WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.000 Okay, we're going to look at this psalm for a few minutes. 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:08.199 We've had a couple of psalms that we've done so far, and we're going to do some more leading 00:00:08.199 --> 00:00:10.080 up to the end of the year. 00:00:10.080 --> 00:00:14.679 And if you remember that I mentioned at the first sermon we did that the book of psalms 00:00:14.679 --> 00:00:18.039 is split into five different books. 00:00:18.039 --> 00:00:22.719 It's subdivided into five books, and we're really just going to be taking a couple of 00:00:22.719 --> 00:00:28.359 psalms from each of the five books to take us towards the end of the year. 00:00:28.359 --> 00:00:33.880 And Psalm 41 is the end of Book 1. 00:00:33.880 --> 00:00:42.159 And you'll see in your Bibles the next psalm begins under the title Book 2. 00:00:42.159 --> 00:00:49.840 And it's interesting that each of the books of the book of psalms end with that ascription 00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:55.840 of praise and worship that I read at the beginning of the sermon service that was our call to 00:00:55.840 --> 00:00:56.840 worship. 00:00:56.840 --> 00:01:02.360 And we read there just now verse 13, blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, from everlasting 00:01:02.360 --> 00:01:03.360 to everlasting. 00:01:03.360 --> 00:01:04.359 Amen and amen. 00:01:04.359 --> 00:01:11.719 So we can see that there's a deliberate order that the collators of the book of psalms put 00:01:11.719 --> 00:01:16.480 in with this ending to each of the books. 00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:23.280 The book that we're looking at, Book 1, are mainly the psalms of David, not exclusively 00:01:23.280 --> 00:01:32.040 but mainly, and it would seem that they've mainly been written during his kingly reign. 00:01:32.040 --> 00:01:37.719 There's lots of great truths, there's lots of great prayers, and it's the reality that 00:01:37.719 --> 00:01:45.960 we have in these psalms of a sinner who's saved by grace, and it ends in praise. 00:01:45.959 --> 00:01:53.119 So on the surface, maybe you've read this psalm and you find it hard to connect with 00:01:53.119 --> 00:01:54.619 it. 00:01:54.619 --> 00:01:59.239 I find it hard to connect with some of the psalms. 00:01:59.239 --> 00:02:05.919 And this is a psalm that in an initial reading, it's quite hard for a 21st century person 00:02:05.919 --> 00:02:09.919 to connect with on two levels. 00:02:09.919 --> 00:02:14.919 Remember the first sermon we did was on Psalm 1 and 2, and it was about true happiness because 00:02:14.919 --> 00:02:18.419 it was the blessed person. 00:02:18.419 --> 00:02:22.560 The person who's blessed and blessing just means happiness, true happiness. 00:02:22.560 --> 00:02:28.000 Well this psalm also begins in the same way, blessed is the one who considers the poor, 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:31.119 and it's got that same theme of true happiness. 00:02:31.119 --> 00:02:36.560 That's why I entitled the sermon, true happiness, again, question mark, because it seems to 00:02:36.560 --> 00:02:40.119 be about true happiness. 00:02:40.119 --> 00:02:44.560 But it really doesn't fit in with our perception of true happiness, does it? 00:02:44.560 --> 00:02:48.640 It doesn't even fit in with our idea of blessing really, does it? 00:02:48.640 --> 00:02:53.960 This psalm's all about guilt and about opposition and about betrayal and about illness. 00:02:53.960 --> 00:02:59.120 It actually couldn't be further from happiness in many ways. 00:02:59.120 --> 00:03:01.199 It's a miserable psalm. 00:03:01.199 --> 00:03:03.120 There's a lot of misery in it. 00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:07.640 And you think, well, where does that, I'm not sure if I can relate that, blessedness 00:03:07.640 --> 00:03:10.680 with the misery that seems to come out of this psalm. 00:03:10.680 --> 00:03:16.640 David going through tremendous difficulty in opposition and betrayal and illness and 00:03:16.640 --> 00:03:17.640 sadness. 00:03:17.640 --> 00:03:24.879 I'm not sure how we link the two together, true happiness and his experience. 00:03:24.879 --> 00:03:29.960 But also it's sometimes hard to connect with our own lives and our own experiences, because 00:03:29.960 --> 00:03:35.800 here's David and he's an ancient Near East king from thousands of years ago. 00:03:35.800 --> 00:03:41.840 And it's written in the Old Testament and it was written in Hebrew and Hebrew poetry. 