Call On The Lord

Q: What does the Bible say about calling on the Lord?

The Bible teaches that we should call on the Lord with confidence, knowing He is faithful to save us from our enemies. In 2 Samuel 22:4, David declares, "I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from mine enemies." This reflects a deep reliance on God's faithfulness and power. Throughout Scripture, calling on the Lord signifies turning to Him in trust, especially during times of trouble, as He continually demonstrates His willingness to rescue and save those who depend on Him. The act of calling on God is rooted in faith, echoing the belief that He will not forsake those who seek Him earnestly.

Q: How do we know God's promises are for us?

God's promises extend to all who have faith, as outlined in Romans 4:16-17, assuring us that we are included in His covenant. Romans 4:16-17 emphasizes that the promises of God are by faith, making them sure to all of Abraham's seed—those who believe in God's grace. This assurance is crucial, as it eliminates any notion that God's grace and covenant are limited to just the Jewish people. Instead, through faith in Christ, believers from all nations are included in God's redemptive plan. The Scripture teaches that, like Abraham, all who have faith are considered his children and recipients of God's eternal promises, giving us confidence that His promises apply to us today.

Q: Why is thankfulness important for Christians?

Thankfulness is essential as it recognizes God's grace, helps us remember His past mercies, and strengthens our faith. The expressed thankfulness of believers, as seen in Colossians 1:12-14, serves multiple purposes. It acknowledges the grace of God in making us fit for His kingdom and delivers us from darkness into the light of Christ. When Christians cultivate a heart of thankfulness, they are reminded of God's past faithfulness, which in turn fosters a deeper trust in His future provision and protection. Thankfulness, therefore, is not just an expression of gratitude; it is a vital practice that nurtures our spiritual lives and reinforces our relationship with God, allowing us to remain focused on His goodness.

All right, let's be turning to 2 Samuel 22. 2 Samuel 22, so we're returning to this Psalm of David as it's recorded here in this book. But as we noted last week, this is largely very much like Psalm 18 with some few differences. But what I'd like us to remember about this Psalm is David's thankful heart. David has a thankful heart unto the Lord for all of God's grace toward him in preserving him from his enemies, in delivering him out of the hand of his enemies, And every time someone set their attention to destroy David, they were destroyed by God.

God destroyed them. And the thing about that is I don't want you to think that that's unique to David. That's not unique to David. That's just not true of David alone. This is true of all you brethren who hope and depend on the Lord You're God, and so our God defeats our enemies. We have enemies, strong enemies that we can't defeat by our works or our will or our strength or our works. We can't do it, but he does. He does, and so I want you to be encouraged in that tonight. In fact, turn over to Luke chapter one. Go to Luke chapter one, and when you get there, let's go down to verse 68.

This is the prophecy of Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, and he gets his voice back. He had lost his voice because he questioned the angel, and he gets his voice back when they're circumcising John, and that's when he's named, and he names him John.

Just like his mother, Elizabeth, said. And so he gets his voice back and he begins to praise God, and he begins his praise of Christ. That's where he begins. He praises the promised seed that should come, and here's what he said concerning this promise. Then he does get to John, but that's, you know, because he's gonna prepare the way, but he begins with Christ.

That's what he's most taken up with and says in verse 68, blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised up in horn of salvation, right? Strength, the strength of our salvation for us in the house of the servant David. as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began, that we should be saved from our enemies. He's writing this, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us. And so one thing there is that that's what the promise of Christ does. He has come to deliver us out of the hand of our enemies. To perform, verse 72, the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath which he swore to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us. that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. And so, that is one of the reasons that our Lord Jesus Christ came, to deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, out of the hand of the wicked one, out of the hand of the grave, out of the hand of sin and death. He comes and delivers us from our enemies.

