WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.060 When I told my oldest daughter who's four that I was going to be away this evening speaking 00:00:06.060 --> 00:00:09.779 at another church, she said, is that because the person who's normally there doesn't know 00:00:09.779 --> 00:00:11.300 much about God? 00:00:11.300 --> 00:00:12.300 So there you go. 00:00:12.300 --> 00:00:17.420 I assured her that Derek was completely legit and orthodox, but she's obviously worried 00:00:17.420 --> 00:00:19.940 about you and she sent me to straighten you out. 00:00:19.940 --> 00:00:20.940 So there we go. 00:00:20.940 --> 00:00:25.420 There are some passages in the Bible on the way where we might read them and we might think, 00:00:25.420 --> 00:00:28.420 what on earth is going on here? 00:00:28.420 --> 00:00:30.020 What on earth is this passage saying? 00:00:30.020 --> 00:00:35.500 I'm sure I'm not the only person that's had that experience or that feeling. 00:00:35.500 --> 00:00:41.640 One of the great things about this Psalm that David writes is that he gives us this brilliant 00:00:41.640 --> 00:00:45.719 introduction at the very beginning as to what it's all about. 00:00:45.719 --> 00:00:49.140 Have a look at in your Bibles if you've got them there at verses one and two. 00:00:49.140 --> 00:00:56.060 It says this, blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 00:00:56.060 --> 00:01:02.060 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity and in whose spirit there is no 00:01:02.060 --> 00:01:03.060 deceit. 00:01:03.060 --> 00:01:08.100 David really gives us kind of like a headline for this Psalm and that's what we're going 00:01:08.100 --> 00:01:11.820 to be looking at this evening, really the blessing of forgiveness. 00:01:11.820 --> 00:01:17.420 And that's what this Psalm is all about, the blessing of forgiveness. 00:01:17.420 --> 00:01:21.900 And so if you're here this evening and you're someone who is not perfect, if you're here 00:01:21.900 --> 00:01:25.500 this evening and you're someone who makes a mess of things, if you're here and you've 00:01:25.500 --> 00:01:29.019 not got it all together, if you can think of things in your mind where you think, I should 00:01:29.019 --> 00:01:30.019 not have done that. 00:01:30.019 --> 00:01:32.900 Well straight away, this Psalm is for you. 00:01:32.900 --> 00:01:36.019 It's a Psalm fought for all of us. 00:01:36.019 --> 00:01:39.819 It's a Psalm fought for Christians who have at one point experienced this forgiveness 00:01:39.819 --> 00:01:43.019 but who continue to make mistakes. 00:01:43.019 --> 00:01:46.780 It's also a Psalm for those who haven't yet made that decision. 00:01:46.780 --> 00:01:52.539 It's a Psalm that holds out this invitation showing what is on offer. 00:01:52.540 --> 00:01:57.340 It's a Psalm for each and every one of us here this evening. 00:01:57.340 --> 00:02:01.940 The very heart of the Psalm is the heart of the Gospel which is this, that this Psalm 00:02:01.940 --> 00:02:08.420 is telling us that we don't get the great blessing of a relationship with God by our 00:02:08.420 --> 00:02:14.340 actions but only through God's gracious forgiveness. 00:02:14.340 --> 00:02:18.580 In fact the apostle Paul in the New Testament writing in the book of Romans, he quotes 00:02:18.580 --> 00:02:24.980 these opening verses of Psalm 32 to emphasize that very fact that our relationship with 00:02:24.980 --> 00:02:26.939 God are righteousness. 00:02:26.939 --> 00:02:32.540 He speaks about throughout Romans that our righteousness is not down to our goodness 00:02:32.540 --> 00:02:36.020 but it is down to God's grace. 00:02:36.020 --> 00:02:40.300 God credits righteousness apart from works, Paul says. 00:02:40.300 --> 00:02:44.580 And then he gives these verses as evidence that that has always been the case. 00:02:44.580 --> 00:02:49.180 It was the case in the Old Testament before Jesus had arrived, it was the case in the 00:02:49.180 --> 00:02:52.660 New Testament after the arrival of Jesus. 00:02:52.660 --> 00:02:57.660 It's only ever been through God's forgiveness that people can be made right with him. 00:02:57.660 --> 00:03:02.300 Even great heroes of the Bible, even those people that we look up to like King David 00:03:02.300 --> 00:03:04.980 who wrote this Psalm. 00:03:04.980 --> 00:03:09.540 And so as we look at this Psalm, we get to the very heart of Christianity. 00:03:09.540 --> 00:03:12.140 Christians are not perfect people. 00:03:12.139 --> 00:03:14.899 Christians are forgiven people. 00:03:14.899 --> 00:03:17.939 And this Psalm speaks about that forgiveness. 