SERMON OUTLINE:
(1). A Psalm of Requests
(2). A Psalm of Images
(3). A Psalm of Victory
SERMON BODY:
Question:
• What has Charlemagne (also known as Charles the Great - 814);
• Thomas a Becket (was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170),
• John Hus (is considered the first Church reformer, as he lived before Luther, Calvin, 1369 – 1415),
• Jerome of Prague (important Church reformer who was burned for heresy in 1418)
• Martin Luther (in 16th century was the key figure in what is known as the Protestant Reformation).
• Philipp Melanchthon (1497 0 1560 the German reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther)
• Christopher Columbus (1450-1506 the Italian explorer, navigator, and colonizer).
• Thomas Cromwell (English lawyer and statesman, chief minister to King Henry VIII)
• Lady Jane Grey (1536 – 1554 also known as The Nine Days' Queen).
• Mary queen of Scots (1542 – 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland)
• George Herbert (1593 – 1633) Welsh-born English poet, orator and Anglican priest)
• John Knox (1514 – 1572) Scottish clergyman and a leader of the Protestant Reformation who is considered the founder of the Presbyterian denomination in Scotland)
Question: What have these 12 men and women all got in common?
• If you are struggling to find a link;
• Then add in Stephen the first Christian martyr (Acts chapter 7 verse 59) into the mix;
• Still struggling, then add Jesus Christ to the list (Luke chapter 23 verse 46)
Answer:
• Now I did not expect you to know the answer – so let me tell you what it is:
• The connection, that binds these people together Psalm 31.
• Is that all of these people quoted Psalm 31 verse 5 as they were dying!
• “Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God”
Ill:
• In June, 1415, the reformer John Huss;
• Was brought in chains into the great senate of Christendom.
• He was accused of heresy against the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church,
• The charges against him were read;
• John Hus declared himself willing to recant;
• If his ‘errors’ should be proven to him from the Bible.
• His voice was drowned in a tumult of contempt and derision.
• He was found guilty and he was sentenced to be burnt at the stake as a heretic!
• Before his death the bishop pronounced upon him these horrible words;
• "And now we commit thy soul to the devil".
• John Hus in great calmness replied;
• "I commit my spirit into thy hands Lord Jesus Christ,
• Unto thee I commend my spirit whom thou hast redeemed"
Notice:
• Another well-known and important saying in contained in this psalm.
• The first part of verse 15: “My times are in your hands”
• This reference of ‘times’ is not to clock time;
• But rather to those special moments in life when something memorable happens;
• i.e. marriage birth of a baby, i.e. experiencing the hardships or the blessings of life,
• i.e. Or even as some in that opening list of people who quoted verse 5;
• Even when being martyred, when death comes –it does not take God by surprise!
• We need to remember that these all come and are permitted by God;
• Quote: G.A. Knight puts it this way; “They are moments of eternity breaking into time”
Ill:
• Dan Crawford was a Scottish missionary from Brethren Assemblies
• He was born in 1870 on the island of Arron.
• Dan Crawford is also known as 'Konga Vantu',
• This is the name the African people gave him,
• It literally means "the gatherer of the people."
• This name was given because he gathered together thousands of people to Jesus Christ.
• In 1889 when he was only 19 years old;
• He ventured into Central Africa and spent thirty-seven years as a missionary.
• He translated the Bible into the Luba language - a most difficult Bantu tongue;
• That has nouns with 12 genders and verbs with 32 tenses.
• He often stated that; "The happiest times of my life;
• Have been the evening hours of Gospel chats across a camp fire."
• I like his missionary motto for living:
• "Hats off to the past. Coats off to the future."
In 1926 he completed the final revision of the entire Bible into the Luba language:
• It was in the printer's hands – when disaster struck:
• One night when he was restlessly sleeping,
• He turned over in his bed & he knocked the back of his hand against the shelf near his bed.
• He cut his hand and being half-asleep did not treat it with iodine until the next day;
• By then it was too late,
• And over the next few days and weeks it became Gangrene,
• The infection continued to spread rapidly up his arm,
• And this eventually poisoned his whole body and killed him.