And if you think, well, that's only that those promises are made to Abraham and they concern the Jews only. No, not so, not so. We're actually told in Romans chapter four, in verse 16 and 17, Paul says, therefore, it's a faith. It's a faith that it might be by grace. To the end, the promise might be sure to all the seed. You that believe are the seed of Christ. To all the seed, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham. That is like unto Abraham's faith. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

Abraham wasn't saved by the law. No man saved by the law. Abraham is saved by faith. And that's how we're all saved. All God's children are saved by faith. And that's why Abraham is called the father of us all. Right, we come to God in the same manner that Abraham came to God, through faith. And he is the father of us all, those who come to God by faith and believe God. Verse 17 there, as it's written, I have made thee a father of many nations. See, it's not just to Abraham and the Jews, it's to all who come to the father as Abraham came. by faith before him whom he believed, even God who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things which be not as though they were." And so that's us, brethren. That's us. We're included in these promises.

The coming of Christ was to deliver all of God's children from their enemies. As we read in Romans 9, 25 and 26, As he saith also in Hosea, I will call them my people, which were not my people, and her beloved, which was not beloved. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there shall they be called the children of the living God. And that's describing the Gentiles who would be called of God, who would hear that word, receive Christ and believe him by faith because it's given to us effectually by the Spirit of God.

And so we're part of that body. We're part of that family of God that believes. And so be thankful and rejoice before your God. Be thankful and rejoice for that's what this Psalm is about. It's remembering God's mercies toward you. And because you see and know these memories, you may have confidence that all your troubles that lie ahead, God will arise for you and provide for you and keep you. He'll bring you through every trial and conflict by his grace.

So, since we are children of God, call upon him the way you call upon a loving father. And if you didn't have a loving father, what you imagine a loving father would be like. Call upon him who loves you and is pleased to rise up and provide for you and to help you because he loves you. Call upon him.

So David says in verse four, 2 Samuel 22 verse four, and this is our text, this verse. I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, so shall I be saved from mine enemies. David can reflect back on the mercies that God has shown him, on the deliverances which God has given unto him from his enemies over the years of his life, and with that reflection, he knows, I can ask God to help in all my troubles that lie ahead. Just as he saved me then, I know that he will save me now, and I know that he'll save me in the future. My God will provide for me.

Now, sometimes I hear some say, and I know this even of my own self there, sometimes we don't always remember. all the things that God has done for us. We often breathe out things and concerns and have sighs and sorrows and various sufferings and we breathe out and we think, Lord help, Lord help. And then we go on our way and the Lord helps and we just forget it. We just don't even think about it. Usually if it's something major, we might think of it, but even then, I mean, we're forgetful. We are and can be forgetful.

That's probably why David wrote this psalm, so that he wouldn't forget. It would be a reminder to him, you know what, the Lord is faithful to me. because every time something new starts up, there is that ability that we have to forget all of our past mercies and think, this is it, this is my time, my sins have caught up with me, I'm gonna get it now.

And it may be that your sins have caught up with you, But when God chastens his child, it is always for our good. If God is chasing you for sin, it's always for our salvation. It always leads us to Christ. It's always for our good. It's never to judge us and destroy us. It may be the flesh at times to destroy the flesh, but it's always good. It's always for our good.

And so even when we're stripped and put in a place of humility, it's good in that spot to be praying to the Lord and seeking the Lord for it, and then to thank the Lord for each deliverance. to remember those things, to recount those answered prayers as you have memory to remember them because you'll see the Lord, His mercies are numerous. I'm certain of it. I'm certain of it, because I know that I often forget, but then as I begin to think about them, other things I've just forgotten come to my mind.

And it just, oh yeah, oh yeah, I asked for that, and oh yeah, he was merciful to my brother there, and merciful to them there, right? And we just see more and more how the Lord answers our prayers. He's the God who hears the prayers of his people and answers them. He's very merciful. But even when you and I can't remember all the specifics and we're made afraid, because there are times when it all just comes and hits us and we're made afraid, there's one thing that the Lord continuously puts before his people to remind us of his great salvation and to make us thankful for what he has done to provide for us.

And it's found in Christ. He constantly puts this before us in the preaching of the gospel, what our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has done for us, that we may be thankful for that and realize what God has done. So turn over to Colossians 1. Let's go there for a bit. Colossians 1, and we're gonna begin in verse 10 when we get there. Colossians 1.