00:03:17.939 --> 00:03:23.219 And it really focuses in I suppose on what we might call the what, kind of the blessings 00:03:23.219 --> 00:03:24.219 of forgiveness. 00:03:24.219 --> 00:03:27.739 And yet before we dive in and look at that, it's worth us just thinking first I think 00:03:27.739 --> 00:03:33.899 about the how, the how of forgiveness, how is this forgiveness possible? 00:03:33.899 --> 00:03:39.939 And incredibly as we stand here in 2019, actually we see a fuller answer to that question than 00:03:39.939 --> 00:03:43.699 even David who wrote this Psalm in the Old Testament. 00:03:43.699 --> 00:03:48.859 Because we see most clearly how is this forgiveness possible by moving, by turning to the New 00:03:48.859 --> 00:03:49.859 Testament. 00:03:49.859 --> 00:03:54.219 And we could look at any number of places there which would consistently and explicitly 00:03:54.219 --> 00:04:02.979 tell us that this forgiveness is only through Jesus Christ and his sacrifice on the cross. 00:04:02.979 --> 00:04:07.699 In fact, that's just what Paul has been talking about in chapter 3 of Romans before he goes 00:04:07.699 --> 00:04:10.299 on to quote these verses in chapter 4. 00:04:10.299 --> 00:04:15.539 He says this, all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came 00:04:15.539 --> 00:04:17.699 by Christ Jesus. 00:04:17.699 --> 00:04:24.300 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement through the shedding of his blood to be received 00:04:24.300 --> 00:04:25.300 by faith. 00:04:25.300 --> 00:04:31.259 And it's in that context that Paul quotes this Psalm we're looking at this evening. 00:04:31.259 --> 00:04:37.419 It's only Jesus's sacrificial death which is able, as the Psalm says, to cover our sin, 00:04:37.420 --> 00:04:40.259 to forgive our transgressions. 00:04:40.259 --> 00:04:42.980 And that is the foundation of forgiveness. 00:04:42.980 --> 00:04:48.660 That is how what we read about in this Psalm, the blessings of forgiveness are possible, 00:04:48.660 --> 00:04:51.900 are reachable for us. 00:04:51.900 --> 00:04:55.460 So as we look together at this, these blessings of forgiveness, let's make sure that always 00:04:55.460 --> 00:05:00.139 we have that at the front of our minds that this forgiveness is not because of what we 00:05:00.139 --> 00:05:01.139 do. 00:05:01.139 --> 00:05:06.420 This forgiveness is not something that we earn, but this forgiveness is all because 00:05:06.420 --> 00:05:13.340 of God's grace and the great sacrifice of his own life which Jesus made for us. 00:05:13.340 --> 00:05:18.020 So keep that there in the front of your mind about that's the kind of the how of this forgiveness. 00:05:18.020 --> 00:05:21.860 Let's dig into this Psalm now as we look at the blessings of forgiveness. 00:05:21.860 --> 00:05:26.860 It really kind of three main sections in the Psalm, each highlighting a kind of an aspect 00:05:26.860 --> 00:05:27.860 of forgiveness. 00:05:27.860 --> 00:05:30.660 And we'll look through those in turn. 00:05:30.660 --> 00:05:35.139 And the first is this, verses 3 down to verse 5. 00:05:35.139 --> 00:05:39.099 We see that God's forgiveness brings relief. 00:05:39.099 --> 00:05:41.579 I have a look at verses 3 and 4. 00:05:41.579 --> 00:05:47.459 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 00:05:47.459 --> 00:05:50.759 For day and night your hand was heavy on me. 00:05:50.759 --> 00:05:55.819 My strength was dried up as in the heat of summer. 00:05:55.819 --> 00:06:00.579 David is speaking there about his kind of personal experience of a time when he's tried 00:06:00.579 --> 00:06:02.500 to conceal his sin. 00:06:02.500 --> 00:06:05.699 When as he says he kept silent about it. 00:06:05.699 --> 00:06:11.339 I'm not told what that particular situation was, but David does give us the result. 00:06:11.339 --> 00:06:16.220 That my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long, he said. 00:06:16.220 --> 00:06:21.699 His strength he writes was sapped as he feels God's hand heavy on him. 00:06:21.699 --> 00:06:25.980 He describes this incredible discomfort he was feeling. 00:06:25.980 --> 00:06:32.100 This distress which he felt as essentially he tries to hide his sins from God. 00:06:32.100 --> 00:06:34.140 He conceals his sins from God. 00:06:34.140 --> 00:06:40.220 I don't think we're supposed to understand what we read here as this is a physical punishment 00:06:40.220 --> 00:06:42.420 from God because of David's sin. 00:06:42.420 --> 00:06:48.100 I think instead what we're getting here is a glimpse of David's inner turmoil, his anguish, 00:06:48.100 --> 00:06:56.900 his groaning as he recognizes that actually all is not right between him and God. 00:06:56.899 --> 00:07:02.539 As he struggles under the weight of trying to keep up this kind of facade of perfection. 