This evening we want to try to
take a look at the Psalm of David, Psalm 143. I'm taking the title
for the message from what is said in verse 11. We could use
any of these verses, but quicken me, O Lord, for your name's sake. Salvation because of the Lord
Jesus Christ, for thy name's sake. It's the spirit that quickens
the flesh, profiteth nothing. Salvation is because of Christ,
the Lord Jesus Christ. All he has done for us, and salvation
is not only of him, but salvation's also in him. He that hath son
hath life. THE APOSTLE WRITES IN EPHESIANS
4, BE YOU KIND ONE TO ANOTHER, TENDERHEARTED, FORGIVING ONE
ANOTHER, EVEN AS GOD, FOR CHRIST'S SAKE, HATH FORGIVEN YOU. IT'S FOR HIS SAKE THAT WE HAVE
SALVATION. QUICKEN ME, O LORD, FOR THY NAME'S
SAKE. OF HIS FULLNESS HAVE WE ALL RECEIVED
GRACE FOR GRACE. AGAIN, WE SEE DAVID, KING DAVID,
A MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN HEART, God called this shepherd boy
out of the field, a very young boy, and Samuel anointed him
according to God's will. God said, that's my anointing.
Arise and anoint him. This is saved. David was made
king of Israel. God says in his word, he's a
man after God's own heart because God gave him a new heart. God
made him a new creature in Christ. But we find here David, IN TROUBLE,
AS IT WAS OFTENTIME, CALLING UPON THE LORD IN TROUBLE." THAT'S
THE ONLY PLACE WE CAN TURN, IN TROUBLE, IS IT NOT? UNTO THE
LORD IN THE TIME OF TROUBLE. HE SAID, COME BOLDLY UNTO THE
THRONE OF GRACE, THAT YOU MAY OBTAIN MERCY, FIND GRACE TO HELP
IN TIME OF OUR NEED. WHEN IS IT? MY TIME'S ALL THE
TIME. I'm either in trouble, coming
out of trouble, or headed to trouble. Troubles all the time. Man that's born a woman a few
days and full of it, full of trouble, full of trouble. Every
believer has the same privilege that David has, the same blessing
that David has, that is to call upon the name of the Lord. REMEMBER THE APOSTLE WRITES IN
ROMANS 11, WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL
BE SAVED. THE APOSTLE WRITES AGAIN TO THE
PHILIPPINES, MAKE YOUR REQUEST KNOWN UNTO GOD. HE SAYS, WHY
DO I NEED TO MAKE IT KNOWN? HE KNOWS OUR HEARTS. YEAH, HE
DOES. WE'RE INSTRUCTED TO CRY UNTO
THE LORD. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING, RIGHT? and in everything give thanks,
right? This is the will of God in Christ
Jesus concerning you. Praying is like breathing. It's
the very life breath of the believer. We cannot live without breathing,
can we? Remember when you were a kid,
you used to have those contests who could hold their breath longer
than anyone else? You cannot live without breathing.
And the believer cannot live without praying. It's the response
of a regenerated heart to call upon the name of the Lord. And
this prayer that he's talking about is not something mechanical,
cold and dead. It's not praying to be seen of
men. It's not praying to be heard of men. It's the cry of the heart
before God. Our Lord said, men ought always
to pray. I had someone ask me one time,
the preacher, I just don't know how to pray. What should I pray
for? And I said, I'll make a suggestion,
seven words. Seven words? Seven words. And this is my prayer all the
time. Lord, have mercy upon me, the sinner. That's my prayer.
