THE CHRISTIAN'S ANSWER

 

Psalm 115:1-18

 

The Psalms are the Christian’s answer to whom and why we worship Him. Athanasius, the early church father said this “The Psalms were to be used to lead the church in its worship of God.” Augustine who was the leading theologian and voice for the early church fathers, said “His conversion to Christ brought repeated references to the Psalms.” In His book “Confessions”, he starts his book with. “Great are You, O Lord, and greatly to be praised; great is Your power, and Your wisdom infinite.” These statements are directly drawn from Psalm 145:3 and Psalm 147:5. The Psalms awakened Augustine to the depth of his own emotions in the worship songs of the Psalms.

The Psalms are the Christians answer to…. 

Our enslavement to sin and separation from God.

Our liberation from the bondage of sin and death.

Our hope of forgiveness and everlasting peace with a holy God.

These results in thanksgiving and praise to the LORD alone for His excellent greatness.

 

John MacArthur said “The basic theme of the Psalms is living real life in the real world.”

 

Charles Spurgeon said this when writing his commentary “The Treasury Of David”, “I will never….find on this earth a richer storehouse, through the whole palace of revelation is open to me. Blessed have been the days spent in meditating, mourning, hoping, believing, and exulting with David! Can I hope to spend hours more joyous on this side of the golden gate? Perhaps not……Often have I ceased my commenting upon a text, that I might rise with the Psalm, and gaze upon visions of God.”

The Psalm that is before us this morning is a Psalm that declares the Superiority Of The One True God over the heathen idols of mankind. This Psalm answers two very important questions; that we as His children need have settled in our hearts daily.

 

What is God? And, Where is God?

 

The answer to that question is simple! The Lord alone is God, who resides in heaven, who rules over all, who lives forevermore, who protects and governs all things for His glory. Some of the wisest philosophers of that time and the present cannot answer that question. Tertullian, an early church father…. spoke of a man named Thales, who was the wisest man of that time period, was asked a question by the richest man in the world at that time Croesus……..What is God? And Thales could not answer the question asked by Croesus. To which Tertullian responded with “Is the wisest in the world, and he cannot tell you who God is.” Then he surmised, “But the most ignorant, uneducated servant among the Christians knows God and is able to make Him known to others.”

 

That’s why when you read Paul’s letter to the Church in Corinth we find these encouraging words based on the sole grounds of grace through the gospel. “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." 1 Cor 1:18-31

 

The wisest people apart from Christ are nothing more than fools. This Psalm is a testimony to the world’s ignorance of God. This Psalm exposes the heart of mankind and reveals our follies. And like most Psalms… this Psalm wastes no time in pointing to whom we are accountable to.

 

1. The Psalmist Directs Our Attention And Makes A Profound Declaration Of God’s Supreme Glory. (v1)

 

It is for God’s name that everything should bring Him glory. This is a “Theocentric” Psalm because it directs all our praise and honor to its proper focus, the Lord, Himself. To be “Theocentric” is to be “God-centered.” A theocentric life is lived in the understanding that all things flow “from Him, and through Him and to Him” As Paul wrote “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.” Rom 11:36. This opening portion of this Psalm elevates two divine attributes of God.

 

“love and faithfulness”

All our praise and hope should be given to God, because of His eternal, unconditional love towards His children. This means that God’s love and faithfulness is never rescinding but forever strong. As Paul said “if we are faithless, He remains faithful— for He cannot deny himself.” 2 Tim 2:13

His love and faithfulness is the reason for His glory. The glory of God is the beauty of His spirit. It is not a visual beauty or a material beauty, but it is the beauty that stems from His character, from all that He is.

 

The glory of God is described as the supreme purpose for redemption. “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory….” Eph 1:11-14

 

The glory of God is described in His Lordship, that everyone (the saved and unsaved) will confess that He is all glorious. “and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Phil 2:11

 

The glory of God is described in His greatness. “Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, For great is the glory of the LORD.” Psalm 138:5

 

The glory of God is described in His providential workings. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Psalm 19:1

 

The glory of God is exhibited in the Lord Jesus Christ. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:11

 

This is why the psalmist writes “Not unto us,” would seem to indicate a very serious desire to renounce any glory which they might at any time have proudly appropriated to themselves….you can include yourself it that as well.