00:07:02.539 --> 00:07:06.419 They know everything is fine, know that I've done nothing wrong, that he doesn't need God's 00:07:06.419 --> 00:07:07.419 help. 00:07:07.419 --> 00:07:08.979 And you know what's the result? 00:07:08.979 --> 00:07:13.699 Well, as we've just read it, it's crushing him. 00:07:13.699 --> 00:07:18.060 Each week at church at Huntington because we rent this building we have to carry everything 00:07:18.060 --> 00:07:21.339 in and out and we have to carry these Bibles in. 00:07:21.339 --> 00:07:23.699 They come in boxes of 20, 20 boxes. 00:07:23.699 --> 00:07:26.379 So 20 Bibles is fairly heavy. 00:07:26.379 --> 00:07:31.420 The guy who helps me unload this stuff insists on carrying two boxes at once. 00:07:31.420 --> 00:07:34.860 Because he carries two boxes, well, I have to carry two boxes. 00:07:34.860 --> 00:07:36.819 I don't want to be outbibled by this guy. 00:07:36.819 --> 00:07:42.379 But you know, it's a total killer and I kind of stagger up this fire exit steps and pretending 00:07:42.379 --> 00:07:47.259 I'm fine, my arms kind of aching, my fingers feel like they're going to drop off and he'll 00:07:47.259 --> 00:07:48.420 always see me at the top of the boat. 00:07:48.420 --> 00:07:49.420 You all right? 00:07:49.420 --> 00:07:50.420 I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, fine. 00:07:50.420 --> 00:07:51.860 Finally, it gets to the top. 00:07:51.860 --> 00:07:56.019 I can just drop these Bibles just wherever and get some relief. 00:07:56.019 --> 00:07:58.219 And that's kind of what David is feeling here. 00:07:58.219 --> 00:08:00.819 And that's what happens to David. 00:08:00.819 --> 00:08:05.339 The burden of claiming he's got it all sorted that he's fine. 00:08:05.339 --> 00:08:08.500 It finally becomes too much. 00:08:08.500 --> 00:08:14.219 Verse five, I acknowledged my sin to you and I did not cover up my iniquity. 00:08:14.219 --> 00:08:19.019 I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and then he gives the result and 00:08:19.019 --> 00:08:25.219 you forgave the iniquity of my sin. 00:08:25.220 --> 00:08:29.660 David is able to lay down his burden. 00:08:29.660 --> 00:08:33.980 David is able to enjoy relief from the strain that he's been under. 00:08:33.980 --> 00:08:34.980 Why? 00:08:34.980 --> 00:08:36.899 Because God forgives his sin. 00:08:36.899 --> 00:08:44.139 And that burden of sin and that relief that forgiveness brings, it is still a reality today. 00:08:44.139 --> 00:08:49.019 If we don't accept that forgiveness, if we don't know that forgiveness that Jesus offers, 00:08:49.019 --> 00:08:52.500 well really what we're saying is this, that it's all down to me. 00:08:52.500 --> 00:08:58.139 I'm saying that I need to be good enough, I cannot show any weakness, I can do this on 00:08:58.139 --> 00:08:59.139 my own. 00:08:59.139 --> 00:09:02.500 It's an exhausting position to be in. 00:09:02.500 --> 00:09:07.860 It's an exhausting appearance to try and keep up. 00:09:07.860 --> 00:09:13.100 And really any understanding of God or any understanding of Christianity or the Gospel 00:09:13.100 --> 00:09:18.139 or any understanding of life in general really which says that blessings come to those who 00:09:18.139 --> 00:09:24.980 are good and blessings come to those who deserve it, it wears us down. 00:09:24.980 --> 00:09:27.819 That's an exhausting way of life. 00:09:27.819 --> 00:09:30.819 We can never reach that standard. 00:09:30.819 --> 00:09:36.419 We never know if we've kind of done enough to get what we deserve or not. 00:09:36.419 --> 00:09:41.220 But David here is telling us and the heart of the Gospel is telling us that the blessing 00:09:41.220 --> 00:09:46.019 and relief, it doesn't come from what we do, from our efforts, from how good we are, it 00:09:46.019 --> 00:09:49.539 comes from forgiveness. 00:09:49.539 --> 00:09:53.419 It comes from that recognition that actually it's not down to us, we've not got it all 00:09:53.419 --> 00:09:54.419 together. 00:09:54.419 --> 00:10:01.539 We accept that we fall short and instead we need to trust in God's promises, trust in 00:10:01.539 --> 00:10:05.379 that forgiveness that He promises to those who come to Him. 00:10:05.379 --> 00:10:11.139 And I suppose the obvious kind of question then for this evening is have you done that? 00:10:11.139 --> 00:10:17.620 Could this be the first evening when you accept that need of Him, accept that forgiveness, 00:10:17.620 --> 00:10:21.899 experience that relief that comes from saying, you know what, I don't have it all sorted 00:10:21.899 --> 00:10:25.539 but with Jesus that's okay. 00:10:25.539 --> 00:10:31.500 Could it be the first time for you this evening or perhaps for many of us here, I've been 00:10:31.500 --> 00:10:37.019 Christians a long time and yet need to return to God once more, need to confess again, need 00:10:37.019 --> 00:10:39.419 to lay that burden down again. 