A Song of Hope

Q: What does the Bible say about fear and hope in Psalm 130?

Psalm 130 contrasts fear in relation to sin and hope in God's grace and mercy. Psalm 130 expresses two opposing passions present in every human experience: fear concerning sin and judgment, and hope found in God's love and mercy. The psalmist David highlights that we can only truly grasp the hope of mercy when we acknowledge the fear of God's judgment against our sins. The fear of the Lord serves as a precursor to the comfort and hope that arises from knowing God's capacity and willingness to forgive. This duality underscores the essential nature of understanding our sinful condition while simultaneously holding fast to the promise of God's unmerited grace.

Q: How do we know God's forgiveness is real?

God's forgiveness is affirmed in Psalm 130, where it states, 'There is forgiveness with thee.' The assurance of God's forgiveness is foundational to Christian faith, as illustrated in Psalm 130. David declares, 'There is forgiveness with thee,' affirming that God's nature is one of mercy and grace. This reality is not merely hypothetical but is rooted in His love and the redemptive work of Christ, who bore our sins. Ephesians 2 encourages believers by reminding us of God's great love and mercy that was demonstrated through Jesus. This forgiveness is concrete and accessible to all who approach Him humbly, recognizing their need for redemption and relying on Christ's atoning sacrifice.

Q: Why is fear of God important for Christians?

The fear of God is essential as it leads to wisdom and a profound respect for His holiness. Fear of the Lord is foundational to wisdom and understanding according to Scripture. In Psalm 130, David illustrates the importance of recognizing God's holiness and the significant gap between His divine nature and our sinful condition. This reverential fear is not merely about being afraid, but about understanding God's rightful place as our Creator and Judge. It compels believers to approach Him not casually but with a heart of humility and repentance. Such fear fosters genuine worship and respect, prompting us to live in a manner that honors Him. A true understanding of who God is deepens our gratitude for His mercy and grace.

Q: How does Psalm 130 express the relationship between sin and redemption?

Psalm 130 highlights that acknowledgment of sin leads to an understanding of the need for redemption. In Psalm 130, the psalmist illustrates the relationship between sin and redemption through an honest expression of fear coupled with a deep yearning for forgiveness. The text elucidates that one cannot fully experience the hope of redemption without first confronting the reality of sin. David recognizes his iniquities and cries out for mercy, knowing that the acknowledgment of sin is followed by the receipt of God's forgiveness. This dynamic shows how it is only through the lens of our desperate need that we can appreciate the magnitude of God's grace, which offers redemption and assures us that we are not beyond the reach of His saving love.

Q: Why should Christians cry out to God from their depths?

Christians are encouraged to cry out to God from their depths as it signifies humility and dependence on His mercy. Crying out to God from our depths embodies an acknowledgment of our utter vulnerability and reliance on His grace. In Psalm 130, David demonstrates this by expressing his struggles and the challenges he faces, emphasizing that authentic prayer comes from a place of desperation and need. This act of crying to God is not one of mere formality; it becomes a heartfelt plea for help, reflecting a position of humility before a holy Creator. Such a posture not only invites God's ear but also opens the way for deeper communion and understanding of His love and mercy in our lives. The act of reaching out in prayer is essential for spiritual growth and sustenance.

