Turn back with me to Psalm 20. Psalm chapter 20. Our sin is heavy, isn't it? I make that statement and not
many people know what I'm talking about. Not many people know. Until your
eyes are opened to your sin, you don't really enter into that.
You hear me say that and it sounds like a good statement. Sounds
true, doesn't it? Our sin is heavy. It's heavy. inside and outside. It's heavy. Our sin doesn't just
condemn us eternally. It condemns us physically. It ruins our joy. Do you ever have up days where
you just have no idea why? Every factor under the sun, just,
I just am happy today. And do you ever have those days
where you have no idea why? You can't put your finger on
it. I'm just having a bad day. It ruins our peace. Ruins it. It covers us and suffocates us
with guilt and shame. Is that not about the worst feeling
in the world? Guilt. It comes on us. We've done something we wish
we hadn't done. We've said something we wish
we hadn't said. We dwell on things in the past.
Things get recalled to my mind that I think, oh man, what would
I give for that to be totally deleted from my memory. Only
a person who has been shown their sin knows what I'm talking about. You can feel it pulling you down. Gravity. You can feel it pulling
you down. Sin. Because of this sin that we drag
around with us everywhere we go, there are going to be times
when you are going to be in trouble. There are going to be times. Because of this sin that we drag
around with us everywhere we go, there are going to be times
that you're going to need some help. Most people don't. I'm good. I can make it on my
own. I can handle myself. Because
of this sin, there's going to be some time that we're going
to need some help. I need some help. I need some help. Sin is what gives us lying self-confidence. Self-confidence. Sin. It lets us get all the way to
the peak of our pride and then it drops a hammer on us. Sin. Sin is an awful thing. It's an awful disease. Sin is growing in every single
human being that walks this earth and they don't even know it.
It's like walking around full of cancer, eaten up with cancer
and you haven't been to the doctor yet. Because of this sin that
we drag around with us, there are going to be times that you're
going to be weak. There are going to be more times. Weak. Weak in the flesh. Sometimes we're on cloud nine
because we're doing the right thing, and we're walking the
straight and narrow, and we're reading the Word, and we're praying
to our God. Sometimes because of this sin,
we're going to be weak. Weak in the flesh. We're going to be weak in the
Spirit. We're going to be weak in assurance. We're going to be weak in faith. Weak. Because of this sin, we are going
to continually, till the day we die, cry out to God. Beg our God. Offer the sacrifice
of prayer to God for mercy. Mercy. Mercy. Somebody who has seen his sin
is not satisfied with yesterday's mercy. I need it today. That's why I'm here today. I
need it again today. God spared me, and He didn't
kill me, and I got to live all night long. And I woke up, and
I took a breath of air, and He allowed me to stand up and come
to His house, and I need mercy for today. I need mercy right
now. Well, because of this sin, that
we drag around with us. Everywhere we go, because of
that sin, I have the most amazing news I have ever heard in my
life. Verse 1 says, The Lord hear thee
in the day of trouble. Trouble is coming. The Lord will hear thee in the
day of trouble. Any sinner, I mean anybody, I
mean anybody who is troubled over his sin, troubled over his
sin, troubled over what he is, not just what he's done, what
he is. Any sinner who cries out to the
Lord Jesus Christ in the day of his trouble, the Lord will
hear him. Any sinner. Not just a sinner who's troubled
over his trouble. Everybody cries in the day of
trouble. Everybody cries over getting caught. Everybody. But a sinner who cries over his
sin, the Lord will hear him. Do you know the sin that troubles
me probably more than any other? Personally. I'm just speaking
personally. Here it is. not being troubled enough over
my sin. That's the one that gets me that lukewarm state that we get
into. You know what I'm talking about?
That troubles me. That troubles me. Any sinner who cries out in the
day of his trouble over his sin, God will hear him. Well, you better preface that
by saying God's elect. Alright, I will. This is to God's elect. But I can tell you this. Only
God's elect will cry. Oh, Lord Jesus Christ, the arrows
of sin are taking hold on me. I'm not going to make it. I'm
going down. You're the only one who can save
me. Only God's elect will cry. Abba! Mother! Help me! So I say with confidence, absolute
confidence, any sinner who runs to the Lord Jesus Christ for
shelter, any sinner, God will defend you. Look at verse 1. The Lord hear thee in the day
of trouble. The name of the God of Jacob,
He'll defend you. He said, All who come unto me,
I will in no wise cast them out. Why? Because if they come, it's
my Father who's drawing them to me. And I'm not going to deny
Him. The Lord hear thee in the day
of trouble. The name of the God of Jacob,
he'll defend you. I love good news. I could just
go home. I could get in my car and just
go home. I really could. I could just go home. I can't find one sinner in the
Word of God who truly came to the Lord Jesus Christ out of
their trouble that he didn't receive. I can't find one. Can
you? Not one. Look to Him. Run to Him. Cry unto Him. Verse 1 says, He'll
hear you. He'll defend you. And verse 2
says, He'll send thee help. from the sanctuary. The Lord
sends us so much help from His sanctuary, doesn't He? I love
His sanctuary. We call this the sanctuary, don't
we? David said, I was glad when they
said unto me, let's go to the house of God today. Let's go. Go to Psalm 73. Psalm 73 verse 1 says, Truly
God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. But as for me, my feet were almost
gone, my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at
the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are
no bands in their death, but their strength is firm. They
are not in trouble as other men, neither are they plagued like
other men. Therefore pride compasseth them
about as a chain. Violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness. They have more than heart could
wish. They are corrupt and speak wickedly
concerning oppression. They speak loftily. They set
their mouth against the heavens and their tongue walketh through
the earth. Therefore His people return hither, and waters of
a full cup are wrung out to them. And they say, How doth God know?
