WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.759 It's a joy every summer to take eight Lord's days and preach through the Psalms. 00:00:08.459 --> 00:00:11.279 Some Psalms are longer than others, so we break them into parts. 00:00:11.780 --> 00:00:13.879 We've done this for three summers in a row now. 00:00:13.960 --> 00:00:15.179 We're going into our fourth summer. 00:00:15.599 --> 00:00:21.219 If you do the math, three summers times eight Psalms a summer, that takes us up to Psalm 24. 00:00:21.219 --> 00:00:26.939 So today we pick up right where we left off last fall, at the end of the summer. 00:00:27.539 --> 00:00:31.619 And our passage today is only the first 11 verses of Psalm 25. 00:00:32.280 --> 00:00:37.380 I'll read it trusting that it's God's inspired and near infallible, clear, sufficient word. 00:00:37.759 --> 00:00:40.859 It's the powerful word of God in the hands of the spirit. 00:00:41.079 --> 00:00:45.339 It's sharper than any two-edged sword to pierce into your soul and to mine. 00:00:46.820 --> 00:00:48.239 Hear the word of the Lord. 00:00:48.659 --> 00:00:51.939 Psalm 25 verses 1 through 11. 00:00:53.299 --> 00:00:54.500 A Psalm of David. 00:00:55.780 --> 00:00:58.399 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:01.019 O my God, I trust in you. 00:01:01.500 --> 00:01:02.799 Let me not be ashamed. 00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:05.739 Let not my enemies triumph over me. 00:01:05.739 --> 00:01:09.060 Indeed, let no one who waits on you be ashamed. 00:01:09.780 --> 00:01:13.239 Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause. 00:01:14.019 --> 00:01:15.299 Show me your ways, O Lord. 00:01:15.719 --> 00:01:16.780 Teach me your paths. 00:01:17.419 --> 00:01:19.519 Lead me in your truth and teach me. 00:01:19.879 --> 00:01:21.979 For you are the God of my salvation. 00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:23.899 On you I wait all the day. 00:01:25.140 --> 00:01:29.879 Remember, O Lord, your loving, tender mercies and your loving kindness. 00:01:29.879 --> 00:01:31.420 For they are from of old. 00:01:31.920 --> 00:01:35.959 Do not remember the sins of my youth nor my transgressions. 00:01:36.339 --> 00:01:38.679 According to your mercy, remember me. 00:01:38.680 --> 00:01:41.680 For your goodness sake, O Lord. 00:01:42.140 --> 00:01:43.580 Good and upright is the Lord. 00:01:44.040 --> 00:01:46.420 Therefore, he teaches sinners in the way. 00:01:47.020 --> 00:01:48.560 The humble he guides in justice. 00:01:49.320 --> 00:01:50.840 The humble he teaches his way. 00:01:51.460 --> 00:01:54.520 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth. 00:01:54.900 --> 00:01:58.060 To such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. 00:01:58.060 --> 00:02:00.620 For your name's sake, O Lord. 00:02:01.140 --> 00:02:03.040 Pardon my iniquity. 00:02:03.540 --> 00:02:04.719 For it is great. 00:02:05.540 --> 00:02:07.400 The word of God for the people of God. 00:02:08.039 --> 00:02:09.099 Thanks be to God. 00:02:09.340 --> 00:02:09.939 Please be seated. 00:02:09.939 --> 00:02:39.919 Thank you. 00:02:39.939 --> 00:02:45.900 Let's pray. 00:02:45.900 --> 00:02:45.979 Amen. 00:02:56.979 --> 00:03:02.860 O Lord, we praise you for who you are. 00:03:04.159 --> 00:03:08.639 You're a God of ancient loving kindness. 00:03:09.939 --> 00:03:11.900 Lord, we praise you for who you are. 00:03:11.900 --> 00:03:25.259 Lord, we praise you that you have seen us, your enemies, spiritually dead sinners with great iniquities that we've committed, great sins we've committed against you, the holy God. 00:03:25.259 --> 00:03:29.219 Lord, we praise you, Lord. 00:03:29.219 --> 00:03:32.759 That in our darkness, you bring your light. 00:03:32.759 --> 00:03:36.500 In our bondage to slavery, Lord. 00:03:36.500 --> 00:03:40.180 Lord, you set us free by the truth of Jesus Christ. 00:03:40.180 --> 00:03:42.180 And we pray that you will do this, Lord. 00:03:42.180 --> 00:03:43.219 Lord, in a mighty way. 00:03:43.920 --> 00:03:45.740 In a way that you get all the glory. 00:03:45.740 --> 00:03:50.700 And that Christ is exalted, Lord, through Psalm 25. 00:03:50.699 --> 00:03:52.759 We pray this for Christ's sake. 00:03:52.759 --> 00:03:53.799 Amen. 00:03:53.799 --> 00:03:53.899 Amen. 00:03:57.039 --> 00:03:59.579 Well, Psalm 25 is a special psalm. 00:04:01.000 --> 00:04:06.359 And even in terms of the literature and the structure, there's two things that are unique about this psalm. 00:04:06.360 --> 00:04:12.040 We don't speak Hebrew and our Bibles are in our own language, which is English. 00:04:12.040 --> 00:04:13.220 So we miss this. 00:04:13.640 --> 00:04:20.020 But if we look at these sentences, the beginning of every single sentence starts with a letter. 00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:23.840 And you put those letters in order and it follows the Hebrew alphabet. 00:04:24.680 --> 00:04:26.000 And so that's called an acrostic. 00:04:26.879 --> 00:04:34.740 And so this is the first time that David or any of the psalms use an acrostic to guide the prayer and the singing of the people. 00:04:34.740 --> 00:04:40.840 The second reason it's special is because it's the first very clearly penitential psalm. 00:04:41.139 --> 00:04:42.240 And that's a big word. 00:04:42.319 --> 00:04:50.720 And it means a psalm confessing sin, repenting, practicing penance, you know, repenting and turning away from sin and to God. 00:04:52.819 --> 00:04:57.600 And even in the structure and the literature, as the Lord breathed out the psalm through David. 00:04:58.280 --> 00:05:01.900 I love this comment by Andrew Benar. 00:05:01.899 --> 00:05:12.620 He noted that the Holy Spirit was pleased to pour his words into the mold of human thought and to shape them after the fashion of human speech. 