I asked you last week to open
your Bibles to my text, and I specially, specially urge you to do that
today. I'm going to be speaking today from the book of Psalms.
I love the Psalms. I love to preach from the Psalms,
especially the Messianic Psalms. And I want you to open your Bibles
to Psalm 130. Psalm 130. Now, there are only
about seven or eight verses in this Psalm. It's a short one,
but it's a powerful psalm. And I believe if you just sit
there by the television, open your Bible, and follow along
with me as I comment on these verses, I believe you'll be helped.
I really do. I believe you'll be blessed,
and I believe you'll be encouraged. I just feel like I have a message
for us today from Psalm 130. Psalm 130, I know that the Word
of God needs no recommendation by mortal men. But one of my
favorite preachers of 500 years ago was Martin Luther. And Martin
Luther was asked one day by his friends to identify, to identify
what he considered the greatest, the greatest of all the Psalms. There are 150 Psalms, aren't
there? Well, these friends said to Martin Luther, which do you
think are the greatest of all the 150 Psalms? And he said Psalm
32, Psalm 51, and Psalm 130. Psalm 130 was his favorite. Here in Psalm 130, the Psalmist David, the sweet singer
of Israel, the king of Israel, the man after God's own heart.
David sets forth in this psalm. Do you have it there now? Psalm
130. David sets forth in this psalm two opposite passions. Two opposite passions. Two powerful
passions. One is fear. Fear. And one is hope. Fear and hope. That's what he sets forth in
this psalm. Fear. Fear in respect to our sins. Fear in respect to our nature
of sin. Fear in respect to the judgment
of Almighty God. Fear. He deals with fear. And
then he deals with hope. Hope in respect to God's grace. Hope in respect to God's love. Hope in respect to God's nature. of mercy. God is love. God is just. God is holy. God is righteous. Thank God. He is love. Fear and hope. Fear in respect to our nature
of sin and hope in respect to God's nature of mercy. Now this
psalm records the true experience of every person every person
who knows himself, who truly knows himself, and who knows
the living God. It doesn't matter to me who it
is, but everybody out there in the pulpit of the pew of the
world, wherever, who knows himself and knows God Almighty, this
psalm records his experience. You see, no man, no man can know
the hope of mercy who has not experienced the fear of judgment
against his sins. Now, did you get that? No man,
I don't care who it is, can know the hope of mercy and the hope
of grace who has never experienced the fear of judgment against
his sins. You see, Christ didn't come to
call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Jesus Christ came
into the world not to save good people. He came to save sinners. He said, He said, the angel said
to Joseph, call his name Jesus. When he announced the birth of
the Son of God, he said, call his name Jesus. He shall save
his people from their sins. I don't know why people are reluctant
to admit they're sinners. The one thing that makes them
a candidate for God's mercy is the fact they're sinners. I don't
know why people hesitate to own up to the fact and admit the
fact that they're sinners. Your sins won't keep you from
God. God delights to show mercy. He's
plenteous in redemption. Christ is the friend of sinners.
He came to seek and to save the lost. He died for the ungodly. God commended his love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Your sins won't keep you from God. Your righteousness will. Your so-called goodness will
because it doesn't exist. Your righteousness is, oh, keep
you from God, but not your sins. He said, I didn't come to call
the righteous. I came to call sinners to repentance. My friends,
a person who's never been a sinner has never been saved. A person
who's never been lost has never been found. If you miss Holy Spirit conviction
of sin, you're going to miss repentance. And Christ said,
except you repent, you'll perish. And if you miss repentance, you're
going to miss faith. Because repentance and faith
are inseparable. And if you miss faith, you're
going to miss Christ. The gospel of Jesus Christ is
good news for sinners. He said, I came to save the lost.
I came to heal the gift sight to the blind. I came to preach
the gospel to the poor. He said, I came to set at liberty
the captives. The gospel is good news to sinners. The gospel has no power and no
meaning for those who are not sinners, who do not feel the
guilt and fear of sin. Do you see what I'm saying? And
these two things are dealt with in this psalm. That's what makes
it so great. Fear. Fear. Fear of sin. Fear of judgment. Fear of condemnation because
of sin. Fear of the wrath of God. But
hope. Is there hope for sinners? Depth
of mercy, can there be? Mercy still reserved for me? Can my God his wrath forbear? And me, the chief of sinners,
is there chief of sinners out there? Paul thought he was. He
said, Christ came to save sinners of whom I'm chief. He said, I'm
not worthy to be called an apostle. I'm less than the least of all
the saints. David said, my sins are ever