00:10:39.419 --> 00:10:46.579 Martin Luther, the great reformer, famously wrote that the entire life of believers should 00:10:46.579 --> 00:10:48.979 be repentance. 00:10:48.979 --> 00:10:52.579 This is something that we never get beyond, never move past. 00:10:52.579 --> 00:10:57.939 This is not a one-off event, this isn't David writing a psalm about his conversion, about 00:10:57.939 --> 00:11:04.579 the time he became a Christian, this is the Christian life, constantly coming to God for 00:11:04.579 --> 00:11:06.740 forgiveness. 00:11:06.740 --> 00:11:11.340 And each one of us needs time and time again, if we don't recognize our need for that and 00:11:11.340 --> 00:11:16.460 then all we do is bury ourselves again under this load, we lose that relief that God longs 00:11:16.460 --> 00:11:17.460 to bring us. 00:11:17.460 --> 00:11:23.580 And I think as well, before we move on, I think as well this idea of ongoing repentance 00:11:23.580 --> 00:11:28.379 and the Bible's encouragement and enjoying that relief it brings is a real challenge 00:11:28.379 --> 00:11:30.019 for us as a church. 00:11:30.019 --> 00:11:36.259 While we should expect Christians to be growing, to be moving on in their faith, are we still 00:11:36.259 --> 00:11:41.620 giving one another that permission, that opportunity to repent? 00:11:41.620 --> 00:11:46.899 Are we encouraging one another to actually confess to seek help? 00:11:46.899 --> 00:11:51.220 Think of the people in your city group, think of the people perhaps that you know best. 00:11:51.220 --> 00:11:55.019 Are they able to open up about their struggles? 00:11:55.019 --> 00:12:01.379 So often it's easy for us to give people a period of grace and then the time has come, 00:12:01.379 --> 00:12:04.259 you need to have this all sorted by now. 00:12:04.259 --> 00:12:06.539 You need to have it together. 00:12:06.539 --> 00:12:10.500 We so easily speak about sin as if it's something that affects kind of other people but you 00:12:10.500 --> 00:12:12.019 know we're fine aren't we? 00:12:12.019 --> 00:12:17.819 And it just closes down the opportunity for people to come and repent, come and find forgiveness, 00:12:17.819 --> 00:12:19.899 come and enjoy this relief. 00:12:19.899 --> 00:12:27.019 Now instead as a church we want to be as David is, constantly accepting and reminding people 00:12:27.019 --> 00:12:30.139 of their need for forgiveness. 00:12:30.139 --> 00:12:36.100 He pointing people back towards the cross where that forgiveness is found. 00:12:36.100 --> 00:12:41.899 John Bunyan in his famous book Pilgrim's Progress as is so often the case expressed it far better 00:12:41.899 --> 00:12:42.899 than I ever could. 00:12:42.899 --> 00:12:47.139 And he has this scene where Pilgrim, kind of the main character, really sort of making 00:12:47.139 --> 00:12:49.179 his way through life. 00:12:49.179 --> 00:12:55.539 That he arrives at the cross and there he drops this huge burden that he's been lugging around 00:12:55.539 --> 00:12:58.939 with him so far and he leaps for joy and he sings this. 00:12:58.940 --> 00:13:05.340 This far did I come laden with my sin, nor could anything ease the grief that I was in 00:13:05.340 --> 00:13:07.780 till I came here. 00:13:07.780 --> 00:13:09.020 What a place this is. 00:13:09.020 --> 00:13:12.060 Must hear be the beginning of my bliss. 00:13:12.060 --> 00:13:15.620 Must hear the burden fall off my back. 00:13:15.620 --> 00:13:18.420 Must hear the strings that bound it to me crack. 00:13:18.420 --> 00:13:25.140 Blessed cross, blessed tomb, blessed rather be the man that was put to shame for me. 00:13:25.139 --> 00:13:31.019 Now God's forgiveness brings that relief, that forgiveness is possible through Jesus, 00:13:31.019 --> 00:13:34.019 through that cross, through that empty tomb. 00:13:34.019 --> 00:13:39.580 That is the forgiveness that David experienced, the relief it brings, which is available to 00:13:39.580 --> 00:13:42.939 us too if we acknowledge our sins to God. 00:13:42.939 --> 00:13:47.419 So that's the first section really, the relief of forgiveness. 00:13:47.419 --> 00:13:52.819 Let's carry on into the second section of this psalm and David moves here as well as 00:13:52.819 --> 00:13:54.740 bringing relief. 00:13:54.740 --> 00:13:56.620 God's forgiveness brings security. 00:13:56.620 --> 00:14:00.460 Have a look at verses six and seven. 