Right Living in a Wrong World (Part 2)
Psalm 37:1-8
This evening I want to go back to the beginning of the Psalm that I shared from this morning. And what we find is that David deals with an issue that many struggle with today - good things don't always happen to good people, and it seems that those that cheat and lie their way through get the breaks. David's response to living in a wrong world is to be righteous nonetheless. And by the way, there is only one way that we are made righteous - through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross. This is a wonderful text, though some 3,000 years old, that is still just as relevant today and needed for many that may be wondering in this pluralistic, just-be-sincere-in-what-you-believe, and what-you-think-is-right-is-right, society.
In this psalm through which God spoke to my heart several times we find some much needed words of encouragement and challenge. Let me give this quote and then we'll read the text, "David had suffered plenty at the hands of ungodly, unscrupulous men during his lifetime. Now an old man, he shares some advice on how to react when we become a victim of wicked schemes and venomous tongues."1
Psalm 37:1-8
37:1 A Psalm of David. Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
37:2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb.
37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
37:4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
37:5 Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring [it] to pass.
37:6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.
37:7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
I want you to see,
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Words to the Righteous vv 1-8
Three categories of words to the righteous that I want you to see,
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About the unrighteous vv 1-2. David begins with the admonition, "Do not fret because of evildoers…." What does it mean to fret? Let me give you this picture: have you, no, not you; do you know of someone that has ever done this? "We lie in bed at night and rehearse the whole outrageous episode. First we think of all they said and did, then we go over how we answered them, then we wish we had thought of some other choice words to hurl at them! Soon our digestive juices have turned to sulfuric acid and we lie and toss and turn, wondering when sleep will ever come!"2 You've never done that before have you? We need to understand a very important point: "Our fretting is hurting no one but ourselves and accomplishes nothing."
And let's be honest. It sure seems like some evildoers have it made today. It sure seems that evil goes on hurting many innocent and it is never checked. Just like there were people that wondered why God would permit Hitler to do what he did, why Mussolini did what he did; there are people today that wonder why God will allow the bin Laden's and the al-Sadr's and the ACLU to do what they're doing. But I've got to ask you a question. Where is Hitler? Where is Mussolini? Where is Saddam Hussein? "Just give God time. He will deal with the wicked. It is the end of the ungodly that we need to consider. If it disturbs you when you look around today and see the wicked prospering, there are several things you can do to solve your problem."4 And we'll see those in the coming verses.
But the point is this: the righteous, even when dealt a dirty hand by the enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ are still in a much better position than the most prosperous enemy of our Lord. Do you realize that the earth is the only heaven that the unrighteous will ever have? Don't be envious of them! Job's friend, Zophar, was very correct when he said (Job 20:5), "the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment."
And there's coming a day that verse 2 will become a sobering reality to the unrighteous, "For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb."
Can I remind you of something about fretting and envy? Matthew Henry said that these are two sins "that are their own punishments; they are the uneasiness of the spirit and the rottenness of the bones; it is therefore in kindness to ourselves that we are warned against them."5 But also notice David's words,
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About what is of utmost importance vv 3-6. These words are so very powerful and so needed in this high strung, self-focused society. In these four verses I find seven commands (seven imperatives) as well as four promises.
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The Commands (every one of these is of utmost importance):
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Trust (vv 3, 5). The King James Commentary states, "The cure for fretting is faith. Regardless of the circumstances around us, we must still trust in the Lord."6 And the fact that David will admonish us to again trust the Lord in verse 5 is all the more reason to trust completely in our Lord who does not change and who cannot fail. But I want you to understand that with trust, it always comes with action, hence the rest of these commands,
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Do good. You see, if we aren't really trusting our Lord, do you really think that we are going to follow His Word? The response of an untrusting soul would be, "What's the use? Why do any good since it is all going to be a waste anyway? No one else around me is doing any good, why should I?" You say that you are trusting. But are you showing you are trusting by doing good?
I'm going to talk about this later, but I think this is a great place for a soapbox. Again, I want you to know that I am greatly amazed by what God is doing here at Maysville Baptist Church. "Wow!" doesn't even begin to describe just how great a God our God is. I'm grateful for the souls that have been saved. I'm grateful for the folks that God is leading to join with us here. And you know, I'm finding that people want to be in a place where exciting things are happening - and so do I. And I pray that it will never stop. God desires to bless if we will but trust Him!
And we trust Him by doing what He has called us to do. "What Matters Most" is an incredible theme for a capital campaign and we have heard through testimonies, Sunday School, and these messages that what matters most to Maysville Baptist Church is loving God, loving others and serving the world. But for that to come about there must be more than trust, there must be some doing. Can I cut to the chase? We need more laborers in our ministries. We need (__) teachers and assistant teachers in our children's ministry now. We need (__) teachers and assistant teachers in our youth ministry now. And I'm going to tell you that it is easy to sit in a growing church like this and think that we have plenty of laborers and that you're really not needed. That's definitely not true.
I'm not trying to put a guilt trip on anyone, but I want you to understand that we need some doers to respond to God's call to serve in these areas now. Several of you have been gracious to share with me over the past couple of weeks stories of sacrifice and I want to read part of one to you now, especially in regards to this area. Here is what one church member wrote to me,
"I have pondered the question of sacrifice, and what it means to me, over and over since receiving your letter some weeks ago. I am certain you were talking especially of monetary sacrifice, as we are beginning a new phase of growth and building in our church. [My husband and I] have never made huge sums of money, or even large ones at that, so we have always had to budget carefully to give our regular tithe and pay other bills that we all know are going to be there...no matter what! God has always been faithful in seeing that we have enough for that and more, so that we might give as we should, with a joyful heart. We have never lived above our means and are a family who doesn't need monetary things to bring us happiness…. I am a true witness to the fact that you can't out-give God. He always tops our giving when we least expect it.