before me. Me, the chief of sinners, spare?
Look at it, Psalm 130, verse 1. This will bless you. Psalm 130, verse 1. Out of the depths, out of the
depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. Now like us, David had
many depths, many valleys. He said he walked through the
valley of the shadow of death. Who knows when, who knows where
he wrote these words, out of the depths. I've cried unto thee,
O Lord." Where was he? When was it? I don't know. Maybe
it was when he was out there on the mountains running from
Saul, running from the wrath of the king. Thought God and
everybody else had deserted him. I don't know. That may have been
it. Out of the depths. Maybe it was when he sinned so greatly
with Bathsheba and killed Uriah and was grieving over his sins
against God. Maybe that's when it was. Out
of the depths. Perhaps it was when his rebellious
son, Absalom, lay dead. Absalom was killed, and David
was crying, Oh, Absalom, Absalom, my son, would God have died for
you? Out of the depths. Perhaps when
he numbered Israel. You remember when Joab tried
to talk him out of numbering Israel, and he did it anyway,
and God killed 70,000 men because David numbered Israel? That was
a death. Out of the depths. Do you have
any depths? Out of which to cry? Do you have
any depths? Can you say with David, out of
the depths? You hadn't prayed if you can't
cry out of the depths. Because we approach God from
where we are. Have you any depths? Depths of
sin? Depths of failure? Do you have
any depths of doubt? Do you have any depths of affliction?
Are you ever afflicted? Do you have any depths of infirmities
and weaknesses? Are all your weaknesses strength?
Do you have any depths of depression, loneliness? Do you have any depths
of pride, haughtiness? What shall we do then? Cry unto
the Lord. That's what David did. From where
he is, from where he is, he said, out of the depths, out of the
depths of my nature, out of the depths of my failure, out of
the depths of my doubt, out of the depths of my fear, out of
the depths of my affliction, O Lord, O Lord, I cry unto thee."
Look at verse 2. He says, Lord, out of the depths
I cry. And this is what I cry. Lord,
hear my voice. Hear my voice. Let thine ear
be attentive to my voice, to the voice of my supplications.
Now, my friends, I find here, you know, most prayer is not
prayer. A lot of prayer, when I hear people praying, preachers
especially, they sound like to me they're preaching to me, they're
not talking to God. Preaching is not praying. Preaching
is not praying. If you go through the Bible and
read the prayers of believers and the prayers of the prophets
and the prayers of the saints, you'll find these men talking
to God, unaware of anybody listening. And most so-called prayers are
not prayer at all, it's just preaching, stating facts. We
don't inform God, we cry unto God. We cry unto God. And here are the five conditions
to true prayer, right here in these verses. Out of the depths,
I cry unto thee, O Lord, hear my voice, hear my voice, and
let your ear be attentive to the voice of my supplication.
First of all, here are the five characteristics or conditions
to true prayer. First of all, there's a lowly
position. out of the depths I cry unto
thee." That's the beginning of prayer, to find out what we are
and where we are and to whom we speak. And then there's a
fervent appeal. It's a genuine fervent appeal.
David said, out of the depths I have cried. There's no recitation,
there's no repetition. It's no sounding forth of high
sounding phrases. It's crying unto the Lord. With
groaning sometimes it cannot be uttered. I cry unto thee. And then you have a direct petition.
Out of the depths, I cry unto thee. I'm not talking to anybody
else. I'm talking to God. I'm talking
to God. And then you have a reverent
spirit. O Lord, O Lord, O Lord. recognizing his lordship, his
power, his majesty, reverent position. And then you have a
personal need. Hear my voice. Now don't miss
this, and don't miss what this verse is saying, and don't miss
what it applies. Lord, hear my voice. Lord, hear my voice. Let your
ear be attentive to my supplication. Before God, before David asked
God for anything, he asked to be heard. He asked God to hear him. Now
you think of this. Out of the depths of depravity
and sin and depression and fear, I cried, O Lord, unto thee. Lord,
here's my first request. Would you hear me? Would you
hear me? Would you give ear, attention
to my prayer? Whatever gave us the idea that
God's obligated to hear us, I hear people always run around talking
about, let's have a little word of prayer, just like it's a matter
of form, it's a matter of chorus, it's a matter of taking for granted,
let's just have a little word of prayer. My friends, God's
not obligated to hear us. David wrote one time, when I
consider the heavens and the stars and the moon and the things
God's made, what is man that God's even mindful of him? Do we know how holy God is? Do
we know how sinful we are? Shall sinful creatures like us
be heard? Be heard in heaven? Be heard
before the throne? You can't get an audience with
Queen Elizabeth. What makes you think it's so
