I Didn’t Die

Introduction

As we prepare our hearts for God's Word,

I summon your senses

and invite your intellect

to the book of Psalms,

chapter 118,

verses 13 through 18.

And it is there that the Holy Spirit has highlighted our context

for our sermonic time together this morning.

Bible Passage

Psalm 118:13–18 (MSG)

"I was pushed hard, so hard I was falling, but God helped me.

God's my strength, he's also my song, and now he's my salvation.

Hear the shouts, hear the triumph songs in the camp of the saved?

'The hand of God has turned the tide!

The hand of God is raised in victory!

The hand of God has turned the tide!'

I didn't die.

I lived!

And now I'm telling the world what God did.

God tested me, he pushed me hard, but he didn't hand me over to Death."

I. The Push Was Real—Don't Act Like It Wasn't

Have you ever had a season that nearly broke you?

Not inconvenienced you.

Not frustrated you.

Nearly BROKE you.

Have you ever been so low that you stopped telling people how you really doing because you did not even know where to start?

Have you ever smiled on the outside while something on the inside was violently falling apart?

Have you ever laid in the dark and wondered if God still saw you?

(Pause)

If that is you— then I need you know this afternoon that this Word was not written for people who have it all together.

This Word was written for people who are STILL standing despite what life has thrown at you

This Word is for the ones who got knocked down— but kept getting UP!

This Word is for the ones who cried all night— but you showed up anyway!

This Word is for the ones who had every reason to quit—but something deep on the inside you said HOLD ON!

(Pause)

Now here is what I need us to understand about this Psalm.

This was not written from a comfortable place.

This was not written by someone who had never known real pressure.

The man who wrote these words was writing from the middle of a fight for his LIFE.

Biblical scholars tell us Psalm 118 was most likely sung during the Feast of Tabernacles.

And the Feast of Tabernacles was not a celebration of ease.

It was a celebration of survival.

Every year, God's people would build temporary shelters—

these were booths made of branches,

open to the wind,

exposed to the elements—

to remind themselves of the wilderness.

To remember what it felt like to have no guarantees.

To remember what it was like to have No backup plan.

To remember what it was like to have no available safety net.

Just God & God Alone

(Pause)

And they would SING.

Not because life was perfect.

But because God had brought them through something that should have killed them.

That is the context of this text.

And that is exactly why this Psalmist's words hit so close to home.

Because he is not preaching at you from a distance.

He is not talking about somebody else's struggle.

He sat down and wrote what HE went through.

What HE felt.

What tried to take HIM out.

I just believe this Word is for somebody in this room today

Somebody who has been through something.

Somebody who has survived something.

Somebody who is still carrying something that they have never told another living soul about.

This is a word for the person sitting in this room today who knows exactly what it feels like to be pushed to a place you never thought you would find yourself.

Because some of you did not come here today from a place of victory.

You came here tired.

You came here carrying something heavy.

You came here from a week—

maybe a year—

maybe a decade—

that has been trying to take you out.

And I need you to know that you are sitting in exactly the right place to hear exactly the right Word.

(Pause)

Now walk with me into verse 13.

The Psalmist opens with this:

"I was pushed hard, so hard I was falling..."

Now let’s stop right there.

I need you to feel the weight of that word—

PUSHED.

This is not a passive language.

Notice, it did not say “I fell."

The text doesn't say, “I tripped."

It didn’t say, "I lost my balance."

He said, "I was PUSHED."

Somebody put their hands on him!

Something came at him with intentional force!

There was deliberate pressure designed to take him DOWN!

And it was not a gentle push—

he said it was HARD!

So hard—that he was not just stumbling—

he was FALLING!

(Pause)

Now there is a difference between stumbling and falling.

When you stumble,

you are able to catch yourself.

You may grab the wall,

you can steady your feet,

you can regain your footing.

But when you are FALLING—

you have already left the ground.

You are in the air.

You are in freefall.

And you cannot save yourself.

And You need somebody to CATCH you!

(Pause)

Now here is what makes this text so honest—

so raw—

so real—

the Psalmist does not skip over the fall.

He does not open with the victory.

He does not lead with the celebration.

He leads with the PUSH.

He says, "Before I tell you I lived—

let me tell you how close I came to dying."

Church, that is the kind of faith I want.

Not the kind that pretends the hard times never happened.

Not the kind that glosses over the pain.

