Untitled Sermon

God’s Loyal Love

Introduction:

On one Friday night in October of last year with Abide Student ministries, I planned an arts and crafts game night at the Annoni’s. Some opted to paint pumpkins, some opted to swing on the monkey bars on the swing set in the backyard, and lo and behold, the Micklatchers brought a game called, Telestrations. I was curious and looked forward to playing the game, having no idea what we were supposed to do. So Cole graciously and kindly explained all of the game rules, the goals, and how to win. I still didn’t understand, sometimes you just have to play the first round and then you get it. So they passed around little sketchbooks and erasable markers and we were to roll the die and choose a word on a card that we were to sketch. You write out your secret word on the first page and then try to draw the word on the second page, then pass the sketch book to the person on your left and they have to guess what you drew and write a word on the third page, they pass the sketch book to the person on their left and they have to draw out the word that the last person guessed. This keeps going on and on around the circle until the time runs out on the timer. Once everyone is done you share what the key word was from the first page, keep showing the group each page and realize how far away from the key word that everyone ended up.

This is like the game telephone, where a word or idea gets passed around and ends up completely different. This is what happens with gossip and rumors—the original truth gets distorted and twisted. Now, keep that image of distortion in mind as we imagine ourselves as flies on the wall of a tabernacle in Nob, a town of Priests, 2 miles away from Jerusalem.

We notice a man approaching a priest, asking for bread and a sword. The priest explains that the only bread available is the showbread, typically reserved for priests. However, given the circumstances, he offers it to the man and his soldiers. Meanwhile, we spot a spy, hiding behind a wall, observing the interaction. The man talking to the priest is grateful for the bread but also asks if there are any weapons. The priest replies, "Yes, there's a sword that was used by you to slay Goliath, the Philistine whom you killed."

As flies, we piece it together: who killed Goliath? Of course, it's David. So, we now know this is David speaking with a priest named Ahimelech. David takes the sword and leaves, as he's on the run for his life. We then see the spy leaving and, curious, we follow him. We end up on a hill at Gibeah, about three miles north of Jerusalem. We see the spy approaching King Saul and can't help but notice how angry Saul is. We see he's furious because his men didn't inform him about seeing David, and because David made a covenant with Saul's son, Jonathan.

It turns out the spy's name is Doeg. Doeg, which is one of King Saul’s high ranking officials, speaks up, saying he saw David and the priest Ahimelek meeting, and that Ahimelek gave David bread and a sword. King Saul is enraged and summons Ahimelek and his whole family be brought to him. When they arrive, King Saul interrogates Ahimelek, asking why he and David are conspiring against him. Ahimelek defends himself, stating that David is a loyal man and doesn't deserve to be harmed.

King Saul then orders his soldiers to kill Ahimelek and his whole family. All the soldiers are unwilling to slay the priests. So King Saul turns to Doeg and tells him to kill them. Doeg then proceeds to kill Ahimelek, 85 priests, women, infants, children… the whole town of Nob.

Going back to my telestrations illustration…. Doeg saw a conversation between David and Ahimelek and he twisted it and probably even made it seem like David was seeking to kill King Saul when he was unaware, because Doeg implied that David asked Ahimelek for a sword and that he planned to use that sword to kill King Saul. In the same way that a telestration is passed around, exaggerated, blown out of proportion, and distorted, Doeg took his telestration, shared it with King Saul and the whole town of Nob was killed as a result!

Have you ever experienced sharing information with someone only for a bystander to twist the story and spread false rumors?

This is what were dealing with today friends and we're going to learn from this powerful Psalm about what happens when people, like Doeg, live a life of deceit and how true security is found not in deceit, but in God's loyal love.

Why?? because some of you this morning have been on both sides of the situation between David and Doeg. You either seem to be innocent, like David, try to do the right things and ask for permission, only to be stabbed in the back and made out to be a traitor.

Or you are the spy, like Doeg, the eavesdropper, the one who passes gossip or rumors like telestrations to get someone in trouble, caught, or convicted. Not only that, but you feel or felt justified about it, or that it was worth it because there was something in it for you.

