This evening we're going to take
a look at Psalm 54. I'm entitling the message from
the words found in verse 1. Save me. Save me. Who could justify me? Oh God. by thy name, save me."
Isn't that what every sinner needs? It's salvation by the
grace of God, salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's the same
as saying, have mercy upon me, oh God, is it not? The publican
in the temple cried, have mercy upon me, oh God. The Lord gave David these inspired
words when he was on the run from his own father-in-law, King
Saul. King Saul knew that David was
God's anointed and the Lord had taken the kingdom away from him.
And he hunted him and hated him and hunted him like a partridge,
like a bird. David said on one occasion to
his dear friend Jonathan, there is but a step between me and
death. He felt like death was at his
door all the time. David certainly knew something
about trouble. We've studied all the way through
1 and 2 Samuel. David certainly knew something
about trouble, didn't he? He was God's anointed, God's
king, a man after God's own heart, but he wasn't spared from heartache
and trouble. David knew about trouble, but
he also knew how and where to find comfort in trouble. He believed
God. The Lord is my light and my salvation. The Lord is my shepherd. The
Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. The Lord is my light and
my salvation I shall not fear. HE BELIEVED GOD AND LOOKED TO
THE LORD FOR HELP, LOOKED TO THE LORD FOR DELIVERANCE. FROM
WHENCE COMETH OUR HELP? YOU REMEMBER PSALM 121, OUR HELP
COMETH FROM THE LORD, AND THAT IS SO. ONE OLD PREACHER OF THE
PAST SAID THE ZEAL AND LIFE OF FAITH IS THE DEATH OF ANXIETY. The zeal, vigor, and life of
faith is the death of anxiety, worry, and the birth of security, and the birth of
assurance. We live by faith, justified by
faith, and we walk by faith. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
will put an end to anxiety and worry, but it's also the birth,
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the birth of assurance and
security. Always looking, he said, look
unto me and be you saved. Looking, looking, looking unto
him. Now my prayer for us, this evening, that God would cause
our faith to bloom, to blossom, to grow. Wouldn't that be something?
Without faith, we know the scripture said it's impossible to please
God. What a blessing it would be unto us if we could live,
think about this, live without worry. To live without doubt and fear. Wouldn't that be something? Anxiety
and fear. And only, always looking unto
the Lord in faith to supply every need and to solve our every problem. Anything too hard for the Lord?
No. We can say with that man in scripture
that said, Lord, I do believe. but I have this problem of unbelief. Lord, I believe, help my unbelief. Anything too hard for the Lord?
when Jeremiah was about to quit the ministry because of persecution. He was God's servant. He was
God's man. But you can read about it in
the book of Jeremiah. He said, I'm going to quit. I'm
not going to preach anymore in his name. It's just they hate
me too much. They persecute me too much. And
the Lord said to him, behold, I'm the Lord, the God of all
flesh. Is there anything too hard for me? Jeremiah said, his
word was like a burning fire in my heart, I could not stay.
He had to go continue to preach the gospel. Who then can be saved? Well, with men it's impossible.
But with God, all things are possible with our God. Never
despair of God saving sinners, for he came to do that very thing.