00:05:13.479 --> 00:05:18.459 That so he might reveal the secret of the Lord to them that fear him. 00:05:18.459 --> 00:05:32.000 So even through the instrument, David, through David's life and circumstances, through David's despairing soul, the condition that he's in, the Holy Spirit is breathing out his glorious word. 00:05:32.439 --> 00:05:33.919 And that's what we have in this psalm. 00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:39.699 The focus of the psalm, as I mentioned, is repentance. 00:05:40.400 --> 00:05:42.480 Let's define that term before we get going. 00:05:44.040 --> 00:05:46.360 Repentance is to turn away from sin. 00:05:47.080 --> 00:05:49.340 And in that same motion, I'm turning to God. 00:05:49.339 --> 00:05:55.239 And in the Bible, in the New Testament, we're told that when Christ is proclaimed, people repent. 00:05:55.579 --> 00:05:58.159 When Christ is proclaimed, people believe. 00:05:58.579 --> 00:06:00.379 Sometimes they'll say they believe they repent. 00:06:00.819 --> 00:06:02.500 Sometimes they'll just say one or the other. 00:06:03.319 --> 00:06:04.739 And it's the same motion. 00:06:04.899 --> 00:06:05.959 You picture a coin. 00:06:06.259 --> 00:06:08.739 It has heads on one side, tails on the other. 00:06:08.939 --> 00:06:10.379 The same motion of turning. 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:11.959 It's believe and repent. 00:06:12.079 --> 00:06:12.939 It's the same motion. 00:06:12.939 --> 00:06:16.459 It's turning away from sin by turning to Christ. 00:06:16.759 --> 00:06:18.319 That's what repentance is. 00:06:19.579 --> 00:06:21.399 So this psalm is for David. 00:06:22.099 --> 00:06:29.619 This psalm is for all of Israel to learn and to sing and to remember the alphabet, the acrostic, and rehearse it over and over and over. 00:06:30.299 --> 00:06:35.319 And therefore, this psalm is for sinners like you and me who are saved in Christ. 00:06:35.419 --> 00:06:39.799 And maybe some here who don't know this great salvation, but maybe today is the day. 00:06:40.179 --> 00:06:43.479 That you will turn from sin by turning to Christ. 00:06:43.719 --> 00:06:45.539 You will repent by believing. 00:06:45.540 --> 00:06:49.860 So the title of my sermon for you today is a question. 00:06:51.220 --> 00:06:55.900 Will you learn comforting repentance from the Lord? 00:06:56.600 --> 00:07:01.439 Will you learn comforting repentance from the Lord today? 00:07:01.939 --> 00:07:04.000 And maybe for some for the very first time. 00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:10.240 I have five observations about comforting repentance through Psalm 25. 00:07:11.019 --> 00:07:12.079 Here's the first one. 00:07:13.920 --> 00:07:19.620 Comforting repentance begins when we turn from ourselves to the Lord. 00:07:20.680 --> 00:07:25.439 Comforting repentance begin when we turn from ourselves to the Lord. 00:07:25.439 --> 00:07:32.560 This is a prayer in Psalm 25 of a downcast soul. 00:07:33.180 --> 00:07:37.199 That by God's grace, he finally brings this man to the end of himself. 00:07:37.819 --> 00:07:38.540 Look at verse one. 00:07:40.100 --> 00:07:44.019 David prays to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 00:07:45.180 --> 00:07:48.819 His soul needs to be lifted up because it was dragged down low. 00:07:48.819 --> 00:07:54.579 And he's lifting up his soul, directing his words to God in prayer. 00:07:56.500 --> 00:07:58.240 When we pray, that's what we're doing. 00:07:58.360 --> 00:08:00.759 We're declaring things to God. 00:08:00.939 --> 00:08:04.659 Trusting that God will hear what we're praying, what we're crying out to him. 00:08:04.660 --> 00:08:15.740 Lamentation 344 describes God not answering prayers as being blocking them with clouds that are shrouding God. 00:08:16.140 --> 00:08:23.460 So that the prayers of the people are not ascending, not being lifted up or making their way all the way to God. 00:08:25.640 --> 00:08:33.259 Here's a soul that's downcast and in his low position, he's he's praying and trusting that these prayers will ascend. 00:08:33.259 --> 00:08:35.879 God will hear them on some ground. 00:08:37.860 --> 00:08:40.159 What is it that brings a soul down? 00:08:40.939 --> 00:08:45.700 We don't get any details and we shouldn't speculate too much on the life of David. 00:08:45.779 --> 00:08:57.559 But what we can say is what's common to every person, every every person born of Adam and Eve and and affected by sin in this state of bondage. 00:08:58.519 --> 00:09:01.159 And it's the sins and the cares of this world. 00:09:01.159 --> 00:09:04.519 It's the remaining sin in our own flesh. 00:09:04.620 --> 00:09:07.740 Yes, even if we're a Christian, even if we're united to Christ. 00:09:07.740 --> 00:09:15.080 We're brought down by by the enemy, by our own flesh, by the worldliness all around us. 00:09:16.080 --> 00:09:24.200 An old preacher used this this illustration about if our soul is like a net and a fisherman picture, you're out in a boat and you're inside the water. 00:09:24.279 --> 00:09:25.860 This net will either go down or up. 00:09:26.019 --> 00:09:30.200 You're trying to make it go down to gather some fish and then pull it up when you have the fish. 00:09:30.200 --> 00:09:33.040 And what they used to push a net down is lead. 00:09:33.120 --> 00:09:35.280 You tighten lead to the net and it pulls it down. 00:09:36.060 --> 00:09:36.820 And that's our sin. 00:09:37.480 --> 00:09:41.620 It's the the entanglements of this life, this fallen world. 00:09:41.620 --> 00:09:46.899 And then he says to pull a net up like a fisherman, you attach the corks to it. 00:09:47.560 --> 00:09:49.759 You hook it with a cork and the cork floats. 00:09:49.860 --> 00:09:51.320 So it's going to pull that net back up. 00:09:51.879 --> 00:10:00.159 And the psalm teaches us that our prayers lifted up to God are like the corks that are going to lift the net of our soul back up to the surface. 