I am making the following argument and this psalm is making a similar argument….

Proposition: When you are wounded by wickedness, God's loyal love saves

Has someone done you wrong? Have you done others wrong, the antidote is God’s Loyal Love, and it SAVES!

Not only does God love his children, but He is loyal, he is dependable, he is steadfast, he is faithful, he is available, and he is trustworthy. You can count on Him!

He loves His children so much that he saves them and rescues them to the point that they do not have to fear or fret.

When you are wounded by wickedness, God's loyal love saves in 3 ways described by David…

When Others are Deceitful (Verses 1-4)

When Others are Doomed (Verses 5-7)

When You are Devoted (Verses 8-9)

Let us read Psalm 52:1-9

Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures all the day. 2 Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit. 3 You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right. 4 You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue.

5 But God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. 6 The righteous shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him, saying, 7 “See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction!”

8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever. 9 I will thank you forever, because you have done it.I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly.

Let us pray….

Let us discuss about the heading of this Psalm..

It says…. The Steadfast Love of God Endures

To the choirmaster. A Maskil of David, when Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”

Why does it say… To the choirmaster? It means it is to be directed to the leader of music in the temple.

What is a Maskil?

Root Meaning: The word "maskil" comes from a Hebrew root that signifies "wisdom," "understanding," "insight," or "prudence"

It makes this a Contemplative, Instructive, and meditative Psalm

It is also Didactic: It was designed to teach lessons about God's character, human behavior, the consequences of sin, and the pursuit of righteousness.

Then it provides the backdrop… when Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”

Who is Doeg? He was the one spying on David and Ahimelech in the Tabernacle.

What is an Edomite? It is a descendant of Edom which was 62 miles away from Jerusalem. If it still existed it would be located in the southern part of Jordan. Edomites are descendants of Esau, Jacob's brother (the one who traded his birthright for a bowl of soup). God destroyed Edom because they were enemies of Israel, prideful, and not willing to repent from their actions. This is prophesied about in the book of Obadiah.

Doeg clearly represents the sin of Edom in being prideful, unwilling to repent, and an enemy of Yahweh.

Remember when I told the story as we were flies on the wall in the Tebernacle in Nob? This is all referring back to, 1 Samuel 21 & 22.

I am thankful that this is a historical Psalm, it has a backdrop and a context because some Psalms are written by unknown authors and it is hard to figure out what the Psalmist is trying to communicate.

Transition: Let us begin with the first point from David in this Psalm… When you are Wounded by Wickedness, God’s Loyal Love saves….

1. When Others are Deceitful

We see this in Verses 1-4 by:

-Doeg’s Corrupt Heart

-The Outcome of Doeg’s Deceit

-And the consequences of King Saul’s Anger

Considering all of the chaos that took place, David is indirectly asking a question to Doeg, the Edomite. "Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?" David is wondering why Doeg is prideful, boastful, and joyfully marching on his way to King Saul to snitch on David and twist the narrative.

Maybe some of you wonder if there is irony or sarcasm in the Bible? Well here it is… David is being ironic and being sarcastic in his writing about Doeg. David knows that Doeg is anything but mighty!

-How are you mighty when you slay 85 defenseless priests, who were never trained for battle, with a sword? Doeg is a predator, not a mighty man, who killed and took advantage of priests who couldn’t defend themselves.

Doeg told King Saul that David was given the sword that he used to kill Goliath and the forbidden showbread from Ahimelech the priest. Doeg made it seem like David was plotting to kill King Saul. Why was Doeg such a snitch about David?

David describes why in verses 1-4…. because…

Doeg has a corrupt heart- he speaks evil, his tongue plots destruction, he's a worker of deceit, he speaks lies instead of truth, and he speaks words that devour. David provides multiple descriptions about Doeg's tongue and character in relationship to King Saul… and it all centers on being a deceiver and his tongue cuts deep and causes damage like a sharp razor does!

