PSALM 42-43 PART 1

Well this morning we continue on and I sermon series in the Book of Psalms finishes for now today or next Sunday. And then it'll probably be the following summer that we get back to it. But today we're looking at Psalms 42 and 43 really 42 is on the schedule. But in studying I came to realize that the themes that are similar in 42 and 43. It's not just a coincidence or it's not just the fact that they were put together most likely put together side by each because of their similarities, but rather there's a very good chance. It was all one song Eventually and so I decided to deal with 4243 both this Sunday and next Sunday and considered a two-part sermon with a sermon from today simply being an introduction to that to sparked sermon a 40 minute introduction but an introduction none the less.

There is an idea in Christianity. I'm not sure how long it's been around but it's the idea of a god-shaped vacuum in the soul of every man. Have you heard that before there's a god-shaped vacuum inside every human being this idea likely came from French mathematician and physicist and Catholic Theologian Blaise Pascal. Pascal Road and examination and a defense of the of Christianity called ponce's or thoughts and this is where that idea likely originated don't want to read for you an excerpt from that and you can see this idea of the god-shaped vacuum. Pascal rates all men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war and have others avoiding. It is the same desire and both attended with different views the will never takes the least stuff. But to this object this is the motive of every action of every man, even those who hang themselves. And yes after such a great number of years no one without faith has reached the point to which all continually look and that's why the present never satisfies us experience dupes us and for Misfortune to Misfortune leads us to death. What is it? Then that this desire and his inability Proclaim to us, but there was once in man a true happiness of which there now remain to him only the mark and empty Trace which he and vein tries to feel from all his surroundings seeking from things absent the help he does not obtain and things present. But these are all inadequate because the infinite Abyss can only be filled by an infinite an immutable object that is to say only by God himself that's where this idea of a god-shaped vacuum in the soul of man likely came from there's something inside of us. That can only be filled and only be satisfied by God this longing this desire this thirst for something Beyond ourselves has been called many things. Pascal's, we just read calls and a desire. For happiness will see little further on in the sermon the Beloved author CS Lewis called it a desire for eternity. And it has been considered in many other ways throughout the ages. Needless to say the god-shaped vacuum metaphor correctly indicates. That our deepest desires are most profound longings are greatest Soul. Thirst can only be satisfied by God and Psalm 42 and Psalm 43.2 that precisely let's read Psalm 42 and Psalm 43 together.

Psalm 42 to the choirmaster a maskil of the sons of Korah as a deer pants for flowing streams so pants my soul for you. Oh God. My soul thirsts for God for the Living God When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night. Well, they say to me all the day long. Where is your God these things? I remember as I pour out my soul how I would go with a throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shows and songs of praise a multitude keeping Festival. Why are you cast down? Oh my soul. And why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God? Racial again praise him my salvation of my God. My soul is cast down Within Me. Therefore. I remember you from the land of Jordan and from Herman from Mount mizar deep calls to deep at the Roar of your waterfalls. All your Breakers in your waves have gone over me by day. The Lord commands his steadfast love and at night his song is with me a prayer to the god of my life. I say to God my rock. Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go morning? Because of the oppression of the enemy has with deadly wound in my bones my add the series told me what they say to me all the day-long. Where is your god? Why are you cast down on my soul? And why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God for I shall again praise him my salvation and my God. Vindicate me o God and defend my cause against an ungodly people from the deceitful and unjust man deliver me for you are the god in whom I take refuge. Why have you rejected me? Why do I go about morning? Because of the oppression of the enemy send out your light in your truth? Let them lead me let them bring me to your Holy Hill into your dwelling. Then I will go to the altar of God the God my exceeding joy and I will praise you with the liar. Oh God my God. Why are you cast down? Oh my soul. And why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God or I shall again praise him my cell vacation and my god, let's pray.

Precious father would you help us this morning? as we come to your words

needing to be feds. Needing to have that thirst and that hunger deep within our souls filled. Would you do that father God we can't accomplish that.

I pray father God that you would give us. Ears to hear your word this morning. Help us to understand it with our minds and embrace it with our hearts.

We know that as we do so as you help us to do so you will change us. Conform us to the image of your son father God even as you promise to Do complete the work that you began in us even as you promised to do.

Help us father God to see Christ to see him more clearly to see him in his Beauty and in his glory. I pray this in his name a man. Thirsting for God an introduction to a two-part sermon on Psalm 42 and 43 and in particular. I'm looking at the first two verses of Psalm 42 as a deer pants for flowing Stream So pants my soul for you. Oh God, my soul thirsts for God for the Living God. Point number one you can simply put down first. We have a deep thirst in our souls for God.

