Well, good morning, everyone. Are we well? Good. Well, let's pray together as we come to God's word.
Oh, Father, we thank you so much this morning that we come here.
As we've been singing, we do not worship a dead God.
We do not worship a man whose body can be found somewhere if you dig up a grave in the Middle East.
But we thank you that we worship and we know you who are the living God.
You who are the speaking God.
And Father, as we come to your word now, as we come to this psalm that we've been thinking about the last wee while.
Lord, we ask that you would teach us.
We ask that you would encourage us.
We ask that you would challenge us.
We ask that you would convict us.
We ask that you would sharpen us and mold us all for the glory of your son, Jesus Christ.
And it's in his name that we pray confidently.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Amen.
Well, you up for learning a new word this morning?
Yeah.
Here is the word that I learned recently.
An ultra-crepidarian.
Has anyone heard of this word?
One person has heard of this word.
So I'm not getting away if I'm making this up.
You will correct me.
An ultra-crepidarian is somebody who offers advice.
Now, I wonder how you rate your advice-giving skills.
Do you have any agony ants in the room?
Do we have any people who really rate their ability to offer advice to people?
Well, let me tell you the story of a man I was reading about this week called Joseph.
And Joseph is a Maasai warrior in Africa.
Joseph hears about Jesus.
Becomes a Christian.
Inexpressible joy and excitement fill his heart.
So what does he do?
Naturally, he travels around the surrounding villages that surround his.
He tells everyone he meets about this man, Jesus, who has transformed his life.
What does he expect to see?
He expects to see their faces light up the same way that his did.
So what does he see?
Well, he sees not faces lit up.
He sees faces full of anger.
And the people, as you listen to what Joseph has to say, they turn violent.
The men of the village, they pin him down.
The women of the village, they take barbed wire and they beat him.
And they throw him out of the village.
And Joseph is sitting there thinking,
I mustn't have told them right about Jesus.
So what does he do?
He goes back into the village.
And he starts speaking again.
And the same thing happens to him.
And the wounds that started to heal, all of a sudden are reopened again.
Once again, he's thrown out of the village for speaking about Jesus.
So here's what I want you to imagine this morning.
Picture him.
He's outside the village.
Battered.
Bruised.
Perplexed.
Distressed.
And he turns to you.
Looked you in the eye.
And he says, what should I do?
So now that we're all confessing ultra-crepidarians, how would you advise Joseph?
What do you say to somebody who's feeling the heat and is facing the flames because of their trust in God?
Now, I imagine for many of us here this morning, that is a very real question.
And I imagine for many of us here this morning, it's a very raw question.
What do you say to somebody who's knowing the reality of suffering in their lives?
Well, here's what I love about the Bible.
It doesn't shy away from telling me about the suffering in human life.
Here's what I also love about the Bible.
It tells me about a man.
It tells me about a man who knows what the realness and the rawness of faith in God is like.
It tells me about a suffering king.
Psalm 22.
We've been in it the last few weeks.
Psalm 22.
We meet a king.
And as Paul read it there, you'll have read it and seen it.
A king who is feeling the heat and a king who is facing the flames because he trusts in God.
Now, I just want us to see two very quick things this morning about these verses.
I think these verses present us, and if you have Psalm 22 there, get it in front of you, these verses.
Because I think this is massively important for us this morning.
Two great realities for the suffering Christian that these verses give us.
Two great realities.
You ready for these two realities?
Yeah?
Show me some enthusiasm.
Right?
We're good.
Here's the first reality.
That there is a world that stands against you.
Now, we live in a world, don't we, that is hostile to God.
And because of that, we live in a world that is hostile to his people.
And that's what David is experiencing in our verses in Psalm 22.
What does he describe?
Look at it there.
Scan your eyes over verses 6 to 8 and verses 12 to 17.
What does he describe?
Firstly, he describes the faces that surround him.
Do you see that?
How does he describe these people?
Well, look at the language that he uses.
He uses beastly language.
Do you see that?
A lot of animals he mentions.
Strong bulls.
Roaring lions.
A pack of dogs.
Now, I don't know if you've ever been to Africa or the third world.
And you've seen packs of dogs.
This is not Butsi the Chihuahua.
Right?
These are flea-carrying dogs who are out to get him.
These are not domesticated pets that David is rhyming off here.
These are animals who are out to kill him.
This is like that moment in the David Attenborough documentaries that you've probably seen on BBC 2 the last few days.
You can tell I've been on holiday.
Like the wildebeest when he spots the hunter in the long grass.
