Our Only Hope In Life or Death

if you'll join me in your Bibles in Psalm 16,

one of my favorite catechisms is by Hercules Collins called the Orthodox. Catechism, it's a Baptist adaption of what is known as the Heidelberg and it opens up with this question that I think is comforted Christians for 400 500 years. And the question is what is your only hope in life and death for another way of saying it is what is your only comfort in life and death and it answers that I am not my own, but belong body, and soul in life and in death to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. I returned to that line often. It helps me through these ups and there's Downs through suffering through uncertainty, even through Joy today. As We Gather in this Advent season, I really want us to begin to cultivate a holy expectation of Hope the begin to anticipate what it looks like for the Lord to return. Psalm 16 speaks of the very truth of Advent that we want to think about this morning hope. It answers the question that every Christian needs to be able to answer with Clarity and conviction. So if you are a Christian in this room, My Hope Is that when you leave this this, this time of worship, you will be able to answer this question, what is your only comfort in life and death?

Can you answer the question? Where is your hope? What do you believe will carry you through suffering? you know, as a pastor, just from you to me, one of the most heartbreaking things is when people come for counsel, after living their life in a hopeless state, They may be their life has not been as hard and then all the sudden it becomes hard. And they're looking for Hope and they could have been cultivating hoe all along.

Where do you look for Joy comfort and security? Psalm 16 is a prayer of David. It was meant to be sung, to be memorized to be meditated on and used in worship. And it urges us towards this very Central truth. Lasting joy and hope is found in Christ alone. You know what so phenomenal is, I did not get the word that Kevin wasn't going to be able to reach until about Thursday Friday. I think Friday. And he was really pushing through he was taking his meds, he really wanted to be here, but it's interesting to me that In Christ Alone is what we saying, right before? That was planned. Last week, previous to this and then the song that we're going to sing after this sermon, is it going to be based on this catechism question? So I just find that really phenomenal. How God works? So we're going to consider this song this. Holy expectation, a longing for Christ. And so when the church remembers the first coming of Christ and it looks forward to his return. We see three great truths. The first truth is Christ Alone is our hope. The second is those who hope in Christ receive His blessings and the third is the path of life is revealed in Jesus. The Risen Lord, all of that through. Psalm 16 the Old Testament. No less So if you have your Bibles, Psalm, 16 a michtam of David, and it says this preserve Me, O God for. In you, I take refuge. I say to the Lord, you are my Lord and I have no good apart from you. Ask for the Saints and the land. They are the excellent one in whom is all my delight. The Sorrows of those who run after another God shall multiply their drink, offerings of blood. I will not pour out or take their names on my lips. The Lord is my chosen portion in my cup. You hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in Pleasant places. Indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. I bless the Lord who gives me counsel in the night. Also, my heart instructs me. I have set the lord always before me because he is at my right hand. I shall not be shaken there for my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices My Flesh. Also, dwells secure for you, will not abandon my soul to Shield or let your Holy One. See corruption you make known to me the path of life in your presence. There is fullness of joy at your right. Hand are Pleasures forever more. Tiger heads with me. father, as we approach this phenomenal text this morning, We can't help see The Echoes and the signpost the direction that this points to Jesus Christ. Lord help us this morning to send her our minds on what you have given us to set our hearts to Delight in you.

To give our strength to your task for us here this morning. Lord, I pray for those that are traveling those that are sick. Those are unable to gather with us this morning, I pray that you would encourage them and guide them and lead them through this. Of time be with us. As we need hope we need help now more than ever.

We ask these things in the precious name of Jesus and by a spirit God's people said, amen.

The psalm of David is very much prophetic. It points us to Jesus and we as Christians, we can read the song with hope so. First, what we're going to see that Christ Alone is our hope. So, if you have your Bibles look at verse for a, she's me one through four with me and David begins with these words. He says, preserve Me O God for in you I take refuge right off the bat. We have this verb for preserve which is the Hebrew word Shamar, which means to guard to watch over to protect. This is the same verse that God used and told Adam to do in the garden. He's told him to keep to guard the garden. This is the same word that was used of the Levites and the the priests they were to keep to guard the temple. And this is the same thing that David is crying out. He's asking God, Who commanded Adam, the representative, the, the image Bearer to guard, and we see God himself as the one who guards perfectly. So that's the first thing that we begin to see David then calls. God, he uses the Hebrew word, El, you have maybe heard of Elohim. Elohim is sort of a plural of El. Sol here is just a generic name for God and he says, God, but then he moves into a deeply personal conversation. So, the first thing we noticed, David calls on God, to protect to watch over to preserve, and that means he can have refuge, and God is like the garden. So God is our refuge. That's what we see in verse 1, in and David. I'm going to figure this out.

