as you are tuning in
let me open us up with a word of prayer
would you bow with me
God we come and just pray that
you would just help us
quieten ourselves before you this evening
God that we would just calm
calm our thoughts
God that we would
just put the concerns
that we brought in this evening and just
God hold those
at bay for us so that
we can be open to you
and open to your spirit and
open to your teaching God so
that we can pray
with conviction
so God that we can
pray with great
insight and pray in ways
that glorify you
God in ways that
expose us for who we are
we ask all this in your name amen
so if you look at
Psalm 18
we'll preface this with a few things
one of those is that
the message this evening is
is a message to
followers of Jesus
and
so
that is the
the approach that I'm taking
so if
you are a follower of Jesus
this message is for you
if that's not a decision
that has been made
then
the message for you this evening
would be
follow Jesus
and
the also
just want to
provide some of the terminology
that I'll use
and
so the
the word for God
that I'll be using
is the Lord
as much as I can
and the reason I'll be using that
is because that's the
that's the phrasing here
in the psalm
and so
when I refer to the Lord
that refers to God
but I
might say God
and mean Lord
and say Lord
and mean God
so
the same
and
and then
finally
Psalm 18
is
is a long read
and
so
just in
in thought
of our time
that we have
I'll be using
a format
to help us get through
the entire psalm
but
to do that
we'll actually
read it in sections
and so
the
I've divided the psalm
up into sections
and so I'll be reading those
and
then parts of what would be
a little bit different too
is that
often
in a sermon
we read the
the passage
and then
it's explained to us
in this case
I'm actually going to explain
before we read
and the
purpose for doing that
is that
I want the
the psalm
to be able to speak
for itself
and so
hopefully I'm going to try to
set you up
so that you're ready to hear the psalm
and allow it
to speak for itself
and then
finally also
just in
recognition of just the length
of this psalm
is that
I will try to be succinct
in what I say
so I
the words will be few
hopefully
and
and then we will be
into the passage
so to
to set us up
the
the question I have for you
is
when you find yourself
in weakness
from
where do you
seek strength
do you
seek
strength
from family
from well
perhaps you
seek strength
from your charisma
or your intelligence
perhaps you're
well connected
a person of power
and influence
perhaps you have
good friends
and you know
just who to call
perhaps you have
that little thing
we call grit
that strength
of will
so in that moment
of weakness
you rely upon it
well I can tell you this
that whatever
earthly qualities
that you possess
whatever
things that God
has blessed you with
that God
blessed David
more
David who is
the psalmist
is someone who has
all that the world
could offer
and this is the psalm
that David says
so
I would say
as we look at this
we're going to see
that David
in the time of weakness
he seeks strength
and protection
from the Lord
not earthly things
and if David
is willing to make
that choice
then so should we
let us look here
at the first portion
of Psalm 18
with the idea
of the Lord
protects
beginning in verse 1
I love you
O Lord
my strength
the Lord
is my rock
and my fortress
and my deliverer
my God
my rock
in whom I take refuge
my shield
and the horn
of my salvation
my stronghold
I call upon the Lord
who is worthy
to be praised
and I am saved
from my enemies
we see that the Lord
protects
but to what purpose
does the Lord protect
it is certainly
not to a life
of ease
despite the protection
of the Lord
the psalmist
still faces
great difficulty
and we will see
that as the psalmist
calls upon the Lord
the Lord
hears
his cries
now I want you to see
that the Lord
hears
beginning in verse 4
the cords of death
encompassed me
the torrents
of destruction
assailed me
the cords of Sheol
entangled me
the snares of death
confronted me
in my distress
I called upon the Lord
to my God
I cried for help
from his temple
he heard my voice
and my cry
to him
reached
his ears
so we see
that the Lord
here
not only does he
hear
but he also
responds
to the very
foundations
of the earth
he responds
and the Lord
he is formidable
he is fearsome
he is terrifying
are you comfortable
of thinking of the Lord
in this fashion
if not
then why
and if so
does your
personal prayer life
reflect this
comfort
with understanding
the Lord
as formidable
as fearsome
and as terrifying
now I want you to hear
how the Lord
thunders
beginning in verse 7
then the earth
reeled
and rocked
and the foundations
also of the mountains
trembled
and quaked
because he was angry
smoke went up
from his nostrils
and devouring
fire
from his mouth
glowing coals
flamed forth
from him
he bowed
the heavens
and came down
thick darkness
was under his feet
he rode on a cherub
and flew
he came swiftly
on the wings
of the wind
he made darkness
his covering
his canopy
around him
thick clouds
dark with water
out of the brightness
before him
hell stones
and coals
of fires
broke through
his clouds
the Lord
also thundered
in the heavens
and the most high
uttered his voice
hell stones
and coals
of fire
and he sent out
his arrows
and scattered them
he flashed forth
lightnings
and routed them
then the channels
of the sea
were seen
and the foundations
of the world
would lay bare
at your rebuke
oh Lord
