Text: Psalm 4:1-8, Title: Theological Pragmatism, Date/Place: NRBC, 12/7/08, AM
A. Opening illustration: the story of Jonah provides a great introduction to this text, not because they share time frame or characters, but because of theological pragmatism. Define. Remember when Jonah boarded a ship to Tarsus, attempting to flee from the presence of the Lord, the storm came. And while Jonah was asleep the ship’s passengers and crew began to call on their gods for deliverance and safety. When this didn’t work, they went around to every passenger, and eventually Jonah, telling them all to wake up and call on their god, and see if that would help. And we live in a day of little theological faithfulness, and much pragmatism.
B. Background to passage: this is another psalm of David, which seemed to me to be very scattered. It is a prayer and a warning, but without a situation to make it make sense. But one of the commentators that I read proposed a scenario that seemed plausible and in line with the text. And so without too much dependence on this spiritual speculation, I do want to use it as context. And that would be a crop failure or national crisis of some sort that would cause people to look for any way to solve the problem, even turning to foreign deities for supposed help.
C. Main thought: The text shows our tendency to turn from God to things, then what to do when we realize it.
A. Indictment of faithlessness (v. 2)
1. Again, I think a plausible explanation is that there has been a drought, crop failure, or outbreak of disease among the people of Israel. And desperate times call for desperate measures. And according to scripture from the times of the exodus, the judges, and now the kings, Israel as a people has made it a habit of courting other deities for their own purposes. Other gods of the Canaanites, Philistines, Edomites, Ammonites, etc, were known for blessings of fertility, weather, crops, and so forth. And so during these times, what does it hurt to pray to them just in case? Or even build an altar and offer a few sacrifices? If it helps, then what is the real harm? And so David gives a threefold indictment to their turning from Yahweh to other gods. He says that 1) they have brought shame, disgrace, and embarrassment to the Lord (my glory), treating him with contempt; 2) they have loved (valued, sought out, cherished, treasured) worthlessness (exchanged infinite value for hollow trinkets and idols); and they have sought out foreign gods (explain how one arrives at this translation/interpretation) trying to attain what Yahweh can’t seem to accomplish for them. They have turned religion into a self-serving enterprise that lavishes them with blessing, but is void of real value and meaning. It has become a way of manipulating God, gods, or circumstances to fulfill my needs, desires, and gain benefits.
2. Rom 1:25, 2 Tim 3:2-5,
3. Illustration: “A consumer mentality This view has devastated the church today. Christian view church as a place to have their needs met. They have no desire or will to sacrifice and serve others. It is self-centered Christianity which focuses only on what do I get out of this church. The reason there is tremendous turnover in the church is because people move to keep getting their selfish needs met and do not desire to serve the Kingdom of God. In my city Seattle, nearly every church has a turnover of between 20 and 30 percent every year…By failing to denounce consumer Christianity, we are encouraging believers to become self-serving-a deadly killer of compassion…Making disciples must be our goal, not satisfying consumers” -Doug Murren says in his book Churches That Heal
4. How is this not far from today? We tend to think of ourselves as far above uncivilized, idol-worshipping tribesmen in distant lands who sacrifice animals and people to appease the anger of the spirit gods that they worship. But do we not regularly turn religion into the same thing. If is working for us, then do it, but if God is not getting the job that we want done, we will try something else. We will call the police, the attorney, the insurance company, or friends that will do it right, and right now. In making God our spare tire instead of our sufficient first source for every good gift, we disgrace and dishonor Him. When we prioritize popularity, education, finances, and relationships over Him, we create idols. And these things without Him in the center are devoid of real meaning. The “seeker-driven” movement within evangelical Christianity has made church like shopping. And American Christians are out looking for the best deal, asking “what’s in it for them.” And if the church or Jesus doesn’t deliver, then they will look elsewhere. They will turn to emptiness for fulfillment in sports, sex, drugs, possessions, relationships, education, and consistently choose these things over and above God. And thus we are reaping the rewards of our search for meaning in empty treasures. C. S. Lewis said, “We are half-hearted creatures like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
B. Prescription of repentance (v. 4-5)
1. So David then prays and gives instructions on how to turn from their wicked ways. He prays them to godliness with specific commands. The first word means to tremble, although translated in the NKJV as be angry. It only means angry when one is so angry that they are trembling. So in essence David tells them to stand in awe (KJV, ASV, CEV, GB, GNB, NASB, TNIV) or tremble before the One True God. Then he says to literally “speak to your heart,” which is a metaphor for search your heart, or carry on deliberation in the core of your being. He wants them to stop searching for answers and search their own hearts, and look at the motivation, for this is what God’s concern is. Then he says offer sacrifices of righteousness. God doesn’t want empty, manipulative ritual. He wants the heart, the desires of a person to be fixed upon Him, and thus produce obedience and love. Finally, David says to place their trust in the Lord. God wants loyalty and dependence on Him for deliverance, and Him alone. If this is done, God promises a special regard for the godly.
