Iliff and Saltillo UM churches
Fifth Sunday of Lent
March 17, 2002
“Overflowing Supply”
Psalm 130
INTRODUCTION: Psalm 130 is one of seven Penitential Psalms consisting of confession of sin, repentance, and a desire to return to God. Five of the seven were written by David. This one is said to be written by Hezekiah and one other one, Psalm 102, the author is unknown. This week you might want to compare these seven Psalms to see in what ways they are similar. They are not grouped in a particular section of the Psalms but rather are scattered throughout. The Penitential Psalms are:
6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143
Probably the most well known one is Psalm 51 in which David prays, “Create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a right spirit within me.” (verse 10). What these seven Psalms all have in common is that they are individual Psalms. A person who is in dire need of help from God is calling out to God in faith to help and that trust is very evident in each one of these Psalms.
Today’s Psalm, 130, is written by Hezekiah. As we search our hearts during this Lenten Season, I believe we can all find ourselves in these Psalms. We can identify with these people who had need for forgiveness and healing and who at times felt far from God. Let’s see what we can get out of Psalm 130 today that will help us as we continue our Lenten Journey.
1. Approaching God--with lament and confession of sin: In the first four verses of this Psalm the writer is in deep despair. It doesn’t say what the problem is, but he is in some kind of a dire situation where he feels alienated from God. We may identify with his aloneness at times when we wonder, “Where is God in my situation?” Many times we find that it doesn’t take much for us to feel that God is not there--sickness, job losses, problems on the job, when we make wrong decisions, when we outright sin--there’s a feeling of alienation from God and no sense of His presence. Maybe that’s the way this person felt. As he called out to his Covenant God from the depths of despair, He prays for two things--that the Lord would pay attention to his cry and that he would be merciful.
This man’s overall self esteem may have been pretty low at the time he prayed this prayer because of the low estate of the Jews after they returned from Babylon. Intense sorrow was often compared to deep waters or a pit or the depths of despair.
What we can get out of this first part of the Psalm is that he turned to the Lord and asked for His attention and help. Many of us wait until we have exhausted all other means before we go to the Lord or before we go to church. The Lord is a last resort.
STORY: A woman asked her husband to pray for her.
He replied, “Oh, has it come to that?”
Psalm 63:1 says, “EARLY will I seek thee--I won’t wait until all other resources have been exhausted.”
James 4:8 says, “DRAW nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you.” Our access to God is not difficult--we can approach him with boldness but WE have to call upon him.
Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come BOLDLY unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.”
People say, “Oh, I don’t ask the Lord for anything for myself. I pray for other people but it would be selfish to pray for something for myself.” Scripture says, “YOU come boldly that YOU may receive help in time of need.” This man did exactly that. He realized that it was only God who could bring forgiveness from sins. He said in verse 3, “if you kept a strict record of sins, no one could stand--or be justified.” Some people try to make God believe that they are so good that they don’t need him for anything. Yet only God can do some things for us--forgive us our sins and our iniquities which means the deepest and most inward word for sin. The very CORRUPTION OF THE HEART. The best people may be in the depths of great trouble and at a loss to know what in the world to do. Jeremiah found himself in a dungeon, Daniel the den of lions. Jonah in the belly of the great fish. Call to God to prevent sinking lower and to recover us out of the pit. Psalm 40:1,2 David prayed, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry and lifted me out of the slimy pit.”
Sometimes the devil causes us to see God as a very harsh God who is ready to punish us for every little thing and that we worship him in order that he doesn’t hurt us--out of FEAR of punishment. The word used in this Psalm for LORD is YAHWEH, the personal name of Israel’s God which contains MERCY. That’s what this man asked for--God show me your MERCY.
2. HOPE and WAIT on the Lord: When we pray we must not only HOPE but also WAIT on the Lord’s timing for realizing our hope. People say, “I’m just hoping and praying. Maybe God will answer. Maybe He won’t. In the meantime I’m wringing my hands and worrying myself to death.”
That’s no kind of a prayer!