What does he do?
He legs it out of there.
They tear their prey.
Look what he's saying.
They open their mouths.
And these animals, these people, they surround him at every side.
Do you see that?
And their faces don't just surround him.
Actually, their hands are on him.
They've got him.
They pierce him.
They mock him.
They scoff at him.
They insult him.
They stare at him.
They gloat at him.
They strip him.
And how does David feel?
He feels like a worm.
So small.
So fragile.
So powerless.
And if he uses beastly language to describe those surround him,
do you see how he uses bodily language to describe how he is feeling?
His heart.
Like wax melting within him.
Do you feel the pain?
His mouth, it's dry.
His tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth.
His bones are on display.
Here is a world that stands against this king.
Now, of course, if David is using this language somewhat hyperbolically here,
Jesus, as he endures the cross, well, he is certainly not.
His face, his face was targeted.
His side was literally pierced.
His name was, it was mocked.
His trust in God, it was ridiculed.
He was slapped.
Get your head around that.
There was a human being who slapped God.
His body was broken.
His garments were divided.
His life was taken.
And the faces that surrounded him, well, their hands were well and truly on Jesus Christ.
Now, why?
Why?
I don't know if you remember ever watching a few years ago the film that came out, The Passion of the Christ.
This film that was directed by Mel Gibson.
Well, I learned an interesting fact recently about the film.
That Gibson, he only appears in one scene in that film.
One scene.
His are the hands that hold the nail, that drive, hold the hammer, that drive the nail into Jesus' hands.
And it was Gibson, in a way, saying, listen, I wasn't there that day.
I wasn't there that day.
But in another sense, I absolutely was there that day.
My sins put him there.
He took the punishment that I deserve.
That's what Gibson knew to be true in his own life.
And that's what's true for all of us here this morning.
We were not there.
But in another sense, we absolutely were there.
For he was wounded for our transgressions, writes Isaiah.
Isaiah, he was crushed for our iniquities.
And with his stripes, we are healed.
Now, as we contemplate Christ on the cross this morning,
I think there are two wonderful lessons for us to learn as a church family, as we look at him.
Here's the first lesson.
Lesson number one from the cross.
To take heed of the example that Jesus shows us.
Now, you can imagine that David was powerless to do much about his situation.
But Jesus, well, he definitely wasn't powerless to do much about his situation.
What did Jesus say to his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane?
When Judas comes and betrays him, what do the disciples want?
Well, they want to fight.
They want a scrap, understandably.
I don't know if you've ever watched, but I'm sure you have, the Lord of the Rings films.
Some of my favorite scenes are when Gandalf, he gets his stick.
And what does he do?
He just hammers it on the ground.
And his enemies just get flung.
So great is the power that's unleashed.
He does.
He smashes those who are opposing him.
Well, if I were advising Jesus here, that's what I would have told him to do.
But what does he say to his disciples?
Put your swords away.
put them away do you not think that I could appeal to God and he would send
down 12 legions of armies do you think I could play that card at any second if I wanted to
but the plan of God would not be fulfilled and so what do we see him do we see him go to the soldier
whose ear has been cut off and what does he do he heals him
Jesus thoughts in that moment of betrayal are not on returning evil they're on doing good
they're not on retribution not on retaliation but they're on restoration
with that mindset he goes to the cross and he lays down his life for the very ones who are trying
to kill him and do kill him this is our enemy loving king now we love talking about leadership
in our culture don't we I don't know if you've ever been into to water zones recently but you look
it's just shelves and shelves full of leadership books how to be the best leader you can be
we love them don't we we love Steve Jobs we love Alex Ferguson we love Winston Churchill but what is
the greatest mark of a great leader surely it's to not ask something of others that you would not
be prepared to do yourself so do you see that there is no leader quite like Jesus Christ he truly is in
a league of his own he truly is incomparable he is well and truly head and shoulders above any man
that I've ever heard of for he who said turn the other cheek
let's people hammer in the nails he who said love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you he
died for his enemies
now we may never plumb the depths of this psalm in terms of our suffering and our persecution
but we still face don't we as God's people we still face little fires in our lives we can call
