Now we're turning in our Bible
this evening to Psalm 43. And I do pray the Lord will bless
us together as we consider His word, His truth, His gospel.
You know, it doesn't matter where we turn in God's word. whether
it's in Genesis, or Revelation, or through the writings of Moses,
or through the prophets, or the Psalms, or through the epistles,
or through what we call the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,
our message is the same. All scriptures given of God And
all the prophets declare one message, the Lord Jesus Christ
is everything in salvation. He is our wisdom, He is our righteousness,
He is our sanctification, and He is our redemption. Now, in
Psalm 43, I'm taking the title for this message found in verse
2, Thou art the God of my strength. Thou art the God of my strength."
Now, it seems to me that this psalm is a continuation of Psalm
42, because twice in Psalm 42 we find this phrase that is stated
here in Psalm 43, verse 5, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? Why art thou disquieted or troubled
within me? And then this glorious phrase,
hope in God, for I will yet praise Him. That statement is found
twice in Psalm 42. And we know that all Scripture
is God breathed, all Scripture is God given, and it's been preserved
by the mighty hand of God for His covenant people, for His
elect. for his church. This word we
call the scriptures, this word we call the Bible, is God's love
letter to his covenant people, to his church, specially preserved
for them, specially given to them. It's a message from God,
the testimony of God, the will of God concerning salvation in
Christ, and it's given unto us. You think of the great privilege
we have of having God's Word written, given unto us, inspired
of God, for all Scripture certainly is given of God, that the believer
might have comfort and hope in reading and finding God's precious
promises of salvation in Christ. All that God has promised, He
is able to perform And all that God has said will be done, will
be completed. He said, I've spoken it, I'll
bring it to pass, I've purposed it, I will do it. In Romans 15,
4, these words are found, whatsoever things were written aforetime
were written for our learning, were written for our learning,
that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might
have hope. We might have hope. We know the
object of faith is the Lord Jesus Christ, but the foundation of
faith is based upon not feelings, not emotion, it's based upon
the word of truth. Our Lord said heaven and earth
will pass away, but my word will never pass away, never pass away. Now, we look to the Lord that
we might glean a few precious gospel nuggets from this psalm
that he might bless it to our hearts and speak through his
word, by his spirit, through his servant to our heart. Now
let's consider verse 1. This is repeated also, verse
1 in Psalm 26 verse 1, and if David be the writer of this psalm,
don't know that he is, doesn't really matter. All scriptures,
God breathed, God given. Writer declares, judge me, oh
God. Plead my cause against an ungodly
nation, an unmerciful nation. Oh, deliver me. Deliver me from
the deceitful and the unjust man. The believer may rightly
and truly appeal to God's justice appeal to God's righteousness
both in the dealings and the sufferings at the hand of wicked
men and in concerning our sin and God's holy wrath against
our sin. Now, two things here. The Lord
our God will deal justly with those who abuse and misuse God's
people. It's not for us to try to get
even. Turn over here to Romans chapter
12. Our God will deal in due time with the ungodly and those
who oppress God's people and those who persecute believers.
In Romans chapter 12, look what it says in verse 17. Recompense
to no man evil for evil, Romans 12, 17. Provide things honest
in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as
lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved,
avenge not yourself, but rather give place unto wrath, for it
is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. We submit unto the Lord's will
in these matters, knowing that he will do right in due time.
Therefore, he says in verse 20, If thine enemy hunger, feed him. If he's thirsty, give him drink.
Now, I believe we can take that in two senses. Naturally speaking,
if a man is hungry, well, you can feed him. But if he's thirsty,
you can give him drink. But the best thing to do with
those who are opposed to the gospel of God's grace is feed
them with a diet of the bread of life, the Lord Jesus Christ,
and point unto them where true spiritual water is found in the
Lord Jesus Christ. For when doing so, thou shalt
heap coals of fire upon his head." That is kindness and warmth through
the gospel. Be not overcome of evil, but
overcome evil with good. So we can truly appeal to God's
justice God's righteousness that he will deal with those who are
opposed to the gospel in due time. But here's a second thought,
most importantly and mainly, the believer can plead God's
justice and appeal to God's righteousness to deal with our sin against
God, for all sin is against God. As David said, against thee and
thee only have I sinned, and none this evil in thy sight. We can appeal to God's justice
and God's righteousness to deal with our sin, because the Lord
Jesus Christ has satisfied God defended justice, being made
sin for us. He has redeemed us from the curse
of the law, being made a curse for us. God made him sin for
us, that substitution that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. We complete God's justice and
God's righteousness to deal with our sin as our substitute died
in our room and in our stead. The Lord Jesus Christ, because
He accomplished salvation for us, has freely imputed to all
His elect an eternal and justifying righteousness before God Almighty."