And is there knowledge in the Most High? Behold, these are
the ungodly who prosper in the world. They increase in riches. Verily, I have cleansed my heart
in vain and washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long
have I been plagued and chastened every morning. If I say I will
speak thus, behold, I should offend against the generation
of thy children. When I thought to know this,
it was too painful for me, until I went into the sanctuary of
God. Then understood I their end."
Our Lord sends us so much help from His sanctuary. But I adore
the thought of this. This has been one of my favorite
thoughts for decades. In the day when you need Him
most, in a time when you're in deep
trouble, right here on this earth, when you cry unto Him from the
depths of your soul, In that moment, He'll send you help straight
from the sanctuary of the throne of God. He will. He doesn't change. He's the same
yesterday, today, and forever. Now turn to Daniel chapter 9. Daniel chapter 9. It's after Ezekiel. Daniel is praying, he's crying
unto God on behalf of Israel. Daniel chapter 9, look at verse
4. He said, And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my
confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping
the covenant of mercy to them that love Him, and to them that
keep His commandments. We have sinned and have committed
iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled even by departing
from Thy precepts and from Thy judgments. Now look at verse
10. Neither have we obeyed the voice
of the Lord our God to walk in His laws, which He set before
us by His servants, the prophets. Yea, all Israel have transgressed
Thy law, even by departing that they might not obey thy voice,
therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is
written in the law of Moses, the servant of God, because we
have sinned against him. Verse 16 says, O Lord, according
to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thine
fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain. Because for our sins and for
the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are
become a reproach to all that are about us. Verse 18, Oh my
God, incline thine ear and hear. Open thine eyes and behold our
desolations. and the city which is called
by Thy name. For we do not present our supplications
before Thee for our righteousness, but for Thy great mercies." What
he's saying is, I'm not saying all this for you to look at us
and how we've turned and done better and done good. He's saying
we're begging for mercy. Verse 19, O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, hearken
and do, defer not. For Thine own sake, O my God,
for Thy city and Thy people are called by Thy name. Now look
at verse 20. And while I was speaking and
praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel,
and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the
holy mountain of my God. Yea, while I was speaking in
prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision
at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about
the time of the evening oblation. And He informed me and talked
with me and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill
and understanding. At the beginning of your prayer,
the command came forth. And I am come to show thee, for
thou art greatly beloved. Therefore, understand the matter
and consider the vision. I love the thought of the Lord
our God sitting on his throne, watching Daniel. He was pouring
ashes on his head, listening to him cry and beg
and plead. And the Lord our God looks over
at his army and He says, Gabriel, here's your orders. You go quick. Go quickly. And the servant of
God leaves the sanctuary of God. And my margin right there says,
being caused to fly with weariness of flight. You fly hard, you fly fast. You touch Him right now. He needs
you right now. Comfort Him and you give Him
my answer. Isn't that wonderful? Our God
doesn't change. If the Scriptures were written
today, it would say the same thing. How many times have you
needed Him? Just needed Him! Where are you,
Lord? I need you! And the Word that's
sharper than a two-edged sword goes zoom! I'll never leave you. I'll never forsake you. Go back to our text. Psalm 20. Verse 1 says, The Lord hear thee
in the day of trouble. The name of the God of Jacob
defend thee, send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen
thee out of Zion. But that's not all. Verse 3 says,
He'll remember all thy offerings and accept thy burnt sacrifice. What offerings have I given Him?
What sacrifices? Well, you offer to Him thanksgiving
and praise, don't you? I do now. Now that He's made
me alive. But I was dead before. Somebody
else had to make an offering for me. What was that offering that was
made for me, on my behalf, in my name? What do I bring before
the Lord? The blood of Jesus Christ. That's my offering. Lord, I come covered In the blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ, when I stand before His throne, I
want to be read all over. Lord, I only have one sacrifice
to plead, and it is the Lamb that was slain for me. He is saying right here, I am
not going to forget that lamb. I will never forget that lamb. Never. And then it says, Selah. That means take a break. It means you can just rest right
there. Verse 4 says, The Lord will grant
thee according to thine own heart and fulfill all thy counsel.
