DATE: 7-6-25

It’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And there’s one thing I want you to know — and this is true if you’re worshiping with us for the first time — if you’re joining us at our North Main Campus or are with our friends in Bucyrus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.

SERIES INTRO

Today we’re finishing our series looking at some of King David’s psalms that address the topic of suffering. We’ve seen that there are many aspects to suffering — many reasons for our suffering that David touches on in his psalms. And — whether or not you’re currently in a season of suffering — suffering has a way of showing up in our lives — and it often does so  unexpectedly — which tells us we’d be wise to prepare for it. 

Being prepared doesn’t mean that suffering will be easy — often suffering comes when life is most challenging. Yet — though not easy — suffering provides us with a unique opportunity — because — when life’s most challenging we’re forced to change in some way.

And — in this series — we’ve been seeing how our Christian faith offers us the opportunity to become more like our Savior — Jesus — who — in love for us — experienced suffering, trials, persecution, hardships, rejection, hatred — you name it — he experienced it so that we might have hope in the midst of the sorrows we face.

Yet I know not all of us believe in Jesus. But all of us have experienced suffering or know others who have. And — if you’re honest — it’s scary. Because there’s no good answer offered by our world as to why we suffer — and even more importantly — how to suffer well. There’s just a huge hopelessness — thus many turn to coping mechanisms to numb themselves — or give up on life altogether in a seemingly never-ending depression.

But is this all there is — is this the best offer on the table in a world full of suffering? It’s not — and we should be thankful it’s not.

And that’s what we’ve been exploring in this series as we’ve looked at some of David’s psalms — including today’s psalm — psalm one hundred and forty-three. So — if you have your Bible — please turn with me there — to psalm one hundred and forty-three. 

• While you’re finding psalm one hundred and forty-three — let me remind you that we began this series by looking at psalm six and the relationship between suffering and our prayer life. 
• Then we looked at psalm thirty-two and the suffering we experience due to unrepentant sin in our lives. 
• Then we looked at psalm fifty-six and the suffering we experience at the hands of others. 
• Last week — we looked at the relationship between suffering and worship. 
• And — today — we’re going to look at the important relationship between suffering and salvation. 

David addresses this in our psalm for today — psalm one hundred and forty-three — when he writes…

Psalm 143 ESV

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness! 2 Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you. 3 For the enemy has pursued my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead. 4 Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled. 5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands. 6 I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah 7 Answer me quickly, O Lord! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. 8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. 9 Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord! I have fled to you for refuge. 10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground! 11 For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life! In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble! 12 And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies, and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul, for I am your servant.

We’ll briefly look at David’s description of his suffering, which will show us how suffering reveals our need for salvation. Then we’ll look at the foundation of salvation, the result of salvation, the purpose of salvation, and the means of salvation. 

The foundation of salvation — what’s the basis for our salvation? The result of salvation — what happens to a person when they’re saved? The purpose of salvation — what’s the goal of salvation? And — finally — the means of salvation — from the foundation to its goal — how is any of this possible?

DAVID’S SUFFERING AND OUR NEED FOR SALVATION

But — first — David’s suffering. He describes his suffering in verse three — where we read…

Psalm 143:3–4 ESV

3 For the enemy has pursued my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead. 4 Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled.

And skipping to verse seven he writes…

Psalm 143:7 ESV

7 Answer me quickly, O Lord! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit.

In addition to these verses — in verse nine David mentions his “enemies” — which he does again in verse twelve where he also mentions his “adversaries.” Here’s what all of this tells us: This suffering is — once again — due to others being out to get him. And —though we’re not certain of the exact situation David’s writing about — whatever’s going on — we know that enemies and adversaries are against him and are pursuing him. David feels as if his life is being crushed. He says his life is surrounded by darkness. He’s faint, he’s weak, and he’s appalled because of what he’s going through.

And it’s in this situation that David shows us how suffering reveals to us our need for salvation — a word that means rescue. In verse two he writes…

Psalm 143:2 ESV

2 Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.

Though suffering — David makes a profound theological statement. He says, “No one living is righteous before you.” To be righteous means to be “right with God.” And — here — David says that none are righteous. A profound statement. We’d expect David to say that his enemies are not righteous — but to say “no one living is righteous” would include who? David. 

You see — just how suffering reveals to us our inability to save ourselves from whatever’s the cause of our suffering — you can’t save yourself from the grief of the death of someone you love — doctors can’t save themselves from cancer when it shows up in their life — and those addicted — whether to drugs, alcohol, porn, or whatever — those addicted can’t save themselves from their addiction — just as suffering reveals to us our inability to save ourselves from the cause of our suffering — it can also reveal to us our inability to save ourselves from our unrighteousness. For no one can save him- or herself from their not being right with God.

Now many think they can — they think if they do enough good things they’ll be right with God. Many people confuse this horrible idea with Christianity — but Christianity and saving yourself by what you do are not the same — they’re not even friends. A “what I do makes me right with God” religion or philosophy or worldview makes rule following — and not love — the basis of one’s relationship with God. Instead of a loving Father you get a taskmaster or referee.

And none of us play by God’s rules when it comes to this kind of relationship. We may pick and choose a few of his rules that we’re good at — but we’re cunningly good at deceiving ourselves from even considering the many rules we’re horrible at obeying. And — though we may fool ourselves — no one fools God — he knows that none of us are righteous before him.

What David’s describing here is the biblical doctrine of sin and — even more specifically — the doctrine known as total depravity. 

Here’s one of the clearest passages in Scripture describing in more detail what David says in the short phrase, “No one living is righteous before you.” The apostle Paul writes…

Romans 3:9–20 ESV

9b For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” 13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” 14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 in their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

All people — it doesn’t matter your race, nationality, gender, political affiliation, whether you root for the team in Columbus or Ann Arbor — everyone is under sin. 

Imagine two buildings — one building is for people who are under — or enslaved to sin — and the other is for those not under — or free from — sin. Everyone — Paul says — is under one roof. This is our spiritual condition from birth — because we inherited this condition from our first parents — Adam and Eve. And I know this may seem unfair — but we all made it fair when we made the decision to sin ourselves. 

You see, similar to what we inherit from our parents — some inherit red hair or blue eyes — a morally neutral inheritance — while others inherit a disposition towards being an alcoholic — which is not morally neutral. Though genetics may play a part in one being an alcoholic — at some point the choice to drink or not is yours. And the same is true for sin — we’ve both inherited sin and chosen it — thus we’re all guilty and — as David and Paul both say — unrighteous — or not right with God.

Paul goes on to describe this unrighteousness of ours. 

• We don’t understand or seek after God. 
• We don’t do good — good being defined as “done to make God look glorious.” 
• We deceive with our words. 
• Our mouths are full of curses and bitterness. 
• We’re swift to kill. 
• We experience and cause ruin and misery. 
• We continually war with one another and inhibit peace. 
• We don’t fear God.

This is Paul’s description of how sin has affected us — it’s affected all of who we are — which is what the doctrine of total depravity is about. Total depravity doesn’t mean that you or I are as bad as we could possibly be — it means that there’s no part of us that isn’t tainted — or affected — or infected — by sin. 

• Physically — we’re affected by sin. 
• Mentally — we’re affected by sin. 
• Emotionally — we’re affected by sin. 
• Relationally — we’re affected by sin. 
• Spiritually — we’re affected by sin. 
• And so on.

And the suffering we experience — either because of choices we’ve made or because of the choices of others — is a result of all of this. In fact — even suffering that’s not because of anyone’s choice — like cancer — is still a result of our sin and rebellion against God. It’s our body’s way of screaming at us, “Something’s gone seriously wrong and you need to be rescued from it!”

THE FOUNDATION OF SALVATION

Which leads us to good news — the way of salvation — which begins with the foundation — or the basis for salvation. We’re back in verse one.

Psalm 143:1 ESV

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!

And skipping to verse five he writes…

Psalm 143:5 ESV

5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands.

What’s the foundation — or basis — for salvation? God’s faithfulness and righteousness. Let’s start with God’s righteousness. God’s righteousness is great news — it means that God always does what is right. Remember — we’re unrighteous. This doesn’t mean we always do what’s wrong — but we definitely don’t always do what is right. Yet God does — he only does what is right. 

Now — when we suffer — something I find to immediately pop into my mind — and maybe you can relate — is that I doubt God’s righteousness — that he always does what is right. When things are going well — I have no doubt in God’s righteousness. But now that I’m suffering — it’s like, “Hey God, why’d you change?” As if he still isn’t doing what is right.

So let me show you something wonderfully practical about theology — this is how theology goes from being all up in our head and gets down into our heart and to the core of who we are. I’m reading a book on the life and ministry of a pastor who died a few years ago. The author quotes the pastor on the relationship between our theology and life by encouraging us to ask…

“How would I be different if I took this theological truth seriously? How would it change my attitudes and actions if I really believed this from the bottom of my heart?”

How would you be different — suffering or not — if you took the theological truth seriously that God is always righteous — that he only does what is right? How would really believing this truth change your attitude or actions in your suffering? How would it change your view of what you’re currently going through?

Second, David tells us that God is faithful — another layer of the foundation of our salvation. David remembers and meditates on all that God has done in the past — he ponders God’s works. God’s past faithfulness — in Scripture, in history, and in your life — when remembered — will give you confidence in his faithfulness to you today — suffering or not.

You’ve heard me say in many sermons that one of the most popular commands in the Bible is to remember. Why remember? Because we’re a forgetful people! And what do we forget most often? God’s faithfulness to us — thus we doubt if he’ll be faithful to us when we suffer.

Yet the God…

• Who rescued the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and led them on a journey to the Promised Land…
• Who sent prophets to warn the people to repent of their sins and turn back to him or face the consequences of their sins…
• Who told his people ahead of time — you will spend seventy years in exile because of your sin — but you will return to your land…
• Who came to earth in the form of a servant — doing only what was right — speaking words of grace and truth…
• Who promised new life to all who turn to him in faith…

Is the God who is always faithful to his people. He is the God who is always righteous — and only does what is right. He is the God of salvation — the One who came to rescue us.

THE RESULT OF SALVATION

Which leads to the result of salvation. We’re in verse six where David writes…

Psalm 143:6 ESV

6 I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.

And skipping to verse eight he writes…

Psalm 143:8–10 ESV

8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. 9 Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord! I have fled to you for refuge. 10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!

If — as we saw earlier — none are righteous and none seek God and so on — including David — how did he get here? With his hands stretched out to God? And thirsting for God? And trusting God? In lifting up his soul to God? In fleeing to God for refuge and protection? What happened to David that changed his desires so he now longs for God to teach him his will and to declare, “You are my God” — and to believe that God’s Spirit is leading him?

He experienced salvation. And — specifically — he experienced the change that happens to a person who’s been saved. 

What happens to us when we’re saved? According to Scripture — what happens to us is that we’re given a new heart. Other passages call this being given new life or a new birth or being born again or being Spirit-filled. This is something God does to us resulting in us repenting of our sins — turning from our sin and rebellion against God — as we turn to him in faith — that’s called conversion.

The point is that salvation always results in change — always. And this results in us doing some of the very same things we used to do — thinking we could make ourselves right with God — but now we do them because God has made us right with him. Works we now do — not to earn God’s love or favor — works done because God has graciously given us his love and favor.

Yet I know that many people struggle at this point — not only in discerning whether or not they’re doing something to earn God’s love — but even in knowing whether or not they’re a true Christian. Which another quote — from the pastor I mentioned earlier — I think will be helpful. And — not only helpful — but will circle us back to where we began in this series on suffering — back to prayer. He says…

“Your prayer life is the litmus test for your relationship with God. How do you know if you’re really a Christian? How do you know? That’s a hard question, but I’ll tell you this. Your prayer life is the best way to find out. Don’t look at whether you witness day and night on the street corner. Don’t look at whether you’re a moral person. Don’t look at whether you go to church. Don’t look at even how much you know your Bible. Because, you realize, other people see [those things]…and so it’s possible to be motivated out of a desire to look good. It’s possible to have an external kind of religion and be motivated by environmental factors. But only God sees you when you pray. As a result, it’s your prayer life that tells you what you’re really made of spiritually.”

