Turn with me, if you would, back
to Psalm 121. Psalm 121, I love singing this
psalm. I have sung this psalm, I can't
imagine how many times now. And it never gets old because
it's the word. There are some songs that you
get tired of singing, but this is not one of them. This is the
word. And tonight, I felt led to sing
it and preach it. And I thought, why don't we have
a man read it, and then we'll sing it, and then we'll preach
it. And we could just keep going with this. This is a beautiful
psalm. It's a special psalm. I thank
the Lord for it. I believe the longer I go, the
more I need the psalms. I really believe that. The longer
I go, the more I need the Psalms. We've been in the Psalms a lot
recently. And the reason is because I've needed to be. I just, I
had nowhere else to go but to the Psalms. I think about that
scripture in James chapter four that says, draw nigh to God,
and He will draw nigh to you." You think about that. Draw nigh
to God and He will draw nigh to you. I find myself, it feels
like to me, all of the Word is the Word of God. Every word is special. But to
me, I just feel like I draw more nigh to God When I'm in the Psalms,
something about it, I just connect with it. David was so honest. He was just so raw in was in
what was going on in his, his heart here in these Psalms, he
got to the heart of what was in his heart. Which as we read them, I mean,
we read so many Psalms over and over again, usually we find that
that was despair. Usually that's what was going
on in his heart. Fear. David experienced a lot of fear. He constantly said, when I'm
afraid. Sorrow, pain. I mean, David experienced these
things. He so often was in a position
of need, like I am, like you are. He so often was crying, literally. This grown man cried often. He constantly wrote about his
tears, day and night, my tears. He constantly talked about how
overwhelmed he was. and how he felt like he was always
on the verge of not making it. And he was just so open about
everything. He was so open about his weaknesses. He was so open
about his sins. He was so open about how much
he needed mercy. And for that reason, all of God's
people can relate to David. They can, David just kept crying,
Lord, I'm a man who has sinned against you and I need mercy
and I'm in a place where I need you. And all of God's people
can relate to him. I believe one of the reasons
why we are constantly in the Psalms is because David constantly
is pointing us to his help. All of the Psalms, he's always
in a state of need like we are, and he always points us to his
help. He points us to the one who helped
him through it all. We read the accounts of a man
who lived an entire life all the way up to these be the last
words of David. And he constantly pointed us
to the one who carried him through it all. And every time we see
David's help, we see our own because we have the same help.
We have the exact same help. So Psalm 121, verse one, David
said, I will lift up mine eyes unto the
hills from whence cometh my help. He said, my help cometh from
the Lord. which made heaven and earth. You think about the peace that
is in remembering that. And think about the comfort that
is in being reminded of that. Lift up your eyes to the Lord. Lift up your eyes. This is the
miry clay down here. and we are constantly wallowing
in it. Everything down here. Lift up
your eyes to the Lord. Behold the Lamb of God. Look to the Lamb of God. We just sang, look to the Lamb
of God. If you from sin are longing to
be free, look to the Lamb of God. When Satan tempts and doubts
and fears assail, look to the Lamb of God. When you are weary
and the way seems long, sometimes do you ever look down that path?
And we don't know how many days we have on this earth, but you
know, looking at how long some people make it, do you ever look
down that path thinking, oh, that's a long way. That's a long
way away. Look to the Lamb of God. How
am I gonna make it? How am I gonna look to the Lamb
of God? Fear not when shadows on your
pathway fall. In joy or sorrow, Christ is all
in all. That's what we just sang. In
joy, Christ is all in all. In sorrow, Christ is all in all. Just look to the Lamb of God
for He alone is able to save you from all of those things.
The sin, the doubt, the fear, the weariness, the clouds that come rolling in. Just look to the Lamb of God.
Verse one, David said, I will lift up mine eyes. By that he means the eyes of
his heart, the eyes of his hope, the eyes of his plea, the eyes
of his cry. You know, religion and many people
want to make a show of lifting everything up. You know, we're
going to lift it all up. It's not what he's talking about.
