WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.540 So let's hear and read together from God's Word. 00:00:06.540 --> 00:00:09.220 Psalm 40 to the choir master, and it's a psalm of David. 00:00:09.220 --> 00:00:10.419 And it's a psalm of David. 00:00:12.900 --> 00:00:15.380 I waited patiently for the Lord. 00:00:16.140 --> 00:00:18.679 He inclined to me and heard my cry. 00:00:19.500 --> 00:00:23.300 He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, 00:00:23.820 --> 00:00:29.060 and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:34.020 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. 00:00:34.100 --> 00:00:38.539 Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord. 00:00:40.039 --> 00:00:43.000 Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, 00:00:43.539 --> 00:00:48.539 who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie. 00:00:49.480 --> 00:00:55.299 You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts towards us. 00:00:55.560 --> 00:00:58.340 None can compare with you. 00:00:58.340 --> 00:01:04.700 I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told. 00:01:05.980 --> 00:01:08.800 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, 00:01:09.560 --> 00:01:15.180 but you have given me an open ear, burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. 00:01:16.520 --> 00:01:17.359 Then I said, 00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:19.300 Behold, I have come. 00:01:19.500 --> 00:01:21.740 In the scroll of the book it is written of me. 00:01:21.960 --> 00:01:24.400 I delight to do your will, O my God. 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:26.640 Your law is within my heart. 00:01:27.719 --> 00:01:31.380 I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation. 00:01:31.600 --> 00:01:35.800 Behold, I have not restrained my lips as you know, O Lord. 00:01:36.580 --> 00:01:39.620 I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart. 00:01:39.900 --> 00:01:42.920 I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation. 00:01:43.300 --> 00:01:48.840 I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation. 00:01:48.840 --> 00:01:53.980 As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me. 00:01:54.120 --> 00:01:59.400 Your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me. 00:02:00.300 --> 00:02:03.120 For evils have encompassed me beyond number. 00:02:03.859 --> 00:02:06.659 My iniquities have overtaken me and I cannot see. 00:02:07.060 --> 00:02:08.939 They are more than the hairs of my head. 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:10.420 My heart fails me. 00:02:10.419 --> 00:02:13.899 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me. 00:02:14.199 --> 00:02:16.079 O Lord, make haste to help me. 00:02:16.359 --> 00:02:22.339 Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether who seek to snatch away my life. 00:02:23.299 --> 00:02:28.879 Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my heart. 00:02:29.719 --> 00:02:33.839 Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, 00:02:33.899 --> 00:02:34.979 Aha! Aha! 00:02:36.159 --> 00:02:39.639 But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. 00:02:39.639 --> 00:02:43.139 May those who love your salvation say continually, 00:02:43.599 --> 00:02:45.239 Great is the Lord. 00:02:46.759 --> 00:02:52.719 As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. 00:02:53.739 --> 00:02:56.819 You are my help and my deliverer. 00:02:57.659 --> 00:03:00.579 Do not delay, O my God. 00:03:01.039 --> 00:03:06.619 This is God's Word, and to His name be the praise and the glory. 00:03:06.620 --> 00:03:11.680 If you have a Bible, please open it at Psalm 40. 00:03:11.680 --> 00:03:17.439 There may be trouble ahead. 00:03:18.640 --> 00:03:26.080 But while there's music and moonlight and love and romance, let's face the music and dance. 00:03:26.719 --> 00:03:34.760 Well, the composer, songwriter Irving Berlin had perhaps a slightly unorthodox approach to impending trouble. 00:03:34.759 --> 00:03:41.620 Facing the music and dancing may well work if you're Fred Astaire in an old Hollywood musical. 00:03:42.259 --> 00:03:47.699 But in the real world, most of us recognize that a little more is needed if we're going to survive. 00:03:48.439 --> 00:03:51.180 After all, life is not always a bed of roses. 00:03:51.180 --> 00:03:57.280 As believers, we are no stranger to troubles of one kind or another. 00:03:57.740 --> 00:04:06.240 Family problems, bereavement and loss, health issues, workplace stress, relationship difficulties, 00:04:06.680 --> 00:04:14.000 spiritual opposition are all among the kinds of trouble we will inevitably face in this life. 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:21.279 And here in Psalm 40, we discover that it's David who is facing a time of trouble. 00:04:21.420 --> 00:04:28.160 We're not told what that is or what precisely occasioned the composition of this psalm. 00:04:28.740 --> 00:04:31.300 He certainly doesn't mention music and dancing. 00:04:32.259 --> 00:04:37.680 Instead, he speaks about reflecting on God's goodness and grace towards him. 00:04:37.680 --> 00:04:44.180 In all his troubles, he resolves to look to Yahweh, to look to the Lord, and to call on his name. 00:04:44.780 --> 00:04:49.480 His response to trouble is profoundly God-centered. 00:04:50.720 --> 00:04:51.920 It's an intriguing psalm. 00:04:52.519 --> 00:04:56.040 Preachers often focus on the opening verses. 00:04:56.399 --> 00:05:00.460 Frequently, the second half of the psalm is ignored. 00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:06.879 But if the psalm is a singular composition, as I believe it is, we need to deal with it as a whole. 00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:14.639 Indeed, it's only as we do that that we come to see and understand just how David in the psalm 00:05:14.639 --> 00:05:19.040 is trying to help us face our own trials and troubles in this life. 00:05:19.720 --> 00:05:22.800 And the psalm, I think, breaks down into three sections. 00:05:23.319 --> 00:05:30.860 And we begin with verses 1 through 5, and we're going to call this a past deliverance, a past deliverance. 00:05:31.280 --> 00:05:32.280 Look at the opening verses. 00:05:32.279 --> 00:05:34.619 I waited patiently for the Lord. 00:05:34.979 --> 00:05:37.139 He inclined to me and heard my cry. 00:05:37.559 --> 00:05:44.679 He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the mighty bog, and set my feet on a rock, making my steps secure. 00:05:44.819 --> 00:05:48.699 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. 00:05:48.799 --> 00:05:53.139 And many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord. 00:05:54.359 --> 00:06:00.079 So, David immediately launches into an account of some past deliverance. 00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:02.180 Again, we're not told what that was. 00:06:02.479 --> 00:06:04.139 Clearly, it was a significant matter. 