This sets the foundation that God would at any cost 

to them, magnify his own name. 

When we achieve something or do something well at work, in the home or in school….God gets the glory!

 

When we were saved by His grace….God gets the glory!

 

When you and I deserve the wrath of God for our sin and God pulls you from the depths of Hell…..God gets the glory!

When you do ministry and serve the local church or your community…..God gets the glory!

When you endure hardships and face trial and temptations and find victory over them….God gets the glory!

When you stumble and fall in sin and become broken through repentance and restoration….God gets the glory!

When you are sick and scared but are able to find comfort and rest…..God gets the glory!

When you are faced with death and loss and you have a peace that overcomes the situation….God gets the glory!

When you feel the peer pressures of this world but find a way to flee and resist…..God gets the glory!

The psalmist proclaims “God gets the glory!” Whether you realize it or not! God gets the glory in all your pain, your sufferings, and joys in your life. He gets the glory over our joy of witnessing a beautiful sunset, the well lite sky of a lighting storm, to the beautiful colors of the rainbow.

2. The Psalmist Proclaims A Defense Of God’s Greatness. (V2-V3) 

God is in heaven and He does all that He pleases. And He rules over everything from His throne. This is important to know because…… The surrounding pagan nations taunted Israel as they returned from exile in Babylon to their lands. And the Israelites could not take any credit for their return because this restoration is due solely to the LORD alone. He did this because of His steadfast love and faithfulness to His promise. The nation returning has gone through some very troubling times, natural disasters, and being crushed by foreign countries. It was during this time the pagan gentiles would mock, ridicule, God’s people with this question. “Where is your God?” 

This would have been hurtful because it appeared that

God was nowhere to be found.

 

It’s in these times we need to listen and apply this truth the Psalmist writes in this Psalm. “O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield. You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield. The LORD has remembered us; he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron; he will bless those who fear the LORD, both the small and the great.” Psalm 115:9-13. We, the church, can apply this biblical truth to our own hearts, as we have a tendency to doubt and walk, as if we can’t answer that question.

 

Where is your God?

 

Watching  the schemes of mankind and the destruction it brings, unfold before our eyes, can leave a person very discouraged and unable to answer that question.

Churches, schools, small businesses, are closed because of nationwide lockdowns due to a virus.

Government and deep state officials are corrupt and not seeking the interest of the people they came to serve.

Governments breaking Laws and rubbing shoulders with corrupt foreign powers.

The family is being destroyed by the culture.

Big Tech destroying our freedom to think and discern all information as we see it.

Social justice and political correctness is the new norm.

Sick people, physical and mental are not getting the treatment they need.

Loved ones are having to die alone because of lockdowns.

Abortion is being celebrated instead of mourning.

These can be very discouraging times

if we take our eyes of God.

This is why the Psalms are so comforting because its living real life in the real world. The Psalms are written in a time period when life wasn’t going according to plan, and when you think things couldn’t possibly get worse, they do. But God! Is the one we trust in, and hope in, as He delivers us through the storms of this fallen world system. It’s God who gets our praise for victory, not us. It’s God who is doing it, not so-called gods or idols.

 

3. The Psalmist Makes A Clear Denunciation Of God’s Imposters (V4-V8)

 

“Idols” are images or objects that were made for the purpose of worship. This is the mistake many people continue to make then. And even now. Trusting in earthly things, earthly relationships, their own powers or talents or beauty, or the goodness they see in others. Everyone who has ever lived has committed this error at one time or another. We have all “exchanged” the glory of God in favor of the “glory of man.”

Paul was very clear that this was every one of us before the gospel and many still live this way today. “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. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” Romans 1:21-25

 

It’s important to understand that idols are “impotent” and they are made by sinful, weak, human hands, and these idols are powerless. These imposters are powerless, even though they are made from precious, valuable silver and gold. (v4) Why are they powerless? They are made with hands. They are made in the image of fallen human imagination.

