SERMON OUTLINE:
God Alone Saves Us (vs 1-4).
God Alone Encourages Us (vs 5-8).
God Alone Rewards Us (vs 9-12).
SERMON BODY:
I
Ill:
• A little boy was standing at the end of an escalator looking up.
• The shop assistant asked, “Son are you lost?”
• He replied, “No, I’m waiting for my chewing gum to come back.”
• TRANSITION: I would probably be correct in saying.
• That most people do not like waiting.
• Even in our modern age of conveniences, waiting is still a big part of life.
• When we think of waiting, what comes to mind?
• e.g., We wait at least two hours when checking in at an airport terminal,
• e.g., We wait in a doctor’s & dentists waiting room,
• e.g., We wait in line at the supermarket,
• e.g., We wait stuck in rush hour traffic.
• The facts are most of us are waiting for something most of the time:
• And if we are honest, we do not like waiting!
A key feature of this psalm is to “wait on the Lord.”
• But notice he is waiting purposefully,
• Verse 1&5: tell us that the psalmist finds ‘rest’ because he is “waiting on the Lord”.
• And the psalmist mentions some additional rewards of ‘waiting,’
• Verse 1; “Salvation” in the psalms this word often means: “help in distress”.
• And verse 5: He finds, “Hope”.
• And verse 8 takes the idea one step further,
• By telling us to wait on him continuously: “Trust in him at all times”.
• That is the secret to knowing his ‘help in distress’ & ‘hope’ for the future.
Yet, waiting is one of the most difficult pieces of advice in the Bible.
• It runs against human nature.
• Because, as a part of fallen humanity,
• We are so prone to take matters into our own hands, to follow our own schemes.
• Yet over and over again we are told in Bible “wait on the Lord.”
Ill:
• There is a pun that says:
• “Wait? That’s what made the bridge collapse!”
• TRANSITION: Of course, that’s weight: W-E-I-G-H-T, not wait: W-A-I-T.
• But then these two words, weight and wait are not always unrelated.
• Because one of our needs in waiting on the Lord.
• Is the need to cast the weighty (heavy) burdens of life on Him.
Ill:
• A missionary was driving his pick-up truck along a long, dry, dirt track.
• As he drove down the road, he noticed an old man walking down road.
• This old man was weighed down by a huge backpack full of crops to sell at the market.
• The missionary pulled up in a pickup truck and pointed to the man with the heavy load.
• To jump on the back.
• The man raised a hand in appreciation and climbed on board.
• As the missionary drove away, he looked in his rear-view mirror to check the man was ok.
• To his surprise the man was sitting on the back of the truck.
• But had not unhitched his heavy load.
• So, despite the perfect opportunity to find rest and relief he was still carrying his burden.
• TRANSITION:
• Too many of us carry around burdens that we can actually cast off.
• But for that to happen we need to ‘wait on the Lord’.
• Those people who learn to wait on the Lord’.
• According to this Psalm will experience his ‘help in distress’ & ‘hope’ for the future,
Note:
• The main theme of the psalm is the right and wrong objects of faith.
• If we trust in God, we’re secure – he is ‘a rock’ ‘a fortress’.
• If we trust in men or in things,
• We are in deep trouble because we are depending on that which (vs 9),
• Is lighter than breath.
This psalm falls into three stanzas.
• Verses 1-4,
• Verses 5-8,
• Verses 9-12.
• The first two stanzas end with “Selah.”
• Which most Bible scholars understand as time to ‘pause, to stop and reflect’.
(1). God Alone Saves Us (vs 1-4).
“Truly my soul finds rest in God;
my salvation comes from him.
2 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress; I shall never be shaken.
3 How long will you assault me?
Would all of you throw me down –
this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
4 Surely they intend to topple me
from my lofty place;
they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
but in their hearts they curse”
Many English translation of the Bible,
• Miss something helpful with this Psalm.
• It is the word ‘Alone’ or, ‘Only.’
• For some reason it is not always translated consistently.
• Some other translations get it,
• And as you read that word, Alone’ or, ‘Only’ crops up again and again.
Quote: Young's Literal Translation of the Bible.
“1Only -- toward God [is] my soul silent, From Him [is] my salvation.
2Only -- He [is] my rock, and my salvation, My tower, I am not much moved.
4Only -- from his excellency They have consulted to drive away, They enjoy a lie, with their mouth they bless, And with their heart revile. Selah.
5Only -- for God, be silent, O my soul, For from Him [is] my hope.
6Only -- He [is] my rock and my salvation, My tower, I am not moved.
9Only -- vanity [are] the low, a lie the high. In balances to go up they then vanity [are] lighter.”
• The little Hebrew particle, that other translations translate as Alone’ or, ‘Only’.
• Occurs six times in the psalm.
• Each time it begins the sentence for emphasis.
• Four times it is used in reference to God (vs 1, 2, 5, 6).
• And twice in relation to people (vs 4 & 9).
David the psalmist wants us to know something:
• His faith is not in God plus something else.
• His faith is in God alone.
• And he will wait and trust God to sort out the situation he finds himself in.
Ill:
• There is a story about a vicar.
• Who was fixing a broken fence at the front of his house.
• As he hammered away, he noticed that a little boy was watching him.
• The youngster didn’t say a word, he just patiently stood there watching and waiting.