and the blast
of it
the breath
of your nostrils
we have seen
that people
matter to the Lord
he protects them
and hears them
we have seen
the fearsomeness
of the Lord
he thunders
we find that
the Lord
holds all
things together
and makes plans
for the individual
the Lord
makes plans
for the individual
personally
I can't make plans
to get three families
at my house
at the same time
but yet
the Lord
in his plans
is able
to focus
on the individuals
why does the Lord
do this
why does the Lord
show such great concern
for individuals
we see that
the Lord
delights
in some people
now I want you
to hear how
the Lord
rescues
beginning in verse
16
he sent from
on high
he took me
he drew me
out of the waters
he rescued me
from my strong
enemy
from my strong
enemy
for they were
too mighty
for me
they confronted me
in the day
of my calamity
but the Lord
was my support
he brought me
out into
a broad place
he rescued me
because
he delighted
in
me
so why does
the Lord
delight in some
people
because they
are righteous
no they are
not
they are not
perfect
and yes
they are still
sinners
but they are
true to their
Lord
in their actions
and their
thoughts
does the Lord
ever seem far
from you
does this
relationship
that's described
here in this
psalm
seem alien
to you
the question
I would have
is are you
righteous
I think the
pitfall of
many
would be what
I would call
conditional
righteousness
have the
audacity
to say to
the Lord
I will
follow you
completely
once I
experience
the blessing
to the Lord
we do not
get to say
if you do
this
then
I will
do that
I want
you to hear
now
why
the Lord
rewards
so we will
see that the
Lord rewards
beginning in
verse 20
the Lord
dealt with me
according to
my righteousness
according to
the cleanness
of my hands
he rewarded
me
for I have
kept the
ways of the
Lord
and have
not wickedly
departed
from my
God
for all
his rules
were before
me
and his
statutes
I did not
put away
from me
I was
blameless
before him
and I
kept myself
from guilt
so the
Lord has
rewarded me
according to
my righteousness
according to
the cleanness
of my hands
in his sight
with the
merciful
you show
yourself
merciful
with the
blameless
man
you show
yourself
blameless
with the
purified
you show
yourself
pure
with the
crooked
you make
yourself
seem
torturous
for you
save a
humble
person
but the
haughty
eyes
you
bring
down
I have
a question
for you
supposing
that you
had some
money you
wanted to
invest
would you
invest it
with an
accountant
who is
currently
in prison
because that
accountant
was overseeing
a Ponzi
scheme
and has
defrauded
millions of
dollars from
people
would you
invest
with such
a person
of course
not
the
Lord
is similar
with his
blessings
the
Lord
gives to
the
righteous
because
such
blessings
will not
be
misused
now
I want
you to
see
that the
Lord
gives
beginning
in verse
28
for it
is you
who
light
my
lamp
for
the
Lord
my
God
lightens
my
darkness
for
by
you
I
cannot
run
against
a
troop
and
by
my
God
I
can
leap
over
a
wall
this
God
his
way
is
perfect
the
word
of
the
Lord
proves
true
he
is
a
shield
for
all
those
who
take
refuge
in
him
for
who
is
God
but
the
Lord
and
who
is
a
rock
except
our
God
the
God
who
equipped
me
with
strength
and
made
my
way
blameless
he
made
my
feet
like
the
feet
of
a
deer
and
set
me
secure
on
the
heights
he
trained
my
hands
for
war
so
that
my
arms
can
bend
a
bow
of
bronze
you
have
given
me
the
shield
of
your
salvation
and
your
right
hand
supported
me
and
your
gentleness
made
me
great
you
gave
me
a
wide
place
for my
steps
under
me
and
my
feet
did
not
slip
evil
will
sometimes
prevail
evil
will
sometimes
win
for the
day
but
against
the
favor
of the
Lord
evil
collapses
are
you
someone
the
Lord
will
favor
to
answer
this
question
there's
another
question
if
the
Lord
did
show
you
favor
would
you
give
him
glory
or
keep
that
glory
for
yourself
now
I
want
you
to
see
that
the
Lord
favors
beginning
in
verse
37
I
pursued
my
enemies
and
overtook
them
and
did
not
turn
back
till
they
were
consumed
I
thrust
them
through
so that
they
were not
able
to
rise
they
fell
under
my
feet
for
you
have
equipped
me
with
strength
for
the
battle
you
made
those
who
rise
against
me
sink
under
me
you
made
my
enemies
turn
their
backs
to
me
and
those
who
hated
me
I
destroyed
they
cried
for
help
but
there
cried
to
save
the
Lord
but
he
did
not
answer
them
I
beat
them
with
fine
as
dust
before
the
wind
I
cast
them
out
like
the
mire
of
the
streets
you
delivered
me
from
strife
with
the
people
you
made
me
the
head
of
the
nations
people
whom
I
had
not
known
served
me
as
soon
as
they
heard
of
me
they
obeyed
me
foreigners
came
cringing
to
me
foreigners
lost
heart
and
came
trembling
out
of
their
fortresses
the
favor of
the
Lord
is
contingent
upon
its
recipient
the
recipient
needs
to be
righteous
but
also
contend
that
the
recipient
needs
to
give
glory
to
God
and
not
take
glory
to
the
self
how
does
the
psalmist
do
in
this
regard
does
the
psalmist
give
glory
to
God
let
us
hear
the
answer
the
Lord
be
praised
we
begin
in
verse
46
the
Lord
lives
and
blessed
be
my
rock
and
exalted
be
the
God
of
my
salvation
the
God
who
gave
me
vengeance
and
subdued
people
under
me
who
rescued
me
from
my
enemies
yes
you
exalted
me
above
those
who
rose
against
me
you
delivered
me
from
the
man
of
bonnet
for
this
I
praise
you
oh
Lord
among
the
nations
and
sing
to
your
name
great
salvation
he
brings
to
his
kings
and
shows
steadfast
love
to
his
anointed
to
David
and
his
offspring
forever