 

Hence the fact they are utterly worthless…. (v5-v7)

They cannot speak

They cannot hear

They cannot smell

They cannot feel

They cannot walk

They cannot make a sound

The mocking nation that crafted these idols are trusting in their idols. And unfortunately they who trust in their idols will behave like their idols….spiritually powerless, lifeless and useless. (v8) This is why Paul said “they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator,.” Rom 1:25

 

4. The Psalmist Reminds Us That Our Lives Are Dependent Upon God’s Grace. (V9-11)

 

All people must trust and fear the LORD. The psalmist makes a declaration on God’s people to trust in the LORD. This is an “urgent plea” of trust because this is a vital part of the Christian life. God is our help and our shield, who will deliver us into His glory. God protective care is over our lives, because the of the gospel. Our trust goes to God through the gospel…. not social media, and Big tech companies, idols (whether physical or material), Hollywood, Musicians, Self, and everything in between.

 

“Trust” means “to attach oneself”, “to be confident in, or to rely upon”. The basic idea here is associated with “firmness and sturdiness. We are called to completely rely upon God, as He pours out grace over our lives.

 

John Piper said, “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them…Not only may you see a tiny fraction of what God is doing in your life; the part you do see may make no sense to you.”

 

What the Psalmist writes here is that things might not make sense to you and me, but God knows exactly what he’s doing. Trusting God starts with not…. leaning on my own understanding, or following after useless, powerless, spiritless idols, to find some form of peace for my troubled soul. It’s solely trusting God with ALL my heart and His “Shield” is a symbol of divine protection from one’s enemies. This doesn’t mean you’re never going to feel pain or be hurt by others. It means His divine protection is over our lives as we journey in this life for His glory. “Every word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.” Prov 30:5

 

It’s in the valleys were we feel that shield is present and this is where His staff comforts us. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

 

This Psalm helps us to focus or re-focus our hearts to flee from

useless idols that would hinder us our worship 

and alliance to Him.

 

A. This Psalm Helps To Remind Us To Delight In God’s Blessing. (v12-v13)

The one true God remembers and blessing His people whether we see it, feel it, hear, or touch it. God has not forsaken us to our own way. “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 Both “small and great” will receive the same blessings. God is not a respecter of persons; but He bestows His goodness impartially to all who fear Him.

 

B. This Psalm Helps Us To Desire In God’s

Increase (v14-v15)

The psalmist requested that His divine blessing be shown towards all God’s people. This is a prayer of God’s increase to come not just for some, but for all. A prayer we should be praying for one another. An increase of faith, hope, love, joy, patience, humility, and other graces; and with more knowledge of God and Christ, and of divine and spiritual things.

C. This Psalm Points Us To A Doxology Of God’s Supremacy. (v16-v18)

God, who is the exclusive, all sovereign God, is to be praised without reservations or excuses. Why? “The heavens” the “highest heavens” is where God dwells. This is exclusively belongs to the LORD.

He alone reigns supremely, and

is exalted over all creation.

 

But we dwell on the earth; where God has given it to us, to be stewards to care, and tend over it, for His glory. 

What can we do so that we don’t fall prey to useless idols as we go through 

seasons that seem God is distant?

 

1. Guard Against Mental Idols

 

John wrote “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” 1 John 5:21. A wrong view of God will twist the mind to create a god in our image. Meditate on the opening verse of this Psalm. “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name give glory.” (v1) Unscriptural thoughts about God are like worthless idols; and they only lead down paths of more heartache. And they must be removed swiftly and shattered into a million pieces.

 

2. Guard Against Heart Idols.

Anything we love, serve, more than God….is an idol. Anything that comes between us and our great God… is an idol. Martyn Lloyd Jones said “A man’s god is that for which he lives, for which he is prepared to give his time, his energy, his money, that which stimulates him and rouses him, excites, and enthuses him.” Nothing must come between our supreme devotion to God.

Absolutely nothing!

 

We must…cast, flee, shatter, and denounce every idol from the heart and worship God exclusively. The Bible does not leave us wondering what kind of worship God is aiming at for you and me.

The Bible is very clear….. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” Luke 10:27

 

“You shall “search after him with all your heart and with all your soul” Deut 4:29

 

“Serve the Lord your God with all your heart” Deut 10:12

 

“[Turn] to him with all your heart” 1 Samuel 7:3

 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart” Proverbs 3:5

 

“Rejoice and exult with all your heart” Zephaniah 3:14

 

“Give thanks to the Lord with your whole heart” Psalm 9:1

 

No competitors. No half-hearted affections,

no idolatry to get in the way of genuine worship.

 

Why is this important? Because we will be able to answer... the wisest person, the skeptic, the mocker of this age with this truth. (v1-v18)