Be honest with yourself: What does your private prayer life say about the reality of your salvation? Does it speak volumes? Is it barely a whisper? Does it give you assurance? Or is it non-existent? 

David’s been teaching us how to pray during this series. Has he fallen on deaf ears or on a heart eager to pour itself out to a saving God who is always faithful and righteous?

THE PURPOSE OF SALVATION

Which leads us to the purpose of salvation. We’re in verse eleven.

Psalm 143:11–12 ESV

11 For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life! In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble! 12 And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies, and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul, for I am your servant.

The goal of your salvation — the goal of my salvation — the goal of anyone’s salvation — is the glory of God. Salvation makes God — the One who saves — look glorious. For the One who brings our soul out of trouble — whose steadfast love cuts off our enemies — who destroys all adversaries of our soul — is the One who our lives are to glorify. 

For the enemies who he’s protected us from — and cut off and destroyed on our behalf — are Satan, sin, death, and Hell. And the promise he’s made to us is that he will preserve us. God will ensure that we experience all that it means to be saved. Including the great and glorious promise that John saw in his vision when he writes…

Revelation 21:1–5 ESV

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

This is salvation fulfilled to its ultimate purpose: God’s people living in God’s presence for God’s glory for all eternity. Where separation from him — because of sin — is no more. Along with no more crying and no more death and no more pain or mourning or suffering or sorrow. For these things will have passed away and be no more. Leaving only new things for God’s people — as he makes new — and restores — everything for his glory. 

CONCLUSION: THE ONLY MEANS OF SALVATION

And that’s good and that’s glorious — but I’ve left out the best part: how we get there — the means of our salvation. Back to verse one.

Psalm 143:1 ESV

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!

The mercy that David pleas for — the faithfulness and righteousness of God that we looked at earlier — are most clearly seen in the One who came to be our righteousness.

As the apostle Peter tells us…

1 Peter 3:18 NIV

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.

And as the apostle Paul reminds us…

1 Corinthians 1:26–31 ESV

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Let the one who boasts — boast in the Lord indeed. For then — even our suffering will make our saving God look glorious to a world full of suffering. Even then — we’ll join the mighty chorus of voices in singing about the hope we have in Christ and make our saving God look glorious in a world that sings the music of self-righteousness and despair. For when he — Jesus — who is the Righteousness of God — is your righteousness — your life will be changed — gloriously so — for God’s glory alone — forever and ever. Amen. Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, what a God you are! Faithful. Righteous. Merciful. Protecting. And a saving God. What a God you are indeed.

Holy Spirit, you apply all that Jesus has accomplished in the lives of your people. From giving us new hearts to keeping us from falling away — salvation from beginning to end is a work not in our hands — but in yours. And this is more than comforting because you are righteous — we are not. You only do what is right — we often choose otherwise. Your love is unconditional — our love often comes with conditions. Why would we want salvation to be in anyone’s hands but yours?

And — Jesus — this wonderful salvation that we’ve seen today is possible because you — the Righteous One of God — came to earth to give your life in place of ours. To pay the debt we owe for our sin. To satisfy the wrath of God while protecting us from our enemies and adversaries.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — help all who hear my voice to receive this Good News. To respond to it. To believe it to be more true than any of us currently do — for none of us believe this to the infinite degree that it’s true. And —we ask this — so that you would look glorious in all of our “changed for all eternity lives” that we now live because you have saved us. And we pray all of this in Jesus’s name. Amen.

COMMUNION (JOSH MOVES TO TABLE / VIDEO CONTINUES FOR NM)

As we turn to the Lord’s Table — it’s hard to not think back on the night Jesus first ate this meal with his disciples. The apostle Paul records the meal this way.

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 ESV

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

As you may know — after the meal — Jesus went with his disciples to the garden of Gethsemane to pray. Before we remember this moment — I want to read some verses from our psalm one more time for you — I want you to see a connection between the words in our psalm and what happens in the garden.

From our psalm.

Psalm 143:8–10 ESV

8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. 9 Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord! I have fled to you for refuge. 10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!

And now we turn to Matthew’s gospel.

Matthew 26:36–46 ESV

36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

• In the morning — Jesus — though he trusted his Heavenly Father — experienced judgment — not love. 
• He did so — so that — as this meal reminds us — we might receive his Father’s love and not the judgment we deserve. 
• Instead of being delivered from his enemies — he was given over to their sinful thirst for death — so that all who put their faith in him might experience salvation from their enemies — including death. 
• He did his Father’s will and did so perfectly — even when it meant he would suffer. 
• And — he did so — so that we — who’ve rebelled against God’s will — might be rescued from our path of eternal destruction — from the building for the unrighteous — and be placed on the path that leads to eternal life — and are now residents of the building for those who’ve been made righteous by the Righteous One.

In this meal — there is salvation and much grace for us to be thankful for.

INSTRUCTIONS

At this time, I’d like to invite forward those who are going to be serving us. And — while they make their way forward — know that as the bread and cup are passed down your rows, you’re to take the bread on your own — but save the cup — which we’ll drink together. Also — in the trays with the bread — there’s a gluten free option in the center of the tray. Eat the bread on your own — but save the cup — which we’ll drink together.

COMMUNION PASSED OUT

The blood of Christ, shed for you.

WORSHIP TRANSITION

Please stand as we continue to praise our saving God in worship.

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available)

Having believed in Jesus — may you go and make your saving God look glorious. Amen.

God loves you. I love you. You are sent.

DATE: 6-29-25

As always it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And — if this happens to be your first time worshiping with us — if you’re joining us at our North Main Campus or are with our friends in Bucyrus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.

SERIES INTRO

We’re continuing our series where we’re looking at some of King David’s psalms that address the topic of suffering. We’ve seen that there are many aspects to suffering — many reasons for our suffering — that David touches on in his psalms. And regardless if you’re currently in a season of suffering — I think we all understand that suffering has a way of showing up in our lives — often unexpectedly — which makes it wise for us to prepare for. 

We’ve also seen that — for the follower of Jesus — suffering is an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to spiritually grow for those of us who follow a Savior who experienced suffering. Not an easy opportunity to grow — it’s often a painful opportunity — for suffering comes when life is most challenging. But — in another sense — suffering is one of the easiest times to grow — because — when life’s most challenging we’re forced to change.

And today we’re going to continue to see how our Christian faith offers a different opportunity in these hard moments of life: an opportunity to become more like our Savior — Jesus — who — in love for us — experienced suffering, trials, persecution, hardships, rejection, hatred — and he experienced all of this so we might have hope in the midst of the sorrows we face.

And I say this knowing not all of us believe in Jesus. But all of us have experienced suffering — or know others who have. And — if you’re honest — it’s frightening. Because our culture offers no good reason as to why we suffer or how to suffer well. Which is where the Christian faith comes in with unexpected hope for all of us travelers in a suffering-filled world.

This hope is what we’ve been discovering as we look at a few of David’s psalms — including today’s psalm — psalm eighty-six. So — if you have your Bible — please turn there — to psalm eighty-six. 

• While you’re finding psalm eighty-six — especially if you’re just joining us — we began this series by looking at psalm six and the relationship between suffering and our prayer life. 
• Then we looked at psalm thirty-two and the suffering we experience due to unrepentant sin in our lives. 
• Last week we looked at psalm fifty-six and the suffering we experience at the hands of others. 
• And — next week — our final week in this series — we’ll look at the important relationship between suffering and salvation. 
• But — today — we’re looking at the relationship between our suffering and our worship. 

David addresses this in our psalm for today — psalm eighty-six — when he writes…

Psalm 86 ESV

1 Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. 2 Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God. 3 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day. 4 Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. 6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace. 7 In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me. 8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. 9 All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. 10 For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. 11 Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. 12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. 13 For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. 14 O God, insolent men have risen up against me; a band of ruthless men seeks my life, and they do not set you before them. 15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. 16 Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant, and save the son of your maidservant. 17 Show me a sign of your favor, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

Here’s where we’re headed. We’re going to begin by briefly looking at David’s suffering. Then we’ll see how — even in our suffering — worship always begins with God. And — finally — we’ll see how — when our worship begins with God — our prayers will be bold and worshipful. 

David’s suffering. Worship always begins with God. Which leads to bold worshipful prayers.

DAVID’S SUFFERING

We’ll begin by looking at David’s suffering — we’ll begin in verse three. There David writes…

Psalm 86:3 ESV

3 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day.

Skipping to verse seven we read…

Psalm 86:7 ESV

7 In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me.

Jumping down to verse fourteen we read…

Psalm 86:14 ESV

14 O God, insolent men have risen up against me; a band of ruthless men seeks my life, and they do not set you before them.

And a few verses later — in verse seventeen — David writes…

Psalm 86:17 ESV

17 Show me a sign of your favor, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

Like some of the other psalms we’ve looked at — David doesn’t give us enough information to know the specific situation he’s writing about. Verse fourteen gives us the most detail — a group of individuals are seeking his life — but that’s not enough for us to nail down exactly what moment David’s describing for us — for he experienced many “people seeking his life” moments.

Regardless — whatever he’s going through has caused him to cry out to God — which he says he’s doing quite often. He calls this time in his life as the “day of his trouble” because — as I said earlier — there are people out to get him because they hate him. 

Now given that this is our fourth week in this series — and having looked at David’s history with suffering — I don’t think we need to spend any more time on the specific reasons for his suffering in this psalm. I just want to make the point — again — that if you’re suffering — if you can relate to any of what David’s describing in our psalm — if your days are full of trouble — if there are people against you — if you’re in a situation where you are endlessly crying out to God — Christian or not — if you know what it’s like to ask why me — or have ever vented to friends or on social media about the injustice you’ve experienced — if you know the life companion whose name is sorrow — then there’s something for you to learn from David today.

And — even if you’re not in sorrow right now — David’s going to give you some advice that — if taken — it’ll be a source of strength when a season of suffering comes upon you.

WORSHIP BEGINS WITH GOD (EVEN IN SUFFERING)

Now — even without knowing all the specifics of David’s suffering — we’re going to see the connection between suffering and worship. And what David’s going to show us is that worship begins with God. Even in our suffering — our worship begins with God — because worship always begins with God. 

In verse five David writes…

Psalm 86:5 ESV

5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.

Skipping to verse eight we read…

Psalm 86:8–10 ESV

8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. 9 All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. 10 For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.

Remember — these are the words of a man who’s in the midst of much suffering. Later — in verse thirteen — David says…

Psalm 86:13 ESV

13 For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

And in verse fifteen he writes…

Psalm 86:15 ESV

15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

First things first about worship. If you’re here today and you wouldn’t consider yourself a Christian — or even a religious person — you may think, “This worship stuff is only for religious people — what does this have to do with me?” Worship and suffering are much more practical to you than you might think — because — regardless if you’re a Christian or not — and regardless if you view yourself as a religious person or not — all of us are worshippers. We can’t help it. It’s like it’s part of our DNA or something.

By worship — I simply mean how we’re all prone to center our lives around something or someone. Your career or family, being seen as successful or being free to live however you want, having a romantic partner or being viewed as smart and capable, people even center their lives around not suffering — you name it — people worship it. And — to worship — means we pursue whatever it is — we make sacrifices for it — it gets our time, energy, and money. We give our lives to it — because it — whatever it is — gives us meaning and purpose — it gives us our identity. 