00:14:00.460 --> 00:14:05.019 It says this, therefore, let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when 00:14:05.019 --> 00:14:07.259 you may be found. 00:14:07.259 --> 00:14:11.259 Surely in the rush of great waters they shall not reach him. 00:14:11.259 --> 00:14:13.220 You are hiding place from me. 00:14:13.220 --> 00:14:15.100 You preserve me from trouble. 00:14:15.100 --> 00:14:22.980 You surround me with shouts of deliverance. 00:14:22.980 --> 00:14:25.019 David calls people to pray to God. 00:14:25.019 --> 00:14:31.139 I think what he's talking about here is specifically a prayer for this forgiveness that the whole 00:14:31.139 --> 00:14:32.139 psalm is about. 00:14:32.139 --> 00:14:36.379 Notice who it is again, who is to pray for this forgiveness. 00:14:36.379 --> 00:14:38.740 It's the godly. 00:14:38.740 --> 00:14:42.460 David doesn't say, now look, if you've really messed up, if you're a bad person, you better 00:14:42.460 --> 00:14:45.340 get on your knees and pray. 00:14:45.340 --> 00:14:49.860 David's message is that everyone, even the most godly, needs to call out to God while 00:14:49.860 --> 00:14:51.100 he can be found. 00:14:51.100 --> 00:14:54.820 You can see perhaps there's a warning there as well, isn't there? 00:14:54.820 --> 00:14:59.420 Pray to God while he can be found. 00:14:59.420 --> 00:15:04.540 Implicit in there is that warning that actually one day it will be too late. 00:15:04.540 --> 00:15:10.740 One day the psalm says the rush of great waters will come and that chance will have passed. 00:15:10.740 --> 00:15:14.779 For those who have prayed, for those who have accepted this forgiveness, there is this great 00:15:14.779 --> 00:15:15.779 security. 00:15:15.779 --> 00:15:19.820 The great waters shall not reach him. 00:15:19.820 --> 00:15:24.860 As in view here, I think, is really an eternal security. 00:15:24.860 --> 00:15:30.020 David with these rushing waters is looking ahead to that final judgment, that time when 00:15:30.020 --> 00:15:34.180 it will become too late to call out to God as these rushing waters come. 00:15:34.180 --> 00:15:39.620 And we've probably all seen pictures or videos of the destructive power of a flood that just 00:15:39.620 --> 00:15:41.140 sweeps through. 00:15:41.140 --> 00:15:45.700 It takes everything in its path. 00:15:45.700 --> 00:15:51.259 And yet the promise here is that on that final day those waters will not reach the one who's 00:15:51.259 --> 00:15:54.580 asked for this forgiveness. 00:15:54.580 --> 00:15:59.460 And because of this ultimate future security that we can have through God's forgiveness, 00:15:59.460 --> 00:16:03.259 well it means then that we can have security here and now. 00:16:03.259 --> 00:16:04.900 That we can have security in this world. 00:16:04.900 --> 00:16:11.220 David again relates his own experience of God as an example, as a picture of what's 00:16:11.220 --> 00:16:12.220 an offer. 00:16:12.220 --> 00:16:14.940 He says this, you are hiding place for me. 00:16:14.940 --> 00:16:16.220 You preserve me from trouble. 00:16:16.220 --> 00:16:19.020 You surround me with shouts of deliverance. 00:16:19.020 --> 00:16:21.820 That sounds great, doesn't it? 00:16:21.820 --> 00:16:28.020 And actually though, it's incredible that David is able to write those words. 00:16:28.020 --> 00:16:32.140 The Bible spells out that David went through a whole lot of trouble. 00:16:32.140 --> 00:16:34.900 David had a whole lot of difficulty in his life. 00:16:34.900 --> 00:16:38.020 He went through all sorts of tricky situations to say the least. 00:16:38.019 --> 00:16:45.259 And yet in all of this he's able to say that God delivered him, that God preserved him, 00:16:45.259 --> 00:16:52.419 that God surrounded him with shouts of deliverance, that God who forgave him never let him down. 00:16:52.419 --> 00:16:55.139 And again the truth is the same for us today. 00:16:55.139 --> 00:17:00.340 If we do pray to that God now as David calls us to, if we pray for that forgiveness, well 00:17:00.340 --> 00:17:04.059 we can know that same security. 00:17:04.059 --> 00:17:08.899 In this world security here and now security that is not based on things that kind of come 00:17:08.899 --> 00:17:14.460 and go and shift around, but on an unchanging God. 00:17:14.460 --> 00:17:16.500 And that is not to say that things won't be hard. 00:17:16.500 --> 00:17:21.619 That doesn't mean that we won't have family issues or financial worries or job stresses 00:17:21.619 --> 00:17:25.500 or everything else that comes with living in the real world. 