00:10:02.080 --> 00:10:07.519 The psalm 25 is a prayer of a soul that is finally done trusting itself. 00:10:07.960 --> 00:10:08.580 Look at verse two. 00:10:08.580 --> 00:10:11.340 Oh, my God, I trust in you. 00:10:12.500 --> 00:10:18.460 It's a prayer of a soul who confesses the internal threats to peace. 00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:21.520 He says, let me not be ashamed. 00:10:22.259 --> 00:10:24.639 We feel shame when there's pride in our flesh. 00:10:24.800 --> 00:10:29.680 We're looking around to men and it's our own pride inside of us that's threatening our peace. 00:10:30.020 --> 00:10:35.259 But it's also the prayer of a soul who confesses a fear of external threats. 00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:38.340 He says, let not my enemies triumph over me. 00:10:38.580 --> 00:10:43.800 So he's troubled by what's going on inside, by what's going on outside as well. 00:10:44.500 --> 00:10:44.860 Verse three. 00:10:45.000 --> 00:10:52.639 Indeed, let no one who waits upon you be ashamed, but let those who do treacherously without cause be ashamed. 00:10:52.639 --> 00:11:00.259 Between the pride of his own heart within and the enemies that are out there. 00:11:01.399 --> 00:11:13.199 This is a soul that's that's got a rock on either side, but he's anchored down deep down on the only immovable object in the midst of this threatening storm. 00:11:13.200 --> 00:11:14.660 He says in verse two. 00:11:14.660 --> 00:11:17.420 Oh, my God, I trust in you. 00:11:18.600 --> 00:11:23.759 No other object has sufficient glory to lift up the human soul. 00:11:23.840 --> 00:11:24.480 But the Lord. 00:11:25.620 --> 00:11:33.700 This is a prayer of a soul who is done walking in man's ways, who wants to learn the path of the Lord. 00:11:33.700 --> 00:11:34.759 Now look at verse four. 00:11:35.540 --> 00:11:36.759 Show me your paths. 00:11:36.840 --> 00:11:37.340 Oh, Lord. 00:11:37.840 --> 00:11:39.540 Teach me your ways. 00:11:41.540 --> 00:11:48.580 Someone commented, my ways reflect my will, which is wicked, blind and unstable. 00:11:48.580 --> 00:11:54.960 But God's ways reflect his will, which is holy, wise and constant. 00:11:55.520 --> 00:11:56.440 So the prayer here. 00:11:56.580 --> 00:11:58.139 Show me thy ways. 00:11:58.220 --> 00:11:58.840 Oh, Lord. 00:11:59.139 --> 00:12:03.500 Let not my will be my guide, nor my own counsel be my counselor. 00:12:03.860 --> 00:12:07.960 But let thy will be my rule in thy word, my direction. 00:12:10.240 --> 00:12:13.060 He's done following his own ways. 00:12:13.059 --> 00:12:18.659 He's turning away from himself and he's turning to the Lord. 00:12:21.299 --> 00:12:26.599 And I love how in this psalm he he approaches prayer with what he knows. 00:12:26.699 --> 00:12:27.719 Here's something solid. 00:12:28.539 --> 00:12:32.199 It's that God needs to be the object of my soul. 00:12:32.899 --> 00:12:38.919 When I'm downcast, God alone can lift up my soul and he'll do this through prayer. 00:12:38.919 --> 00:12:50.779 Someone pointed out how prayer in a psalm like this one, when you start so low, it's like a builder who builds a structure like a barn. 00:12:51.679 --> 00:12:56.139 The first day he pours the foundation and then he goes away. 00:12:56.240 --> 00:12:58.620 The next day he comes back and the foundation is still there. 00:12:58.699 --> 00:13:00.620 So he adds to that foundation. 00:13:00.759 --> 00:13:04.240 The frames goes back, comes back the next day. 00:13:04.279 --> 00:13:05.299 The foundation is still there. 00:13:05.360 --> 00:13:06.379 The frames are still there. 00:13:06.639 --> 00:13:07.659 I'm going to pray again. 00:13:07.659 --> 00:13:09.860 And the walls start to fill in. 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:22.139 And so sometimes prayer is the way that the Lord will will build us back up when we're so low and downcast until our soul reaches that communion with God in heaven. 00:13:22.779 --> 00:13:27.179 Someone said we need to get on our knees and pray until we have started to pray. 00:13:29.399 --> 00:13:35.659 And comforting repentance begins when we turn from ourselves to the Lord. 00:13:35.659 --> 00:13:42.740 The Lord is gracious to get our attention and to turn us away from ourselves one way or the other, isn't he? 00:13:43.799 --> 00:13:50.120 He's gracious to do that through trial, through difficulty, but he will bring us to the end of ourselves. 00:13:50.779 --> 00:13:51.860 Whatever it takes. 00:13:51.860 --> 00:13:57.980 And now he will turn to him and he'll receive those prayers every time. 00:13:59.320 --> 00:14:05.580 The second observation is this comforting repentance takes place in the presence of the Lord. 00:14:05.580 --> 00:14:08.460 A simple statement of fact. 00:14:08.460 --> 00:14:17.340 But in prayer, he's he's positioning himself away from anything else and in the presence of the Lord. 00:14:17.780 --> 00:14:21.600 Comforting repentance takes place in the presence of the Lord. 00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:24.259 It's in the presence of the Lord. 00:14:25.680 --> 00:14:28.460 That a heart that's been made alive in God. 00:14:29.200 --> 00:14:30.519 A regenerated heart. 00:14:30.980 --> 00:14:33.060 That's where we can find our true home. 00:14:34.279 --> 00:14:37.080 That's where we need to continually return. 00:14:37.820 --> 00:14:42.259 It's only in the presence of the Lord that we can experience deep comfort. 