These its we worship have been called idols of the heart. Idols — as you probably know — used to come in the form of wood or metal statues — and you’ll still find those in many parts of the world today. But for us in the West — idols take on other forms — career, family, success, money, youth, beauty, and so on. As one pastor has said, “Nobody is truly an unbeliever. Either you trust the real God or you’re enslaved to something you treat as a god.” And this may surprise you — but non-Christians agree. 

Twenty years ago — while delivering the commencement speech at Kenyon College — David Foster Wallace — who wasn’t a Christian — said, “A huge percentage of the stuff that I tend to be automatically certain of is, it turns out, totally wrong and deluded. Here’s one example of the utter wrongness of something I tend to be automatically sure of: Everything in my own immediate experience supports my deep belief that I am the absolute center of the universe, the realest, most vivid and important person in existence. We rarely talk about this sort of natural, basic self-centeredness, because it’s so socially repulsive, but it’s pretty much the same for all of us, deep down.” That’s his way of saying, “Here’s something else we worship — ourselves.”

He goes on to say, “There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. [Remember — he’s not a Christian. He goes on to say…] And an outstanding reason for choosing some sort of God or spiritual-type thing to worship — be it J.C. or Allah, be it Yahweh or the Wiccan mother-goddess or the Four Noble Truths…is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive. If you worship money and things — if they are where you tap real meaning in life — then you will never have enough. Never feel you have enough. It’s the truth. Worship your own body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly, and when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally plant you…Worship power — you will feel weak and afraid, and you will need ever more power over others to keep the fear at bay. Worship your intellect, being seen as smart — you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out…Look, the insidious thing about these forms of worship is not that they’re evil or sinful; it is that they are unconscious. They are default-settings. They’re the kind of worship you just gradually slip into, day after day, getting more and more selective about what you see and how you measure value without ever being fully aware that that’s what you’re doing.”

So be open to the idea that you are a worshiper — even if you’re not sure exactly what it is that you worship. And — if you call yourself a Christian — be open to the idea that there are some idols of your heart that you may not be aware are vying for your worship. 

So — for all of us worshipers — I want to show us Someone who’s worthy of our worship — in fact the only Someone worthy of our worship. We find this Someone in verse five of our psalm.

Psalm 86:5 ESV

5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.

What a powerful statement, right? About this verse, one scholar has said…

The chief encouragement in prayer is knowing the character of God. David has come to know God through his Word and through his experience as a believer. The better he knows God, the more certain he is of God’s willingness to help him in his need. What an incentive this is for us to study the attributes of God—his divine characteristics as they are revealed in Holy Scripture—and to walk with God [in] faith so [we] know him better!

The character of God that David’s focusing on — while he suffers — is God’s steadfast love — which he mentions three times in our psalm. One children’s book author has described God’s steadfast love as his, “Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love.”

We have our definitions of love — this is God’s definition. And this is what he means when he says he loves his people. 

It’s a love that never stops. The Christian faith teaches that there’s nothing you can do to earn God’s love — which means — and this is glorious — there’s nothing you can do to un-earn his love. When God loves you — he loves you. And there’s nothing you can do to stop him from loving you.

Additionally, his love for you never gives up. Though we may reach our breaking point — or turn our backs on God — and distrust him and question him and doubt him and betray him — he never gives up on us. He pursues us. He calls us back. He whispers to us — in our sorrow and grief — I love you.

His love for us is unbreaking. God’s love is an always and forever love. From eternity past to eternity future — those whom God loves — he eternally loves.

This is just one attribute of God that’s meant to change the way we worship him. For our God is also compassionate, and faithful, and all-knowing, and all-powerful, and just, and righteous, and merciful, and slow to anger, and good, and kind, and eternal, and Creator, and so much more — which is why our worship must begin with God. For — when it begins with him — our worship will be spiritually red hot — on fire — regardless of our circumstances — yes — even when we’re suffering.

Don’t believe me? You don’t have to take my — or even David’s — word for it. Take Job — who after the tragic death of all of his children and the loss of all of his wealth…

Job 1:20–21 NLT

20 Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. 21 He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!”

Or take Paul and Silas who — while locked in chains in prison — at…

Acts 16:25–26 ESV

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.

Or take Hannah — who though childless and ridiculed by others because of it — continued to pour out her soul before the LORD in prayer. And — after the fulfillment of the promise given to her — that she would have a son — she prayed…

1 Samuel 2:1–2 NLT

1 “My heart rejoices in the Lord! The Lord has made me strong. Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because you rescued me. 2 No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.

Or take the prophet Habakkuk who was given a prophecy of judgment for the people of Judah. Habakkuk received a hard word about the punishment the people of God were going to experience. And yet his book ends with these words.

Habakkuk 3:17–19 NLT

17 Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! 19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights. (For the choir director: This prayer is to be accompanied by stringed instruments.)

The words in parenthesis tell us this was a song to be sung in worship by the people of God. “When there’s no fruit on the trees — when there’s a famine in the land — when all of the herds have died — I will still rejoice in the God of my salvation.” That’s some red hot, spiritually on fire, kind of worship, right?

“But, come on Josh. Those were people in the Bible. Of course they could worship God in the midst of suffering. Don’t you have to be a super spiritual hero to make it in the Bible anyway?” You don’t have to be a super spiritual hero to make it in the Bible — but here are some non-biblical folks who show us that this kind of worship — while suffering — is possible.

Take Horatio Spafford who — after his four daughters drowned in a shipwreck — penned the hymn It is Well with My Soul as he traveled by ship to meet his wife. One of the lines in the hymn states “Whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say, it is well, it is well, with my soul.”

Or take Corrie ten Boom who was imprisoned in a concentration camp because she and her family had helped around eight hundred Jews flee from the Nazis. Her family was betrayed and were arrested. Corrie smuggled a Bible into the concentration camp and held worship services. She famously said, “There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.” If God’s steadfast love could meet Corrie and others imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp — might it be possible for his love to meet you in whatever dark pit of suffering you find yourself in?

WHICH LEADS TO BOLD WORSHIPFUL PRAYERS

The examples could go on — but I think you get the point. For many — because of the God they worship — the God who’s revealed himself in this book — they were able to worship even as they suffered. And when we follow in their steps — by worshiping the same “steadfast-loving us always-God”  — we will find ourselves praying big, bold, worshipful prayers. We’re back in verse one where David writes…

Psalm 86:1–4 ESV

1 Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. 2 Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God. 3 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day. 4 Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

Jumping to verse six we read…

Psalm 86:6–7 ESV

6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace. 7 In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me.

Skipping to verse eleven David writes…

Psalm 86:11–12 ESV

11 Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. 12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.

Finally in verse sixteen we read…

Psalm 86:16–17 ESV

16 Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant, and save the son of your maidservant. 17 Show me a sign of your favor, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

Pay attention to how David begins his big, bold, worshipful prayer. He begins with humility — acknowledging that he’s poor and needy. Now — remember — he’s king David. The giant slaying hero who God appointed as leader over his people. This is no man in an ordinary position — this is like being the president of our country — and yet David begins his prayer displaying God-honoring humility.

How do your prayers begin?

Once Jesus told a parable — a short story meant to teach a moral truth — to…

Luke 18:9–14 ESV

9 some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

In Jesus’s day, everyone would’ve assumed that a tax collector would need to humble himself before God — but a Pharisee? If anyone was a super spiritual hero of the day it was a Pharisee. Yet Jesus makes it clear that everyone must approach God in prayer with humility. Something David — though a king — understood. And if it’s fitting for a king to humble himself before God — I think it’s safe to conclude that the same is true for all of us non-kings and queens.

Bold prayers are still humble prayers. Boldness and humility are not enemies — they’re friends — partners — boldness and humility are characteristics of those whose worship of God begins with who God is — as we saw earlier.

“But, wait. Josh, you may’ve gotten ahead of yourself. Don’t you see how David describes himself in verse two? He says, ‘I am godly’ and that doesn’t sound very humble to me — that sounds just like the Pharisee.” David isn’t making a self-righteous statement — he’s simply saying that he trusts in God. In today’s language David would say, “I’ve put my trust in Christ alone.” That’s not what the Pharisee was doing.

Yet David knows how his heart is fickle. Our hearts chase after many lovers and gods — even after we’ve put our trust in Christ. That’s why David prays — in verse eleven — for God to unite his heart to fear his name. Remember — men are after David. They want him dead and obviously don’t want him to be their king — there’s division in the land. Yet here — as he prays — David shows that he’s just as concerned for his divided heart as he is for the divided nation. His desire is that his whole heart would be committed to trusting in God’s promises and doing God’s will.

What’s the bigger concern for you — which gets the greater attention of your prayer life? Divisions around you — political divisions, racial divisions, relational divisions, religious divisions, and so on — or the division within your own heart? Does it even bother you — for this is true of you just as it’s true of me — that your heart isn’t fully committed to trusting God’s promises and accomplishing the will he has for you? That even though you long to love the Lord with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength — yet — you know you live with a heart that’s divided.

Those who are humble before God — who — even in suffering — worship him — will ask God not only to relieve them of their suffering — which they do ask for in prayer! — but also to teach them. To teach them about their divided heart. To help them walk in truth even as they suffer. To not allow their suffering to give voice to the lies that chirp in our ears: “If God loved you — you wouldn’t be suffering like this.” “See, you’re not a good person. Good people don’t go through what you’re going through.” “You’re unloveable. You’re unforgivable. You’re worthless. You’re ugly. You deserve this.” 

CONCLUSION

The way to combat these lies is to know God’s Word. For this book tells us wonderful, life-changing, hope-in-the-midst-of-suffering truths. Who God is. Who we are. What God is doing in the world. What Jesus accomplished in his life, death, and resurrection. And where all of history is headed.

I know that for many — the Bible is intimidating. So — if you don’t know where to begin — let me encourage you to grab a copy of this booklet — how to make the most of your devotional time — at the Resource Center at your campus. You can also get a digital copy on our website — gatewayepc.org. 

Here’s another step you can take to grow in your understanding of who God is: Worship with us weekly. Every week your heart faces a battle — it goes to war. Will an idol of your heart get your allegiance and worship or will the one true God? I know that we get sick. I understand that we go on vacation. But the vast majority of people who don’t worship weekly aren’t missing because they’re sick or on vacation — they miss because an idol has demanded their worship. We don’t call it worship — but go back to what I said earlier and see if you can find a better word. And on a day you find yourself in the midst of suffering — none of those idols will give you what you need. And you may even find yourself wondering where the One true God went off to — when the truth is — he never went anywhere. The question is: Where’d you go?

But know that — even in our wandering — and even with our divided hearts — God is so good, and kind, and patient, and gracious, and forgiving, and — yes — loving — that he always welcomes his children back into his loving arms when we return to him. Even when our suffering’s caused by our own hands — even when it’s caused by others — and even when there’s no one to blame for our suffering — the God who is good and forgiving — who abounds in steadfast love to all who call upon him — is with us. His name is Jesus. And may you turn to him right now — receive his love — and worship him even in your suffering. Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Father, as we pray to you we want to begin by acknowledging who you are. As we’ve been reminded today — you are good and your steadfast love endures forever. What hope is found in knowing that you are good. Not a tyrant. Not wicked. Not unfair. Good. And your steadfast — never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever — love endures for us today, tomorrow, and always.

Holy Spirit, comfort those in need of comfort. Point all of us in the direction of knowing who you are more clearly and accurately. Reveal to us the idols of our hearts — false gods vying for our worship and demanding our devotion. Call us to repentance and help us to do so as we trust that you always forgive those who come to you repenting of their sins.