00:17:25.500 --> 00:17:31.740 But it does mean this security in this world of knowing that God surrounds us, of knowing 00:17:31.740 --> 00:17:38.900 that our eternal future is secure, of knowing that whatever happens to us through this forgiveness, 00:17:38.900 --> 00:17:45.140 through God's grace, we have this everlasting relationship with God that will never end, 00:17:45.140 --> 00:17:48.579 with a God who will never let us down. 00:17:48.579 --> 00:17:54.220 And really this security is the foundation, it is the ultimate cause of the relief that 00:17:54.220 --> 00:17:56.740 we've just been speaking about. 00:17:56.740 --> 00:18:01.859 It's this security in the time of the flood which brings the relief. 00:18:01.859 --> 00:18:08.220 As this kind of subjective experience of relief only comes because of this objective 00:18:08.220 --> 00:18:10.620 security God offers. 00:18:10.620 --> 00:18:16.019 Forgiveness doesn't bring relief just because it's good to talk, it's nice to get stuff 00:18:16.019 --> 00:18:18.500 off our chest. 00:18:18.500 --> 00:18:23.140 Forgiveness brings relief because forgiveness brings a real change in our circumstances, 00:18:23.140 --> 00:18:28.740 a change in our relationship with God, it brings eternal security through that. 00:18:28.740 --> 00:18:34.300 And again this objective change is centered on the cross. 00:18:34.300 --> 00:18:39.060 Again it's there that the price was paid, it's there that our sin was dealt with, it's 00:18:39.060 --> 00:18:45.700 there that Jesus Christ faced these great waters on our behalf. 00:18:45.700 --> 00:18:50.140 The cross achieves that forgiveness, the cross makes that change so that those who 00:18:50.140 --> 00:18:53.660 are forgiven have that eternal security. 00:18:53.660 --> 00:18:59.740 The waters will not reach them because Jesus Christ has been through them. 00:18:59.740 --> 00:19:06.860 And God promises to see those who are forgiven through, to see them into eternity with Him. 00:19:06.860 --> 00:19:10.500 And again I suppose that the same question we can't move on without asking, do you know 00:19:10.500 --> 00:19:12.100 that security? 00:19:12.100 --> 00:19:17.900 Is your life something that has a foundational bedrock of knowing what is happening to you 00:19:17.900 --> 00:19:19.820 in eternity? 00:19:19.819 --> 00:19:25.460 When you speak with this confidence that David speaks, even though the hard times he goes 00:19:25.460 --> 00:19:29.259 through this confidence and security that he feels. 00:19:29.259 --> 00:19:30.939 Have you prayed to God for that forgiveness? 00:19:30.939 --> 00:19:36.740 If not, again remember that that invitation is open to do that while he still can be found, 00:19:36.740 --> 00:19:40.700 to do that before these waters come. 00:19:40.700 --> 00:19:45.019 And if you have done that again, well here's great encouragement, a great reminder that 00:19:45.019 --> 00:19:50.299 actually whatever might come in the week to come, the months to come, the years to come, 00:19:50.299 --> 00:19:54.059 that we can face any situation that this world might throw at us. 00:19:54.059 --> 00:20:00.940 Despite how we feel, despite how others around us might react, despite how the kind of situations 00:20:00.940 --> 00:20:06.940 in our life may change, we can face all of these things knowing that we are secure. 00:20:06.940 --> 00:20:10.299 Not because we're good people, not because we're kind of strong, not because we've got 00:20:10.299 --> 00:20:16.059 it sorted, not because we're trying really hard, but because of the cross and because 00:20:16.059 --> 00:20:22.379 of what Jesus has done, because that forgiveness brings security. 00:20:22.379 --> 00:20:24.819 And that brings us to the end of the second section. 00:20:24.819 --> 00:20:28.980 And in the first two sections we see this has been David speaking, speaking from his 00:20:28.980 --> 00:20:35.460 wisdom, speaking from his experience, outlying these related blessings of forgiveness and 00:20:35.460 --> 00:20:40.900 of relief and security that forgiveness brings. 00:20:40.900 --> 00:20:45.579 And then in the third section, starting at verse eight and nine, there's a change in 00:20:45.579 --> 00:20:47.220 speaker here. 00:20:47.220 --> 00:20:51.059 And actually what we have here is God's answer to David. 00:20:51.059 --> 00:20:53.420 And so this is God speaking. 00:20:53.420 --> 00:20:57.819 Speaking to David and by extension speaking to all those who enjoy the blessings of his 00:20:57.819 --> 00:20:58.819 forgiveness. 00:20:58.819 --> 00:21:03.980 And the final thing we see in this final section is that ultimately God's forgiveness brings 00:21:03.980 --> 00:21:05.900 guidance. 00:21:05.900 --> 00:21:07.099 God's forgiveness brings guidance. 00:21:07.099 --> 00:21:09.620 Now let me read verses eight and nine. 00:21:09.620 --> 00:21:11.299 Again remember this is God speaking. 