HE DIDN'T COME TO CALL THE RIGHTEOUS, BUT SINNERS TO REPENTANCE. NOW,
LET'S LOOK AT VERSE 1. I LOVE THE WAY THIS STARTS. SAVE
ME. SAVE ME, O GOD. SAVE ME, O GOD. THIS IS OUR GREATEST NEED. WE
NEED HIS SALVATION. WE NEED THE LORD JESUS CHRIST,
WHO IS salvation. How should we escape if we neglect
so great salvation? We read in the book of Hebrews,
Save me or give me salvation. Notice, O God, by thy name, by
thy name, through the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that we
have salvation. Unto us a child is given a son, The Son of God is born, God gave
His Son, and the government shall be upon His shoulders, and His
name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the
Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. God has given Him a
name which is above every name. Neither is there salvation in
any other name. The Son of God was given of God's
love to save his people. Call his name what? Jesus. He shall save his people from
their sin. He is what he's called. He is
the Savior of his people. Save me, O God. He's the only
one who can. He's the only one who has the
will, the right, and the power as our kinsman redeemer to save
us. Save us. He's God, our Savior. I like what Mary said, the Virgin
Mary who gave birth TO THE BODY THAT OUR LORD INHABITED, SHE
SAID, MY SPIRIT HATH REJOICED IN GOD MY SAVIOR. HE'S THE ONLY JUST GOD AND SAVIOR,
THAT'S WHY HE SAYS, LOOK TO ME, SAVE ME O GOD. WHOSOEVER SHALL
CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD, WHAT SHALL BE SAVED? SAVE ME
O GOD. BECAUSE THE LORD UPON CALVARY'S
TREE, AS WE READ A MOMENT AGO IN LUKE 23, BECAUSE THE LORD
UPON CALVARY'S TREE DID NOT SAVE HIMSELF, THEY SAID TO HIM, IF
YOU BE THE CHRIST, SAVE YOURSELF. COME ON DOWN, WE'LL BELIEVE YOU.
Because the Lord did not save himself, but rather gave himself
for our sins, he alone is able to save us to the uttermost.
All that come to God by him, seeing he ever lives to make
intercession for us. The Lord Jesus Christ didn't
bring the typical animal sacrifice, says the priest of God. HE OBTAINED
ETERNAL REDEMPTION FOR US WITH HIS OWN BLOOD. SAVE ME, O GOD,
BY THY NAME." WHAT? THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST,
GOD OUR SAVIOR. AND THEN HE SAYS, SECONDLY, HE
SAYS, JUDGE ME. JUDGE ME. by thy power, by thy
strength." I believe what he's saying here is justify me by
your grace. Justify me by your grace. Justify me by your power. We know the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ is what? The power of God unto salvation. His arm is not shortened that
he cannot save. He has all power in heaven and
earth to save as many and justify as many as God has given to him
by his strength, by his power. The power and strength of his
love, the power and strength of his mercy, the power and strength
to justify sinners through the Lord Jesus Christ. I like the
way that Psalm starts. Save me, oh God. What do I need? Savior. We are great sinners. The Lord Jesus Christ is a greater
Savior. FOR HE CAME TO SEEK AND TO SAVE
HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SIN. NOW LOOK AT VERSE 2. HEAR MY PRAYER, O GOD, GIVE EAR
TO THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH. LOOK RIGHT ACROSS THE PAGE, IT'S
PSALM 55, VERSE 16. AS FOR ME, I will call upon God and the
Lord shall save me. Verse 17, evening and morning
and at noon will I pray. When should we pray? Evening,
morning and at noon. Pray without ceasing and in everything
give thanks. Evening, morning and at noon
I will pray and cry aloud and he shall hear my voice because
he is the living God He's able to hear because He's the Almighty
God. He's able to work His will for
the good of His covenant children. Hear my prayer, O God. Give ear
to the words, the crying of my mouth. How many times we read
in the Psalms, David asks the Lord, Lord, hear my prayer. Hear
my prayer. Isn't it a blessing? What a privilege we have to take
every care to God in prayer. David begs the Lord for mercy. Lord, hear my cry. JOSEPH SCRIVEN
I BELIEVE THE HEMWRITER WROTE, WHAT A PRIVILEGE TO CARRY EVERYTHING
TO GOD IN PRAYER, OH WHAT PEACE WE OFTEN FORFEIT, OH WHAT NEEDLESS
PAIN WE BEAR, ALL BECAUSE WE DO NOT CARRY EVERYTHING TO GOD
IN PRAYER. ONE OF MY FAVORITE VERSES IN
THE BOOK OF PSALM IS FOUND RIGHT ACROSS THE PAGE IN PSALM 55 VERSE
22. When we were going through all
the flooding back in 2009 and 2010, someone sent me a little
piece of paper with this verse written on it, verse 22. Cast
thy burden upon the Lord, he shall sustain thee, he shall
never suffer the righteous to be moved. Cast your burden upon
the Lord. Take your burden to the Lord,
and leave them there. David prayed, O God, hear my
prayer. Peter said, Casting all your
care upon him, for he careth for you. To believe the Lord to call upon
his name and to rest in his good providence." What a privilege.