One day. We have replaced everything on this poor guy, David, he starts not with self-confidence, but Divine confidence, he knows where to go. When danger comes, he has a refuge to flee to, he doesn't have to sit there in his house, or his Temple or issues or his Palace and would say where do I go from here? No, he goes straight to him. He lifts his voice to God and the song that opens with a cry, but not a cry of Despair. I Cry of dependence, he knows who is. God is Refuge, is a language of trust, refuges, the language of surrender. Refuge is the language of Hope. What does David do when he needs help? He doesn't call up his pastor. But there's nothing wrong with that. He doesn't call up his mom or his dad or his sister or his brother. He cries out to Who The Refuge bring her. he cries out to God for help and an inverse to we see that God is Lord and Savior, David says, I say to the Lord Or it or we could even translate it. I say to Yahweh, you are my I don't know why you are my Lord, I have no good apart from you. So he moves from this generic name, L Yahweh the Covenant name, some of the older translations will translate it may be Jehovah in in some of the King James language you have Jehovah but it's really the Hebrew word that we will often say y'all way. And it's that Covenant name, that was revealed to Moses. And he says, I don't know, which is just a way of saying Sovereign or Lord a king, master, ruler. And David says, Yahweh. You are my Lord, my king, my sovereign, my master. You are the one who rules me. Is that different than what we would talk about today? How many of you have heard that poem called Invictus I am the captain of my soul, right? That's the the Battle Cry of the stoic and all those hardcore men is, like, I rule, I decide where I go. I just have to have enough confidence. I just have to control my emotions and that's not David. Davis says, you are the one who is the captain of my soul. For the Christian, it becomes even more clear because the New Testament, it reveals Jesus as Lord, and Savior as I do and I and Luke 2:11. It says For unto you is Born This Day in the city of David, a savior who is Christ the lord

Think about the connection that's being made there. In this prophecy, he is this Yahweh Who Came In the Flesh. The Works of the Lord are applied to Jesus in the New Testament. Here's one quick example, Joel 232. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved that word. Lord. Again, as y'all way, Paul applies, this directly to Christ Romans 10 9, through 13, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord, Jesus will be saved. Do you see what Paul did? He appropriated an Old Testament text? That was directly applied to God. What does that tell us? Jesus is God. As Christians, we recognize its content continuity. Jesus is Yahweh. This is not to confuse the persons of the Trinity but two identify Jesus with the Divine name. Jesus Is God, and if Jesus is your lord and your savior, you can say with David this next little heart, I have no good apart from you.

think about what it was that mean to say that, You would have to be like, Joe. The Lord gives the Lord takes away, blessed, be the name of the Lord. I have no good apart from you. Think on this with me is your relationship with Christ that you are able to say that Christ is your greatest good and apart from him, you have nothing. Are you able to say that? Truly.

Or maybe you could ask this what competes in your heart to be your greatest good.

We have to see this in first tube that. God Alone is our good without God, every blessing becomes empty with God. Every blessing becomes rich, Jesus asked this question in Matthew 16:26, what will it profit? A man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul, Hope is not found in gifts. And not in the gifts that God gives, but in God himself. That's why we see in 3 through for that. Love for God, shapes love for God's people. We saw this morning in men's bible, study David says here that he Delights in the Saints of the land those who love God. Loved his people. This is not optional, this is the fruit of New Birth, a love for other believers now and we see those naturally, right? To strangers. Can be walking down the street, I'm going to pick on a rich. Rich could be walking down the street in Tombstone, wearing his Packers jersey. And he could see someone across the way wearing, another Packers jersey and immediately, they are best friends, right? Because they have a common love, right? The Packers the Cheeseheads