Have mercy, have mercy. The Lord said that man who cried
for mercy went down to his house justifying. Remember Luke 18? And that's what David says here,
a man after God's own heart, verse one, hear my prayer. Oh
Lord, give ear to my supplication, in thy faithfulness answer me
and in thy righteousness. Now what good would it do to
pray if the Lord did not hear our prayer? You remember Psalm 115, when
David mocks those who worship idols? When he said, their idols
are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths,
but they speak not. Eyes, they have, but they see
not. They have ears, but they do not hear. Noses, but they
do not smell. They're dead, cold, lifeless. They have hands, but they handle
not. Feet have they. They walk not. They speak not. They that make
them are likened to them. So is everyone that trusteth
in them. Our Lord is the living Lord. He hears the cry of the heart
of his people. Because he is a living God, he
can hear. because he is a covenant God,
he's obligated himself to hear the cry of his covenant people.
I was reading today in the book of Exodus, when the children
of Israel were in bondage all those hundreds of years. Remember
what the Lord said to Moses, I've heard their cry and I've
come down to deliver them. God heard their cry, even though
they cried for deliverance for 200, 300, 400 years. The Lord heard their cry and
in due time, because he's a covenant God, He's obligated to hear our
cry, covenant of grace. Because God is faithful and righteous,
he delights to answer our prayers when we pray according to his
will, where he says, I cried unto the Lord. Look right up
to page Psalm 142, verse five. I cried unto the Lord, I cried
unto thee, O Lord, I said, thou art my refuge, my portion in
the land of the living. Attend unto my cry, for I am
brought very low. Deliver me from my persecutors,
they're stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison,
that I may praise thy name. The righteous shall compass me
about. without shalt deal bountifully with me." So that ought to encourage
us to pray unto the Lord and cry unto the Lord. He hears our
cry. He's obligated to hear the cry
of his children because of that covenant of grace. We do not
ask to be heard for our faithfulness. David didn't pray, oh Lord, hear
my cry because I'm the king. He didn't pray, oh Lord, hear
my cry, because remember, I killed that Philistine giant, Goliath. He didn't say that either, did
he? Hear my prayer, oh Lord, give ear to my supplication because
of thy faithfulness, because of thy righteousness. Now that's
our hope, is it not? Our blessed Lord is faithful
to every covenant promise. Remember the words of Joshua
and Solomon again. He said, all that God has promised,
he's able to do, able to perform. And we're persuaded with Abraham
of old that of all that God has promised, he's able able to perform. God is faithful. Great is thy
faithfulness, we sing often, don't we? The Lord is faithful
in every way unto his people. Faithful to the law of God, faithful
to his father, faithful to the covenant, faithful to lay down
his life for the sheep. He was obedient unto death, even
the death of the cross. Why? He's faithful. You see,
our salvation depends upon His faithfulness, not ours. That's
the difference between salvation by grace and salvation by works. Our salvation depends upon His
faithfulness. Our salvation depends upon His
righteousness. His faithfulness, His righteousness. He is called the Lord our righteousness. Lord, hear my cry because of
Christ, who is my righteousness. Now, if you wanna look back to
Psalm 31, turn back there, Psalm 31. Psalm 31, verse one. In thee, O Lord, do
I put my trust. Let me never be ashamed. Deliver
me in thy righteousness. There it is again. Bow down,
my dear, deliver me speedily. Be thou my rock or house of defense
to save me, for thou art my rock, my fortress. Therefore, for thy
namesake, lead me and guide me." How many times through the Psalm
do we see David crying unto the Lord? Answer me because you're
faithful. Bless me because of Christ. And
because you're the righteous faithful God who is the Lord
our righteousness now notice verse 2 enter not into judgment
Psalm 143 verse 2 enter not in the judgment with thy servant
David certainly was the servant of the Lord. Well, that's a very
high title to be called a servant of the Lord and you remember
how many times the apostle paul called himself the servant of
the lord a loving bond servant of the lord but even the lord
jesus christ is known as what THE RIGHTEOUS SERVANT OF THE
