The Desire of the Humble
Prairie Baptist Church – 11/1/09
P.M. Service
Text: Psalm 10
Key verse: Psalm 10:17-18 - 17LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, 8To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may oppress no more.
Premise: When a person is truly humble before his Father, the desires of the heart change, joy becomes greater, and life more fulfilling and complete.
The Introduction
During the days when Mohammed Ali was a great boxer, he would go around in his arrogance and say that, "He was the greatest." Humility was never his strong suit. One day, back in his prime, he was on an airplane and the plane was ready to take off and the flight attendant had repeatedly told him to put on his seat belt. He finally told her, "I’m superman and superman don’t need no seatbelt." The flight attendant didn’t hesitate a minute but shot back with, "Superman don’t need no airplane either, now buckle up."
Here we are dealing with the last 2 verses of the Psalm and looking in retrospect at the preceding 16 verses in light of verses 17 and 18.
Humility in this day and age is nearly extinct.
• It is about self-realization
• It is about pride and success in the world
• It is about being first
For the Christian, humility is indispensable:
• It is what God honors most
• It reflects the character of Christ
• Our joy becomes greater
• Our life becomes more fulfilling and complete
• This can only happen because of the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit
1. The Attitude of the Sinful and the Weeping of the Saint – 10:1-4
2. The Actions of the Sinful and the Waiting of the Saint – 10:5-11
3. The Accountability of the Sinful and the Wanting of the Saint – 10:12-15
4. The Annihilation of the Sinful and the Worship of the Saint – 10:16-18
Body
1. The Desire for Holiness
A. In this Psalm, we find by mankind, the opposite of holy behavior:
i. Pride – 3-4
ii. Rebellion – 5-7
iii. Treachery – 8-11
B. A story is told of a little girl many years ago in the slums who saw a beautiful white lily. The children gazed upon and touched the lovely lily. This little girl then looked at herself and immediately fled to her home. She used the finest soap she could find, and did her best to make herself more presentable. The lily had awakened her desire for cleanliness. So to look upon our great and holy God awakens within the child of God the desire to be more like Him."
C. What desiring holiness does:
i. It fulfills God’s command and thus is an act of obedience, which pleases God.
a. 1st Pet. 1:15-16 – 15but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
b. God is always pleased when we obey
ii. It gives us a sense of our dependence on Him
a. This is the primary goal of our lives that God wants
b. When we match ourselves against God’s holiness, we know we are totally inadequate.
c. The only place we can turn to is Him to accomplish holiness in us
d. David cried, Psalm 61:1 - . . . lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
iii. It accomplishes the goal of God for us and His body
a. 1st Pet. 2:5 – you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
b. 1st Pet. 2:9 – But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
2. The Desire for Closeness
A. Mankind seeks to get as far away as he can from God
i. He substitutes the true God for his idea of God
ii. He ignores God (4)
iii. He makes himself believe that God is indifferent or somehow blind (11)
iv. Bottom Line: He distances himself (Out if sight, out of mind)
B. Closeness to God is achieved:
i. By the blood of Christ – Eph. 2:13 – But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
ii. With a humble heart - Ps. 34:18 – The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.
iii. By those who call on Him in truth – Ps. 145:18 – The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.
iv. When we come to Him in purity - James 4:8 - Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
3. The Desire for Grace
A. Certainly, mocking man does not understand grace nor does he seek it.
i. He does not radiate grace in his life (8-10)
ii. He mocks God’s grace and the people of God’s grace
B. Charles Spurgeon and Joseph Parker both had churches in London in the 19th century. On one occasion, Parker commented on the poor condition of children admitted to Spurgeon’s orphanage. It was reported to Spurgeon however, that Parker had criticized the orphanage itself.
Spurgeon blasted Parker the next week from the pulpit. The attack was printed in the newspapers and became the talk of the town. People flocked to Parker’s church the next Sunday to hear his rebuttal.
“I understand Dr. Spurgeon is not in his pulpit today, and this is the Sunday they use to take an offering for the orphanage. I suggest we take a love offering here instead.” The crowd was delighted. The ushers had to empty the collection plates three times.
Later that week there was a knock at Parker’s study. It was Spurgeon. “You know Parker, you have practiced grace on me. You have given me not what I deserved, you have given me what I needed. Moody Monthly, Dec., 1983, p. 81
C. We need God’s grace:
i. To be what we must be for Him – 1st Cor. 15:10 - But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me., and 2nd Cor. 1:12 - For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.
ii. Because it is a necessary element of the gospel – Eph. 2:5, 8 - 5even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
iii. To enables us for good works - 2nd Cor. 9:8 – And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
iv. It is our spiritual strength - 2nd Tim. 2:1 – You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
v. To give God’s grace - Eph. 4:29 - Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. and Col. 4:6 - Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
4. The Desire for Knowledge
A. For the wicked, the knowledge of God is pure nonsense:
i. There is no time to get to know His Word
ii. There is acknowledging God in his daily life
B. There’s a story about a proud young man who came to Socrates asking for knowledge. He walked up to the muscular philosopher and said, "O great Socrates, I come to you for knowledge.? Socrates recognized a pompous numbskull when he saw one. He led the young man through the streets, to the sea, and chest deep into water. Then he asked, "What do you want"? "Knowledge, O wise Socrates,? said the young man with a smile. Socrates put his strong hands on the man’s shoulders and pushed him under. Thirty seconds later Socrates let him up. "What do you want"? he asked again. "Wisdom,? the young man sputtered, "O great and wise Socrates.? Socrates crunched him under again. Thirty seconds passed, thirty-five. Forty. Socrates let him up. The man was gasping. "What do you want, young man"? Between heavy, heaving breaths the fellow wheezed, "Knowledge, O wise and wonderful...? Socrates jammed him under again Forty seconds passed. Fifty. "What do you want"? "Air!" he screeched. "I need air!" "When you want knowledge as you have just wanted air, then you will have knowledge.? M. Littleton in Moody Monthly, June, 1989, p. 29
C. Our knowledge is to comprehend and wisely live this life for His glory:
i. It is a desire to know God - Phil. 3:8 - Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.
ii. Godly knowledge begins with a fear of the Lord – Prov. 1:7 – The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
iii. It is of more value than wealth – Prov. 8:10 - Receive my instruction, and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold;
5. The Desire for Usefulness
A. Usefulness, or service, is not something that man has his sights set on as a great honor:
i. Typical man is very self-serving
ii. This entire Psalm talks about the selfishness and evil motives of man
iii. First, service is about doing what God asks and what it will take to glory Him.
iv. Second, it is about serving the needs of others. Jesus said - Mark 9:35 - . . . “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
B. Nicolo Paganini (1782-1840) the great Italian violinist willed his fine instrument to his home city of Genoa. His bequest carried one condition. The violin was never to be played; it would simply be placed on display. But that’s not good for a finely crafted stringed instrument. It needs to be used and handled regularly if its beauty and value are to be retained. As a result of Paganini’s request, his marvelous violin has become nothing more than a decaying form. It has wasted away as a museum piece.
C. We are at our best when we are serving God:
i. It is joyful – Ps. 100:2 – Serve the LORD with gladness; come before His presence with singing.
ii. It is dedicated – Matt. 6:24 – “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
iii. It is Christ-likeness – Mark 10:45 – For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
iv. It is shown to others – Gal. 5:13 - For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Conclusion:
What is your desire?
What is your greatest goal in your Christian life?
Is there pride in your life you have not surrendered to God?
Is your heart prepared and willing daily to submit to the Father’s will and glorify Him?