"When I think about sacrifice, of course the first thing that comes to mind is the sacrifice God made when he gave His only son for us. I can't imagine sacrificing either of my [children] for anyone or anything, especially for the sins of the world. What could I ever give God to repay that? My concern is, that as we begin this new campaign, everyone will be so focused on giving, and building, and people, that they won't stop and think about the responsibility of service that comes with that. We have already built one beautiful building to honor God in every week, but what are Sunday School rooms if they have no teachers in them? [We have been teaching in our children's ministry each week.] It is awesome, but the children certainly aren't getting what they need as we spend much of the time doing "crowd control". The class needs splitting in order for those little souls to receive what they need to grow and learn in Christ. Greg has been seeking teachers to do just that. Where are the willing ones? If we build and grow and build and grow, which I believe with all my heart that's what God wants us to do; who will teach our children? [There was a time when I had a perfect excuse to excuse myself from teaching and being new] we desperately wanted to be in Sunday School and fellowship with our new-found Christian friends each Sunday. I fought teaching again, using the excuse that I wasn't physically able and that I taught children all week long. Wasn't God already using me in that way anyway? But then I heard you share that Andrew's class (my son) didn't have a teacher. God spoke loud and clear. Could that also be what sacrifice really is?
"I believe everything we have is a gift from our Lord and Savior. So you asked what sacrifice means to me? It is so simple. It is giving a gift you have been given that others might receive a gift.. What gift?...The gift of Eternal Life."
Yes, the Capital Stewardship Campaign is call for us to, in every way, be ready and willing to "do good." You know God has called you to serve. But now you need to follow through on that call. I like this statement, "True faith always produces good works. A faith that trusts in the Lord will find an active outlet."
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Dwell. This expresses a commitment to stay for the duration, come what may. This means to take ownership and be an active, committed and faithful part. No smooching and skimming from others. Listen believer, that's God call to you here. He's called you here, dwell here. I realize that on Sunday evenings we have guests from other churches that may not have Sunday evening services. Dwell where God has planted you and take an active ownership of what God is doing and desires to do in your church. The encouragement here is that "Despite the fiercest attacks of demons or men, no sheep of Christ will ever perish. A dwelling place in the Father's house is guaranteed to all who trust Christ."7
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Feed - on His faithfulness. I love that. As we will see in coming weeks, the righteous, the godly, can feed on God's faithfulness even when things don't look so great. Here's another testimony.
Both of these folks grew up in homes where tithing was exemplified before them and they write, "Through God's blessings, we have been able to give well over ten percent. Until the bottom fell out of the construction industry in the last 2 years. We went two months with no paycheck at all and ten months with half of a paycheck. We have still continued to give what we could, which has always been ten percent. [We also] sacrificed for the Refuge and building fund. Even when things seemed at their worst and continued week after week to worry how we were going to make ends meet, there was always just enough money to get us through. When one builder couldn't pay, one would pay us early or one that owed us would come up with the money. Through seeing how God works and blesses us when we're faithful to Him, we can view our tithe as a form of worship instead of an obligation. We will sacrifice again for the capital campaign without a doubt and hope this is an encouragement for [everyone else] to do the same." Isn't that awesome? Notice another command,
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Delight. To joy in, be thrilled with. "If we make the Lord God the object of our affection, our meditation, and our activity, then we will find ourselves rejoicing in the Spirit. Evildoers delight in their position; but as a child of God, if you delight in yours, you will never envy theirs."8 Note another command,
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Commit. This word literally means to "roll off onto." In other words, roll off of your way onto His way. And this command is coupled once again with where we started - trust in Him. In other words, we must give God time.
How are you doing with these commands? Are there areas where you have fallen short or are neglecting because of distrust? The commands come with promises, with,
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Comforts. Four promises I want you to see,
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He will give you the desires of your heart. "When we find pleasure in the Lord God, we will then be rewarded with our innermost desires; we will have all that God intends for us to have."9
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He shall bring your way to pass. That is, as you are committed to our Lord and His will for your life, it will come to pass. Probably not in your time, but God's timing is always best.
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He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light.
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He shall bring forth your justice as the noonday. These last two simply say God is going to get glory in our lives when He is the sole reason that we are what we are and we do what we do. "The light… the noonday." You won't be able to help but see it. It's going to be so clear, so evident and so powerful.
I want to tell you that these are some incredible promises that our Lord has given to us here, and I don't think there is anyone here that would not want to enjoy these precious gifts. But I want to remind you that they are conditional. You won't enjoy them until you are trusting and obeying Him. Our Lord also has a word,
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About what is unclear vv 7-8. Let me give you two words:
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Rest. Once again, welcome to life. And we are not near as in control as we think we are. Notice what David concedes here - many unrighteous people will prosper in their way, and some will actually fulfill wicked schemes. With that being the case, we can still most certainly rest in the presence of our Lord. Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
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Release. David said, "Cease from anger"-don't lose your temper. Don't get uptight - because the end result is that it will hurt you. "Since God is carrying your burden, it is not necessary for you to bear it also. Too often that is exactly what we do. We cast our care hesitatingly on Him, and then promptly take it back on ourselves."10
I want to say something to you this evening. This blessed book that speaks of our wonderful Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ is still just as relevant and necessary today as when it was penned. Jesus - He's still the answer. Trust in Him - it's still the only way. God - He's still able. Faith - it's still the only way to please Him. Hope - it's still the motivation of the soul that our Lord will see us through. The Cross - it's still the only way by which we are saved. Do you know Him?