No matter where his physical eyes are looking, he's talking
about the eyes of every fiber of his being, every fiber of
his soul, looking to the Lord. I wanna show you the most perfect
example of this. that it could possibly go with
that verse. This is the perfect example of
lifting up these spiritual eyes. Turn with me to Luke chapter
18. Luke chapter 18 verse 10, it
says, two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee
and the other a publican, a terrible man. The Pharisee stood and prayed
thus with himself. God, I thank thee that I'm not
as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as
this publican. I fast twice in the week. I give
tithes of all that I possess. Now watch verse 13. And the publican
standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven. He would not and could not physically
lift up his eyes to heaven. And the reason is because God
gave him the humility. He gave him the ability by giving
him the humility to only lift up his eyes to the
hills. Even though his sorrow and his
shame and his sin would not allow him to physically lift his eyes
up to heaven, he couldn't. He could not lift up his eyes
unto heaven. Even though all he could do was
physically look down, this man was looking straight down. But
even so, God gave him the ability to lift up the eyes of his soul
to Christ. from whence came his help. Verse
13 says, and the publican standing afar off would not lift up so
much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast saying,
God be merciful to me, a sinner. I tell you, this man went down
to his house justified. Every man or woman, every sinner
who lifts up the eyes of his or her heart to Christ for help. I love Psalm 12. The first two
words in Psalm 12 are help, Lord. I love that. Kind of like when
Peter cried, Lord, save me. Every sinner, who lifts up the
eyes to Christ for help will find it. Every single person
who lifts up the eyes of the soul to the Lord Jesus Christ
for help will find it. And I mean in every way, shape,
and form. Every way, shape, and form. Everyone. Now, why is that? Why is it that
every single soul that truly lifts up the eyes to Christ,
the eyes of faith to Christ for help, we'll find it. Why is that? Turn with me to Hebrews four. Hebrews 4 verse 15 says, it's
because we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with
the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted
like as we are yet without sin. I enter into that maybe a little
more than I ever have. We have a high priest which cannot
be touched with the feeling, we have not an high priest which
cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in
all points tempted, tried, just like we are. Everything
that we feel we're going through, tried with, yet without sin. We have a high priest who knows
our frame, We have a high priest who literally touched himself
with the feeling of our infirmities. He bore them, he carried them,
he felt them, he endured them. He was judged in them, condemned
in them, sentenced in them, punished in them, victorious over them. Everything in this world that
brings us grief because of sin, Christ has already dealt with
it. He's already put it away. Verse 15 right here says, For
we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling
of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we
are yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find
grace to help in time of need. That's why. That's why every
soul who lifts up their eyes to Christ to find mercy and grace
to help in time of need, we'll find it. That's the reason why.
It's because Christ, our high priest, touched himself with
everything that has touched us. Everything that has touched us.
And he knows exactly where we are. And he knows exactly what
we need to comfort us through whatever we're going through.
Go with me back to Psalm 121. Verse one says, I will lift up
mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help. My help
cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He said, just
look at who it is I'm looking to. Just look at who it is I'm
looking to. I'm looking to the one who made
heaven and earth. I'm looking to the one who is
able, able to do something about it, able to help me. My help
cometh from the Lord. Salvation is of the Lord. And
everything else is of the Lord. And the same Lord, the Lord God,
who made heaven and earth and me and everything that is. David
said, that's the Lord I'm looking to. That's the one I'm looking
to for my help. And that is, boy, that's something
to get ahold of. That's who we're looking to for
our help. The one who made everything. Verse three says, he will not
suffer thy foot to be moved. He will not suffer thy foot to
slip and to fall. You know, if your foot stays,
your whole body stays. Your whole person stays. You've gone somewhere, you've
stepped somewhere, and thought in your mind, I hope I don't
slip. We were hiking, and I'm not a
big hiker. Every now and then Hannah talks
me into it, but we were hiking. A few of us went, and there was
a very rocky part. And every step I took, I thought,
I hope my foot doesn't slip. It was kind of wet, step on a
wet rock. You'd think I'm up here in the
woods and I hope my foot doesn't slip. Well, stayed upon Jehovah, nobody
falls. Nobody falls. Standing on the
Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ, standing on the promises, nobody
falls. Look at Psalm 130 with me. Turn
the page over to Psalm 130. Verse three says, if thou, Lord,
shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? He said, if you marked my sins,
if you wrote them down on my record, and judged me in my sins,
I'd never stand. I would fall. But in Christ,
in the blood, on the rock, nobody falls. Nobody. Nobody falls from Christ. Nobody
falls from the gospel. Think about that. Nobody falls
from Christ. Nobody falls from the gospel.
I think all the time, Lord, keep me in the gospel. Somebody says,
yeah, but you're the preacher. I know. Lord, keep me in the
gospel. Keep me under the gospel. Don't
let me veer off on who knows what, preaching who knows what. on Christ, on the rock, nobody
falls. Nobody falls from Christ as long
as we're stayed upon the Lord Jesus Christ and His blood and
His work and His cross, nobody falls. Nobody falls from that blood.