Now, that's the blessedness of the gospel. Blessed is a man
to whom the Lord imputeth righteousness without works. And we can say
through the gospel, judge me. That is, judge my sin in my substitute,
the Lord Jesus Christ." That's the only way that I want anything
to do with God. Judgment is in Christ Jesus. Judge my sin in my substitute,
the Lord Jesus Christ. But we read in 1 Peter 1, verse,
1 Peter chapter 3, verse 18 rather, that
Christ once suffered for our sins, the just for the unjust,
that He might bring us unto God. And that's what happened at Calvary.
Judgment fell on Christ. And as God's people were in the
Lord Jesus Christ, judgment fell on us. So we can say through
Christ in the gospel, my sin has been judged in Christ and
there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. And
then we can rightly say, plead my cause, plead my cause. Christ ever lives to intercede
for us as our Mediator. He is pleading our cause, and
by His grace, our cause is His cause, the glory of God, the
furtherance of the gospel. The Lord Jesus is able to save
to the uttermost all that come to God by Him, seeing that He
ever lives to make intercession for us. Judge me in Christ. Plead my cause, because Christ
ever lives to intercede for me. And then thirdly, He says, deliver
me. Deliver me. The Lord Jesus Christ
has And He will deliver me from all my sin. I want you to find
in your Bible, 2 Corinthians chapter 1, 2 Corinthians chapter
1, deliver me. Oh, we need deliverance. You
know the Lord Jesus Christ is called the Deliverer, who shall
deliver all His people from their sin. he has delivered us and
he will deliver us I want 2nd Corinthians chapter 1 2nd Corinthians
chapter 1 look at verse 9 2nd Corinthians
1.9 but we had the sentence of death in ourselves that we should
not trust in ourselves but in God which raiseth the dead who
delivered us from so great a death And he doth deliver, in whom
we trust that he will yet deliver us from all our sin. He is our deliverer. Now, Psalm 43, verse 2. Judge me, plead my cause. Deliver me from the deceitful
and unjust man. I think we can say, Lord, deliver
me from myself, for I am the deceitful and I am the unjust
man. Deliver me from my sin. And thank God by His grace, He's
had mercy on this poor sinner. And I pray that He will upon
your soul as well. Notice verse 2. Thou art my God. Deliver me, because Thou art
my God. Redeem me, and that's what redemption's
all about. Redemption's about deliverance. Deliver me, redeem me, save me,
for Thou art the God of my strength. Thou art the God of my strength.
Now why dost thou cast me off? Why do I go mourning? Because
of the oppression of my enemies. Now notice that this is David's
writing. It could be. Certainly a faithful
believer who experienced the deliverance by God's grace through
Christ Jesus. But notice the confidence here.
For thou art the God of my strength. It's not, you might be my strength
or you could be my strength. It is thou art my strength. Confidence. Confidence. Not in
us, but in Him. We can say with the Apostle Paul,
I know whom I have believed and I'm persuaded that he's able
to save. He's able to save. We know whom
we have believed and he is able to save. to the uttermost. Thou art the God of my strength. I know. I have no hope of salvation
but in Christ Jesus alone. Now find Psalm 28, 8 and 9. Psalm
28, verse 8 and 9. He repeats this statement again.
The Lord is their strength He is the saving strength of
his anointed. Save thy people, bless thine
inheritance, feed them also, and lift them up forever. Another place we read this is
Psalm 73. Turn over there. Thou art the
God of my strength. Psalm 73, verse 25. Whom have
I in heaven but thee? There is none upon the earth
that I desire beside Thee. My flesh and my heart faileth,
but God is the strength of my heart, and He is my portion forever."
