Psalm 40 August 1 2021 SERMON

INTRO

Good morning GracePointe. It is so good to join you this morning as we continue our series in the Psalms called Psalms of Summer. As one of the pastors, I have been honored in being a part of the teaching team along with Pastor Sid and Pastor Michael. Together, we have been using our own unique vantage points and voices to come together in seeing what God is saying to us through the Psalms. It really has been amazing to be a part of. Last week, Sid reminded us as we went through Ps 46, that we are to Abide in God. That each one of us, no matter what situations come our way, we are to Abide in the one who knows the past, present, and future so intimately that He can use all things for His good and for our glory. That same God is who we will be focusing on today.

We will be in Ps 40 today and this is one of my favorite Psalms. One of the reasons I love Ps 40 so much is that for many many years, a band I was in through college and my early 20s used it as sound check song for our gigs. It is an arrangement by the band, U2. From 1983 to 2015, the band played this song over 400 times as the last song. One by one, the band members would leave the stage with the audience singing the song. I love the idea that concert attenders would hear the words to this Psalm and be introduced or reminded of why we are to put our hope and trust in God. The added chorus they use is “How long to sing this song”. When asked about the added chorus, Bono stated that with all the unrest in their home country of Ireland in the 80s through today, they often asked themselves....”How long Lord”.

Ps 40 was written by King David. One of 73 that he wrote. It also has additional instructions there right at the beginning. For the Choirmaster. Charles Spurgeon remarked in one of his commentaries that perhaps some psalms were given preference to the best musicians or preferred leader. Seems a little harsh toward the other psalms but hey I get it. David had his favorites just like the rest of us.

This Psalm has, like others psalms, an authenticity to it that I love. It is both a Psalm of Thanksgiving in the first half and Psalm of Lament in the second half. This could just be a Brockett thing but I am pretty sure that could describe most situations I find myself in. Am I right? Someone asks you how your day is....and you hesitate cause you realize you could give them both the thanksgiving and the lament.

In Ps 40, we will be focusing on the God who draws near you and I....even when we are in the Pit. Duh Duh Duh.

The Pit. Even saying the words draws all kinds of images for us. The Pit. I don’t know why but I give it a little bit of a southern accent…even in my mind. The Peeiit. Adds to the gravity of what that place represents. This is true for culture.

Think of movies. Where have you seen a pit in a movie. The first one that came to my minds was the notable explorer Indiana Jones. Indiana Joneis who no matter what movie you watch finds himself in some sort of Pit! Vipers - The famous snakes, enemies with blow darts, creepy crawly bugs, a fall to certain death....that was the clincher. Impending death was always part of the pit.

Culture deviates from the Psalm here because Indy always miraculously finds a way to lift himself out of the whole with the 500 lethal vipers. He uses his trusty whip or finds a hidden escape route. The reality is....we are lifted out of the Pit by God. Other movies feature this too. Everyones favorite dark hero Batman who creates his identity by falling in a pit of Bats. But here again, culture deviates from the Ps because Batman falls in this Pit and from there learns to fight, get rich, develop cool tech and wear costumes while flying around Gotham. The idea here is that the world has this idea that you fall in a pit, you need to save yourself. God’s word explains multiple times but especially here in Ps 40, that GOD is mighty to save. He hears us, delivers us, and continues to shape us into His image.

Like our lives, it can be easy to focus on the Pit. The thing that is a vaccum in our lives pulling all the joy, attention, and peace out of the room. But Ps 40’s subject is the one who delivers us from the Pits....because there is most assuredly more than one.

MP: When we encounter a Pit, we want to lean back on our own power to get ourselves out. But by waiting effectively on the Lord, He will hear us and place our feet on solid ground. By continuing to wait, call out, and declare the goodness of previous rescues, we see God at work in our lives all the time. No matter what other pit we may face, God has proven himself to be one we can trust in all things.

Let’s jump into reading Ps 40 through verse 3. If you do not have a bible, please let us know and we will get you one to have.

Psalm 40:1–3 ESV

1 I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. 2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.

Reading this again, I am immediately caught by the wording of “Pit of Destruction”. It sounds like a level in a video game. The overall word image that the Hebrew word points us to is “A Pit of Roaring”. This same word is used 6 other times in scripture and points to A Clamor. Loud Noises. Describes the sound of frenzy. An uproar. Other connections in Hebrew point to a dungeon.