Ecclesiastes 3 verse 11 says this key meaning God has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from beginning to the end. The writer of Ecclesiastes says there is eternity in the heart of men but it's an eternity which isn't truly Eternal. It's not that man lives forever and is always lives so that he can figure out all of God. But rather there's something in there the Tyndale Old Testament commentary says this The Eternity of God's dealing with mankind corresponds to something inside. We have a capacity for Eternal things. We are concerned about the future. We want to understand from the beginning to the end and have a sense of something which transcends our immediate situation. God put eternity in our hearts CS Lewis as I told you before he links this eternity within us with a thirst and with a longing and was a desire. We have a desire for something intern or Eternal within our hearts CS Lewis wrote this he said most people if they had really learn to look into their own Hearts would know that they do want and want acutely something that cannot be hide in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise. If I find in myself a desire, which no experience in this world can satisfy the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. Probably Earthly Pleasures were never meant to satisfy it but only to arouse it to suggest the real thing if that is so I must take care on the one hand never despise or Beyond thankful for these Earthly blessings and on the other never to mistake them for something else of which they are only a kind of copy or echo or Mirage. I must keep alive in myself the desire for my True Country, which I shall not fine till after death. I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside. I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and a help others do the same. A CS Lewis recognizing that deep longing in the soul of men for something of Eternity.

I think you know it's there. I think you have felt that long and not desire. And it does it forms a deep vacuum in our soul we have this Yearning For Eternity in our hearts.

By the sea is Lewis noted nothing of this world can satisfy it. We have this thirst but we have no satisfaction. No quenching. No slaking of that thirst at least not from things in this world. Why is it why is it that we have this desire deep within us, but we don't have the satisfaction.

We have to go back to Creation to understand that. In the creation account, we see that God created everything that is including Mankind and he created them for communion with him. And they gave he gave them a purpose on the earth and gave them instructions to live by and there was no Soro and no sickness and no. But we read in Genesis 3 1 through 6. What happened? We read why we now have this desire this longing this thirst. That cannot be fulfilled by anything on Earth. We read verses 1 through 6 that the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field as a lord God had made and he said to the woman did God actually say you shall not eat of any tree in the garden and the woman said to the serpent. We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of a garden neither show you touch it lest you die. What the serpent said to the woman you will not surely die for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be open and you'll be like God knowing good and evil, so when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes. And that the tree was to be desired to make one wise she took of its fruit and Aid and she also gave some to her husband who was with her and he Adam and Eve chose to reject the satisfaction that they had in their intimate relationship with God and they did so to pursue becoming Gods themselves are becoming god-like. That is they rebelled against their all satisfying Sovereign and every human being since then has followed in their footsteps the relational separation from the Creator coupled with his wrath and judgment directed towards mankind is exactly what has left us in this condition of having a deep longing in our soul that we try to satisfy with everything else. With the exception of satisfying it with the very thing that can quench it.

The pursuit of quenching this thirst within the soul with anything else, but but God is called in the scriptures futility. It is futile to try and quench our soul thirst with things of this world. We can read about that in Romans chapter 1 verses 18 and 23 or Paw Points to the very center Genesis talks about in Genesis, 3 as being that futility of trying to feel something in her soul that only God can fill we read verses 18 through 23 for the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who buy their unrighteousness suppress the truth. You a truth. They're suppressing, you know, what truth every human being suppresses until God reveals himself to them. They suppress the truth that only God can satisfy.

That's what Paul goes on to say for what can be known about God is plain to them because God has God has shown it to them for his invisible attributes name of his eternal power and to buy nature have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world and the things that have been made so they are without excuse for although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their foolish Hearts were darkened. What's the futility here? It is claiming to be wise they became fools and exchange the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. UC to pursue satisfaction for the Deep thirst of the soul and anything but God is evidence of futile thinking in a darkened heart these things will never satisfy

So what about satisfaction Point number to satisfaction? in a song about commercialism and the inability to find satisfaction and worldly things the Rolling Stones were catapulted and do answer me with the following lyrics sang by me except I'm not going to sing them. When I'm driving in my car and the Man Came come on the radio. He's telling me more and more about some useless information supposed to fire my imagination. I can't get no. Oh no, no, no. Hey. Hey. Hey. That's what I say. I Can't Get No Satisfaction. I Can't Get No Satisfaction cuz I try and I try and I try and I try I can't get no I can't get no Mick Jagger knew it. The things of this Earth will not ultimately satisfy us Blaise Pascal god-shaped vacuum in our souls that can only be filled by God CS Lewis new it. We desire eternity. We is desire an eternal home. But the things of this world can't fulfill that thirst why. Because our deep Soul thirst is a desire too strong and too immense and to Altima to be satisfied by worldly things. The Sikh ultimate satisfaction and worldly things is to succumb to a weaker smaller less than alternator is Pastor. Mike used to say penultimate desire. Louis is good on this again. Lewis said if we consider the unblushing promises of reward in the Staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but two weeks. We are half-hearted creatures pulling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite Joy is offered us like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased. Only God can satisfy nothing else can compare with the Deep thirst of your soul for the infinite and eternal can only be satisfied by the infinite and eternal. Don't be easily pleased. I want to read for you this morning a rather large passage from the book of Isaiah. This passage helps us to see and helps us to understand. Distension that there are things in this world which we may desire but will never satisfy.

The Thirst we have but there is a God there is a God who is great and who is glorious Who is infinite and eternal Eternal who can fill that thirst? It's from Isaiah 40 verses 6 through 31. In fact, I'd love it if you open your Bible if you have one to read along with me and as I read it and as you read along. consider the two things the inability for worldly things to satisfy our thirst for the great and glorious God who certainly can I'm going to read verse 6 through 31. It's very long, but sit and listen and consider these words. A voice says cry and I said what shall I Cry? All flesh is grass and all its beauty is like a flower of the field the grass withers the flower Fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it surely the people are grass the grass withers the flower Fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Going up to a high mountain Zion Herald of good news lift up your voice with strength o Jerusalem Herald of good news lifted up fear not say to the cities of Judah behold your God behold the Lord God comes with might and his arms rule for hand behold. His reward is with him. And he it is recompense before him. He will tend his flock Like a Shepherd. He will gather the Lambs in his arms He will carry them in his bosom and gently lead those that are with young who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and mark off the heavens with a span and close the dust of the Earth in a measured and weighed the mountains and scales and the hills in a balance. Plus measure the spirit of the Lord or what Man shows him his Council whom did he consult and who made him understand who taught him the path of justice and taught him knowledge and showed him the way of understanding behold the nations are like a drop from a bucket and are counted as the dust on the scales behold. He takes up the coastlines like find us Lebanon would not suffice for Fuel Norwich beasts enough for a burnt offering all the nations are as nothing before him. They are accounted by Hannah's less than nothing and emptiness who then will you like in God or what likeness compared with him and Idol? A Craftsman Casa Goldsmith overlays it with gold and cash for its silver chains. He who is to impoverished for an offering chooses wood that will not rot. He seeks out of skillful Crosman to set up an idol that will not move. Do you not know do you not here has it not been told to you from the beginning have you not understood from the foundations of the earth it is he who sits above the circle of the earth and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them like I tend to dwell in you brings princes to nothing and makes the rulers of the earth is emptiness scarcely are they planted scarcely song scarcely understand taken root in the earth when he blows on the weather in the Tempest carries them off like stubble. To whom then will you compare me that I should be like him says the Holy One lift up your eyes on high and see who created these who brings out their host by number calling on them all by name by the greatness of his mind because he is strong and power not one is missing. Why do you say or Jacob and speak of Israel? My way is hidden from the Lord and my right is disregard about my God. How do you not know have you not heard the Lord is the Everlasting God the creator of the ends of the Earth. He does not faint or grow weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint and to him who has no Mighty increases strength. Even you shall faint and be weary in young men shall feel exhausted. But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall Mount up with wings like eagles they shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not grow faint.

He is a majestic and holy God. He is a sovereign and Powerful God. He is gracious and merciful. He is loving and kind he is faithful and steadfast. She alone can fill the void that resides in our hearts. Nothing else can fill us. The expansive and extensive thirst of our soul has one. Hope of satisfaction. God great Theologian Augustine the Dow has made us for thyself O Lord, and our heart is restless until it Finds Its rest in the

