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,
“The Worm, the canker, and the grief are mine alone.”
B. Unbelief does not satisfy. At the end of his life, Voltaire, the athiest, cried out. “I wish I had never been born.”
C. Money does not Satisfy. Queen Elizabeth said on her death “All of my riches for just one moment of time.”
D. Fame does not Satisfy. Clarence Darrow was probably the greatest criminal lawyer America has ever known.
He was speaking to a graduating class one day and said, “If I were a young Man, I would chuck it all. I would
commit suicide. I would get out of this life. It isn’t worth what it costs.” He Achieved Nation-wide Fame, but
it did not satisfy.
E. But I’m satisfied with Jesus. Every Day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before. I can Boldly say “Nothing on
this earth permanently satisfies, but AS FOR ME, I am headed for a place where I will be eternally satified!!!
III. AS FOR ME I SHALL SEE JESUS - vs. 15 “I will behold thy face”
A. Many have seen Jesus.
1. Mary saw Jesus as a baby in a manger.
2. Joseph saw Jesus as he grew into his manhood.
3. John the Baptist saw Jesus as he baptized him.
4. The disciples saw him perform his miracles.
5. John said, We’ve seen him, We’ve looked upon him, Our hands have handled him.
6. Zacheus saw him standing at the trunk of a tree.
7. Peter saw him walking on the water.
8. Pilate saw him as he stood in his court.
9. The Theif saw him as they died side by side on Calvary
10. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob saw him as he descended into Hell to take the Keys away from Death and Hell!!!
B. I’ve never seen Christ as they did, But I have seen him with the eyes of faith!
I have watched over his cradle when he was born in a manger
I have seen him in the Temple with the first dawning of his mental powers
I have watched him in the wilderness when he was bombarded for 40 days
I have stood by his side on the Mount of Transfiguration as seen him in all his glory
I have gone with him in the Temple when he drove out the moneychangers
I have seen him touch the sick and seen them leap for Joy
I have seen him caress the Children and tell them he loved them
I have walked by his side in his triumphant entry into Jerusalem
I have knelt with him as he seat as great drops of blood in the Garden
I have heard the MOB shriek “Away with Him”
I have seen the Blood drip down off his back as the Whip lashed around his body
I have heard the Nails as they pounded into his bleeding Hands and feet
I have stood weeping with Mary and John by his cross.
I have went with Joseph to beg for his lifeless body.
I have laid him in a cold dark tomb.
I have seen him as he burst the bands of Death that other had ever broken before.
I have seen him as the Clouds received him out of sight.
And thank God I shall see him when he returns for his Jewels not through the eyes of faith BUT I WILL SEE HIM JUST AS HE IS.
C. I John 3:2 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be : but we know
that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is!!!
D. A little boy was traveling across the country on a train. The journey took four days. On the second day he was
skipping up and down the aisles and someone asked him, “Aren’t you tired of the journey? Yes, But I’ll see my
father on Friday! On the third day someone asked him as he skipped up and down the aisle? Aren’t you tired of
the journey? Yes, But I’ll see my Father on Friday! And on Friday he jumped off the train at a western station
and ran into his father’s arms.
1. Hey Bro. Jeremy, Aren’t you tired of the journey. I sure am, but I’m going to see my Father Someday!! And
it could be Today
2. It will be worth it all when we see Jesus! Life’s Trial will seem so small when we see Christ.
One Glimps of his dear face All sorrow will erase. So bravely run the race till we see Christ!!!
E. My enemies shall see the demons of Hell, but AS FOR ME, “I will behold thy face”
IV. AS FOR ME I SHALL BE LIKE HIM - vs. 15 “with thy Likeness”
A. I wish I could be more like him down here.
1. I wish I loved People like he did.
2. I wish I Had more Kindness, Gentleness, and Humility
3. I wish I had less of my sin and more of his Holiness
B. I’ll never have all of this in full measure here, But Someday I’m going to be Just like Jesus!!!
C. I Corinthians 15:53 “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
CONCLUSION: We’ve all got enemies. Not one of God’s children are exempt from being persecuted and ridiculed. The World does not like us. They mock us and ridicule us. But AS FOR ME I’ll live again, AS FOR ME I’ll be Satisfied, AS FOR ME I’ll see Jesus, AS FOR ME I’ll be like him!