them that when those in the office when they ostracize you for being different when those at
university they they look on you differently because you will not join in the drinking games
when you was at school they bully bully you for standing and declaring your faith in Jesus Christ
well what would the cross say to us this morning
it would say pray for them
and love them
and tell them
you see this is the pattern that we see
at the cross
and in case we were in any doubt as to what it means to follow Jesus Christ
do you see here
that to follow him the pattern is very much cross shaped
so there's lesson number one from the cross to heed the example that Jesus shows us
but here's lesson number two from the cross
to take heart from the truth that Jesus knows us
right at the heart of the Christian faith is a God who has suffered
that Jesus is not immune from the pain
he got involved in our darkness
he tasted death
and he knows what it means
to be targeted
because one trusts
in God
but it's more than that
do you remember when you were young
and you used to have an imaginary friend
no me neither
well Jesus
is no imaginary friend
he is no distant sympathizer
he is no removed empathizer
here is a king
who we can call our brother
and our king has sent his spirit to dwell in the lives of his people
not as a casual dweller
but as a permanent occupier
to live inside of us
and to help us
and where is Jesus now
well he's at the right hand of God praying for us
isn't it a wonderful truth for us to grasp this morning
that Jesus is more committed to his sheep
than his sheep are to him
that Jesus is more committed to praying for me
than I am to praying for me
I find that in my own prayer life
that I'm praying for people
praying for things
so what happens
Lord would you bless David
would you look after him
would you surround him with your peace
so that reminds me
I need to meet David this week
I wonder where we can meet
maybe we can go to Starbucks
they're doing that new vanilla latte
do you not find that in your prayer life
is it not incredible to think
that Jesus is more committed
to prayer than I am
that Jesus is more committed to me
as his sheep
than I am to him
that I get tired
my concentration drifts
but Jesus never ceases to pray
at the right hand of the Father
for his people
and as we think on the blessed truth
of our praying saviour
his ceaseless
fervent
impassioned
hearty
intercession
on our behalf
that should drive us
to love him more
Robert Marnie McShane
one of Scotland's finest preachers
preachers
he said this
if I could hear
Christ praying for me
in the next room
oh I would not fear
a million enemies
yet distance makes no difference
for he is praying for me
oh that should massively
comfort us this morning
that should massively inspire us
this morning
as we live our lives
following this king
in a world
that stands
against us
for in Jesus Christ
do you see friends
that we do not have
we could not ask for
a better king
as we return to the psalm
in the midst of the suffering
see what David is doing
this is the second
big thing for us
to know this morning
the second big reality
for the suffering Christian
that there may be a world
that stands against you
but know
that there is a God
who stands
beside you
now just cast your eyes
over these verses here
look firstly
at what David is declaring
do you see it there
in those verses
what is he declaring
that God
is
my
strength
God you are
my
strength
and he's not
picturing God
as some kind of
divine
Duracell bunny
God is not
some triple A
after his name
who will zap him
with power
he's reminding himself
of God's
absolute
sovereignty
that God
is in
total control
of his life
that God
holds
his times
in the palms
of his
hands
do you see the language
here
that God
is the one
who has nursed him
from the womb
that God
is the one
who has given him
every heartbeat
such intimate
language
as if to say
God
there has never
been a moment
where you've not
been there
so a personal note
I found that so
comforting this week
to know
that
God
holds
my family's
life
in his hands
just as much
as he does
my hand
that nothing
is happening
that he does not
know about
nothing is happening
that he's not
in control over
he holds
our life
in his hand
words
that I found
so massively
reassuring
this week
and I wrote them
about six times
to know
I wouldn't cry
but you see
what he's declaring
here
that God
is in control
of his life
that he trusts
that God
is good
and he trusts
that God
has a purpose
and a plan
for his life
he's trusting
in God's
total ability
to provide
everything
that he needs
and his people
need
in their time
of trial
he's throwing
himself
on that truth
that God
you are
sustaining me
God
you hold
my life
in the palm
of your hand
George Whitefield
American evangelist
back in the day
famously said
I am immortal
until God
calls me home
that God
holds
our lives
in his hands
now where has
David got that
idea from
I wonder
where has he
got that from
well he's got it