This being the case that our souls are thirsty in such a deep and Ultimate Way. And the only thing that can satisfy us is God leaves us with our one point of application this morning. pursue

pursue God pursue God for the satisfaction of your thirst the long passage that I just read to you and Isaiah which sort of delineates the futility of looking for the infinite in the internal in the satisfaction of that thirst and worldly things that fade like the grass I started in verse 6, but actually just before that it points the way to the pursuit of God listen to verse 3 through 5. It should be familiar to you a voice cries in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord makes straight in the desert a highway for our God every Valley shall be lifted up and every mountain and Hill be made low the uneven ground should become level in the rough places a plane and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and All Flesh shall see it together for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. That revelation of Salvation that Isaiah talked about before he went on that long passage about God being Superior to Earthly sings. The Revelation was Jesus. Jesus is the way we pursue satisfaction for a thirst for God. You can pursue God all you like from worldly things. But apart from Jesus God cannot be found and your thirst will never be quenched. Jesus understood this John chapter 7 verse 37 Jesus stood up and cried out if anyone thirsts. Let him come to me and drink. How does that happen? How are we to drink from Jesus in order to quench his thirst we have in her soul. We quench your thirst for God through Jesus by believing in Jesus made this clear as well and John 6:35. Jesus said to them I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. Quenching our soul thirst requires coming to and believing in Jesus. Pursuing God through the sun is how that thirst gets quenched. There's no other way.

No, September's. September's are times of new beginnings. It's not the start of a calendar year, but it's a start of a educational year and for many of us. It's a time to Do you think about changes to think about how we want our life to go to think about things we are going to do differently. Could we all resolve a September resolution? Could we resolved to pursue satisfaction for the Deep thirst of our souls in God alone through Christ Alone. That would be something. Beautiful to resolve this September to pursue satisfaction for the Deep thirst in our souls in God alone through Christ Alone.

And really this is the whole idea of this sermon and Psalms 42 and 43. We have a deep thirst in our souls that can only God can satisfy lyrics for We should pursue the satisfaction of our soul Thirst by pursuing God and I can only be done through Christ.

Let me speak first of all to those believers who are here today to those of you who are Christians who are Disciples of Christ who have turn from your sin and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and Endeavour to fall him. follow him What is it that you try to find satisfaction from? What is it in your life that you look to to quench your soul thirst? the many things for many different people It could be a certain relationship. It could be work. It could be saying it could be money. It could be Comfort. It could be rest. It could be sex. It could be pornography. I could be money. It could be drugs. It could be alcohol. As many people are here. There will be different things and which you are tempted to find satisfaction in. To try to quench that thirst in your soul. I mean courage you this morning don't be easily. Please don't pursue lesser desires to pursue those things of satisfaction for your soul thirst is to be at the beach to be at at Seaside vacation to be standing with the warm sand under your feet in the The Breeze blowing in your air and looking out over the sea. And then looking over your shoulder and wishing you were back in the slums making mud pies. that's what I desire for those things is Don't be easily. Please don't look for things of this world to quench that thirst in your soul. If you're here this morning and you're not a Believer, maybe you're just visiting. Maybe you've been here a couple of times. Maybe you've been here a whole bunch of times. I've been here for years. You've never entrusted your life to Christ. You never turned him understand that that thirst you have in your soul that void that you have internally can only be filled by God and we only get God through Jesus by believing in him. Believe that he is who he said. He was the son of God or God himself who took on flesh and became a man and Cayman live among us.

He was obedient to his father and then he died in that obedience. He died a death that we deserve to die. Pay the penalty that we owed paid the debt that we had incurred why so that there might be a way for that deep saucers to be quenched, but I did desire to be in communion with our creator. He died for that reason. Believe in him believe in who he was and believe and what he did apart from that you will get no satisfaction.

As a deer pants for flowing Stream So pants my soul for you. Oh God, my soul thirst for God for the Living. God let spray.

Father God I recognize this morning that it was Grace. That gave mankind that deep thirst in our soul.

It was Grace. father God that made a remedy for that. I thank you Father God that you sent Jesus to become a man and to die for us and to pay for our sins and to be resurrected from the dead and send to you.

Is that means I thirst can be quenched their desire for communion with you guys away. And so we thank you this morning father. I pray that you but you're always spirit. Would help every believer here in this month of new beginnings to resolve to pursue you as the satisfaction for The Thirst of their soul and nothing else let not any Earthly thing no matter how good it is distract us from you.

Don't let us ever believe father God that that first we have in our hearts can be quenched by someone or something apart from you. And I pray father God for those here who don't know you. Will you by your spirit revealed to them the truth that the hunger of their soul The Thirst of their soul that longing in their heart will only ever be filled by you. And then I can come to you through Christ. I pray this in his name. Amen.