David goes on to describe it as not just loud but also full of mud. Miry Clay. Quicksand…something that prevents you from moving and if you don’t get rescued....will consume you.

May I just say… I don’t think I have ever been in a literal version of this. The closest I have come to is at a missions training. In High School, I got an opportunity to go to Brisbane Australia. We did our training as team foe the trip in Indiana during the summer. I don’t recommend that....to anyone. I could really not like you and I still wouldn’t have the heart to send you to Indiana in August. I thew away a good portion of my clothes after that trip. One of the activities was getting our team through a hand-built maze. They cut out a maze using plyywood…then made it where it was about 3 foot high. Flipped it and stuck it in a mud pit they created. Pitch black, muddy…full of bugs. You then had to crawl on your hands and knees holding on to the person in front of you as you all navigated through this awfulness. As you can imagine for someone like me…jumpy and not keen on bugs, this was a bit of a quandary. But someone we got through and came out muddy, scared but thankful on the other end.

However, I do think there is a very real historical example of this. Trench Warfare. I read about one account of World War 1 in 1916 where a soldier described the trenches on the front lines in the area he was in. “Knee deep in mud that caked onto your shoes in an almost living breathing evil entity kind of way. And noise like you have never heard as bullets, gas grenades, shells and bombs went off near you. And fear…fear the entire time that any moment would be your last”. A real life pit of destruction.

We also must remembering that this is a song lyric, the words here are meant to point the listener, reader, and singer to situations where we felt that way.

The question to ask yourself is what does this Pit Look like in my life. Where am I feeling or experiencing chaos, hopelessness, and fear? Where is your pit? This is critical because we need to admit that we are in a pit when we are, in fact, in a pit.

QUICK ON THIS:

Perhaps it is EXTERNAL. A situation you have landed in. Think of the story of the good samaritan when thieves come upon him. The hopelessness. The frenzy and chaotic feeling of being attacked and robbed. Where in your life do you feel that exertnal pit? Perhaps it is a downturn in finances. Lost a job. Is it a health concern? Bad diagnosis. The first half of Psalm 40:12 points to this when David writes “For evils have encompassed me beyond number”

Some of this could be the culture around you. Afraid of what the world is becoming and changing.

Psalm 40:12 ESV

12 For evils have encompassed me beyond number; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head; my heart fails me.

Perhaps it is Personal. Relationships can have such height full of joy and elation. They can also feel like the Peeit! Why is that? The people who we are vulnerable have the potential to hurt us. Family, parenting, marriage, friendships.....these all have potential pits. Mixing in personalities of families, chronic illness, financial loss, special needs, suffering children, marital strain, and overwhelming stress. It can feel chaotic, and like you are stuck in the negative situation. The hopelessness is loud. I think of the marriage vows that folks say “for better or for worse” There are times where every relationship tests that.

Psalm 40:15 ESV

15 Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, “Aha, Aha!”

Finally, it can be internal. Our sin. Our decisions that serve our pride instead of the one true powerful God. Our faulty ideas that cause us to put our hope and trust in anything other than Jesus. These ideas that we then act on, can throw us headlong into a pit of despair and stressful sadness. Friends, let us remember that it is through Jesus Christ that we are saved. Not anything we have done. Our inequities overtake us and they are more than the hairs on our head as it says in Ps 40:12

MAYBE: Where else in scripture do we see this? Literally? Who else has been in a pit

So we have explored the pit in our own lives. What are we to do?

What are we to do when we are in the Pit?

We know that either we are heading toward a pit or in a pit or having just got delivered from one. What are we to do.

WE WAIT

We wait. When we are in a pit, we are to wait. What is God saying here. Our translation of Psalm 40:1 begins, “I waited patiently for the LORD.” The adverb “patiently” is found in several other English translations (ESV, NRSV). They all seem to be following the classic King James Version, which has, “I waited patiently.” But, interestingly enough, the original Hebrew of Psalm 40:1 does not literally read, “I waited patiently.” In fact, the Hebrew doubles up the use of the verb KAW VAW, which means “to wait” or “to hope.” A literal translation would read, “To wait I waited for the Lord.” We would use a participle here, “Waiting, I waited for the Lord.”

Honestly, most of us could read this as Impatiently, I waited for the Lord. Right?

Many of us have become disciples of the Now. When do you want it? Now. And everyone markets it to you with that in mind…get it quick, fast, soon,

The Message brilliantly captures the sense of the original with repetition in English: “I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened.” Notice that there is no sense of patience here, if by patience we envision a peaceful, trusting, calm waiting. Rather, Psalm 40:1 reveals David’s intensity in his waiting, his eagerness, perhaps even his desperation.