We must not only hope by EXPECT with our waiting that God WILL answer. We don’t wait apathetically and say, “Well, whatever will be will be.” Or cease to wait in hope as those who give up and get tired of waiting.
In this Psalm he describes an ACTIVE KIND OF WAITING.
He says, “My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning.” And he repeats this phrase, “more than watchmen wait for the morning.”
The Lord’s coming to the relief of a distressed person is so sure--just as a watchman waits for the morning to come and knows that the morning WILL come--that is encouragement to us. To know that was we pray and wait ACTIVELY for him to answer that he will do just that.
How do we wait actively?
1. Look for the answer to come--expect it.
2. Begin to make plans for the answer to come.
3. Begin to thank and praise God for the answer.
That is ACTIVE waiting.
People who ask God to forgive sin sometimes say, “What if he doesn’t forgive me.”
For one thing you can rest on the PROMISES of God as you wait. What is the REVEALED TRUTH as shown in scripture?
I John 1:9 says, “if we confess our sin he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Just as sure as the watchman waits for the morning to come--and waits with confident expectation, the same way we confess our sins and see his forgiveness follow just like the morning. He redeems from the cause--SIN and from the consequences--DISEASES.
Psalm 103:3,4 says, “Praise the Lord, O my soul and forget not all his benefits. Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.”
God is not only READY to forgive but CAPABLE of doing it.
Then why do we wonder, “What if he doesn’t? What if he won’t do it for me? What if he won’t hear me? What if it isn’t his will? A lot of time people wonder about God’s will and it is already spelled out in scripture. We don’t have to wonder about God’s will all the time.
3. HELP IS ON THE WAY: Trust in God and wait for Him. Help is on the way. Believe it will come. Stand on the promises till it does come. More than the watchmen wait for the morning--I am waiting for God. And He will not only hear me, but He will answer me. I think we need to hear that today. Some of you have been praying for your families for a long time or waiting for healing to come for a long time. Help is on the way just as sure as morning comes following the night.
Then he brings it closer to home when he says, “O Israel put your hope in the Lord for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is FULL redemption.
STORY: The interviewer examined the job application then turned to the prospective employee.
"I see you have put ASAP down for the date you are available to start, meaning as soon as possible, of course. However, I see you’ve put AMAP down
for required salary. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen that before, what doesit mean?"
The applicant replied, "As Much as Possible!"(source unknown)
In the King James Version it says PLENTEOUS redemption.
In the New Living Translation it says OVERFLOWING SUPPLY of salvation.
The Message says GENEROUS redemption.
Verse 8 says, “He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins. He redeems us from the condemning and the commanding power of sin.
Paul says in Romans 11:26, “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob and this is my covenant with them when I take away their sin.”
Matthew 1:21 says, “...he [Jesus] will save his people from their sins.
Titus 2:14 “who gave himself to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”
He has an OVERFLOWING--GENEROUS---PLENTEOUS supply---that means ENOUGH for everyone.
Why are we so often just limping along just barely making it? Why are we living so much of the time under a sense of condemnation from the past when He has provided an overflowing supply? Sometimes we are so surprised when God answers our prayers. We are in fact startled.
STORY: A guy in a taxi wanted to speak to the driver so he leaned forward and tapped him on the shoulder.
The driver screamed, jumped up in the air and yanked the wheel over.
The car mounted the curb, demolished a lamppost and came to a stop inches from a shop window.
The startled passenger said, "I didn’t mean to frighten you, I just wanted to ask you something."
The Taxi driver said, "It’s not your fault sir. It’s my first day as a cab driver.
I’ve been driving a hearse for the past 25 years!"
CONCLUSION: We can go to God and say “Help--the bottom has fallen out of my life. Hear my cry for help. Listen to my prayer--be ATTENTIVE to it.
I’m waiting actively on you to do something and I know you will just as sure as I know that morning is going to come.
I know from my own experience that you can forgive sin and free from all consequence of it.
Why does he do this? Because he loves us with an everlasting and unfailing love.
LET US PRAY:
