A Step That Stands Series

Steps along Life’s Journey

A Step that Stands – Sermon 3

Psalm 73

What causes us to stumble along Life’s Journey

Viewing life through the eyes of sin

Viewing life from the perspective of Satan

What enables us to Stand Firm along Life’s Journey

Viewing life through the eyes of Faith

Viewing Life from the perspective of the God

Then we understand

the eternity of the wicked

the sinfulness of ourselves

the Mercy and Grace of God

Slide

Intro

Life isn’t fair. Have you ever heard those words before?

I am sure that you have. Either you have said those words yourself or you have had it said to you.

And those words are said because, on nearly a daily basis, we can see things that just aren’t fair, at least according to what we can see.

And it is often more than just being unfair. It seems there is injustice all around.

Turn on the news and we see innocent people, kids, killed in drive by shootings while the shooters remain free.

In our neighborhoods and families, we see those who are good people get cancer, while those who live hard partying lives often seem to live long lives.

In Hollywood, we often see those who live lifestyles that are focused on looking good and having money, seemingly getting all of that and more and being able to do what they want and vacation and when they want, all while they live lives that less than glorify the Lord.

In contrast to that, it seems those who are Christians who are striving to live a godly life, face more difficult circumstances.

Walk into any church and you can find prayer lists filled with people

who have cancer or other illnesses,

who have lost or are in need of a job

who are struggling in marriage relationships

Or maybe you pray about a situation and God doesn’t seem to answer you, but others get what you prayed for without prayer, without asking, even in spite of how they live.

What is going on with that? I thought God, if He is truly Sovereign, would be able to bless the righteous and do justice to the wicked.

So often from what we see, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Have you ever thought about that and wanted to scream, “Where are you God? Are you even there?”

Well, if you have, you aren’t alone.

In fact, even some of the biblical writers have had some of these same concerns and expressed them in the pages of Scripture.

Today we are continuing our series, “Steps along Life’s Journey” and we are going today look at “A Step that Stands.”

Slide

There will be times in our life when circumstances and events are being used to get us to stumble, to fall back, to maybe even give up on following after the Lord.

It is in those times that we need to recognize that having victory in the moment, is not necessarily found in a step that advances us forward, but in not losing ground, in standing firm at the point the Lord has already brought us.

Sometimes the victory is in still standing after facing situations like this.

Turn with me to Psalm 73.

Slide

We are going to read this Psalm written by Asaph (ah sahf). Asaph was a worship leader under King David. He was a leader among the Israelites, and a godly man.

In this Psalm, Asaph speaks in very real and personal terms as he reveals his struggle with what he is seeing with his eyes and experiencing himself.

I find it so helpful that I can go to God’s word and find other real people who had similar struggles and find help to express my feelings through Scripture and know that God still cares for me.

So let’s read the first part of this psalm and see if we can relate to some of the things Asaph sees or has experienced and see if we can discover why he and we have these struggles.

Psalm 73

1 A psalm of Asaph.

Surely God is good to Israel,

to those who are pure in heart.

2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;

I had nearly lost my foothold.

3 For I envied the arrogant

when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4 They have no struggles;

their bodies are healthy and strong.

5 They are free from the burdens common to man;

they are not plagued by human ills.

6 Therefore pride is their necklace;

they clothe themselves with violence.

7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity;

the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.

8 They scoff, and speak with malice;

in their arrogance they threaten oppression.

9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,