00:03:41.840 --> 00:03:44.240 And it's difficult sometimes to make sense of. 00:03:44.240 --> 00:03:49.840 And the psalms, not just this one, but some of the other ones are stuff about sacrifice. 00:03:49.840 --> 00:03:54.200 And I'm not sure if I get the culture and they talk about physical warfare. 00:03:54.200 --> 00:03:57.480 The language can be difficult and the geographical references. 00:03:57.480 --> 00:04:01.600 I don't get all of these things. 00:04:01.599 --> 00:04:09.039 And so on a surface reading sometimes for us, it's difficult, isn't it, to maybe connect 00:04:09.039 --> 00:04:10.039 with the psalms. 00:04:10.039 --> 00:04:17.399 But I hope that we can get beyond that and see how much these psalms actually do impact 00:04:17.399 --> 00:04:20.360 our lives and our day to day living. 00:04:20.360 --> 00:04:23.279 Because David is a shepherd king, okay? 00:04:23.279 --> 00:04:29.360 And he was one who battled in his life of faith in a sinful world. 00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:33.000 And many of the previous psalms are quite similar at that level. 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:36.759 But in God's eyes, David is just his child. 00:04:36.759 --> 00:04:43.439 He's just another believer who is inspired certainly to record his prayers and his heart 00:04:43.439 --> 00:04:50.120 feeling and to deliver God's inspired truth to all the generations. 00:04:50.120 --> 00:04:55.840 Because this was a public hymn that he was writing and a public prayer almost. 00:04:55.839 --> 00:04:59.799 It was to be given to the choir master, it was to be made known. 00:04:59.799 --> 00:05:03.679 And that in itself is tremendous, isn't it? 00:05:03.679 --> 00:05:10.000 That this king and an ancient Near East king was very powerful and was kind of almost sometimes 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:13.919 God-like, although David was different from that. 00:05:13.919 --> 00:05:18.199 But here he is and he's very open-hearted with his own people, very vulnerable, he's 00:05:18.199 --> 00:05:22.120 very honest, he's very dependent and he's giving God the glory. 00:05:22.120 --> 00:05:27.480 And there's a great example there for us, not just as leaders, but all of us as Christians 00:05:27.480 --> 00:05:33.240 to be people who open our hearts and open our hearts to one another and are able to share 00:05:33.240 --> 00:05:39.439 our spiritual challenges, good times and bad times. 00:05:39.439 --> 00:05:45.360 So David is the shepherd king and he speaks here again about true happiness. 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:48.079 Blessed is the one who considers the poor. 00:05:48.079 --> 00:05:52.279 So I'm going to go through one or two of the things in this Psalm that seem contradictory 00:05:52.279 --> 00:05:57.680 but lead us to, in our lives, to understand what true happiness is. 00:05:57.680 --> 00:06:03.879 The first is that true happiness comes to us when we show grace to others who need it. 00:06:03.879 --> 00:06:08.079 Blessed is the one who considers the poor. 00:06:08.079 --> 00:06:14.079 And that's his introductory statement and he's setting out this person of grace in the 00:06:14.079 --> 00:06:15.319 first few verses. 00:06:15.319 --> 00:06:22.599 One who helps the helpless, the poor here is a broader term for not just economic poverty 00:06:22.599 --> 00:06:27.360 but just poverty of spirit and need. 00:06:27.360 --> 00:06:32.279 It's very similar to what Jesus says in Matthew 5 verse 7, blessed are the merciful for they 00:06:32.279 --> 00:06:33.279 will be shown mercy. 00:06:33.279 --> 00:06:36.399 It's the same kind of thing. 00:06:36.399 --> 00:06:43.079 And David is setting this out as the ideal person of happiness. 00:06:43.079 --> 00:06:51.240 And it's also, it's something he experiences in his own life and he shows, he shows grace. 00:06:51.240 --> 00:06:58.959 And true happiness for us is when we consider those who need grace, those who are poverty 00:06:58.959 --> 00:06:59.959 stricken. 00:06:59.959 --> 00:07:07.759 It might be economically, it might be emotionally, it might be spiritually, it might be in lots 00:07:07.759 --> 00:07:12.439 of different ways but we show grace to people who need grace. 