• He was buried with the Luba Bible tucked under his head as a pillow.
• (read more: www.gfamissions.org/missionary-biographies/crawford-dan-1870-1926.html)
• TRANSITION: Now psalm 31 verse 15,
• Had been a particularly difficult challenge for Crawford to translate.
• Finally it was decided that the best way to put it into the language of the people;
• Would be like this:
• “All my life’s WHYS and WHENS and WHERES and WHEREFORES are in God’s hands”.
• I like to think David the psalmist might say a hearty Amen!
• To that Dan Crawford translation of this verse 1:
• “All my life’s WHYS and WHENS and WHERES and WHEREFORES are in God’s hands”.
NOW BEFORE WE LOOK AT THE PSALM A FEW THINGS TO NOTE:
FIRST:
• Psalm 31 is a hard song to divide and to sub-divide into neat categories or headings:
• You will notice contrasting ideas and themes in many of the same verses:
• i.e. Verses 1-4: there is both prayer and praise.
• i.e. Verses 1-4: there is both an appreciation of God & an appeal to God for deliverance.
• i.e. Verses 5-8: there is a blending of both gladness and grief.
• So it is a hard Psalm to divide and to sub-divide into neat categories or headings:
• I like what the great Bible teacher Alexander Maclaren wrote:
• “This psalm is like an April day, in which sunshine and rain chase each other across the plain”
• That idea of sunshine and rain, of ups and downs, of highs and lows;
• Weaves its way through the psalm;
• As we see David the psalmist on a spiritual rollercoaster.
SECOND:
• This Psalm contains a simple heading;
• “For the director of music. A psalm of David”
• But this heading does not actually tell us a lot;
• It dies not inform us or give us any clues of the time or place it was written.
• We cannot be certain details of the when or where it was composed.
• Some commentators have said that rather than any one specific incident;
• It may well be David was looking back over various periods in his life,
• So the psalm may well be a compendium of reflective thoughts brought together.
Third:
• What we do know is that this is a very important Psalm;
• Because parts of it are quoted by Jonah the prophet;
• He quotes verse 6 in his prayer from the belly of the fish (Jonah chapter 2).
• Jeremiah the prophet also quotes the phrase in verse 13; “terror on every side”
• No less than six times to describe the dangers he was experiencing.
• The author of Psalm 71 also borrows from this psalm;
• In fact he quotes the opening three verses of this song:
• At the beginning of his psalm.
• We have already noted that Jesus also quoted verse 5 of this psalm;
• While hanging on the cross (Luke chapter 23 verse 46)
• These were his very last and very important words;
• And we will come back to that thought later on.
Note:
• Instead of doing a detailed verse by verse look at this psalm;
• We are going to paint with broad strokes,
• And just enjoy a simple sketch of this psalm.
(1). A Psalm of requests:
Ill:
• A reporter was interviewing an old man on his 100th birthday and asked him:
• "What are you most proud of?"
• The old man thought for a moment and replied;
• "Well, I don't have an enemy in the world."
• "What a beautiful thought! How inspirational!" said the reporter.
• "Yep," added the centenarian, "outlived every last one of them."
For David the psalmist his enemies were still alive and very active:
• David’s enemies persecuted him, lied about him and spread a net to catch him.
• So David petitions God with a series of requests;
• ill: Machine gun prayer – lots of short rapid requests.
• Verse 1: He asks God to ‘deliver him’ from those enemies.
• Verse 2: Twice he asks to ‘rescue him’ from those enemies.
• Verse 3: His prayer is “Lead and guide me.”
• Verse 4: “Keep me safe from the trap that has been set for me;”
• Verse 5: He asks God to, “deliver” him.
• Verse 9: “Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;”
• Verse 15: He asks God to “deliver him from enemies that pursue him”
• Verse 16: “Save me in your unfailing love.”
• Verse 17: “Let me not be put to shame”
• Now you might find a few more in the psalm;
• But this psalm is filled with petitions, full of requests to God.