What a privilege. Sweet hour of prayer. We often
sing that song. Sweet hour of prayer that takes
me from the world of care. Hear my prayer, O God, and give
ear to the words of my mouth. One of the weapons This is one
of the weapons rather the enemies of the gospel cannot silence.
We are taught to come boldly to the throne of grace that we
may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. When
the Apostle Paul writes about take unto you the whole armor
of God, one of the things that he mentions in that armor that
God has given us He says, stand therefore having your loins girt
about with truth, having on the breastplate of righteousness
and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above
all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to
quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Take the helmet of
salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of
God, praying always. praying always with all prayer
and supplication in the spirit, watching therein too with all
perseverance and supplication for all saints and for me that
utterance may be given. The Apostle Paul said, pray for
me that I may open my mouth boldly to make it known, to make the
gospel known. And he's writing that from a
Roman prison cell there as he writes those words. BELIEVERS
DON'T PRAY TO BE SEEN OF MEN, BUT WE DO PRAY TO BE HEARD OF
GOD. YOU'LL NEVER FIND ME OVER AT
THE COURTHOUSE ON THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER, HOLDING HANDS
AROUND THE FLAGPOLE. GOD SAID WHEN YOU PRAY, GO IN
YOUR CLOSET. and pray unto the Lord and he'll
hear thee. So we don't pray to be seen of
man, we pray to be heard of God, the true and living God. We cry
unto the Lord. Look at verse three. For strangers,
those who are strangers to the covenant of mercy, strangers
to the covenant of grace, are risen up against me, oppressors,
Seek after my soul. They have not set God before
them. These were idolaters that David
said are after me. They oppress my soul. They hate
God. They're strangers to God's mercy.
David in this case referred to his enemies, Ziphams, that told
Saul of David's whereabouts. These men were aliens to God
and strangers to the covenant of his grace. David felt that
these men were pagan idolaters and atheists. FULL OF ENMITY
TOWARD THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD. STRANGERS OF GOD ARE RISEN UP
AGAINST ME. WE KNOW THE CARNAL MIND IS ENMITY
AGAINST GOD. BELIEVERS ARE OFTEN HATED FOR
THE GOSPEL'S SAKE. AND BECAUSE THEY CANNOT, THE
ENEMIES OF THE GOSPEL CANNOT GET AT GOD, THEY PERSECUTE THE
SERVANTS OF GOD. YOU LOOK ALL DOWN THROUGH CHURCH
HISTORY. Those who have stood publicly
for the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ have often been terribly
persecuted. The most violent persecutors
of our Lord Jesus Christ were who? The established religious
crowd of that day, the Pharisees. It says of them, they went out
and held a council how they might destroy him. We studied in Paul's
day there in Acts 23 and 24 when those men found him in a temple
and took him out and started beating to death. And then those
40 men who took a pack who said we won't eat or drink anything
until the Apostle Paul is dead. Enemies of God persecuting God's
servants. And most of the time, it's the
most religious lost pagans that do so. The carnal mind is enmity
against God. They have not set God before
them. There's no fear of God in their
eyes. So look at verse four. David
said, behold, behold. I love that word in scripture,
behold, behold. Stop and look at this. Stop and
consider this. God is my helper. Could we ask
for a better helper than God Almighty? God is my helper, the
Lord is with them. The Lord is with them that uphold
my soul. Turn back to Psalm 46. The scriptures have a lot to
say about God our help. David looked unto the Lord for
salvation, deliverance, and grace to help in time of need. Psalm
46, look at verse 1. God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help right now, present help, a present help
in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though
the earth be removed, though the mountains be carried into
the sea, though the waters thereof roar and are troubled, though
the mountains shake with swelling. There is a river, the streams
whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy places of the
tabernacles of the Most High. God's in the midst of her. She
shall not be moved. God shall help her and that right
soon. Oh, the heathen raged and kings
were moved. He uttered his voice and the
earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us.
