Turn with me back to Psalm 25. Psalm 25, let's look at these few verses together this evening. David writes, beginning in verse one, he says, unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. Unto thee, O Jehovah, Jehovah, do I lift up my soul. Not my hands. Men lift up their hands in a show. We don't lift up our hands. Listen to this.

God that made the world, in all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, He dwelleth not in temples made with hands, neither is he worshipped with men's hands. As though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life and breath in all things. Not my hands, not my eyes, not my eyes. Remember that publican as he stood afar off that one who smote upon his breast, and he cried out, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. The word of God declares that he wouldn't even so much as lift up his eyes unto heaven. Not my hands, not my eyes, not even my voice. Do you ever experience times in prayer when you can't even come up with the words. We don't even know what to pray.

Back in 1 Samuel, I won't have you turn there, but Hannah prayed. Back in 1 Samuel 1, and you go back there sometime when you have time to read those first couple chapters of 1 Samuel. But Hannah was praying, and Eli, he saw her, and he thought she was drunk. Because as she prayed to the Lord, her lips moved, but her voice was not heard.

Eli asked that question. He said, how long have you been drunken? And Hannah said, I'm a woman of sorrowful spirit. I haven't had wine or strong drink. This is what she said. She said, but I have poured out my soul unto the Lord. Not my hands, not my eyes, not my voice. But she said, my very soul. Those times when we're in prayer and we do not know what to say, we don't know how to pray, we don't know what to ask for.

Romans 8.26 says this, that the spirit also help with our infirmities. For we know not what we should pray, We don't know what to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself, it maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered, that cannot be spoken. Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. And what a mercy Truly, what a mercy that Almighty God would condescend, that He would condescend to hear our prayers in times of trouble.

Well, let's read on here in Psalm 25, verse 2. He says, Oh my God, I trust, I trust in Thee. Let me not be ashamed. Let not mine enemies triumph over me. My faith, my confidence, my hope, it's all in Him. It's all in the Lord Jesus Christ. Don't let me be ashamed. Verse three, yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed. Let them be ashamed that transgress without cause.

Well, verse four. Beginning with verse four, here we have five or six pleas. Five or six pleas. We'll see if we can get through these here this evening. This is, I've heard men talk about a sinner's prayer. Well, this is a prayer of a sinner right here. Listen to David's prayer. And the first plea is in verse four.

He says, show me, show me thy ways, O Lord, teach me. Thy path. Show me thy way. Teach me thy path. Thy way. Not my way. That's typically what I'm interested in, isn't it? My way. Not my way, but thy way. You know, our Lord, he prayed. He prayed to the Father there in Matthew. And we read that he fell on his face and he prayed. And this is what our Lord said. He said, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.

Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou will. Not my will. Not my desire, but thy will be done. He taught his disciples to pray. He said, thy kingdom come, thy will be done. Whose will? His will. As on earth, just like it is in heaven. Lord, thy will be done.

Show me, he says, show me thy ways. Show me the way of grace. Show me the way of mercy. Show me the way of truth. Show me the way of thy salvation. If he's not pleased to show those ways to us, we'll never see him. Lord, open our eyes and let us see these things. Show me the truth about man. Show me the truth about who and what I am, my sin, my need, my desperate need of a savior, my need of salvation. Show me the truth about God, the truth about who he is, God who is holy and just and righteous God who will by no means clear the guilty. And show me, show me the Savior. Reveal unto me the Lord Jesus Christ. Show me more about who He is. Show me more about what He's done and about where He is now. Show me Thy way, O Lord, and teach me Thy paths.

Spurgeon gave this illustration of a little child who would say to his father, tell me which is the way and teach me the way. Teach my little trembling feet to walk in it, to walk in thy way. Truly what weak and dependent creatures we are. Well, let's read on in verse 5. Here's his second plea. He says, lead me in thy truth and teach me.

The word of God, the scriptures, the gospel, it is the word of truth. It's truth itself. That's what our Lord said. He said, thy word is truth. His word is, it's infallible truth. And for us to grow spiritually, that growth depends not upon our feelings, not upon our visions or our resolutions or our commitments to do this or that, but in a love for and a desire and understanding of the truth, which is his word. That word that, it's the one thing we can depend on because it abides forever. The word of God abideth forever.