00:14:42.259 --> 00:14:46.980 By repenting over and over, turning from sin to God. 00:14:48.340 --> 00:14:52.919 It's where a spiritually dead soul would never desire to be. 00:14:53.779 --> 00:15:00.860 But once you've tasted life in God through Christ, you won't want to be anywhere else. 00:15:02.039 --> 00:15:06.759 Here's the proof that David was already regenerated when he's praying this. 00:15:06.759 --> 00:15:10.779 He's praying for repentance, forgiveness of sin. 00:15:12.419 --> 00:15:17.919 But if he did not know that the Lord is good, he would not pray. 00:15:18.019 --> 00:15:21.639 Verse five, lead me in your truth and teach me. 00:15:23.960 --> 00:15:33.299 A person who is proud, who is spiritually dead, would not ask God to teach them or ask God to lead them in the truth. 00:15:33.299 --> 00:15:36.120 And here's further and final proof. 00:15:36.299 --> 00:15:40.819 Verse five, he says, for you are the God of my salvation. 00:15:42.079 --> 00:15:48.779 And so it's a person who is saved, who knows salvation, that's still confessing sin and repenting. 00:15:49.899 --> 00:15:52.479 And he says, on you, I wait all the day. 00:15:53.659 --> 00:15:56.459 You notice the second time he said to wait on God. 00:15:56.879 --> 00:15:59.939 First, he had said, let all those who wait on God not be ashamed. 00:16:00.399 --> 00:16:01.819 So he's saying something general. 00:16:01.820 --> 00:16:07.460 I know this is true, that those who who trust in the Lord, who wait on him will not be put to shame. 00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:09.320 God will not disappoint them. 00:16:09.580 --> 00:16:11.760 But now he makes it very personal in verse five. 00:16:11.960 --> 00:16:13.680 What I know is true out there in general. 00:16:13.900 --> 00:16:18.860 In verse five, he says, on you, I wait all the day. 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:23.760 He's waiting on the Lord. 00:16:25.160 --> 00:16:29.900 And trusting that God will slowly comfort him as he repents. 00:16:29.899 --> 00:16:38.579 Charles Spurgeon made this observation on waiting upon the Lord as part of comforting repentance. 00:16:38.579 --> 00:16:41.059 He wrote sincere penance. 00:16:41.840 --> 00:16:47.459 That means to repent, cannot get through confession of sin at a gallop. 00:16:47.460 --> 00:16:50.800 A horse goes fast when it's galloping. 00:16:50.800 --> 00:16:57.360 And sincere penance cannot get through confession of sin at a gallop. 00:16:58.620 --> 00:17:07.180 We are smitten by so innumerable griefs that repentance requires a new bemoaning for each stinging conviction. 00:17:07.180 --> 00:17:13.799 Nothing but the clearest and fullest pardon will satisfy an awakened conscience. 00:17:14.759 --> 00:17:22.640 He's saying it's a gift when the Lord has made your conscience aware of how holy God is and how false fall short we fall. 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:35.060 Intimate communion with God in prayer is the only power capable of letting you experience comfort in the presence of the Lord. 00:17:35.059 --> 00:17:40.259 And this song teaches us to pray in that same way. 00:17:41.259 --> 00:17:44.480 Slowly, one sin at a time. 00:17:44.740 --> 00:17:50.259 As the spirit shines the light, we bring it back to God and we receive his comfort. 00:17:51.879 --> 00:17:55.480 Comforting repentance takes place in the presence of the Lord. 00:17:55.480 --> 00:18:06.299 If the Lord is stirring you and stinging your conscience a little bit, let that encourage you that you're experiencing the presence of the holy God with you. 00:18:06.980 --> 00:18:08.220 And God is holy. 00:18:09.200 --> 00:18:15.200 And this should be the greatest comfort that your conscience is reminding you you need Christ again in this moment. 00:18:16.779 --> 00:18:17.839 Third observation. 00:18:17.839 --> 00:18:24.640 Comforting repentance flows to us from the character of the Lord himself. 00:18:25.480 --> 00:18:29.920 Comforting repentance flows from the character of the Lord. 00:18:31.079 --> 00:18:33.799 This is where David's meditation goes next. 00:18:34.539 --> 00:18:35.680 And look at verse six. 00:18:35.759 --> 00:18:40.920 He says, remember, O Lord, your tender mercies and your loving kindness. 00:18:42.039 --> 00:18:45.819 For they are from of old. 00:18:46.839 --> 00:18:50.700 The character of God is loving kindness. 00:18:51.339 --> 00:18:54.519 The character of God is tender mercy. 00:18:54.519 --> 00:18:57.740 And who God is does not change. 00:18:57.839 --> 00:18:59.059 It's from of old. 00:18:59.379 --> 00:19:00.879 It's from everlasting. 00:19:01.259 --> 00:19:03.119 And it's to everlasting. 00:19:05.680 --> 00:19:13.279 Someone wrote, O how does one deep inside the sinner call to another deep the character of God? 00:19:13.279 --> 00:19:17.000 The depth of my multiplied miseries. 00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:24.680 The depth of my multiplied miseries calls, loudly calls upon the depth of God's manifold mercies. 00:19:24.940 --> 00:19:31.059 From my multiplied miseries to God's manifold mercies. 00:19:31.740 --> 00:19:33.799 One deep calls to the other deep. 00:19:33.799 --> 00:19:37.259 Here's three remembers. 00:19:37.259 --> 00:19:39.019 First, he says in verse six. 00:19:39.659 --> 00:19:43.200 Remember, O Lord, your tender mercies and your loving kindness. 00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:44.299 For they are of old. 00:19:44.539 --> 00:19:45.980 Lord, remember who you are. 00:19:46.639 --> 00:19:48.200 Remember your character, Lord. 00:19:48.500 --> 00:19:49.799 That's what I'm appealing to. 00:19:49.799 --> 00:19:58.399 The object of remembrance is the Lord himself. 00:19:58.899 --> 00:20:01.879 That's the source of his comfort in prayer. 00:20:01.880 --> 00:20:06.880 Remember, he says, remember how in the words of Psalm 103 17. 00:20:07.880 --> 00:20:12.300 God's tender mercies and loving kindness are from everlasting to everlasting. 00:20:13.140 --> 00:20:16.400 Remember how in the words of Deuteronomy 33 27. 