Turn with me back to Psalm 130. Psalm 130. Look again, beginning with verse
one. Out of the depths have I cried
unto thee, O Lord. It's believed that this Psalm
was written by David. And David, like nearly all believers,
spent a great bit of time in trial, in deep, deep water. And he starts with these words.
He says, out of the depths, out of the depths, a time of distress
and a time that the Lord had brought David into. Years ago,
Brother Don Fortner, he asked this question. He said, you parents,
he said, would you ever do anything that you meant to be anything
but good for your children? Wouldn't you always do what you
thought was best for your children? Well, why would our Heavenly
Father do anything different? Would He ever bring us into a
time, no matter how troublesome it might be for us, and it be anything but good for
His children? He always does what's best. always
does what's best for his children. David, in the depths of sin,
he said, out of the depths have I cried. The point where he could do nothing
but cry. Our Heavenly Father knows our
cry. Just as you mothers know the
cry of your children, He could do nothing but cry.
He knows our needs. Again, His people come into none
of these circumstances by chance. God's sovereign in all things.
Whatever the place it is that we're in, He has brought us there. And when we cry, And we do know
this, that he hears. He hears our cry. Back in Psalm
34, David said, this poor man cried. And the Lord heard him. And the Lord saved him out of
all his troubles. We read examples of that throughout
the Word of God. Out of the depths of sin and
shame, David says, I cried unto thee. Well, back to Psalm 130. Out of the depths have I cried
unto thee, O Lord. Unto the Lord. Back in the book
of Jonah, we read where Jonah, He prayed unto the Lord God out
of the fish's belly. And he said this, he said, I
cried by reason of my affliction. I cried by reason of my affliction
unto the Lord. And he heard me. He said, out of the belly of
hell I cried. And thou heardest my voice. Thou cast me into the
deep, into the midst of the sea. The floods compassed me about.
All the billows and waves, they passed over me. And then I said,
I am cast out of thy sight. We feel that way at times, don't
we? That we're just completely cast out of the sight of God. And though we feel that way,
it's never the case. And Jonah said this, yet I will
look again to thy holy temple. There in the bottom of the sea,
there where there is nothing but darkness, Jonah said, I'll turn again and
I'll look. to thy holy temple, and he cried. I cried unto, and
pay careful attention to this. He didn't cry to just anyone.
He cried unto the Lord. David cried unto the Lord. Jonah cried unto the Lord. Others
in scripture cried unto the Lord. And I'm amazed every time I hear
this, every time I read this, He heard them. He hears the cry
of His people, and He saves them. He delivers them. In Psalm 146 verse 3, it says,
God's Word says, put not your trust in princes, nor in the
Son of Man, in whom there is no hell. We're to cry, just as David did
here, cry unto the Lord. And look at verse two again,
Psalm 130. He said, Lord, hear my voice. Hear my voice. Let not, let thy
ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. Now earlier we read that just
a minute ago, this poor man cried. He cried again in the depths
of sin and shame, a time of trouble and distress. This man cried,
and the Lord heard, and the Lord delivered, delivered him out
of all his trouble. There is no other place of comfort,
not true comfort, not lasting comfort, no other place of rest
apart from the Savior, apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. Almighty
God. That's who we cry to. We cry
to Him. He who's sovereign. Sovereign
in all things. He said this, look unto me and
be ye saved all the ends of the earth for I am God. And there is none else. None
else. None else to cry to. None else
to look to. None but the Lord Jesus Christ. Almighty God hears his people
in Christ. Now, Psalm 130, look at verse
three. He said, if thou shouldest mark
iniquities, who should stand? If God who sees all things, if
he in strict justice would call to account our sin, Who could stand? Who could stand
before His presence? Our iniquities have separated
us from our God. In our sins, He's hid His face
from us. The wages of sin is death. We
read these passages over and over again in Scripture. This
thing of sin, it's not going to be overlooked. God's holy. God's going to punish sin. He's
going to judge sin. In James 1.15, it says, sin,
when it's finished, bringeth forth death. Listen to this question
again. Lord, if thou shouldest mark
iniquities, who shall stand? The title of this message, it's
from Ruan. to redemption. That's the theme
of this Psalm. It begins with ruin. I'm giving
away the end, but it ends with redemption. And it's not just
found in Psalm 130. This is found, again, throughout
Scripture. You know, he was pleased to save
a harlot. The Lord Jesus Christ saved a
harlot. He saved a thief. He saved a
thief hanging on a cross that could do absolutely nothing but
cry out for mercy. In the midst of being convicted
and punished for his crime, the Lord Jesus Christ saved him. He saved an adulterer. He saved
a murderer. In fact, David was both, wasn't
he? And yet the Lord in mercy saved
him. The self-righteous would say,
that's not me. I'm not that bad. I'm not a harlot.
