Getting Rid of Stinkin' Thinkin'

Introduction

Tonight we’re going to examine this passage of Scripture.

It’s the Psalm that I asked my 2nd Mile people to write concerning the problem with Asaph and what it took to give him the correction that he needed.

I planned to develop a message on this for Sunday Night, but due to circumstance I chose to try and give you this tonight.

I’ve titled this message ‘Getting Rid of Stinkin Thinkin’. The title is a tribute of sorts to a great motivational speaker - a Christian named Zig Ziglar. The reason why I’ve titled it is because you have some serious stinkin-thinkin going on by Asaph here in this chapter, and by the time it’s over he has come to an understanding of how just stinking his thinking was.

I. The Contempt of the Wicked

The first part of this psalm (12 verses) are speaking almost solely about the wicked.

Their Prosperity made them Prideful (v4-7)

We notice a firmness in their prosperity (v4)

They aren’t struggling like others. (v5)

This is sort-of a take on the ‘why do good things happen to bad people & bad things happen to good people’ type thing.

Maybe you have wondered that - how some who have no care for the things of God seem to prosper in this world - and why God would let that happen? I know of one person - the writer of the hymn ‘Farther Along’.

But we see something very illustrative in v6 - “THEREFORE - pride compasseth them about as a chain”

Their prosperity had made them prideful. And the pride that they had was something that was like a chain about their necks. They couldn’t hardly shake it.

Pride is the #1 reason why lost people stay lost and Christians stay ineffective for Christ!

Their Prosperity made them Prideful - and Pride brought a Contempt for God

Their Pride brought Contempt for God (v8-9)

Because of their Pride, they had a contempt for God

Contempt (def) The act of despising; the act of viewing or considering and treating as mean, vile and worthless; disdain

The reason why American’s are so hard to reach with the Gospel today - and why so many have a contempt for God is Prosperity. They have no need of God, they have a contempt for God because of their Prosperity.

Agur said it right: Proverbs 30:8–9 “Remove far from me vanity and lies: Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, And say, Who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor, and steal, And take the name of my God in vain.”

Their Pride - about their neck like a chain - gave the wicked a contempt for God - and it does the same for the Christian. There’s many Christians who have contempt for God and His Word. Don’t believe me? Just look at the gods in their life!

Their Pride brought Contempt for God

Their Contempt would Bring Condemnation (v18-19)

Ultimately - skipping ahead in the Psalm a bit - we know that Pride & a Rejection of God and His Salvation plan in Jesus Christ will bring swift & utter destruction to the wicked.

Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goeth before destruction, And an haughty spirit before a fall.”

The end of the wicked is a flaming Hell, full of sorrow, regret & despair.

Job 8:11–13 “Can the rush grow up without mire? Can the flag grow without water? Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, It withereth before any other herb. So are the paths of all that forget God; And the hypocrite’s hope shall perish:”

The wicked may look nice for a moment, but will perish in the end!

The Contempt of the Wicked will bring Condemnation

The Contempt of the Wicked

II. The Covetousness of the Christian

He was Jealous of the Heathen (v3;12)

Now when we look at Asaph here, we notice that while the first half of this psalm is speaking about the prosperity of the wicked, we see that at the same time Asaph is Jealous of the Heathen!

Think about that a minute church - He was Jealous of the Heathen.

I don’t understand this myself. When I look at what I have, and I look at what any heathen has, I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

Church, we should be looking at the Heathen with pity, not jealousy.

We should not be lusting after what they have

We shouldn’t be desirous to look, act, walk, talk emulate them at all! They are lost souls on their way to a devils Hell - what do I want to do what that? Why would I want to model myself after that?

But that’s where Asaph was - He was Jealous of the Heathen

He had Regret for Living Godly (v13-14)

Asaph had made good decisions in his holiness - which is what we should aspire to be - Holy!

Leviticus 20:7 “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God.”

1 Peter 1:16 “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

Asaph thought “Man what in the world am I doing this for? Why am I depriving myself of these sinful pleasures - it’s not gotten me the wealth or notoriety like the Heathen have.

He had Regret for Living Godly

Because He was Focused on the Heathen! (v3b)

The reason Asaph was jealous of the Heathen was because he was focused on them!

Let me ask you this: What was he focused on them for?

The Bible tells us: Hebrews 12:1–2 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

We need to be looking to Jesus, not the heathen! We need to be focused on HIM and emulating HIM instead of this perverted world!

We see the Covetousness of the Christian BECAUSE he was focused on the Heathen instead of the Saviour!

The Contempt of the Wicked, the Covetousness of the Christian, lastly...

III. The Catalyst for Correction

What was it that corrected his stinkin thinkin?

Here’s we’ll see several things - the first two were the main calalyst’s for Asaph’s correction, the first of which are ‘Returning to God’s Presence’

Returning to God’s Presence (v17a)

Here, Asaph said ‘This was how I was thinking… UNTIL I went to the sanctuary of God’.

Satan has done a very good job in teaching Christians that church is ‘optional’, but there’s just as much - if not more - value in coming to the House of God today as it was back then.

I made this statement Sunday but it bears repeating: Our focus as Christians shouldn’t be on what I can get by with or ‘what is God ok with’ but rather ‘What can I do to please God?’

So many Christians are fine being their Father’s child, but being out in a pig sty somewhere!

Make sure and don’t misunderstand me - I’m not equating being in church to being in God’s presence, because you can be in church every service and still be in a pig sty! You need to return to God’s Presence - and church can help you, if that chain of pride doesn’t hinder you.

Return to God’s Presence

Refocusing on the Eternal instead of the Carnal (v17b)

Notice the end of v17 - Asaph stopped focusing on the carnal, momentary pleasures they were enjoying, and started focusing on where that mindset was leading them.

(Ill.) I was speaking with my dad today and talking about my bifocals. I have them, he doesn’t. I am to the point where I need them. They help me see clearly - near & far. Many Christians today - they don’t need bifocals, they need an anointing. Jesus told the church in Laodicea Revelation 3:18 “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”

They need to anoint their eyes to see the eternal so that they’ll not be focused on the carnal!

Refocusing on the Eternal instead of the Carnal

Reflecting upon His Foolishness & Ignorance (v1-3; 22)

Notice first that this is a psalm of reflection (v1-3 - ‘were’; ‘was’)

Secondly, (HINDSIGHT IS/20/20 CORRECT?) Well Asaph when looking back is saying that he was foolish & ignorant and was ‘like a beast’ he was dumb as a animal! He had no understanding at all!

You see, you can’t look back & see things clearly if you refuse to get out of the rut you’re in.

Reflecting upon foolishness & ignorance helps keep us from making the same mistakes all over again.

Reflecting upon His Foolishness & Ignorance

Resting in God’s Strength (v26)

The flesh is weak, but God is strong! We cannot rely on our Will, but on His Word!

Rest in God’s Strength

Rejecting Other gods (v27)

Notice what those that go after other gods are likened to - whores.

That is a horrible word that unfortunately describes many Christians - those that are bound to Christ, but lust after and give unto the gods of this world what is due unto Jesus.

Reject other gods

Renewing our Relationship with God (v28)

James 4:8–10 “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

This verse is talking about FAITH

Trusting in God

Trusting in His Promises

Trusting in His Direction

Trusting in His Ordinances & Commands

Renewing our Relationship with God. Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me.”

This should be the prayer of many a Christian today. Instead of seeking after the world’s riches & pleasures - seeking a right spirit & relationship with God.

Conclusion