And — Jesus — all of this great and glorious good news is possible and true because of you. What you accomplished in your perfect life, death, and in your Satan, sin, death, and Hell defeating resurrection. We have hope and can worship you — even in suffering — because you — in love — first suffered for us. And you are with us in our suffering. And you love us through our suffering.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — call many to believe, trust, rest, and worship you today. And we pray all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available | DEVO BOOKLET | Suffering and need prayer)

May you go worshiping the One true God — for he is good — and his steadfast love for you endures forever. Amen.

God loves you. I love you. You are sent.

DATE: 6-22-25

As always it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And there’s one thing I want you to know — and this is true if you’re worshiping with us for the first time — if you’re joining us at our North Main Campus or are with our friends in Bucyrus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.

SERIES INTRO

We’re continuing our series looking at some of King David’s psalms that address the topic of suffering. There are many aspects to suffering — many reasons for our suffering that David touches on in his psalms — and each of these are important for us to consider because — whether or not you’re currently in a season of suffering — suffering has a way of showing up — often unexpectedly — which we’d be wise to prepare for. Yet — for the follower of Jesus — suffering is an opportunity. For suffering’s an opportunity to spiritually grow for those of us who follow a Savior who experienced suffering.

Now — for sure — suffering is not an easy opportunity to grow — often suffering comes when life is most challenging. But — in another sense — suffering is one of the easiest opportunities to spiritually grow — because — when life’s most challenging we’re forced to change in some way.

And I say this knowing that not all of us believe in Jesus — but all of us have experienced suffering or know others who’ve experienced it. And — if you’re honest — it’s scary. Because there’s no good answer offered by our world, society, or culture as to why we suffer — and even more importantly — how to suffer well. There’s just a huge hopelessness — thus many turn to coping mechanisms to numb themselves — drugs, alcohol, binge watching Netflix — or give up on life altogether in a seemingly never-ending depression.

But is that all there is — is that the best offer on the table in a world full of suffering? It’s not — thank God it’s not.

So let’s continue to see how our Christian faith offers a different opportunity in these hard moments of life: an opportunity to become more like our Savior — Jesus — who — in love for us — experienced suffering, trials, persecution, hardships, rejection, hatred — you name it — he experienced it so that we might have hope in the midst of the sorrows we face.

This is what we’re exploring in this series as we look at some of David’s psalms — including today’s psalm — psalm fifty-six. So — if you have your Bible — please turn there — to psalm fifty-six. And while you’re finding psalm fifty-six — if you weren’t with us — we began this series by looking at psalm six and the relationship between suffering and our prayer life. And — last time — we looked at psalm thirty-two and the suffering we experience due to unrepentant sin in our lives. In the coming weeks we’re going to look at the important relationship between our suffering and worship — as well as the relationship between suffering and salvation. But — today — we’re looking at the suffering we experience that’s caused by others. David addresses this in our psalm for today — psalm fifty-six — when he writes…

Psalm 56 ESV

1 Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; 2 my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly. 3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. 4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? 5 All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil. 6 They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life. 7 For their crime will they escape? In wrath cast down the peoples, O God! 8 You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? 9 Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. 10 In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, 11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? 12 I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you. 13 For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

Here’s where we’re headed. First, we’re going to look at suffering we experience that’s caused by others. Then we’ll remind ourselves of the outcome of our suffering. Finally, we’ll look at the in-between time — the time between the moment that’s the cause of our suffering and the day we will no longer suffer — this lengthy in-between time.

SUFFERING CAUSED BY OTHERS

So — first — let’s look at suffering that’s caused by others. And we’ll begin with David’s reason for writing this psalm. We’re back in verse one where David writes…

Psalm 56:1–2 ESV

1 Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; 2 my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly.

And in verse five we read…

Psalm 56:5–7 ESV

5 All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil. 6 They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life. 7a For their crime will they escape?

So what’s happening in David’s life that’s caused him to write these words? Though added after the psalm was written, the introductory section helps us understand what David’s referring to. The introduction says…

TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO THE DOVE ON FAR-OFF TEREBINTHS. A MIKTAM OF DAVID, WHEN THE PHILISTINES SEIZED HIM IN GATH.

Your Bible probably has something similar just above the psalm. The words for us to focus on are “when the Philistines seized him in Gath.” That’s our context clue pointing us to when this all took place in David’s life. And it points us to the book of First Samuel — chapter twenty-one. 

Jonathan — Saul’s son — has finally realized that his dad wants to kill David. And — just as he promised David — he meets David and warns him that his dad definitely wants to kill him. Which leads to David going on the run. And here’s what happens.

1 Samuel 21 NLT

1 David went to the town of Nob to see Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he saw him. “Why are you alone?” he asked. “Why is no one with you?” 2 “The king has sent me on a private matter,” David said. “He told me not to tell anyone why I am here. I have told my men where to meet me later. 3 Now, what is there to eat? Give me five loaves of bread or anything else you have.” 4 “We don’t have any regular bread,” the priest replied. “But there is the holy bread, which you can have if your young men have not slept with any women recently.” 5 “Don’t worry,” David replied. “I never allow my men to be with women when we are on a campaign. And since they stay clean even on ordinary trips, how much more on this one!” 6 Since there was no other food available, the priest gave him the holy bread—the Bread of the Presence that was placed before the Lord in the Tabernacle. It had just been replaced that day with fresh bread. 7 Now Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s chief herdsman, was there that day, having been detained before the Lord. 8 David asked Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or sword? The king’s business was so urgent that I didn’t even have time to grab a weapon!” 9 “I only have the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah,” the priest replied. “It is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. Take that if you want it, for there is nothing else here.” “There is nothing like it!” David replied. “Give it to me!” 10 So David escaped from Saul and went to King Achish of Gath. 11 But the officers of Achish were unhappy about his being there. “Isn’t this David, the king of the land?” they asked. “Isn’t he the one the people honor with dances, singing, ‘Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?” 12 David heard these comments and was very afraid of what King Achish of Gath might do to him. 13 So he pretended to be insane, scratching on doors and drooling down his beard. 14 Finally, King Achish said to his men, “Must you bring me a madman? 15 We already have enough of them around here! Why should I let someone like this be my guest?”

Now the psalm’s introduction says that David was seized — but he isn’t seized how we might have assumed. He’s on the run and ends up in the Philistine city of Gath which — by the way — is the hometown of Goliath — the Philistine hero who David had killed. So — guess what? The Philistines in Gath don’t trust David — so he has to act insane in order to escape from them. Later — in chapter twenty-seven — David returns to Gath and appears to live in relative peace — though he’s never fully trusted by some of the Philistine commanders. 

But this is a moment in his life when others want him dead — Saul and his army — and the Philistines don’t trust him — which can help us understand what he’s describing in our psalm: People are against him. He’s on the run. Saul wants him dead. Plainly — he’s experiencing suffering caused by others.

Like David — have you ever experienced someone else’s actions putting you in a situation you never wanted to be in? And — we’re not talking about accidents today — we’re talking about intentional actions by others who wanted to cause you harm. Suffering that comes with a face attached to it — an individual with a name who’s hurt you. This is the kind of suffering David’s writing about in our psalm. Again — we’re not talking flat tires on your way to a job interview kind of suffering — we’re talking about words spoken behind your back by people you trusted — where voices turn into weapons that cause you harm — or the hand that hit you — or the friend who stole your money.

This kind of suffering is different, isn’t it?

Back to David — his pain isn’t vague — it’s quite specific. Back in verses one and two — twice he describes his situation as if he’s being trampled on. The Hebrew word means to be crushed or having the wind knocked out of you. It implies violence and aggression. David’s suffering makes him feel like he’s being squeezed — not cared for.

Later — in verse one — he says an attacker oppresses him. He’s describing an on-going, relentless kind of situation. This isn’t a one time experience — but a continual oppression done by the hands of others.

In verse five he says that they “injure his cause”. Other Bible translations say, “They cause me trouble” (NET), “they twist my words” (NIV), or “they smear my reputation” (MSG). The idea — here — is that his opponents are taking his words and making them mean something he never intended. 

Can you relate? Have you ever had someone take your words and use them against you? It’s bad enough just being misunderstood — but here the twisting of words is intentional and meant to cause harm.

Finally, these enemies of David “lurk and watch his steps.” They’re plotting to get him. 

So David’s on edge — and rightly so. His paranoia is backed by a real threat.

This is the suffering he experienced by the hands of others. A kind of suffering not unusual and — unfortunately — quite relatable for many today. But here’s where David will simultaneously challenge and encourage us. Especially if you’re not a Christian — pay attention to how David’s response differs from what’s common today.

Christian or not — how do we often respond when we experience this kind of suffering? We think…

• No one sees or cares about what I’m going through.
• I shouldn’t be going through this.
• Why doesn’t anyone believe me?
• We may get vengeful.
• And — for the Christian we can add questions like — where’s God? Or why is God silent?

That’s what we do — but what did David do? How did he respond to the suffering he experienced that was caused by others? Back to the opening words of the psalm.

Psalm 56:1 ESV

1 Be gracious to me, O God…

David prays. He takes the pain he’s experiencing — because of others — straight to God. We looked at prayer in the first sermon in this series on suffering — but prayer is important enough that we don’t want to just start with it — we want to remind ourselves of its importance throughout this series. 

But David doesn’t just pray, “Be gracious to me, O God…” — no — his prayer starts with…

Psalm 56:1 ESV

1 Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me;

“God, I need your grace right now. Amen.” Nope. That’s not his prayer. He gets right to it. “God, I need your grace right now because people are doing bad things to me.” 

I wonder how many of us pray like this? I wonder how many of us think that God can handle us praying like this? Now I’ll put this caveat in here — because someone’s going to bring it up if I don’t — yes — you need to make sure that your suffering isn’t because of sin in your life — go listen to the last sermon in this series — but let’s not be a people who are so “your suffering must be caused by your sin” focused that we never allow suffering in someone’s life to be caused by the sins of others.

Yes, our prayers will be a bit more messy. Yes, it may get uncomfortable in your Life Group when someone prays like this. But is this psalm — and others like it — just for David to pray? Or is it an example for how God’s people can pray when we experience suffering at the hands of others? 

I believe it’s an example teaching us how to pray — which is why it’s a challenge for all of us. For not only are we to pray acknowledging the reality of the cause of our suffering — like David — we’re also to pray and endure suffering with hope that the outcome of our situation has been guaranteed.

Otherwise, how do we have an answer to David’s open-ended question in verse seven?

Psalm 56:7 ESV

7 For their crime will they escape?

Will they go unpunished? Will they get away with this? A question that demands an answer if the Christian faith offers any hope to us.

THE OUTCOME

Now — for anyone worried about what may happen to our prayers if we’re honest like David — well — this raw honesty must come with the same hope that David has: hope in knowing that the outcome of our situation is guaranteed. For David’s hope — even in the midst of his suffering — even as he asks, “will they get away with this” — is that God will act. 

• David’s hope isn’t in getting revenge against those who’ve harmed him. 
• His hope isn’t being able to manipulate the situation so that others see what’s really going on. 
• His hope isn’t even in his name being cleared of the words that have been twisted. 
• His hope is in none of that.

Let’s stop and pause and ask ourselves: When our suffering is caused by others — what’s our hope in? 

You know what your hope’s in because it’s what you dream about happening. Be honest — what do you hope will happen? If you’re not suffering right now — I’m sure you either have before or can imagine what it’d be like — so what would your hope be in?

Instead of revenge or others knowing what’s really going on or his name being cleared — David’s hope is in something much more secure: He hopes in God’s justice and presence.

We’re in verse seven where David writes…

Psalm 56:7–9 ESV

7b In wrath cast down the peoples, O God! 8 You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? 9a Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call.

And in verse thirteen we read…

Psalm 56:13 ESV

13 For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

David’s hope is in God’s justice and presence. First, he hopes in God’s justice. In verse seven — can you believe he writes this — David says, “In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!” Other Bible translations say something like, “In your anger bring them down” (NET/NIV/NLT). 