LORD. BEHOLD MY SERVANT, ISAIAH 42, 1, MY ELECT IN WHOM MY SOUL
DELIGHTETH, ENTER NOT INTO JUDGMENT WITH THY SERVANT, DAVID SAYING,
I'M YOURS, I'M YOUR LOVING BONDSERVANT, BONDSLAVE, FOR IN THY SIGHT NO
MAN LIVING SHALL BE JUSTIFIED, NOT ON THE GROUND OR THE FOOTING
OF THE LAW, NO FLESH SHALL BE JUSTIFIED. WE SEE IN VERSE 2,
Who he is, who David is, he's a servant of the Lord. We see
what he knows, he knows this. By the deeds of the law shall
no flesh be justified. Enter not into judgment with
thy servant, for in thy sight no man living shall be justified. That is, upon the deed and the
merit of our doing and obedient to the law, no flesh shall be
justified by the deeds of the law. And then what he asked for,
he asked for mercy. He said, don't deal with me upon
the strictness of your judgment, have mercy upon me, oh God. You remember Psalm 51, don't
you? According to your loving kindness,
according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out
my sin, NOW THIS IS OUR DESIRE, IS IT
NOT? TO BE JUSTIFIED, TO WIN CHRIST AND BE FOUND IN HIM. TO
BE JUSTIFIED BEFORE GOD ONLY IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. TO BE ACCEPTED ONLY IN THE BELOVED. TO BE JUSTIFIED. YOU REMEMBER
ROMANS 3-24. You remember that verse, being
justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse three, for the enemy, he
seems to kind of shoot at a particular enemy. It's not a enemy, the
enemy, have persecuted my soul. King Saul, certainly persecuted
David. David's own son, Absalom, certainly
persecuted David. But I think he's talking here
about something else. For the enemy hath persecuted
my soul. He hath smitten my life down
to the ground. He hath made me to dwell in darkness
as those that have been long dead. The enemy we know, The
accuser of the brethren, as he's called in the Revelation, is
Satan himself. The accuser of the brethren.
He goes about as a roaring lion, seeking who he may devour. And certainly he could be considered
our enemy, but we know the Lord has conquered him. He's crushed
his dominion, crushed his power. Our Lord said, sin shall not
have dominion over you, for you're no more under the law, but under
grace. We know the Lord has given us
the victory over Satan and the law, sin and death. But here,
I believe he's talking about something inwardly, in his own
heart. I think he's looking about his
own sinful nature that wars against his new nature. You remember
we have that old man that's nothing but sinful, and we have that
new man created anew in Christ Jesus, and there's a warfare
there. There's an enemy, the flesh against
the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. They're contrary one
to another. Our sin Notice what he says there,
the enemy hath persecuted my soul, he smitten my life down
to the ground. You remember Paul in Romans 7,
he said, when I would do good, evil's present with me. He said,
I know that in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. And then he says,
oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body
of death? I thank God through Jesus Christ
our Lord. OUR SIN HAS MADE US TO DWELL
IN DARKNESS AS THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN LONG DEAD. WE DON'T AND CANNOT DO ANYTHING
ABOUT OUR SIN. THE LORD, THANK GOD, HE'S PUT
AWAY OUR SIN BY THE SACRIFICE OF HIMSELF. LOOK AT VERSE 4,
THEREFORE IS MY SPIRIT OVERWHELMED WITHIN ME AND MY HEART WITHIN ME IS DESOLATE. THEREFORE, WHEN CONSIDERING THE
EFFECTS OF OUR SIN UPON OUR OWN WILL, OUR OWN AFFECTIONS, SIN
IS ALL ABOUT US AND EVERYTHING WE DO, WHEN WE CONSIDER THE EFFECTS
OF OUR OWN SINFUL NATURE AND HOW MANY TIMES WE'VE SINNED AGAINST
GOD, CONSIDERING WHO WE SINNED AGAINST, AGAINST THEE AND THEE
ONLY HAVE I SINNED. CONSIDERING THAT WE CANNOT NOT
SIN, WE CANNOT NOT SIN. IF WE SAY
WE HAVE NO SIN, THE TRUTH'S NOT IN US. CONSIDERING THAT WE ARE
SINNERS, OUR SPIRIT AND OUR HEART IS OVERWHELMED, AND IT BRINGS
US TO DESOLATION. IT BRINGS US TO KNOW THAT WE'RE
GUILTY. BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S A GOOD THING. IT'S A GOOD THING TO KNOW
WHAT WE ARE. IF WE DO NOT KNOW THAT WE'RE
GUILTY SINNERS, WE'LL NEVER SEEK GRACE WHERE IT'S FOUND. YOU SEE,
GRACE IS FOR THE GUILTY. MERCY IS FOR THE MISERABLE. REDEMPTION'S
FOR RUINED SINNERS. IT'S A BLESSING TO KNOW THAT
WE'RE SINNERS BECAUSE IT DRIVES US TO FIND RELIEF ONLY IN THE
LORD JESUS CHRIST. If God hadn't taught you that
you're a sinner by birth, nature, and practice, you would never
seek salvation in the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, would
you? You'd go about to establish a righteousness of your own doing.