00:20:16.400 --> 00:20:25.820 God's tender mercies and loving kindness are described as his everlasting arms always underneath you to hold you fast. 00:20:26.740 --> 00:20:33.140 Remember how, O Lord, your tender mercies and your loving kindness are sure for me now. 00:20:33.700 --> 00:20:36.040 For they are from of old. 00:20:37.640 --> 00:20:40.560 Remember, Lord, who you are. 00:20:42.080 --> 00:20:44.380 Well, then there's a second object of remembrance. 00:20:44.380 --> 00:20:48.200 He says, remember again, but this time he says it in the negative. 00:20:48.700 --> 00:20:54.380 Remember not the sin of my youth, nor my transgressions. 00:20:56.300 --> 00:21:00.180 In verse five, he's already praised God for being the God of his salvation. 00:21:01.500 --> 00:21:04.380 So he already knows that God is merciful to forgive. 00:21:04.540 --> 00:21:05.440 That's who God is. 00:21:05.900 --> 00:21:10.120 But he still says in verse seven, remember not the sins of my youth. 00:21:10.119 --> 00:21:19.539 Christians, believers who are who are being reminded of old sins that we already know God forgave. 00:21:20.199 --> 00:21:21.859 We already know God is merciful. 00:21:22.359 --> 00:21:25.279 But for whatever reason, it still keeps coming back. 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:29.739 And he's confessing that as well and pleading on who God is. 00:21:30.619 --> 00:21:32.259 This is a common experience. 00:21:32.259 --> 00:21:39.180 If you experience that like David, these old past sins that you know are forgiven, still coming up in your conscience. 00:21:39.940 --> 00:21:40.920 You're not alone. 00:21:42.099 --> 00:21:48.619 The story goes of an old man in 87 years old who had been a Christian for over 50 years. 00:21:48.619 --> 00:21:57.879 And someone much younger in the faith asked this old saint if he regretted devoting himself to religion so young. 00:21:59.079 --> 00:22:04.259 And this tender hearted old man began to well up in his eyes and his voice got quakey. 00:22:05.119 --> 00:22:10.000 And he said, oh, no, I weep when I think of the sins of my youth. 00:22:10.579 --> 00:22:11.279 It is this. 00:22:11.679 --> 00:22:13.399 It's the only thing that makes me weep. 00:22:13.739 --> 00:22:15.659 No regret in following Christ. 00:22:15.660 --> 00:22:18.560 I just wish I would have followed him sooner and better. 00:22:20.380 --> 00:22:24.660 He knows he's forgiven, but it's that loving kindness of God that just melts the heart. 00:22:25.660 --> 00:22:30.019 So why repent again of those old sins? 00:22:31.320 --> 00:22:37.720 It could be simply because the enemy is accusing David of those old forgiven sins one more time. 00:22:38.180 --> 00:22:44.360 And even if David was assured of that pardon of God's sins in his youth, this was helpful to me. 00:22:44.359 --> 00:22:53.619 Someone wrote God's servants may pray to keep the blessings they have already in possession and remind themselves of that. 00:22:54.299 --> 00:22:58.819 And when we pray confessing those things, we already know God forgave one more time. 00:22:59.199 --> 00:23:02.759 I already know you've forgiven this, Lord, but I'm trusting it now again. 00:23:02.759 --> 00:23:07.559 God interprets such prayers as praises unto him. 00:23:08.579 --> 00:23:09.819 That was someone's comment. 00:23:10.900 --> 00:23:16.299 Verse seven, he says, according to your mercy, remember me for your goodness sake. 00:23:16.359 --> 00:23:20.480 Oh, Lord, remember me now because of who you are. 00:23:21.480 --> 00:23:24.660 For your mercy, Lord, according to your mercy. 00:23:25.160 --> 00:23:28.379 Remember me now as one who you have forgiven. 00:23:28.380 --> 00:23:30.620 It's the third remembrance. 00:23:31.300 --> 00:23:32.260 Remember who you are. 00:23:32.680 --> 00:23:33.800 Remember not my sins. 00:23:34.100 --> 00:23:34.940 Now remember me. 00:23:36.960 --> 00:23:40.120 Remember me because you are Lord. 00:23:40.320 --> 00:23:43.720 In the words of Exodus 34 verses six and seven. 00:23:43.720 --> 00:23:53.100 You are the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long suffering and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands. 00:23:53.099 --> 00:23:59.339 Let me be one among those thousands and forgiving iniquity and transgression of sins. 00:23:59.939 --> 00:24:04.079 Remember me because of your promise in Isaiah 43, 25. 00:24:04.480 --> 00:24:09.679 You are the one who blots out our transgressions for your own sake. 00:24:10.059 --> 00:24:15.459 In Isaiah 48, 11, you promise for my own sake, for my sake, I will do it. 00:24:15.839 --> 00:24:18.000 For how shall my name be profaned? 00:24:18.240 --> 00:24:21.019 I will not give my glory to another. 00:24:21.019 --> 00:24:26.639 So remember me, Lord, as one who receives all that you have promised. 00:24:27.819 --> 00:24:35.139 My forgiveness and the comfort of repentance, it flows from the character of the Lord. 00:24:36.579 --> 00:24:38.200 Let that comfort you. 00:24:39.200 --> 00:24:40.440 Here's the fourth comfort. 00:24:41.519 --> 00:24:44.559 Repentance leads to instruction from the Lord. 00:24:44.559 --> 00:24:53.220 When we experience comforting repentance, it doesn't just leave us sitting there refreshed and forgiven. 00:24:53.539 --> 00:24:57.659 It truly lifts our soul now and calls us to a forward walk. 00:24:58.659 --> 00:25:02.039 Comforting repentance leads to instruction from the Lord. 00:25:02.039 --> 00:25:09.940 You've noticed up to this point, verses one through seven, the words are directed to God, to you, Lord. 00:25:10.279 --> 00:25:11.059 So it's a prayer. 00:25:11.759 --> 00:25:15.119 But notice the change now, verses eight, nine and ten. 00:25:15.460 --> 00:25:17.279 He speaks of the Lord in third person. 00:25:17.279 --> 00:25:24.599 Some have said this is like another person providing instruction to David. 