Lead me, lead me by thy spirit into thy truth as it is contained, as it is revealed in the word of God. Lead me by it and lead me according to it. and teach me. Give me a teachable spirit that desires to hear His Word. A desire to hear it and a desire to be taught. Let me read the words to you of a hymn. I thought about just a verse of it, but just listen to these words. It says, teach me thy way, O Lord, Teach me thy way. Thy guiding grace afore, teach me thy way. Help me to walk aright, more by faith, less by sight. Lead me in heavenly light, teach me thy way.

When I'm sad at heart, we have those times, don't we? When I'm sad at heart, teach me thy way. When earthly joys depart, teach me thy way. In hours of loneliness, in times of dire distress, in failure or success, teach me thy way. What about doubts and fears? When doubts and fears arise, teach me thy way.

When storms o'erspread the skies, Teach me thy way. Shine through the cloud and rain, through sorrow, toil, and pain. Make thou my pathway plain. What's the request? Teach me thy way. How long? As long as my life shall last. Teach me thy way. Wherever my lot be cast, teach me thy way. Until the race is run, until the journey's done, until the crown is won. I'll just do this one thing. Teach me thy way.

Make me like that eunuch. Remember that, when Philip came up to him and he said, do you understand what you're reading? That's not a good place. We just don't react well to that when we have to be taught something, typically, do we? We don't want to admit we don't know what we're talking about. We don't know anything. He said, do you understand what you're reading? And that eunuch replied, and he said, how can I? How can I accept some man should guide me? How can I accept some man should teach me? Lord, lead me. and teach me."

Well, back to our text, Psalm 25, look at the rest of verse 5. David says, for thou art the God of my salvation. On thee do I wait all the day. The God of my salvation. Psalm 62, we looked at this recently. David said this, he said, he is my rock and he is my salvation. Is he the God, is he the God of your salvation? Have you been called by the Father, redeemed by the Son, quickened, given life by the Spirit of God?

David said, I wait. I wait on thee. Turn to Lamentations 3. Lamentations 3. Thou art the God of my salvation, on Thee do I wait all the day. Lamentations 3, verse 26. It is good. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. To wait, to wait on Him. To hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

You know Jonah, there in the belly of the fish, back there in Jonah 2.9.

Remember what he said? He said, salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of the Lord. You know, we rejoice in His mercy, we rejoice in His love, we rejoice in His faithfulness, His sufficiency, His goodness. But these few words here sum it all up. Salvation is of the Lord. That's the believer's hope. Salvation, it's all of Him in its planning, in its execution, in its application, in its sustaining power, in its ultimate perfection. Salvation is of the Lord. He is the God of my salvation.

Psalm 25, 6. Turn back there. Psalm 25, verse 6. Now these just, next couple verses here, here's a few more, here's a few more pleas, a few more requests. And these start with the word remember. And the first one here in verse six, this is the third request. Remember, oh Lord, thy tender mercies and thy loving kindness, for they have been ever of old. Remember, bring these things to remembrance.

What are they? He said, thy tender mercies. Isn't it a tender mercy that he would even be mindful of sinful man? Truly, what is man that thou are mindful of him? What tenderness on the part of our father that he would put together a plan in which fallen man would be restored. Isaac sings that song every now and then, hail sovereign love that first began the theme to rescue fallen man. Mercy that man might be reconciled to God. Mercy that God would give up his own son, his only begotten son, to suffer, to bleed, and to die to accomplish the great work of redemption. Mercy, tender mercy, that by the Spirit of God he would lead his people and draw his people unto himself.

To draw us to Christ, his unspeakable gift. Lord, remember thy tender mercy. Remember that which you have done for your people. And then he says, thy loving kindness. His loving kindness in choosing to save the chief of sinners, in his, listen, in his redeeming, in his calling, in his making us heirs of God and joint heirs with his Son, joint heirs with Christ. When there was nothing, nothing in the sinner to merit his love, or even to move him to love him, it was the loving kindness of Christ. David's plea, remember, oh Lord, thy tender mercies and thy loving kindness.

