What We Need Now

What We Need Now

Text: Ps.84: 11, 12; Ps.86: 6, 11

Intro: The writer of Psalm 84 concludes that psalm with some very encouraging thoughts. In verse 11, he compares God to the sun, by saying that, “God, like the chief heavenly body in the physical realm, is the sole source of all our spiritual power, energy, and light” (Charles F. Pfeiffer and Everett F. Harrison, editors, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary: Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois, pg. 526). He then refers to God as our shield, which basically is a reference to God as our protector. And finally, He says that God would not withhold any good thing from those that walk in fellowship with Him. So in essence, the psalmist saw God as the source of power, protection, and provision for his people.

In Psalm 86, David, sensing his neediness, asked God to be attentive to his prayers in verse six. And then in verse 11, he prays for God to instruct him in God’s ways, and to teach him to have more respect and honor for God. These were certainly valid requests. God will always honor the sincere prayer to know, love, and serve Him better.

Today as I think about the fact that God says that He will not withhold any good thing from those that walk with Him, and that He wants to teach us to walk in His truth and to fear His name, I have some requests of my own to ask of God. I believe these requests are things that our church, and we as individuals need in order to serve our Lord faithfully.

The pastor cannot supply these things for you. Neither is the preacher the only one in the church responsible to possess these qualities. You as an individual must be concerned enough to seek them of God for yourself. Let me share with you what I’m asking God to do for us in the days ahead.

Theme: What we need now is:

I. RENEWED VISION

NOTE: The type of vision that I’m speaking of today is a special kind of sight. More accurately, it is a special insight. Vision can be defined as, “The ability to perceive something not actually visible, as through mental acuteness or keen foresight” (Victoria Neufeldt, Editor in Chief, and David B. Guralnik, Editor in Chief Emeritus, Webster’s New World Dictionary Of American English: Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York, New York, pg. 1492).

A. We Need A Fresh Vision Of Our Savior’s Death.

1. Jesus died for our sins according to God’s plan.

Rom.8: 3 “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:”

II Cor.5: 21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

2. Jesus died in agonizing pain.

Isa.52: 14 “As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.”

NOTE: [1] The NIV translates the word “astonied” as, “appalled” (Frank E. Gaebelein, General Editor and Richard P. Polcyn, Associate Editor, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, pg. 301). The idea is that when the onlooker saw Jesus hanging on the cross, their reaction was one of shock. Jesus’ “…bodily appearance seemed hardly human” (Ibid, pg. 301).

[2] Strong’s Concordance defines the word “astonied” as, “to stun (or…grow numb), i.e. devastate or (fig.) stupefy” (James Strong, S.T.D., LL.D., Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance Of The Bible: MacDonald Publishing Company, McLean, Virginia, #8074 of the Hebrew And Chaldee Dictionary, pg. 118). Folks, when the Roman soldiers got through beating and abusing Jesus, He was a bleeding mass of open wounds. He was ghoulish in appearance. To say that He suffered an agonizing death is a tremendous understatement.

[3] If we ever expect to win our community for Christ we’ll have to have a renewed vision of what our sin cost the Lord Jesus. The following story illustrates what Christ did for us:

Grace

The boy stood defiantly. “Go ahead, give it to me.”

The principal looked at the young rebel and asked, “How many times have you been here?”

The child sneered rebelliously, “Apparently not enough.”

“And you have been punished each time?” the principal responded.

“Yeah, I been punished, if that’s what you want to call it. Go ahead. I can take whatever you dish out. I always have.”

“And no thought of your punishment enters your head the next time you decide to break the rules does it?”

“Nope, I do whatever I want to do. Ain’t nothin’ you people gonna do to stop me either.”