But the kind that says,

"Yes, it was hard.

Yes, it hurt.

Yes, I was falling.

BUT—God helped me."

Because the "but God" does not hit right unless you are honest about the fall!

(Pause)

So I want to ask you something today.

What has been pushing you?

What has been coming at you with deliberate force?

Because life will push you—

and it will push you HARD!

Loss will push you!

Disappointment will push you!

Sickness will push you!

Betrayal will push you!

Failure will push you!

Fear will push you!

And the enemy—

the enemy does not push gently.

He does not nudge.

He does not tap.

He tries to SHOVE you off the edge of your faith,

He tries to SHOVE you off the edge of your hope,

He tries to SHOVE youoff the edge of your sanity,

He tries to SHOVE you off the edge of your very LIFE!

He pushed the Psalmist so hard

that the ground was no longer beneath his feet!

He was in the air!

& He was going DOWN!

And perhaps you know exactly what that feels like.

Maybe you have been in a season where you could feel yourself losing altitude.

Where every morning felt harder than the last.

Where the ground beneath your faith felt less and less solid.

Where you looked around and everything that used to hold you up had given way.

And you were not stumbling—

you were FALLING.

(Pause)

But here is what the Psalmist does next—

and this is the pivot that changes everything—

he does not end the sentence at "falling."

He adds two more words that flip the entire story upside down!

He says, "I was pushed hard, so hard I was falling—

but GOD helped me!"

Somebody shout, "BUT GOD!"

(Pause)

II. When You're Falling, Heaven Reaches Down

See, the enemy's plan was to push you into the grave!

The enemy's plan was to push you into depression!

The enemy's plan was to push you into giving up!

The enemy's plan was to push you into walking away from your faith!

But the enemy did not calculate the intervention of the Almighty!

When you were falling—

God reached down!

When you were sinking—

Grace grabbed hold!

When you were slipping—

Mercy got a grip on you!

I need somebody to understand today—

you did not survive because you were smart enough!

You did not make it because you were strong enough!

You did not overcome because you had it all figured out!

You survived because GOD HELPED YOU!

That marriage that is still standing—

that’s God helping you!

That mind that is still intact after everything you have been through—

that’s God helping you!

Those children that are still alive—

that’s God helping you!

That job you thought you would lose—

that’s God helping you!

That addiction that had you bound—

it was God that helped you!

That grief that tried to swallow you whole—

it was God that helped you!

Testify to your neighbor and say, "God helped me!"

(Pause)

III. He Became My Strength When I Had None Left

Look at verse 14 in the text.

The Psalmist declares,

"God is my strength, he's also my song, and now he's my salvation."

Three things he mentions.

Strength.

Song.

Salvation.

Let me break it down.

When the push came, and you had no strength left—

HE became your strength!

When the push came, and you had no song left—

HE became your song!

When the push came, and you needed saving—

HE became your salvation!

This, my brothers and sisters, is substitutionary provision!

When you run out—

He runs in!

When your tank is empty—

He becomes your fuel!

When your legs give out—

He becomes your foundation!

Stop trying to be strong in your own power!

Learn to lean on the Strong One!

Stop trying to manufacture your own joy!

Let HIM be the melody in your midnight!

The reality is, when you are pushed to your limit,

you find out what you are really standing on!

(Brief Pause)

Some of you found out you were not standing on your money—

because the money ran out!

Some of you found out you were not standing on your health—

because the sickness came!

Some of you found out you were not standing on people—

because people walked away!

But you discovered you were standing on the ROCK that is higher than you!

You discovered you were standing on the One who was, and is, and is to come!

You discovered you were standing on the Lily of the Valley,

the Bright and Morning Star!

You discovered you were standing on the Way-Maker,

the Miracle Worker

the Promise-Keeper,

& the Light in the Darkness!

And because HE is your strength—

you are STILL STANDING!

Somebody ought to praise him right there!

(Pause)

IV. The Sound of Survival—Victory Songs in the Camp

Now, verse 15 shifts the scene.

The Psalmist asks a question—

"Do you Hear the shouts, Do you hear the triumph songs in the camp of the saved?"

Now wait a minute—

The Psalmist said, there is a SOUND coming from somewhere!

What is that sound?

That is the sound of survivors!

That is the sound of overcomers!

That is the sound of people who should have died—

but they LIVED!

The enemy expected a funeral,

but he walked into a PRAISE PARTY!