00:07:12.439 --> 00:07:16.800 That is the first thing, is that we show grace. 00:07:16.800 --> 00:07:24.319 The second thing that leads to true happiness is a recognition that we need grace from God. 00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:29.959 And this Psalm is very much speaking about David's powerlessness. 00:07:29.959 --> 00:07:37.759 He's an ancient nearest king but he's exposing a deep sense of helplessness and powerlessness 00:07:37.759 --> 00:07:39.360 in his own life. 00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:45.400 He speaks about his need of forgiveness because he needs grace from God because he's guilty. 00:07:45.400 --> 00:07:50.040 In verse 4 he says, As for me, O Lord, be gracious to me. 00:07:50.040 --> 00:07:53.680 Heal me for I have sinned against you. 00:07:53.680 --> 00:07:58.560 So he has that sense of guilt and he needs grace. 00:07:58.560 --> 00:08:02.000 He needs grace because also he is opposed. 00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:06.960 There's these terrible verses 5 to 8 where he speaks about his enemies who whisper and 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:13.399 who lie and who wish he was dead and who don't want him there and who think he'll never 00:08:13.399 --> 00:08:18.079 get up from his bed of illness. 00:08:18.079 --> 00:08:22.120 He's been faced with opposition and he needs God's grace and help. 00:08:22.120 --> 00:08:23.120 He's poverty stricken. 00:08:23.120 --> 00:08:26.919 He even knows he's rich as a king. 00:08:26.919 --> 00:08:29.240 He needs grace because he's sick physically. 00:08:29.240 --> 00:08:35.439 You know he speaks about that in the illness you restore him but he goes on later on to 00:08:35.440 --> 00:08:40.280 speak in verse 8 about a deadly thing being poured out on him. 00:08:40.280 --> 00:08:43.960 Let him not rise up from where he lies and that's what his enemies are saying. 00:08:43.960 --> 00:08:44.960 He's sick. 00:08:44.960 --> 00:08:47.200 I'll be dyes. 00:08:47.200 --> 00:08:56.000 And so he's sick and he's praying physically for healing and he needs grace from God because 00:08:56.000 --> 00:09:00.000 he's been betrayed by his best friends. 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:08.080 So here's David who talks about true happiness when we show grace to those who need it but 00:09:08.080 --> 00:09:15.559 also true happiness when we recognize we need grace and almost the worst thing. 00:09:15.559 --> 00:09:20.840 If you look back, if you have time, if you have time today sometime, go to 2 Samuel 15 00:09:20.840 --> 00:09:21.840 and you'll get this. 00:09:21.840 --> 00:09:28.559 I don't know if this is exactly where the situation David is writing from but it could 00:09:28.559 --> 00:09:33.039 well be when he talks about being betrayed by someone who was very close to him because 00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:41.039 if you read in 2 Samuel 15, David who was the king was trying to be usurped by his son 00:09:41.039 --> 00:09:50.599 Absalom and his son Absalom took his David's closest confidant, closest counselor, Ahithophil 00:09:50.599 --> 00:09:58.519 onto his side and David was bruised and battered because Ahithophil was his closest counselor, 00:09:58.519 --> 00:10:07.679 one of his best friends and he betrayed him and he, the one who trusted him had raised 00:10:07.679 --> 00:10:16.360 up his heel against him and he was betrayed and so felt in great need. 00:10:16.360 --> 00:10:25.199 So now maybe today, maybe David doesn't feel so unattainable or difficult to connect with. 00:10:25.200 --> 00:10:32.480 He doesn't feel maybe so much like an ancient Near East king in a land far away because 00:10:32.480 --> 00:10:37.840 we all can associate with these experiences in our lives and that's the beauty of the 00:10:37.840 --> 00:10:41.920 Bible for us to a greater or lesser degree maybe. 00:10:41.920 --> 00:10:49.360 But we can associate, can't we with that sense of guilt before God, maybe in our hearts, 00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:54.560 maybe in the choices we've made, maybe the way yesterday we treated somebody, the way 00:10:54.559 --> 00:11:00.479 we spoke about them, our behavior, maybe our lack of love and we come maybe today just 00:11:00.479 --> 00:11:07.399 sensing that we're a bit uncomfortable because we know God looks into our heart and we sense 00:11:07.399 --> 00:11:10.919 guilt and there's that sense of need. 00:11:10.919 --> 00:11:14.719 Maybe it's also opposition. 