D:day Disaster Series

D-Day Prepping Series - Disaster

April 14, 2013 Dr. Mike Fogerson, Chester FBC

Introduction:

A Those of us of a certain age remember when the threat of a nuclear bomb was an ever present, very real fear.

1 Today, our fears of disasters come in all kinds of wrappers.

a Natural, man-made (terrorists).

b Personal (financial, familial, employment)

2 Psalms 88 is perhaps the most depressing of all the Psalms.

a Many of the psalms start dark, brooding, depressing and end up with a triumph, victory, salvation . . . no such reprise is found in 88.

b Read text (Ps. 88)

1 O Lord, the God of my salvation, I have cried out by day and in the night before You. 2 Let my prayer come before You; Incline Your ear to my cry!3 For my soul has had enough troubles, And my life has drawn near to Sheol .4 I am reckoned among those who go down to the pit; I have become like a man without strength,5 Forsaken among the dead, Like the slain who lie in the grave, Whom You remember no more, And they are cut off from Your hand.6 You have put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in the depths.7 Your wrath has rested upon me, And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah .8 You have removed my acquaintances far from me; You have made me an object of loathing to them; I am shut up and cannot go out.9 My eye has wasted away because of affliction; I have called upon You every day, O Lord; I have spread out my hands to You. 10 Will You perform wonders for the dead? Will the departed spirits rise and praise You? Selah.11 Will Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon ?12 Will Your wonders be made known in the darkness? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?13 But I, O Lord, have cried out to You for help, And in the morning my prayer comes before You.14 O Lord, why do You reject my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me?15 I was afflicted and about to die from my youth on; I suffer Your terrors; I am overcome .16 Your burning anger has passed over me; Your terrors have destroyed me.17 They have surrounded me like water all day long; They have encompassed me altogether.18 You have removed lover and friend far from me; My acquaintances are in darkness. Psalms 88:1-18 (NASB)

aa This Psalm contains none of the encouragement of Psalm 23;

bb None of the hope of Psalm 121:

I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber; Psalms 121:1-3 (NIV)

c You have put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in the depths. 7 Your wrath has rested upon me, And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Psalms 88:6-7 (NASB)

aa We’ve all felt hopeless, abandoned, ruined, forgotten.

bb We’ve all felt like the storm will never pass, disaster never recover from.

B Let’s take a closer look at the Psalmist’s disaster applies to ours.

I Know the Difference Between Wrath & Affliction.

Your wrath has rested upon me . . .Psalms 88:7 (NASB)

1 When God is angry with us, it’s not the anger of a judge, it’s the anger of a daddy.

a Every house has a government, rules, order (If not, anarachy)

aa If the rules are broken, dad will visit the rule breaker . . .always as the father.

bb Dad is angry at the child because the child is living under his roof . . . the child is His! Dad’s going to punish him because Dad loves him.

b Before you went (or until) you go to the cross, God is your judge.

aa When you believe in Jesus Christ as Lord, your offenses are no longer yours . . . they are laid upon Jesus (subsitute, lamb of atonement).

bb The judges wrath was laid upon Jesus —God’s wrath came down on calvary.

cc You will not be judged for sin that has already been punished, paid for by Jesus.

dd Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, Romans 8:33-36 (NASB)