00:21:11.299 --> 00:21:16.539 He says, I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. 00:21:16.539 --> 00:21:18.940 I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 00:21:18.940 --> 00:21:24.660 Be not like a horse or a mule without understanding which must be curbed with bit and bridle or 00:21:24.660 --> 00:21:28.380 it will not stay near you. 00:21:28.380 --> 00:21:34.300 And these verses are here to show us that forgiveness is not the end of the story, but forgiveness 00:21:34.300 --> 00:21:37.540 is the gateway into a transformed life. 00:21:37.540 --> 00:21:43.220 And just as God is central in forgiveness, well it's God who leads us on as his forgiven 00:21:43.220 --> 00:21:44.220 people. 00:21:44.220 --> 00:21:50.380 Instructing, teaching, counseling, always with his eye on his people. 00:21:50.380 --> 00:21:53.740 Now we're not forgiven just so that we can kind of go off and do our own thing, to do 00:21:53.740 --> 00:21:55.580 whatever we want. 00:21:55.579 --> 00:22:01.539 Now forgiveness brings us into a relationship with God and within that relationship he guides 00:22:01.539 --> 00:22:02.539 us. 00:22:02.539 --> 00:22:05.939 He speaks to us through his word the Bible, through other Christians in the church, through 00:22:05.939 --> 00:22:08.019 the work of the Holy Spirit. 00:22:08.019 --> 00:22:13.899 And perhaps the key point here at verse nine is to listen to this guidance, to obey this 00:22:13.899 --> 00:22:17.139 guidance in the different ways it comes. 00:22:17.139 --> 00:22:19.859 I really like this kind of verse here. 00:22:19.859 --> 00:22:25.059 There's a lot of images and descriptions and kind of allusions in the Bible which need 00:22:25.059 --> 00:22:26.059 a bit of explanation. 00:22:26.059 --> 00:22:30.700 We perhaps need to kind of understand the context of places thousands of miles away 00:22:30.700 --> 00:22:33.019 or thousands of years ago. 00:22:33.019 --> 00:22:37.700 I really like this one that seems to work verse nine pretty much straight away. 00:22:37.700 --> 00:22:39.299 Don't be a donkey, God says. 00:22:39.299 --> 00:22:43.779 You don't really need a theology degree to get the gist of that one. 00:22:43.779 --> 00:22:50.500 This emphasis is on constantly trying to pull away, constantly being sort of stubborn like 00:22:50.500 --> 00:22:55.779 a mule, constantly needing to be disciplined in order to be brought back. 00:22:55.779 --> 00:22:58.859 When I was growing up we used to have a dog and whenever you took him for a walk it was 00:22:58.859 --> 00:23:02.339 like trying to pull your arm out of his socket, it was tiresome. 00:23:02.339 --> 00:23:07.180 I've still got one leg, one arm slightly longer than the other I think. 00:23:07.180 --> 00:23:10.140 God's saying here don't be like that. 00:23:10.140 --> 00:23:15.619 Don't be this donkey, this mule, this stubborn thing, listen to me. 00:23:15.619 --> 00:23:22.299 The key thing here to recognize is that this is not God being overly strict or controlling 00:23:22.299 --> 00:23:23.299 it. 00:23:23.299 --> 00:23:28.259 It wasn't kind of good news about the forgiveness bit and here's the cost, here's the bad bit. 00:23:28.259 --> 00:23:30.579 This is for our own good. 00:23:30.579 --> 00:23:34.459 Remember the state David was in in verses three and four when he'd gone away from God. 00:23:34.459 --> 00:23:38.819 He was groaning, he was tired, he was weak. 00:23:38.819 --> 00:23:44.299 Instead it's staying close to God which is the best place we can be. 00:23:44.299 --> 00:23:50.220 That ability to be near God, to walk in His footsteps, to be in His very presence is the 00:23:50.220 --> 00:23:54.819 greatest blessing of all of forgiveness. 00:23:54.819 --> 00:24:00.779 God's forgiveness brings us relief and security and those who receive that also receive this 00:24:00.779 --> 00:24:06.259 guidance from God to live it out, to move forward in that. 00:24:06.259 --> 00:24:11.259 That leads us on to the final two verses, really a kind of conclusion, laying out the 00:24:11.259 --> 00:24:16.420 stark contrast between the two options available verses 10 and 11. 00:24:16.420 --> 00:24:22.500 Many are the solos of the wicked but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. 00:24:22.500 --> 00:24:31.619 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy all you upright in heart. 00:24:31.619 --> 00:24:37.420 Some closest by reminding us that for those who accept this forgiveness and the guidance 00:24:37.420 --> 00:24:39.460 that comes, there's joy. 00:24:39.460 --> 00:24:45.220 There's gladness, there's rejoicing, this is the way to a fulfilled life, a happy life, 00:24:45.220 --> 00:24:52.700 a blessed life, or ultimately for the wicked, for those who reject this forgiveness. 