00:06:04.139 --> 00:06:12.079 He's remembering an occasion when he knew God's presence and power in an unmistakable fashion. 00:06:12.419 --> 00:06:13.379 He was in deep trouble. 00:06:14.039 --> 00:06:19.439 He was in dire circumstances, and the Lord delivered them, delivered him from them. 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:26.120 In His great mercy, the Lord drew near and transformed, turned around that whole situation. 00:06:26.120 --> 00:06:32.280 And you'll notice that the emphasis here is all upon what the Lord has done. 00:06:32.980 --> 00:06:36.660 David's contribution was only to wait. 00:06:37.019 --> 00:06:38.899 Literally, he says here, waiting. 00:06:39.379 --> 00:06:41.139 I waited on Yahweh. 00:06:41.939 --> 00:06:45.340 That repetition stresses the waiting. 00:06:46.139 --> 00:06:47.920 He waited on the Lord. 00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:48.699 Now, what does that mean? 00:06:48.699 --> 00:06:56.240 Is David saying he simply sat back, he relaxed, he chilled out while he waited for God to appear 00:06:56.240 --> 00:06:57.079 and do His stuff? 00:06:57.159 --> 00:06:57.860 I don't think so. 00:06:58.939 --> 00:07:03.839 You'll notice that this waiting also involved him crying out to God. 00:07:04.399 --> 00:07:07.219 He heard my cry. 00:07:07.860 --> 00:07:12.259 So, this waiting involved David calling out to God for help. 00:07:12.319 --> 00:07:13.319 It involved prayer. 00:07:13.319 --> 00:07:20.920 He's recalling this experience of deliverance, and he remembers how he had to wait while he 00:07:20.920 --> 00:07:22.259 called upon God. 00:07:23.079 --> 00:07:27.139 The answer and the deliverance were clearly not immediate. 00:07:28.219 --> 00:07:30.879 Things were not turned around in an instant. 00:07:31.339 --> 00:07:32.180 He had to wait. 00:07:33.039 --> 00:07:35.180 And sometimes we need to remember that, don't we? 00:07:35.719 --> 00:07:37.860 God's timing is not the same as ours. 00:07:38.259 --> 00:07:41.039 Often He calls upon His people to wait. 00:07:41.040 --> 00:07:44.660 That can be an uncomfortable experience. 00:07:45.319 --> 00:07:46.540 The heavens are as brass. 00:07:46.680 --> 00:07:48.680 Our prayers appear futile. 00:07:48.740 --> 00:07:51.520 The great temptation, isn't it, to throw in the towel. 00:07:52.300 --> 00:07:53.120 What's the point? 00:07:53.220 --> 00:07:54.700 Why doesn't God do something? 00:07:55.120 --> 00:08:01.680 David tells us here, I waited patiently for the Lord, and He heard my cry. 00:08:03.840 --> 00:08:09.280 Sometimes, even in difficult situations, we can feel less than inclined to pray. 00:08:09.279 --> 00:08:15.319 But we must always go to the throne of grace and call on His name. 00:08:16.019 --> 00:08:22.279 We must continually beat a path to our Father's door, knowing that He will never cast us away. 00:08:23.519 --> 00:08:24.959 We must not be silent. 00:08:25.059 --> 00:08:26.500 J.C. Ryle says this, 00:08:26.500 --> 00:08:36.080 The only way to be really happy in such a world as this is to be ever casting all our cares upon God. 00:08:37.659 --> 00:08:44.679 But while David waits and prays, the real emphasis here is on what Yahweh does. 00:08:45.100 --> 00:08:48.840 It's God's action that is highlighted and underscored. 00:08:49.379 --> 00:08:53.960 This past deliverance involved Yahweh doing at least five things here. 00:08:53.960 --> 00:08:55.460 For David, you'll see them in the text. 00:08:56.160 --> 00:08:59.120 The first one, He inclined to me. 00:08:59.680 --> 00:09:02.080 Literally, He turned to me. 00:09:02.480 --> 00:09:04.240 He looked towards me. 00:09:04.440 --> 00:09:06.000 He took notice of me. 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:08.139 He turned His attention to me. 00:09:08.160 --> 00:09:09.180 That's a wonderful thought. 00:09:10.379 --> 00:09:12.920 Yahweh looked my way. 00:09:12.919 --> 00:09:19.500 And we must surely be left with a sense of wonder at this reality. 00:09:20.659 --> 00:09:26.259 The great God of heaven deigns to look our way and to take notice of us in all our troubles. 00:09:28.860 --> 00:09:30.339 And then He heard my cry. 00:09:30.539 --> 00:09:32.139 He didn't just look David's way. 00:09:32.339 --> 00:09:33.360 He heard his cry. 00:09:33.559 --> 00:09:34.139 He listened. 00:09:34.439 --> 00:09:38.079 He inclined both his eyes and his ears to his servant. 00:09:38.339 --> 00:09:39.799 Again, that's a staggering statement. 00:09:39.799 --> 00:09:42.819 He heard my cry. 00:09:42.939 --> 00:09:47.939 If we truly believed that, wouldn't we be more often in the place of prayer? 00:09:49.899 --> 00:09:55.919 And then He drew me up out of the miry bog, the muck and the mire that had so engulfed Him and held Him, 00:09:55.979 --> 00:09:58.359 that He couldn't extricate Himself. 00:09:58.959 --> 00:10:05.799 Despite all His best efforts, this was a circumstance from which He could not get free on His own strength. 00:10:05.799 --> 00:10:06.279 Strength. 00:10:07.339 --> 00:10:08.079 He was stuck. 00:10:08.159 --> 00:10:08.919 He could not move. 00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:10.000 He could not escape. 00:10:10.199 --> 00:10:12.959 But yet the Lord reached down and pulled Him up. 00:10:13.199 --> 00:10:14.959 He lifted Him up out of danger. 00:10:16.679 --> 00:10:20.799 What He was powerless to do, the Lord was able to accomplish. 00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:25.539 And fourthly, He set my feet on a rock. 00:10:26.620 --> 00:10:30.719 Yahweh placed His feet on solid ground, gave Him a firm place to stand. 00:10:31.139 --> 00:10:36.979 No longer did David find himself floundering in the mire, unable to keep upright. 00:10:37.779 --> 00:10:39.799 Now His feet have been set on the rock. 00:10:40.659 --> 00:10:45.639 Where before there was uncertainty, now there is stability and security. 00:10:45.639 --> 00:10:50.840 And He put, fifthly, a new song in my mouth. 00:10:51.559 --> 00:10:56.559 Before there was anxiety and fear, now there is this new song of praise. 00:10:56.840 --> 00:10:57.480 There's delight. 00:10:57.659 --> 00:10:58.220 There's joy. 00:10:58.860 --> 00:11:02.100 And this new song is itself a gift from the Lord. 00:11:02.379 --> 00:11:06.620 David simply cannot keep the news of this deliverance to himself. 00:11:07.580 --> 00:11:12.819 He has to declare the praises of Him who called Him from darkness and uncertainty. 00:11:12.820 --> 00:11:20.000 The darkness and uncertainty of the slimy pit to the stability and light of the solid rock. 00:11:20.660 --> 00:11:24.800 And you'll notice how this new song of deliverance has an impact on others. 00:11:25.440 --> 00:11:28.640 Verse 3, many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord. 00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:34.900 The effect of this deliverance is to encourage others to put their faith in Yahweh. 00:11:34.899 --> 00:11:44.720 As this new song is sung, so many will come to lean on the Lord and discover for themselves His mercy and grace. 