over their sin. But it's a good thing to be brought
into distress. We need to be brought into distress. We should never cry for mercy
until we know what it is we want to be delivered from or saved
from. We should never cry unto the
Lord unless we're in that distress for salvation, for pardon, that
the Lord would forgive us. I know I look at the words very
carefully and in the text maybe you feel it's a bit pedantic
but you see this is looking at a third party isn't it they cried
unto the Lord the Lord delivered them out of their distresses
that's good it's good that we can all sit here this afternoon
and we can study this and we can say yes, we can see what
the Lord was doing in their lives. But what about you? It's not
enough, is it? We're not saved by somebody else's
experience. It must be personal. In Psalm
120, we're not told there who wrote that Psalm, but it begins
very personally, in my distress, I cried unto the Lord, and he
heard me." Oh, can you come there? I expect, in a sense, we can
all identify with verse six that other people have come into trouble.
We've probably heard them say that they prayed and feel that
the Lord delivered them. That's good. As I say, the redeemed
of the Lord should be saying that, should be talking about
it. But you see, you're not saved because somebody else has been
saved. You're not delivered from the
distress of your sin because somebody else has been pardoned.
What do you know personally about this? Can you come with that
first verse of Psalm 120, in my distress? Maybe it is this afternoon, I
don't know, my distress about my sin, it's really the Holy
Spirit is so working in me that I see what a terrible sinner
I am. Maybe it's the first time, maybe
it's a reminder to you. I have no idea, but oh, that
the Lord would reveal to each of us. It is, as I say, not unkindly,
but in love. I say I hope we are all distressed
in this way, because you see, I, in my distress, I cried unto
the Lord. We have to cry unto the Lord,
don't we, in that matter, really in anything, but especially as
I want to focus upon our sin. There's nobody else to cry to,
is there? Who are you going to take that
burden to? I know it can be helpful to speak of these things, and
to some extent one may be able to comfort another, but really,
We certainly can't forgive one another's sins, can we? We can't
utter words of pardon, not in any meaningful way at all. The
Lord's heard me. He heard me. That's an amazing
thought, isn't it? Why me? Why me? Why did he hear me? Well, if
he has heard us, it's because we're one of the redeemed of
the Lord. maybe in a backsliding path, maybe we're not where we
ought to be as it were, but in that trouble, in that distress,
I cried unto the Lord and he heard me. Now, that Psalm 116
that we read together is very much really on that subject,
isn't it? The psalmist is saying in many
places there Well, verse three, the sorrows of death compass
me, the pains of hell get hold upon me. I found trouble and
sorrow, then called I upon the name of the Lord. O Lord, I beseech
thee, deliver my soul. Now, verse five tells us clearly
that the Lord did answer that, because then he goes on to say,
gracious is the Lord, and righteous, yea, our God is merciful. I was
brought there, and he helped me. How can you say that this
afternoon. One that is redeemed by the blood
of Christ. I was brought low in my distress
over my sin. I didn't feel I could have been
brought any lower than that. And I cried unto the Lord and
He delivered me. Delivered me out of that distress.
He showed me the Saviour. He answered that prayer. Say
unto my soul, I am thy salvation. He heard me. The beginning of
this Psalm 116 is such a test really, I think, for us all,
isn't it? And we come there this afternoon,
I love the Lord. Do you love the Lord? Now the
psalmist had a reason for that love. Because he hath heard my
voice and my supplications. In other words, I know that you're
not just a prayer hearing God, but it's a prayer answering God.
He delivered me. I have this personal experience
that I cried unto Him and He heard me. And I love Him because
of it. It is the joy and the rejoicing
of my heart because nobody else could deliver me from that distress.
Nobody else could save my soul. But I cried unto the Lord and
He heard me. And then verse two, he's looking
to the future, well past and future, isn't it? Because he
hath in the past inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I
call upon him in the future as long as I live. We fail often, don't we, in putting
that into practice, but that's the spirit we want, isn't it?
Isn't that the spirit that you want to reflect on all God's
past deliverances, providential but especially spiritual, all
the prayers that he has answered, reflect on that, see that that
gives a love to God in your heart and it encourages you always
to pray, not to faint, not to give up. I will call upon him
as long as I live because he has delivered me and he doth
deliver and whom I trust he will yet deliver me. May God use these
distresses in our lives to humble us and to prove us, to teach
us and to bring us so that we do what these redeemed of the
Lord did. Then they cried unto the Lord
in their trouble and he delivered them out of their distresses. Conclude our service this afternoon
by singing hymn number 396, the Junior Salvatore, number 652. Could the creatures help or ease
us? Seldom should we think of prayer. Few, if any, come to Jesus, till
reduced to self-despair. Long we either slight or doubt
him, But when all the means we try, Prove we cannot do without
him, Then at last to him we cry." Hymn number 396, tune Salvatore,
652. ? Furnish us, help nourish us ?
? Children, shall we be comforted ? ? Holy, holy, Lord Jesus Christ ? ? Till we meet again shall it stand
? ? Long may I love shine for evermore ? ? After all the years
we've known ? ? Lift me up to new horizons ?
? Ever more to Him be called ? ? In an audition to be one ? ?
Lecturer of his own degree ? ? Each with hope to give ? ? And lives on this human soil
? ? Earth is built with God's power ? ? So how can we do anything? ? Angel, teacher, voice of God, Gracious God, we do ask that
thou would cause us in everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving to make our requests known unto thee. Lord, when we
come into these difficult times and distresses, oh, may then
especially, may we cry unto thee with that faith that thou who
hast delivered us will yet deliver us, Lord, to build us up in that
faith and confidence in thee. Lord, we have no confidence in
the flesh, but we do trust in thee. We thank thee for thy word
and the wonderful examples throughout thy word of those that did cry
unto thee and were delivered. And oh, may we prove the same
things in our lives and in our hearts. Now may the love of God
the Father, the grace of Christ the Son, fellowship and communion
of the Holy Spirit be with us each. Amen.