easy to get one with God? You can't even get an apartment
with George Bush, President of the United States. What makes
you think it's so easy to run into God's presence and start
popping off? Shall evil be received in the presence of holiness?
The prophets of old were always amazed when God heard them or
when God spoke to them. They were amazed. David said,
Who am I? Who am I? What is my house? That
thou should show mercy to such as we are. Oh, I tell you, Lord, he said,
Will you hear my voice? The only one who could ever say,
thou always hearest me, was Christ. And that's what he said. Lord,
Father, thou always hearest me. Now to be heard of God, you've
got to be in Christ. Because he's the one mediator.
Now what's verse 3? Now here's the reason. Here's
the reason. Here's the reason, verse 3. He said, Lord, will
you hear my voice out of the depths? Have I cried unto thee? Lord, hear my voice. Let thine
ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. Here's the
reason, verse 3. If thou, Lord, shouldest mark
iniquity, if God should mark iniquity, if God should charge
the guilty, if God should hold men accountable for all sin,
David says, who shall stand? Who shall stand in his holy presence? Who shall ascend into the hill
of the Lord? Who can stand there? If God should mark every idle
word that you've spoken today, if God should mark, if God should
mark every evil thought that's gone through your mind, if God
should mark every sinful imagination, every carnal act, every selfish
motive, who shall stand? Could you? Could you? Who shall ascend into the hill
of the Lord, said David? Who shall stand in his holy place? And the answer comes back, here
it is, he that hath clean hands and a pure heart, who has never
lifted up his soul to vanity, who has never sworn deceitfully. Who is this? That's what David's
asking. The reason he says, Lord, will
you hear my voice? Will you give attention to the
voice of my supplication? He's saying, for I know that
if you charge iniquity, if you mark iniquity, if you take thought
of every sin, who's going to stand? No one. None but Christ. Dare any of us to stand before
the holiness of God on the basis of our morality? Job couldn't.
Job couldn't. Job said, I've heard of you by
the hearing of the ear, now mine eye seeth thee, wherefore I hate
myself. Isaiah couldn't. He said, I saw
the Lord high and lifted up, and the seraphims cried, holy,
holy, holy, and I cried, woe is me, I'm cut off. Daniel couldn't. He said, when I saw the holiness
of God, my beauty melted into corruption. John on the Isle
of Patmos couldn't. He fell at his feet like a dead
man. Reverence, worship, fear of God. Thank God. Oh, this is not all. If thou, Lord, shouldest mark
who iniquity, who shall stand? Thank God that's not all. For
there's none good, no, not one, none righteous, none that understandeth,
none that seeketh after God. They're all gone after their
own way. Thank God there's a but. Look at verse four, but. Out
of the depths I've cried unto God. Lord, hear my voice. Will
you give attention to my supplication? Oh, I know this. If you were
to mark iniquity, if you were to charge all sin, who can stand? Who shall stand? I can't stand.
But, Lord, but, Lord. Look at verse 4. Mark it with
a red pencil. But, Lord, there is forgiveness
with thee. There is forgiveness with thee. All that David said is true of
us. Sin is in us. Sin is about us. Sin is upon
us. We're guilty. Let's shut our mouths with nothing
to pay. But, but. See here? We're coming right
out of that slew of despond and depression and fear, and we're
rising right into the sunlight of hope, but there's no hope anything good
will be found in me, but there's forgiveness with God. Thank God. Romans chapter 5 says, but God
commended his love toward us in that while we were sinners
Christ died for us. Ephesians chapter 2 says, talks
about what we were, what we are, and he says, but God, but God,
here's the difference, who is rich in mercy for his great love
wherewith he loved us, name your sin, he is able to save to the
uttermost them that come to God by him, able to forgive, but
God, but God, I can't stand, who shall stand, but There's
forgiveness with thee. You see, here's two things you
need to learn. God's willingness to forgive
sin springs from his nature. His nature of love and mercy.
That's the nature of God. God is love. God's power to forgive
sin springs from the obedience and death of his son. You got
that? That's very, very important.
You need to think on those two things. God's willingness to
save is because God is love. That's why He's willing to save.
He could pass you by. But God is willing because God
is love. He loved us, not that we loved
Him. We love Him because He loved us. He's plenteous in mercy.
He delights to show mercy. He takes no pleasure in the death
of the wicked. And his willingness to save is found only in himself
because of his love. And his power to save, that which
enables him to forgive sin and still be just and still be holy
and still be God, that which enables him to show his attribute
of love without compromising his attribute of holiness is
