Deliver me, O Lord

Today we continue with our new sermon series

Psalms of Ascent: A playlist for the Journey Ahead (Fifteen psalms: Psalms 120-134)

As a church we are on a journey - navigating through the pandemic, new senior pastor.

Jared’s picture of the path in the mountains

The Psalms of Ascent were sung by the people of God on their pilgrimage/journey as they made their way up to worship in Jerusalem 3x/year.

Think of these fifteen psalms as a playlist for a road trip.

Why would they go to Jerusalem 3x year? To attend three festivals established in the Law of Moses (Dt. 16:16)

Spring: Passover & Pentecost

Fall: Tabernacles

Jesus took his pilgrimage at the age of 12 with his parents and family (Luke 2:41-42)

Last week pastor Marlin told us, “These festivals would be a wonderful time of celebration for the Israelite and his family. Their attention would turn to Mt. Zion in all its glory. Their pilgrimage to the Holy City would be filled with expectation and uncertainty.”

Thus Psalm 121: God will watch over us on our journey.

NT Word picture: Sojourners/pilgrims on our journey home (1 Peter 2:11)

These 15 songs describe what is like to be a pilgrim coming out of the world, pushing through every difficulty, and going up to God in worship. Here the weary traveler can find words to refresh his soul for the next leg of his journey home.

The first Psalm in the playlist is Psalm 120. It’s a song (prayer) describing what it feels like to be far from home surrounded by lies and hostility.

Psalm 120, “voices very well the homesickness of those who have settled among strangers and enemies. It appropriately begins the series in a distant land, so that we join the pilgrims as they set out on a journey [to Jerusalem]. (Derek Kidner)

Message Title: Deliver Me, O Lord

The opening line states,

V.1, “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.”

V.1 Part of being a pilgrim is experiencing distress (ESV). The Hebrew word for distress means a “strait, narrow place.” He finds himself in a very difficult situation.

He prays for deliverance from two things: lies and hostility

Deliver me from the lies around me

V.2, “Deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.”

Lies are one of the biggest obstacles we will encounter as a pilgrims on this fallen world

We can only imagine what he was experiencing:

Gossip - ruins reputation - relationships are ruined, job are lost.

Broken agreement - contractor took the money and didn’t finish the project.

Excessive claims - Take your car for an oil change only to find out that Your car needs blinker fluid.

The lies of the culture.

Mike Winger (Bible Thinker) - 7 Lies Your Kids Will Believe Unless You Do Something (Elizabeth Urbanowicz)

If I feel it, it must be true (truth is subjective).

Follow Your heart (You do you. Your heart is the most reliable source of truth)

That did not worked well for Adam & Eve

Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”

Spend time in the truth of God’s Word so you can discern the lies around us.

Love is affirming everything I feel (Love is love. If you love someone, you will never make them feel uncomfortable. The word love is being redefined).

Faith is the opposite of knowledge. (Faith is wishful thinking) Don’t leave your brains at the door. Our believes are rooted in factual truth - 1 Cor. 15)

Humans are the product of bling, unguided, evolution. (You are an accident. You have no meaning/no purpose/no identity).

You are the one you’ve been waiting for - Frozen 2. You can rescue yourself from your own brokenness bc you are enough.

A good God wouldn’t judge. (Don’t judge! Who are you to judge? God is love!) We create our own version of God that I like.

Deliver me from the hostility around me

VV.5&6, Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar! 6 Too long have I had my dwelling among those who hate peace.”

Meshech is on the north end of modern-day Turkey. Ezekiel describes the people of Meshech as ones who “spread their terror in the land of the living.” They would kidnap people and trade them as slaves. (Ezk 32:26, 27:13)

Kedar is in Saudi Arabia in the desert. They were also known for being ruthless and barbaric (Is 21:16-17)

“I live in in the midst of a violent and hostile culture and I’m tired of it.”

How are we to live in a hostile society?

Avoid two extremes

Avoid Compromise.

The church in Pergamum (Revelation 2:12-17) was a faithful church BUT they were slowly starting to compromise with the culture around them, specially in the area of sexual ethics.

Avoid Repaying evil for evil.

Romans 12:20-21 “To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Promote Peace

V.7 - “I am for peace”

We are called to treat others the same way we’ve been treated in light of the gospel. The Good News of the gospel states that Jesus is the Prince of Peace who entered our world in peace, (“I am for peace” v.7) yet he experienced slander and hostility and was murdered on a cross. Yet through Christ’s death, sinners like you and me can be reconciled with God and experience peace. Paul declares that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1)

Don’t take justice in your own hands. The Psalmist prays for divine justice in vv.3&4. Romans 12:19 “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.””

Pray for your enemies - Matthew 5:44

Share the message of peace, the gospel and how they can experience peace with God (2 Corinthians 5:20, “be reconciled to God)

Pray for deliverance from violence- Psalm 140:1-2 “Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men; preserve me from violent men, 2 who plan evil things in their heart and stir up wars continually.”

How can this Psalm offer refreshment to our souls and prepare us for the next leg of the journey? (Think rest area)

God often times will put us in very difficult situations where he is the only one we can depend on.

“In my distress” Distress: pressure or difficulty where there is no way out. You are stuck.

Sometimes God lets you hit rock bottom so that you will discover that He is the Rock at the bottom.

Times of trouble & distress are opportunities to pour our hearts before God in prayer

“In my distress I called to the Lord,” You can be honest and pour your heart out to God. The Psalmist is very open in vv.3-5. about the hurt he feels. He prays for divine justice upon his enemies.

Take all the bitterness you have swallowed over time, as you have replayed in your heart the nasty things that have been said about you, and leave it in God’s hands. (Josh Moody, Journey to Joy: The Psalms of Ascent)

Romans 8:26 “26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness (distress). 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.”

Can you imagine what would happen if our church became a place where people were open and honest with God about our pain and suffering.

You can start your journey with God right where you are.

“But my life is too messy! Jesus says in John 6:37 “whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”

Repent from trying to live life your way and run to the God for mercy.

For those who are currently in a situation where you feel stuck, “no way out.” Come and rest in his presence and let the peace of God fill your heart as you wait for him.