00:24:52.700 --> 00:24:55.740 It's only sorrow. 00:24:55.740 --> 00:24:59.700 And again this doesn't mean there are no hard times for those who stick close to God, it 00:24:59.700 --> 00:25:03.259 doesn't mean, you know, once we've asked God for forgiveness our troubles just kind of 00:25:03.259 --> 00:25:05.860 disappear straight out the window. 00:25:05.859 --> 00:25:12.059 But it does mean that accepting God's forgiveness and carrying on in His guidance is the best 00:25:12.059 --> 00:25:13.659 way to live. 00:25:13.659 --> 00:25:20.500 It is a way to live which brings us relief and security and direction and joy. 00:25:20.500 --> 00:25:24.219 And again that invitation is there to accept that for the first time, to acknowledge, to 00:25:24.219 --> 00:25:27.579 confess, to pray to God. 00:25:27.579 --> 00:25:31.019 Recognizing we're far from where we should be, we make mistakes, we don't live up to 00:25:31.019 --> 00:25:37.740 God's standards but that God's blessing isn't for perfect people but forgiven people. 00:25:37.740 --> 00:25:43.700 And that forgiveness is there to be grasped again and again by each one of us, it's needed 00:25:43.700 --> 00:25:45.859 by each one of us. 00:25:45.859 --> 00:25:51.740 Listen again to Martin Luther, the entire life of believers should be repentance. 00:25:51.740 --> 00:25:55.700 Each day we all fall short, each day we all need to return. 00:25:55.700 --> 00:26:01.819 And each day these blessings of forgiveness are available to us anew. 00:26:01.819 --> 00:26:06.539 And if we know that forgiveness, that relief, that security, that guidance, that joy, the 00:26:06.539 --> 00:26:11.900 call is then to live this out, to live in response to what God has done, to do this 00:26:11.900 --> 00:26:17.220 joyfully, publicly sharing with others the blessing of forgiveness that comes through 00:26:17.220 --> 00:26:24.180 Jesus from His sacrifice on the cross which brings us relief and security and guidance 00:26:24.180 --> 00:26:29.779 which is available to everyone, which is truly life and life to the full. 00:26:29.779 --> 00:26:30.779 Let me pray. 00:26:30.779 --> 00:26:36.940 Heavenly Father, we thank You that the heart of the gospel, at the heart of Your rescue 00:26:36.940 --> 00:26:39.420 for us is a message of forgiveness. 00:26:39.420 --> 00:26:47.220 Well, there's so much of the rest of the world offers a message of self-help or trying our 00:26:47.220 --> 00:26:51.779 very best or striving to reach certain levels of achievement. 00:26:51.779 --> 00:26:57.899 We thank You for the uniqueness of the gospel which tells us that You have achieved that 00:26:57.899 --> 00:26:59.980 for us. 00:26:59.980 --> 00:27:04.059 The incredible message of the gospel that says that all that is required from us is 00:27:04.059 --> 00:27:08.220 to come to You and to lay down the burden of our sin. 00:27:08.220 --> 00:27:14.059 Well, we pray that You would show us time and time again our need for forgiveness. 00:27:14.059 --> 00:27:17.139 We pray that You would protect us from thinking that this is just a one-off thing that we've 00:27:17.139 --> 00:27:19.619 done and now that we're fine. 00:27:19.619 --> 00:27:26.019 Well, we pray that daily we would be drawn back to You, to ask for that forgiveness once 00:27:26.019 --> 00:27:30.339 again and to be refreshed and enjoy those blessings in You. 00:27:30.339 --> 00:27:35.819 Well, we thank You that this is all possible through Jesus, through His perfect life, through 00:27:35.819 --> 00:27:38.899 His death in our place, through His resurrection. 00:27:38.899 --> 00:27:44.579 We thank You that through that we see Your great love for us, the great love that made 00:27:44.579 --> 00:27:50.220 this forgiveness possible, the great love that wants to lead us on in our walk with 00:27:50.220 --> 00:27:51.220 You. 00:27:51.220 --> 00:27:55.299 Well, as we pray, as we do accept this forgiveness, as we do turn to You, that we would enjoy 00:27:55.299 --> 00:28:01.099 that relief and security, but that also we would commit ourselves to that ongoing guidance, 00:28:01.099 --> 00:28:06.339 that You might be growing us more like You and that we would recognize that that is the 00:28:06.339 --> 00:28:08.539 best way to live. 00:28:08.539 --> 00:28:12.699 Not only would we recognize that for ourselves, but also that we would be eager to share 00:28:12.700 --> 00:28:14.740 that good news with those around us. 00:28:14.740 --> 00:28:19.100 And we pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ who makes it all possible. 00:28:19.099 --> 00:28:45.099 Amen.