Paul says that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God. Listen closely, because these things that we're gonna see here in this chapter, they're good things to know. They will increase your knowledge of God. Good things, true things, profitable things, pure things, lovely things, these are the things to think about, because they increase your knowledge of God, by whom you're led, by his spirit to walk in.

He says, verse 11, strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness." Because there's going to be trials from your enemies. There's going to be trials, and this will help you. These things here will help you in your hour of need and suffering when the enemy is persecuting you and trying you and exercising your patience with various trials. These things will help you. They'll even give you a song of joyfulness in the face of your enemies.

And again, that hearkens back to David with this Psalm, seeing how the Lord delivers him and provides for him. And he could reflect on that and know, I can turn to the Lord when the next thing comes. I can keep turning to him. All right, now the Thanksgiving of the believer is here.

I want you to notice this in these next verses, specifically what we can always thank our God for. Verse 12. giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. And so here you could see all that God has done for us, that He's accomplished for us, who are undeserving sinners by nature, who haven't earned His mercy or grace. We haven't earned it, but He gives it. So let me highlight here from those verses, 12 through 14, four things here that should fill our hearts with thanksgiving.

This is what the Lord always repeats to us in the gospel, these things here. So let's stay here. So the first thing here our Lord has done is the Lord has made us meet, right? He's made us meet there in verse 12. That word meet means to make sufficient, to render fit. The Lord has done that. He's made you sufficient to be a partaker with the saints in life.

That's what he's done for us, because what's amazing about that is the wages of our works, what we do, the wages of our works is death, because our works are sin. All that we do in the flesh, all that we do without faith is sin. Without sin, it's impossible to please God, or without faith, it's impossible to please God. And so all we do is sin. And Isaiah tells us we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.

And so if at any point we're hoping that God will receive us because of the changes we've done, because of the works that we've done, because of our wicked works, we're deceived. God's not gonna receive us on the basis of our works. He receives us for Christ's sake, always.

And the scriptures tell us, therefore, by the deeds of the law, right, what we, what men do, thinking to cleanse themselves of sin, thinking to reconcile themselves with God and sanctify themselves and obtain a favor with God, right, these deeds, By the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. And so what the Lord is making us to know is not to trust our selves, not to trust our works, not to think that we can reconcile ourselves. Instead, believers are taught to have no confidence in the flesh, to be looking to the Lord at all times. That's where we're looking. And God makes his saints to know that by nature we're sinners, guilty and condemned under the law and justice of God. taught with understanding that we cannot save ourselves, that God must save us, and that's what the Lord gives us in this message.

Verse 12, giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in life. And so our Lord makes us acceptable unto him, through the salvation he's provided and sending his son who freely went to the cross as the substitute of his people. He obtained eternal redemption. He did that work. And that's what the Lord is making his people to know. That's what he's growing us to see. It's not me, it's all of him. And he forms that thankful heart that rejoices in Christ Jesus. And Christ gives eternal life to whom he will.

That is how we dwell with Him and with God our Father and the saints of our God in light. Let me read something for you from John chapter 5 verse 21 through 23. Our Lord says, For as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. And here's why. That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. In work, if there's somebody that seems to be in charge, but they have no power or authority, nobody listens to them. It becomes a joke in the place. You know, oh, this one's talking again, and they think it's funny, right? Because they have no authority, but Christ has authority to give life to whom he will give life, so that all men will honor the Son even as they honor the Father.

He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him. And so we are made meat by God our Father. through the Lord Jesus Christ by him. So that's one thing, we're made meat. Next, our Lord tells us in this passage from Colossians that we have been delivered. Look at verse 13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness. All right. That's how wonderful the grace of God is.

We were blind, we were deaf, we were ignorant, in bondage to sin and darkness, we were in prison to the wicked one, totally and utterly lost, agents of the wicked one, enemies of God and league with the devil. Our brother read it tonight before the hymn in Ephesians chapter two, where Paul says, who were dead in trespasses and sins. He says wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation. In times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and we're by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

And so Christ has delivered us from that whole bondage. He's lifted us out of that bondage that we could not deliver ourselves from. And not only were we delivered from the power of darkness, but also God hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear son, so that now we are found in Christ, all by the grace of God.