00:11:45.939 --> 00:11:54.459 Never forget that singing God's praises from the heart is a powerful testimony and witness. 00:11:54.460 --> 00:12:00.879 It brings blessing to all those who make the Lord their trust. 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:03.300 It's one of the great blessings, isn't it? 00:12:03.800 --> 00:12:08.240 Gathering Lord's Day by Lord's Day, morning and evening, 00:12:09.379 --> 00:12:16.080 in that we are strengthened and encouraged by others, by their presence, by their singing, 00:12:17.080 --> 00:12:19.740 to put our trust in the Lord. 00:12:19.740 --> 00:12:23.480 Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, 00:12:23.899 --> 00:12:28.019 who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie. 00:12:28.259 --> 00:12:33.340 You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts towards us. 00:12:33.539 --> 00:12:35.340 None can compare with you. 00:12:35.620 --> 00:12:39.379 I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told. 00:12:40.740 --> 00:12:44.659 David delights to sing and proclaim God's wondrous deeds. 00:12:44.659 --> 00:12:50.199 And while he does that, he also recognizes that there are too many to recount. 00:12:51.279 --> 00:12:58.919 The testimony of God's people down through the ages is one of deliverance after deliverance after deliverance. 00:13:00.399 --> 00:13:07.819 I love the story of the 19th century Cornish tin miner, Billy Bray. 00:13:08.019 --> 00:13:11.399 He was a notorious drunkard and blasphemer. 00:13:11.399 --> 00:13:17.699 He had a brush with death in a mining accident, and from that moment on, he was brought under conviction of sin. 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:21.720 And one night, in fear for his soul, he called on the Lord for mercy. 00:13:22.079 --> 00:13:30.840 He was wonderfully brought to faith, and he became a most passionate and exuberant preacher of the gospel. 00:13:30.840 --> 00:13:42.580 In fact, so deeply and profoundly did the new song of the gospel fill his heart and mouth that some people would complain about his enthusiastic singing and shouting everywhere he went. 00:13:42.920 --> 00:13:43.800 He caused a stir. 00:13:45.080 --> 00:13:51.840 And one of his favorite responses to those who criticized the volume of his praise was when he would say, 00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:56.620 If they were to put me in a barrel, I would shout glory out through the bunghole. 00:13:56.860 --> 00:13:57.580 Praise the Lord. 00:13:58.960 --> 00:14:03.200 As one old preacher puts it, it's out of the mire and into the choir. 00:14:03.720 --> 00:14:07.379 He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog. 00:14:07.460 --> 00:14:10.800 He set my feet on a rock, making my steps secure. 00:14:11.040 --> 00:14:14.480 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. 00:14:14.480 --> 00:14:20.560 And you see, David's testimony here in this psalm is a repeatable one. 00:14:21.000 --> 00:14:24.879 It doesn't languish simply in the pages of Scripture. 00:14:25.180 --> 00:14:29.300 It isn't just for those who lived long ago back in Bible times. 00:14:29.620 --> 00:14:33.960 These verses are the experience of so many of us as God's people. 00:14:35.039 --> 00:14:40.379 We find ourselves sinking in some kind of trouble, perhaps caused by the malice of others. 00:14:40.379 --> 00:14:42.860 Maybe it was our own waywardness and sin. 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:46.539 But we found we could not extricate ourselves. 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:49.200 We could do nothing. 00:14:50.080 --> 00:14:51.679 And we called out to God. 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:53.559 And He heard our cry. 00:14:54.059 --> 00:14:55.259 And He lifted us up. 00:14:55.980 --> 00:14:57.860 And He gave us a firm place to stand. 00:14:58.439 --> 00:15:00.659 And He put that new song in our mouths. 00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:06.039 And indeed, have there not been times 00:15:06.039 --> 00:15:10.860 when our testimony has been that we were not looking. 00:15:11.579 --> 00:15:12.740 And we were not waiting. 00:15:13.699 --> 00:15:14.679 And we were not praying. 00:15:15.019 --> 00:15:16.539 And we weren't crying out to God. 00:15:17.819 --> 00:15:19.459 And yet, still in His grace and mercy, 00:15:20.599 --> 00:15:23.620 He thrust His arms deep down into the mud and the mire 00:15:23.620 --> 00:15:25.879 and pulled us out to safety. 00:15:27.639 --> 00:15:31.139 Praise the Lord for a past deliverance. 00:15:31.139 --> 00:15:39.240 And then secondly here, we have a personal declaration in verses 6 through 10. 00:15:39.799 --> 00:15:42.759 How do we respond to this marvelous deliverance? 00:15:43.019 --> 00:15:46.879 How does God want us to react to the mercy and the grace that He shows us? 00:15:47.319 --> 00:15:49.679 Well, as David remembers what God did for him, 00:15:49.679 --> 00:15:54.600 he has moved to make a joyful declaration of his commitment to God. 00:15:55.240 --> 00:15:57.819 In sacrifice and offering, you have not delighted, 00:15:57.820 --> 00:16:01.100 but you have given me an open ear, burnt offering, sin offering, 00:16:01.240 --> 00:16:03.080 you have not required, verse 6. 00:16:04.060 --> 00:16:07.020 David realizes that what the Lord delights in 00:16:07.020 --> 00:16:10.060 is not the sacrifices and offerings that He's made to him, 00:16:10.180 --> 00:16:12.400 but rather in His open ear. 00:16:12.480 --> 00:16:14.500 Literally, the Hebrew says, 00:16:14.600 --> 00:16:16.180 the ears you have dug for me. 00:16:16.660 --> 00:16:17.660 Strange expression. 00:16:18.280 --> 00:16:19.240 What's he getting at? 00:16:19.340 --> 00:16:21.520 I think that David is driving at here 00:16:21.520 --> 00:16:24.260 is that the Lord delights those who listen to Him. 00:16:24.940 --> 00:16:26.220 This is what is of importance, 00:16:26.220 --> 00:16:29.300 a submissive receiving of God's Word. 00:16:29.720 --> 00:16:33.360 Sacrifice and offerings can sometimes be viewed 00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:35.639 as a means of trying to win God's favor. 00:16:37.100 --> 00:16:38.800 But what God is really looking for 00:16:38.800 --> 00:16:42.600 are those who are attuned to listening for His voice. 00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:45.899 He's looking for a heart of humble submission. 00:16:46.759 --> 00:16:49.779 Open ears are what is important for this attitude 00:16:49.779 --> 00:16:52.200 that God gives to His servants. 00:16:52.200 --> 00:16:54.820 He gives us ears to hear 00:16:54.820 --> 00:16:58.600 what the Spirit is saying to the churches. 00:16:58.740 --> 00:16:59.640 Here is the heart that says, 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:00.440 Master, speak. 00:17:00.820 --> 00:17:01.780 Your servant hears. 00:17:03.320 --> 00:17:05.319 And then we have these enigmatic words, 00:17:06.200 --> 00:17:07.600 verses 7 and 8. 