DEALING WITH AN IMPOSSIBLE WORLD
Psalm 37:1-17
READ PSALM 37:1-17 AFTER INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION:
The headline article in "The Saturday Star" for July 5, 1997 is about the latest milestone made in space when NASA’s Pathfinder successfully came to rest on the planet Mars Friday. Pathfinder established many firsts among which it was the first spacecraft to land on a planet without orbiting it; it was the first to deploy a parachute at a supersonic speed of 1,600 kilometres per hour; and it was the first to use airbags – similar to, but larger than, those in automobiles – to cushion the impact of a landing. Among one of the scientific gadgets found in this spacecraft is a robot buggy named "Sojourner" which upon launch will be controlled remotely by operators on Earth nearly 500 million kilometres away. Shortly after landing, Pathfinder transmitted the first photographs from the Red Planet’s surface in two decades. Among the photographs of the red planet were crisp views of hulking boulders - unlike the grainy shots that scientists had warned reporters to expect. The article reports that a woman named Linda Martz of Norco (with her three young children watched the pictures on a 7.5-metre television screen) stated "It’s pretty awesome, it’s wonderful to see how big God is."
In making this statement this woman acknowledged our God as the creator of the Solar System and indeed we can affirm her statement and say yes, it is wonderful to see how "big" God is. But what about the scientists who managed to accomplish this huge feat of hurling a spacecraft over 500 million kilometres to land within 50 kilometres of their target on Mars. Oh and we must remember that this is just but one of 20 that they have completed in the course of 25 years. Less than 50 years ago such a mission would have been seen as impossible - but it was tackled and completed. But this woman’s statement when applied correctly shows the insignificance of man’s great act in the light of God’s "bigness" in getting that red planet there in the first place!
But now we look at the rest of the paper and we hear of the world we live in today. We read of how godlessness is increasing. Of how standards that have stood for decades are falling all around us. Of how Crime, lawlessness, and disrespect all seem to be growing. It is easy for us as Christians to think to ourselves that the world we are called to reach is "impossible". The same newspaper in which I read of man’s stellar accomplishments I read about man’s most deplorable failures (give examples). It is easy for the world to look at us and say where is your "big" God in all of this evil, sickness, immorality, despair. Sometimes even we ourselves are guilty of looking at our world and wondering what makes us think that we can make a difference? Sometimes we may even catch ourselves wondering if God is aware of what’s going on.
If you’ve been looking at this world in that respect lately then what David has to say in Psalm 37:1-17 is good news for you. There is hope for this impossible world! There is a positive way to look at life amidst our negative planet. David in this Psalm has preserved timeless recommendations for facing an impossible world marked by "evildoers," whose day in the sun is as fleeting as grass in the desert (Ps. 37:1-2).
PROCEED TO READ PSALM 37:1-17
Trust God (v. 3)
also found in verse 5
One of the hardest things to do is also one of the simplest. It’s hard to trust God when you look at the world around you and it seems that the evil men are getting ahead. That those who are practicing wrong are getting undeserved riches. But the alternative should get you thinking. There are those in this world that trust in the government, in science, or solutions-in-a-box for a brighter future. There are those who see hope for the world laying in new legislation or in charismatic leaders. But as Christians, as God’s family we need to point the world to the one in whom trust must be placed. We need to show that it is in God that we must place our trust for the future and he will not let us down. David writes that we can dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture if we trust God.
But we must not only trust God for a future - we have His promise that with Christ’s return all evil will be abolished and He will reign as our King. We must also trust God for the present. We need to trust that God is with us wherever we go and in whatever we do. We need to trust God in making choices today that could affect the outcome of our lives tomorrow. We need to trust God with control over our lives.
We also need to trust God with regards to our past. For those of us who have made commitments to Christ we need to trust that he has forgiven us for our sins. That no matter what we were before being a Christian God has given us a clean slate. I know that I have preached in the past that once we become Christians God "forgets" our sins. And maybe you have heard this from others as well. But I have come to believe that this is not true! God does not forget our sins. You may be starting to question me, well here’s my scriptural proof, Hebrews 10:17 states, "Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." Notice that the text does not say , "I will forget their sins" it says "I will remember them no more" To me that is a lot more reassuring than if God were to forget my sins. What if he suddenly remembered them? But in saying that He would remember them no more it is an indication of God’s decision to disregard our sins. Hallelujah. So we can trust God with our past!
