“How to Stay Balanced In an Unbalanced World”
Part 7
Sermon Series: A Word about the Word
Date: March 9, 2003 AM Service
Place: Allendale Baptist Church
Text: Psalm 119:49-56
Introduction
We all know we live in a fast-paced, hectic world. Sometimes this thing called life seems like a jigsaw puzzle that just doesn’t quit fit. Or in some cases all the pieces are not in the box.
Many times we struggle with the question; “How do we make sense out of nonsense?” or “How do we keep our sanity?”
How do we keep our balance in an unbalanced world?
It takes a lot to amaze me. Last Saturday morning I was greatly amazed at one of our men as he climbed to the top of the church to clean the Steeple and watched him as he walked across the roof with a broom and a 20 pound bucket of water. What balance.
The psalmist gives us 4 truths in this section of Scripture of how we can stay balanced in an unbalanced world.
First, if we are to stay balanced in and unbalanced world, we must have…
I. Courage vv. 49-50
The story tells of a party on a cruise ship that was in full swing. Speeches were being made by the captain, crew and other guests aboard the ship. An elderly gentleman sat at the guest of honors seat who seemed somewhat embarrassed as the praise was being poured on him.
Earlier that morning a young woman had fallen overboard and within seconds the old man was in the dark cold water at her side. The woman was rescued and the elderly man became a hero.
He was asked to come to the microphone and give what was to be a hero’s speech. But to the crowds amazement he said these words; “All I want to know is who pushed me in?”
Now that does not exemplify courage.
How can we have this courage in difficult times?
Look at what the psalmist says in verse 49
“Remember the word unto Thy servant, upon which Thou hast caused me to hope.”
A. Hope in God’s Word
1. I have mentioned this before the psalmist, if David, does not have the complete Word of God as we do.
2. But he has found hope, within the Word of God.
3. In this verse he is reflecting on the hope of the promises God has made through His Word.
4. What is hope?
5. It is FAITH
6. For the Christian our faith is built and developed on the Word of God; on the integrity and consistency of the character of God.
7. Our faith is founded on the premise that God will not allow His Word to return void that He will never betray or turn away from what He has promised.
As the psalmist searches and looks for meaning in and unbalanced world the first support he clings to is his hope in the Word of God.
Then next he speaks of the
B. Help God has been
1. Verse 50 “This is my comfort in my affliction; for Thy word hath quickened me.”
2. Notice the word quicken or revive again.
3. The comfort comes after the quickening.
4. He is comforted after he is secure in his relationship with God.
5. If you are struggling today with whatever the circumstances let the God be your help.
6. Psalm 46:1 says; “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
7. Psalm 115:9 tells us; “O Israel, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield.”
8. Psalm 124: 8 says; “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”
Second if we are to stay balanced in an unbalanced world we must recognize the reality of…
II. Conflict
For all Christians there will be conflict in our lives.
But notice those that the psalmist is in conflict with
Verse 51; “The proud have had me in great derision.”
He is in conflict with those that are …
A. Arrogance
1. Arrogant people around him are attacking him; they are ridiculing and mocking him.
2. I believe this is the main reason many Christians do not want to take a stand.
3. Because they do not want to be made fun of or ridiculed by the world.
4. In 2 Timothy 3:12 Paul said to the young preacher boy Timothy; “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
5. But when the psalmist faced this derision it drove him further into the Word of God.
So the psalmist confirms for us there is help and hope in God even in conflict and that brings …
B. Assurance
Verse 52 “ I remembered Thy judgments of old, O Lord; and have comforted myself.”
1. “Thy judgments of old”, speaks of history.
2. There is a lot of history in God’s Word.
3. When you and I read the Bible we see what God has done for someone else.
4. When we read the great wonders and miracles in the Word of God it should remind us that when God feed and provided for 2 million people in the wilderness, He surely can meet my needs.
5. When we read of the mighty hand of God it should make us sang out as the song writer:
“It is no secret what God can do. What He’s done for others He will do for you.
With arms wide open, He’ll carry you.
It is no secret what God can do.”
6. Jeremiah 33:3 says; “Call on Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”
7. Now that is assurance.
Next to stay balanced in an unbalanced world there must be…
III. Consternation
Consternation means Horrified shock.
Verse 53 “Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake Thy law.”
If you and I are to stay balanced in an unbalanced world we must learn to be shock and horrified; we must be offended at the sinful world around us.
There must be a …
A. Disgust
1. The tragedy is that most of America even Christians have forgotten how to be disgusted with the world.
2. 1 John 5:19 speaks of the world lying in wickedness. It is a picture of today’s world lying in ruins.
3. It should bother you that we live in a day when you have a greater chance of being victimized by crime than the chance of you having cancer, being divorced or having an injury or death by fire.
4. One out of four will be a victim of a crime this year.
5. We watch television and there are more scenes of sex, violence and profanity than wholesome, clean, family entertainment.
6. Pornography, some statistics say, brings in over 10 billion dollars a year, more that Sears & Roe does in one year worldwide.
7. 38% of female children will be abused sexually by the time they are 13 years of age.
8. A child is abused every 2 minutes in the US.
9. For every 1 case that is reported, 9 go unreported.
There has to be a sense that something is terribly wrong with this world, and we are going to do something about it! The Christian has no alternative but to stand against what is wrong. It amazes me we debate and discuss whether or not we should do the right thing.
There is an old saying; “Doing what’s right is not always popular and doing what’s popular is not always right.”
My friend when there is no longer consternation, horror and disgust over sin there will be…
B. Disorder
Disorder results when we forsake the law of God.
Someone has said; “A society is simply the sum total of the condition in the hearts of its citizens.”
We have stood by and allowed a group of seal saving, tree hugging, jelly-bean brained folks take the Word of God and prayer out of our schools; tell us we can no longer pray in the name of Jesus Christ at football games and remove the Ten Commandments out of our government buildings all in the name of separation of church and state, and this has brought about disorder in our land.
I believe with all my heart there must be a returning to the Word of God; there must be some folks willing to stand in the gap even if it is not popular; even if it brings ridicule and scoffing; and take back our land.
The last 3 verses are happy verses.
They speak of …
IV. Consolation
He has spent the first 5 verses struggling with the conflict, the consternation, and the need for courage in his life.
These last 3 verses tell of the consolation that comes from the Word of God.
He tells us God offers consolation in 2 ways.
Verse 54 “Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage”
First notice the consolation with…
A. Melody
1. The psalmist says all along this journey, God has put a song in my heart.
2. Every step of the way of this journey when you have Jesus in your life and heart, there is a song inside of your heart.
There’s within my heart a melody;
Jesus whispers sweet and low;
Fear not I am with the peace be still,
In all of life’s ebb and flow.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Sweetest name I know
Fills my every longing
Keeps me singing as I go.
Next the consolation of
B. Meditation
verse 55 “I have remembered Thy name
How can you and I stay balanced in an unbalanced world?
By remembering and meditating on the Word of God and who god is.
Someone has said; “What gives us a song in our heart surely must be the subject to our thoughts.
And finally in verse 56 we see the psalmist has stayed balanced when the rest of the world and all those around him are unbalanced because of his…
V. Compliance
“ This I had because I kept Thy precepts.”
This is speaking of OBEDIENCE
Some of you here this morning cannot find balance because you have not obeyed God’s call to salvation.
You will never find that balance outside of a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Some of you this morning your life is out of balance because you have been disobedient to God; there’s unconfessed sin in your life.
Some of you are out of balance because you are not in a church serving God.
Invitation
