Sermon notes from Sunday 7 January 2018
Psalm 18 verses 1- 6
In coming to this Psalm tonight many of the New Year resolutions have been broken and forgotten about. I want us however to think about a resolution one man made. The Psalmist in verse 3 said "I will call upon the Lord". That is what saves a man or woman. As we come tonight it is good to search our souls just to make sure we are saved and have that assurance of being saved. This call is a call between David and God. It comes right into the very ears of God. Verse 6 you can lift up your voice tonight, come to the cross of Calvary and your voice will reach into the ears of the Lord.
This is a personal call. David vows "I will call" not looking around him, not asking what the next person will do but speaks of himself in this situation. Looking to himself and this is what he is going to do. Joshua took over the leadership of Israel from Moses when he died. Moses had brought the people out of Egypt, through the wilderness but he could not take them into the land of promise. That was Joshua`s job. Joshua separated the land and divided it amongst the various trbes. When he was an old man he sets himself up as a challenge and example to all the people by saying "choose you this day whom you will serve." The people were used to serving other idols but he brings them a special place in their lives, brings them to a place of challenge. That is how important it is tonight - that you must make a choice. God comes to you and he shows you your great need of salvation. That we have sinned and come short of the glory of God, that we will never be in heaven. God reveals the darkness of our hearts, the lostness of our souls, he lifts our eyes to Calvary, he shows his beloved son shedding his blood and dying for your sin and my sin. It is the same God who moves in that convicting power. Then he says "choose life or death." We can turn our backs on the cross, never give it a second thought. That is the choice we have to make tonight. Joshua continued by saying "but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord." There is one God - the God of heaven. Joshua said I want to serve him with one heart, one soul and with all my strength. It is personal tonight. David is surrounded by his enemies, he has no hope within or out, no-one can do him any good. That is the situation we are in. Our hearts have been stained by sin. No-one or nothing can do anything for us. No church can lift that condemnation from us. No minister could speak to us and bring us into heaven. That is only by the shedding of Christ`s blood. There is no other name given under heaven whereby we must be saved. It is a personal choice what we do with Christ. In the last chapter of John Jesus challenged Peter "lovest thou me" Peter replied "you know how much I love you" then Jesus turned and said "follow me." Peter turned and looked at John then asked "what will this man do?" The Lord says "what is that to you?" It does not matter what the next person will do. How often we hear the challenge. We look at others wondering if they will come, if only they got saved then I would get saved too. What is that to you? You come and trust Christ. No-one can help, there is only one remedy for sin. I could sit with you and go through the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, show you your great need of salvation but after that I can only close the book - it is a personal choice you have to make.
It is a planned call. David says "I have made up my mind, I am going to call on the Lord. It is amazing how many come in having their mind made up before that act. David here at this point was surrounded by all the enemies of the day but he plans and he calls on the name of the Lord. In Acts 17 the congregation gathering planned to be there to hear the apostle Paul, the setter forth of strange gods, a babbler. There were men there who were interested in what he had to say. Paul gets up and speaks of Christ coming into the world and brought them right through to the place of crucifixion. Some mocked, some said "we will hear you again" but the third group said "we want to get saved tonight". Have you planned God`s slavation? It is not something we slip into. That one morning we will wake up and be gloriously saved. It is personal and planned. God is working in your life, showing you your need of salvation and he is calling you out for himself.
It is a positive call. "I will call on the Lord." David`s will was now surrendered to the will of God. A half hearted call will not attract the ear of God. Isn`t that what the prophet Jeremiah speaks of "you will seek for me and find me when you seek for me with all your heart." Psalm 40 "I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined unto me." David meant business with the Lord. It is a serious business to get saved. It is not just a matter of putting up hand or head nodding to the preacher. It is more serious than that. David took it seriously. The Psalmist in Psalm 51 said "the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." The Lord condemned the people in Isaiah`s day of bringing their sacrifices and burning them but their hearts were far from God. God is looking for hearts weighed down by the burden of sin, a broken heart coming to him for salvation. If we can put someone or something before God and his salvation we are in trouble. If you are ever to be saved it will be from a broken heart.
It was a profitable call. The Psalmist knew if he called he would be saved from his enemies. if we call on the Lord we will be saved from the penalty of sin and from a lost sinners hell. "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." There is an ear that listens to every conversation, is listening to the voice of the man or woman to call on the name of the Lord to be saved and thank God there is one able to do something about that. His name is Jesus. He can save to the uttermost all that come unto him.
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