When winning feels like losing.

Introduction

So the headlines that you may pull up and see if you were to go to social media or a news source. Immigrants fighting in our country, presidential election drama, wars overseas, new sicknesses and flus, protests and violence. And so on and so on. This continues to happen over and over again and it is hard not to feel like the world is nothing but evil. There is no good happening and there are no ways in which light is shining.

On one hand, there is a small truth to this. After all, we live in a sinful world that is affected by the great affects of sin and evil. A world that is perishing and will one day be destroyed.

But the truth is, there is something much larger and greater at play. There is a perspective that you and I must have to change our mindset on things from above. Where our home is.

Whether it is in your journey through the Bible in a year or through the series we have been preaching through, we have been covering a lot of the Psalms. There is a theme that you see in many of the Psalms and there is a theme that many of the Psalmists share. David brings it up often.

It is a complaint almost a plea to God in asking him why it SEEMs that the evil prosper. The wicked get away scot free. The bad guys walk in sin shine and have nothing to worry about. While the good guys, the righteous are constantly in turmoil.

So because we hear this so often in the Psalms and we also hear it from one another and from our own conversations with God, I want to address it this morning.

The New International Version Psalm 73

1 Surely God is good to Israel,

to those who are pure in heart.

2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;

I had nearly lost my foothold.

3 For I envied the arrogant

when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4 They have no struggles;

their bodies are healthy and strong.

5 They are free from common human burdens;

they are not plagued by human ills.

6 Therefore pride is their necklace;

they clothe themselves with violence.

7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity;

their evil imaginations have no limits.

8 They scoff, and speak with malice;

with arrogance they threaten oppression.

9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,

and their tongues take possession of the earth.

10 Therefore their people turn to them

and drink up waters in abundance.

11 They say, “How would God know?

Does the Most High know anything?”

12 This is what the wicked are like—

always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.

13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure

and have washed my hands in innocence.

14 All day long I have been afflicted,

and every morning brings new punishments.

15 If I had spoken out like that,

I would have betrayed your children.

16 When I tried to understand all this,

it troubled me deeply

17 till I entered the sanctuary of God;

then I understood their final destiny.

18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;

you cast them down to ruin.

19 How suddenly are they destroyed,

completely swept away by terrors!

20 They are like a dream when one awakes;

when you arise, Lord,

you will despise them as fantasies.

21 When my heart was grieved

and my spirit embittered,

22 I was senseless and ignorant;

I was a brute beast before you.

23 Yet I am always with you;

you hold me by my right hand.

24 You guide me with your counsel,

and afterward you will take me into glory.

25 Whom have I in heaven but you?

And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

26 My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart

and my portion forever.

27 Those who are far from you will perish;

you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.

28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.

I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;

I will tell of all your deeds.

3 perspective changes we all need.

A proper perspective of Me

Im not as good as I think I am (story of class president)

Im not as good as a parent as I think I am

My kids arent as good as I think they are

A proper Perspective of God

God is just and holy. These are two things that are hard for us to fathom. (RC Sproul story of papers)

A proper perspective of Eternity

we analyze and judge life based on what we see here and now rather than eternity that is to come. This effects everything.

The New International Version Chapter 3

3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.