00:25:24.799 --> 00:25:27.899 Or maybe it's David simply stating the truth. 00:25:28.319 --> 00:25:30.259 You know, like you're going to now teach it to others. 00:25:31.000 --> 00:25:32.200 Both could be possible. 00:25:32.519 --> 00:25:33.440 He's using poetry. 00:25:34.799 --> 00:25:36.680 Some have said this is Christ now. 00:25:36.879 --> 00:25:41.539 The second person of the Trinity speaking truth and ministering and him receiving it. 00:25:41.539 --> 00:25:45.079 I appreciated John Thomas's comment in our Bible study. 00:25:45.240 --> 00:25:49.099 He said it's almost too like he's shifting into a song. 00:25:49.700 --> 00:25:56.039 And now like we do in our worship, we're singing about God, knowing that God is here in our presence, ministering to us. 00:25:56.700 --> 00:26:03.700 But in any case, it's instruction now for the one who has experienced comforting repentance one more time. 00:26:03.700 --> 00:26:11.600 The Lord lovingly instructs us believers away from the path of sin. 00:26:11.779 --> 00:26:12.480 Look at verse eight. 00:26:13.539 --> 00:26:16.019 He says, good and upright is the Lord. 00:26:16.539 --> 00:26:19.100 Therefore, he teaches sinners in the way. 00:26:20.019 --> 00:26:27.140 He takes those who just experience forgiveness because they are sinners and he leads us in the good way. 00:26:27.980 --> 00:26:33.360 Because God is good, he doesn't abandon sinners, but he teaches them the right path. 00:26:34.180 --> 00:26:37.740 This reminds me of the words of our Lord Jesus in Luke 523. 00:26:38.279 --> 00:26:39.720 I'm sorry, Luke 532. 00:26:40.640 --> 00:26:45.580 He says, I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. 00:26:46.279 --> 00:26:48.240 He teaches sinners in the way. 00:26:49.840 --> 00:26:59.440 Someone wrote that if God requires us to return to our return, our enemy, his string at ox, like he does in Acts 23 for. 00:26:59.440 --> 00:27:06.360 See, that's the law of God saying, if your enemy has an ox that went away, you go and help your enemy. 00:27:06.759 --> 00:27:09.480 Bring that ox back and do that for your enemy. 00:27:10.180 --> 00:27:11.259 So the logic is this. 00:27:11.259 --> 00:27:14.240 If God requires that of us in his good law. 00:27:15.519 --> 00:27:29.799 He brings us who are his enemies, string like a wild beast also to the good way back to himself by the good law and the promise that he's had all along to redeem sinners. 00:27:29.799 --> 00:27:34.859 The Lord lovingly instructs us in the way that is good and upright. 00:27:35.339 --> 00:27:41.139 And he has designed this path all along for saved sinners like us. 00:27:41.140 --> 00:27:51.900 He's committed himself to prepare us for himself and for all glory, not to leave us a mess, but to slowly put our lives in alignment with Christ. 00:27:53.800 --> 00:27:55.000 God does this. 00:27:55.120 --> 00:28:01.120 He leads us and makes his people walk rightly with him because of his character as well. 00:28:02.120 --> 00:28:05.180 I love this comment by Stephen Charnock. 00:28:05.180 --> 00:28:10.240 As election is the effect of God's sovereignty. 00:28:11.060 --> 00:28:15.519 He's saying we're chosen because God is sovereign, not because of anything else. 00:28:16.360 --> 00:28:19.340 Our pardon is the fruit of his mercy. 00:28:20.259 --> 00:28:23.980 So our purity is a beam of his holiness. 00:28:23.980 --> 00:28:35.799 Our purity, our growing in holiness and sanctification is simply an extension, like a beam of light from the holiness of God who united us to him. 00:28:36.559 --> 00:28:41.599 As the rectitude of the creature at the first creation was the effect of God's holiness. 00:28:42.240 --> 00:28:48.900 So the purity of the creature by a new creation is the draft of the same perfection. 00:28:49.660 --> 00:28:52.779 It says God is perfect and holy. 00:28:52.779 --> 00:29:01.339 And if you have this this keg up here and we're pulling a draft out from whatever's inside of this, it's the character of a holy God. 00:29:02.039 --> 00:29:03.579 That's what you're drinking from. 00:29:04.359 --> 00:29:09.980 He is he is making you a new creation, calling sinners in the way that we should go. 00:29:11.359 --> 00:29:19.759 So the Lord lovingly instructs us the way of life, taking us off the path of sin onto the path of life. 00:29:19.759 --> 00:29:26.440 The Lord also lovingly instructs us in the midst of our trouble, through our trouble. 00:29:27.180 --> 00:29:30.940 In verse nine, he says the humble God guides in justice. 00:29:31.319 --> 00:29:33.559 The humble he teaches his way. 00:29:33.559 --> 00:29:41.619 See, he takes those who are low, who are desperate, who are poor and meek and humble. 00:29:42.559 --> 00:29:45.419 And he teaches them personally. 00:29:45.420 --> 00:29:52.039 John Calvin pointed out that the Hebrew word here denotes the poor or afflicted. 00:29:52.519 --> 00:29:59.560 Used metaphorically, meek and humble likely includes the afflictions God uses to restrain our flesh. 00:29:59.560 --> 00:30:08.000 When God has first humbled sinners, he then kindly stretches forth his hand to them and leads them on his path. 00:30:08.000 --> 00:30:15.700 God loves to humble first to remind us of our spiritual poverty, our great need for him. 00:30:16.180 --> 00:30:23.240 And then to guide us in the midst of that trouble to a path of life and peace. 00:30:24.559 --> 00:30:31.539 And the Lord lovingly instructs us to walk on the ancient path that he himself has laid down. 00:30:31.539 --> 00:30:32.579 Look at verse 10. 00:30:33.579 --> 00:30:42.579 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth to such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. 