Psalm 30: The Grace of God's Discipline

Introduction

Opening Illustration: Parenting

Being a Dad is one of the greatest joys and also greatest challenges of my life. As a parent, our aim is not just to raise good kids that are well behaved take their garbage out. (Though on really bad days we might dream if we could just make it that far). No, we have a much larger vision. Our daily prayer is that all three of girls would grow up to know and love the Lord, to be disciple-makers themselves. Anyone who has children knows that kids make a lot of mistakes. Sometimes those mistakes are quite innocent. Other times, as children grow, they are not so innocent. Sometimes, believe it or not, they choose to deliberately disobey their Father’s commands. While this sounds cute, its actually deadly. See I know the Scriptures and what will happen if my children develop a habit of disobeying their authority. Ephesians 6 says:

Ephesians 6:1-3 “1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.””

See I love my kids desparately. And because of that I don’t let disobedience go as if it doesn’t matter. No I want it to go well with them, I want them to live long in the land. And so my Fatherly discipline is always one of incredible love and long term tenderness even though in the moment, they can’t see the bigger picture.

Personal

Like a good earthly Father, our heavenly Father will discipline us when we begin to form habits of sinful disobedience. Today we are going to be discussing the way the Lord disciplines us. in fact Hebrews 12 makes that exact comparison. We read,

Hebrews 12:8-11 “8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

That text tell us that all legitimate children will be disciplined by God throughout the course of their life. Have you ever been disciplined by God? Do you know what to do when you are in the midst of discipline by God? And do you know what to do once the disciplinary hand is removed from you? Each of these are vital questions that we must be able to navigate if we are to be faithful, growing servants of the Lord?

Contextual

Today we continue through our sermon series in the book of Psalms. As a reminder the Psalms are the song book of the Old Testament. They are quite literally the worship songs that Jesus would have sung. These Psalms are meant to be internalized. They are poetry which attempts to grab the heart and shape it and mold it. The tone of this Psalm is one Joy, despite having come through hardship. When you immerse yourself in this Psalm you walk away with the sense no matter what you endure, God is good, and being underneath His favor is the most precious gift a person can have. The Main Idea I’m going to navigate today is this: God will graciously destroy that which is destroying you. We are going to work through that by answering three separate questions. Let’s begin with the text.

Psalm 30 “A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of the temple. 1 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. 2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. 3 O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit. 4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. 5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. 6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.” 7 By your favor, O Lord, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed. 8 To you, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: 9 “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? 10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!” 11 You have turned for me my mourning into dan…”

Move 1: Examine The Text

Language that Hints at Enduring Disciplined

At a first glance it is difficult to see the the story behind this Psalm. But, the more you consider the words and reflect on what they mean, the narrative begins to emerge. The first three verses give strong indicators of some incredibly hard event that David has recently come through.

Psalm 30:1 “...for you have drawn me up...”

Psalm 30:2 “...I cried to you for help...”

Psalm 30:2 “you have healed me.”

Psalm 30:3 “O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol…”

Psalm 30:3 “...you restored me to life...”

David Was Sick Near Death

What seems to be the case from this language and what most commentators agree upon is that it seems that David had fallen deathly ill, nearly to the point of dying, and God had miraculously healed him. What was the cause of this illness? There are perhaps more clues in the text though. Verses 6-7 are the turning point of this Psalm. In these verses David confesses to a sin. He says,

Psalm 30:6-7 “6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.” 7 By your favor, O Lord, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed.”

David’s Sin Was Pride

Remember this is poetry, this is music. He’s communicating a deep moment of his life through the beauty of poetry. What’s he communicating. It seems that he’s saying something like this, “I got to a place in my life where I was so secure. I was a King. People loved me. I had gardens and servants. I was defeating my enemies. The rumors about were all good. And in my heart I began to think, ‘I’m really something.’ I forgot that it was you God that gave me everything. It was you God that anointed me to be a King when I was just a shepherd boy. It was you God that gave our land peace and security from our enemies. And there came a moment, when as a result of my foolish heart posture of pride and a lack of God-centeredness, God you “hid your face from me.” And it crushed me.”

