Text: Psalm 7:1-17, Title: How to Handle Criticism, Date/Place: NRBC, 12/28/08, AM
A. Opening illustration: The church in Jacksonville and media criticism, Rick Warren and Ann Curry
B. Background to passage: Concerning the works of Cush the Benjamite—Shimei and Sheba of Benjamin, 2 Sam 16:7-8, 20:1-2. All of us go through times where we are slandered by friends, foes, family, etc. And we should not think this is strange or out of the ordinary. Jesus said that the world would hate us if it hated him. He said that men would say all kinds of evil against you, and that you would be blessed if that happens. What?! If therefore we live to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, we must ask, how may we glorify God when these kinds of things happen?
C. Main thought: David gives us four practices of the godly when we are criticized and slandered.
A. Affirm the Object of trust (v. 1, 8, 10)
1. David begins by addressing God personally and reminding Him and himself that it is in God that he trusts. It is in God that he looks for affirmation, security, protection, and evaluation. Remember that politics in David’s day was not a tame as in ours. Slander could undermine his moral authority in a theocracy. And he describes these attacks with the imagery of a lion ripping apart a body limb from limb.
2. Ps 25:1-3, 31:1, 34:8, 71:1, Isa 26:3, 2 Tim 1:12, 1 Pet 4:19,
3. Illustration: Reading this week in Tozer, I was reminded that faith is “the continual gaze of the soul” upon Christ. Years ago a military officer and his wife were aboard a ship that was caught in a raging ocean storm. Seeing the frantic look in her eyes, the man tried unsuccessfully to remove her fears. Suddenly she grasped his sleeve and cried, "How can you be so calm?" He stepped back a few feet and drew his sword. Pointing it at her heart, he said, "Are you afraid of this?" Without hesitation she answered, "Of course not!" "Why not?" he inquired. "Because it’s in your hand, and you love me too much to hurt me." To this he replied, "I know the One who holds the winds and the waters in the hollow of His hand, and He will surely care for us!" "When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer." "Trust in yourself and you are doomed to disappointment; trust in your friends and they will die and leave you; trust in money and you may have it taken from you; trust in reputation and some slanderous tongue may blast it; but trust in God, and you are never to be confounded in time or eternity."
4. In our own minds, hearts, marriages, families, finances, we must be reminded where our trust lies. We must be reminded that people will let us down, but God never will. We must continually refocus our thought patterns, our soul gaze, our meditation upon Jesus and His sufficiency. Everything in our world fights against this mentality. We breathe God-ignoring air. Our culture shouts constantly that our help and trust should be in government, money, self-esteem, cell phones, video games, medications, doctors, lawyers, police, churches, pastors, etc. We must also be reminded that our value and self-worth are not tied to anybody’s opinion of us, but God’s. Sure pain may come from another, and depression might result from that pain, but remember who we are in Christ!
B. Practice self-examination/repentance (v. 3-5)
1. Unlike last week’s psalm where David asked God to go easy on him with correction for his sin, here he in essence declares his innocence. This doesn’t mean ultimate innocence. Explain the Hebrew mindset of earthly judgment and justice being good. So David, doesn’t want revenge, but simply asks God to judge him if he has committed wrong in this particular situation. He was humble enough to practice self-examination. And he was walking close enough to God to declare blamelessness in this area. He is not crying “unfair,” but is saying whatever judgment you mete out against them, I’ll take it too.
2. Ps 78:72, 26:11, Job 31:5-10, Matt 7:2,
3. Illustration: “before a righteous judge, the innocent have no fear,” accusation against me of sharing too much info from previous counseling sessions, “but Kailann…”
4. David wasn’t just blowing the smoke of self-justification. He was calling on God to judge him, if he was wrong. This is a good lesson for us. That God determines whose righteous, and that we should be willing to endure the chastisement of God if we are in err, when we call on God to judge others. And more often than not, if we are truly introspective, and truly searching, we will find areas in which we don’t do as well as we originally proclaimed. And when that happens, we should be willing and quick to repent. Can you pray the prayer that David prayed invoking God’s justice on your situation?
C. Rest in His character and vindication (v. 10-16)
1. David focuses on God’s character, and doesn’t mention his problems much. He describes God as an archer with his bow drawn, as a warrior sharpening his sword, and as a just and angry judge ready to pass the sentence of judgment on the wicked. But he begins the whole thing by saying that his defense is God. He rests in the character and actions of a good and all-sufficient, sovereign God, who saves the upright. He rests in Christ, and awaits His vindication!
2. Ps 94:3, 74:10, 26:1, 35:24, Rev 6:10, 1 Sam 24:15, Matt 11:28-30, James 1:20,
3. Illustration: Ask Mrs. Shirley if I can share the story of her fussing at the man who took her parking spot at Wal-Mart, Julian of Norwich) ‘This is the reason why we have no ease of heart or soul, for we are seeking our rest in trivial things that cannot satisfy, and not seeking to know God, almighty, all-wise, all good. He is true rest. It is his will that we should know him, and his pleasure that we should rest in him. Nothing less will satisfy us. It is good to learn early enough that suffering and God are not a contradiction but rather a unity, for the idea that God himself is suffering is one that has always been one of the most convincing teachings of Christianity. I think God is nearer to suffering than to happiness, and to find God in this way gives peace and rest and a strong and courageous heart. Citation: Dietrich Bonhoeffer
4. The peace that passes understanding can come into our lives even in the darkest of seasons because of our decision to rest in God. We would all do well to cease from struggling, and let God just have his free reign to do as He pleases in our lives. We know that God is a God who hates wickedness and those who carry it out, and that His wrath is far worse than ours. So we should relax and not substitute the wrath of man for that of God. Also, know that justice may not come in this lifetime. Sometimes, seemingly, in this world, the wicked triumph. But rest in the fact that God will have the last word, and the slander and criticism that you receive here, when handled righteously will only add to your reward over there. It brings much glory to Jesus when others know that you are resting in God for your justice!
D. Worship the God of righteousness (v. 17)
1. One of the best places to renew your mind to the focus that his proper when dealing with criticism and slander is worship. Private worship and especially corporate worship has the unique ability to transport your soul into heavenly realms again. True worship brings many things into perspectives that mirror heaven. And so David closes his prayer for justice against his accusers with worship. And that worship is focused upon his character and renown.
2. Psalm 34:18,
3. Illustration: at Charles Brother’s funeral, after they sang Midnight Cry everyone was uplifted that Bro Jimmy would have been uplifted,
4. If all else seems to fail, or as a first resort, look for time to worship God. When people have attacked you, said horrible untrue things about you, worship God. You will find the victory in Jesus when you are especially near to Him in worship. True worship can lift the spirits, give a much needed boost, and refocus the mind on Jesus. So when you get bad news, get talked about, slandered, accused, don’t forget to get into the presence of Jesus! Seek experiences of the presence of Christ and your slanderous remarks will fade into the sea of God’s awesomeness!
A. Closing illustration: Pastor Andrew Murray of South Africa once faced a terrible crisis. Gathering himself into his study, he sat a long while quietly. Prayerfully, thoughtfully. He wrote this in his journal. 1. I am here by God’s appointment; in that fact I will rest. 2. He will keep me here in His love and give me grace to behave as His child. 3. H will teach me the lessons He intends me to learn. 4. In His good time He can bring me out again. “so I could go on my vacations”
B. Recap
C. Invitation to commitment
Additional Notes
• Is Christ Exalted, Magnified, Honored, and Glorified?