from God's
proven track record
he knows
God is a
faithful God
he knows
that God
is a God
of abundant
goodness
and so
what does
he declare
God
you are
my strength
and if that's
what David
is declaring
notice secondly
what he is
praying
that God
would save
him
look at the
words he uses
in verses
19 to 21
what does
he pray
help me
save me
deliver me
rescue me
he knows
that he
needs God's
help
as I was
preparing
and I was
thinking about
this passage
over the last
few weeks
it got me
thinking
how can we
use this
prayer in
our lives
as a church
how can we
use this
prayer in
the lives
of our
lives as
God's people
now it
occurred to me
that we
might never
experience the
depths of
this
this cry
it might
never be
mine
these words
they might
never be
mine
but how
many of
our
brothers
and sisters
around the
world
face this
as a
daily
reality
they know
physical
suffering
they know
what it means
to be
beaten
they know
what it
means to
be spat
at
they know
what it
means to
be mocked
I don't know
about you
but I find
that one of
the hardest
things in my
own prayer
times
to raise
my eyes
to lift
my mind
to things
above
just me
and mine
how often
do I just
never think
about my
brothers and
sisters in
Christ
as they
suffer for
their faith
in the other
side of the
world
for that's
the truth
isn't it
that the
same spirit
of God
that lives
in me
is the
same spirit
of God
that lives
in my
brother and
sister in
North Korea
one of
the things
that we've
tried to
do
practically
in our
small group
as we
meet
is to
pray for
the unreached
people groups
in the
world
and to
pray for
the
persecuted
church
what we
do is
we've only
been doing
it the last
couple of
meets
but someone
will go
away and
will research
a persecuted
country in
the world
they will
research it
bring it
to the
group
and they'll
lead us
in praying
for the
country
well
last time
we met
Sarah
who's not
here this
morning so I
won't
embarrass her
she was
telling us
about the
church in
India
the last
year I'll
just read
this out
to you
it was
estimated
that 15
Christians
were attacked
every week
because of
their faith
in Jesus
Christ
she was
telling us
about a
new Hindu
government
which is
in India
who are
seeking to
make it
statewide
illegal
to convert
from Hinduism
to any
other religion
and you can
imagine if
you're a
Hindu and you
come to
faith in
Christ
that's going
to lead to
immense
problems
in your
life
and that's
going to
lead to
immense
suffering
not just
from the
state but
also from
your family
as well
and it
was a
sobering
privilege to
sit there as
a group of
believers in
Edinburgh
and not only to
identify with
believers in
India
but to pray
for them
and to pray
what?
Well that they
would know God
as their
strength
and that they
would know
him as an
ever-present
help in
time of
need
and that
God
by his
grace and
in his
mercy would
stand over
them and
protect them
as his
people
and wouldn't
that be a
wonderful thing
to become part
of our DNA
as a church
community
that we pray
for our
brothers and
sisters around
the world
that we pray
for our
area
that we pray
for our
nation
that we pray
for our
world
now you're
probably thinking
how do I
do that
where do I
start
well
just printed
off this
morning
Adam printed
a ton of
them off
the world
watch list
that's produced
by Open
Doors
you can grab
it on the
way out
before you
go this
morning
and it
lists the
50 hardest
places to
be a
Christian
and the
thing is
I read
this this
week
is not
only did I
know
and this
was to my
shame
not only did
I not
know that
some of
these countries
would be on
this list
but I
didn't even
know some
of these
countries
existed
let's get
praying for
our brothers
and sisters
who know
the trials
and who know
the flames
because of
their trust
in God
this is the
pattern of
our persecuted
and pierced
king
but as we
return to
the psalm
this morning
just as we
finish off
I wonder
how you
square the
circle
that David
was delivered
from death
but Jesus
Christ
the true
king of
psalm 22
was not
delivered
from death
how do you
make sense
of that
one
let me
take you
back just
to the
word that
we were
thinking about
earlier on
an ultra
crepidarian
now I'll be
honest I was
a little bit
cheeky there
and I only
gave you half
of its
definition
Calum
am I
right
I'm
right
actually an
ultra
crepidarian
is somebody
who offers
advice but
it's someone
who offers
advice not
knowing the
full wisdom
of the
picture
let me
take you
back to
Joseph
picture him
outside that
village
bruised
perplexed
distressed
battered
looks to
you what
should I
do
well here's
how I
would have
advised him
run a mile
mate
head down
coat on
chin up
ship out
here's
what happened
to him
he goes
back into
the village
and he
speaks
and this
time people
attacked him
before he
even had a
chance to
open his
mouth
and it's
recorded his
testimony is
that before he
felt unconscious
the last thing he
remembers hearing
is a woman
crying
and he wakes
up
and he was
in his
own bed
and the
same people
who were
trying to
attack him
are now
standing over
him and