But because God in grace has taught us that we are desolate,
sinful, guilty, wicked, vile, wretched, Thank God he shows
us the Redeemer, the remedy for our sin, the Lord Jesus Christ. When I remember, verse five,
I remember the days of old, all the days behind me. And I meditate on all thy works. And I remember my sin all the
days of old. David said, it causes me to meditate
on all thy works. I muse or ponder or wonder on
the work of thy hands. On the work of thy hands do I
look to the Lord. When sin and guilt depresses
us, our only recourse is to repent. refreshing word of the Lord that
reveals unto us that our salvation is by the work of His hand, not
ours. Turn to Psalm 92. Psalm 92. I think we looked at this recently,
Psalm 92, verse four. Our only recourse for refreshing
from our guilt that weighs us down IS THE WORK OF HIS HAND. WE DON'T LOOK TO OUR OWN WORKS
FOR ASSURANCE, DO WE? OH, WHAT A MISERABLE PLACE THAT
WOULD BE. LOOK AT PSALM 92, VERSE 4, FOR THOU, LORD, HAST MADE
ME GLAD THROUGH THY WORK. I WILL TRIUMPH IN THE WORKS OF
THY HANDS. O LORD, HOW GREAT ARE THY WORKS,
AND THY THOUGHTS ARE VERY DEEP. IN THE WORK OF HIS HAND. YOU
SEE, SALVATION IS NOT BY WHAT WE HAVE DONE, BUT WHAT HE HAS
DONE. REMEMBER THE LORD PRAYED, I FINISHED, HE PRAYED TO THE
FATHER, I FINISHED THE WORK HE GAVE ME TO DO. I'VE GOT ON THE
SCHEDULE OF PREACHING THROUGH THE PSALMS. I'VE GOT JOTTED DOWN
SOMETIME THIS MONTH. I HOPE TO BE ABLE TO BRING A
MESSAGE FROM PSALM 111. BECAUSE PSALM 111 SAYS HIS WORK
IS HONORABLE AND GLORIOUS. HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.