Do good things (v.3)
Found in the same verse, David exhorts his readers to not only Trust God but Do good things. Do things that are righteous, holy, and true. The greatest testimony we have to a world that is wallowing in evil is the good that we do. We need to show the world that the way to happiness in success doesn’t lie in the path through immorality and lawlessness. We need to show the world that our way does not mean the boring way. We need to show the world that we don’t see them as a hopeless or impossible cause but that it is possible to make change.
Ninevah seemed hopeless to Jonah when God sent him to that city and yet after Jonah warned Ninevah of their impending judgment the city repented and was saved from God’s wrath. They parted from their evil ways and began to do good.
Doing good things doesn’t always mean doing the visible things either. Do you realize that you silently support the wicked and perverse movies such as The Craft when you attend the theatre to attend "harmless" "PG" films? There exists an industry that thrives through the support of dollars flowing from the wallets of unsuspecting people. I used to think, oh what difference does it make if I go to this movie or not. But now I know better. If I’m going to make an impact on the world I’m a part of it won’t happen over night but I can start living the principles I teach. If every person who claimed to be a Christian boycotted going to the theatre’s and watching movies I guarantee you it would make a difference.
Doing good is a counterbalance to the evil that is done in this world. The more good we do, the less chance evil has to succeed and the more chance we have of reaching an impossible world with the gospel of Christ.
Delight in the Lord (v.4)
Delight in the Lord is not just a flippant phrase that David wrote because it sounded good.
Delight in the Lord doesn’t mean to smile when you enter church. Delight in the Lord means that every chance you get you live to please God. Delight in the Lord means that you thrive and seek after every chance you get to have an intimate experience with God - in praise and worship, in Bible Study, in Prayer, in doing service to others.
It is when you find pleasure in doing God’s work and being in God’s presence that you begin to understand the phrase "Delight in the Lord". The non-Christian doesn’t understand what this phrase means because they’ve never experienced the joy that Christ can bring. There is nothing on the face of this planet or in the vast resources of this world system that can give you the delight experienced in the presence of God.
David writes that to those who Delight in the Lord will be given the desires of their heart…(according to God’s desires.)
Commit your way to God (v.5)
The impossible only become possible with commitment to allow God to guide you. When you commit everything you do to the Lord you’ll begin to find that everything you do is of the Lord.
When you commit your every effort and choice to God, he will bless every effort and choice you make. In reaching an impossible world we need to commit our efforts to God. But we also need to be prepared for what the commitment may require…
We can be assured that for those who commit their way to the Lord that, (v.6)…
Wait patiently for the Lord (v.7)
David knew how we feel when it seems as if those who practice evil always manage to get away with their schemes and get off scot-free. It just doesn’t seem fair when a man who has consumed enough alcohol to make his speech slurred and his walk staggered, who makes the choice to get behind the wheel of his car and not only endanger his life but the lives of others. It just doesn’t seem fair when this same man crashes into another car and kills that person and yet escapes himself with slight injuries. It just doesn’t seem fair when this same man faces the justice system and only gets his license suspended for two years.
There are a lot of other things in our world and in our lives that seem to have no rhyme or reason to them. There are things that seem to escape the notice of God. But David reminds his readers to "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him"
Sometimes we are few against many but we need to remember that with God we are always on the majority. Christianity no matter how much persecution or ridiculing it receives, not matter how few its numbers become will always be the majority. We need to patiently wait for God to enact his justice in his time.
(Read through the remainder of the passage.)
CONCLUSION:
The more we immerse ourselves in God, His Word, and His promises, the less we will fret over the troubles of this world. Sure, it’s an impossible world we live in, but with God we can be victorious!
This sermon was preached by Darren Ethier at Hanover Pentecostal Church. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
