Sermon notes from 12 February 2017
Psalm 139
As we read through this Psalm somehow we can see the wonderful words the Psalmist uses here. There is a real thing developing here as we look through these words. I can see a man getting before the God of heaven, opening up his prayer time to God. He wants to spend time in the presence of God. A man confirms his faith in God of heaven through these verses. A man who has confidence in his God as he sits before him. He allows his mind to reflect back to where he is sitting under the mountainside guarding the sheep for his father. A lion and a bear come into the flock and with the help of God he delivered those sheep from these animals. Do we come with confidence in God? Do we affirm our faith? He comes with confidence but he also affirms his faith. Not to take sides with the enemies. Innn Psalm 1 I see a man who is not complacent, content with the place he is in. He wants to grow and desires to give all to God of heaven. We often sing the hymn "O for a closer walk with God." Is that our desire today? In our hearts to go on with God, to go through with God, to get close to God, to have communion with God? As he comes into the presence of God he says in verse 23 "search me O God and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting."
An honest petition. Do I come with that honesty today? This prayer is more than letting God know what we think we need. God doesn`t need to know any of that. Our heavenly father knoweth what we need before we ask him. The Lord is near today. Here we have an exercise of close communion with God. A man who wants to grow in grace and knowledge of who God is. The reality of these things. He got down before God in his private time. We don`t know the background to this Psalm. Maybe can identify some of these times when the enemy is coming against us. A time when we were down and discouraged. Come and worship the Lord. We don`t realise what is behind this Psalm. He doesn`t want anything to come between him and God. "if I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear me." He wants to come with a clean heart before God. He wants to be cleaned by God himself. In Psalm 40 this man cried and the Lord "inclined unto me and heard my cry". The Lord lifted him out and set his feet on a rock. He put a new song in his heart. Do we remember that day when we cried? We were in the pit of sin, couldn`t get out of that pit. The only way out was to leave that pit, to go out into a lost and Christless hell for all eternity. We cried out though and the Lord heard us. He lifted us out of the pit and set our feet on a solid rock. He gave us a new song in our hearts. "I have loved the habitations of thy house, the place where thine honour dwelleth." (Psalm 26 verse 8) He loved God`s house, loved getting among God`s people, fellowship and communion with them, drawing closer to God of heaven. Here is a man with a heart felt prayer. Many would rather gather around a screen that hear God`s message rather than be in God`s house. Unlike Saul the king who was raised up yet disobeyed God. He was told to kill Amalek and his people, to get rid of everything . He didn`t do it. Samuel asked him when he came "why did you do this?" Saul blamed all the people around him. God has left you, deserted you, Samuel told him, there is going to be a new king in Israel. Saul got down on his knees - "do me the honour and go back into the camp with me before the elders." (1 Samuel 15 verse 30) He was more concerned about what they thought of him than what the God of heaven thought. We can be guilty of that this morning. I can be more desiring of what people think of me than what God thinks of me. David says "Lord search me." No outward evidence. David comes in his own way willingly, asks God if there is something in his heart to take it from him. Think of the solemn place around the Lord`s table, a place whenever we think of the bread and wine. When I look at the table I look at the body that was broken on the cross of Calvary, beaten, rejected and hanged on an old middle cross. That body was marred more than any man. When the Lord was on the cross of Calvary he wasn`t even recognisable as a human being. Imagine that. Such was the treatment he endured. Think of that body - reminds us of the blood of Christ flowing from his wounded side to take away our sin. Paul says "let a man examine himself." (1 Corinthians 11 verse 28) David is not saying this for himself but asks the Lord to look into his heart and see if there is something that should not be there and then show it to him.
A humbling practice. David recognises there is a higher authority. Saul knew his sin because Samuel brought his sin before him. He was the king and he didn`t obey God. Knew it was in his heart and was more concerned about his standing. We sometimes don`t face up to our sin because we are more concerned about our standing. Saul said "I don`t want to be made little of in front of all the nations, I was chosen and have served this nation and now I do not want to be humiliated in front of these people. David was more concerned with getting right before God. Sometimes we can be innocent of something in our hearts and lives then when we get down to prayer God puts something in our hearts. Maybe something you said which was said innocently but when you thought back on it maybe sounded ok but was all wrong. Maybe someone has said something to us that is out of place. Saul was more concerned about his standing before others. David just wanted to be right before God. When David sinned with Bathsheba she became pregnant and David planned and plotted to kill her husband. He had him placed in the battle. For some 12 months this troubled him. Nathan the prophet came in and told him a story, a parable. David fell as a result. Psalm 51 tells us that David acknowledged his sin before God - verse 7 - will you purge me, cleanse me, forgive me. He had one thought in his mind - "cast me not from your presence, nor take not thy holy spirit from me." (Psalm 51 verse 11) He didn`t want the break of the relationship with his God. The Psalmist didnt want anything to hinder his relationship with God. Sometimes we need God to put his finger on it. Joshua stepped into Moses` shoes and took the people across the river and into the Promised Land. God told him how to take that great city Jericho. He followed the instructions and nation after nation fell under his leadership. Then came Ai, an insignificant place. Someone came to Joshua and told him they didn`t need all these men to go up. Joshua agreed and sent the men up. The men were defeated. Joshua fell down on his knees and began to cry and lament about what the other nations would think of them. They would begin to think that God had left them. God told him before you pray anything more get your priorities right. What are you doing lying on your face - there is sin in Isarel. Is that what has defeated us? A man called Achan took what he shouldn`t have taken thinking no-one would know but God knew. A garment and a bit of gold. It was rebellion and disobedience to what God had said. It brought defeat.
A hungry pursuit. He is serious in going on with God. He doesn`t want anything to stand in his life. David asked God to look into his very thoughts. Maybe there is something we look at and the devil uses that image to create thoughts. The Psalmist wasn`t interested in that. Remember when David looked at Bathsheba - Proverbs 23 verse 7 "For as he thinketh in his heart so he is." The words "try me" mean to test, it is the idea of metal being placed in the furnace. The Psalmist is sitting before the God of heaven and says "search me O God and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts."
A hopeful persistance. "Lead me in the way everlasting." The Psalmist also said "who shall ascend the hill of the Lord, who shall stand in the holy place, them that have a clean hands, a pure heart and hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully." (Psalm 24 verses 3 and 4) What an example he set for us today coming into God`s presence.
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