I'm not a thief. I'm not a murderer. I'm not an
adulterer. Men should be careful making
those statements. Outwardly, outwardly we may all
escape from being any of those things. But God doesn't judge
a man on the outward appearance. God judges on the heart. He knows our heart. He knows
our thoughts. He knows everything there is
to know about us. Turn with me to Matthew chapter
5. Matthew chapter 5, look at verse
21. You've heard it was said by them
of old time, thou shalt not kill, and whosoever shalt kill shall
be in danger of the judgment. I say unto you, Whoever is angry
with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. I ask you a foolish question. Have you ever been angry? Ever been angry with a brother?
He says here, whosoever shall say unto his brother, Rekha,
that means vainfella, empty-headed. It's like if you say, have you
lost your mind? Whosoever shall say, here's another
word, thou fool. Don't answer this. Have you ever
called someone stupid? Have you ever said that about
someone? It's the same word. And the man that, the scripture
says, the man that says that shall be in danger of hellfire. Verse 27 and 28, he said, you've
heard it said them old times, thou shalt not commit adultery.
I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after
her hath committed adultery in his heart already. What's this say? What's this
saying to us? The Lord doesn't look at things
like we look at things. Doesn't look at people like we
look at people. He looks on the heart. Think about some of these
things that men say. I've heard this said, he has
a good heart. Or if somebody's making a hard
decision, they'll say, well, just follow your heart. Just
trust your heart in the matter. I've heard people say, his heart
is full of love. Comments like that should just
make the hair stand up on the back of our necks. I've heard this, just let Jesus
into your heart. What would ever make a man or
a woman think that the Lord would That's the place that he would
want to be, to set up residence there. The heart is deceitful above
all things. It's desperately wicked. Whatsoever the law saith, it
saith to them that are under the law, that every mouth may
be stopped in the whole world, every last one of us, are guilty
before God. Now back in Psalm 130, look,
there should be no question about man's sin, about man's guilt,
about man's guilt in the sight of a holy God. Look at verse
four. But, but, That's such a wonderful
word in scripture. Despite all of this that we read
of man, despite all that's said about man's guilt and sin, there is forgiveness with thee. to redemption. He said, out of
the depths, out of the depths have I cried. Oh Lord, out of
the depths of sin and shame. And I'm helpless to do anything
about it. But I can cry. I cried unto the Lord, and he
said, if thou shouldst mark iniquity,
who shall stand? You know, in John 8, There was
a woman taken in the very act of adultery. Our Lord was speaking and they
just busted through the door and drug this woman in, taken
in the act of adultery. And they said, Moses in the law
says, she's to be stoned. And our Lord sat there and he
wrote on the ground while they went on and on. And they didn't
let up. And finally, He looked at him
and he said this, he that is without sin, let him cast the
first stone. You know, those religious Jews,
those Pharisees, they were the most self-righteous people of
the day. But apparently they knew a little
bit. They knew something about their
sin. Because when he said that, From the oldest to the youngest,
they got up and they left. If thou shouldst mark iniquities, who shall stand? But there is
forgiveness with thee, that thou mightest be feared. How is that? How is that so? How can my sin
be put away? Nathan the prophet, he told David,
he said, David, thou art a man. And David knew it. It was revealed
to him. He said this in Psalm 51. He
said, against thee and thee only have I sinned and done this evil
in thy sight. that thou mightest be justified
when thou speakest and clear when thou judgest." His sin,
it wasn't just with Bathsheba. It wasn't just against Uriah.
He sinned against the Lord. And Nathan would go on to tell
David, the Lord also hath put away thy sin. He's the only one who can. That's
what we read here in verse 4 of Psalm 130. There's forgiveness
with thee. Has the Lord revealed that to
you? Has He revealed to you that He has put away your sin? How can a holy God put away sin? Only through His Son. Only through
the person and work of His Son. only through the sacrifice of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to just a few scriptures
here. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince
and a savior, for to give repentance to Israel and the forgiveness
of sins. Be it known unto you, therefore,
men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you
the forgiveness of sins. We read this to open their eyes
and turn from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God,
that they may receive the forgiveness of sins. We read in whom we have
redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sin,
according to the riches of his grace. Lord, if you mark iniquity,
who shall stand? Lord, you're just and righteous
to condemn me, but there's forgiveness with thee. And notice something
here. David, he talks a whole lot about
being in the depths before he sees anything about forgiveness.