Ill:
• Preachers often use their children for sermon illustrations;
• I guess that is the price you pay for being a preachers kid!
• Preacher Dennis Rainey went one step more than the average preacher!
• At a large convention Dennis Rainey placed animal traps on stage.
• They were big ones too.
• Bear traps and even an African safari large animal trap that took two men to open.
• There were a dozen or so traps, that he set open ready to go off and capture its victim.
• Then Dennis Rainey had someone blindfold his teen-age son,
• He stood on one side of the stage and his blindfolded son was on the other side.
• Then he called his son to come to him;
• The boy took one step and then Dennis Rainey called out to him;
• “Wait! I’ll keep you from stepping in the traps”.
• So this Dad went back across the stage,
• Took hold of his son’s hand and lead him through the difficult maze of traps.
• TRANSITION:
• That story hopefully illustrates to us David felt;
• He was surrounded by a difficult maze of traps set by his enemies.
• So he pours out his heart to God with these petitions;
• His prayer is short and simple: “Father God, keep me out of the traps.”
(2). A Psalm of images:
• Verses 1&4&19&20: “Refuge” or “Shelter”.
• Verses 2&3: “Rock”
• Verses 2&3: “Strong fortress”
• Now these verses are interesting because David asks God to be what he already is.
• He asks God to be his rock because he is his rock.
• He asks God to be his fortress because he is his fortress.
• He asks God to be his refuge because he already is his refuge.
Question: Why does David ask God to be something he already is?
Answer: David is simply claiming personally what he knows about God.
• Quote: Charles Spurgeon said we should learn from this that
• “We may pray to enjoy in experience what we grasp by faith.”
• In other words we need to pray with our hearts what we know in our minds.
• We know many things ‘theoretically’ about God from the Bible.
• But when we pray with faith,
• We are asking God to be these things to us personally in practice.
Notice:
• Other imagery in the psalm:
• Note the way the word or concept of "hand" occurs in the psalm.
• Verse 5: “Into your hands I commit my spirit”
• Verse 15: “My times are in your hands”
• Verse 20: the psalmist declares that the Lord holds the Lord's people safe,
• Presumably holding them in his hands.
• Twice the psalmist refers to the hand of the enemy:
• Verse8: “You have not given me into the hands of the enemy”
• Verse 15b: “Deliver me from the hands of my enemies”
Ill:
The apostle Peter uses this imagery of verse 5 in 1 Peter chapter 4 verse 19:
“So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”
• The word that Peter uses translated as ‘commit’;
• Means “to deposit in trust, as money in the bank”.
• The hand of the enemy was against David;
• But he knew he was safe and secure in God’s hand.
• The God of truth would keep his promise.
• And so in verse 6 and 14 in this psalm we read the phrase, “as for me, I trust”
• His enemies verse 6 tells us were trusting in “worthless idols”
• But not David; “as for me, I trust in the Lord.”
Notice:
• One more image in verse 16:
• “Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love”.
A persons face is very revealing:
• ill: Often we can tell the emotions of people by the looks of their faces.
• ill: You can tell when someone is not happy because their face will be “downcast.”
• ill: If you were happy – it was said that your face would “shine”.
• For David his world is collapsing all around him;
• He is in danger, he is distressed and he is distraught,
• But it’s as if he says in this verse;
• I can handle all of this as long as I know you are pleased with me.
Ill:
• Think about the difference between rainy days and sunny days.
• Rainy days can often seem very unpleasant; dark, cold, windy & miserable.
• And yet on that same day if the sun comes out;
• It is able to be transformed into something beautiful.
• How good it is to know that when the stormy weather of life hits us;
• When we find our spirits are dampened by the sadness of unfavourable circumstances,
• We can have God’s face shine upon us?
• His light helps us to see clearly,
• Brightening our understanding of what is going on;
• And how He is in control working out His purposes.
(3). A Psalm of victory:
“Love the LORD, all his faithful people!
The LORD preserves those who are true to him,
but the proud he pays back in full.
24 Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the LORD.”
• In verse 23-24 the storm is over;
• David is no longer running from his enemies – they are gone!