because Christ died for us. He is the person and work of his
Son. You see, he set forth Christ Jesus to be a propitiation, a
mercy seat, that he may be just and justifier. Oh, thank God. But God, there is forgiveness
with thee. You know what that next line
says? That thou mayest be feared. Fear. People tell me, We aren't
to fear God, preacher. We're not to fear God. We're
to love God. You know what you're talking about. You just don't
know what you're talking about. You need to hush. The beginning
of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. The psalmist said, come
and I'll teach you to fear the Lord. One of the charges against
unbelievers is they don't fear the Lord. And in the Old Testament,
men who worshiped God feared the Lord. And this fear is not
a slavish fear, it's a reverence. It's a worship. It's an all. Any man who has seen God in his
holiness will fear the Lord. Any man who has seen God in his
power will fear the Lord. Any man who has seen God in his
great majesty will fear the Lord. It's awesome. Everybody who ever
saw got a glimpse of God's glory They trembled. They trembled.
They trembled in the presence of the Lord. Let me ask you this.
Suppose one person controlled, absolutely controlled, and dispersed
all food, all water, all medical supplies, all jobs, all houses,
all life, and all death. How would you approach him? In fear. In fear. In awe. Trembling. And that's what he says. What
I am is clear. Out of the depths. If you should
mark iniquity, none can stand. But God, there's forgiveness
and mercy and love only with thee. that thou mayest be feared.
All life is from God. All mercy, all grace, all love,
all spiritual food, all spiritual water, all living water, all
life, all glory, that thou mayest be feared. Now note this verse. Note this verse. So I wait for
the Lord, verse 5. I wait for the Lord. My soul
doth wait for the Lord. I'm not going to come down in
front of your church and wait for some great dignitary. I'm
going to get in my closet and wait for the Lord. I'm not going
to wait until some famous evangelist comes to town and tells me what
to do. I'm going to wait for the Lord. I'm going to wait. My soul is waiting for God, and
in his word do I hope, in his word of mercy, in his word of
forgiveness. You see, this is the best posture
and place for a sinner like you and me. I wait before the Lord. My soul doth wait. I wait at
his feet with Mary. I wait at his throne of grace.
I wait at his cross where the blood flowed. I wait at his table
where his body and his blood is revealed. This generation
is deciding. God's sheep are waiting. This
generation is dedicating, rededicating, making professions, but true
sinners are waiting on the Lord. There's mercy with thee. There's
mercy with thee. Therefore, he said, I wait for
the Lord. My soul doth wait for the Lord.
You see, coming to the Lord is not a physical move at all. It
has nothing to do with the hands, it has to do with the heart.
It has nothing to do with the body, it has to do with the soul.
Coming to Christ is not a physical move at all. It's faith. I wait for the Lord. My soul
doth wait for the Lord, verse 6, more than they that watch
for the morning. A soldier standing out on the
battlefield on night watch. What's he waiting on? The daylight. How happy he'll be when that
sun comes up and his fears are blown away. The mother who sits
by the bedside of a very, very sick child. The fever rages through
the night. What's she waiting on? The morning.
David said, I'm going to wait for the Lord more than those
that watch for the morning. Let Israel hope in the Lord,
for with the Lord there is mercy, there is plenteous redemption
with the Lord, and he shall redeem us from all our sins. One day
our Lord came down from the mountain, and a leper ran and met him.
And that leper, incurably ill, fell on his face, fell on his
face at the feet of Christ He knew what condition he was in.
He knew what awful, awful condition he was in. He knew the inability
and the impossibility of his ever becoming better. He knew
his death was imminent. He fell on his face at the feet
of Christ, the almighty, eternal, omnipotent Son of God, and looked
up into his face as he worshipped him and feared him. And he said,
Lord, if you will, you, can make me clean. Now that's where I'll
meet you, at the feet of Christ, as a sinner, and we'll both wait
on the Lord.

A Song of Hope

What does the Bible say about fear and hope in Psalm 130?

How do we know God's forgiveness is real?

Why is fear of God important for Christians?

How does Psalm 130 express the relationship between sin and redemption?

Why should Christians cry out to God from their depths?

Sermon Transcript

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A Song of Hope

What does the Bible say about fear and hope in Psalm 130?

How do we know God's forgiveness is real?

Why is fear of God important for Christians?

How does Psalm 130 express the relationship between sin and redemption?

Why should Christians cry out to God from their depths?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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