Nobody falls from the eternal kingdom. Verse four, right here, Psalm
130. He said, but there's forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be
feared. I wait for the Lord. My soul
doth wait. And in his word, do I hope. My
soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the
morning. I say more than they that watch for the morning. Let
Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there's mercy,
and with him is plenteous redemption, and he shall redeem Israel from
all his iniquities. That's why he said in verse one,
out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. Lord, hear
my voice. Let thine ears be attentive to
the voice of my supplications. Go with me back to Psalm 121. Verse three says, he will not
suffer thy foot to be moved. He that keepeth thee will not
slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel
shall neither slumber nor sleep. Slumber means become drowsy. That's what it means. He that
keepeth thee will not become drowsy. And he that keepeth thee will
never go to sleep. His watchful eye, his watchful
care will never leave you. Listen to this and see if this
is a blessing to your heart. He will never take his eyes off
of you. Never, never, never. He'll never take His eyes off
of you. It's across my page here, Psalm
127, verse 1. It says, except the Lord build
the house, they labor in vain that build it. Except the Lord
keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you
to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows,
for so he giveth his beloved sleep. Do you know what will
cause a man or a woman to just fall right to sleep? Knowing everything's okay. When you think everything is
not okay, you can't sleep. You just can't. But every soul
who truly lifts his eyes up to the hills in that moment of true
need will hear from the Lord through his word to the heart. That soul will hear everything's
okay. That soul will hear everything's
okay. In Christ, everything's okay.
He gives us beloved sleep. I'll never sleep. So go ahead. I love it. When he told his apostles
sleep on back in Psalm 1 21 verse five says the Lord is thy keeper. That means he has the charge
of you. He's your guard. He's your protector. You are being kept by the power
of God. He said in John 17, Father, those
that thou gavest me, I've kept and none of them is lost. The
Lord is your keeper. Verse five says, the Lord is
thy shade upon thy right hand. That means he is your relief.
He's your relief. He's your covering. He's your
shade. Look at Psalm 91. The precious Psalm 91. Lord,
what a wonderful psalm. Psalm 91 verse 1 says, He that
dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide
under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is
my refuge and my fortress, my God, in Him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee
from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome pestilence.
He shall cover thee with his feathers and under his wings
shalt thou trust. His truth shall be thy shield
and buckler. We have a little dog named Ellie
Mae. Some of you kids have seen the
famous Ellie Mae. And that little dog is a dog
of routines. She is like we all are, I guess,
but she has these routines. She's so predictable. But one
of the things that she likes to do is she wants to come up
and snuggle up to you. She loves to do that. And if
you have a blanket, if you happen to be under a blanket, she wants
to get all the way up under the blanket, totally under the blanket. And if you try to give her some
air after a while, sometimes she'll get up there with me and
I'll think, well, she needs some air. If you try to give her some
air or take her head out of it, she wants you to close that thing
back down. She wants to be snuggled up and totally covered. And that's what God's people
want from Christ. That's literally what they want
from Christ. They want to be snuggled up and totally covered. Verse four says, he shall cover
thee with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust. His truth shall be thy shield
and your buckler. Back in Psalm 121, Verse six, it says, the sun shall
not smite thee by day nor the moon by night. No judgment shall
come to you. We may endure as the scripture
calls them fiery trials, but no fiery judgments. Nothing
will smite you. Smite means slay. It means kill. Christ has already endured the
death, no death to come. Verse seven says, the Lord shall
preserve thee from all evil. He shall preserve thy soul, all
of your being. The new man made in the image
of Christ. That old man died in Christ on
the cross and the soul of the new man created in the child
of God, which is Christ in the child of God, the evil of sin
will never be able to touch that new man. Never. The evil decay
and the corruption of sin will never come to that new creature
that's created in Christ Jesus. Verse 7 says, the Lord shall
preserve thee from all evil. He shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going
out and thy coming in from this time forth and even forever more. He'll preserve your going out
and your coming in. He'll preserve all your days.
He'll preserve all your ways until it's time for you to go
out of this world and come into the new one. Out of this wretched place of
sin, and into that glorious place of righteousness. We're gonna
close here in just a second with the song that says, out of my
bondage, sorrow and night. Where is that? Look around. Into thy freedom, gladness and
light. Out of my sickness, into thy
health. Out of my want, all my lack,
everything I lack, and into thy wealth. Out of my sin, and into
thyself. Lord Jesus, I come to thee. I
come to you. Verse eight says, the Lord shall
preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth
and even forevermore. I'll lift up mine eyes to the
hills from whence cometh my help. Let's all stand together. Turn with me to 242.