Psalm 84 verse 5, I believe this is stated again, and it is throughout
all the Scripture. In Isaiah chapter 12 it says
the same thing, God is my strength, my song, and my salvation. But
here in Psalm 84 verse 5, blessed is the man whose strength is
in thee, in whose heart are the ways of them. The Lord Jesus
Christ is our strength. He's the strength of our salvation,
for salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of the Lord from
A to Z, from beginning to end, all the way in between. Every
aspect of salvation, from election to glorification, salvation is
of the Lord. It belongs to the Lord. He is
the strength of our salvation. He is the glory of our salvation. He is the power of our salvation. Apostle declared in Romans 1,
I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It's the power of
God, the strength of God unto salvation to everyone that believes
the gospel. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
strength of our salvation. I trust you can say, sitting
here this evening, for thou art the God, thou art the God of
my strength. He's the strength of our salvation
for salvations of the Lord. The strength of our salvation
comes from Thee, from Him alone, from the Lord, and the strength
of our salvation is from the Lord, comes from the Lord, but
most importantly, it is in Him. For salvation is not in the church,
salvation is in a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation
is in Him. Now, I've jotted this reference
down, Psalm 118. Psalm 118. And this is exactly what is said
in Isaiah 12, Psalm 118. The Lord is my strength and my
song and is become my salvation." The voice of rejoicing and salvation
is the tabernacle of the righteous. The right hand of the Lord doeth
valiantly. The right hand of the Lord is
exalted. The right hand of the Lord doeth
valiantly. Thanks be to God who has given
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Thou art the God
of my strength, the God of my salvation. Hope thou in God. Now this strength here is not
physical muscle and physical power, is it? The power to accomplish
fleshly things, but rather spiritual strength to rest in the Lord,
to forsake all confidence in the flesh, and to rest in the
Lord, and to find our hope in Him alone. Now, I want you to
turn to a couple places in, first of all, let's turn to Ephesians
chapter 3. When the Apostle Paul prays for the church, he doesn't
pray for their spiritual or rather for their physical well-being
or their physical strength. He prays that they may be strengthened
inwardly. Notice in Ephesians chapter 3
verse 14 it says, For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven
and earth is named, that he would grant you according to the riches
of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the
inner man. That which is born of the flesh
is flesh. That which is born of the spirit
is spirit. That we might grow in grace and
in the knowledge of Christ in that inner man, in that new man
created in Christ Jesus. Now find 2 Corinthians chapter
4 verse 16. For the which cause, he says,
verse 15 in 2 Corinthians 4, all things are for your sakes,
that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many
redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not,
though the outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed
day by day. Now, when we are weak, And when
we are whittled down to nothing, when we are stripped and laid
bare, and when we know that all flesh is grass, that's when we
are strong. When we are whittled down to
nothing. And a growth in grace. Now, let's
turn to one other scripture found in 2 Corinthians. You know, a
growth in grace How do you know if you're growing in grace? Well,
I think it's seen in this, if you find 2 Corinthians 12. 2
Corinthians 12. As you grow in grace, you have
a greater and greater esteem and appreciation for the Lord
Jesus Christ and all that He is and all that He has done,
and you have a greater awareness of the sinfulness of your own
sin. As we grow in grace, we realize
more of our own wickedness before God. And as we know more of ourselves
and learn more of Christ, He gives us faith to rest on Him
and to find no confidence or strength or hope in the flesh.
