Text: Psalm 107, Title: Need Deliverance? Date/Place: WHBC, 6.3.18, AM
A. Opening illustration: Plymouth Colony’s Governor William Bradford’s proclamation on Monday, December 11, 1620. Boice’s Commentary, p. 864
B. Background to passage: This Psalm is the first psalm in the 5th book of Psalms. No one knows why they are divided into books except for the Jewish tradition that the number five corresponds to the five books of Moses that make up the Pentateuch, Gen-Deut. However, each book does end with a doxology to give a dividing point for its portion. This psalm is a declaration and praise for the redemption and deliverance that God provides.
C. Main thought: As we all experience the need for deliverance throughout our lives, we shall look today at this anonymous psalmist expression of praise for the God who delivers!
A. Needs for Deliverance
1. There are several needs for deliverance that are mentioned in this psalm. (1) Times in life where we have lost our way, times of vulnerability, times of emptiness. (2) Times in life where we have strayed from God, rebelled against His word and began to reap the reward of our disobedience. (3) Times when our health has failed for various reasons and we were near the gates of death. (4) Times when fear has invaded our lives through many circumstances, we reeled from stormy seas and came to our wits end.
2. Argumentation
3. Illustration: “I mourn the loss of what once was as well as the loss of what never was. They are both losses of what I hoped would be. Couples who have struggled with infertility, as well as those who have buried a child, or who are raising a special needs child or a wayward son or daughter, have all lost what they hoped would be. Whatever the origin, they are losses nonetheless.” -blogger Vaneetha Risner, Loss of mother, siblings, virtually father, fiancé, detesting school, money, job, deeply depressed, before an interview for a clerk’s position at the House of Lords, he decided to end his life. Unsuccessful for the better part of a day, eventually, exhausted from his continual attempts throughout the day, he fell asleep. He awoke around three in the morning in a terror of self-loathing and reached for pen knife and attempted to thrust it into his chest – but the blade broke. He then tried to hang himself from his bed frame – but the bed frame broke. Finally, he was able to successfully hang himself from his door frame till he lost consciousness – but then, the rope broke. He hit the ground, and convulsed into an unknown, deeper sense of self-hatred, unable to even kill himself. A narrator describes his experience the next day, “He felt for himself a contempt not to be expressed or imagined; whenever he went into the street, it seemed as if every eye flashed upon him with indignation and scorn; he felt as if he had offended God so deeply that his guilt could never be for-giv¬en, and his whole heart was filled with tumultuous pangs of despair. Madness was not far off, or rather madness was already come.” His song below, God Moves in a Mysterious Way.
4. These are situations, but the psalmist also is helping us to deal with feelings related to them. Many of us have had times in life where things have been ripped away from our lives leaving us to question the goodness or sovereignty of God. We wonder if we are somehow being punished for sin which we have committed. We see insanity or death approaching and fear paralyzes us as to what may happen. Maybe some of you struggle with depression or times that you go through deep darkness and despair of life itself. Some of you may have even attempted suicide at times in your life. Some of you deal with incessant physical pain and some spiritual pain exacerbated by sin, and some of us carry a burden of a spiritual nature for another. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. We are broken people feeling the affects of indwelling sin given us from our father Adam. The scripture is full of us. Some of you are like the William Cooper prior to his visit to the asylum, not knowing Christ. However, it would be a great story to say that after his conversion and his 12-month stint in the insane asylum, he was fixed, but not so. He continued to have bouts with depression and even attempted suicide afterwards, but after his conversion in the asylum, William did have a remarkably different outlook on life. Though still plagued with sadness, he no longer clung to his certain damnation. He would falter, and at times snap at Newton that he was beyond help, but would always come back to that sense of awe that God still loved and accepted him. Some of you need to cry out to Christ not simply as a deliverer from your pain and heartache, but as a savior from the sin that entangles your soul. You need to believe on Christ!
B. Cries for Deliverance
1. These broken people cried to God, and He delivered! He delivered because of his steadfast love. Over and over we are told these two truths. Then we are told how to respond: declaring openly our redemption (v. 2), thanking the Lord (v. 8, 21, 31), offer sacrifices of thanksgiving (v. 22), tell of his deeds in songs of joy (v. 22), extol him in the congregation (v. 32), and to praise him in the assembly of the elders (v. 32).
2. Steadfast Love – Hesed – 250 occurrences, translated love, loving-kindness, kindness, mercy, loyal love, favor, unfailing kindness, devotion, i.e., a love or affection that is steadfast based on a prior relationship
3. Illustration: the times when all you can do is cry to the Lord, when the only one that can save is the Lord, when He will be most glorified in your pleas of dependence and trust in Him.
4. We have been told to cry out to the Lord. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. We have been told that deliverance will come. We have been told to put our trust in him and even confess our unbelief. We have been told to praise him for deliverance, and we can praise him through faith for deliverance to come. We cannot sin too much for us to return and cry out to him. We cannot be too far away to cry out to him. We cannot be too deep in despair that His steadfast compassion and mercy cannot reach down. We can rest assured that we when call, He will hear, and He will answer on behalf of His children. And when he does, we will praise.
C. Answers for Deliverance
1. The answer for deliverance is The Lord! He will always give himself to those who cry out in faith. Look at who this psalm says that He is: the God who satisfies in v. 9, who forgives in v. 11, who frees from bondage in v. 16, who heals in v. 20, who lifts up in v. 27, speaks peace to rough seas in v. 29, who sustains fountains of living water in v. 35, he protects with a city for wanderers in v. 36, one who provides fruitful vineyards in life in v. 37, who multiplies good things in v. 38, he is one who meets out justice for the oppressed and persecuted in v. 40, one who raises up the needy from their affliction in v. 41, and one who provides joy to the righteous! That’s my Christ! And that list is simply the tip of the iceberg.
2. Argumentation
3. Illustration: Natalie Grant song from this morning, More Than Anything, Dr. Patterson’s case these last few weeks, “The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.”
4. In these cases, God answered in the affirmative, but we know that is not always the case. We are not always given what we request, but we are always given God’s best. Sometimes He turns life-sustaining rivers into desert like in v. 33, or fruitful ground in to salty wastelands in v. 34. We are to embrace the answers that we don’t expect just as those that we do. As the woman spoke about her journey of post-polio syndrome, she was counseled to “weep deeply, then rise, wash your face, and embrace the life that God has given.” But as we noted in this text, God delights in the joy of his children, and is a God who redeems even the suffering he allows; that’s why the redeemed of the Lord and say so, and those not experiencing redemption can look to receive it. Do not lose hope, your redemption draws nigh!
A. Closing illustration: Missionary Alan Duff, Boice’s Commentary, p. 876
B. Recap
C. Invitation to commitment
Additional Notes
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs
And works his sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace;
behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
His purpose will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
the bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain:
God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.
I know if You wanted to You could wave Your hand
Spare me this heartache, and change Your plan
And I know any second You could take my pain away
But even if You don't, I pray
Help me want the Healer
More than the healing
Help me want the Saviour
More than the saving
Help me want the Giver
More than the giving
Oh help me want You Jesus
More than anything
You know more than anyone that my flesh is weak
And You know I'd give anything for a remedy
And I'll ask a thousand more times to set me free today
Oh but even if You don't, I pray
Help me want the Healer
More than the healing
Help me want the Saviour
More than the saving
Help me want the Giver
More than the giving
Oh help me want You Jesus
More than anything