Based on the character traits of Doeg, he sounds very similar to his father in John 8:44, “44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Doeg lives out the devil’s desires, murders people, and is a liar.

James 3:6 gives more detail about using the tongue for evil, “And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.”

Doeg set everything on fire by hell with his deceitful tongue!

An honest look at 1 Samuel 21 might raise a question about David… He lied to Ahimelech and said that King Saul sent him on a secret mission and that King Saul is the one asking for food.

As flies on the wall we start rubbing our hands together as flies do and we sense a bit of hypocrisy going on!

Reminds me of what Christ taught about not judging in Matthew 7:1-6. You can judge righteously but examine yourself first before you point out the sin of others. Here David is lying and yet he is calling Doeg a liar.

I just wanted to highlight this point before we move on, we have David pointing out that Doeg is a liar, he is wicked, and yet David lied too.

Do we make justifications like this? Is it okay to lie because you are trying to protect your life? I don’t want to die, I don’t want the truth to be known. This is a small lie, it is ok, no one will know and God understands…

We lie because we think we will get away with it with no consequence.

This Psalm shows us and encourages us that we must tell the truth and not speak what is false.

The deceit of Doeg is sin but David lying to Ahimelech is a sin too.

If you are a believer this should remind you of our daily battle in stumbling and sinning, but how our refuge and worldview differs from those who persist in wickedness without confession and repentance.

Focusing on Doeg….

I’m reminded about my High School years at Hayward High and my wife experienced this at San Jose High, the saying: "Snitches get stitches!" Or "Snitches get stitches and end up in ditches!"

It was always a bad thing to tell on someone or reveal someone's secrets, especially when it's for sinful gain or to make yourself look cool or hip at the expense of others.

It was even worse to tell a lie about someone and spread that to get a laugh.

Many fights broke out, as a consequence, on campus as a result of gossip, bullying, and the spread of false rumors. People made sure that whoever spread false information ended up going to the hospital to get stitches.

We will see the stitches that Doeg will receive by God for his deceit and killing the town of Nob in verses 5-7

But in addition to lying, anger is also another sin that is evident in this psalm by King Saul.

Look at what happens as a result of anger and bitter jealousy! Because of Saul's anger towards David… 85 priests, women, children, and livestock were commanded to be killed by Doeg with his sword!

James 1:19-21 says:

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

This is an example for all of us who deal with the sin of anger. It doesn't stop; it doesn't stay small, but it keeps growing and growing, affecting one person and then expanding to groups and communities of people.

We are to put away filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive the word of God. God’s word is the solution. Apart from God’s word, there is no effective counsel for those battling the sin of anger.

We see this even in the example with Cain killing Abel. Anger and jealousy know no bounds!

May God convict us and may he help us to repent daily. This is a real example of how anger is likened to murder in your heart. Anger is not a sin in itself, but left unchecked, it can lead one to murder without any questions asked. More than that, this takes us back to Matthew 5:21-22, where Christ says that you can murder your brother in your heart because you have anger towards your brother that has not been repented of or dealt with.

It all brews and begins in the heart, and as a result, someone is literally murdered.

What is brewing in your thoughts? What have you been contemplating in your heart lately? What have you been keeping in instead of confessing it to God and others so that you may be healed? Bottled-up anger is a recipe for disaster.

For those of you that are married and have children, you understand that there is always a temptation to respond with anger when your children are defiant or in times when communication is not clear with your spouse, maybe even on the way to church this morning! You can get upset and there is an explosion that takes place not because of the issue at hand but because of all of the other tiny disagreements that took place weeks back and were not dealt with.

Is there a light at the end of the tunnel in the midst of deceit, anger, and murder? David is pointing out the fact that he was stabbed in the back by Doeg and he distorted the truth, he lied and now the whole town of Nob is dead. But even though this is the outcome, even though this is the reality…

David is hammering in the main point… Doeg’s way and choices fail! No matter what Doeg has done or what evil people do, no matter what the outcome may be, even if it looks like all hope is gone, even if a massacre occurs... the steadfast love of the Lord endures all the day!