Well, let's read on here. Verse seven, here's the fourth plea. Here's another remember, but this time he says, remember not. Remember not. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions according to thy mercy. Don't remember these things. Don't remember the sins of my youth.

And that, listen, that could point to original sin, that which we're born with. We enter into this world. We come forth from the womb speaking lies. Remember not the sins of my youth, our youthful lust and vanity, that which we are prone to remember, that which we're prone to remember with regret.

David said this, he said, my sins they are ever before thee. Against thee and thee only have I sinned. And that which we often remember with regret and repentance, how often is that used to keep us from being lifted up with pride? And yet, in spite of that, the Lord forgets. The Lord forgives. He said this. He said, I'll remember their sins no more. They've been put away. Oh, remember not the sins of my youth nor my transgression according to thy mercy. A plea again for mercy. According to thy mercy. Have mercy. upon me." Remember that prayer? God be merciful to me, the sinner. His mercy, it's of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed. And that mercy, it's not the result of anything in us. It's not the result of anything we've done. That mercy is the result of another.

David knew about this. David lived this. Remember that? When he had mercy, he had mercy on Mephibosheth. Not for anything good in Mephibosheth. He had mercy on him for the sake of another one. He had mercy on him for Jonathan's sake. And aren't we thankful that God has mercy on his people for the sake of another? He has mercy on the sake of his people, for Christ's sake. Mercy for Christ's sake. Well, verse five, here we have another remember. Remember thou me for thy goodness sake, oh Lord. Oh, according to thy mercy, remember thou me.

You know, David, That was David's plea. That was also that dying thief's plea. Same prayer. That thief knew this, Lord, you're not going to, is he hung on that cross, you're not going to stay here. You're coming into a kingdom. And when you come into that kingdom, when you get there, this is my request. It's a simple request. It's a simple plea. Remember me. David says here, Lord, remember me for thy goodness sake, according to your mercy. Remember me. Remember me for this reason. Remember me for Christ's sake. Verse eight.

Good and upright is the Lord, therefore will he teach sinners in the way. That's who He came to save. He came into the world to save sinners. He said, I came not to call the righteous. Who did He come to call? Sinners. He came to call sinners to repentance.

Verse 9, the meek will He guide in judgment, and the meek will He teach His way. You know, a meek and a quiet spirit in the sight of God is of great price. Verse 10, all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth and as such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

And then verse 11, last, look with me at verse 11. Here's the last plea. for thy namesake, O Lord. Pardon mine iniquity, for it is great." All these pleas, all these requests, this prayer, do all these things for thy namesake. If we go back to the very first one, he said, show me thy way. For what reason? What merit have I to request Him to show me His way? One, for Christ's sake. He says, Lord, lead me and teach me. For Christ's sake. Remember thy tender mercies. For Christ's sake. Remember not the sins of my youth. What's my plea? What's our plea? What's the believer's plea? What's the sinner's plea?

Do these things for Christ's sake. Remember me for thy goodness sake. And then last, here we see this. David's last plea, his last request. Lord, pardon my iniquity, for it's great. It is great. Pardon my iniquity, for his namesake. You know, it takes a great God to pardon great iniquity. It takes a great God to put away sin. It takes a great atonement to cleanse us from our guilt. A great God with a great atonement to pardon our iniquity, to put it away. Lord, pardon my sin. It's great. It's great. I'm the chief of sinners. It's more than I can handle. But you know what? It's not more than he can handle.

What did it take away? What did it take to put away the sins of his people? What did it take to put away my sin? What did it take to save a great sinner? The blood of his son. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's son, cleanses us from all sin. It took the death of his son. Lord, pardon my iniquity, for it is great. Listen, a great sinner needs a great Savior. And that's what Scripture declares He is. He is able to save. Is there any cause to die? He's able to save to the uttermost. able to save to the uttermost them that come to God by him. Lord, pardon my iniquity. It's great. That's a good prayer, isn't it? That is a sinner's prayer. All right. Isaac, come lead us in a