Can we pray like this? Not only can we — we must! For this is not a prayer of vengefulness — this is a prayer calling on the Judge of the earth to be just — which is who he’s told us he is.

Let me reveal a lie you may be believing. When you’ve been wronged — sinned against — harmed by others — it’s not wrong to desire justice. Though we’re to watch taking justice into our own hands — praying to God to be faithful to who he’s said he will be — just — is a God-honoring response by those who trust him. This isn’t a prayer of, “God, give me the chance to get even with them” — that’s not what this is. This is a prayer of, “God, I trust you to do what’s right. You’ve seen what they’ve done. You’ve seen what I’ve done. May you judge justly.” Trusting in God’s justice means we believe that evil does not win.

Second, David hopes in God’s presence. Part of the guaranteed outcome of his present suffering — and this is something David has great confidence in — is in God’s presence with him in his suffering. We see this in verse eight when David writes about God keeping count of his tossing and putting his tears in a bottle and that God has recorded all that he’s experienced in a book. This is David’s way of expressing the intimate presence of God in his life — the same intimate presence that all who trust in Jesus experience.

The phrase “you’ve put my tears in your bottle” is meant to comfort us — for it reminds us that — God so treasures our pain that he holds on to every tear we’ve cried. You see — those lies we so easily believe — for example — that we’re forgotten — no, no, — you’re not forgotten. Not even your tears have gone unnoticed by your ever present and loving Savior. May God’s nearness to you not only comfort you — but inspire you to praise your loving God even in your suffering.

THE IN-BETWEEN

And it’s to the time of suffering that we now turn. What I’m calling the “in-between” time. The time between the incident that caused our suffering and the outcome we just looked at. We’re in verse three.

Psalm 56:3–4 ESV

3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. 4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

And skipping to verse nine we read…

Psalm 56:9–12 ESV

9b This I know, that God is for me. 10 In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, 11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? 12 I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you.

The in-between time is the time we’re most familiar with, isn’t it? This is the time of suffering.

David says, “When I’m afraid, I put my trust in you.” Notice that he says, “When I’m afraid” not “if I’m afraid.” David admits that he’s afraid. 

Did you know that being afraid isn’t necessarily sinful? Sometimes we think that being afraid is always sinful, don’t we? To be sure — fear can lead us to sin if we don’t point our fear in the right direction: to God. That’s why David says — three times! — “When I’m afraid, I put my trust in you.”

“But, OK, David. How does that work exactly? Because when I’m afraid…I panic.” For someone else it’s, “When I’m afraid…I get angry.” For others it’s, “When I’m afraid…I give up.” And “What can man do to me?” Um…the list is pretty long David. Man can…

• Fire me.
• Slander me.
• Falsely accuse me.
• Molest me.
• Beat me.
• Rape me.

So what about all of that David? How do we trust God when we’re afraid?

The first thing to know about trust is that trust is a conscious decision. It’s active — not passive. And trust is strengthened similar to a muscle — through daily exercise. The exercises that build our trust in God have been called spiritual disciplines in church history. And these take the same dedication and devotion as does wanting to build physical strength in the gym. 

You can go to the gym once a month, do a bunch of bicep curls and — guess what — if you only do this once a month you’re not going to see any change. Which makes me question why we’re shocked that our trust in God is so weak. Any recent research on Bible reading, prayer, worship attendance, or other key “building our trust in God” activities — whether by Pew Research Center, Barna Group, or Lifeway Research — reveal statistics like…

• 39-45% of us read our Bible weekly. 11-14% read our Bible daily. Leaving 35-40% of self-identified Christians rarely or never reading their Bibles. About 85% of us read our Bibles about the equivalent of going to the gym once a week or less. Do you think this is strengthening our trust in God?
• We do better with prayer — 60-65% of us pray daily. 
• Worship attendance sees a big drop — 25-30% of us worship weekly. 20-25% of us worship once or twice a month. Leaving 40-50% of self-identified Christians seldom or never worship services. And — because you may be wondering about it — researchers now take into account online worship attendance. 
• When it comes to serving in the church, 20-25% regularly serve. 30-35% occasionally serve. And 40-50% rarely or never serve.
• Only 10-15% practice fasting as a spiritual discipline.
• 5-10% of Christians tithe or give 10% of their income to a local church.
• 30-35% of Christians are in a small group that focuses on discipleship.
• And under 20% practice Bible memorization.

None of these spiritual disciplines are a silver bullet but — through regular practice of them — just like regularly going to the gym — you will see progress. Meaning — by doing them — you will experience growth in your trust in God. But if you wait until you feel like doing any of these spiritual disciplines — just like waiting until you feel like going to the gym — you’ll never get started. Instead — as many can attest — by making these spiritual disciplines regular habits — though at first they didn’t necessarily enjoy or feel like doing them — after some time — they found that their desires had changed. And suddenly they’re no longer disciplines of duty — but disciplines of delight.

So — if like David — you want to do more than just survive your suffering — if you want to thrive even as you suffer — you must be relentless in practicing spiritual disciplines — including worshiping God with his people. For worship is your response to the outcome that you’ve put your hope in: rescue. And — not just rescue from your present suffering — but a rescue from eternal suffering.

For worship is the response when one believes the truth…

Psalm 56:9 ESV

9b This I know, that God is for me.

This is our anchor in the storm of suffering. An anchor the apostle Paul describes this way…

Romans 8:28–39 NLT

28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. 31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. 35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This is God’s powerful love on display. And — when we trust in God’s love for us — fear will not have the final word. Suffering will not have the final word. Even us getting revenge will not have the final word. His love will have the final word.

CONCLUSION

Today David’s given us an example and an invitation. An example of how we can suffer at the hands of others and do so with hope. We do so by being honest in our prayers — by trusting God for the outcome — and while we’re in the in-between time — by building our trust in him. 

That’s the example — here’s the invitation: If you’re in a season of suffering because of what someone’s done to you — how will you now respond to your suffering?

I know that you may feel trampled, and that your words have been twisted, and that you’re surrounded by those who oppose you — but where will you find hope?

Jesus — who came to earth to be Immanuel — which means “God with us” — on the night of his crucifixion was slandered by others. His words were twisted. He was surrounded by his enemies. He was trampled on as he was beaten and whipped. All because he was betrayed by the kiss of a friend. Jesus knows what it means to suffer at the hands of others.

Yet Jesus also knew that his Heavenly Father was for him. And that his Father in Heaven would deliver him from death. And three days later the tomb was empty and his enemies — and ours — were forever defeated.

And — through faith in Jesus — we know — we know, we know — and you can know too — that God is for us. And not just us — but he’s for me. And he will be for you — if you turn to Jesus in faith — trusting in his love for you — which is what I want us to pray for right now. Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, be gracious to all of us — for we’re all in need of your grace — whether we’re suffering or not. But for those suffering because of what others have done — we pray especially for your great grace to shower over them. Even now — we ask — may they know they’re recipients of your love.

Holy Spirit, protect your people. How many times are we unaware of your protection and — only when suffering comes upon us — do we question your protection. Forgive us — we ask — both for not appreciating your protection that often goes unrecognized and for doubting your goodness and love for us when we experience suffering.

And — Jesus — because of all that you’ve done — in your life, death, and resurrection — we can say with certainty: This I know, God is for me. And you are causing everything — including our suffering — to work together for our good. And nothing in all of creation — not even those who have caused our present suffering — will ever separate us from your love.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — may we rest in your love. May we make you look glorious in our suffering. And may those who are suffering — Christian or not — turn to you — right now — for their hope. And we pray all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available | Suffering caused by others)

May you go knowing that God is for you and loves you — even in your suffering. Amen.

God loves you. I love you. You are sent.

DATE: 6-8-25

As always it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And there’s one thing I want you to know — and this is true if you’re worshiping with us for the first time — if you’re joining us at our North Main Campus or are with our friends in Bucyrus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.

SERIES INTRO

We’re continuing our series looking at some of King David’s psalms that address the topic of suffering. There are many aspects to suffering — many reasons for our suffering that David touches on in his psalms — and each is important for us to consider. And though you may not be in a season of suffering — suffering has a way of showing up — often unexpectedly. Yet — for the follower of Jesus — suffering is an opportunity: suffering is an opportunity to spiritually grow for those of us who follow a Savior who experienced suffering.

Now — for sure — suffering is not an easy opportunity to grow — often suffering comes when life is most challenging. But — in another sense — suffering is one of the easiest opportunities to spiritually grow — because — when life is most challenging we’re forced to change in some way. The question for us is: Will our change be to become more like Christ?

So let’s continue to see how our Christian faith offers a different opportunity in these hard moments of life: an opportunity to become more like our Savior — Jesus — who — in love for us — experienced suffering, trials, persecution, hardships, rejection, hatred — you name it — he experienced it so that we might have hope in the midst of the sorrows we face.

And I say all of this knowing that not all of us believe in Jesus. But all of us have experienced suffering — or know others who’ve experienced it. And — if you’re honest — it’s scary. Because there’s no good answer offered by our culture as to why we suffer — and even more importantly — how to suffer well. That’s why so many turn to coping mechanisms to numb themselves — drugs, alcohol, overeating, sex, binge watching Netflix — or give up on life altogether in a seemingly never-ending depression.

But is that all there is — is that the best offer on the table in a world full of suffering? It’s not.

Which is what we’re exploring in this series as we look at some of David’s psalms — including today’s psalm — psalm thirty-two. So — if you have your Bible — please turn there — to psalm thirty-two. And while you’re finding psalm thirty-two — last week — if you weren’t here — we looked at the relationship between suffering and our prayer life. And — in the coming weeks — we’re going to look at the suffering we experience at the hands of others, we’ll see the important relationship between our suffering and worship, as well as the relationship between suffering and salvation. But — today — we’re looking at the suffering we experience due to unrepentant sin in our lives. Not a topic many want to address when it comes to suffering — especially in the victim mentality age in which we live — but we must face the reality that — there are seasons of suffering that are a result of decisions we’ve made. David addresses this in our psalm for today — psalm thirty-two — when he writes…

Psalm 32 ESV

1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah 5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah 6 Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. 7 You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. 10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. 11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Today we’re addressing an unpopular aspect to suffering: Suffering we experience due to unrepentant sin in our life. But there’s good news in this not so good news — unrepentant sin need not be the cause of our suffering. There is hope — even for those whose suffering is due to our own sin.

THE UNREPENTANT

Let’s return to our psalm — but — before we do so — it’ll be helpful to know that many scholars believe that David wrote this psalm in response to his sin with Bathsheba. David and Bathsheba is a biblical story most people have heard about — but to make sure we don’t leave anyone behind — here’s what happened.