Until the Lord sees fit. until he brings us to see something
of our sin, something of our shame, something of our helplessness,
we're not going to have any need of forgiveness. We're just content to go about
and do whatever. But when he brings a man or a
woman or a young place to that place where he reveals something
to them of their sinfulness, And then He shows us the Savior,
show us our need of the Savior. Self-righteous man needs nothing.
He's got his works, he's got his tithe, he's got his whatever
it might be. But a sinner, a true sinner must
have Christ. I need forgiveness, I need Him. The Lord revealed that to me. revealed
to me my need of Him. And to know this, if He leaves
me in my sin, if He leaves me there, I'll die
and I'll go to hell. Left in my sin, I'll be eternally
separated from God. But, but there is forgiveness
with thee. Where is it to be found? Well,
the Old Testament sacrifices spoke of forgiveness. They spoke
of a blood sacrifice, the slaying of a lamb. That lamb was slain
and the blood applied. Back there, the children of Israel,
they took that lamb and they applied it to the lintel on the
side post and the Lord said, I'm going to pass through the
land. I'm going to smite the Egyptians. But when I see the
blood, I'll pass over. You know, they woke up that next
morning and there was a cry in Egypt like none ever heard before. But for those that were under
the blood, safe, secure. The Old Testament prophets spoke
of forgiveness. Isaiah said, he was wounded for
my transgressions. He was bruised for my iniquity. David right here, he says there's
forgiveness with thee. Our Lord in the New Testament,
remember how frustrated those Pharisees and religious leaders
were? How upset they were when our Lord would look at a sinner
and he'd say this, Thy sins, which are many, are forgiven. They're put away. Lord, let me see that. Cause
me to see my Savior. Cause me to know that my sin
has been put away. Where's this forgiveness to be
found? There on the cross. the Christ
of the cross, thus it is written and thus it behooved Christ to
suffer, to suffer, to suffer for sin and to rise from the
dead the third day and that repentance and remission of sins, the forgiveness
of sin would be preached in his name. Where's forgiveness to
be found? Christ and Christ alone. Do you
still have Psalm 130? David said in verse five, he
said, I wait for the Lord. I wait for the Lord. My soul
doth wait, and in his word do I hope. What's a sinner to do? Wait. Just wait on the Lord. In Psalm 130, a couple things
here. One, the first thing's cry. cry unto the Lord, and here we
read, wait, wait on the Lord. Wait on Him. He's the author and finisher
of our faith. I wait on the Lord, my soul doth wait. And in His word, the living word,
the Lord Jesus Christ, do I have hope. He says, my soul waiteth,
verse six, my soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that
watch for the morning. I say more than they that watch
for the morning. My soul waited for the Lord. You know, we don't wait, I won't
say that, I don't wait for much of anything. I read this verse, it made me
think of Simeon, though. He waited. He was in the temple. He was waiting for the consolation
of Israel. I don't know how long he waited,
but I know he did. It's what God's Word says, he
was waiting for the consolation of Israel. And one day, one glorious
day, he came by the Spirit into the temple, no doubt like he
did every day. And that same time the parents
brought the child Jesus to do for him after the custom of the
law, And Simeon went over there and grabbed him, and he took
him up in his arms, and he blessed God, he blessed the Lord, and
he said, Lord, now let thy servant depart in peace according to
thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation. Well, back to our text, Psalm
130, verse six. My soul waits for the Lord more
than they that watch for the morning. I say more. than they that watch for the
morning. David wrote another one of the Psalms. He said, weeping
may endure for the night, but joy, joy comes in the morning. Well, quickly, two verses here.
Verse seven and eight. Let Israel, let God's people
hope in the Lord. For with the Lord, there's mercy. And with him is plenteous, Redemption,
great redemption. Not just redemption, great redemption. He paid a great price for it. What did he pay? His own precious
blood, the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. He shed
his own blood. And consider what he redeemed
us from. The curse of the law. redeemed
us from all our sin, a price that we can never pay. It's plenteous
redemption for His great mercy and for His great grace, for
His great love. God so loved that He gave. Great love? Greater love hath
no man than this, that He lay down His life for his friends,
he died, he died for his people. He redeemed us from the curse
of the law being made a curse for us. And then verse eight,
he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. Again, it's great
redemption, isn't it? Consider the success of it. It's effectual. Listen to these
words. Two words. He shall. He shall. Not he might. Not he wants to. Not he'll do his part and let
you do yours. He shall. He shall. There's no other name under heaven
given among men whereby we must be saved. He shall. What shall he do? He shall redeem
Israel. What's he going to redeem them
from? All their iniquities. All of them. Well, from the depths,
the depths of sin. Right, that's what we read there
in verse 1. Out of the depths have I cried. From ruin We begin
with ruin and we end with redemption. He shall redeem Israel from all
his iniquity. All right.