The enemy expected weeping,

but he heard WORSHIP!

The enemy expected a graveyard,

but he found a GLORY ZONE!

Listen to what they are singing:

They said, “The hand of God has turned the tide!"

Oh, I feel something in my spirit!

The Psalmist said:

The HAND of God!

Not the word of man—

the HAND of God!

Not the wisdom of the world—

the HAND of God!

When the HAND of God gets involved—

The tides TURN!

When the HAND of God shows up—

situations SHIFT!

When the HAND of God intervenes—

what was going against you starts going FOR you!

What was working against you —

now starts working THROUGH you!

(Brief Pause)

The diagnosis said death—

but the HAND of God said LIFE!

The circumstances said failure—

but the HAND of God said FAVOR!

The report said it is over—

but the HAND of God said IT IS JUST BEGINNING!

He said, “The hand of God is raised in VICTORY!"

I can hear it today!

I hear shouting rising up in the camp!

I hear chains breaking and praise breaking out!

I hear survivors standing tall and testifying!

I hear overcomers lifting their voices and giving God the glory!

Do you hear it, church?

It is the sound of victory!

It is the sound of breakthrough!

It is the sound of God's people proclaiming—

"God brought us through, and we're still standing!"

Somebody Give God Some Praise!

V. The Testimony: I Didn't Die!

Now we arrive at the pinnacle of the text.

In Verse 17—the Psalmist makes a declaration

He says: "I didn't die. I LIVED!"

All the while the enemy was busy writing up the obituary—

but God tore it up!

The enemy planned the funeral—

but God cancelled it!

The enemy measured you for a casket—

but God fitted you for a crown!

YOU DIDN'T DIE!

When they talked about you—

you didn't die!

When they lied on you—

you didn't die!

When they walked away from you—

you didn't die!

When sickness attacked your body—

you didn't die!

When depression knocked at your door—

you didn't die!

When the weight of life felt like it would crush you—

you didn't die!

When the relationship fell apart—

you didn't die!

When the business collapsed—

you didn't die!

When the dream seemed dead—

you didn't die!

You're still here!

You're still breathing!

You're still believing!

You're still holding on!

And not only are you still here—

YOU'VE GOT A STORY TO TELL!

Then the Psalmist says, "And now I'm telling the world what God did!"

That is what a testimony is!

A testimony is a survivor's report!

A testimony is evidence that death could not hold you!

A testimony is proof that the grave could not keep you!

Every time you open your mouth and tell what God did—

you are reminding the enemy that his plan FAILED!

So start telling everybody what God did!

He kept you when you could not keep yourself!

He held you when you had nothing to hold on to!

He spoke to you when everything around you was silent!

He provided when the bank account said impossible!

He healed when the doctors said incurable!

He opened doors when every door looked shut!

YOU DIDN'T DIE—AND YOU'VE GOT A STORY TO TELL!

Somebody ought to lift up you voice and give god a praise right there

VI. The Test Had a Purpose

Finally Now look at verse 18.

This verse is crucial.

He said: “God tested me, he pushed me hard, but he didn't hand me over to Death."

did you catch that?

He said, GOD tested me.

Yes, the enemy pushed.

But God ALLOWED the test!

Here is the theological truth:

Not everything that pushes you is just the enemy—

sometimes it is a God-ordained test!

Sometimes God lets you go through the fire to prove you are fireproof!

Sometimes God lets you face the giant,

to show you that you are more than a conqueror!

Sometimes God lets the storm rage,

to demonstrate that He is the Master of the wind and the waves!

Yes, the test was HARD—

but it had a PURPOSE!

Yes, the fire was HOT—

but it burned off what did not belong!

Yes, the valley was DARK—

but it taught you to walk by faith and not by sight!

Yes, God pushed you hard—

but He did not hand you over to death!

He let you bend but not break!

He let you fall but not fail!

He let you shake but not shatter!

Because there is a difference between being tested and being terminated!

(Brief Pause)

God tested Abraham—

but He did not hand him over to death!

God tested Job—

but He did not hand him over to death!

God tested David—

but He did not hand him over to death!

God tested Joseph—

and though he was betrayed, thrown in a pit, falsely accused, & left in a prison—

He did not hand him over to death!

God tested YOU—

BUT you are STILL HERE!

VII. A Personal Reflection

Think back over your own life.

Think about the season you were not sure you would survive.