Summarize David’s Situation

David allowed the sin of pride to sit idly in his heart. We saw this play out in numerous times in David’s life. Pride was nearly his total downfall. It was pride that caused David to want to number Israel in order that he might know how grand his Kingdom was. David was a human, just like you and me. He struggled with pride, like you and me. And it seems from this Psalm that God in his tender mercy desired to root that pride out of David’s life. And the way he did it was that at some point in David’s life God sent a sickness on David. Some kind of of illness that brought him nearly to the point of death. This sickness was not accidental, it was not random. It was God’s discipline for sin. If you think about it, it was a smart discipline on God’s part because what better way to remind David that he really is not as powerful as he thought he was, then to reveal to him his frailty and weakness as a human.

Lesson 1: Indwelling Sin Will Fester Until it Slowly Kills You

Lesson 1: Inwelling sin festers until it kills a believer. What is indwelling sin? Indwelling refers to ongoing habitual patterns of sin in your life that you, as a believer, are doing nothing to extinguish. Indwelling sin might be something obvious, and for some in this room, that is likely the case. I’m thinking of outward actions that have become habitual. Pornography usage, anger or an explosive temperment, a lack of real commitment to your church, a stinginess with or perhaps even a worship of your money. Other indwelling habitual sins are far more subtle, like David’s situation. Pride. Pride can be tough to put your finger on when its present in your life, but it festers, it evolves. A lack of dependence on God. A failure to cherish God’s Word. These are more difficult to pinpoint when you’ve crossed a line. This is one of the reasons why daily devotions and meaningful prayer lives that give space daily for Confession and allowing God to examine our lives.

Many Christians are Immature

A mark of immaturity in our faith is when we are unable to see the sin the sin in our life because we don’t utilize the classic tools at our disposal. It is as if confession and repentance are no longer a real part of the believer’s life. What is that? That’s not biblical. Consider the Apostle Paul for a moment.

Illustration: Romans 7: Body of Death

Romans 7 gives what I think is one of the most profound illustrations of sin. In this class chapter the Apostle Paul is wrestling with sin in his life and what its like to struggle through it and want it to be gone so bad. And at the end of this back and forth, he calls out to God,

Romans 7:24 “24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”

He calls sin a “body of Death.” Funny language isn’t it? Paul was from Tarsus and one commentator I read said that the language “body of death” actually refers to a historic method of torture that was practiced in and around the city of Tarsus. A convicted criminal who was punished to death would be tied tightly to a dead decomposing human body. Literally a “body of death” would strapped to them. Over the course two to three weeks, that dead body would stink and fester and rot on top of the convicted criminal, until it slowly made them so sick that they themselves died. Paul in Romans 7 is rightly understanding, that’s what sin is like. It’s like this “body of death” that just slowly festers and rots and kills me. That is what sin is in your life. It’s a dead festering putrid disgusting body stuck on you that will kill if not removed.

The Worst Part of Indwelling Sin

The very worst part of Indwelling Sin is its effects on your relationship with God. Indwelling Sin slowly numbs you to things of God. I’ve seen it over and over again. You become complacent. Your hunger for God diminishes. Slowly, the ability to hear the precious voice of God through prayer, and the ability to listen to the Spirit as you navigate Scripture, the ability to make wise godly decisions, it all begins to slowly diminish when their is indwelling sin your life. It numbs you to God, because it is slowly killing you.

Lesson 2: God Loves You Too Much to Let Sin Fester & Kill You

The second lesson is that God loves you too much to let indwelling sin kill you. If you are a Christian, then you are a child of God. The relationship you have with God is that of a Father. He loves you. Your story is one of incredible grace and mercy. God sent Jesus to take your place underneath the Judgment of God for you. There is no greater act of love that has ever been conceived than the love that God has shown Christians. All of your sin was paid for on the cross in order that you might have life, and life to the full. If you’re a Christian, God is overwhelmingly for you. He wants what is best for you. And so when, out of that Fatherly love, when we have foolishly allowed a “body of death” to slowly start killing us, God will do what is necessary to save you from that death. That’s called discipline.