00:11:14.719 --> 00:11:18.119 You may have opposition in your workplace. 00:11:18.119 --> 00:11:19.839 You may have opposition in your family. 00:11:19.839 --> 00:11:23.439 You may feel opposition just in the society around us. 00:11:23.440 --> 00:11:26.240 Can I sense that? 00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:32.520 Often that sense of society being opposed to what is really deep and important in my 00:11:32.520 --> 00:11:43.080 own heart and we see that opposition maybe where lies become truth in our society. 00:11:43.080 --> 00:11:44.080 We're seeing that, aren't we? 00:11:44.080 --> 00:11:49.280 And it's interesting, we've changed, the vocabulary's changed. 00:11:49.280 --> 00:11:51.240 We don't talk about lies anymore. 00:11:51.240 --> 00:11:53.600 We talk about misspeaking. 00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:58.240 It's not such a thing as misspeaking, it's just lies. 00:11:58.240 --> 00:12:01.879 And we hear politicians saying all the time that they misspoke. 00:12:01.879 --> 00:12:06.320 Actually what they mean is that they lied usually. 00:12:06.320 --> 00:12:13.120 And that, we sense that, we sense the vile abuse of social media. 00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:18.759 We sense the darkness of many young men committing suicide in our society, unspoken of and not 00:12:18.759 --> 00:12:24.600 reaching the news and that spiritual kind of darkness and opposition. 00:12:24.600 --> 00:12:29.159 It might not be personal but it's nonetheless very real. 00:12:29.159 --> 00:12:33.360 Sickness, you can associate with that. 00:12:33.360 --> 00:12:34.360 Illness. 00:12:34.360 --> 00:12:35.360 Depression. 00:12:35.360 --> 00:12:36.679 Physical illness. 00:12:36.679 --> 00:12:37.679 Cancer. 00:12:37.679 --> 00:12:38.679 Weakness. 00:12:38.679 --> 00:12:43.720 We all sense that to greater or lesser degrees, even in our families or in our own lives. 00:12:43.720 --> 00:12:47.080 And it can leave us helpless. 00:12:47.080 --> 00:12:53.040 And I hope no one has suffered betrayal from someone who's closest to them. 00:12:53.040 --> 00:12:59.320 But maybe there is someone who has experienced that deepest pain in our heart, like a heart 00:12:59.320 --> 00:13:05.879 attack, where someone we've loved and trusted stabs us in the back. 00:13:05.879 --> 00:13:11.640 You see, humanity doesn't change and realities don't change. 00:13:11.639 --> 00:13:17.120 And we can associate, can't we, with that sense of needing God's grace and situations 00:13:17.120 --> 00:13:22.840 that are beyond our control or that have hurt us so deeply that we can't deal with ourselves 00:13:22.840 --> 00:13:27.559 and we need protection. 00:13:27.559 --> 00:13:31.519 So a mark of true happiness is recognizing that. 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:36.720 Recognizing that we are people, not only who can show grace but who need grace from 00:13:36.720 --> 00:13:38.799 God on a daily basis. 00:13:38.799 --> 00:13:41.360 Why? 00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:44.639 Can we show grace and know that we need grace? 00:13:44.639 --> 00:13:46.159 Because we receive grace. 00:13:46.159 --> 00:13:48.800 As believers, we've received grace from God. 00:13:48.800 --> 00:13:53.000 And that is David's experience also in this Psalm. 00:13:53.000 --> 00:13:57.840 And it's important for us to be able to articulate that in our lives. 00:13:57.840 --> 00:13:59.080 Because it may... 00:13:59.080 --> 00:14:07.480 Often our need is what drives us to a deeper appreciation of God's grace in our lives. 00:14:07.480 --> 00:14:10.360 And we want to remind ourselves of that this morning. 00:14:10.360 --> 00:14:15.159 And so I invite you to remind yourself this morning of the grace you've been shown if 00:14:15.159 --> 00:14:16.159 you're a Christian. 00:14:16.159 --> 00:14:20.000 And if you're not a Christian, that you would consider the grace that's on offer to you 00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:22.320 that David speaks about in this Psalm. 00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:27.159 He speaks about, and he knows and trusts that God will forgive him. 00:14:27.159 --> 00:14:28.720 Be gracious to me. 00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:35.480 In verse 4 and verse 10, he prays this great prayer that he knows is answered by God, the 00:14:35.480 --> 00:14:37.080 divine forgiveness. 00:14:37.080 --> 00:14:40.800 As for me, I said, oh Lord, be gracious to me and heal me. 00:14:40.800 --> 00:14:46.160 And he says the same thing in verse 10, but you, oh Lord, be gracious to me. 00:14:46.160 --> 00:14:50.840 So he knows that showing grace is because he's received grace himself and forgiveness. 00:14:50.840 --> 00:14:56.360 And you know that's the greatest thing this morning for us all, is that we know the divine 00:14:56.360 --> 00:14:58.280 forgiveness. 00:14:58.280 --> 00:15:04.920 From the only one who can forgive us ultimately, because we are accountable to him, the judge 00:15:04.920 --> 00:15:06.360 of all mankind. 00:15:06.360 --> 00:15:14.720 You receive forgiveness and freedom and hope and peace when you call out and cry out to 00:15:14.720 --> 00:15:16.159 the living God for forgiveness. 00:15:16.159 --> 00:15:18.720 He is only too willing. 00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:20.360 He is only too ready. 00:15:20.360 --> 00:15:26.720 He doesn't demand anything from us, but simply that sense of need and that sense of awareness 00:15:26.720 --> 00:15:32.279 that before him we are guilty and he is only too willing to forgive. 00:15:32.279 --> 00:15:38.839 But also not only divine forgiveness, but also divine deliverance and protection. 00:15:38.839 --> 00:15:43.240 In verse 2 he says, the Lord protect him and keeps him alive. 00:15:43.240 --> 00:15:47.279 And in verse 11 he says, by this I know you will delight me. 00:15:47.279 --> 00:15:50.240 My enemy will not shout and triumph over me. 00:15:50.240 --> 00:15:57.919 And so David is aware that he needs God's protection from, in his case, physical enemies, 00:15:57.919 --> 00:16:01.919 his son as well, if that's the context. 00:16:01.919 --> 00:16:04.159 But also spiritual enemies. 00:16:04.159 --> 00:16:12.079 Now we can also know and we believe it's important to pray for deliverance and protection spiritually, 00:16:12.079 --> 00:16:19.559 particularly from our spiritual enemies and particularly from being swamped by the darkness 00:16:19.559 --> 00:16:28.719 sometimes of ethics and morality that are very different from Jesus Christ's. 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:34.279 He promises as we trust him to protect us and to know victory. 00:16:34.279 --> 00:16:39.200 Now when I was in holiday last week I read a very old book. 00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:43.560 I saw one that Glenness had recently read and gave us to read. 00:16:43.560 --> 00:16:45.399 And many of you will know it. 00:16:45.399 --> 00:16:47.519 It's called The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom. 00:16:47.519 --> 00:16:49.960 It's a very famous Christian book. 00:16:49.960 --> 00:16:54.879 But I'd forgotten how good it was or how traumatic it was. 00:16:54.879 --> 00:17:00.639 It was very traumatic as Corrie Ten Boom was a Dutch woman who protected Jews and put them 00:17:00.639 --> 00:17:08.400 in a hiding place in her house from the Nazi invasion and taking the Jews away to extermination 00:17:08.400 --> 00:17:09.400 camps. 00:17:09.400 --> 00:17:18.000 She herself ended up with her sister Betsy in a prisoner of war camp in Germany. 00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:24.160 And you wouldn't believe the brutality and the awfulness of the surroundings that she 00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:25.160 was. 00:17:25.160 --> 00:17:27.440 And I was gobsmacked reading it again. 00:17:27.440 --> 00:17:32.920 I'd forgotten how horrific it was. 00:17:32.920 --> 00:17:40.440 And I've often thought, as I've read it, how could God, how could they possibly stay believing 00:17:40.440 --> 00:17:51.120 in the utter evil and darkness and inhumanity of these times and of these experiences? 00:17:51.119 --> 00:17:59.559 And what I learned, reminded myself and was learned afresh was that they didn't take on 00:17:59.559 --> 00:18:03.439 the weight of trying to change the whole world and the whole situation. 00:18:03.439 --> 00:18:13.319 They simply sought to bring love and light into the hate and the darkness of their experience 00:18:13.319 --> 00:18:14.879 and pray for God's... 00:18:14.879 --> 00:18:15.879 And God protect... 00:18:15.880 --> 00:18:21.960 And you know the interesting thing is God protected them, but Betsy died in a concentration 00:18:21.960 --> 00:18:23.720 camp and Corrie lived. 