SCRIPTURE: Psalm 16 (ESV)
DATE: 11-5-17
It’s good to be with all of you at Gateway Church. And no matter if it’s your first time with us, if you’re worshiping at our North Main campus, or watching this online — I want you to know that God loves you and I love you too.
SERIES INTRODUCTION
Today we’re starting a four week series in the book of Psalms where we’ll look at four different psalms that deal with real issues we all face.
For instance, next week we’ll wrestle with our mortality and the many ways people respond to having a limited amount of time.
In two weeks, we’ll wrestle with what we’re supposed to do when God feels distant.
We’ll finish this series by discovering who it is that God blesses.
And today, we’re going to look at what it means for God to be in control even when life feels out of control.
And to set up this series, I need to tell you about an experience I had back in the fall of 2014. I’ve shared this story before, but one night in August of 2014 I had a weird experience and I thought I was dying — I thought I was having a heart attack. My grandfather had a heart attack pretty young in life, so when I woke up with chest pains — well — I thought this was it.
Well I didn’t have a heart attack, but through some tests it was discovered that I was born with a heart abnormality, which led to me having more tests done. Now, thankfully, after all of the many tests, my heart is about as healthy as an abnormal heart can be. And I like to think that if you can’t have superpowers — well — being a mutant is the next best thing.
But during this season — while I faced significant moments of the unknown — I turned to the psalms to find peace and comfort. And the psalms in this series were some of the places I turned to daily for hope.
SERMON INTRODUCTION
Now not all of us have gotten news that you have a heart abnormality, but — if you’ve lived long enough — you’ve found yourself in the midst of an “out of control” moment. Where the plans you had for the day were suddenly interrupted.
- Maybe it was a doctor’s report that was a punch to your soul.
- Another rejection letter from a college.
- A note from school about one of your children — not that they were receiving an award — but that the principal needed to meet with you right away.
- Or maybe it was coming home to see packed suitcases as your spouse tells you they just can’t be married any longer.
No matter who you are — out of control moments in life will come your way if you live long enough. It’s something all of us have or will experience. And not just once, but many times in life.
But here’s the question. Where will we find comfort when life is out of control? Where will you find comfort when your life starts falling apart?
There’re a number of options to choose from.
- Some choose drugs and alcohol.
- Others choose pornography.
- Others veg in front of a TV.
- The world we live in offers many options to try and soothe the feeling of chaos when life is out of control.
But — and you know this — the drugs, the alcohol, the porn, the mindless watching of TV…those things don’t actually solve the chaos. Because when the buzz wears off or when there’s nothing else to watch — you’re left right where you began — you need comfort because life is still out of control.
So is there another option? Is there a way to find comfort that isn’t temporary and isn’t simply a distraction from the chaos? Is there a comfort that can soothe your soul when life is out of control?
Well we find a hope giving answer in our psalm — for our psalm tells us yes — yes there’s something that can give comfort when life is out of control. And the comfort comes from this promise to God’s people.
PROPOSITION
“No matter how out of control life may be, God will not abandon you.” No matter how out of control life may be — no matter the doctor’s report, another rejection letter, a note from your child’s school, or your spouse leaving — no matter what today or tomorrow may bring unexpectedly into your life — you can rest in this promise…God will not abandon you.
ANNOUNCE THE TEXT
If you have your Bible please turn with me to Psalm 16. We’ll be looking at the entire psalm today.
And — if you’re a guest with us — something we like to do here at Gateway is let you ask questions. So if you have a question during the sermon, you can text your question to the number on the screen or you can submit it on the Gateway app.
TEXT SETTING
And while you’re finding Psalm 16, let me tell you about the author of our psalm. His name is David and his life was full of out of control moments. You may’ve heard the story where he wanders up to a standoff between the Israelites — David’s people — and the Philistines — the enemy. David’s a young boy and he’s bringing some food to his brothers who were soldiers in the army.
And in the midst of this situation a giant of a man comes out to mock the Israelites asking who will come and fight him.
- And so you know — this young kid didn’t wake up that morning with the idea that volunteering to fight a giant would be on his daily to do list.
- It wasn’t on his weekly planner.
- It probably didn’t cross his mind as a three to five year goal.
But — if you know the story — David wakes up one morning a young boy who’s not big enough to wear the armor of a soldier and goes to bed a hero — the one who’s defeated a giant. Because David knew that God would not abandon him during life’s out of control moments.