God’s Discipline vs. God’s Judgment

Let’s get our categories right. I want to separate God’s judgment from God’s discipline. This is important that we categorize this well even though often times the lines are a bit blurry as to what God is up to.

God is a Judge

All through Scripture we see that God is a judge and uses many means to execute justice both in this life and in the life to come. The obvious judgment is the final judgment after we die. But we know from Scripture that God often executes His judgment on our sinful actions in this life. Examples of God’s Judgment are many. All through the reading of the prophets we see that behind the outcome of battles and wars was actually the hand of God disciplining and releasing discipline from nations. War and political happenings are judgment (we saw that when we studied Daniel a few months ago). In the days of Noah, God sent a flood as a consequence for sin. In Sodom and Gomorroh, it seems as though God sent a meteorite storm that obliterated the towns as a result of sin. God is a judge. And His judgment is perfect. In our own nation, I believe the Civil War, that bloody devastation, was a just judgment over this nation for our ongoing acceptance of the sin of human chattel slavery. This is how God works.

God is a Father

But, when you place your faith in Jesus, God becomes to you more than a judge. He also becomes a Father. That relationship is one that is full of compassion, of tenderness, of love. And so primarily when God is bringing some kind of judgment on Christians, it is not a judgment that leads to spiritual death (as the previous examples), but rather it is a form of discipline intended to produce repentance. God can use all the same tools that are used for judgment with the nonbelievers, for discipline in the believer. In David’s case, he used sickness. But he can use many tools. He can cause roofs to cave in. Cars to break down. bones to break. He can cause thieves to steal. He can cause relationships to break. He can cause jobs and businesses to be lost. He can cause schisms in marriages and with loved ones. He can cause any number of events and circumstances in your life in order to bring you to your knees.

Caution: Not All Hardship is Discipline

Now, let bring some clarity. Not every bad thing that happens in a believer’s life is necessarily discipline. We live in a fallen world filled with sin and hardship. And I particularly want to speak to those who are the victim of abuse. Please know, I am not suggesting your abuse is somehow God disciplining you. That is actually a manipulative thing abusers say. If you are being abused in any way, please speak out to somebody, to a Pastor, to somebody, and invite them in.

Many of Us Cannot Recognize God’s Discipline

But I believe we are far too quick to write off the hardships in our life as simply the result of living in a fallen world. And I suspect that many of us have been under, or are under, the discipline of the Lord and refuse to admit it, or to do the hard work of understanding it. Maybe God is trying to get a hold of you. Don’t waste his discipline. We’re going to see in a moment, his discipline ought to form overwhelming joy. But what a shame it would be to endure all the discipline and when it was all said and done just take away something like this, “I’m glad that’s over.” Or even something more godly like, “God got me through that.” Sure—true. But did you do the hard work. Did you invite others into your life in the midst of the trial and say, “Guys—is there something here. Is there some sin I’m unaware of that God wants me to confess. I don’t want to miss this opportunity.” Did you identify the sin that caused the discipline? I have found, not always but usually, by the time God’s discipline comes around He has already bee communicating heavily about the consequences that will come from that sin if you permit to fester.

What’s Your Indwelling Sin? Destroy it before God destroys it for you!