00:18:23.720 --> 00:18:26.800 But he protected them both. 00:18:26.800 --> 00:18:33.720 He protected them both because there's always a time when we go to meet our maker, but in 00:18:33.720 --> 00:18:39.600 her life she was protected, in her death she was protected, and Corrie in her life and in 00:18:39.599 --> 00:18:46.399 her freedom and then later as an old woman in death she was protected. 00:18:46.399 --> 00:18:48.919 There's divine protection. 00:18:48.919 --> 00:18:50.679 Also divine healing. 00:18:50.679 --> 00:18:55.439 Verse 8, he speaks about that. 00:18:55.439 --> 00:19:02.879 Or verse 3, rather, he talks about this, blessed man is the person who is restored to full 00:19:02.879 --> 00:19:03.879 health. 00:19:03.880 --> 00:19:11.520 Now we know that there is not there, that true happiness is not about always recovering 00:19:11.520 --> 00:19:12.800 from physical illness. 00:19:12.800 --> 00:19:14.680 We know that from the Bible. 00:19:14.680 --> 00:19:15.840 We know it can happen. 00:19:15.840 --> 00:19:17.560 We know God will do miracles. 00:19:17.560 --> 00:19:22.360 We know He will give people gifts of healing and that people will be healed. 00:19:22.360 --> 00:19:29.160 But we also know that there's a deeper spiritual impact that this verse and also the verses 00:19:29.160 --> 00:19:33.840 we were looking at on Wednesday night about Jesus healing miracles point towards spiritual 00:19:33.840 --> 00:19:41.040 healing which will one day also involve full physical health in the new heavens and the 00:19:41.040 --> 00:19:42.040 new earth. 00:19:42.040 --> 00:19:49.880 But as a Christian today, being truly happy is recognizing that you are on that road to 00:19:49.880 --> 00:19:52.779 spiritual, you're spiritually healthy. 00:19:52.779 --> 00:19:55.720 He is doing a healing work in us. 00:19:55.720 --> 00:19:57.320 He has redeemed us. 00:19:57.319 --> 00:20:03.559 He's brought us back to life and if you allow Him to, He is healing your heart every day, 00:20:03.559 --> 00:20:05.960 sometimes even through suffering and through illness. 00:20:05.960 --> 00:20:08.079 He is healing our hearts. 00:20:08.079 --> 00:20:12.839 And that's a hugely important recognition that we don't become Christians and then just 00:20:12.839 --> 00:20:15.039 stay the same for the rest of our lives. 00:20:15.039 --> 00:20:20.039 He is dealing with the cancer of sin in our hearts every day and making us whole and 00:20:20.039 --> 00:20:25.960 making us more ready for being like Him day to day. 00:20:25.960 --> 00:20:28.640 Really soul, mind, emotions, heart. 00:20:28.640 --> 00:20:33.880 We have to allow Him and His Holy Spirit to do that. 00:20:33.880 --> 00:20:34.880 Healing. 00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:40.480 And the last thing in terms of linking these up with the need that He had, and remember 00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:48.880 we talked about betrayal, He also knows divine presence, divine presence. 00:20:48.880 --> 00:20:55.559 A hithifal if that was the historical background betrayed Him, but He knows in His life God's 00:20:55.559 --> 00:20:57.240 friendship. 00:20:57.240 --> 00:21:02.240 You have upheld me, verse 12, because of my integrity and set me in your presence forever. 00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:09.000 Presence is very important in terms of company, in terms of friendship. 00:21:09.000 --> 00:21:16.119 And He knows that although He's been betrayed by His closest friend, He has got a Savior, 00:21:16.119 --> 00:21:20.919 He's got a God, whose friendship and whose presence is with Him forever. 00:21:20.920 --> 00:21:25.680 It's amazing that He could say that without the knowledge that we have of Jesus and the 00:21:25.680 --> 00:21:29.039 Holy Spirit and everything else in His life, and there's much that's prophetic in what 00:21:29.039 --> 00:21:31.080 He says. 00:21:31.080 --> 00:21:38.800 But in your life and in mine, when friendships fail, when you have a deep sense of darkness 00:21:38.800 --> 00:21:46.120 or betrayal or isolation or aloneness, we can know the deep happiness is Christians 00:21:46.119 --> 00:21:53.679 of His presence, of His embrace, of His nearness in our lives of the Holy Spirit. 