He's done this. That word translated means to be transferred from one place to another. You were taken out of one place and put into another. And so when we were in bondage, in darkness, in prism, in the stronghouse of the wicked one, that's where we were, but now we are transferred out of that entirely. and put into the kingdom of Jesus Christ under his rule, his power, his authority, with joy and understanding now.

And so he's given us his Holy Spirit, whereby we live in Christ, we walk in him, we are led of the Spirit in the new man, rejoicing in his grace and power, speaking of what he's done for us. And so to sum all of this up, it describes our redemption. This is what it means to be redeemed by the blood of Christ. All right, verse 14 says, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. And so to be redeemed, it means we've been made meek to be partakers with the saints. in light, we've been delivered from darkness, and we've been translated into the kingdom of God's dear son. That's what it means to be redeemed. That's what the Lord does for all whom he's redeemed.

That's why we know that none for whom Christ shed his blood is in hell, because all for whom Christ shed his blood, he does these things for. He makes us meet, he delivers us, he translates us into the kingdom. He reveals these things to us. He grows us in the knowledge of these things.

And so, to repeat this to you, because again, we can be so forgetful, we can forget the reasons we had to be thankful to God, back in, well, don't leave from where you are in Colossians, because we're gonna come back to Romans eight, but David says in our text, verse four, I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, so shall I be saved from mine enemies. And so the Lord, our God, did so much to deliver David. We've gone through it.

We're at the end of 2 Samuel now. We've seen how the Lord raised up David, how the Lord delivered David and Israel from the hands of their enemies, and then how he was hated and persecuted because God was with him. and chased and hunted by Saul. And then the Lord always provided for David, always protected David, delivered him until he took Saul away and made David king. And in all the battles, the Lord always provided for him and always, always did good for David. And we can look at that today and think, well, yeah, that's David. David was a man after his own heart. He loved David.

He's in the scriptures, but surely Would God do that for me? Would the Lord do that for me? Well, yes. Yes, he would do that for you, his dear child, because you that believe Christ, believe because you are redeemed by the blood of Christ. Christ has done that for you. And those whom Christ does that for, he will never leave you, nor forsake you.

He delights to show mercy to his people, just like we see traced out in the life of David. Just like we see that there. And so, we're gonna know him. We're gonna believe on him. We're gonna worship him and follow him in faith and love and every grace. And so, if you don't believe me, that this is not just for David, this is for you. You that believe Christ. Turn over to Romans chapter eight. Let's go there. Romans eight. And we'll pick up down in verse 31. Paul says, what shall we say then to these things?

If God be for us, who can be against us? What enemy can be against us if God be for us? He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? God's not, he's going to hear your cry. In fact, the scriptures tell us that he hears us before we even pray, or know what to pray to him, or know we have a need to pray to him. He heareth us. He knows what we have need of. And so, when we cry to him, will he not come to our aid and deliver us from our enemies?

Now, consider these things in Christ. Paul asks in verse 33, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Now, if all our blessings rested on my works, the goodness of my works and the righteousness of my righteousnesses, right? If it depended on me, I could understand why each of us would be terrified and afraid that there's no way that God is gonna deliver me and help me and arise for me. But all our blessings, all the promises of God, hinge or rest upon the shoulders of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Not your goodness, not your perfection, not your keeping, it's Christ. Christ keeps you. Christ is the one who preserves you and does all these wonderful things by his grace and power. Therefore, believe him. And when you struggle to believe him, lift that care also up to the Lord. I confess that to the Lord because he hears the prayers of his saints and he helps his saints. He helps us. Let's read these words again in Romans 8, verse 35 now. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? These are all like the enemies of David. all different kinds of enemies. David was in peril. David was on the run, being persecuted. I'm sure there were times when David was hungry, right? He went to Ahithophel and asked him, do you have any bread to eat? He suffered from these things.

Are these enemies going to destroy us and separate us from our God? Absolutely not. As it's written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are counted as sheep for the slaughter. In other words, tribulations, distresses, and persecutions, they're not signs that God is displeased with us.

Rather, they are signs that God is our God, that he's put us in these things, that he's leading us and bringing us through these things, right? Because these things attend the children of God, as we see with David. David didn't have an easy life. David was tried, right?