HE HATH MADE HIS WONDERFUL WORKS TO BE REMEMBERED. THE LORD IS
GRACIOUS AND FULL OF COMPASSION. HE HAS SHOWED HIS PEOPLE THE
POWER OF HIS WORKS. THE WORKS OF THY HAND ARE VERITY
AND JUDGMENT. ALL THE COMMANDMENTS ARE VERY
SURE THEY STAND FAST FOREVER. I love that number because I
can't mess it up. No matter how I turn it around,
it's always 111. I have trouble with numbers. You probably haven't noticed
that. The salvation we enjoy is not by our works, but rather
the work of His hand, and that makes to us BECAUSE SALVATION'S
ALL THE WORK OF HIS HAND BECAUSE HE SAID IT'S FINISHED. WHAT DOES
THAT MEAN TO US? THAT MEANS SALVATION'S A FREE
GIFT OF GOD. NOT A WORK LEST ANY MAN SHOULD
BOAST. NOW LOOK AT VERSE 6. VERSE 6, I STRETCH FORTH MY HANDS
UNTO THEE. MY SOUL IS THIRSTY. THE SOUL OF MAN DOESN'T THIRST
FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS IN CHRIST. IN THE BOOK OF JOB, GOD SAID
THAT YOU DRINK INIQUITY LIKE THE WATER. BUT DAVID SAID, MY
SOUL THIRSTETH AFTER THEE AS A THIRSTY LAMB. AS THE DEER PANTS AFTER THE WATERBROOK. YOU REMEMBER PSALM 42? I believe
it's Psalm 42. As the heart panteth after the
water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth
for God, the living God. When shall I come and appear
before him? By nature, we don't thirst after
him. We don't thirst for that and desire that living water.
He has to make us thirsty. THE THIRST OF FAITH IS ONLY QUENCHED
BY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. REMEMBER ISAIAH 55? HOE EVERYONE
THAT IS THIRSTY, COME TO THE WATER AND DRINK. HE TOLD THE WOMAN AT THE WELL,
YOU DRINK OF THAT NATURAL WATER, YOU'RE THIRSTY AGAIN, BUT YOU
DRINK OF THE WATER THAT I WILL GIVE YOU, THERE WILL BE A WELL
OF WATER SPRINGING UP INTO EVERLASTING LIFE. REMEMBER WHAT SHE SAID? Lord, give me that water. I want
that water. That's the water I want. It's
only by his grace that we thirst after him. Only by his grace. He is the
water of life. He is the water of life unto
us. Water is very, very necessary
for physical life. The Lord stood and cried, if
any man thirst, Let him come unto me and drink. You thirsty? Go to him. Go to him. I read a statement today. It's
the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing. You
remember those folks? They said, well, that's a hard
saying. Who can hear it? And then he said, no man can
come to me except it were given to him of the father. I read
this today by one old preacher. He said, the new birth is not
accomplished by man's movement toward God. The new birth is
not accomplished by man's movement toward God, but God's movement
toward him in his heart. That's it, isn't it? HE NIGH
THEM OF A BROKEN HEART, SAVE US SUCH AS BE OF A CONTRITE SPIRIT.
GOD MUST COME TO US. THANK GOD HE'S SEEKING HIS SHEEP. THANK GOD HE'S ON THE TRAIL OF
HIS SHEEP, AND HE WILL FIND EVERY ONE OF THEM, PUT THEM ON HIS
SHOULDER, AND CARRY THEM ALL THE WAY TO GLORY. PSALM 143,
VERSE 7. NOW HEAR ME SPEEDILY. RIGHT NOW
I NEED HELP. O LORD, MY SPIRIT, My spirit
within me is failing. Don't hide your face from me. Lest I be like unto them that
go down to the pit. My spirit, David said, you hear
me now because I'm a failure. Now here's the thought. God cannot
fail. We're failures. He cannot fail. You remember Isaiah 42, 4? He
cannot fail nor be discouraged. God will not fail us when our
spirit fails, falters, and is overwhelmed with our sin. He is faithful. He said, I'll
never leave thee. I'll never forsake thee. Mercy
has wings to it healed when misery is in its extreme. You remember
Jeremiah lamented, when he saw the city of Jerusalem being destroyed
before his very eyes, and he said, it's only because of the
Lord's mercies we're not consumed. They're new every morning. You think about that. Jeremiah's
watching the destruction of Jerusalem being destroyed, and he said,
Lord, your mercy's new every morning. That's something to think about,
is it not? The glory of God, hide not your face from me. All
the Lord has to do to leave any or any sinner to go to eternal
judgment is what? Just leave him to himself. Just leave him alone. Lord, don't
leave us alone, and he won't. NOT TO HIS COVENANT PEOPLE. DON'T
HIDE YOUR FACE FROM ME. THE FACE OF THE LORD SHINES,
THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHINES IN THE FACE OF THE LORD JESUS
CHRIST. IF YOU DON'T CAUSE ME TO SEE HIM, THERE'S NO HOPE FOR
ME. NOW, VERSE 8, 9, 10, 11, AND
12, DAVID MAKES SEVEN VITAL REQUESTS
UNTO THE LORD. SEVEN VITAL REQUESTS. NOW HERE'S
HIS CRY. WHAT WOULD DAVID CRY FOR? WHAT
WOULD HE PRAY FOR WHEN HE SAID, LORD, HEAR ME NOW. I'M IN TROUBLE. HEAR ME SPEEDILY. I NEED HELP.