00:21:53.679 --> 00:22:00.119 It's very interesting, the word that they use for counselor, for a hithifal, David's 00:22:00.119 --> 00:22:05.319 betraying friend, he was called David's counselor, who was supposed to be there to help and 00:22:05.319 --> 00:22:08.319 advise and be with Him and always stick with Him. 00:22:08.319 --> 00:22:10.599 He betrayed Him. 00:22:10.599 --> 00:22:16.079 But we have a counselor, the Holy Spirit, who is sent to us because of Jesus' ascension, 00:22:16.079 --> 00:22:17.519 sent into our hearts. 00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:20.119 He will never leave us. 00:22:20.119 --> 00:22:22.679 He will not betray us. 00:22:22.679 --> 00:22:29.519 And He is with us and His nearness is there and we belong in His family home with Jesus 00:22:29.519 --> 00:22:32.480 Christ, our elder brother. 00:22:32.480 --> 00:22:35.439 And we have His presence forever. 00:22:35.439 --> 00:22:41.240 Now very briefly in conclusion, how can we be sure of this? 00:22:41.240 --> 00:22:49.640 True happiness which is showing grace to those in need because we are in need ourselves 00:22:49.640 --> 00:22:52.519 and because we've received grace from God in our need. 00:22:52.519 --> 00:22:56.480 How can we be sure of that in our lives? 00:22:56.480 --> 00:23:03.720 Because here is David and he is a shepherd king who had battled in a sinful world. 00:23:03.720 --> 00:23:12.200 But we know that he points forward to the greater king, to King Christ, King Jesus, who 00:23:12.200 --> 00:23:20.600 is the shepherd king who didn't battle in the sinful world but battled for a sinful world. 00:23:20.600 --> 00:23:24.400 And he is David's savior and he's our savior today. 00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:29.620 And we remember that because that's very important because of his experience, we can 00:23:29.620 --> 00:23:31.480 know true happiness. 00:23:31.480 --> 00:23:33.640 He knew our guilt, isn't it? 00:23:33.640 --> 00:23:36.599 That's why we can know forgiveness. 00:23:36.599 --> 00:23:42.079 He had no deliverance, he faced the wrath of God, so that we can be forgiven and so we 00:23:42.079 --> 00:23:43.920 can know integrity. 00:23:43.920 --> 00:23:48.319 You know what David says there in verse 12, you have helped me because of my integrity. 00:23:48.319 --> 00:23:51.200 You know what the word there integrity comes from? 00:23:51.200 --> 00:23:57.839 It's the same root word as breastplate, like what covered your heart. 00:23:57.839 --> 00:24:08.119 And we can know integrity because Jesus' righteousness covers our heart and we can know forgiveness. 00:24:08.119 --> 00:24:14.599 He experienced our guilt, he experienced brutal opposition, didn't he, in his life all the 00:24:14.599 --> 00:24:15.599 time. 00:24:15.599 --> 00:24:20.359 Jesus knew nothing but opposition almost from most people. 00:24:20.359 --> 00:24:25.319 But much more importantly in his death, he knew the spiritual forces of hell ranged against 00:24:25.319 --> 00:24:32.079 him as he battled and won the victory over evil and death. 00:24:32.079 --> 00:24:36.519 He also knew the reality of disease and sickness. 00:24:36.519 --> 00:24:44.720 Isaiah 53 speaks about him, knowing our frailty and knowing our sickness. 00:24:44.720 --> 00:24:51.039 And he took that on himself in order to claim wholeness and healing for us. 00:24:51.039 --> 00:24:52.399 Christ became weak. 00:24:52.399 --> 00:24:54.200 Christ became sick freely. 00:24:54.200 --> 00:25:00.680 So that we can ultimately know eternal health and healing. 00:25:00.680 --> 00:25:08.559 And of course, and you're all waiting for this, he knew betrayal. 00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:15.120 So much so that Jesus quotes this Psalm in John chapter 13. 00:25:15.119 --> 00:25:31.559 Look at that, John chapter 13 and verse 18, when Jesus is washing the disciples' feet. 00:25:31.559 --> 00:25:35.719 He said, if you know these things, blessed are you, there's the blessed again, blessed 00:25:35.719 --> 00:25:36.919 are you if you do them. 00:25:36.919 --> 00:25:39.439 I am not speaking of all of you. 00:25:39.440 --> 00:25:46.160 I know whom I have chosen, but the Scripture will be fulfilled, this Psalm. 00:25:46.160 --> 00:25:50.960 He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me. 00:25:50.960 --> 00:25:55.559 I am telling you this now before it takes place. 00:25:55.559 --> 00:26:03.320 So Jesus takes what happened to David and he applies it ultimately to himself. 00:26:03.319 --> 00:26:10.079 A greater and more devastating betrayal than a hithiful was Judas. 