So that’s the man who’s written our psalm. And in order for this psalm’s promise to give you comfort during life’s out of control moments, there are two things you must do.
The first is this.
MAIN POINT 1
“You must admit your weakness.” You must admit your weakness. Look with me beginning in verse one.
“Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. 2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” 3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. 4 The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips.” (Psalm 16:1-4 ESV)
In order to experience the comfort of God’s presence during life’s out of control moments, we must admit our weakness. And…
Admitting your weakness implies that you know who protects you. Admitting your weakness implies that you know who protects you. In verse one David says, “Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.” David knows that he is weak without God’s protection.
And David believed that his preservation — his protection from his enemies — came from God. He could take refuge in God — meaning, David could find peace — because he knew that his safe-keeping was grounded in the promises God had made to His people.
- Promises of protection.
- Promises of security.
- Promises of comfort.
- Promises of His presence and faithfulness.
- Promises of His never-ending love.
But these promises are only available to those who admit their need for them. Meaning, the person who thinks they can protect themselves won’t ever experience the protection from God because they’ve — in essence — told God “I’ll take care of this on my own.”
The same goes for security and comfort. For you to experience God’s perfect, all-powerful, protection, security, and comfort during life’s out of control moments — you must admit your inability to provide these things for yourself.
Now’s a good time to ask yourself some questions. Such as…
- During life’s out of control moments, whose power, protection, and comfort do I turn to?
- Where do I seek comfort?
- Where do I try to find protection?
- Whose power do I find myself depending on? Do I depend on my power? God’s power? Some other power?
If you want comfort — when life is out of control — you must know Who has the power to protect you by admitting your weakness — your complete inability — to protect yourself.
Additionally…
Admitting your weakness implies having a biblical definition of what is good. Admitting your weakness means having a biblical definition of what is good. In verse two, David says, “I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” That’s the cry of the heart of a person who acknowledges their weakness.
“I thought what was good was my health, but not now. I thought what was good was getting into that college, but not now. I thought it was my child’s reputation at school, and but not now.”
In those moments — those life is out of control moments — the cry of the weak heart that will be comforted is — “God, I now know that the only guaranteed good thing I have is You. Without You, nothing makes sense. But because You’re Good and the Giver of every good thing, I have comfort in the midst of the chaos.”
Now would be a good time to ask yourself…
- How do I define what is good?
- If everything was stripped away from my life and all I had left was Jesus — would life still be good?
That’s not an easy question to answer, because it reveals what you really love. But please hear me. Jesus is that good — He is that good.
Finally…admitting your weakness implies a commitment to Christian community. To admit you’re weak means you need others Christians. In verse three, David says, “As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. 4 The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips.”
“Now Josh, David wasn’t a Christian — he was an Israelite — don’t know if you know that preacher man — so how can you say that this is all about a commitment to Christian community?”
Great question — thanks for asking. Here’s my answer: Because of where we are in history. We’re on the other side of the cross. David came before the cross of Christ and we live after it.
And the language David uses is the same language used of Christians in the New Testament. David says that the “saints in the land are the excellent ones” and the word saint is used to describe the true believers of Christ throughout the New Testament.
And like David — who finds his delight in the saints of his day — we’re told to delight in the presence of one another.
- Our joy is completed when we come together.
- Our spiritual maturity reaches its completion together — not apart.
- So — like David — we’re to find delight as we commit to being connected to one another.
And this Christian community means we’re to protect one another from trying to find comfort in anything other than God — chasing after the comforts of our world — things that seek to replace Jesus’ rightful place as the only one who gives comfort during life’s out of control moments.
- As others run after other ways to be comforted, we stand firm in the promises of our God.
- As others chase after misguided desires to ease the chaos of life, we find our comfort in what Christ has done for us through His death and resurrection.
- And as we see the sorrows of others multiply — and by sorrows, David wants to impress upon our minds the picture of painful sores like bruises from the hard hits of life — and when we see the sorrows of others, we’re to remember our own weakness and be thankful — because if it wasn’t for the protection from our God — we’d experience the same sorrows multiplied — but because of His grace we receive a comfort that is multiplied.
The person who receives God’s comfort knows they’re weak and in need of Christian community to help mature them into the person who will stand near the Lord when life is out of control. They realize they can’t handle the chaos of life on their own. It’s part of being human in this broken world. We get to admit our weakness and our need for one another.
But this takes a commitment by all of us. A commitment to this Christian community. A commitment that’s much more like a marriage than dating. A corporate commitment that will survive life’s chaotic moments because the commitment to one another is rooted in a common commitment to Christ and His church.