Now, look what he says here in 2 Corinthians chapter 12. 2nd
Corinthians chapter 12. Paul here had a trial. He called
it a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet
me lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought
the Lord three times that it might depart from me. But he
said unto me, my grace, God's grace is sufficient for my strength
is made perfect in weakness. Now, when we think we're strong
in ourselves, we are most deceived. But when we realize that what
we are in the flesh is nothing but flesh, vile, wretched, and
sinful weakness, most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory
in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in
infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecution,
in distresses for Christ's sake, for when I'm weak, that's when
I'm strong." He is the God of our strength. When we realize
all that we have, you think about this now, all that we are, sinners
saved by His grace. All that we know, He taught us
by His sovereign revelation. All that we ever will be, we
can say with the Apostle Paul, I am what I am by the grace of
God. We owe it all unto our God and
our strength alone. That's growing in grace. One
of our ladies walked out the door this morning after the worship
service, and she said, I'm seeing more and more of my sinfulness
before God. And I said, that's growing in
grace. That's growing in grace. Because it gives us greater confidence
in Him when we see the wickedness of our old flesh, our old flesh. And David here, if he's a writer,
has this statement, Why dost thou cast me off? Why do I go
mourning? Because of the oppression of
my enemies. Now there are many reasons why
the Lord should cast us out. Why we should go mourning? Because
of our sin, because of our iniquity. And there are times when we may
feel that the Lord has forsaken us. Especially when sudden calamities
and tragedies and trials come our way. And sometimes we are
tempted to say, with David, as he says in Psalm 77, Lord, are
your mercies clean gone? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Oh no. Oh no. He has forsaken
us, maybe for a little while, that He might draw us to Himself
with everlasting kindness. Thanks be to God, He has promised
to never forsake us, to never cast us out, to never leave us. He said, Lo, I am with you always,
even to the end of the earth. Don't turn, but let me just get
this for you. I often remind myself of this
scripture here, found in Isaiah 41.10, Fear thou not, for I am
with thee. God will not finally and fully
forsake his people. He may withdraw his Presence,
if you want to put it that way, not that He really does, but
the sense of His presence to teach us how dependent we are
upon Him. But here in Psalm, or rather
Isaiah 41 verse 10, Fear thou not, for God said, I am with
thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy
God. I will strengthen thee, I will
uphold thee, I will help thee, I will hold thee with the right
hand of my righteousness. Fear not, Fear not, I am with
you always." So we are to trust his word, not our feelings. Now, the Lord said to the disciples
upon his departing in his resurrected glory, he said, go preach the
gospel to all creatures, knowing that I have all power, all authority. And then he said, lo, I'm with
you always. I'm with you always. Now, people say, well, I don't
feel the Lord's presence. He didn't ask you to feel His
presence. He asked us to believe His Word. I'm with you always,
even to the end of the earth. He'll never leave us. He'll never
forsake us. I'm reminded of the words of
Martin Luther, where he said feelings come and feelings go
and feelings are deceiving my warrant is a word of God nothing
else is worth believing so I'll trust his unchanging word till
soul and body sever the words of man will pass away God's word
abides forever forever Now, I like verse 3 of Psalm 43. Verse 3 of Psalm 43. Oh, send
out thy light, send out thy truth, and let them lead me. Let them
bring me. Light and truth does bring us
to one place, His holy hill. I'm not talking about a certain
mountain, but a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. and to thy tabernacle. Then will I go unto the altar
of God, and to my God with exceeding joy, yea, upon the harp will
I praise thee, O God my God. Now, let's consider verse 3 for
a moment. Trials that are sent our way
come from the loving hand of our gracious Father, and they're
working for our eternal for our eternal good. Whom the Lord loves,
He chastens. and scourges every son whom he
receiveth." These are but light afflictions, the Apostle calls
them, that work not against us, but they work for us. They work
for our eternal good. Oftentimes, trials are sent our
way to remind us and to teach us of our total dependence upon
the Lord and to cause us to cry out unto Him. who works all things
after the counsel of his will. So we cry with David, O send
out thy light and thy truth. The more terrible the storm,
the more necessary the anchor. And he is our anchor. And we
can say with Job, I trust that though he slay me, yet I'll trust
him. So we pray with David, O Lord
send out thy light and send out thy truth and let them lead me. I think this is a meat of this
psalm here. Let's see if we can glean a few
gospel nuggets here. Send out thy light and thy truth.
Now when you think of light and truth, you have to think of him
who is light. I am the light of the world.
And the Lord Jesus Christ certainly is truth. He's truth personified. Delightful and comprehensive
words that describe salvation in Christ Jesus. Light and truth. Christ is that light. He's the
light of life. He is the light of salvation.
And thank God, He finds us in the dark. and he commands the
light to shine out of darkness in our heart to cause us to see
the glory of God. the glory of God's love, the
glory of God's mercy, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He commands the light to shine.