00:26:10.079 --> 00:26:12.720 Judas, Judas, Judas. 00:26:12.720 --> 00:26:13.720 Why? 00:26:13.720 --> 00:26:19.079 Why did you betray the perfect Son of God for a few pounds? 00:26:19.079 --> 00:26:22.879 Why would you do that? 00:26:22.879 --> 00:26:29.079 But of course, he knew a deeper forsakenness even than that on the cross when God the Father 00:26:29.079 --> 00:26:36.519 turned his back on him as he poured out his wrath willingly and Christ received it willingly 00:26:36.519 --> 00:26:45.359 on our behalf and was under the power of death and then rose again so that we can know friendship 00:26:45.359 --> 00:26:49.879 and that no betrayal and no forsakenness. 00:26:49.879 --> 00:26:51.839 So that's that Psalm. 00:26:51.839 --> 00:27:00.799 I hope it's a little bit more attainable to us sometimes when we've unpacked it and seen 00:27:00.799 --> 00:27:02.480 that God is the same God. 00:27:02.480 --> 00:27:08.439 Take the conclusion, blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting. 00:27:08.439 --> 00:27:10.639 Amen and amen. 00:27:10.639 --> 00:27:17.199 Amen and amen, that declaration that these are true words and in the harsh realities 00:27:17.199 --> 00:27:21.319 of our lives that maybe we're struggling with just now. 00:27:21.319 --> 00:27:26.039 We can know Jesus as our great foundation, our great life, our great friend, our great 00:27:26.039 --> 00:27:29.319 future, our great forgiver and we can praise our God. 00:27:29.319 --> 00:27:30.319 Why? 00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:32.399 Because he's from everlasting to everlasting. 00:27:32.399 --> 00:27:39.079 That means that you are before his face just as much as David is before his face and we're 00:27:39.079 --> 00:27:47.000 all just people and we can just kind of get rid of some of the things that make it difficult 00:27:47.000 --> 00:27:51.480 for us to understand and recognize that the Bible just speaks about people before a holy 00:27:51.480 --> 00:27:55.559 God and we're all the same and we all need Him. 00:27:55.559 --> 00:27:59.799 He's not transient, He's not passing or time bound. 00:27:59.799 --> 00:28:05.839 That's why He can relate to the ancient shepherd king and to me and to you in our lives because 00:28:05.839 --> 00:28:15.240 we all need Him because we're all dying without His grace. 00:28:15.240 --> 00:28:19.440 That we are living with His love and with His forgiveness. 00:28:19.440 --> 00:28:22.759 It's the most important truth in the universe. 00:28:22.759 --> 00:28:23.759 Remember that. 00:28:23.759 --> 00:28:24.759 Let's pray. 00:28:24.759 --> 00:28:29.720 Father God, help us today to remember who You are. 00:28:29.720 --> 00:28:35.720 Help us to remember that we don't have in the Psalms or in the Bible any kind of prescription 00:28:35.720 --> 00:28:42.759 of happiness that is light and fluffy and unrealistic and trouble free. 00:28:42.759 --> 00:28:50.119 But remind us that true happiness is recognizing the grace we've received and showing it to 00:28:50.119 --> 00:28:52.039 others. 00:28:52.039 --> 00:28:57.400 It is recognizing we need You every day like David. 00:28:57.400 --> 00:29:03.960 It's recognizing that You are so willing to give us grace and be kind and loving as we 00:29:03.960 --> 00:29:09.079 come and acknowledge You are our only hope. 00:29:09.079 --> 00:29:15.119 And recognizing and knowing that You are the greater David, that You are the greater shepherd 00:29:15.119 --> 00:29:19.279 king, that You are the king of kings and the Lord of lords. 00:29:19.279 --> 00:29:23.119 You're ascended to the right hand of the Father. 00:29:23.119 --> 00:29:30.079 And all the turmoil and trouble that we face in this world is under Your sovereign knowledge 00:29:30.079 --> 00:29:37.960 and will one day be brought to that sovereign conclusion of renewal and of judgment. 00:29:37.960 --> 00:29:42.559 So Lord, may we have that perspective as we go into our week and may each of us throw 00:29:42.559 --> 00:29:53.400 ourselves in need, in prayer, independence and in trust on the living God through Jesus 00:29:53.400 --> 00:30:01.000 and no healing and wholeness progressively as we deal with the sins that lie in the corners, 00:30:01.000 --> 00:30:04.240 the untouched corners of our hearts. 00:30:04.240 --> 00:30:06.920 We ask it in Jesus' name. 00:30:06.920 --> 00:30:07.920 Amen. 00:30:07.920 --> 00:30:08.920 Amen.