Packers fans they flock together or take Kevin, for example, Kevin is always running into people who are from where Kentucky. In fact, every time he talks to me, he has made a new best friend from Kentucky. I didn't know there were that many people from Kentucky. We have kids who share the Delight in the same TV show, and they immediately began talking about their favorite show together Christians. We love other Christians because we have a shared Love Of Christ. That's the only thing that brings us together here not, because we will all look alike. Not because we all act alike. Not because we have the same hobbies that because we have the same price and that's what David sees here. And the question we need to ask ourselves is if we find Christian's unattractive butts in comfortable. Psalm 16 is really beginning to invite you to consider where your Delight truly lies. Verse for sounds the warning that says the Sorrows of those who run after. Another God shall multiply. Idolatry, always, multiply sorrow. Anything? That promises with only God can give will produce sorrow. The most dangerous Idol and all of our Arsenal is what capital S. Capital e capital, l capital F self. Self-rule self-protection, self-esteem disconnected from God self-reliance. These Idols, they steal hope they choke out, hope they make Sorrows X William Bridge Road. This, he says so long as man has encouragement elsewhere. He does not encouraged himself in the Lord. His God. When we find Hope in these counterfeit Idols, we will not find Our Hope in the Living. God, where you look for Hope will shave what you become? You become like what you worship. Now Christ is our hope because he came. And that's what we see in 5 through 9, those who hope in God. Receive His blessings. As you turn to verse 5, the song, it begins to shift from a petition to confidence. It goes from a prayer to boldness, it goes from asking to rejoicing David now, begins to describe what belongs to those who take refuge in God alone. If God is our, then these blessings are ours. The first is, the Lord is our portion and our cup. We see this inverted verse five. The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup, you hold my lot. David, he's using this imagery of inheritance. This is the language that was used in Joshua when the land was divided among the tribes. But remember there was one tribe that had a special allotment. Do you remember what tribe that was first? It was Aaron, but then it was the Levites and said the Levites inheritance was what? The Lord would be their allotment, the Lord would be their portion.

God himself was the portion of the Priestly tribe and we don't want to neglect this imagery. Because remember, The Israelites they had an inheritance that was what they were hoping for. That's what they were longing for when they were slaves in Egypt, for 400 years, they were longing for the promised land and then what happened They got into the Wilderness, they grumbled. And then what happened? They go to the edge of the land. They scope it out and what happens there. Go, there's Giants in the land. We cannot possibly go. When after 40 years, they wander think about, for those, 40 years, how hard? That was finally Moses passes away. The former have gone. The new has come and they begin to say, okay, now it's time to enter the promised land Joshua, which is kind of how we have the name Jesus enters. In to the promised land, it began to separate this portion of David here. He says, His chosen portion his lot and a greatest blessing of Salvation is God himself. The heart renewed by the Holy Spirit Longs for God, above all of his gifts, you are not satisfied with a mere temporal gifts that the Lord provides you want him. Himself is not the gift that you want. It's the giver. That's what the heart that is renewed by the Holy Spirit Longs for we want Christ himself. If the difference between a True Believer and a false one is at the Falls, believer. Only wants what God can give a True Believer wants God himself. Maybe a helpful diagnostic question for you is, do you want God for God or do you want only what he gives you? Think about that for a minute. If you didn't have God, but you got all the gifts that God could give, would you be satisfied? Many Christians want Christ, as a lifeguard. Not as their lord. They want someone that will rescue them. They love it when he rescues them, but they don't want to do what he directs them to do. As the deer pants for the water, so my soul Longs for you. Do you want for God? Do you have a thirst for The Living Waters? Because it is advent, we could ask the question. Do you believe Christ came to give you himself? We talked about this a little bit with the men, but a lot of people love the Christmas season, don't they? They like the songs. They like the decorations, they like dressing up. They like the pumpkin spice lattes they like all the things of Christmas, right? And the expectations and the gifts, and all that. And you don't even know a lot of our TV shows. They have Christian music in the background. Come O Come Emmanuel or God bless. God, Rest, Ye Merry Gentlemen. Right? We have all these really Christian theme songs and is more Nostalgia, isn't it? They like Jesus as baby Jesus in a, in a Manger. They don't like him as the Risen. Lord. Cuz they want some it to him. Will they SOS Believers? Can we say the Lord is our inheritance. The lines have fallen for me in Pleasant places. David is reflecting on his life, not through the lens of circumstances, but through the lens of God, Sovereign, goodness, when God is your portion, your inheritance is always Pleasant. Because God himself is Pleasant. The Lord is our counselor. We see that in verses 7 through 8. David blesses God who gives Council and in particular he says in the night Why does he say in the night? Well, that's when your thoughts tend to run a little while? Don't they that's when your fears begin to multiply?