He calls us out of darkness into His marvelous light. We have
been translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom
of God's dear Son. So we pray by His grace, O Lord
send out thy light. And in the light of life we see
Christ who is the truth. and let thy truth lead me." Send
out light, send out truth, and let them, let them be my guide,
let them be my shepherd, for the Lord Jesus Christ is that
truth. Adam lost in the garden, the
way, the truth, the life. The Lord Jesus Christ Is that
and much more where sin abounded grace does much more about he
said I am the light I am the truth I am the way He does reveal
unto us himself as the truth of salvation Our lord said you
shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free He's
not only the true god, but also the whole truth of salvation
and nothing but the truth. Oh Lord, send out thy light and
thy truth. In the time when I go mourning,
in the time when I'm oppressed with my sin, in the time when
I feel I'm cast off, is God's mercy cling gone? Oh Lord, send
thy light and let it illuminate in my heart. Send thy truth and
let me see truth personified in the Lord Jesus Christ. And
then he says, let them, light and truth, Christ himself, lead
me. being led by the Good Shepherd,
the Chief Shepherd, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, believers
will never be lost again. He is our Great Shepherd. He
found us lost in sin, dead and in darkness, but now being led
by the light and the truth, we shall never perish in our sin
because He is perish in our sin because the scriptures teach
he that hath a son hath life hath life I was thinking of this
scripture on the way down and found in Isaiah 55 if you want
to turn there and maybe you want to make a notation in your Bible
light and truth does lead us to Christ and he is called here
in Isaiah 55 verse 4 behold I've given him for witness to the
people a leader and commander he's our leader and he's our
commander let light and truth lead me unto Christ and it does
let them bring me into thy presence he says there unto thy holy hill
unto thy holy hill God now why is the holy hill the holy hill
here mentioned. Turn back to Psalm 2. It's not
to a place, but rather to a person, because it says here in Psalm
2, verse 6, I've set my King upon my holy hill, Zion. So light and truth brings us
unto the Lord Jesus Christ. Let them lead me and bring me
unto thy holy hill and to thy tabernacles." It's a place where
God's presence dwells. Then verse 4, then Psalm 43 verse
4, then, then, I go to the altar of God. Now what happened upon
the altar of God? Sacrifice. Sacrifice for sin. being led by light and truth
that leads us and brings us to Christ, we will see that the
altar of God is the sacrifice of God. Unto God my exceeding
joy, yea, upon the harple I praise thee, O God my God. Then I'll go unto the altar of
our God. unto the sacrifice provided by
God, Christ in Him crucified, for Christ is both altar, sacrifice,
and priest, and the God to whom the sacrifice is made, for He
is all and in all." God forbid we should glory save in the cross
of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm determined not to know anything
among you but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Being taught by
the light, being illuminated by the light of the Holy Spirit,
being led by the truth of God's Word unto the Lord Jesus Christ
who is our truth, He leads us and brings us unto Christ and
to that glorious sacrifice made on our behalf that satisfies
God's holy law and justice that we have offended. against God
then I'll go unto my God with exceeding joy with exceeding
joy unto God my God with exceeding joy for Christ himself the Lord
Jesus Christ himself is our joy of salvation You take the Lord
Jesus Christ away from salvation and you don't have any salvation.
You have despair of any hope. Christ himself is all our joy.
He is a fountain of joy, the giver of joy, the maintainer
of joy. But Christ himself, we do rejoice
in Christ himself. Then it says, I will praise thee. Oh God, my God. He's a God of
my life. the rock of my salvation, Christ
is our foundation and upon him we rest. Back in Psalm 42 verse
9, turn over there. I will say unto God my rock. He's our rock and he is our foundation. Now in closing let's look at
the last verse of Psalm 43. Why art thou cast down, O my
soul? Why art thou disquieted? And that word there, disquieted,
means troubled, upset, raging within me. And David's fear is
settled by his faith and he answers his own question, hope thou in
God for I will yet praise him who is the strength, the health
of my salvation and my God. Why should we be cast down? Why should we question or be
questioning our great God and Savior who works all things after
the counsel of his own will. Why art thou disquieted, troubled? Why do we uproar and raging rather
than submitting and bowing? David answers his own question,
hope thou in God. Hope thou in God. Romans 15 verse 13 says, Now
the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing
that you may abound in hope through the power of God, the Holy Spirit. I will yet praise Him who is
the deliverance, the victory, and all of our salvation. My
God, my strength, my hope, send out thy light and thy truth.