The God of Jacob is our refuge. God is our help. God is our advocate. God is our salvation. God is
our righteousness. The Lord our righteousness. God
is my helper. The Lord is with them that uphold
my soul. That's a blessing, is it not? The greater David, the God-man
mediator of the Lord Jesus Christ, often cried unto his father for
help as he went about to accomplish our salvation. If you'll find
Isaiah 50, turn over there, you remember this verse? The God-man mediator, the Lord
Jesus Christ, didn't go about to accomplish our salvation just
in the energy of his flesh. He had great help of God. The
Lord had laid help upon one that is mighty. Notice. Isaiah 50 verse 5, the Lord God
hath opened mine ear. I was not rebellious, neither
turned I way back. I gave my back to the smiters
and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair. I hid not my face
from shame and spitting, for the Lord God will help me. Boy,
our Savior had help, didn't he? Therefore shall I not be confounded. Therefore shall have I set my
face like a flint. I know that I shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifies me. Who will contend with me? Let
us stand together. Who is my adversary? Let him
come near. Behold, the Lord God will help
me. Who is he that can dim me? Lo, they shall all wax old as
a garment, and a moth shall help shall eat them up." Back to the
text. Behold, God is my helper. He
was with David, the king of Israel, the man after God's own heart,
and he was with the greater David, the Lord Jesus Christ, as he
accomplished our salvation. The Lord was with him, enabled
him, helped him. Look at verse 5 now. God upholds his people in a providential
way, in a spiritual way, maintaining
us, supplying us, bearing us up in trial, holding us up and
causing us to persevere in the faith. God is our helper. Look at verse 5 now. He shall
reward evil unto mine enemies, cut them
off in thy truth. He shall reward evil. Vengeance belongeth unto the
Lord." We're not to take vengeance, but His vengeance is just. You see, He will cut them off
in truth and righteousness. He shall reward evil unto mine
enemies. He shall do it and cut them off. Those who work evil, who are
inspired by evil, motivated by evil, will one day reap what
they have sown, will one day reap and will be paid their wages
in full, the wages of sin, death, and judgment. This was true in
David's case. King Saul was soon removed from
the throne and slain in battle. Saul and Jonathan both. This
is also true of our Lord Jesus Christ and his enemies. They
thought they had made an end of his life and an end of his
ministry. No, it's just the beginning.
They had no idea that they only aided him in accomplishing God's
will in the saving of his people, for they did what God determined
before to be done. And God, not many days after
that, what happened to Jerusalem? What happened to the temple?
The things they prided themselves in, those religious Jews, the
Lord destroyed it all, and them with it. He shall reward evil
unto mine enemies. The Lord will take vengeance
upon those that hate him. He that believeth on the Son
hath life. He that believeth not the Son
shall not see life, but the wrath of God. The wrath of God will
abide upon those." Look at verse 6. He says, I will freely sacrifice
unto thee. I will. Praise thy name, O Lord. His name is good. God is light. God is love. God is good. Shall not the judge of all the
earth do right? I will sacrifice freely. I will praise thy name, O Lord."
Now, we don't bring any kind of a blood sacrifice, do we?
But we do come to God with sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving unto
the Lord. That's the sacrifice we bring.
This is the desire of every believer, for he's given us new desires,
new motives, and a new heart to do what? To worship him. He
seeketh such to worship him in spirit and in truth. I will freely
sacrifice unto the Lord with the sacrifice of thanksgiving
unto his name. Look over at Psalm 51 verse 16. For thou desirest not sacrifice,
else I give it. Thou delightest not in burnt
offerings. Psalm 51, verse 17. The sacrifices of God are a broken
spirit, a broken and a contrite heart. O God, thou will not.