A song I am listening to right now for my personal worship time is Jireh by Maverick City. In the bridge of the song, the leader points out the truth when he sings lyrics based on Isaiah 40:31

“Something happens when we wait.

They that wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength They shall mount up on the wings Like an eagle, and soar They shall walk, not get weary They shall run, and not faint That's what happens when you wait

When we believe the lies from the way of the NOW, we don’t think anything happens when we wait. If I am not moving ahead, than I must be going backward. But that assumes God is not doing anything. BUT HE IS. We have to believe that something or someone is doing something while we wait.

One new testament example of waiting is Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary held onto a promise from God for 30 years that her child would be the Messiah (Luke 1:31-33). 30 years! That’s a long time to wait patiently for a promise to be fulfilled. I would say I struggle with a month, two months. 30 years is heart wrenching. But the gospel account of Luke tells us that Mary treasured all these things in her heart. She kept an account of how God was working through her son. The moments where God was doing something, she kept an account and pondered them. We can do this too while we wait on the Lord.

What does this look like practically? PATHWAY TO PRAYER - LISTENING TO GOD - READING SCRIPTURE - It is important to remember that waiting is not passive. Rather, it is an intently active time when your situation in the pit realigns your priorities. What does the Lord value? Value those same things in your waiting. Get in the Word of God. Pray. Serve others. It means to wait actively and expectantly as you hope faithfully for God’s promises to be fulfilled on your behalf. The more intense your situation, the more intently you wait upon the Lord to fulfill His promises.

We wait and we see david doing something else. We see him Crying Out.

THEOLOGY OF PRAYER:

Romans 8:26–27 ESV

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

WE CRY OUT

Often when you’re in a pit, there is a sense of urgency. In verse 1, David mentions his cry, which may have been as simple as, “Help, Lord!” In verse 13, he directly cries out, “Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; make haste, O Lord, to help me.” In verse 17, he repeats, “Since I am afflicted and needy, let the Lord be mindful of me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God.”

In my experience and those I have walked with, we often do not cry out to God for deliverance because we do not see ourselves as afflicted and needy. We still think we can pull ourselves out of the pit with our own strength or smarts like Indiana Jones and Batman. It is like the bit Seinfeld talks about in regards to most guys thinking of themselves as low level superheroes. Batman, Spiderman, Ant Man, these are just options. The perfect example of classic low level superhero thinking is when you see a guy moving a mattress on top of his car. He is moving down the road at 40 miles an hour. It never fails, he has his arm out the window holding the mattress. This big rectangular 75 lb item is getting hit by the wind as you drive....Don’t worry I got it I got it. I got it with my arm!”

Friends, we need God all the time. Not just in the moments we think we are weak. Not just in the situations that are beyond our control. We need God all the time. Crying out to him demonstrates that need. God doesn’t need to know that. He already knows that. The person who needs to know that is us! Is me. Is you. We need God and we cry out to him. Help. I am weak. Deliver me.

Through out the Psalms, this crying out to God is seen. Often times, the crying out is reflecting that active waiting of listening to God and being in His word.

Ps 4:1 “Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!”

Ps 5:1 “Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning”

Ps 102:1 “Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you!”

Our cry can be bold or it can be a whimper. But we can absolutely call out to our father. Why? Because He hears us.

Lamentations 3:55-57 – But I called on your name, Lord, from deep within the pit. You heard me when I cried…Yes, you came when I called; you told me, “Do not fear.”

What is God doing while we are in the Pit?

He is putting our feet on firm foundation. Removing the mud. Cleansing us. Giving us a foundation. This is the gospel wrapped up in the Ps.

Romans 10:13 ESV

13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Important- We serve a God who takes us out out Pits. In fact the gospel is the Good News that while we were still sinners, He was working to deliver us from the PIT OF DESTRUCTION we deserve. Jesus Christ has delivered you and I from the ultimate pit by His death and ressurection and placed our feet on the foundation of being made right with God.

More than One Pit

We also serve a God who is unpredictable and rarely on our timetable.

The Psalm doesn’t end with God delivering David from the Pit and that is the end. There are more pits.

We are always either in a Pit, coming out of a pit, or on our way to another pit. This is the reality of the Christian life. Remember 1 Peter. I know most of you have all of our sermons here at GracePointe memorized. but just in case, let me refresh your memory.