• The vicar just kept on working,
• Thinking the lad would get fed up and leave.
• But the boy didn’t.
• So finally, the vicar asked him.
• “Are you trying to pick up some tips and pointers on D.I.Y.?”
• “No,” he replied to the waiting boy,
• “I’m just waiting to hear what a vicar says when he hits his thumb with a hammer.”
• TRANSITION: This psalm shows to us what a man of God says and does.
• When troubles and difficulties come his way.
David the psalmist wants us to know something:
• His faith is not in God plus something else.
• His faith is in God alone.
• And he will wait and trust God to sort out the situation he finds himself in.
Notice:
• That David recognises his own weaknesses,
• He is not a super-saint, but a struggler like you and me!
• He describes himself in verses 3-4.
• “as a wobbling fence and a collapsing wall.”
• But his weakness and frailty are not a problem.
• Because the God in whom he trusts is a ‘Rock’, a ‘Fortress’ (vs 2)
• Therefore, his enemy could threaten him, lie about him, and even assault him.
• But the enemy will not rob him of the peace and hope he has in God.
• Waiting patiently, resting silently before the Lord is not idleness or inactivity.
• It is calm faith that leans on God’s greatness.
• Trusts in God’s guiding and leading.
(2). God Alone Encourages Us (vs 5-8).
“Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I shall not be shaken.
7 My salvation and my honour depend on God[c];
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
8 Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.”
Quote: William Arthur Ward
“Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you.”
Ill:
• A Definition of Encouragement - Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary,
• Defines encourage as, “to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope … cheer on or up.”
• TRANSITION: David felt alone and yet he was not lonely!
• He found encouragement in his God.
Notice: the slight change of wording between verses 2 and 6.
• The N.I.V.: translates verse 2 as: “I shall never be shaken.”
• The K.J.B.: translates it as: “I shall not be greatly moved.”
• The E.S.V.: translates it as: “I shall not be greatly shaken.”
• But in verse 6 of this repetitive phrase from verse 2 a word is missing:
• The word “never” or “greatly” is not there.
• For David the psalmist the greater the realisation that God was his fortress,
• The greater his confidence,
• The greater the calmness in his heart.
• He might be weak like a wobbly fence of a bowed wall.
• But his God is not.
• So, David feels secure and safe and encouraged to rest in him.
Note: This truth is so real to David that in verse 8 he calls on the nation to do the same:
“Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.”
David’s testimony to the people is threefold:
• First: God is dependable, faithful, true,
• So, trust in him at all times!
• Second: God is caring, interested in you,
• So, pour out your hearts to him in prayer.
• Third: God is a hiding place,
• So run to him for refuge!
(3). God Alone Rewards Us (vs 9-12).
“Surely the lowborn are but a breath,
the highborn are but a lie.
If weighed on a balance, they are nothing;
together they are only a breath.
10 Do not trust in extortion
or put vain hope in stolen goods;
though your riches increase,
do not set your heart on them.
11 One thing God has spoken,
two things I have heard:
‘Power belongs to you, God,
12 and with you, Lord, is unfailing love’;
and, ‘You reward everyone
according to what they have done.’”
• When David looked to God, he saw him as a ‘rock’ and ‘refuge’.
• When he looked at himself, he was like a wobbly ‘fence’, a bowed ‘wall’.
Now when he looks at his enemies (vs 9),
• He sees them as nothing,
• He is not impressed by how high socially or how powerful economically a person may be,
• They are but a ‘breath’ (vs 9).
• If you were to put them on scales and weigh them.
• They would not register anything!
In verse 10 David makes a plea to his people:
• Therefore, do not follow their example.
• David’s enemies had acquired their power by oppressing and abusing others.
• And David warns his people not to copy their philosophy of life.
• Instead, they are to trust in the Lord:
• And again, David tells why in verses 11-12.
VERSES 11-12 OF THIS PSALM ARE MEANT AS A SUMMARY:
“One thing God has spoken,
two things I have heard:”
Ill:
• I like the fact that God has spoken, and the Psalmist has listened & learnt.
• Today at Speakers Corner, Hyde park, London.
• Where Christians evangelise mainly with Moslems doing Da?wah,
• (Da?wah is the act of converting people to Islam).
• Many of the Christians at the corner will be using this expression,
• “You are not listening and so you are never going to learning anything!”
• Many of the Moslems ask a question but don’t wait for an answer,
• They either think they know what you are going to say,
• Or they only want a one-way monologue,
• When they speak and you do all the listening!
• TRANSITION:
• David says God has spoken and he has listened and learnt two lessons:
• (1). God is strong. (2). God is loving.
• First: “He is strong”
• He is sovereign and powerful and cannot fail!
• Second: “He is merciful and rewarding”
• He is sympathetic & forgiving.
• He is fair and just and will reward the upright.
And finally:
• Don’t miss the pronoun ‘my’ it appears 9 times in just two verses (vs 5-7).
• David knew God personally as his hope, his rock, his salvation, his stronghold,
• His strength, His honour and his refuge.
• Quote: Spurgeon put it,
• “It is the word MY which puts the honey into the comb.”
• If we want God’s peace in severe trials,
• We must get to know God and there are no short cuts to doing that.
• It requires we ‘wait on the Lord’, that is spend time with the Lord.
• And as verse 8 puts it – learn to do this habitually!