To experience the comfort of God’s presence when life is out of control, you must admit your weakness.
The second thing you must do is this.
MAIN POINT 2
“You must allow the presence of God to influence you.” You must allow the presence of God to influence you. Look with me in verse five. David writes, “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. 6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. 7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. 8 I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.” (Psalm 16:5-8 ESV)
We must allow the presence of God to influence us. But how should God’s presence influence us? First…
God’s presence in your life means you can move forward in confidence. You can move forward in confidence. Look at what David says in verse five, “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you (God) hold my lot. 6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” And skip to the last half of verse eight, where David writes, “Because he (that’s God) is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.” (Psalm 16:5-6, 8b ESV)
God’s presence means you can move forward in confidence.
What David’s telling us is that knowing God is present with you gives you confidence in all of life’s matters. Most likely — by using the words “lot” and the phrase “lines have fallen in place” along with a “beautiful inheritance” — David’s thinking of the land that was portioned out to God’s people when they entered the Promised Land.
If you don’t know the story, God’s people had wandered in the wilderness for forty years after spending hundreds of years as slaves in Egypt. They had not lots of land. They had no boundary lines dividing up their land — they didn’t have any land. They had no beautiful inheritance.
But they had a promise. That God was with them and He would lead them into the Promised Land. And during life’s out of control moments — like when the Red Sea was in front of them while the Egyptian army was chasing them down — God was present and He protected them.
And during life’s unexpected moments — like encountering a city with huge walls guarding the entrance into the Promised Land — God was present and He protected His people and the walls came tumbling down.
And as they entered the Promised Land and had to conquer the inheritance that God promised them, it was God’s presence that protected them in the midst of the chaos.
And then David pauses — to remind himself — and us — that when you know God is present with you — as He has promised He will always be — when you know God is present with you — you can move forward in confidence — even when life is out of control.
Additionally…
God’s presence in your life means you can seek His counsel in His Word. You can seek God’s counsel in His Word. David writes in verse seven, “I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.” (Psalm 16:7 ESV)
Now David was instructed from the Lord in many ways. He had God’s Law, which he could read or have read to him. He also had priests who would instruct him in God’s Word. There were also prophets who would speak on behalf of God.
But for us today, the best place for us to seek God’s counsel — especially when life is out of control — is His Word — the Bible. You see, God has been so good to us in giving us His Word.
And I love David’s response to having received the counsel of God. Verse seven says that David “blessed the Lord” because of the counsel God had given him.
How often do you bless God for the counsel He’s given you in His Word? I know it sounds strange, “Me bless God? Isn’t God the One who blesses us?” Of course God blesses us, but the Hebrew people had no trouble speaking of blessing God.
And blessing God is more than praise. It means — that in response to the counsel you’ve received from God’s Word — you “pile on and pile on and pile on a response of gratefulness, and thankfulness, and obedience, and joy” because God has given you counsel in His Word. To bless God means you respond to His Word with an abundance of gratefulness, thankfulness, obedience, and joy.
How do you respond to the counsel you receive from God’s Word? Sure there may be times when you read the Bible and you feel condemned and need to repent. But even repentance should lead to piles and piles and piles of gratefulness, and thanksgiving, and obedience, and joy because you see that even the opportunity to repent is a gracious good gift from God.
God’s presence in your life means you can seek His counsel — during life’s out of control moments — and you can seek His counsel in His Word.
Also…
God’s presence in your life means He should be most important. God should be most important. In verse eight we read, “I have set the Lord always before me.” (Psalm 16:8a ESV)
Now I don’t know about you, but usually whatever is before me is most important to me. If it’s one of my kids — they’re getting all of my attention. If it’s a book — I’m probably reading it and giving it my full attention. And when a crisis is before me — well — that gets my full attention.
But what David’s telling us is that God’s presence with us should mean He always has our attention.
- So when one of my kids is before me, I should be interacting with them in a way that displays that God is right there with us.
- If I’m reading a book, I should be reading with God’s presence in mind.
- And even when life is out of control — how much of your attention will God have?
Now this is one of the most difficult things for us as there are so many things to distract us from God’s presence. A few months back, I spoke at a church event and shared one of the ways I try to keep God’s presence always in mind.
I have a list of resolutions for myself that I read every day. Short statements of who God wants me to be based on Scripture and principles that are implied by Scripture. The list is up to sixty-three and it’s always growing — because I’m a mess in progress. Here’s resolution number forty.