God is still in charge, God is still seated on His throne, God is not surprised, He knows!

How can we trust that what David is stating is true?

Because of God’s hesed love—His loyal covenant love to His children—still stands and is still at work. God is not asleep, and He is not unaware of what has been taking place. David is still confident and still has faith in His sovereign God even when King Saul is seeking to end his life and when Doeg has slain the whole town of priests!

David says in Psalm 139:7-8, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

God is sovereign, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent.

We see this in the book of Ruth. God’s steadfast love was shown to Naomi through Ruth. Even though Orpah returned to Moab, Ruth stayed loyal to Naomi.

God’s steadfast love was shown from Boaz to Ruth. Ruth was a Moabite not an Israelite and yet Boaz redeemed Ruth and she was grafted into the lineage of Christ. Boaz provided for her, married her, and redeemed her. God’s love is steadfast and loyal!

Even though King Saul wants to kill David, Doeg is spreading gossip about him, and if he will live another day, David trusts in God's proven and loyal love!

Even referring back to 1 Samuel 20: 13-17 Jonathan says to David as King Saul is plotting to kill David, “May the Lord be with you, as he has been with my father. 14 If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the Lord, that I may not die; 15 and do not cut off your steadfast love from my house forever, when the Lord cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” 16 And Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord take vengeance on David's enemies.” 17 And Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul.”

The steadfast love of the Lord is mentioned twice in this passage and it is viewed as more important than life itself!

Jonathan is asking David to show him and his future family unconditional, loyal, deep-seated, and promise-keeping love when he is King over Israel.

They are making a covenant and binding agreement with each other in the same way that God Himself makes a covenant with His children.

Thinking of Doeg’s treatment of David… Have you ever been in a situation like this where someone backstabbed you, snitched on you, and you could have done something to get even, but instead you went to God in prayer about it? You trusted God more than getting even?

And as you begin to pray for this person that you might have hated, the Holy Spirit gives you love for that person? Forgiveness, understanding, and consideration?

On this side of the gospel, may we seek to honor Christ, love our enemies, pray for them and those that persecute us and trust that Christ would be glorified ultimately. We can be real with God, cry out to him based on hardships or unfair treatment, but at the end of the day, God is most glorified when we love and pray for our enemies. David could have slit King Saul’s throat when he was asleep but David honors Yahweh and leans into and trusts in His Loyal love.

Transition: Enemies may be deceitful but not for long because vengeance belongs to the Lord. When you are wounded by wickedness, God's loyal love saves even…

2. When Others Are Doomed (Verses 5-7)

But God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. The righteous shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him, saying, “See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction!” (Psalm 52:5-7)

Others are doomed in verses 5-7 as we observe:

-God’s Judgement of Doeg

-The righteous response of Laughter and Relief

-And the false refuge of riches compared to the true refuge of God Himself

So what happens to Doeg and people like him? What happens to the rebel, the disobedient, the unbeliever?

It says at verse 5, that God will break them down forever!

David is laying out the consequences for Doeg. For being a snitch, for killing all the priests and their families, Doeg will not go unpunished. God will break him down, snatch him, and tear him away from this life, essentially. He will be uprooted from this life; he will cease to exist; his final destination is hell and eternal separation from God.

I think of people like Adolf Hitler and how many Jews he killed during the Holocaust—approximately six million Jews! The radicalness of the Gospel is the fact that Hitler and Doeg could be forgiven if they turned from their sin and trusted in Christ for salvation!

But because they don't repent, believers will see God’s wrath poured out on the wicked. Not only that, but believers will laugh out of relief and the fact that justice has been served and God set the record straight. Believers knew this would take place, but the wicked were set on their sin and continued their path.

There were people who laughed out of relief when Hitler died, when Osama Bin Laden was killed, or even Ted Bundy (who murdered 30 women), and Jeffrey Dahmer (who murdered 17 young men). People believed that they got what they deserved!" They laugh out of relief and they have peace now, justice has been served.