Think about the year that almost broke you.

Think about the moment when you honestly did not know if you had anything left to give.

Maybe it was when the marriage crumbled.

Maybe it was when the doctor gave you that report.

Maybe it was when the person you trusted the most,

became the one who hurt you the deepest.

Maybe it was when the grief of losing someone you loved made it hard to even get out of bed.

Maybe it was financial ruin.

Maybe it was public humiliation.

Maybe it was a private battle nobody even knew you were fighting.

But despite everything you have been though,

you are still here.

You made it through that season.

You are living proof that God does not abandon His people in the fire!

And the same God who brought you through THEN

is the same God who will bring you through NOW!

The test is not the end of your story!

It is the setup for your testimony!

VIII. The Declaration—We Didn't Die!

So let the devil hear this today from EVERY voice in this room!

Yes, you pushed—

but WE ARE still here!

Yes, you plotted—

but WE ARE still here!

Yes, you persecuted—

but WE WERE NOT DESTROYED!

Yes, you planned our funeral—

but WE ARE preaching at YOUR funeral!

We are preaching over everything that tried to kill us!

We are dancing on the grave of every attack!

We are shouting over every obstacle!

We are praising through every pain!

Because WE DIDN'T DIE!

We didn't die in the waiting!

We didn't die in the warfare!

We didn't die in the wilderness!

We didn't die in the weeping!

WE LIVED!

And because we lived—we are TELLING!

We are telling everybody who will listen—

OUR GOD IS FAITHFUL!

OUR GOD IS ABLE!

OUR GOD IS STRONG!

OUR GOD IS A KEEPER!

OUR GOD IS A HEALER!

OUR GOD IS A DELIVERER!

OUR GOD IS A WAY-MAKER!

AND WHAT HE DID FOR ONE, HE WILL DO FOR ALL!

So if you have been pushed—

PRAISE HIM!

If you have been tested—

TESTIFY!

If you have been through the fire—

GIVE HIM GLORY!

If you are still standing—

YOU NEED TO SHOUT, "I DIDN'T DIE!"

You didn't die when the marriage got hard—

YOU LIVED!

You didn't die when the money got funny—

YOU LIVED!

You didn't die when the diagnosis came—

YOU LIVED!

You didn't die when the betrayal hit—

YOU LIVED!

You didn't die when grief overwhelmed you—

YOU LIVED!

You didn't die when the hurt came from people you loved—

YOU LIVED!

You didn't die when your children broke your heart—

YOU LIVED!

You didn't die when the addiction had you bound—

YOU LIVED!

You didn't die when everybody walked away—

YOU LIVED!

AND YOU ARE TELLING THE WORLD WHAT GOD DID!

He did it!

He did it!

HE DID IT!

And He is not finished yet!

The best is STILL ahead!

The greatest chapters are STILL coming!

The mightiest moves are STILL unfolding!

So we are stepping into this next season with fresh fire!

We are stepping forward with renewed vision!

We are stepping forward with holy boldness!

BECAUSE WE DIDN'T DIE!

AND WE WON'T DIE!

AND WHEN IT IS ALL OVER,

WHEN THE BATTLE IS WON,

WHEN THE RACE IS RUN—

WE WILL STAND BEFORE OUR SAVIOR AND SAY, "WE MADE IT!"

NOT BECAUSE WE WERE PERFECT—

BUT BECAUSE HE WAS FAITHFUL!

GIVE GOD A SHOUT OF PRAISE IN THIS PLACE!

THE ENEMY PUSHED—

BUT GOD CAUGHT US!

THE STORM CAME—

BUT GOD ANCHORED US!

THE FIRE BURNED—

BUT GOD PRESERVED US!

WE.

DIDN'T.

DIE.

Somebody give God a praise that sounds like a survivor!

Let the redeemed

of the Lord

SAY SO!

Open your mouth and TESTIFY—

I DIDN'T DIE!

& Because I didn't die, I have victory—

Victory is mine Victory today is mine I told Satan, get thee behind Victory today is mine

Love is mine / Love today is mine Joy is mine / Joy today is mine Peace is mine / Peace today is mine Healing is mine / Jesus is mine

Victory in Jesus, my Savior forever He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood He loved me 'ere I knew Him and all my love is due Him He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood

He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way He lives! He lives! Salvation to impart! You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart

God bless you.

May He bless you real good.

You didn't die.

Because He lives.