Number forty is “To be Jesus in Josh’s skin.” To be Jesus in Josh’s skin. Now I’m nowhere near this, but what this means is that I want to be so conscious of the fact that God is present with me that — though my outside may look like Josh — what comes from my insides will be the aroma of Christ.
- And that won’t happen by accident.
- That takes intentionality.
- That takes setting Christ before me — giving Him my full attention.
When life is out of control, we must also allow the presence of God to influence us so we move forward in confidence, seek counsel in His Word, and allow His presence to be what’s most important to us.
And when we admit our weakness and allow God’s presence to influence us…we receive some amazing promises from God.
CHRIST CONNECTION
Look with me in verse nine. “Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.” And in verse eleven we read, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:9, 11 ESV)
The promises guaranteed to those who turn to God during life’s out of control moments are that…
- Your heart will be glad,
- You’ll have reason to rejoice,
- You’ll know you’re secure,
- You’ll have confidence you’re on the path of life,
- You’ll experience the joy that’s found only in God’s presence,
- And these promises will be yours for all eternity.
How? Why? Where do these amazing promises come from?
Verse ten — the verse we skipped. “For you (that’s God) will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” (Psalm 16:10 ESV)
The confidence we have is based on this truth from God’s Word: God will not abandon your soul — He won’t — God will not abandon your soul.
- Not during life’s chaotic moments.
- Not when life is out of control.
- Not when everyone else has abandoned you — never — God will never abandon you.
This is the certainty that kept David going through life’s out of control moments. What did he say as a young boy when he was going to fight the giant? “David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:37a ESV)
And what did David say to the giant as he met him on the battlefield? “David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand.” (1 Samuel 17:45-46a ESV)
God’s presence changed everything for David. He was confident that God would not abandon him. And this confidence appears in our psalm. For David believed that God would not abandon the soul of those who believe in Him.
“That’s great for David,” you might be thinking, “but why should I believe that God will not abandon me?”
Two men saw the promise of this psalm in a new way because of an encounter they had with someone better than David. David defeated a giant and became a king, but this man defeated an even bigger giant and became not just a king, but The King.
The two men are Peter and Paul. One day Peter preached to a group of people saying, “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know — 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25 For David says concerning him, (now the him is who? Jesus, right — Peter’s talking about Jesus? And here’s what Peter says David said about Jesus. And I think you’ll recognize the quote.) “‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; 26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. 27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ (Now in case you missed it, Peter just quoted verses eight through eleven of our psalm. And then Peter says…) 29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he (Jesus) was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.” (Acts 2:22-32 ESV)
And here’s what Paul had to say. “But God raised him (again that’s Jesus) from the dead, 31 and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. 32 And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, 33 this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’ 34 And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ 35 Therefore he says also in another psalm, “‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’ (Again right from psalm sixteen. Paul goes on to say…) 36 For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, 37 but he whom God raised up did not see corruption (again, that’s Jesus). 38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.” (Acts 13:30-39 ESV)
The reason for our confidence — that God will not abandon us when life is out of control — is based on the fact that God did not abandon Jesus. The Father did not leave His Son to rot in the grave. And because God was faithful to Jesus, we’ve been promised that everyone who believes in Him and turns to Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins has been guaranteed God’s same faithfulness — He will not abandon those who believe.
CONCLUSION
God will not abandon those who believe. He will not abandon your soul. He will not abandon you when life is out of control. And He will be present with you so that His presence will give you comfort no matter what this day or tomorrow may bring.
And this is a sweet promise to God’s children. It’s a reassuring promise in this broken world — but it’s a promise that’s only for those who’ve put their faith in Christ. Who demonstrate — through faith and repentance — that their Lord is always before them. That He’s most important. That’s He’s the only good thing that matters. That His protection is what they depend upon.
It’s for those who admit their weakness and allow God’s presence to influence them.
Are you willing to admit your weakness? Will you allow God’s presence to influence you?
For that’s where comfort is found when life is out of control. It’s found in God who has promised to never abandon those who believe and follow His Son.
Let’s pray.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I pray that we would all receive and respond to what You’ve said to us through Your Word. I pray that You would have our focus, so that we worship You alone. Show us how to live out these truths from Your Word this week as we go about our lives with great confidence in knowing that — because we’ve believed in Your Son — Jesus — You are always present with us. And You will never abandon us — even when life is out of control. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.