See all these people, including Doeg, who would not turn to God? They trusted in their riches, their power, and in this fleeting life. Wealth, fame, and power fades away and you can't take it with you into eternity!

It's an oxymoron to seek refuge in destruction! To seek safety in something that is crumbling down.

People seek to preserve their lives, their flesh, hoping they can freeze their bodies or clone themselves. Instead of facing the reality that time is ticking and our bodies are have an expiration date, ordained by God.

Believers seek refuge in God who is a rock, a firm foundation, immovable, unshakable, steadfast, sure, certain, and everlasting.

Doeg sought refuge in man. He sought refuge in the approval and praise of King Saul and to make him proud.

In proverbs 29:25 we learn that it is a dangerous snare and trap to fear man. But the one that trusts God is safe and protected!

Unbelievers know it; their conscience tells them; it is written on their hearts. But they ignore their conscience, they ignore wisdom, they ignore God! They have become reprobate, and God has given them over to a debased mind. They think evil is good. There are only two options: refuge in God or refuge in destruction. There is no in-between.

Psalm 1 contrasts the blessed man with the wicked.

Remember from our sermon series, Matthew 7:24-27 speaks of building your house on the Rock versus sand.

Proverbs 11:4: "Riches do not profit in the day of wrath." This is a direct parallel.

They are storing up God’s judgment and condemnation over their lives—God's righteous judgment against those who do not know Him. This passage speaks of God inflicting "vengeance on those who do not know Him.”

We know that these people are destined for hell, but God is still rich in mercy.

While we understand laughing out of relief for justice, on this side of the cross, God's loyal love compels us to a different response..."

Who do we need to be praying for in our lives? Is there anyone in our government that we need to be praying for instead of getting into debates about? Are there any criminals locked in prison for life who still have time to repent and turn to Christ? Do we see it as worthwhile to go to prisons or visit people that are on their deathbed in the hospital to spread the gospel? Do we have neighbors that we judge based on their appearance and think their is no hope for them?

It may seem like there is no hope for them, but do we just sit there and laugh out of relief, or does this give us compassion to pray for them, that God would sovereignly draw them to Himself? The person you are praying for can seem evil at the moment, but God can turn their life around like Saul, a persecutor of Christians, who became the Apostle Paul.

Transition: Unbelievers shake their fists in rebellion against God and they are satisfied and take refuge in man, their wealth, their dreams, and their strength. In their state of disobedience they are doomed for destruction… But David teaches us, When you are wounded by wickedness, God's loyal love saves…

3. Conclusion: When You are Devoted (Verses 8-9)

But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever. I will thank you forever, because you have done it. I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly. (Psalm 52:8-9)

In Verses 8-9 we see a shift from others to David as he says I am …. I trust…. I will

David was devoted and when you are devoted to God you will bear fruit in the following ways:

-You will grow like a Green Olive Tree

-You will depend on God’s Loyal Love

-You will recognize your need for a Godly community

We saw that God will break the wicked down in verse 5. He will break people like Doeg down… But as a child of God, David is like a green olive tree. What is a green olive tree?

It represents a righteous individual who is deeply rooted in their faith, thrives under God's protection and love, prosperity, good fruit, and an example of peace and stability in God compared to the destructive nature of the wicked.

A Christian believer in whatever stage of their sanctification are considered to be a branch of the green olive tree. Why? Because of Jesus Christ and the faith that believers place in Him.

Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. Christ is the Son of David and David is a foreshadowing of Christ that was to come. David’s good deeds and works is not what made him a green olive tree, but it was Yahweh who made David a healthy, stable, and rooted. Without God, one is unstable, unhealthy, withering, and blows away like chaff in the wind, Psalm 1.

Ultimately, Jesus is the only green olive tree!

Where is this made possible and where is the olive tree assumed to grow and prosper??

….. According to David… "in the house of God." This means in relationship to God, by His doing, by His sustaining power and grace. Among the people of God, believers that worship God in spirit and in truth. In the house of God where God’s word is proclaimed.