2. Hag 1:5, Luk 6:45, Ps 139:23-24, 33:8, Jer 5:22, 1 Sam 15:22,
3. Illustration: "I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is Just". -Thomas Jefferson, “In our absorption in the thought of God as Father, we have almost lost sight of the fact that He is the Holy Sovereign, ruling the world in righteousness. The result has been that to a large extent, we have lost the sense of religious awe, of reverence, and of godly fear. To make our religious life deep and strong we need to recover that lost sense of awe. We need to be taught afresh the fear of the Lord. And to recover that lost sense of awe, to create a feeling of reverence, we need a fresh vision of God as the Holy Sovereign. The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble. Why (should the nations tremble)? He is holy. We have only to realize that God is the Holy Sovereign, and the awe is bound to come back.” –English Pastor John Daniel Jones, 1865-1942, I have a very good friend who recently shared with me that on one occasion she, out of sincere concern over sin and desire to be what God wanted her to be, she prayed, "God, show me the sin in my life. Show me what I really am." She said that in a couple of weeks she began to pray, "Lord, I’ve seen enough! Please, Lord, don’t show me any more. I can’t stand myself!" As difficult as it may be - this is exactly what we need to do today
4. Pray that God would reveal Himself to you so that you might tremble before Him. We all have enough iniquity and sin in our lives that we should be afraid at some level of a holy God. If you want to be in the favor of God, do regular searches of your own heart. Tell of Erika’s response to my question from the discipleship book about when I display “put myself in God’s place” tendencies. It is not necessarily our deeds that bring His disfavor, but our hearts. The deeds (as well as our words) are only the evidence of what is in there. Look for areas in your life that you can enhance your obedience and bring for offerings of righteousness. And we do this not by willpower, grit and bear it volition, but by grace. We trust God for victory over sinful attitudes, addictions, pain, fear, pride, sin. In fact we then trust God for everything. Do you depend on God or school, education, employer, pastor, children, parents, friends? Who is your real rock in life? Who do you run to? In summary, we are told to stand in awe of God, search our hearts for wickedness, and become living sacrifices that desire Christ and depend upon Him alone for every need.
C. Plea to the God of righteousness (v. 6-8)
1. In verse one David remembers God’s past deliverance, and calls on Him to hear his prayer. In so doing, he addresses Him as the “God of my righteousness.” This puts a legal setting in place, and acknowledges that the only reason that God may hear is because He has declared David righteous, and given him righteousness. But in v. 6-8, he tells God that everyone says that no one will show them kindness, then asks God to lift up the light of His countenance. This meant God’s face, or His favor and His presence. David says that if God is pleased with him, that is all that matters. It is kind of a combination emotion between confidence, deliverance, and satisfaction. And if that wasn’t clear enough, he says explicitly that God has put gladness (celebration, elation, inward and outward experiential joy). More joy than in the bountiful harvest year. Then David expresses his own personal trust in God alone by declaring that he would now go to sleep in the confidence that his Lord was providing safety for him.
2. Rom 4:5, 2 Sam 19:30, Ps 21:8, 42:5, 44:3, 67:1, 80:7, Num 6:24-26, Isa 16:10, Joel 1:16,
3. Illustration: the judge disrobing and coming down to provide what the offender needs to meet the fine. Justification is the declared purpose of God to regard and treat those sinners who believe in Jesus Christ as if they had not sinned, on the ground of the merits of the Savior. It is not mere pardon. Pardon is a free forgiveness of past offenses. It has reference to those sins as forgiven and blotted out. Justification has respect to the law, and to God’s future dealings with the sinner. It is an act by which God determines to treat him hereafter as righteous—as if he had not sinned. The basis for this is the merit of the Lord Jesus Christ, merit that we can plead as if it were our own. He has taken our place and died in our stead; He has met the descending stroke of justice, which would have fallen on our own heads if He had not interposed. - Albert Barnes, “I sometimes wish God would show up with such intensity that His reality and His power would be overwhelmingly evident to everyone. I’d love to see Him rip open the heavens, reveal Himself in glory and then come on down to wow us here on Earth. I’d like to hear the skyscrapers in our great cities rattling and watch them tremble in the breezes caused by the mere movement of His arms”
4. Lest we sound like a “do better” preacher with a “work harder” gospel, remember that God is our righteousness. Deal with anyone here that is trusting in church attendance, a decision, or baptism. Are you really trusting in Christ for salvation, right now? Do you ever ask God to reveal His face to you? Do you really want to know His person, His presence, His will? Do you live life to please God? Are you ever left with confidence and satisfaction in His presence? Do you ever ask God to provide joy; not things that bring joy, but just joy? Is God enough for you have joy in Him? Remember that God is the giver of joy, and the taker of it if need be.
Closing illustration: The Bible and churches encourage people to give of their time, talents and treasures. A man tried to do just that recently after he won a $6 million jackpot in the Florida, but his home church refused to accept the $600,000 – or 10 percent – tithe.
According to WJXX-TV in Jacksonville, Fla., Robert Powell, a resident of Jacksonville suburb Orange Park and member of First Baptist Orange Park, offered the generous gift to his hometown church, but they wouldn’t accept it. First Baptist Orange Park Pastor David Tarkington did not tell reporters exactly why the church refused the money, saying only he didn’t want to talk about members’ gifts, though a presumable aversion to gambling is involved.
Most churches oppose gambling in all forms, but Baptist churches have been particularly adamant against it. That doesn’t mean all pastors would turn down a $600,000 offering, though. One of them is the Rev. Lorenzo Hall of El-Beth-El-Divine Holiness Church in Jacksonville. “I’m against the lottery, but if one of my members won the lottery, I wish and I hope he would give 10 percent to the church,” Hall told WJXX-TV. “We could do a lot of things with that money.”
I believe that God will show Himself mighty, provide joy, be the Deliverer, when you and I begin to serve Him because He is worthy, and follow through in our lives to do the right things because they are right, and not because they bring us good results. Live the way you live not because you are afraid of punishment, but b/c you love Christ, the Greatest Treasure in the universe.