WHAT DOES HE PRAY FOR? NOT MORE MONEY, NOT MORE HELP. WHAT DOES HE PRAY FOR? CAUSE
ME TO HEAR YOUR LOVING-KINDNESS. GOD HAS LOVED HIS PEOPLE WITH
EVERLASTING LOVE, THEREFORE WITH LOVING-KINDNESS. does he draw
us unto him. Cause me to hear your loving
kindness. Cause me to hear the good news
of the gospel, his loving kindness toward us. When we were yet without
strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. God commended
his love for us. And while we were yet dead, he
quickened us together. Cause me to hear your loving
kindness in the morning, Lord, for in thee I do trust. You remember Psalm 62, the only
Psalm? Trust in him at all times, ye
people. Pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us.
In thee do I trust. I'm not trusting me, I'm trusting
him all the time. And then he said, not only cause
me to hear, Lord, give me ears to hear your word. And then he
says, cause me to know the way. NOW, IF HE DOESN'T CAUSE US,
YOU SEE, THE CAUSE OF SALVATION'S IN HIM. THE FIRST CAUSE OF SALVATION'S
IN HIM. THE SECOND CAUSE OF SALVATION'S
IN HIM. WHAT IS THE THIRD CAUSE OF SALVATION?
IT'S IN HIM. EVERY CAUSE OF SALVATION'S IN
HIM. CAUSE ME TO KNOW THE WAY. THE WAY. NOW, WHEN YOU SEE THE
WAY, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF? THE LORD SAID, THE DISCIPLES
SAID, LORD, SHOW US THE WAY. HE SAID, HAVE I BEEN WITH YOU
SO LONG AND YET YOU DON'T KNOW THE WAY? HE SAID, I AM THE WAY,
THE TRUTH, THE LIFE. NO MAN COME TO THE FATHER BUT
BY AND THROUGH ME. CAUSE ME TO KNOW THE WAY WHEREIN
I SHOULD WALK. HOW SHOULD WE WALK? IT'S A WALK
OF FAITH. WE WALK NOT BY SIGHT, WE WALK
BY FAITH. FOR I LIFT UP MY SOUL UNTO THEE. THEN VERSE 9, THERE'S ANOTHER
REQUEST, DELIVER ME. YOU KNOW THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
IS CALLED THE DELIVERER. HE SHALL DELIVER ALL ISRAEL FROM
THEIR SIN BECAUSE HE IS THE SAVIOR, THE LORD JESUS. DELIVER ME, O
LORD. AGAIN, HE GETS RIGHT BACK TO
HIS ENEMIES. DELIVER ME FROM MYSELF. I'M MY
OWN WORST ENEMY. DELIVER ME FROM MYSELF. DELIVER
ME FROM MY SIN. THANKS BEING THE GOD WHO'S GIVEN
US THE VICTORY THROUGH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. I FLEE UNTO THEE
TO HIDE ME. WHERE DO YOU WANT TO BE FOUND
WHEN THE LORD COMES BACK? WHERE DO YOU WANT TO BE FOUND
WHEN THE LORD'S COME BACK? IN HIM. I want to be found in him. We
count everything else lost that we might win Christ and be found
in him. Verse 10. Teach me. Teach me. Our Lord said, take
my yoke upon you and learn of me. over there in John 6, we
read earlier. He said, all those who have heard
and learned of the Father, they come unto the Lord Jesus Christ.