The wicked trust in their riches and seek refuge in destruction, like Doeg who gives his allegiance to King Saul….. believers trust in their God to provide and protect them. They only seek to worship and dedicate their lives to God.

You can see what a person loves or treasures by where and how they spend the majority of their time and resources.

Where your treasure is, your heart is there also.

Vacations are great and summer is the season to take advantage of that but throughout the year, week after week, where do you spend the majority of your time? Is it at church or is it at home watching sports, at the golf courses, at the beach, or are you purposely at home because you use your whole Sunday to rest and prepare for the week or catch up on errands?

This is what David is getting at. He is in the house of God. He prioritizes His relationship with God. It is not about going to a physical building it is about uniting with a body of believers, it is about the priority and focus on your relationship with God above all else. I am not only talking about coming to church on Sunday morning.

That is where the word is proclaimed, but what about the application portion and challenge within a Home Group? Sometimes things really don’t click until you hear other brothers and sisters discussing the text. When you sit in a smaller setting God’s word begins to sink in deeper and you ask questions and you grow spiritually.

If you have not attended one of our Home Groups, I highly encourage it and challenge you to join and come with a willing heart to participate.

A relationship with God naturally draws us to His people and to His house, because it is there that we grow spiritually, are challenged, and grow in community for the glory of God.

Jesus Christ died for His bride, the church, and believers are not to forsake the assembling of themselves as the body of Christ, as the habit is of some, because it is God’s desire for His children to worship Him, pray, sit under the preaching of His word, and fellowship that He might be glorified. Life in God is not about us, it is about Him!

Not only that, but David trusts in and emphasizes the steadfast love of God again. This is where those that believe and trust in God’s loyal love unite. They unite in the house of God, they praise him, they uplift him, they are reminded afresh about God’s loyalty and promise towards them. He is for His children and He keeps them!

This is what compels David to live for God, make Him central in His life, and grows spiritually as a result.

The steadfast love of God, God’s loyal love, is portrayed in the life, death, and resurrection of His son Jesus Christ. Approximately 1,000 to 1,500 years passed between when David penned this Psalm to the life of Jesus. The promised Messiah who was prophesied to take away the sins of the world!

Here is the resolve concerning the deceit of Doeg and David lying to Ahimelech from the beginning.

David may have lied but he is forgiven, he repents, he trusts in Yahweh, and is a part of God's covenant family and loyal love.

We see that David takes responsibility for the death of all the Priests and families at Nob. 1 Samuel 22:20-22 says, “But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. 21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22 And David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father's house.

David admits that it is his fault and he feels guilty, but he responds by showing steadfast love and protection to Abiathar, Ahimelech’s son. David doesn’t abandon him but he helps him; David’s confession and repentance leads him to action and to help Abiathar.

Doeg is deceitful and he trusts in his riches and allegiance to King Saul. He doesn’t repent after killing the town of Nob, there is no mention of Doeg after this psalm, we can assume he is set on living his life the way he wants to.

Instead of bowing the knee and serving Yahweh, he continues to serve himself and worships himself, King Saul, and trusts in his strength and his destiny. As it said in verse 7, Doeg sought refuge, protection, and security in what will destroy him and separate him from God eternally.

Children of God, I am not suggesting to lie on purpose because you will be forgiven, but I am saying that there is forgiveness when you lie through repenting and trusting in Christ. Lying and deceit is a sin and all sin has been paid and forgiven by Christ by the blood he shed at the cross. Though you are guilty and condemned by sin, you can be made righteous through Christ and His work on the cross.

Oftentimes, we can be praying that God would deal with someone, strike them with a lightning bolt, or pour out his wrath on people because they deserve condemnation or because they have sinned against you. And at the same time, by the Holy Spirit, God is convicting us and asking, why are you praying for a liar to be condemned, when you are a liar too or you just lied 2 seconds ago!