• David is now declaring publicly before the people the goodness of God.
• In this psalm David had written about his faith in the Lord;
• (verses 1, 6, 14, 19)
• But now he encourages his people to love the Lord;
• And he wants them to put their hope in him.
In conclusion:
• As we are about to enter a time of communion;
• Let’s just remember again the fact that Jesus quoted verse 5 of this psalm;
• While hanging on the cross (Luke chapter 23 verse 46)
• These were his very last and very important words;
• Words of victory!
• Words of victory for two reasons:
FIRST: He had The Father's Promise
• Jesus died confidently because like David in the psalm;
• He had the promise of God that God is faithful and God is good.
• As David claimed the images of ‘Refuge, Rock, Shelter, Fortress
• To sustain and strengthen him in his situation.
• So too Jesus died confidently because He had the Father's promise.
• All three of the prayers of Jesus from the cross are tied to Scripture.
(a).
• When Jesus prayed (Luke chapter 23 verse 34);
• "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do"
• He was fulfilling Isaiah 53:12:
(b).
• When He cried out "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me"
• (Matthew chapter 27 verse 46),
• He was quoting Psalm 22 verse 1.
(c).
• When He said, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit"
• (Luke chapter 23 verse 46), He fulfilled Psalm 31 verse 5.
• Throughout his life Jesus lived by God's Word,
• And if you live by God's Word, you can die by God's Word!
SECOND: He Had The Father's Protection:
• He had the Father's protection.
• "Into your hands I commit my spirit" (Luke chapter 23 verse 46).
• Jesus had predicted to his To His weary disciples in the garden of Gethsemane
• (Matthew chapter 26 verses 45-46):
• That he was: "going to be delivered into the hands of sinners."
• And that prediction came true!
Ill:
• For many hours Jesus had been in the hands of sinners.
• The hands of sinners took hold of Him and bound Him.
• The hands of sinners shoved Him.
• The hands of sinners lacerated His back.
• The hands of sinners stripped Him.
• The hands of sinners put a crown of thorns upon His head.
• The hands of sinners put nails through his hands and his feet.
• The hands of sinners lifted him up to die.
• But there came a time for Jesus;
• When the hands of sinful men can do nothing more!
And when Jesus came to the conclusion of His finished work on the cross:
• Jesus Christ was no longer in the hands of sinners;
• He was in the Father's hands.
• He had voluntarily gave Himself into the hands of sinners;
• Now He voluntarily gives Himself into the hands of God the Father.
• "Into your hands I commit my spirit".
Notice:
• He cried out, "Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit"
• (Luke chapter 23 verse 46).
• Interestingly, none of the New Testament writers are content to simply say;
• That Jesus died;
• They all say that His spirit went into the hands of God.
• These New Testament writers want us to understand that His death was not the end;
• But rather, the beginning of a new relationship.
For all people their life is taken from them:
• Suicide victims may determine their own life span;
• But all they do is rob themselves of the life-span God wants them to enjoy.
• For everyone else;
• Our life is taken from us.
• But not so with Jesus.
• He determined the very moment he would die – he dismissed his own spirit!
In every sense of the word Jesus Christ accomplished the work that God gave Him to do:
• And when He gave up His spirit,
• Several miracles took place.
(1). Veil (Matthew chapter 27 verse 51):
• The veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom,
• Symbolising that God had opened the way into the Holy of Holies.
(2). Opened Graves (Matthew chapter 27 verse 52):
• Some graves were opened, and some of the saints were resurrected.
• Symbolising that Jesus Christ is victorious over death.
(3). Earthquake (Matthew chapter 27 verse 51):
• There was even an earthquake that shook the area!
• Symbolising or reminding us;
• Of the earthquake at Mount Sinai;
• When God came down and gave the Law (Exodus chapter 19 verse 18).
• But this earthquake did not announce the giving of the Law.
• It announced the fulfilment of the Law!
• Jesus Christ died as the victorious, conqueror of sin, death and hell!
• He died confidently, He died willingly, and He died victoriously.