00:30:43.940 --> 00:30:47.960 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth. 00:30:47.960 --> 00:30:54.600 That word for paths here. 00:30:55.539 --> 00:31:00.779 It signifies the tracks of a wagon that had gone on this little dirt road. 00:31:02.279 --> 00:31:07.240 As a wagon goes on this road over and over again, it makes these ruts into the ground. 00:31:08.640 --> 00:31:12.799 And then when the next wagon comes onto those same ruts, it can't get off of them. 00:31:13.420 --> 00:31:14.319 It stays on them. 00:31:14.319 --> 00:31:19.740 If it starts to veer off, it'll be pulled right back down onto the path that has been laid. 00:31:21.639 --> 00:31:28.980 And our wonderful verse 10 says that all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth. 00:31:29.859 --> 00:31:31.200 Can't you just picture that? 00:31:32.039 --> 00:31:34.619 David leading his cattle on these ancient paths. 00:31:35.879 --> 00:31:38.839 And you see the rut on one side, the rut on the other. 00:31:38.839 --> 00:31:44.439 And the shepherds reminded on the left side, there's the rut of God's mercy. 00:31:45.279 --> 00:31:47.899 On the right side, there's the rut of God's truth. 00:31:48.720 --> 00:31:52.419 It's his mercy and his truth that lead me all the way. 00:31:53.159 --> 00:31:56.579 I meditate on this ancient path of the Lord. 00:31:57.879 --> 00:31:58.879 He will keep me here. 00:31:59.419 --> 00:32:00.299 He will guide me. 00:32:00.299 --> 00:32:05.220 All his paths can be summed up that way. 00:32:05.680 --> 00:32:06.480 That's what they are. 00:32:09.279 --> 00:32:17.119 Wherever we go, we see that God's mercy and truth have been there by the deep tracks God has left behind. 00:32:19.460 --> 00:32:22.779 Comforting repentance leads to instruction from the Lord. 00:32:22.779 --> 00:32:29.680 The Lord instructs us who he's humbled and who he's comforted with his grace. 00:32:31.500 --> 00:32:34.359 And then verse 11, he makes another shift back. 00:32:35.440 --> 00:32:36.399 He returns to prayer. 00:32:37.519 --> 00:32:39.259 He addresses the Lord directly again. 00:32:40.480 --> 00:32:44.759 For your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity, for it is great. 00:32:45.819 --> 00:32:49.480 He comes back to this one great lasting thought one more time. 00:32:49.480 --> 00:32:53.019 And this is our fifth and final observation for today. 00:32:53.980 --> 00:32:58.680 Comforting repentance magnifies the glory of the Lord. 00:33:00.839 --> 00:33:07.240 Why does he come back to this final prayer after this closure that we already have with instruction? 00:33:08.599 --> 00:33:13.240 I love how someone brought up how it's like the distilled remaining thoughts. 00:33:13.640 --> 00:33:15.640 It's for your name's sake. 00:33:16.339 --> 00:33:18.900 It's the name of the Lord that's magnified. 00:33:19.799 --> 00:33:21.360 That's that's on his mind. 00:33:21.539 --> 00:33:25.259 It's that great thought of who God is that lingers with him. 00:33:26.059 --> 00:33:27.940 And then what that means for him. 00:33:29.120 --> 00:33:32.400 Pardon my iniquity for my iniquity is great. 00:33:33.180 --> 00:33:38.539 The more he meditates on God in all his splendor and holiness, all his wonderful attributes. 00:33:38.539 --> 00:33:41.940 The more he's aware of the greatness of his own sin. 00:33:41.940 --> 00:33:48.480 But comforting repentance magnifies the glory of God. 00:33:48.860 --> 00:33:52.620 In verse 11, he says, for your name's sake. 00:33:53.380 --> 00:33:56.500 Name implies God's honor and glory. 00:33:56.500 --> 00:34:03.859 It's the glory of God to pass over, to forgive an offense. 00:34:04.960 --> 00:34:08.239 He says, oh, Lord, pardon my iniquity for it is great. 00:34:08.719 --> 00:34:11.139 You see the relationship between the two. 00:34:11.139 --> 00:34:17.359 God pardons me and it magnifies the greatness of his name. 00:34:18.759 --> 00:34:22.500 What is it that makes our sin so great on the other hand? 00:34:22.500 --> 00:34:26.980 It's the greatness of the God against whom I have sinned. 00:34:28.179 --> 00:34:32.280 Just as God's mercy is so immense and infinite. 00:34:32.280 --> 00:34:37.620 How is God going to display the greatness of his name? 00:34:38.180 --> 00:34:45.400 How is God going to display how merciful, how much his loving kindness extends to the worst of sinners? 00:34:46.560 --> 00:34:50.480 For God to be glorified, he needs wicked sinners. 00:34:51.660 --> 00:34:53.180 I mean, God needs nothing. 00:34:53.300 --> 00:34:54.300 This is our way of speaking. 00:34:54.780 --> 00:35:01.060 It's how wicked sinners from our perspective see in a magnified way how much God is gracious. 00:35:01.059 --> 00:35:03.299 You see how the two work together? 00:35:06.340 --> 00:35:16.799 It is necessary to the very greatness of mercy, the God of all mercy, that the sins he will pardon must be great. 00:35:18.019 --> 00:35:25.079 The greater the sins, the greater the forgiveness, and therefore the greater is God's glory magnified. 00:35:25.440 --> 00:35:26.639 His glory is there all along. 00:35:26.639 --> 00:35:36.119 But the more we are aware of our own sinfulness, the more we will appreciate how glorious our gracious God is. 00:35:36.940 --> 00:35:41.159 This is why as we read what God did in the life of men like the Apostle Paul, 00:35:42.719 --> 00:35:46.659 we can appreciate, we can get a glimpse of this and want more and more and more of it. 00:35:46.659 --> 00:35:50.019 Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 1, 13 and 14, 00:35:50.500 --> 00:35:55.319 I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, an insolent man. 00:35:56.519 --> 00:35:58.839 That word insolent is difficult. 00:35:58.960 --> 00:35:59.859 We don't use it much. 00:36:00.500 --> 00:36:02.899 Paul is saying, I was so arrogant. 00:36:03.039 --> 00:36:04.460 My arrogance was violent. 00:36:04.460 --> 00:36:08.440 I was maliciously proud. 