00:17:07.700 --> 00:17:09.180 Behold, I have come. 00:17:09.580 --> 00:17:10.680 In the scroll of the book, 00:17:10.720 --> 00:17:11.480 it is written of me. 00:17:11.539 --> 00:17:13.279 I delight to do your will, O my God. 00:17:13.400 --> 00:17:15.039 Your law is within my heart. 00:17:15.840 --> 00:17:17.440 What is all this about a scroll? 00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:20.600 Well, again, it's good to remember 00:17:20.600 --> 00:17:23.240 that David is God's anointed king. 00:17:23.960 --> 00:17:27.799 And in Deuteronomy 17, verses 14 through 20, 00:17:27.940 --> 00:17:31.779 there was a regulation laid down for Israel's kings. 00:17:32.039 --> 00:17:34.680 And David understands that this scroll 00:17:34.680 --> 00:17:35.960 that was written was for him. 00:17:36.900 --> 00:17:40.539 The royal job description in God's law is for him. 00:17:41.080 --> 00:17:42.600 In that passage in Deuteronomy, 00:17:42.720 --> 00:17:44.539 there are two things indicated 00:17:44.539 --> 00:17:48.039 that should mark out any future Israelite king. 00:17:48.500 --> 00:17:49.759 They were to be distinctive. 00:17:50.220 --> 00:17:51.779 They were to stand out from others. 00:17:52.220 --> 00:17:53.200 They were to be different. 00:17:55.079 --> 00:17:58.200 The usual perks of Near Eastern kingship 00:17:58.200 --> 00:18:00.180 were not to capture his heart 00:18:00.180 --> 00:18:01.659 and drive his way of life. 00:18:01.879 --> 00:18:04.279 He was to march to the beat of a different drum. 00:18:06.279 --> 00:18:08.379 And secondly, he was to be submissive 00:18:08.379 --> 00:18:10.180 to Yahweh's covenant law. 00:18:10.180 --> 00:18:13.700 That's why in Deuteronomy 17, 18 through 20, 00:18:13.960 --> 00:18:16.160 it says that the king was to write out 00:18:16.160 --> 00:18:18.759 his own copy of the law, read it regularly. 00:18:19.519 --> 00:18:20.320 Why was that? 00:18:20.400 --> 00:18:22.680 It was that God's law would penetrate 00:18:22.680 --> 00:18:26.539 the king's own heart and shape his life and his rule. 00:18:28.060 --> 00:18:29.600 So we have David's words here. 00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:31.259 I delight to do your will. 00:18:31.299 --> 00:18:34.640 Oh my God, your law is within my heart. 00:18:35.180 --> 00:18:36.960 And this is David's response, you see. 00:18:37.299 --> 00:18:38.860 He's going all out for God. 00:18:38.859 --> 00:18:41.019 He's going to be someone who listens to 00:18:41.019 --> 00:18:42.919 and obeys God's Word, 00:18:43.039 --> 00:18:45.240 who allows it to shape his life. 00:18:45.339 --> 00:18:47.579 He delights to do the Lord's will. 00:18:48.339 --> 00:18:50.479 And I think there are echoes here, are they not? 00:18:50.859 --> 00:18:53.539 Those great words of commitment and consecration. 00:18:53.919 --> 00:18:57.240 We find at the opening of Romans chapter 12, 00:18:58.199 --> 00:19:00.539 J.B. Phillips famously translated them, 00:19:01.379 --> 00:19:05.459 with eyes wide open to the mercies of God. 00:19:05.460 --> 00:19:07.960 I think this is David here. 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:11.340 His eyes are wide open to the mercies of God. 00:19:11.880 --> 00:19:16.500 And so he gives himself wholeheartedly in the Lord's service, 00:19:17.220 --> 00:19:19.700 presenting his body as a sacrifice of worship, 00:19:20.019 --> 00:19:22.799 living, holy, pleasing to God. 00:19:22.840 --> 00:19:24.539 He doesn't bring a dead sacrifice. 00:19:24.940 --> 00:19:27.120 He presents himself as a living sacrifice. 00:19:27.559 --> 00:19:29.759 He desires to hold nothing back from God. 00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:34.000 I wonder if this evening, if our eyes are wide open 00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:35.640 to the mercies of God, 00:19:36.839 --> 00:19:40.140 and what is the kind of response that we are making to them. 00:19:41.460 --> 00:19:44.460 And such is David's commitment to and love for God, 00:19:44.539 --> 00:19:46.180 he cannot keep it to himself. 00:19:47.180 --> 00:19:50.640 This personal declaration is also a public declaration. 00:19:51.140 --> 00:19:52.640 He shouts it from the rooftops. 00:19:52.720 --> 00:19:53.519 He tells others. 00:19:53.519 --> 00:19:56.819 It's as if God's loving kindness and faithful love 00:19:56.819 --> 00:19:59.259 simply overwhelms him. 00:20:00.119 --> 00:20:02.220 He's engulfed in the favor of God. 00:20:02.299 --> 00:20:04.000 He's awash in the mercy of God. 00:20:04.740 --> 00:20:05.639 He says in verse 9, 00:20:05.859 --> 00:20:07.819 I've told the glad news of deliverance 00:20:07.819 --> 00:20:09.119 in the great congregation. 00:20:09.339 --> 00:20:11.400 I've not restrained my lips. 00:20:11.980 --> 00:20:15.000 I've not hidden your deliverance away in my heart. 00:20:15.079 --> 00:20:17.900 I've spoken of your faithfulness and salvation. 00:20:17.900 --> 00:20:21.720 I have not concealed your steadfast love 00:20:21.720 --> 00:20:25.200 and your faithfulness from the great congregation. 00:20:26.880 --> 00:20:30.060 There's a reminder here that living faith is always personal. 00:20:33.540 --> 00:20:35.240 It's not private either. 00:20:35.900 --> 00:20:37.019 It's always personal. 00:20:37.160 --> 00:20:37.860 It's never private. 00:20:39.140 --> 00:20:41.680 The reality of the divine deliverance 00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:42.940 is not a secret to be hidden. 00:20:43.540 --> 00:20:45.080 It's good news to be declared. 00:20:45.079 --> 00:20:48.639 And David here is literally telling out the gospel. 00:20:49.339 --> 00:20:50.699 The glad news of deliverance. 00:20:51.240 --> 00:20:52.179 Hadn't been hidden away. 00:20:52.299 --> 00:20:53.259 Hadn't concealed it. 00:20:54.139 --> 00:20:55.439 Openly declared it. 00:20:55.519 --> 00:20:57.039 God's faithfulness and salvation. 00:20:58.779 --> 00:20:59.579 And this is, of course, 00:20:59.639 --> 00:21:01.419 the root and foundation of all living faith. 00:21:01.559 --> 00:21:03.619 Commitment and consecration to God 00:21:03.619 --> 00:21:06.559 arises out of what God has done for us. 00:21:06.919 --> 00:21:08.859 It begins with God, not with us. 00:21:08.919 --> 00:21:11.220 It begins with God's gracious deliverance. 00:21:11.379 --> 00:21:12.799 It all begins with the gospel. 00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:18.359 Commitment rooted in anything else will simply not last. 00:21:18.799 --> 00:21:21.319 Jerry Bridges, in I think it's his book, 00:21:21.419 --> 00:21:23.240 Transforming Grace, writes this, 00:21:23.960 --> 00:21:27.099 An all-out, unreserved, nothing-held-back commitment 00:21:27.099 --> 00:21:30.960 to the pursuit of holiness may be exhausting, 00:21:30.960 --> 00:21:33.400 but it will not be oppressive 00:21:33.400 --> 00:21:36.500 if it is grounded in grace. 00:21:37.539 --> 00:21:39.500 But to be grounded in grace, 00:21:39.819 --> 00:21:43.860 it must be continually referred back to the gospel. 00:21:45.640 --> 00:21:47.319 And friends, that's why the Lord gave us, 00:21:47.400 --> 00:21:48.600 that's why we have the Lord's Supper. 