That's the way they approach God. UNDER THAT DISPENSATION OF THE
LAW, BUT WE COME UNTO GOD WITH A SACRIFICE THAT'S PERFECT UNTO
THE LORD AND WE GIVE THANKS. AND WE FREELY SACRIFICE UNTO
THE LORD AND GIVE PRAISES OF THANKSGIVING UNTO HIS NAME. WE
READ IN HEBREWS 13, BY HIM THEREFORE LET US OFFER THE SACRIFICE OF
PRAISE TO GOD CONTINUALLY, THAT IS A FRUIT OF OUR LIPS GIVING
THANKS unto his name. One thing that ought to be true
of every believer, and I think it is, that is thanksgiving unto
the Lord, being thankful. I am what I am by his grace. Everything I have, everything
I know, everything I ever will be is by his grace. by his grace
we give thanks for the lord is good the lord is good look over
at psalm 52 verse 9 i will praise thee forever because thou has
done it And I will wait on thy name,
for it is good before the saints." The Lord Jesus Christ. His name is good. He is goodness
personified, isn't he? Goodness and mercy shall follow
me all the days of my life. I will praise thy name. God has
given him a name which is above every name, that at that name
every knee will bow and every tongue will confess he's Lord.
I will freely sacrifice unto thee. I will praise thy name,
O Lord, for it is good. It is good. The Lord is full
of goodness and mercy. The Lord is full. His mercies,
I was reading this the other day, where it talks about the
Lord's mercy and His goodness. It is of the Lord's mercies that
we're not consumed because His compassions fail not. They're
new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. The
Lord is my portion, saith my soul. Therefore will I hope in
him. The Lord is good unto them that
wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that
a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the
Lord. The Lord is good. Oh, he's good
to his people. He's the good, the great shepherd,
the good shepherd, the good shepherd who laid down his life for the
sheep. He's a great shepherd. He's the chief shepherd. Now
look at verse seven. For he hath delivered me out
of all trouble. He hath delivered me. You know,
deliverance is redemption. Turn over here to Galatians. Turn to Galatians chapter 1.
The Lord is called in scripture, our deliverer. He hath delivered
me. He hath, he will, and he yet
will deliver me out of all my trouble. He hath delivered me. Now, how does he deliver us?
Galatians chapter 1, look at verse 3. Grace be to you and
peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ who
gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this
present evil world according to the will of God our Father
to whom be glory forever and ever. He is our deliverer. If you look over, you can turn
to Ephesians chapter 1 verse 7. In whom we have redemption,
that's deliverance. Redemption is deliverance. In
whom we have redemption through his blood, deliverance through
his blood, the forgiveness of sin according to the riches of
his grace. His blood cleanses us from all
our sin. Deliverance. He delivered us
from our sin. He delivered us from eternal
condemnation. He delivered us by making us
one with Him, calling us out of darkness into His marvelous
light. Mine eye hath seen HIS DESIRE,
it goes back to VENGEANCE BELONGETH UNTO ME, like he says up here
in verse 5, HE SHALL REWARD EVIL UNTO MY ENEMIES. HE HATH DELIVERED
ME, AND HE HATH JUDGED HIS ENEMIES. HE HAD DELIVERED HIS PEOPLE,
AND JUDGED HIS ENEMIES. He hath delivered us from all
trouble. This is the cry of a newly pardoned
sinner. He hath delivered me from all
my sin. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses
us from all our sin. This is the cry of a delivered
saint. It's God who saved us and called
us with a holy calling. Not according to our works, but
according to God's own purpose and grace. This is a song of
the mature believer. He hath delivered me and he will
yet deliver us from all our trouble. And the shout of a glorified
saint. He hath delivered me. To him who loved us and washed
us from our sin, in his own blood, to him be all the honor and glory. For he hath delivered me out
of all trouble, and God will deal with our enemies. Back to
verse 1. Save me, O God. by thy name and justify me by
your grace. Redeem me by your blood." Well,
that's the blessed little psalm. I enjoyed it. I trust the Lord
will bless his word to your heart.