At this point in history — David is king of Israel. And one day — while his army was off at war — David was back at his palace when…

2 Samuel 11:2–27 NLT

2 Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. 3 He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her. She had just completed the purification rites after having her menstrual period. Then she returned home. 5 Later, when Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant, she sent David a message, saying, “I’m pregnant.” 6 Then David sent word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent him to David. 7 When Uriah arrived, David asked him how Joab and the army were getting along and how the war was progressing. 8 Then he told Uriah, “Go on home and relax.” David even sent a gift to Uriah after he had left the palace. 9 But Uriah didn’t go home. He slept that night at the palace entrance with the king’s palace guard. 10 When David heard that Uriah had not gone home, he summoned him and asked, “What’s the matter? Why didn’t you go home last night after being away for so long?” 11 Uriah replied, “The Ark and the armies of Israel and Judah are living in tents, and Joab and my master’s men are camping in the open fields. How could I go home to wine and dine and sleep with my wife? I swear that I would never do such a thing.” 12 “Well, stay here today,” David told him, “and tomorrow you may return to the army.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 Then David invited him to dinner and got him drunk. But even then he couldn’t get Uriah to go home to his wife. Again he slept at the palace entrance with the king’s palace guard. 14 So the next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and gave it to Uriah to deliver. 15 The letter instructed Joab, “Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed.” 16 So Joab assigned Uriah to a spot close to the city wall where he knew the enemy’s strongest men were fighting. 17 And when the enemy soldiers came out of the city to fight, Uriah the Hittite was killed along with several other Israelite soldiers. 18 Then Joab sent a battle report to David. 19 He told his messenger, “Report all the news of the battle to the king. 20 But he might get angry and ask, ‘Why did the troops go so close to the city? Didn’t they know there would be shooting from the walls? 21 Wasn’t Abimelech son of Gideon killed at Thebez by a woman who threw a millstone down on him from the wall? Why would you get so close to the wall?’ Then tell him, ‘Uriah the Hittite was killed, too.’” 22 So the messenger went to Jerusalem and gave a complete report to David. 23 “The enemy came out against us in the open fields,” he said. “And as we chased them back to the city gate, 24 the archers on the wall shot arrows at us. Some of the king’s men were killed, including Uriah the Hittite.” 25 “Well, tell Joab not to be discouraged,” David said. “The sword devours this one today and that one tomorrow! Fight harder next time, and conquer the city!” 26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. 27 When the period of mourning was over, David sent for her and brought her to the palace, and she became one of his wives. Then she gave birth to a son. But the Lord was displeased with what David had done.

Around a year goes by before God sends a man named Nathan to confront David and — eventually — David responds with repentance. But it’s this year of unrepentance that David’s probably describing when he writes — in verse three of our psalm…

Psalm 32:3–4 ESV

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.

And skipping to verse nine we read…

Psalm 32:9–10 ESV

9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. 10a Many are the sorrows of the wicked…

Did you notice how David describes the consequence of his unrepentance? Similar to last week’s psalm — David says his bones were wasting away. Last week — when David used this phrase — I mentioned how we don’t know if David’s suffering was self-inflicted or caused by others. But — here — we’re fairly certain that this is self-inflicted suffering. Yet he uses the same phrase — “my bones waste away” — which means his sorrow and suffering has affected all of who he is — down to his bones. I’ve been reading a book titled Counseling the Hard Cases and — in one chapter — there’s a repeated idea: The mind affects the body, the body affects the mind, and a downward spiral begins.

In David’s case — it could’ve been the anxiety of being found out — someone doing pregnancy math and saying, “This doesn’t add up.” Or someone blabbing about the orders he gave to have Uriah murdered. The mind affects the body and the body affects the mind.

I wonder how many of us can relate? Have you ever done something and waited in angst for the consequences?

• Maybe you’re sixteen and you accidentally ran a red light. You didn’t tell your parents, but live in fear that — every ring of the doorbell is the police.
• Or a night out having fun and partying and too much to drink led to a night you can’t remember. And — as you wait for the pregnancy test result — your stomach’s upset, your head aches, you experience involuntary shakes. The mind affects the body and the body affects the mind.
• Or you’ve maxed out your credit card and know you can’t even make the minimum payment. Your body is tense — your temper is short.

One of the reasons why self-inflicted suffering is so hard is because — deep down — we know we don’t have anyone else to blame for our situation. We were the ones looking at our phones while driving. We had the extra drink. We saw our version of Bathsheba and — like David — made sure we got what we wanted.

“Well how do you know that what David’s referring to was self-inflicted?” By the way he personally takes responsibility in other verses in our psalm. David uses the phrases “my sin” — which he uses twice — and “my iniquity” and “my transgressions” to describe the cause of his suffering.

But it’s not just the act of sinning — that’s the cause of his suffering — David’s unrepentance is also a contributor. To repent means to turn away from sin — which includes confessing — or admitting — the wrong you’ve done. Unrepentance is what David describes in our psalm when he gives the command to not be like a horse or mule which must be curbed — or restrained — by a bit in its mouth.

What a picture of how stubbornly unrepentant we can be. That I can be. That you can be. God help us all to respond to our sin with repentance — and to respond to those who lovingly point out our sin with gratitude. For rare is the friend who loves us enough to call us to repentance. It’s much easier — isn’t it — to distance ourselves — “if I don’t see him I won’t have to talk to him about…” — or explain away — “that’s just her personality” — it’s tempting — and all too easy — to avoid doing what Nathan did for David.

Yet none of us are without sin — we’ve all sinned. And — if we’re honest with ourselves — some of the suffering we are — or have experienced — is due to sin that we’ve committed. And — until it’s repented of — it will waste away our bones and dry up our strength and cause us to groan — which is what we experience if we’re blessed. Because many — instead of groaning and dried up strength and wasting away bones — many continue in their stubbornness and unrepentance and will experience far more serious — and eternal — consequences.

THE BLESSED

But — for those who are blessed — the groaning and wasting away and weakness — is not God’s end goal. Instead — as we read in verse one…

Psalm 32:1–2 ESV

1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

Let’s be mesmerized by the blessing of forgiveness. David says that blessed — or happy! — is the one whose transgression is forgiven. Transgression is a word that means “rebellion against God.” So blessed — or happy! — is the one whose rebellion against God has been forgiven. And blessed — or happy! — is the individual whose sin is covered. Sin means “turning away from the true path.” So blessed — or happy! — is the person whose turning away from the true path has been covered. And blessed — or happy! — is the person who the Lord counts no iniquity. Iniquity means “distortion, evil, perversion, or disrespect for God.” So blessed — or happy! — is the man, woman, or child whose disrespect for God is no longer counted against them.

What’s being described here are the actions that happen to us — and our sin — when we repent — when we turn from our sin and turn to God in faith.

First, we’re forgiven — which means that our transgressions are removed from us — our rebellion against God is removed from us. Second, our sin is covered — it’s concealed from sight. And — since our sin has been removed from us — that’s what forgiveness means — this concealing of sin doesn’t mean that the sin is still present with us — remember it’s been removed from us — but this sin which has been removed from us — God no longer regards — he no longer considers — it’s not on his mind. Which results in God not counting our iniquity — or are disrespecting him — against us.

This is what it means to be blessed — which results in us being happy! For what could possibly make us more happy than to know — I mean think about this — that the God who created everyone and everything — who we’ve had the gall to disrespect — because we’ve turned from our sin and turned to him — he forgives us and no longer counts our transgressions against us — and puts it all out of his mind.

Which — with great hope — should cause all of us to ask: How do I receive this blessing? Meaning — how does one go about having their transgressions forgiven? Who are these people that God counts no iniquity against them?

REPENTANCE LEADS TO BLESSING

We find out in verses five and six of our psalm.

Psalm 32:5–6 ESV

5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. 6 Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him.

How do we receive this blessing — what’s the key to true, lasting happiness? Repentance — acknowledging our sin to God. No longer covering it up and trying to hide it away. Instead we confess our sins to God as we turn to him in faith — trusting that he forgives all who come to him truly repentant of their sin.

What sin might you need to acknowledge to God — to stop covering up and pretending as if it’s not part of your life?

We often think of sin as bad things we do — and that’s definitely an aspect of sin. But — equally important — sin also includes not doing the good things that we’re commanded to do. Here’s an easy example.

Stealing — stealing is sin. It’s wrong to take from someone what’s rightfully theirs. We get that — Christian or not. But the Bible goes further. For you can not steal — and yet — still sin in regards to money. For example, you can be selfish with it — greedy — and not be generous towards others which is also a command in the Bible.

“OK. I get all of that Josh. So what’s the big deal?” The big deal is that this tells us that sin isn’t just the presence of evil — sin also includes the absence of good. After all, Jesus’ younger brother did write…

James 4:17 NET

17 So whoever knows what is good to do and does not do it is guilty of sin.

Thus the biblical goal — in regards to money and wealth — isn’t just “don’t steal” — though it’s one of the ten commandments and should be obeyed — but the biblical goal — in regards to money and wealth is to be generous. The absence of generosity is sin in a person’s life — which I know can be hard for us to grasp — that the absence of something good can be just as sinful as the presence of something evil.

To which — one theologian said…

If I have a hole in my sock, the hole is not anything at all, it is just an absence of wool or cotton or whatever, but it is a perfectly real hole in my sock. It would be absurd to say that holes in socks are unreal…just because the hole isn’t made of anything…Nothing in the wrong place can be just as real and just as important as something in the wrong place. If you inadvertently drive your car over a cliff, you will have nothing to worry about; it is precisely the nothing that you will have to worry about. (Systematic Theology 13.3.5. Sin as Privatio)

I wonder how many of us are comfortable with the absence of something good in our lives — not realizing that its absence is just as sinfully serious as accidentally driving your car off a cliff?

Now you’ve heard me say the words repentance — which I’ve said is turning from sin — and confession — but what is confession? Confession means either to admit sin or affirm belief. Both aspects are important for us to understand. Most of us — I think — when we define confession usually focus on the admitting sin part — and it’s an important part. But — similar to what James taught us about not doing the good we know to do — confession also has a positive side to it: confessing what we believe.

In church history, confessions — or statements of belief — have been written to positively articulate what Christians believe. And confessions have been used — not only to guide us in knowing when we’ve sinned — but also in fighting temptation before we sin by reminding us of the truths we believe. In our church tradition — the Westminster Confession of Faith is a positive statement of what we believe.

What does the Westminster Confession have to say about repentance? It says…

Repentance which leads to life is the blessed product of the gospel working in believers’ lives. (WCF 15.1)

Jesus connects repentance to the gospel — the Good News of what he accomplished in his life, death, and resurrection — while explaining how all of the Bible was about him to his disciples after his resurrection.

Luke 24:44–48 NLT

44 Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46 And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47 It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ 48 You are witnesses of all these things.

What good news indeed! There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.

The Westminster Confession says…

In this repentance the sinner is able to see his sins as God sees them, as filthy and hateful, and as involving great danger to the sinner, because they are completely contrary to the holy nature and righteous law of God. Understanding that God in Christ is merciful to those who repent, the sinner suffers deep sorrow for and hates his sins, and so he determines to turn away from all of them. And turning to God, he tries to walk with him according to all his commandments. (WCF 15.2)

The Bible distinguishes repentance from the sorrow of being caught. Paul explains it this way to Christians in Corinth who had received a letter calling them to repent.

2 Corinthians 7:8–11 NLT

8 I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. 9 Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. 10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. 11 Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right.

Repentance leads to change — a change of direction — a change in our choices. Repentance leads us away from sin and towards God. True repentance even results in thankfulness for the one whom God used to call us back to him — no matter how severe and painful it was to hear.

About repentance — the Westminster says…

Just as there is no sin so small that it does not deserve damnation, so there is no sin so great that it can bring damnation upon those who truly repent. (WCF 15.4)

Two truths we must remember. First, there are no insignificant sins. Every sin is worthy of eternal judgment — may this humble all of us and call us to repentance. Second, no sin is so great that forgiveness can’t be offered to those who repent. As the apostle John tells us…

1 John 1:9 ESV

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

And as the prophets of the Old Testament remind us…

Micah 7:18–19 NLT

18 Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love. 19 Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!

And…

Isaiah 43:25 NLT

25 “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.

For as the Westminster Confession says about God…

He is completely loving, gracious, merciful, and long-suffering. He overflows with goodness and truth. He forgives wickedness, transgression, and sin, and rewards those who diligently seek him. (WCF 2.1)

Friends, this is why it’s important to know what you believe and to have Scripture that backs it up. This is why the historic confessions of the church are so helpful — and necessary — in our day when many believe that biblical illiteracy is at an all time historic high. May the truths we’ve looked at today lead us to repent when we sin and fight against sin when we’re tempted.