00:21:50.200 --> 00:21:53.420 He wants us to constantly remember 00:21:53.420 --> 00:21:55.299 what He has done for us 00:21:55.299 --> 00:21:57.579 and to never forget it. 00:21:58.279 --> 00:22:01.139 He wants us to have our eyes wide open 00:22:01.139 --> 00:22:03.419 to His mercies 00:22:03.419 --> 00:22:06.180 so that we can never stop speaking 00:22:06.180 --> 00:22:08.919 of the Son of God who loved me 00:22:08.919 --> 00:22:10.799 and gave Himself for me. 00:22:12.799 --> 00:22:14.039 A past deliverance, 00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:17.440 a personal declaration, 00:22:17.440 --> 00:22:19.759 and then thirdly here, 00:22:19.820 --> 00:22:21.519 a present difficulty 00:22:21.519 --> 00:22:23.299 in the final verses of the psalm. 00:22:23.360 --> 00:22:24.360 The third section 00:22:24.360 --> 00:22:26.240 begins with a statement 00:22:26.240 --> 00:22:27.920 of David's confidence in God. 00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:29.840 As for you, O Lord, 00:22:29.940 --> 00:22:31.860 you will not restrain your mercy from me. 00:22:32.080 --> 00:22:34.019 Your steadfast love and your faithfulness 00:22:34.019 --> 00:22:35.460 will ever preserve me. 00:22:35.940 --> 00:22:37.480 He's convinced that Yahweh 00:22:37.480 --> 00:22:39.720 will not hold back His compassions from Him. 00:22:39.840 --> 00:22:42.360 He's confident that the Lord's steadfast love 00:22:42.360 --> 00:22:43.500 and faithfulness 00:22:43.500 --> 00:22:45.580 will continue to keep Him. 00:22:47.440 --> 00:22:50.100 Why does David need to make this affirmation? 00:22:51.460 --> 00:22:53.000 Well, the reason is 00:22:53.000 --> 00:22:54.680 because circumstances have changed. 00:22:55.740 --> 00:22:56.559 Things are different. 00:22:57.360 --> 00:22:57.880 Verse 12, 00:22:58.299 --> 00:22:59.600 we read of these troubles. 00:23:00.600 --> 00:23:02.000 Evils have encompassed me 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:02.840 beyond number. 00:23:03.100 --> 00:23:04.799 My iniquities have overtaken me. 00:23:05.100 --> 00:23:05.840 I cannot see. 00:23:05.920 --> 00:23:07.559 They are more than the hairs of my head. 00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:08.779 My heart fails me. 00:23:12.600 --> 00:23:13.920 Notice that these troubles 00:23:13.920 --> 00:23:15.200 that he mentions 00:23:15.200 --> 00:23:17.519 are both internal and external. 00:23:18.840 --> 00:23:19.279 Internally, 00:23:19.360 --> 00:23:20.759 he speaks of his iniquities 00:23:20.759 --> 00:23:22.240 overcoming him. 00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:23.819 His own sin and guilt 00:23:23.819 --> 00:23:25.600 appear to have brought distress 00:23:25.600 --> 00:23:26.799 to his soul, 00:23:26.880 --> 00:23:27.400 his folly. 00:23:27.720 --> 00:23:29.080 His sin has blinded him. 00:23:29.180 --> 00:23:30.620 It's affected his judgment. 00:23:31.940 --> 00:23:32.319 And yet, 00:23:32.380 --> 00:23:33.460 this present difficulty 00:23:33.460 --> 00:23:35.400 also has this external dimension. 00:23:36.360 --> 00:23:37.299 The danger 00:23:37.299 --> 00:23:39.720 posed by external enemies, 00:23:39.840 --> 00:23:40.440 a common theme. 00:23:40.539 --> 00:23:41.420 Many of the Psalms. 00:23:42.240 --> 00:23:42.860 The same here. 00:23:42.859 --> 00:23:44.379 David feels overwhelmed 00:23:44.379 --> 00:23:45.319 by these evils. 00:23:46.240 --> 00:23:47.419 His enemies are out to get him. 00:23:48.259 --> 00:23:49.779 He's become an object of derision. 00:23:50.079 --> 00:23:51.039 He's looking to the Lord 00:23:51.039 --> 00:23:51.799 to intervene, 00:23:51.939 --> 00:23:53.000 to come to his aid. 00:23:53.919 --> 00:23:54.419 Verse 13, 00:23:54.539 --> 00:23:55.519 be pleased, O Lord, 00:23:55.579 --> 00:23:56.500 to deliver me. 00:23:56.939 --> 00:23:58.139 Make haste to help me. 00:23:58.379 --> 00:24:00.299 Let those who be put to shame 00:24:00.299 --> 00:24:01.139 and disappointed 00:24:01.139 --> 00:24:03.699 who seek to snatch away my life. 00:24:05.319 --> 00:24:06.579 Let those be appalled 00:24:06.579 --> 00:24:08.379 because of their shame 00:24:08.379 --> 00:24:09.599 who say to me, 00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:11.099 aha, aha. 00:24:11.099 --> 00:24:12.740 And you see, 00:24:12.779 --> 00:24:13.379 what's happening is 00:24:13.379 --> 00:24:14.119 this remembrance 00:24:14.119 --> 00:24:16.099 of his own past deliverance 00:24:16.099 --> 00:24:18.099 is a spur to prayer 00:24:18.099 --> 00:24:20.119 as David contends 00:24:20.119 --> 00:24:21.599 with his present difficulties. 00:24:22.639 --> 00:24:23.000 Yes, 00:24:23.219 --> 00:24:24.959 the Lord delivered him wonderfully 00:24:24.959 --> 00:24:26.459 in days past, 00:24:26.959 --> 00:24:28.719 but that does not mean 00:24:28.719 --> 00:24:30.399 an absence of future troubles. 00:24:31.679 --> 00:24:33.619 Alexander McLaren writes, 00:24:33.619 --> 00:24:35.839 are there any deliverances 00:24:35.839 --> 00:24:36.979 in this perilous 00:24:36.979 --> 00:24:38.199 and incomplete life 00:24:38.199 --> 00:24:40.219 so entire and permanent 00:24:40.219 --> 00:24:42.239 that they leave no room 00:24:42.239 --> 00:24:44.299 for future perils? 00:24:45.019 --> 00:24:45.919 Dale Ralph Davis 00:24:45.919 --> 00:24:47.479 puts it rather more succinctly. 00:24:48.259 --> 00:24:50.419 To be lifted out of the muck 00:24:50.419 --> 00:24:51.919 doesn't mean 00:24:51.919 --> 00:24:54.739 there won't be more muck. 00:24:54.740 --> 00:24:57.980 And the life of the believer 00:24:57.980 --> 00:24:58.839 is often one 00:24:58.839 --> 00:25:00.380 in which troubles come 00:25:00.380 --> 00:25:01.400 one after the other. 00:25:01.640 --> 00:25:02.400 No sooner we through 00:25:02.400 --> 00:25:03.259 one difficulty, 00:25:03.559 --> 00:25:04.920 another presents itself. 00:25:06.460 --> 00:25:07.400 It's a reminder 00:25:07.400 --> 00:25:08.079 that this world 00:25:08.079 --> 00:25:08.900 is not our home. 00:25:09.880 --> 00:25:10.940 In this life, 00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:12.819 we are never completely free 00:25:12.819 --> 00:25:13.819 of the muck 00:25:13.819 --> 00:25:14.519 and the mire. 00:25:15.519 --> 00:25:16.500 And so we need to be 00:25:16.500 --> 00:25:18.039 always looking to the Lord 00:25:18.039 --> 00:25:20.359 and to calling on 00:25:20.359 --> 00:25:21.160 His great name. 00:25:21.839 --> 00:25:22.759 You see how David 00:25:22.759 --> 00:25:23.480 concludes here, 00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:24.920 may all who seek you 00:25:24.920 --> 00:25:26.359 rejoice and be glad in you 00:25:26.359 --> 00:25:27.480 that those who love 00:25:27.480 --> 00:25:28.259 your salvation 00:25:28.259 --> 00:25:29.160 say continually, 00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:30.960 great is the Lord. 00:25:31.240 --> 00:25:31.839 As for me, 00:25:31.900 --> 00:25:32.759 I'm poor and needy, 00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:33.500 but the Lord 00:25:33.500 --> 00:25:34.759 takes thought for me. 00:25:35.180 --> 00:25:36.279 You are my help 00:25:36.279 --> 00:25:37.119 and my deliverer. 