Scary Things That Go Bump in the night. It's kind of set your mind off your scripture provides. Has this truth. It that God's counsel comes through his word James 15 promises wisdom for those who act who ask someone it celebrates meditation day and night. Proverbs says, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

He says, here about setting the lord always before me. And so the set the lord always before you is to direct your mind and your heart by scripture, it is to let God's true shape your desires. And the next thing we see is that the Lord is our security and our joy verses 8 through 9, because God is at David's right hand. He says, my heart is glad And my whole being rejoices My Flesh. Also, dwells secure. Notice this that God is not promising that his people will never face, hardship, in life. He promises that hardship will never have the final word, brothers and sisters in this room. I know you've gone through hardship. I know many of you are in hard times right now. You can have gladness and hope and joy that only the Lord provides even in the midst of your struggles. Security is not the absence of trouble. Security is the presence of God, who is with you in trouble. Psalm 34:19, says, many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of all of them. John 16:33 in the world, you will have tribulation, but take heart, I have overcome the world. Romans 8 tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. That's our security, that's our hope. And notice the connection. Security produces joy, joy is not the absence of Sorrow. Joy is the presence of God and the expectation that God will provide Christ gives blessings because he is with us. He is Emmanuel. The path of life is revealed in Jesus, the Risen Lord. And that's what we see in these final 2 versus we reach or sees me in this. These these two verses 11 at 10 and 11, We reach the climax of the song that I really like, I really like how the Psalms they function as the signpost to Jesus. You are all very familiar with Psalm 22, right? My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? That's what Christ said on the cross and you like, how it points to the crucifixion. Psalm 23 Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Psalm, 1, blessed is the man. That blessed man is Jesus. Here we have or should we even insulting to This, Kiss the son, lest he be angry. We also see David is a type of a future Christ pointing to this Jesus. It says here in our texts for you will not abandon my soul to sheol, that's just the word for the place of the dead or let your Holy One. See corruption

Who said that? David said that Where's David? He's all right. He's in the ground. At first glance, it seems to be like David is speaking about himself, isn't it? But Peter, and acts to and then Paul acts 13. They both say this verse cannot apply to David because David died and David's body. Is the Cade. In fact if you go to Israel now they have what they think is is David's, David's tomb and they will go and they have young men and their that are Reading part of the Torah and they're rocking back and forth the kind of beating their chests and they're right there at David supposed body.

but this passage here says, you will not abandon my soul to see. Oh Lord, let your Holy One. See corruption

the scripture fail. David is speaking truly of his own experience as the Lord's Anointed with the language, ultimately reaches Beyond him, as the apostles will show us. This is the prophecy of the resurrection of Christ. The Holy One, whose flesh did not see, corruption is who Jesus Jesus. Our Paul tells us that David died and was buried in his body decayed. Jesus, however, died but did not remain dead. This is the prophecy about Jesus. In fact, much of the Psalms can be read in light of Jesus. As the true son of Israel. So we have to see in verse 11. That the path of Life must be revealed. David says, you make known to me the path of life. We do not discover the path of Life by our own wisdom by your own moral effort or your own intuition. God must make it known to you. And Jesus himself said, I am the way, the truth and the life. He is the path of life. I don't think I could be any more clear. The Lord makes known the path of life. This is what we call revelational epistemology. This is how God works. We do not know the path of life through our own cleverness or our own rationality. The enlightenment is hit hardest and must be revealed by God to us. God must reveal. What we could. Never discover In God's presence. Is fullness of joy, is in verse 11. It says in your presence. There is fullness of joy. Not partial Joy. Not momentary Joy. Not Fragile, Joy. Fullness. God designed your soul for himself. Joy is not found in self-indulgence is not found in self-protection is not found in self-rule. Joy is found in communion with God. Would you have full Joy? Then you must pursue the presence of God.

Fullness of joy is found in God's presence, which Christ came to no one sleeping. Now Christ came to bring Emmanuel God With Us. It says here at God's right hand are Pleasures forevermore Who is sitting at the right hand of the father. Jesus Christ, risen and raining. I've been teaches us that hope is not a feeling. Hope is not vague optimism. Hope is not wishing. Hope is a risen person. Why did Jesus come to Earth? It was to bring hope. This hope is a fullness of expectation. It is a trust in a future and it's a ho that is found only in Jesus Christ. This is why Christians can have unshakable. Hope. We can have Weekend.

My apologies friends.