1 Peter 4:12 ESV

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.

My intent is not to to bring you down but rather help establish reality for you. We will face miry clay and pits, and moments of pressure and stress. The point of this Psalm is not that those things won’t happen but that God is trustworthy to help you and I navigate them when they come along. He can take all things and make them for our Good and His Glory! But we must trust. I want to end today by outlining 5 ways we can trust God in all times…especially when we are in the PIT.

WE TRUST: 5 ways we can Trust

We Trust God in our Crying OUT v1-6

Early in these verses we are confronted with the image of waiting and crying out. But as we have seen, this is the easy yoke of the Gospel. We wait on the Lord, we cry out to the Lord and He will deliver us. So He is trust worthy. In our crying out, we can get thoughts of embarrassment or pride….this is ridiculous. I shouldn’t be crying out to God. Trust God that He hears you. Trust Him that your crying is not an embarrassment but He hears your cry and leans in to listen and comfort.

We Trust God in our Obedience v7-9

In our lifestyle of worship to the Lord of Heaven and Earth, we can trust God in our obedience. See here what David is saying in verses 6-8.

Psalm 40:6–8 ESV

6 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. 7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: 8 I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

We can often think a question....”If I do what God is asking me to do, will it be worth it? Will it be rewarded?” When we delight to do God’s will, we can trust that it is for our good and His glory. This also follows in the footsteps of Christ who, but for the joy set before Him, endured the cross. which was the ultimate offering and sacrifice. God doesn’t need our sacrifice because Jesus did that already. Just as Christ was obedient to the Father, we are reminded to do the same. God will have a way to deal with whatever pit we find ourselves in. We can trust God as we are obedient to what next right thing He would have us do.

We Trust God in our Story v10-11

Sharing our story with others is essential to proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. But we hide it. Right? But folks, lets trust the Lord. Let me be clear this is your testimony. How did God save you! Many of us are far more vocal about what decisions Sport Teams should make, what idiotic things the politicians are doing, or why we love or can’t stand the newest show on Netflix. Trust Him when you open your mouth and are vulnerable about your faith. Trust Him no matter who you are sharing with. Love God and Love people. Trust God with His great commandment and commission.

Philemon 6 ESV

6 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.

We Trust God in our inabilities and others v12-14

You and I are fallible. You and I make mistakes. We have short sightedness. We don’t understand how one seemingly harmless decision can create and impact many many others.

David writes here that his inequities are more than the hairs on his head. When we think of all the areas we come up short, the next step is to put our trust on someone who we feel doesn’t come up short.

How often do we go to anyone else but God. We suddenly think of a celebrity, a family member, a friend, our connections on Social Media. But David writes here

Psalm 40:4–5 ESV

4 Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! 5 You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.

When we trust in the Lord, even in our weakness, the Lord’s strength and awesome power is on display. Of course God can use others, trust allies who can help us navigate different situations. But God is the ultimate reliable source for deliverance. Even in light of the areas we come up short.

We Trust God in our insecurities and others v15-17

In verse 11, David asks the Lord to not withhold His compassion from David. This is an interesting verse in light of the cross. In fact, I think this reveals a fear that many of us have. Insecurity is defined as a state of being open to danger or threat or lack of protection. Here David is crying out and letting God know that David is insecure. When we feel insecure, sin is often our next decision. We resort to sin to solve the problem. I don’t like the way I am feeling, so I will turn to something else to feel better. Food, sex, relationships, gambling, the list goes on and on…But friends, God knows how we feel insecure and He is ready and able to come in and help us feel safe and loved and cared for.

Psalm 57:3 ESV

3 He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!

CLOSING:

David closes out this Psalm by giving us a reminder. There is often more than one pit. He finds himself in a calamity again. Just like we will. If you haven’t yet experienced the yo-yo of life, just wait. just wait.

David outlines in verse 17 that we are poor and needy but…the Lord takes thoughts for me. He is our help and our deliverer.

As you look to wait, cry out, and trust in the Lord this week, focus on all the ways God has delivered you from the Pits of Life. Write them down. Ponder them in your heart as Mary did. When insecurities and inabilities arise because they will, remember that your feet are on a firm foundation. You are no longer that person in the Pit…but rather a saved Child of God.

Let us pray

Will you stand with me as I leave you with a charge to give thanks to God for delivering us from past, present, and future pits.

Colossians 3:16–17 ESV

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Have a great rest of the day!