As For Me

AS FOR ME--PSALM 17

Introduction: Every man who tries to live for God will make some enemies. This World is not friendly toward God. If you stand for the things of God you will find that many enemies will rise up, hate you, and seek to hurt you. This Should not surprise us when People fight against us. Jesus said in John 16:33 “...In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” He is saying that if the world persecuted the master it would also persecute the servant. He, the Master, was persecuted so you can expect the same treatment!

Here in this Psalm we see David. David was a Man who loved God and served God. In fact, he was a man after God’s own heart. Yet he had many enemies. Don’t ever believe for one minute that getting saved takes care of your enemies and your troubles. In some ways you’ll more troubles after you are saved. There are some denominations that teach that if you’ll love right and love God with all your heart, you’ll never have a problem. That sounds real good but it’s just not true. If that’s true, why did David have trouble, he was a man after God’s own heart? If that’s true, why did Job lose his family and fortune? He was perfect and upright in all his ways. If that’s true, why did Paul have a thorn in the flesh? He was greatest missionary that ever walked the face of the earth.

David was a Godly man and yet he had enemies! All through the Psalms we find him crying out to God for deliverance from his enemies. In the 17th Psalm he tells how his enemies had tried to devour him, as a lion devours its prey. But he ends his complaint on a note of victory. He says “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satified, when I awake, with thy likeness.”

Look at those three words at the beginning of verse 15, “As for me”. Yes, we have enemies. Yes, they seem to have the upperhand. Yes, they hate us and mock us and laugh at us for serving Jesus!!! BUT THEIR DAY OF JUDGMENT IS COMING. They have a terrible future in Hell coming, but AS FOR ME, I have a glorious future.

I. AS FOR ME I SHALL LIVE AGAIN - vs. 15 “When I awake”

A. He says that we are going to awake.

1. Death ends all that is material. Death ends all that is physical, But not all that it is spiritual

2. There is going to be a RESURRECTION DAY!!!

a. Like the old Negro Spiritual was sung.

“On that great getting-up morning, fare thee well, fare thee well”

“On that great getting-up morning, fare thee well, fare thee well”

B. Some do not believe in a Resurrection. They say it’s all over when you die! They don’t believe men will live

again. Not in God’s Heaven or Satan’s Hell. But the entire Bible is against such falsehood.

1. All the way from Genesis to Revelation the Word of God rings out with the truth that men shall live again!!!

a. It’s no wonder that people don’t want to believe in an afterlife.

b. If I was living in sin, hated the Church, and the word of God I wouldn’t want to believe in an afterlife

either!

c. I wouldn’t want to believe in a Holy God that would sentenced me to hell either

2. A lot of people today want to go by their own logic and opinions instead of the word of God. So they

proudly reject any idea of a future Life!!!

a. Who really Knows what the Future holds?

b. Scientists don’t know! Scholars don’t know! Politicians don’t know! Economists don’t know! BUT GOD

KNOWS!!! And we can know by reading his Book!!!

C. Jesus was slain on the Darkest day the world has ever known. He was buried and his tomb was securely

fastened. But Three Days Later he came back to life. He established the fact that there is a future life!!!

1. Hundreds of People saw him and gave testimony to the fact that he loved again.

2. And Jesus said in John 14:19 “Because I live, ye shall live also.”

D. My Enemies will suffer the Second Death, but AS FOR ME, I shall live again!

II. AS FOR ME I SHALL BE SATISFIED - vs. 15 “I shall be satisfied” -- The Things of this world don’t satisfy. We can try them all and finally find ourselves completely disappointed.

A. Pleasure does not satisfy.

1. The bible says the pleasures of sin are for a Season only.

2. Lord Byron lived only for pleasure. He tried everything under the sun and finally summed it all up by saying,