It is my fault. Thank you, dick.

Our hope is anchored in the Risen Christ who cannot die but who rules over all things. Hope is certainty about the future because Jesus Christ has secured it. You know, we use the word hope for all manner, of things, my son hopes, he gets a dinosaur for Christmas my other son. Hope she get something for his drum set. The other son hopes he get something for his computer right? They're hoping they're wishing their Desiring, they're wanting over the Christian our hope is different. Our hoe is a trust. It's an expectation because of what has already happened. Our hoe is not fickle, we have a future because Christ has secured it. Christ is risen and will come again. In the meantime we must cultivate joy and hope so if you have mentally checked out from everything, I've said so far check back in for this. Cultivating Joanne. Hope. How do we do it, right? It's not enough to just read this we must ask ourselves. How do we do it? Brothers and sisters. Many Christians, do not experience the joy that psalm 16 promises. They just don't have. You met the e or Christian before? How are you doing today? I'm fine today. But you never know what tomorrow will bring, right? Everything's miserable and it's because they don't cultivate it. They neglect the one who provides it Joy is a fruit of the spirit to walk in joy. You must walk in the spirit to where Joy is lacking. Idols are usually operating So, how do we walk the path of Life daily? Number one, we need to identify Idols. You need to ask this question. Why am I angry? Why am I afraid? What am I trying to keep or to get. What do I believe? I must have to be happy. I need to have that promotion. I need to have the respect of my peers. I need my life to be picture-perfect. I need my Christmas to be Instagram ready, right? All of these things are potential Idols in our life, anything that turns us inward through anger and not being afraid, or trying to keep something. We have to confess sin. That's the second thing confess that you have traded The Fountain Of Joy for broken cisterns. You have traded living running water for the Cesspool confess that you have been looking for Joy where Joy cannot be found. And then third, We Fix Your Eyes On Christ turned again to the Risen Christ. Who is your portion, your Refuge, your inheritance, your joy brothers and sisters. So many Christians have traded their inheritance for a pot of stew for porridge, like, Esau trading, what belongs to you for something that will temporarily fill you up.

Put off the old desires, put on the New Attitudes of Christ that we see in a Fusions. For one writer says this strangle, the deed by cutting off its Air Supply. The Air Supply is the lie that sin will bring you lasting Joy.

True Joy is not found in sin. True Joy is not found in self. True. Joy is not found in Invictus.

True Joy is not found in Rudyard. Kipling's, if true Joy is found in Christ alone, this is our Advent. Hope this is our only comfort in life and death Advent reveals that joy and hope must be received from Christ. Not manufactured from us. This is what the Grinch never understood. How many of you have seen that movie at least twice already? Okay. Mom's in the room have raised her hand?

And How the Grinch Stole Christmas Heath. He's thought that he could ruin Christmas by taking away all the gifts in Whoville, right? He thought he took all the lights. If you took the tree, if you took everybody's presents, they would be as miserable as him. He wanted to ruin their happiness, and their joy and steal their Hope. Just like the Grinch, didn't understand the happiness of pavilions. The world cannot understand the joy of the Christian are joy and ultimate hoe is not wrapped up and decorations is not in wrapping paper, it's in the person of Jesus Christ. Christ with us, I hope that can never be taken from us the baby in Bethlehem became the Risen Lord of Psalm 16. And we have come full circle here this morning, so I'm 16 answers the same question. The catechism asks, what is Our Hope in life and death? What is our comfort in life and death? David answers through the spirit, God Alone is our hope. God himself is our portion in our joy. Jesus Christ reveals the path of life and brings us Eternal joy and Hope. The catechism summarizes at well, I am not my own but the long body and soul in life and in death to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. This is the Hope Advent celebrates Christ, who came in Bethlehem is the Christ who Rose and victory is the Christ. Who will come again in glory? Lift your eyes to him this morning. Your hope is not in your grip on Christ, but in his grip on, you find your joy in him this morning and his Hope was prey.

father, as we approach this time of response and reflection,

We asked you to lead us. Lead us into the The Fountains of Living Water. Lord, may we never be satisfied with the mirror gift. The push past it into the presence. Or because of Christ Jesus, you have made a way where there was no way and so Lord, we worship you this morning. Father, there is people in this room who have lost hope, Restore their Hope by placing their minds on, you rejecting the idols that promise that never deliver, we ask this, in your precious, holy and perfect name. Amen.