00:25:37.299 --> 00:25:38.099 Do not delay, 00:25:38.240 --> 00:25:38.960 O my God. 00:25:39.660 --> 00:25:40.859 And so David asks 00:25:40.859 --> 00:25:41.859 that others might come 00:25:41.859 --> 00:25:42.859 to know the greatness 00:25:42.859 --> 00:25:43.660 of this God 00:25:43.660 --> 00:25:44.900 and delight in Him. 00:25:45.240 --> 00:25:46.400 He himself is poor 00:25:46.400 --> 00:25:46.960 and needy, 00:25:47.160 --> 00:25:47.960 even with all his 00:25:47.960 --> 00:25:49.059 present difficulties 00:25:49.059 --> 00:25:50.619 and with all the muck 00:25:50.619 --> 00:25:51.480 of this life 00:25:51.480 --> 00:25:52.460 clinging to him, 00:25:52.460 --> 00:25:53.519 with all his troubles. 00:25:53.720 --> 00:25:55.720 He's still looking to God, 00:25:56.460 --> 00:25:57.759 the one who is always 00:25:57.759 --> 00:25:58.539 and ever 00:25:58.539 --> 00:26:00.180 His help and deliverer. 00:26:01.960 --> 00:26:02.500 And friends, 00:26:02.720 --> 00:26:03.799 we need to be clear, 00:26:03.920 --> 00:26:04.620 the deliverances 00:26:04.620 --> 00:26:06.000 of this life 00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:07.920 are always partial. 00:26:09.100 --> 00:26:10.539 They're always temporary. 00:26:11.340 --> 00:26:12.960 They're always incomplete. 00:26:13.440 --> 00:26:14.779 They do not last. 00:26:16.500 --> 00:26:17.460 Melinda Carlisle 00:26:18.039 --> 00:26:18.720 got it wrong. 00:26:18.840 --> 00:26:20.039 Heaven is not a place 00:26:20.039 --> 00:26:20.839 on earth. 00:26:21.879 --> 00:26:23.399 And we will never find 00:26:23.399 --> 00:26:24.319 perfect peace 00:26:24.319 --> 00:26:25.079 and rest 00:26:25.079 --> 00:26:26.000 in this 00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:27.019 mucky world. 00:26:28.180 --> 00:26:29.619 There will always be 00:26:29.619 --> 00:26:30.879 trouble ahead. 00:26:32.559 --> 00:26:33.180 You see, 00:26:33.240 --> 00:26:34.579 to find lasting peace 00:26:34.579 --> 00:26:35.259 and rest, 00:26:35.420 --> 00:26:36.339 we need to be looking 00:26:36.339 --> 00:26:36.799 elsewhere. 00:26:37.859 --> 00:26:38.639 We need to be looking 00:26:38.639 --> 00:26:39.839 beyond this life. 00:26:40.559 --> 00:26:41.399 And that brings me 00:26:41.399 --> 00:26:42.460 really to a key element 00:26:42.460 --> 00:26:43.099 of this psalm 00:26:43.099 --> 00:26:44.440 that we haven't touched on yet. 00:26:44.440 --> 00:26:46.059 And it's the fact 00:26:46.059 --> 00:26:46.980 that this psalm 00:26:46.980 --> 00:26:48.019 is not only 00:26:48.019 --> 00:26:49.500 David's story 00:26:49.500 --> 00:26:51.019 and testimony. 00:26:51.380 --> 00:26:52.240 It is also 00:26:52.240 --> 00:26:53.200 the story 00:26:53.200 --> 00:26:54.140 and testimony 00:26:54.140 --> 00:26:55.140 of David's 00:26:55.140 --> 00:26:55.860 greater son, 00:26:56.220 --> 00:26:56.900 Jesus Christ. 00:26:57.259 --> 00:26:57.980 Psalm 40 00:26:57.980 --> 00:26:59.080 is profoundly 00:26:59.080 --> 00:27:00.259 messianic. 00:27:00.400 --> 00:27:01.360 It points us 00:27:01.360 --> 00:27:02.220 to Jesus 00:27:02.220 --> 00:27:04.000 because Jesus 00:27:04.000 --> 00:27:04.779 was the one 00:27:04.779 --> 00:27:05.580 who descended 00:27:05.580 --> 00:27:06.580 into the 00:27:06.580 --> 00:27:07.620 ultimate pit 00:27:07.620 --> 00:27:08.340 of judgment 00:27:08.340 --> 00:27:09.320 and death 00:27:09.320 --> 00:27:10.200 bearing the weight 00:27:10.200 --> 00:27:10.820 of our sins. 00:27:11.579 --> 00:27:12.279 He was the one 00:27:12.279 --> 00:27:13.159 who was lifted up 00:27:13.159 --> 00:27:14.619 in resurrection power 00:27:14.619 --> 00:27:15.659 and set on that 00:27:15.659 --> 00:27:16.439 rock of victory. 00:27:16.679 --> 00:27:17.279 He is the one 00:27:17.279 --> 00:27:18.419 who now leads 00:27:18.419 --> 00:27:19.039 His people 00:27:19.039 --> 00:27:20.319 in a glorious 00:27:20.319 --> 00:27:21.700 song of redemption. 00:27:23.200 --> 00:27:23.619 And indeed, 00:27:23.700 --> 00:27:24.480 in the New Testament, 00:27:24.659 --> 00:27:25.939 the author of Hebrews 00:27:25.939 --> 00:27:27.559 recognizes that 00:27:27.559 --> 00:27:28.679 in these verses 00:27:28.679 --> 00:27:29.500 of the Psalm 00:27:29.500 --> 00:27:30.839 6, 7, and 8, 00:27:30.919 --> 00:27:31.639 we have the very 00:27:31.639 --> 00:27:33.439 words of Jesus Himself. 00:27:34.359 --> 00:27:35.119 This is what we read 00:27:35.119 --> 00:27:36.019 in Hebrews 10, 00:27:36.099 --> 00:27:36.740 verse 5, 00:27:37.000 --> 00:27:37.819 Consequently, 00:27:38.299 --> 00:27:39.460 when Christ came 00:27:39.460 --> 00:27:40.339 into the world, 00:27:40.339 --> 00:27:41.259 He said, 00:27:41.879 --> 00:27:43.619 Sacrifice and offerings 00:27:43.619 --> 00:27:44.980 you have not desired, 00:27:45.619 --> 00:27:46.339 but a body 00:27:46.339 --> 00:27:47.119 you have prepared 00:27:47.119 --> 00:27:47.639 for me. 00:27:47.879 --> 00:27:48.740 In burnt offerings 00:27:48.740 --> 00:27:49.559 and sin offerings 00:27:49.559 --> 00:27:50.339 you have taken 00:27:50.339 --> 00:27:51.079 no pleasure. 00:27:51.839 --> 00:27:52.559 Then I said, 00:27:52.639 --> 00:27:53.039 Behold, 00:27:53.179 --> 00:27:54.179 I have come. 00:27:54.539 --> 00:27:55.639 This is Jesus speaking. 00:27:55.859 --> 00:27:56.599 I have come 00:27:56.599 --> 00:27:57.619 to do your will. 00:27:59.779 --> 00:28:01.059 When He said above, 00:28:01.379 --> 00:28:02.759 You have neither desired 00:28:02.759 --> 00:28:03.679 nor taken pleasure 00:28:03.679 --> 00:28:04.559 in sacrifices 00:28:04.559 --> 00:28:05.139 and offerings 00:28:05.139 --> 00:28:05.980 and burnt offerings 00:28:05.980 --> 00:28:07.039 and sin offerings. 00:28:08.519 --> 00:28:09.459 Then He, 00:28:09.460 --> 00:28:10.440 these are offered 00:28:10.440 --> 00:28:11.400 according to the law. 00:28:11.460 --> 00:28:11.940 Then He added, 00:28:12.059 --> 00:28:12.400 Behold, 00:28:12.539 --> 00:28:13.220 I have come 00:28:13.220 --> 00:28:14.000 to do your will. 00:28:16.140 --> 00:28:16.940 The thrust 00:28:16.940 --> 00:28:17.620 of the argument 00:28:17.620 --> 00:28:18.440 in Hebrews 10 00:28:18.440 --> 00:28:20.400 is that the endlessly 00:28:20.400 --> 00:28:21.640 repeated sacrifices 00:28:21.640 --> 00:28:22.620 of the old covenant 00:28:22.620 --> 00:28:23.740 were but a reminder 00:28:23.740 --> 00:28:24.240 of sin. 00:28:24.700 --> 00:28:25.600 They didn't actually 00:28:25.600 --> 00:28:26.240 remove it. 00:28:26.980 --> 00:28:27.779 The old covenant 00:28:27.779 --> 00:28:29.200 had built into it 00:28:29.200 --> 00:28:30.799 the sense of futility 00:28:30.799 --> 00:28:32.180 and incompleteness. 00:28:32.640 --> 00:28:33.220 The priests 00:28:33.220 --> 00:28:34.160 in the temple 00:28:34.160 --> 00:28:35.600 were always standing. 00:28:35.799 --> 00:28:36.240 They were always 00:28:36.240 --> 00:28:37.359 offering the same 00:28:37.359 --> 00:28:38.400 sacrifices 00:28:38.400 --> 00:28:40.019 day in and day out. 00:28:40.339 --> 00:28:41.059 There was no end 00:28:41.059 --> 00:28:41.539 to it. 00:28:42.099 --> 00:28:42.940 These sacrifices 00:28:42.940 --> 00:28:44.099 could never ever 00:28:44.099 --> 00:28:45.099 take away sin. 00:28:46.240 --> 00:28:47.720 Isaac Watts wrote, 00:28:47.880 --> 00:28:48.680 Not all the blood 00:28:48.680 --> 00:28:49.240 of beasts 00:28:49.240 --> 00:28:50.599 on Jewish altars 00:28:50.599 --> 00:28:51.180 slain 00:28:51.180 --> 00:28:52.539 could give the guilty 00:28:52.539 --> 00:28:53.819 conscience peace 00:28:53.819 --> 00:28:54.880 or wash away 00:28:54.880 --> 00:28:55.440 our stain. 00:28:56.720 --> 00:28:57.460 But now you see 00:28:57.460 --> 00:28:58.140 there's a king 00:28:58.140 --> 00:28:59.460 in the line of David, 00:28:59.599 --> 00:29:00.900 David's greater son, 00:29:00.980 --> 00:29:02.559 with David's very words 00:29:02.559 --> 00:29:03.379 on his lips 00:29:03.379 --> 00:29:04.440 and he has come 00:29:04.440 --> 00:29:05.899 offering himself 00:29:05.899 --> 00:29:07.259 as a once for all 00:29:07.259 --> 00:29:08.779 sacrifice for sin. 00:29:10.279 --> 00:29:11.299 Watts continues, 00:29:11.440 --> 00:29:12.200 But Christ, 00:29:12.419 --> 00:29:13.619 the heavenly Lamb, 00:29:13.980 --> 00:29:15.720 takes all our sins away, 00:29:16.220 --> 00:29:16.940 a sacrifice 00:29:16.940 --> 00:29:18.259 of nobler name 00:29:18.259 --> 00:29:20.000 and richer blood 00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:20.759 than they. 00:29:22.779 --> 00:29:24.359 Jesus Christ came 00:29:24.359 --> 00:29:25.259 not to offer 00:29:25.259 --> 00:29:26.859 endless sacrifices. 00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:28.359 He came to be 00:29:28.359 --> 00:29:29.940 the perfect sacrifice. 00:29:30.299 --> 00:29:31.279 He wasn't dragged 00:29:31.279 --> 00:29:32.160 to the cross, 00:29:32.279 --> 00:29:33.279 kicking and screaming. 00:29:33.579 --> 00:29:34.500 He journeyed there 00:29:34.500 --> 00:29:34.960 willingly 00:29:34.960 --> 00:29:36.639 with a heart of love 00:29:36.639 --> 00:29:37.200 for sinners. 00:29:37.920 --> 00:29:38.639 He delighted 00:29:38.639 --> 00:29:39.720 to do the will 00:29:39.720 --> 00:29:40.359 of his Father, 00:29:40.680 --> 00:29:41.379 for the joy 00:29:41.379 --> 00:29:42.579 set before him, 00:29:42.740 --> 00:29:43.879 he endured the cross. 00:29:43.980 --> 00:29:44.960 He gave himself 00:29:44.960 --> 00:29:46.379 willingly to the cross 00:29:46.379 --> 00:29:47.339 of Calvary 00:29:47.339 --> 00:29:48.980 and made himself 00:29:48.980 --> 00:29:51.139 of no reputation. 00:29:52.899 --> 00:29:53.700 One commentator 00:29:53.700 --> 00:29:54.799 on Hebrews writes 00:29:54.799 --> 00:29:56.759 of these verses, 00:29:56.960 --> 00:29:57.599 It is as if 00:29:57.599 --> 00:29:59.019 our author 00:29:59.019 --> 00:30:00.599 overhears the Son, 00:30:01.419 --> 00:30:02.659 addressing the Father 00:30:02.659 --> 00:30:04.279 on the occasion 00:30:04.279 --> 00:30:05.079 of his entry 00:30:05.079 --> 00:30:06.299 into the world. 00:30:07.459 --> 00:30:08.859 Sometimes referred to 00:30:08.859 --> 00:30:09.519 as the covenant 00:30:09.519 --> 00:30:10.299 of redemption. 00:30:11.079 --> 00:30:11.699 Not a covenant 00:30:11.699 --> 00:30:12.679 between people 00:30:12.679 --> 00:30:13.959 or between God 00:30:13.959 --> 00:30:15.039 and human beings. 00:30:15.899 --> 00:30:16.459 A covenant 00:30:16.459 --> 00:30:17.699 between the persons 00:30:17.699 --> 00:30:19.419 of the Godhead. 00:30:20.159 --> 00:30:21.079 Ostensibly between 00:30:21.079 --> 00:30:21.539 the Father 00:30:21.539 --> 00:30:22.219 and the Son. 00:30:23.500 --> 00:30:24.139 Covenanting, 00:30:24.539 --> 00:30:25.319 making a sacred 00:30:25.319 --> 00:30:25.859 agreement 00:30:25.859 --> 00:30:26.859 to redeem 00:30:26.859 --> 00:30:27.740 a people. 00:30:27.740 --> 00:30:29.660 and the willing 00:30:29.660 --> 00:30:30.880 obedience of Jesus 00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:31.960 was fundamental 00:30:31.960 --> 00:30:32.940 to that work 00:30:32.940 --> 00:30:33.500 of redemption. 00:30:33.940 --> 00:30:34.819 Jesus' obedience, 00:30:35.259 --> 00:30:36.140 an indispensable 00:30:36.140 --> 00:30:37.599 aspect of his life 00:30:37.599 --> 00:30:38.200 and work. 00:30:39.240 --> 00:30:40.380 He did what 00:30:40.380 --> 00:30:41.539 no other person 00:30:41.539 --> 00:30:42.400 could ever do. 00:30:44.440 --> 00:30:45.640 Sometimes theologians 00:30:45.640 --> 00:30:46.900 make a distinction 00:30:46.900 --> 00:30:48.460 between what they call 00:30:48.460 --> 00:30:48.920 the active 00:30:48.920 --> 00:30:49.519 and passive 00:30:49.519 --> 00:30:50.599 obedience of Christ. 00:30:50.720 --> 00:30:51.940 And very simply put, 00:30:52.559 --> 00:30:53.740 is active obedience 00:30:53.740 --> 00:30:55.539 this perfect fulfillment 00:30:55.539 --> 00:30:56.220 of the law 00:30:56.220 --> 00:30:56.940 and the righteousness 00:30:56.940 --> 00:30:57.859 required there. 00:30:58.220 --> 00:30:59.339 Jesus lived a life 00:30:59.339 --> 00:31:00.279 we could never live. 00:31:00.660 --> 00:31:02.120 He fulfilled all righteousness. 00:31:02.299 --> 00:31:03.099 He did it for us. 00:31:03.839 --> 00:31:04.599 There is no hope 00:31:04.599 --> 00:31:05.519 in our own righteousness. 00:31:05.900 --> 00:31:06.539 There's no hope 00:31:06.539 --> 00:31:08.160 in our own morality. 00:31:08.480 --> 00:31:09.160 There's no hope 00:31:09.160 --> 00:31:10.339 in our own good works. 00:31:10.599 --> 00:31:11.200 There's no hope 00:31:11.200 --> 00:31:11.960 in ourselves. 00:31:15.120 --> 00:31:15.900 As he lay dying, 00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:17.480 J. Gresham Machen, 00:31:17.660 --> 00:31:18.599 the American 00:31:18.599 --> 00:31:19.880 Presbyterian theologian, 00:31:19.880 --> 00:31:20.519 is said to have 00:31:20.519 --> 00:31:22.139 sent a final telegram 00:31:22.139 --> 00:31:23.319 to his friend John Murray 00:31:23.319 --> 00:31:25.160 containing the words, 00:31:26.200 --> 00:31:27.099 I'm so thankful 00:31:27.099 --> 00:31:28.460 for the active 00:31:28.460 --> 00:31:29.879 obedience of Christ. 00:31:30.940 --> 00:31:33.539 No hope without it. 00:31:34.379 --> 00:31:35.319 And indeed there's not. 00:31:37.200 --> 00:31:38.680 Jesus' passive obedience, 00:31:38.819 --> 00:31:39.579 a reference to him 00:31:39.579 --> 00:31:40.660 taking the weight 00:31:40.660 --> 00:31:41.460 of God's judgment 00:31:41.460 --> 00:31:42.160 against sin, 00:31:42.759 --> 00:31:43.619 led like a lamb 00:31:43.619 --> 00:31:44.279 to the slaughter, 00:31:44.539 --> 00:31:45.019 like a sheep 00:31:45.019 --> 00:31:45.920 before its shearers 00:31:45.920 --> 00:31:46.480 is silence, 00:31:46.480 --> 00:31:47.359 so he opened 00:31:47.359 --> 00:31:48.119 not his mouth. 