So if you're tried, don't assume that that means God doesn't love me. In fact, it's a picture that the Lord is with you as he's growing. If you're growing toward Christ, if you are growing in Christ and growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ, that's good. And if your trials make you more needy of his righteousness, if your difficulties make you sigh more to the Lord and ask him for grace and help in time of need, that's good.

That's good, because that's where he puts his children. He makes us needy children. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. We may believe God for all things. Believe Him before you believe your own feelings, because feelings are deceiving. But God is true, and He does not change. We change, but He never changes. So stand upon the rock of God, which is the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, let's go back to our text in 2 Samuel 22, verse four.

David again says, I will call on the name of the Lord who is worthy to be praised. So shall I be saved from mine enemies, right? As the Lord has saved me in the past, so he shall save me in the future. Now I wanna summarize this verse here with three things that we may take from this verse of scripture here, three things. First believer, when troubles come and they will come, here's what you do.

Call on the Lord. That's what David said. I will call on the Lord. I know I can call on the Lord. Call on the Lord. He's your God. He delights to show mercy to you. He will help you. For all his past helps to you, you could be certain of his help, his continued help to you in Christ. He will not leave you nor forsake you. You have him. He'll save you going forward. He says, I am the Lord. I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. He doesn't change. He's faithful, faithful to himself. He cannot betray himself. He cannot do that.

Now, second, the one you are calling upon, David tells us he's worthy to be praised. He's worthy. When you remember him, go to him. Even if you come to yourself and you realize you're your ignorance and where you've been, your darkness. Remember the prodigal son. The prodigal son did it.

When he came to himself, the scripture says, he said, how many hired servants of my father's have bread enough to eat and to spare, and I perish with hunger. He realized, what am I doing here? Why am I sitting here in this filth, in this pig pen? Why am I doing it? My father's servants have much. I'll go to him, I'll confess my sin, and I'll ask to be made a servant in his house.

And we know that he wasn't made a servant, he was received as a son. And he was reconciled to the father as a son. And that's what the Lord does for us. When you remember him, go to him, believe him, trust him. This is his word of promise to us and he delights to glorify his son in our hearts as we see his promises being made fast unto us. It delights him. And then third, the reason he's worthy of your praise, because you shall know, so shall I be saved from mine enemies. All right, we are saved.

There are numerous, numerous times where the Lord makes us to know. We don't know everything, but there are times where he makes us to know that God has done this, that he's done this for you. that he's provided for you and given you safety and salvation in him.

To know that we are more than conquerors brethren through him that loved us. And so I want us to be emboldened and encouraged to go to God. with these things, just as David was. And this Psalm 18, this beautiful Psalm of thanksgiving, trust him who loved you, who redeemed you, right? To make you meet, to be a partaker with the saints in light, who delivered you from darkness and death and translated you into the kingdom of his dear son, right?

He did all that because that's what his redemption does. And in Hebrews he 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. In other words, he faithfully accomplished our redemption. The Father is well pleased with him. He did everything necessary for our life and salvation.

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. And so you can Go to Him, right? And as you remember all the past mercies He's shown to you, let that give you a song in your heart. Rejoice, sing hymns, pray to Him, thank Him, thank Him. And if you drift off and get distracted, as soon as you come back to yourself, thank Him again for His grace and mercy.

Because He really is very, very kind, very patient, very long-suffering with us. He knows we're dust, and yet it pleases Him to glorify Christ in our hearts. Amen. Our gracious Lord, we do thank you for your grace and mercy toward us and your darling Son, Jesus Christ. Make this word to live in our hearts with Christ by faith in our hearts, Lord, that we would grow in this knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and what He's done for us. that we may have this song of redemption in our hearts, rejoicing in you, praising you, and telling others of what God has done for us. It's in Christ's name we pray and give thanks. Amen.

Call On The Lord

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about calling on the Lord?

How do we know God's promises are for us?

Why is thankfulness important for Christians?

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Call On The Lord

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about calling on the Lord?

How do we know God's promises are for us?

Why is thankfulness important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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