Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

A year ago in May my family and I went on a trip to Freeport/Surfside beach just outside Galveston.

The area we were at was literally beach side, the houses were on stilts in order to accommodate the occasional floods and what not.

One of the days we were there especially after a couple days of rain we went to the other side to do some crabbing - heard from a local it was a great place to go.

Went with my brother-in-law and 8 kids and well the truth is we didnt even get to go crabbing because as we got there in a Nissan 12 passenger van - deciding to drive over some mud we got stuck.

Not just slick surface mud either.

This mud stole my brother in law’s sandals and made a sick slurping sound as he struggled to walk through.

The van was stuck to the axle in mud - wet sloppy saturated mud.

My brother in law as he worked to free the van was slipping and sliding and covered in mud.

If we could just get some solid ground under the van and if we could just have something solid to stand on we could have worked better to free the van.

The Greek philosopher Archimedes said, "Give me a place to stand, and I will move the world".

If you have a place to stand, you can get out of the mud and the mire; without a place to stand, without a footing, you will sink in frustration.

If you have solid ground, you can be drawn out of the mire and lacking that, your life will sink in impatience and become soiled in frustration.

There is an old (and I mean old) rock group called U2 who wrote a song that really is very closely based on the words of Psalm 40.

I must admit I am not a fan of this group.

The lyrics of their song go like this:

I waited patiently for the Lord

He inclined and heard my cry

He brought me up out of the pit

Out of the miry clay

I will sing, sing a new song

I will sing, sing a new song

How long to sing this song

How long to sing this song

How long, how long, how long

How long to sing this song

He set my feet upon a rock

And made my footsteps firm

Many will see

Many will see and hear

I will sing, sing a new song

I will sing, sing a new song

I will sing, sing a new song

I will sing, sing a new song

How long to sing this song

How long to sing this song

How long, how long, how long

How long to sing this song

That final question leaves me with three thoughts, the question being, “How long to sing this song?”

The first thought is this that our new song should be one of praise for what God has done for us, so that many will see and hear the good news of the gospel and also be saved from life as it is without God.

Our new song should also reflect on what God is doing presently.

And last our song should lead us to plea for fresh deliverance — this is the pattern we see before that David takes as he writes this Psalm here as we turn and look at Psalm 40.

Life is always changing and the only constant is that it changes - in moments and very quickly we slip and we slide and we get stuck int he muck and the mire.

This Psalm includes two parts, thanksgiving and petition and both must be a part of our song - or we may just end up singing the blues.

A Previous Experience of Deliverance

As we open this psalm we see David singing this song and reflecting on his previous experience with the LORD.

The experience of the LORD delivering him then.

David says I waited patiently for the LORD and He turned to me and heard my cry for help.

The LORD previously has turned to him and heard his cry and saved or delivered him from his troubles.

Troubles described as a desolate pit and muddy clay.

A desolate pit could be translated watery pit (a pit hidden because of the water around it — seen some potholes that could fit this description.

The muddy clay — we know it as caliche - solid like rock until a storm saturates it with water.

Then the solid clay becomes slippery and slimy.

Both traps and troubles came from water - most likely from a storm.

There’s an old saying “smooth waters means smooth sailing”.

It is the rough waters that tests us and reveals who really commands the ship.

Two questions come rising up quickly - will our faith stand and can we stand on God’s promises?

What is your watery pit or slimy mud puddle?

Each one of us has different ones

Sin - some of us maybe caught in sin and one sin leads easily to other sins until soon we are rolling and sliding in the mud like pigs

Defeat - perhaps caught in personal defeat - school, work, home, a relationship — never finding success in these areas or others

Bad habits - destructive - like addictions and others harmful - short-temper, self-pity, laziness, and even overeating or any overindulgence.

Circumstances - not sins, not defeats, not even bad habits — severe trials perhaps you can relate to Paul persecuted for standing for Christ

A new believer has an advantage of fresh faith while a mature Christian has an advantage in of enduring faith.

What God has been for us in the past is the promise of what He will be to us in the future - do we recognize what He has been to us previously?

David did - He recognized that God had brought him up from the desolate pit and out of the muddy rock.

Circumstances like the above can be a pit for anyone.

David recognized that God brought him up and set his feet on solid rock and made his steps secure.

Paul echoed this deliverance from God when he said in 2 Cor 4:8-9

Though God may not change the circumstances in certain situations (Paul’s example above) God still provides the solid ground to stand on so we are not sinking in the mud or falling into the water pit unseen below.

David’s deliverance by the LORD gave him something - a new song a hymn of praise.

When God rescues, or delivers or acts on our behalf in anyway it should produce naturally within us praise to God.

Not only praise but also witness and testimony.

David says many will see and fear and they will trust the LORD.

What shall many see God’s rescue.

Why you may ask did God allow us to get in the mud and get bogged down, one reason is testimony - for you personally and then for others as well.

People turn to the LORD when they see not how we have it put together and great we are, but when they look at us and where we are and realize it MUST be God and they begin to see if God can save them maybe He can rescue me too.

How long to sing this song?

Sing until the whole world hears — our worship leads others to God and then when they come to God like David they discover How happy is anyone who puts their trust in the LORD.

Do not be an Eeyore Christian!

The joy of the LORD is our strength and it si a joy He gives us that no one can take - but we can give it up if we allow our pits and mire to take it from us.

How long to sing this song?

Always we will never run out of this song.

Verse 5 tells us LORD my God you have done many things — many things.

God has done many things for us just within the last hour.

His wondrous works and plans for us.

They are more than be told - usually we lack things to sing about and praise God about because we overlook, ignore and discount the things He has done and continues to do for us all day everyday.

The previous deliverance from the LORD should always be on our lips as it was with David.

How long shall we sing this song?

Eternity!

I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly.

David says I do not keep my mouth closed, I do not hide your righteousness and I did not conceal your constant love and truth from the great assembly.

A faithful testimony is the song of previous delivery.

The one who has truly been delivered by God and finds solid ground in Him and His Word our mouths cannot contain it, we must proclaim it.

If you can contain and hold in what God has done for you in your life then you do not think much of what God has done for you.

Plea And Praise For Future Deliverance

David recalls his previous deliverance to remember that the LORD does not withhold His compassion and that His constant love and truth will always guard him.

This is important to David to remember and why does he remember?

The song of the LORD’s deliverance and rescue is always on his lips.

It is important to remember because as I said life’s only constant is that it changes.