Not only will the Lord hear you, defend you, help you, strengthen
you, and remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for you, but
the Lord will grant you according to thine own heart. Now let's
ask this question. As sinful man, we know what this
flesh wants. He wants this world, doesn't
He? Everything this world has to offer. But what does a real
broken sinner's heart want? Really. What does a true sinner
desire? Turn with me to 2 Samuel chapter
23. Back towards Genesis. 2 Samuel 23. 2 Samuel 23, verse 1 says, Now
these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said,
and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the
God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel said, now look at verse
5, Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with
me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure, for
this is all my salvation, and it's all my desire. It's the only thing I want. I
want that covenant that God the Father made with God the Son
over this sinner. That's all I want. I speak to
myself when I say, Dear sinner, cry unto the Lord our God. He will grant you your one true
heart's desire. David said, One thing have I
desired of the Lord, that will I seek after. that I may dwell
in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold
the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple. I want
one thing. I want to be with Him forever. That's all I want. Our text back
in Psalm 20 verse 4 says, He will grant thee according to
thine own heart and fulfill all thy counsel. Verse 5 says, We
will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we
will set up our banners. The Lord fulfill all thy petitions. Go to Psalm 60. Psalm chapter 60. Verse 4 says, Thou hast given
a banner to them that fear Thee, that it may be displayed because
of the truth." We've been given a banner. What is my banner? I can't help every time I see
that but think about the American flag. I just can't help it. What is my glory? Old glory. What is my honor? What is my
representative? Who is my representative? Who am I united in? Who do I
pledge allegiance to? The Lord is my banner. I pledge allegiance to Him only
because He pledged allegiance to me first. Our text in Psalm 20 verse 5
says, We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of
our God we will set up our banners. The Lord fulfill all thy petitions. Now know I that the Lord saveth
his anointed. He will hear him from his holy
heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. Why has all
this goodness been given to me? You know the Lord said, straight
and narrow is the way, and few there be that find it. Was our
Lord lying when He said that? Straight and narrow is the way,
and few there be that find it. We look at a lot of Scripture,
don't we? We turn to a lot of the Word. That's because we are
searching for the one way. There's one way, and it's narrow. And the rest of the world, they're
just happy to be doing their thing, doing their contemporary
thing. We don't really need the Bible. I actually just bought
a book on how to live better and be kinder to others. So we're
going to preach on that this morning. Why has all this goodness been
given to me? I believe God has saved me. I
really do. Why are all these blessings bestowed
upon me? It's because of Him. That's it. Verse 6 says, Now
I know, I didn't before, but now I know that the Lord saveth
His anointed. That's Christ. And if I'm in Him, we keep saying,
I've got to be in Him. That's my only hope is I've got
to be in Him. If I'm not in Him, I'm going to hell. But if I'm
in Him, now I know that the Lord saveth His anointed. And if I'm
in Him, He's going to save me. He said in Isaiah 42, Behold
My servant whom I uphold, Mine elect in whom My soul delighteth. That's Christ. God the Father
elected Him. We keep talking about election.
We keep talking about election. God the Father elected Him. And if I'm in Him, then He's
going to elect me. He spoke out loud and said, this
is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him. God will hear Him. And if I am in Him, God will
hear me. I love... I'm ready to go home. Verse 7 says, Some trust in chariots
and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord
our God. What is the name of the Lord
our God? What is His name? The angel said,
Call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.
He said, Call His name Emmanuel, because God is with us. Isaiah said, Call His name Wonderful,
because He is our counselor. He is the mighty God. This child,
the Lord, is the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Verse 7 says, Some trust in chariots
and some in horses, but we will remember the name of our God. That's all my trust is in the
name of my God. It's the Lord. Jesus Christ. Jesus by Himself is not my God. The Jesus everybody's talking
about, He's not my God. The Jesus who wants to save me
so badly if my old heart would just let Him, that's not my God. But the Lord Jesus Christ is
my God and I trust in His name. Verse 8 says, they are brought
down and fallen. Who? Those who trust in chariots
and horses. Verse 8 says, but we are risen. That's redeemed by the Spirit. Regenerated by the Spirit. Risen
with Him, conformed into His image. Verse 8 says, And we stand
upright. Isn't that hard to think about? Stand upright. Verse 9 says,
Save, Lord, let the King hear us when we call. The Lord, our
sacrifice, our banner, our Savior, our Counselor, our mighty God,
our Prince of Peace, is our King. That's our King. Every time an
election comes due, we are torn all to pieces over who's about
to be our next president, aren't we? Torn all to pieces over it.
It means something. Our welfare depends on it, right? Well, do you know who our King
is? The Lord Jesus Christ. What a King we have. Peter said,
we were eyewitnesses of His Majesty, the King. King of kings, Lord
of lords. It does not matter who is elected
next time. Our King is the King. One day, we are going to be eyewitnesses
too, of the King. The King. Verse 9, this is our
closing prayer. Save, Lord. Let the King hear
us when we call. That's our prayer. Verse 1 says
He will. He will. Alright, let's stand
together.