00:36:09.440 --> 00:36:19.300 But I obtained mercy and the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant with faith and love, which are in Christ Jesus. 00:36:22.880 --> 00:36:25.860 Jonathan Edwards knew something of this as well. 00:36:25.860 --> 00:36:33.220 As he studied this, he observed David pleads with to God with the greatness of his own sin. 00:36:34.000 --> 00:36:37.420 He doesn't come to God pleading for forgiveness because his sin is small. 00:36:38.160 --> 00:36:39.220 He does the opposite. 00:36:40.260 --> 00:36:44.220 The greater the iniquity, the more David knows he needs God's pardon. 00:36:46.220 --> 00:36:53.720 Edwards wrote, when a beggar begs for bread, he will plead the greatness of his poverty and necessity. 00:36:53.719 --> 00:37:04.739 When a man is in distress and he cries for pity, what more suitable plea can be argued than the extreme necessity of his case? 00:37:05.419 --> 00:37:13.000 And God allows such a plea for this, for he is moved to mercy toward us by nothing in us, 00:37:13.439 --> 00:37:17.839 but moved to mercy by the miserableness of our case, not the worthiness. 00:37:17.840 --> 00:37:24.840 Just as it is the honor of a physician to cure the most desperate diseases. 00:37:26.559 --> 00:37:33.320 Christ's glory consists in his sufficiency to pardon the greatest of sinners. 00:37:34.120 --> 00:37:35.420 That's the end of Edwards' quote. 00:37:36.900 --> 00:37:38.480 Do you see what he's saying? 00:37:38.480 --> 00:37:47.500 The more complicated a disease is, the most difficult the case, the more of an expert the doctor must be. 00:37:49.360 --> 00:37:51.240 The more impoverished the beggar. 00:37:51.619 --> 00:37:52.880 You're saying, I have nothing. 00:37:53.019 --> 00:37:55.260 Please give me even a little bit of bread. 00:37:55.619 --> 00:37:56.960 I have truly nothing. 00:37:58.579 --> 00:38:01.559 This is the love of God for the worst of sinners. 00:38:01.920 --> 00:38:03.179 And that's what David pleads. 00:38:03.659 --> 00:38:05.539 He says, Lord, my iniquity is great. 00:38:05.960 --> 00:38:07.179 Therefore, please forgive me. 00:38:07.179 --> 00:38:11.919 Your glory needs to be magnified because of how much I need your mercy. 00:38:14.059 --> 00:38:19.879 Brothers and sisters, we can only appreciate the loving kindness of God, 00:38:20.059 --> 00:38:25.899 the abundance of his grace fully in the work that he has done in the person of Jesus Christ. 00:38:27.480 --> 00:38:31.279 Our Lord Jesus Christ magnifies the glory of God's name. 00:38:31.280 --> 00:38:37.720 It's because his life and righteousness and his death that bore our punishment. 00:38:38.160 --> 00:38:41.740 It was his work that secured our pardon. 00:38:41.739 --> 00:38:50.399 And it's only because of Jesus Christ that God can truly forget our sins and remember our iniquities no more. 00:38:50.779 --> 00:38:54.179 When God thinks of you and me, you know what he remembers? 00:38:55.039 --> 00:38:58.479 He remembers the righteousness of Christ for you. 00:38:58.480 --> 00:39:01.500 That's what God is pleased to remember. 00:39:02.119 --> 00:39:04.480 And to be glorified by covering you completely. 00:39:05.179 --> 00:39:14.920 Our Lord Jesus Christ magnifies the glory of God's name because he calls the worst of sinners to himself day after day. 00:39:14.920 --> 00:39:16.920 And he reminds you and me. 00:39:16.920 --> 00:39:23.500 I already laid down my precious life for you to purchase you with my very own blood. 00:39:23.980 --> 00:39:28.480 Now, let me prove myself one more time again to you. 00:39:28.480 --> 00:39:36.300 I redeem, I redeem, I restore, and I minister to the worst of sinners like you. 00:39:36.940 --> 00:39:43.179 Because this magnifies the glory of God's great, good, and gracious name. 00:39:43.639 --> 00:39:45.500 Let me do this again for you today. 00:39:46.579 --> 00:39:55.619 Jesus Christ magnifies the glory of God's name because he delights to lift up your downcast soul and mind. 00:39:55.619 --> 00:40:01.779 And to usher us into the presence of the living, holy, holy, holy God. 00:40:02.880 --> 00:40:19.000 So now, dear brothers and sisters, in Jesus Christ's name, I invite you to enjoy learning from him directly the comfort of repentance from the Lord himself. 00:40:19.719 --> 00:40:21.880 Take a moment and do this, this very moment. 00:40:22.819 --> 00:40:25.259 Ask him to wash over you, to minister to you. 00:40:26.079 --> 00:40:29.239 That you can know this great God for yourself. 00:40:29.500 --> 00:40:31.119 For some, maybe for the first time. 00:40:31.960 --> 00:40:32.960 I pray that you will. 00:40:33.440 --> 00:40:34.059 Let's pray. 00:40:34.059 --> 00:40:34.059 00:40:34.059 --> 00:40:57.500 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 00:40:57.500 --> 00:41:11.539 Lord, if you had left us to ourselves, we deserve nothing but shame. 00:41:13.320 --> 00:41:19.199 But because of Jesus Christ, who came to rescue your enemies, the worst of sinners like us. 00:41:19.199 --> 00:41:33.559 And he now lives to plead, to intercede for sinners like us to trust you, to believe in you, to know how good you are. 00:41:33.559 --> 00:41:39.179 Because his prayers avail much, Lord, for us. 00:41:39.179 --> 00:41:43.339 We trust that you receive our prayers in his name. 00:41:43.340 --> 00:41:46.480 Thank you for your great love and forgiveness. 00:41:47.220 --> 00:41:53.460 Please teach us, Lord, more and more your righteous paths, which are mercy and truth. 00:41:53.460 --> 00:42:00.179 May you be glorified in the lives of your people. 00:42:00.679 --> 00:42:02.300 May you draw more into your kingdom. 00:42:03.240 --> 00:42:04.920 May you be magnified, Father. 00:42:05.579 --> 00:42:07.440 In the work you're doing in this church, we pray. 00:42:08.139 --> 00:42:09.300 For your glory alone. 00:42:09.300 --> 00:42:10.060 Amen.