00:31:48.980 --> 00:31:50.200 And Jesus fulfills 00:31:50.200 --> 00:31:51.200 the law of God 00:31:51.200 --> 00:31:52.420 in every part. 00:31:52.640 --> 00:31:53.420 He offers himself 00:31:53.420 --> 00:31:54.600 as a sacrifice 00:31:54.600 --> 00:31:56.620 without spot or blemish. 00:31:56.960 --> 00:31:57.240 Jesus, 00:31:57.420 --> 00:31:58.779 the priest of the new covenant, 00:31:59.120 --> 00:32:00.039 obedient to death, 00:32:00.220 --> 00:32:01.519 even death on a cross. 00:32:02.319 --> 00:32:03.360 And that point is made 00:32:03.360 --> 00:32:04.240 so often 00:32:04.240 --> 00:32:06.039 in the letter 00:32:06.039 --> 00:32:06.799 to the Hebrews. 00:32:07.400 --> 00:32:08.720 Christ was sacrificed 00:32:08.720 --> 00:32:09.620 once 00:32:09.620 --> 00:32:10.559 to take away 00:32:10.559 --> 00:32:11.720 the sins of many people. 00:32:12.100 --> 00:32:12.940 We've been made holy 00:32:12.940 --> 00:32:13.819 through the sacrifice 00:32:13.819 --> 00:32:14.740 of the body 00:32:14.740 --> 00:32:15.660 of Jesus Christ 00:32:15.660 --> 00:32:17.279 once for all. 00:32:17.600 --> 00:32:18.500 When this priest 00:32:18.500 --> 00:32:19.759 offered for all time 00:32:19.759 --> 00:32:21.079 one sacrifice 00:32:21.079 --> 00:32:22.059 for sins, 00:32:22.180 --> 00:32:22.940 he sat down 00:32:22.940 --> 00:32:23.799 at the right hand 00:32:23.799 --> 00:32:24.339 of God. 00:32:25.259 --> 00:32:26.299 Jesus delighted 00:32:26.299 --> 00:32:27.960 to do his Father's will. 00:32:28.160 --> 00:32:28.799 And afterwards, 00:32:28.980 --> 00:32:29.779 he sat down 00:32:29.779 --> 00:32:30.599 because that work 00:32:30.599 --> 00:32:31.180 was finished. 00:32:31.900 --> 00:32:32.980 Nothing more to do. 00:32:33.599 --> 00:32:34.519 Jesus' sacrifice 00:32:34.519 --> 00:32:36.259 cannot be improved upon. 00:32:36.759 --> 00:32:37.940 It can't be added to. 00:32:38.160 --> 00:32:39.079 It can't be repeated. 00:32:39.920 --> 00:32:40.799 And Jesus' death 00:32:40.799 --> 00:32:41.339 on the cross 00:32:41.339 --> 00:32:42.079 was not something 00:32:42.079 --> 00:32:43.680 partial and incomplete. 00:32:44.079 --> 00:32:44.920 It was perfect 00:32:44.920 --> 00:32:45.720 in every way. 00:32:45.720 --> 00:32:47.319 And you see, 00:32:47.500 --> 00:32:48.940 it points us away 00:32:48.940 --> 00:32:50.319 from this old, 00:32:50.819 --> 00:32:51.620 broken world 00:32:51.620 --> 00:32:52.579 with all its troubles 00:32:52.579 --> 00:32:53.559 and suffering 00:32:53.559 --> 00:32:54.500 and sin and guilt, 00:32:54.660 --> 00:32:56.120 and it points us forward 00:32:56.120 --> 00:32:58.000 to that glorious new world, 00:32:58.180 --> 00:32:59.299 that new creation, 00:33:00.100 --> 00:33:01.279 that new reality 00:33:01.279 --> 00:33:02.799 that God is bringing 00:33:02.799 --> 00:33:03.839 to pass. 00:33:05.259 --> 00:33:06.420 And so, yes, 00:33:06.480 --> 00:33:07.360 in this world, 00:33:07.920 --> 00:33:09.720 there will always be 00:33:09.720 --> 00:33:10.579 trouble ahead. 00:33:10.579 --> 00:33:13.720 But in that world 00:33:13.720 --> 00:33:14.259 to come, 00:33:15.259 --> 00:33:15.859 there will be 00:33:15.859 --> 00:33:16.639 no more troubles, 00:33:17.419 --> 00:33:18.980 and every tear 00:33:18.980 --> 00:33:19.740 shall be wiped 00:33:19.740 --> 00:33:21.119 from our eyes. 00:33:23.159 --> 00:33:24.359 So how do we become 00:33:24.359 --> 00:33:25.740 part of this new creation? 00:33:27.059 --> 00:33:28.220 We look to 00:33:28.220 --> 00:33:29.619 a crucified Savior. 00:33:31.559 --> 00:33:33.839 Futile religious rituals, 00:33:34.099 --> 00:33:34.699 good works, 00:33:35.079 --> 00:33:35.740 sacrifices, 00:33:36.500 --> 00:33:37.059 they can never 00:33:37.059 --> 00:33:37.720 take us there. 00:33:38.759 --> 00:33:40.419 Only faith in Jesus Christ. 00:33:40.579 --> 00:33:42.039 can bring us 00:33:42.039 --> 00:33:43.359 that complete deliverance 00:33:43.359 --> 00:33:44.779 that we all 00:33:44.779 --> 00:33:45.799 so desperately need 00:33:45.799 --> 00:33:48.019 and deep down 00:33:48.019 --> 00:33:49.000 so desperately 00:33:49.000 --> 00:33:50.039 long for. 00:33:52.179 --> 00:33:53.480 Maybe you're in the pit 00:33:53.480 --> 00:33:54.019 this evening. 00:33:54.939 --> 00:33:56.059 Maybe you feel 00:33:56.059 --> 00:33:56.980 the weight of your sin. 00:33:58.220 --> 00:33:59.319 Look to Jesus. 00:34:01.500 --> 00:34:02.939 He's been there. 00:34:03.099 --> 00:34:03.859 He's been deeper 00:34:03.859 --> 00:34:04.960 than you will ever go, 00:34:05.359 --> 00:34:06.439 and He has emerged 00:34:06.439 --> 00:34:07.299 triumphant. 00:34:08.440 --> 00:34:09.279 Whoever you are, 00:34:09.280 --> 00:34:10.800 whatever you may have done, 00:34:11.340 --> 00:34:12.740 whatever mess you find 00:34:12.740 --> 00:34:13.740 yourself in, 00:34:14.340 --> 00:34:15.300 there is a hope 00:34:15.300 --> 00:34:16.400 and a future 00:34:16.400 --> 00:34:17.519 for you 00:34:17.519 --> 00:34:20.040 in Jesus Christ. 00:34:21.680 --> 00:34:22.800 So come to Him 00:34:22.800 --> 00:34:23.200 tonight 00:34:23.200 --> 00:34:25.120 and call on His name 00:34:25.120 --> 00:34:26.800 and experience 00:34:26.800 --> 00:34:27.960 for yourself 00:34:27.960 --> 00:34:30.220 His wonderful deliverance. 00:34:31.340 --> 00:34:32.720 Receive His new song, 00:34:33.900 --> 00:34:35.060 a song of praise 00:34:35.059 --> 00:34:36.679 that will never 00:34:36.679 --> 00:34:38.559 ever be silenced. 00:34:40.019 --> 00:34:41.000 Let's pray together. 00:34:44.920 --> 00:34:45.639 Almighty God, 00:34:45.679 --> 00:34:46.420 our Heavenly Father, 00:34:47.219 --> 00:34:48.579 You know us 00:34:48.579 --> 00:34:49.719 and our circumstances. 00:34:50.719 --> 00:34:51.960 You know what we are 00:34:51.960 --> 00:34:52.619 dealing with 00:34:52.619 --> 00:34:53.739 in our own lives. 00:34:54.799 --> 00:34:56.139 You see all things. 00:34:57.159 --> 00:34:57.940 Our lives are 00:34:57.940 --> 00:34:58.639 as an open book 00:34:58.639 --> 00:34:59.239 before You. 00:34:59.239 --> 00:35:00.679 And so, 00:35:00.759 --> 00:35:01.059 our God, 00:35:01.119 --> 00:35:01.779 we pray that 00:35:01.779 --> 00:35:02.759 by Your Holy Spirit 00:35:02.759 --> 00:35:04.539 You would turn 00:35:04.539 --> 00:35:05.379 our attention 00:35:05.379 --> 00:35:07.099 and our focus 00:35:07.099 --> 00:35:08.439 away from ourselves 00:35:08.439 --> 00:35:10.219 to look to You 00:35:10.219 --> 00:35:11.039 and to look to You 00:35:11.039 --> 00:35:12.319 to the Son, 00:35:12.559 --> 00:35:13.339 to look to the Lord 00:35:13.339 --> 00:35:14.199 Jesus Christ, 00:35:15.119 --> 00:35:16.799 the One who delivers us 00:35:16.799 --> 00:35:19.259 from death 00:35:19.259 --> 00:35:21.019 and sin 00:35:21.019 --> 00:35:22.500 and guilt. 00:35:22.500 --> 00:35:23.940 Lord, 00:35:24.039 --> 00:35:24.960 may He be 00:35:24.960 --> 00:35:25.860 our hope 00:35:25.860 --> 00:35:27.699 and our strength 00:35:27.699 --> 00:35:29.280 and our salvation. 00:35:30.079 --> 00:35:31.559 As we ask all of this, 00:35:32.119 --> 00:35:33.099 in Jesus' name, 00:35:33.659 --> 00:35:34.000 Amen.