REPENTANCE LEADS TO JOY

For all of this good news — this good news about repentance and forgiveness and who God is —what does it all lead to? It leads to our joy. In verse seven of our psalm — David writes…

Psalm 32:7 ESV

7 You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance.

And skipping to verse ten…

Psalm 32:10–11 ESV

10b but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. 11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Even when our suffering is self-inflicted due to sinful choices we’ve made — joy is still possible. How so? Because the steadfast love of the Lord surrounds those who trust him — who trust that he always forgives those who turn to him in repentance. 

Earlier we saw the command to not be like the stubborn horse or mule. Here — the commands are much more positive. We’re commanded to be glad in the Lord and to rejoice and to shout for joy! Why? What’s the source of our glad rejoicing and shouts of joy? This truth: The steadfast love of the Lord surrounds the one who trusts in him.

Nothing else in all of creation can guarantee unwavering joy — even in the midst of suffering — accept knowing that you are surrounded by the love of God. A reality we so easily forget. A truth that our spiritual amnesia is the first to snatch from our hearts. This is why you hear from me every single week what? That God loves you. And that I love you too. Because no one hears these words enough — and none of us believe them to the degree that they’re true. We don’t. I don’t. You don’t. But here’s what I so love about us.

We’re believing in God’s love for us more and more every time we gather together. Our forgetfulness isn’t as quick as it once was. And — not only are we remembering God’s love for us — individually — but we’re reminding each other of God’s love for us. It’s the norm now — when I talk to you on the phone — for the call to end with us saying “I love you” to each other. And I pray that this isn’t just when it’s me on the call — but that we’re all loving each other and reminding each other of God’s great big forgiving love.

CONCLUSION: LISTEN TO GOD!

Therefore — may we all leave here today listening to God! As David writes…

Psalm 32:8 ESV

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

This is God speaking and acting in these verses. It’s God who is instructing and teaching us the way that we should go. It’s God who’s giving us counsel — who’s attentive to what’s going on in our lives — even in our seasons of suffering. Therefore — may we all leave here today listening to his instruction — receiving his teaching and counsel on repentance and forgiveness and how loving, kind, and merciful he is. May we leave here knowing that he’s aware of what we’re going through. And may this bring us comfort — may it give you comfort — that the One whose steadfast love surrounds you is the God who so cares for you — that he offers relief from our suffering even when we’re the cause of it. Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Gracious Father, what a marvelous truth: your love surrounds those who trust in you — even when we’re suffering. Even when our suffering is due to sinful choices we’ve made.

Holy Spirit, help us to trust — to really believe — that we’re loved by you. For when we know that we’re loved — repentance will be our heart’s desire. For our love for you will exceed our love for sin.

Jesus — you came to make forgiveness of our sins possible. For the joy set before you — you endured the cross — to pay the debt for our sins. And now — for the joy set before us — eternal life with you — we choose to trust in your never-ending, always pursuing and protecting love for us — and that you always forgive those who turn back to you in repentance. 

For you — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — are completely loving, gracious, merciful, and long-suffering. You overflow with goodness and truth. You forgive wickedness, transgression, and sin, and reward those who diligently seek you. May many more seek you today. May many trust in your love. May many repent of their sin. And we pray all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available / Self-inflicted suffering)

May you go with great joy — even in suffering — knowing that the steadfast love of the Lord surrounds you. Amen.

God loves you. I love you. You are sent.

‌SCRIPTURE: Psalm 6:1-10 (ESV)

DATE: 6-1-25

As always it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And there’s one thing I want you to know — and this is true if you’re worshiping with us for the first time — if you’re joining us at our North Main Campus or are with our friends in Bucyrus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.

SERIES INTRO

We’re taking a pause from our series in Romans for the month of June. Last year — during my annual review — the elders suggested a few preaching ideas that they thought would be beneficial for us as a church. Specifically they mentioned our role in sanctification — or growing in our spiritual maturity — during moments of suffering. They also mentioned the life of David as a possibility. So I thought we might take the month of June to look at both.

We’re going to look at five psalms of David that will help us understand how suffering, trials, hardships, and so on — are opportunities for us to grow spiritually. These are not easy opportunities to grow — they’re opportunities that come when life is the most challenging. But — in another sense — they’re easy opportunities to spiritually grow — because — when life is most challenging we’re forced to change in some way.

And many of us have been facing hardships, trials, difficulties, and sorrows in recent months. I think I’ve attended more funerals in the past few months than I have in any other stretch of time while here at Gateway. And that’s just one example of what some among us have recently experienced.

So let’s take some time to see how our Christian faith offers a different opportunity in these hard moments of life: an opportunity to become more like our Savior — Jesus — who — in love for us — experienced suffering, trials, persecution, hardships, rejection, hatred — you name it — he experienced it so that we might have hope in the midst of the sorrows we face.

But I know that not all of us believe in Jesus. Yet all of us have experienced suffering — or know others who’ve experienced it. And — if you’re honest — it’s scary. Because there’s no good answer offered by our world, society, and culture as to why we suffer — and even more importantly — how to suffer well. There’s just a huge hopelessness — thus many turn to coping mechanisms to numb themselves — drugs, alcohol, binge watching Netflix — or give up on life altogether in a seemingly never-ending depression.

But is that all there is — is that the best offer on the table in a world full of suffering? It’s not — thank God it’s not.

And that’s what we’re going to explore in this series as we look at some of David’s psalms — beginning today with Psalm Six. If you have your Bible — that’s where we’ll be — Psalm Six.

While you’re finding Psalm Six — here’s where we’re going in this series. In the coming weeks we’re going to look at suffering we experience due to unrepentant sin in our lives, we’ll look at suffering we experience at the hands of others, we’ll see the important relationship between our suffering and worship, as well as the relationship between suffering and salvation. But today — we begin — by looking at the relationship between suffering and prayer. We’re in verse one of Psalm six.

Psalm 6 ESV

1 O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath. 2 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled. 3 My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O Lord—how long? 4 Turn, O Lord, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love. 5 For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise? 6 I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. 7 My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes. 8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping. 9 The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord accepts my prayer. 10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled; they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.

Here’s where we’re headed. First, we’re going to look at the situation of suffering. Second, the sufferer’s prayer. And — finally — the hope of the sufferer’s prayer. What’s the cause of David’s suffering — the situation? Then we’ll look at David’s prayer in the midst of suffering. And — finally — how praying gives him hope.

THE SITUATION OF SUFFERING

So — first — the situation. We’ll begin in verse two. David writes…

Psalm 6:2–3 ESV

2 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled. 3 My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O Lord—how long?

Skipping to verse five we read…

Psalm 6:5–8 ESV

5 For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise? 6 I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. 7 My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes. 8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.

Biblical scholars aren’t one hundred percent certain of the exact situation that’s the cause of David’s suffering here. Many believe it may have been suffering due to some illness that brought him near to death. Others think this might be suffering David experienced due to his sin with Bathsheba. Others say this suffering is due to the rebellion of his son Absalom — which is the last situation mentioned in the superscriptions — the descriptions at the beginning of the psalms — back in psalm three.

Though we don’t have one hundred percent certainty as to the reason for David’s suffering — for those of us suffering — due to an illness or some kind of medical situation — or due to the sins of others against you — which we’ll look at more closely in a future sermon — this is a psalm for you to return to again and again. 

Look at what David says about his experience of this suffering. He says he is languishing in verse two. A Hebrews word used only here in the Old Testament. The idea is that he’s fainting, frail, fading away in his strength and emotions because of his suffering.

Also — in verse two — David says that he’s troubled — and then says he’s greatly troubled in verse three. The word troubled has the idea of being horrified, terrified, or alarmed. And — as I said — if being troubled isn’t bad enough — he says he’s greatly troubled. He’s exceedingly horrified. Utterly terrified. He’s very alarmed.

Which leads him to ask “how long?” in verse three. “God, how long will this suffering last? How long will my bones tremble? How long will I be troubled?”

In verse six he says that he’s weary — he admits that he’s struggling. Later in the verse he mentions weeping — which he’ll bring up again in verse eight. In verse seven he mentions both the grief he’s experiencing — because of his suffering — and how he’s growing weak because of it.

Listen — if you can relate to any of what David is describing — maybe not all of it — or maybe all of it — but if you can relate to what David’s describing in his suffering — then this is the psalm for you. And — if you can’t relate to what David’s saying — because you’re not suffering — this psalm is still for you — for two reasons.

First, you know people who are suffering — and you can be a giver of hope to them. This psalm may just be what God uses to help someone you know experience suffering and do so with hope.

The second reason is this: Though you may not be suffering right now — you will experience suffering some day. That’s not a threat or clever rhetoric — just look around at the world. Take your eyes off of a screen for a moment and see what’s going on all around you.

Last month I mentioned how I went to an event to celebrate the life and ministry of my friend Scott McKee who’s a pastor in our denomination. Scott’s dying of cancer. This is his third battle with it. Knowing that I was going to attend the event — and also knowing I was going to be preaching on suffering — I searched for some books on suffering and came across this book: The Dying Man Lives: Biblical Hope for Confronting Cancer and the End of Life by Brian Zimmerman.

Brian went from being healthy to having some shortness of breath. That seemingly minor health issue became a stage four cancer diagnosis five months later. The book is his journal entries about his experience of dying — and doing so with hope because of his faith in Jesus Christ. A process that took just over three years from his diagnosis to his death last year.

Here are some things Brian had to say about suffering and death.

“As a friend of mine said: Nobody gets out of here alive,” and it is reckless to pretend otherwise. Still, we all seemed surprised by our own death.” (21)

A statement true — not only of death — but also of suffering. We don’t get out of this world alive — nor out of this world without suffering. Yet death and suffering still surprise us, don’t they?

He writes, “I think as a culture we have done what we can to isolate ourselves from death, both ours and those around us. We have lost the urgency of preparing to die.” (24) Yet later — on our curiosity about how the world will end — he writes, “It matters not if the world goes out with a bang or a whimper; what matters is how you go out.” (35)

Again — statements true not just of dying — but of suffering as well. We do everything — don’t we — to isolate ourselves from suffering and those who are suffering. Yes — occasionally — the person is too close to us to be avoided — a child, sibling, spouse, or parent. But — other than that — we go about our lives doing quite well at ignoring the suffering of others around us.

• The elderly neighbor next door — a widow — who we guess somehow gets to the grocery store, doctor, or wherever he needs to go.
• The single mother at work who — doesn’t just look exhausted — is exhausted because life is overwhelming. Well that’s her problem, right?
• The couple in your Life Group who just had another miscarriage. Better not bring it up — that’d be awkward!

One last quote from the book. “As Christians, we serve someone who was born for the sole purpose of dying. The servant is not above the master, nor the pupil above the teacher. If our master and teacher spent a short life preparing to die, how can we do less?” (11)

And Jesus’ path to death was through much suffering. The servant is not above the master — let the followers of Jesus understand.

Back to our psalm. David says something that’s odd sounding to our ears — in verse five — when he writes…

Psalm 6:5 ESV

5 For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise?

Sheol — if you’re unfamiliar with the term — is the place of the dead — the grave. So it seems like David’s saying that those who die no longer praise God. But if you’re familiar with the Bible — you know that the dead do in fact praise God. For example — in the vision of Heaven that John records in the book of Revelation — in numerous places we read of God being presently praised. Like…

Revelation 5:9–14 ESV

9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” 11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” 13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” 14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

So how do we reconcile what David prays in our psalm with what we read in other places in the Bible? The easiest reconciliation — I believe — is to take into account that David is writing a song — and songs are poetic — meaning — psalms are poetry. And the literary genre of poetry uses lots of language that is metaphorical. So — instead of this being a factual statement about life after death — what David is saying — essentially — is, “God, if I die — I won’t be able to praise you for delivering me from this suffering so that others hear of your greatness. So — if that’s your desire God — for others to hear of your greatness in delivering me from this suffering — you’ll need to do just that — and I will praise you if you do so.”