weeping and
trying to
nurse him
back to
life
now why
well because
God had
used Joseph's
life
to convert
the entire
village to
Christ
I find it
sobering to
know that
God's ways
are higher
than my
ways
I find it
humbling to
know that
God's wisdom
is not my
wisdom
I find it
so encouraging
to know that
God's plan
is better
than my
plan
I find it
so awesome
to know that
his purposes
are unstoppable
for his
glory
and so
sovereign and
good is our
God that he
uses man's
worst and he
turns it into
his best
do we not
know that so
beautifully as
we look at the
cross
here is a
king over
whom the
world shouted
defeated
but in actual
fact here
was a
king's
death
that shouted
victory
here is a
God whose
plans appeared
to be
thwarted
but in actual
fact here
is a
God who
is gloriously
accomplishing
his plans
did you
remember I
said a few
weeks ago
when we
started this
psalm that
it moves
from the
minor key
to the
major key
well as we
hit the
end of
verse 21
we've hit
the lowest
note in
the minor
key
verse 22
we'll see
next week
a massive
key change
and what
we're going
to see over
the next
few weeks
is that God
will use
this apparent
moment of
defeat
to gather
people from
around the
world
men and
women
boys and
girls
throughout the
generations
all those
who look
on the
sun
will have
life in
his name
God will
use this
moment of
defeat
apparent
defeat
to accomplish
his greatest
victory
the apostle
Paul
let's end
with these
words
Romans 11
oh the
depth
of the
riches
and wisdom
and knowledge
of God
how unsearchable
are his
judgments
and how
inscrutable
are his
ways
for who
has known
the mind
of the
Lord
or who
has been
his
counselor
or who
has given
a gift
to him
that he
might be
repaid
for from
him
and through
him
and to
him
are all
things
to him
be glory
forever
amen
well just
before we
close
here's what
I want
to do
this
morning
I'd love
us to
pray
in response
to some
of the
things
that we've
seen
I'm just
going to
ask three
people
if I'm
right
I'm thinking
Fiona
Andy
and Ali
who are
just going
to come
up and
they're
going to
lead us
in three
quick short
prayers
for some
of the
things
we've
been
looking
at
to give
thanks
for our
victorious
king
to pray
for us
as a
church
as we
stand in
this
world
that stands
against
us
and to
pray for
our
brothers
and sisters
around the
world
who are
really
feeling
the heat
and facing
the flames
because of
their trust
in Christ
so guys
you want to
come up
let's pray
together
our father
we thank you
that Jesus
blood has
washed away
our sins
we thank you
that your
wrath is
completely
satisfied
we thank
you that
though we
were your
enemies now
we're seated
at your
table
oh death
where is
your sting
our
resurrected
king
has rendered
you
defeated
and we
sing
hallelujah
the lamb
is on the
throne
he is risen
he is alive
and we
thank you
father
amen
lord we
just thank
you for
the
immense
privilege
it is to
be part
of your
church
we thank
you for
the immense
privilege
it is to
have been
purchased
by your
son's
precious
blood
thank you
for the
unbelievable
joy of
being
adopted
into your
family as
sons and
daughters of
christ
and we
just pray
that you
would use
this lord
that you
would
use the
gifts
that we
would use
the gifts
that you've
given to us
lord
that we
wouldn't
hide them
away
that we
would have
a real
heart for
others lord
a heart
for reaching
out beyond
this place
lord into
a city
that is
so often
filled with
despair
lord with
sin and
with a
rejection of
you lord
we pray
that we
would have
a real
heart as
a church
together
to take
your message
of reconciliation
out of
this building
lord and
into the
city
we pray
that as
a church
we would
know real
fellowship lord
that we
would support
each other
and care
for each
other lord
that we
would
really show
each other
love in
our lives
and lord
we just pray
that we
would fully
rely on
you for
everything
that everything
that is done
here would
be done for
your glory
and for
the glory
of your
name
amen
heavenly
father we
want to
pray for
the church
across the
world lord
where
persecution
is horrendous
we want to
pray for the
church in
Syria
where
criminal
christians
have been
displaced
and put
into
camps
we want
to pray
that
their
wisdom
and their
life
will shine
out for
you lord
we want
to pray
for
India
we want
to pray
for this
new
government
we want
to pray
for the
prime minister
there
that he
would
soften
his heart
and that
he would
let the
church
be able
to thrive
there and
grow
we do
thank you
for things
that are
happening
we thank you
in China
your church
is growing
very strong
indeed lord
we thank you
for that
the government
there is
quite scared
about that
we want
to pray
for some
parts of
Africa
where your
church is
really
growing
lord
but we
want to
ask lord
that you
will be
with your
people today
and may
them remember
even through
death
has lost
its sting
there is
no victory
in death
because
Jesus Christ
you came
here and
you died
and you
was again
defeating
death
once and
for all
in Jesus
name
amen
thanks to
and
little
right
we
and
we