2 Corinthians 7:1 says,

2 Corinthians 7:1 “1 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.”

Do you have unconfessed sin? Is it pornography. Know this—God gives full victory. But destroy it, before God destroys it for you. Is it the desire to be in control. That one’s tough. But God gives full victory. Destroy it, before God destroys it for you. It’s a worship issue. God’s in control. Is it an addiction to TV, to video games, to Alcohol, to caffeine, to a drug. Don’t let that fester. It will kill you. Destroy it, before God destorys it for you. Is it pride? Is it a lack of hunger for God’s Word? Is it fornication, sex and sexual activity outside of the covenant of marriage? Is it anger and a quick temper, a lack of patience with those around you. Is it overwhelming fear about what might happen. That can be sin, a lack of trust in God, that festers. Is it gossip? Is it judgment of others? Is it a lack of prayer? Is it a lack of concern for God’s Biblical Justice? Each of us will continually discover ongoing indwelling sin. Root it out, by God’s grace, before God roots it out of you.

Lesson 3: Discover Joy In the Midst of God’s Discipline

Lesson 3 God’s Discipline Forms Joy. When David was at his lowest. When he was overcome, he cried to God for help, for mercy

Psalm 30:8-10 “8 To you, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: 9 “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? 10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!””

Verse 9 is God-Centered

This is repentant heart. In your troubles, turn to God. Find that habit of falling on your knees and asking God for mercy. Notice in verse 9 this turn in David’s posture. What is David’s primary concern in verse 9? It’s not his health. Verse 9 reveals that in his repentance David’s primary heart was seeking God’s glory. He’s saying, “God, I want to live, so that I can tell others about you and about your faithfulness.” That’s a different posture than verse 6 isn’t it? That’s a changed heart. That’s a heart, who while underneath the discipline of the Lord, did the difficult work of searching His heart, of communing with God, and of repenting and changing.

God's Healing Forms Joy

Watch this now. God healed David.

Psalm 30:11-12 “11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!”

David got up from his bed and when the storm had passed, he danced. He turned the radio up and sang at the top of his lungs. He slid across that Kitchen floor and played the air guitar like he was a young buck again (okay—maybe that’s what I do after I’ve been sick, but he danced!). In these last verses David is overwhelmed by the goodness of God. He wants to give thanks to God forever. This is what God’s discipline is supposed to form in you—an overwhelming sense of ‘God’s so good I just want to dance.’ ‘God’s so good, I couldnt’ be silent about Him if I tried.’ ‘God’s so good, I want to sing about his goodness at the top of my lungs with others.’

Closing & Application:

Permit me to give us two applications, and these come in the form of personal questions.

1 Regular Rhythms of Confession

First, do you have honest real mechanisms in your life for confession and repentance? Meaning—Do you honestly pray regularly, “God reveal weakness and sin and sinful tendencies in my life and in the way I think and speak to others?” Do you have others in your life you share these weaknesses with and ask, “Do you see this in me?” And is there a deep enough trust in that relationship to receive it? Most people do not have this. As a Pastor I have seen people respond to loving gentle feedback in wildly different ways. Some people receive it, they reflect on it, they truly change, and I’ve watched God bring so much fruit into their lives. Honestly though, some people when confronted on sin become an entirely different person. They attack. They throw tantrums. They leave the Church.

2 Discipline

How has the Lord disciplined you in the past and what did you learn and change from it. Remember that verse from Hebrews that says that all legitimate children of the Father get disciplined from time to time. If you’re a Christian, and God is never disciplining you, well… there’s a problem.

Illustration: Parenting and a Repentant Heart

Church—healthy growing children trust their parents. One of my favorite moments is when I see that my children really do trust me and have taken to heart their discipline. Recently my daughters have started playing with these old curtain rods. Almost every day someone is getting hurt with them or something is destroyed by them. This was going to end in an emergency room visit. So finally, after many warnings, I through them out and told them why I was throwing them out. The next day, they were out of the garbage and hidden in a place where I was unlikely to find them. I confronted my daughter and discovered which one had done it and gave her a just consequence for her actions. Later that day she came upstairs with such a repentant heart. One of those facial expressions that only a Dad can see. I put her in my arms and we prayed together. What a precious moment for a Dad to see a daughter truly repent of. Multiply that by the extent of God’s infinite love for you. This is why God will graciously destroy that which is destroying you.