What we should be praying for is God's mercy and grace upon our souls and for his sovereign hand to draw unbelievers to Himself and be thankful that we are the object of God's steadfast love through Christ.

Talk about steadfast, talk about being truthful, talk about being a promise keeper! Many years passed, and God was faithful through His steadfast and loyal love from Genesis to Revelation, and today!

David says I will thank you forever and ever, not even seeing prophecy unfold in seeing the Messiah be born, live, die, and rise again.

How much more should we be thankful that we are on this side of the cross!

God has truly “done it,” as David says.

God has done it by His steadfast love, by his Loyal love, expressed and portrayed in His Son, Jesus Christ. It is done, it is finished, no more debt I owe, paid in full, all sufficient, merit not my own - Shane and Shane

As David declares in this psalm, I would like to ask you, will you wait for Christ?

Will you wait for His second coming? Will you persevere through life's trials and consider it a joy to suffer for Christ and His Gospel?

David doesn’t do this alone, but in the presence of the Godly, among a body of believers.

We need each other in our walk with Christ!

I am reminded of our mission statement: We exist to glorify God, by building a community of believers who are actively committed to knowing, applying and proclaiming the Word of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Ezra 7:10 says, “10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel”

We are to know God’s Word, apply God’s word to our lives, and proclaim it.

Sure we can study God’s word alone but it is impossible to apply and proclaim it alone. We need to apply the word of God in our lives in the way we treat our neighbors but also the family of God. Yes, we can teach a Bible study with our friends and co-workers but it is implied and assumed that the Word of God is proclaimed at church. We need to unite with a community of believers that are actively committed to the Gospel.

We live out Ezra 7:10 together not in isolation, not on an island, but as a community, as a family, that God would be glorified and that we would become more like Christ.

May we have a love for our church family and may we have a passion to invite people to join us as we worship and live for the glory of Christ.

As I come to a close, I would like to remind you about my proposition:

When You Are Wounded by wickedness, God’s Loyal Love Saves

Similar to my telestrations example in my introduction, we can be wounded by wicked gossip, rumors, or distortion and yet we learn that the antidote for all of life’s sin struggles is God’s Loyal Love and a relationship with Him.

Christ was wounded, Christ was betrayed, and yet He said not my will but His Father’s will be done.

Judas, who spent countless hours with Christ and did life with him, notified the Romans where Jesus was located for 30 pieces of silver.

All of the disciples ran away and deserted Christ when he was arrested in the Garden of Gathsemane Mark 14:50

Peter denied Christ three times….

This may have wounded Christ but it didn’t stop Christ. Christ trusted in the Loyal Love of His Father and He was saved by His Father through resurrection, ascension, glorification and to take his rightful place at the right hand of His Father in glory.

Man is fickle but God’s Love is Loyal, unchanging, and steadfast!

As we consider what we have learned from David throughout this psalm, I have 3 challenges for you to consider:

Concluding Thoughts:

Tell… the truth- We cannot take lying lightly, there are consequences when we lie and when we distort the truth through gossip and spreading rumors. The whole town of Nob was killed because of the distorted lie that Doeg told King Saul.

Trust… in God as your refuge- As others make their riches, careers, and success their refuge, remember that this is all fleeting and condemnation and judgment remain for those that deny Christ. Rest and Trust in Christ for salvation. If you are a believer, examine if you are in the faith daily. If you are an unbeliever, see that there is mercy and Grace that was extended to David but no rest for the wicked, like Doeg. We must see our need for a relationship with Christ.

Treasure… Your church family- Many think that church is an option but people don’t understand how much Christ loves His bride. It was displayed at calvary 2,000 years ago, when he was whipped, bruised, nailed to the cross, endured excruciating pain for countless hours that sinners would be forgiven of their sins and that believers would unite together in prayer, under God’s word, in fellowship, and in love that Christ would be glorified and that His bride would become more and more like Him.

Revelation 19:7-8 says:

6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

“Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.”

By His Grace, may we, the bride of Christ, be ready for the second coming of Jesus Christ our Lord!

Let us pray.