Teach me to do thy will. Oh, what does that involve? This
is the will of God, that everyone which seeth the Son and believeth
on him may have everlasting life. Lord, teach me to do that will,
to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. For thou art my God,
my God, as Thomas said, my Lord and my God. Thy spirit is good. The Lord is light. In him is
no darkness at all. The Lord is love. He is love,
not a God of love. The Lord is love. And the Lord
is good. He's good. EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM
IS GOOD. NOW, HE PRAYS AGAIN, VERSE 10,
LEAD ME. YOU SEE WHAT HE'S SAYING HERE?
CAUSE ME TO HEAR, CAUSE ME TO KNOW THE WAY, THEN DELIVER ME
FOR CHRIST'S SAKE, THEN HIDE ME, HE'S OUR REFUTE, THEN TEACH
ME, YOU'RE MY GOD, LEAD ME TO THE LAND OF UPRIGHTNESS. NOW,
WHAT WOULD YOU THINK WOULD BE THE LAND OF UPRIGHTNESS? LEAD
ME TO CHRIST, MY RIGHTEOUSNESS. WHAT DOES A GOOD SHEPHERD DO?
OUR LORD IS CALLED THE GOOD SHEPHERD, THE CHIEF SHEPHERD, THE GREAT
SHEPHERD, THE GOOD SHEPHERD WHO LAID DOWN HIS LIFE, THE CHIEF
SHEPHERD THAT'S COMING AGAIN, THE GREAT SHEPHERD OF THE SHEEP
THROUGH THE BLOOD OF EVERLASTING COVENANT. HE LEADS US TO SALVATION
IN CHRIST. GLAD YOU HAVE A SHEPHERD WHO
GIVES US ETERNAL LIFE, WHO CAUSES US TO NEVER PERISH, AND THEN
AGAIN HE SAYS, VERSE 11, QUICKEN ME. REVIVE ME AGAIN. WE SING THAT SONG OFTEN. REVIVE
ME AGAIN. QUICKEN ME, O LORD. WHO ELSE WOULD? WHO ELSE COULD? WHO ELSE IS ABLE? THE FLESH PROPHETS NOTHING. IT'S
THE SPIRIT THAT QUICKENS. QUICKEN ME, O LORD, NOW WATCH
IT, FOR YOUR NAME'S SAKE. FOR CHRIST'S NAME'S SAKE. AND
OF THY RIGHTEOUSNESS' SAKE, BRING MY SOUL OUT OF THIS TROUBLE.
AGAIN, DAVID DOES NOT MAKE ANY APPEAL UPON HIS FAITHFULNESS
OR ABOUT BEING THE GOOD KING. or slaying any enemies of Israel. He says, quicken me for Christ's
namesake, and because of your righteousness, bring my soul
out of trouble. Verse 12, and in thy mercy, thy
mercy. His mercy is everlasting mercy. Remember Psalm, what Psalm is
that? That talks about the mercy of
the Lord, the mercy of the Lord, Let me see if I can find that.
Here it is. Oh, give thanks unto the Lord
for the Lord, he is good. His mercy endures forever, Psalm
136. Oh, give thanks unto the God of God for his mercy endures
forever. Oh, give thanks to the Lord of
Lords for his mercy endures forever. Almost every verse in that Psalm
136 has to deal with the mercy of the Lord. This is the only
ground to stand upon, is it not? The mercy of the Lord. It's good ground. It is good
ground to stand upon the mercy of the Lord. I've chosen for
a closing psalm, Psalm 272. On Christ's solid rock I stand,
all the ground sinking sand. On Christ the solid rock I stand,
on Him I stand, and in Him I stand a rock of ages.