THE SUFFERER’S PRAYER

Which leads us to David’s prayer. Let’s see what we can learn from the prayer of a man who’s in the midst of agonizing suffering. Back to verse one.

Psalm 6:1–2 ESV

1 O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath. 2 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.

And in verse four we read…

Psalm 6:4 ESV

4 Turn, O Lord, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love.

From David’s prayer I want us to see how we might pray in the midst of our suffering. First, he pleads with God to not rebuke him in anger. Similarly — he asks God to not discipline him in wrath. Both of these statements are echoes from psalm two and what God will do to those who rebel against him.

Psalm 2:4–6 ESV

4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. 5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 6 “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”

So — in psalm six — in the midst of his suffering — David pleads with God to not treat him as those who purposefully and willfully live in rebellion. David doesn’t pray, “Don’t rebuke or discipline me” — no he prays, “Don’t rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath” — for this is what God has promised to those who are not his people. Yes — the Lord will rebuke his people when they sin. Yes — he will discipline us when needed. But he does so not out of his anger and wrath — but out of his love — even when the discipline we experience comes by means of suffering.

This is why David has confidence in praying “be gracious to me” in verse two and even asking God to heal him. What’s he asking to be healed from? Again, we can’t say with certainty. However, when David writes of his bones being troubled — he’s saying that his whole being is troubled — that he’s troubled down to his bones. It’s another way of saying that his entire body is experiencing pain and suffering — so whatever he’s experiencing — it’s bad.

So he prays for God to be gracious and to heal him and deliver him — in verse four — followed by asking God to save him. Different Hebrew words used to express his longing to be relieved of his suffering — which tells us something important: It’s OK — biblical even — to plead with God to relieve you of the suffering you’re experiencing and to pray — for someone you know who’s suffering — to experience relief, rescue, and being saved from it.

We don’t want to antagonize God — or pray in a way that communicates that he’s an unloving, mean, suffering-inducing tyrant in the sky — but we can come to him as our loving Father and ask him for help — as we trust that his answer to our prayer will be perfect.

THE HOPE OF THE SUFFERER’S PRAYER

For that’s the hope of our prayers — not only while suffering — but our prayers at all times. Our hope is in our God who hears and answers our prayers. We’re in verse six.

Psalm 6:8–10 ESV

8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping. 9 The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord accepts my prayer. 10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled; they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.

Here’s the hope of the sufferer’s prayer. Here’s hope for you — if you’re in the midst of suffering right now. There’s hope in knowing that God hears your weeping — and that he hears your pleas to him — that he accepts your prayers — and that he does and will always judge justly — he’s not unfair. This is what David reminds himself of — in his suffering — and this gave him great confidence in his God. 

Now if these truths — which are meant to increase your hope in the midst of suffering — aren’t really doing it for you — can I try and help you see just how amazing they are?

For example — take that fact that God hears your weeping and your pleas to him. The God who created everyone and everything — from the tiniest particle light years away from us — to an eagle soaring over the Grand Canyon — to the busy birds just outside our building — this Creator of all things God hears you. I find that often — because we’re comfortable being casual with God — we’ve lost the wonder of his transcendence — a fancy theological word that means — and this is Pastor Josh’s definition — that God is “whoa.” Like a really big “whoa.” You get me. Like if we get all tongue tied when meeting a celebrity — a mere human — we need to get some of the “whoa” back in our relationship with God. Because there’s hope to be found in knowing that the really big “whoa” God hears your prayers.

And — that he accepts our prayers. Obviously we’re imperfect people who pray imperfect prayers. Yet our God is so good, gracious, and kind to us that — even though imperfect — he doesn’t reject our prayers — he receives them. This is his tenderness towards us — his compassion — his mercies towards us — suffering or not. More reasons for our hope.

CONCLUSION

Back to Brian’s story. The editor of the book wrote these words about Brian in the introduction: As cancer assaulted his body, the words of his God held true. (5)

This is what David understood — and this is what he’s trying to teach all of us sufferers — or soon to be sufferers: Suffering is sure to come — illness, disease, accidents, whatever the suffering may be — and yet — the words of God still hold true. Will this be your hope in suffering? Will this be the foundation upon which your life is built? Will this be the source of your comfort? Will the words of God hold true for you — or will suffering be the final word for you?

Suffering — and all of its causes — need not have the final word in your life. Because all of the reasons for our suffering — even for your suffering — have been defeated by the most reliable word to ever be found on earth — God’s Word — who came in flesh. His name is Jesus. And as Brian reminded us earlier — Jesus came to earth to suffer and die so that — in our suffering — and even in our death — we would have hope. For neither suffering nor death have the final word. Our glorious suffering and death defeating Savior is the final word. And he is a word of hope for all who believe in him. Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Father, as we pray to you right now we want to thank you for hearing our prayer. Thank you for listening to us. For receiving our requests. And for answering us — even when your answer is not what we want to hear.

Holy Spirit, many among us are suffering. May you comfort them right now. May you give them hope and peace. May they know of your powerful presence.

And — Jesus — you came to earth for the purpose of suffering and dying in our place — by our hands — for our eternal good. In the midst of our suffering — may you — our Suffering Savior — be our hope — now and always. And we pray all of this in your name. Amen.

COMMUNION (JOSH MOVES TO TABLE)

At both of our campuses — we now turn our attention to the table of our Lord. Hear the words of the apostle Paul.

1 Corinthians 11:23–32 ESV

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

As your pastor — I have the responsibility of warning you of how scandalous it is to take part in this sacrament while indulging in sin. And — as your pastor — I also have the high privilege to invite — in the name of our Lord Jesus — to his table — all who are repentant of their sins, believe in him alone for their salvation, and who — though imperfectly — are determined to lead a holy and God glorifying life.

This bread points us to the grace offered to us in the true Bread of Heaven — Jesus — who said…

John 6:47–48 NLT

47 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. 48 Yes, I am the bread of life!

Who also said…

John 6:51 NLT

51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.”

Who also said…

John 6:53–58 NLT

53 “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. 54 But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.”

And — yes — he knew that our feasting would require a costly — suffering filled — sacrifice.

Isaiah 53:3–12 NLT

3 He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. 4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! 5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. 6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. 7 He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. 8 Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. 9 He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave. 10 But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands. 11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. 12 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.

But here is glorious news. This man of sorrows — this Suffering Servant — this Jesus who was acquainted with deepest grief — was victorious over death. And he is the One who said…

Matthew 11:28 NLT

28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

Rest is being offered to all of us today — right now rest is being offered to you. Rest — even in the midst of suffering. Rest — in the midst of cancer. Rest in the midst of depression. Rest in the midst of a broken relationship, a wayward child, infertility, or whatever is the cause of your suffering. Jesus is offering you rest — what grace — what hope is being offered to each of us in this meal.

INSTRUCTIONS (PAUSE FOR VIDEO FEED)

At this time, I’d like to invite forward those who are going to be serving us. And — while they make their way forward — know that as the bread and cup are passed down your rows, you’re to take the bread on your own — but save the cup — which we’ll drink together. In the trays with the bread — there’s a gluten free option in the center of the tray. Eat the bread on your own — but save the cup — which we’ll drink together.

COMMUNION PASSED OUT

The blood of Christ, shed for you.

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available)

May you go with hope — suffering or not — because you are loved by the God who hears your prayers. Amen.

God loves you. I love you. You are sent.

Sick at heart. Depression? Some emotion of internal agony. And the cry, “How long, O Lord” shows the desperation for relief and restoration. How long, O Lord, until you restore me and your people? 

God, help me to trust you as I wait for your restoration. And help me to be compassionate to those who are sick at heart. Amen.

Date: September 5, 2019

Questions

What exactly, is the essence, the substance of faith? How does it impact our lives during intense suffering? How does this gift of faith play its role in suffering? What does that look like? Can you give examples? When you are day in and day out struggling with crisis or suffering, how does faith bring relief? DOES it bring relief? (12:15)

Date: October 22, 2019

Questions

Do we not need to make sure believers understand that, yes ADAM fell, but the Scripture states “that we were all in ADAM”? Otherwise we might be tempted to say, “Why am I suffering because of Adam’s stupidity?” (6:30)

Our church mission is to “connect people to Jesus Christ and one another.” I can’t help but wonder why our church is not more involved with the Emmaus Community? I have never felt closer to Jesus then I have after I’ve been on the walk. (7:35)

Is gambling entitled in the Bible as a sin? (11:05)

After Jesus feeds the 5000 in John 6, there is this odd dialogue where Jesus compares himself to bread from Heaven and it sure sounds like he is expecting people to literally eat his flesh and drink his blood. (vs 53-58) This seems to drive people away from him. What does he really mean with this analogy and why wasn’t he more clear? Surely he wasn’t intentionally trying to speak in riddles that few would get, was he? (12:20)

We learned about Isaiah in Kidway and I was wondering why they lived so long in the Bible times? (18:05)

I love the analogy of thinking of God like a doctor. In my experience some sincere people are anxious to go to God because they’re afraid of God like they’re afraid of doctors. How do we encourage people who are afraid of going to God because they think of him like a doctor? (21:50)

How do you go about responding to someone who is not a Christian and says God is evil? (31:50)

Date: February 20, 2020

Questions

What happened to Lazarus when he died? Did his soul go to heaven and then Jesus brought him back from Heaven? (4:15)

With literally no certainties, the gospel is just a gamble. Surely there are, in fact, certainties to our faith. The essentials of our faith as stated on Gateway’s website are examples of things members would hopefully affirm as certainties, and the Westminster Confession of Faith is another resource you have mentioned in the past of truths most EPC members would probably call certainties. To use an easy, recent example for our local body – infant baptism – is this a place, for example, where even when you can point to a Biblical foundation, you believe it possible that there would come a day when you affirm the opposite stand? I very much appreciate and respect your willingness in a previous podcast to admit your having once stood in a different position than you now do, but does this mean that you believe it possible you could at some point return to your previous thoughts on this? (The issue not being infant baptism, but only mentioned for illustration!) (6:00)

Discussion on why bad things happen (22:40)

Date: 8/11/2020

Questions

1. I had a friend tell me that she didn’t want to go to church because she didn’t want her daughter to grow up somewhere where she couldn’t be a leader if she wanted to. How would I go about responding to this?
   1. Complementarian vs Egalitarian
   2. Laura’s experience. 

2. What does it mean to “suffer” for God? The Bible seems to use this word having multiple meanings that can be interpreted in both positive and painful ways.
   1. Theologically and practically
      1. Theologically, being in Christ, his suffering is our suffering. We will never suffer for our sins.
      2. Practically:
         1. Acts 5:40-42 — (background: Peter and the apostles had just been arrested and put in jail; miraculously rescued; then beaten) “they summoned the apostles and had them beaten. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them. 41 So they left the council rejoicing because they had been considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. 42 And every day both in the temple courts and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus was the Christ.”
         2. Hebrews 10:32-36 and 11 — “But remember the former days when you endured a harsh conflict of suffering after you were enlightened. 33 At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and afflictions, and at other times you came to share with others who were treated in that way. 34 For in fact you shared the sufferings of those in prison, and you accepted the confiscation of your belongings with joy, because you knew that you certainly had a better and lasting possession. 35 So do not throw away your confidence, because it has great reward. 36 For you need endurance in order to do God’s will and so receive what is promised.”

3. As saved Christians we have eternal security. In Revelation it tells us if we take the mark of the Beast we will be eternally damned. Will God protect us from taking the mark of the Beast or will we already be Raptured?
   1. It’s not just about receiving the mark (whatever that means), but about worshipping the beast (instead of worshipping God). Who or what we worship is ultimately what eternally saves or eternally condemns us.