1 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:16,920 If you are visiting with us today over these summer weeks, we're 2 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:17,760 going through the Psalms. 3 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:20,200 We began this a number of years ago, and we've simply been 4 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:22,160 taking them each in their turn. 5 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,360 And so we come this morning to Psalm 75. 6 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:29,140 But last week we looked at Psalm 74 and we considered how often 7 00:00:29,140 --> 00:00:33,220 in life we need to be patient as we wait, and we're honest with 8 00:00:33,220 --> 00:00:33,580 ourselves. 9 00:00:33,580 --> 00:00:36,060 And really we don't like having to wait. 10 00:00:36,860 --> 00:00:40,100 The context of Psalm 74 was waiting on the Lord to act against 11 00:00:40,100 --> 00:00:45,020 his enemies and the enemies of his people, who seem to be succeeding 12 00:00:45,020 --> 00:00:47,740 in their oppression of the faithful. 13 00:00:47,980 --> 00:00:51,420 And it was in verse 11 that gave us the clearest image of how 14 00:00:51,420 --> 00:00:54,860 the psalmist was feeling and how the people of God could cry out 15 00:00:54,860 --> 00:00:55,340 to him. 16 00:00:56,070 --> 00:00:59,190 Where the psalmist wrote, why do you hold back your hand, your 17 00:00:59,190 --> 00:01:02,950 right hand, take it from the folds of your garment, and destroy 18 00:01:02,950 --> 00:01:03,270 them? 19 00:01:04,150 --> 00:01:07,230 And so the psalmist or the congregation of God's people who 20 00:01:07,230 --> 00:01:11,830 would be singing this ancient hymn of Israel, would be asking why 21 00:01:11,830 --> 00:01:14,990 God was standing back, quite literally, with his hands in his 22 00:01:14,990 --> 00:01:15,510 pockets. 23 00:01:16,550 --> 00:01:18,950 Why was he just standing there doing nothing? 24 00:01:19,750 --> 00:01:23,110 And the image is strong because we know that same feeling 25 00:01:23,110 --> 00:01:23,510 today. 26 00:01:24,950 --> 00:01:27,950 And in Psalm 74, the answer came in the following verses, as 27 00:01:27,950 --> 00:01:31,190 the psalmist recounted all that the Lord had done for his people. 28 00:01:31,590 --> 00:01:35,150 And as they knew his faithfulness in the past, so they 29 00:01:35,150 --> 00:01:38,950 would know it again in the future, even if they were not sure 30 00:01:39,190 --> 00:01:41,270 of when God would act. 31 00:01:42,310 --> 00:01:42,590 Now. 32 00:01:42,590 --> 00:01:46,230 Psalm 75 is similar, but different. 33 00:01:47,590 --> 00:01:52,510 It's not asking a grand global question of when will you punish 34 00:01:52,510 --> 00:01:55,090 your enemies and the enemies of your people people? 35 00:01:56,210 --> 00:02:01,810 Nor is it looking for this great sense of a nation. 36 00:02:02,770 --> 00:02:09,250 Psalm 75 builds on Psalm 74 by looking at the individual, by the 37 00:02:09,250 --> 00:02:13,690 individual believer, asking themselves the hard questions that 38 00:02:13,690 --> 00:02:14,850 they want to ask God. 39 00:02:16,530 --> 00:02:20,570 But Psalm 75 is a hymn of praise in all of this, thanking God 40 00:02:20,570 --> 00:02:23,970 for the wondrous deeds that he has done for Israel and celebrating 41 00:02:23,970 --> 00:02:26,600 the fact that he is the judge of all the earth. 42 00:02:27,710 --> 00:02:31,630 And as the judge of all the earth, he will in his own time put 43 00:02:31,630 --> 00:02:34,750 down the wicked, and he will lift up the faithful. 44 00:02:35,790 --> 00:02:40,190 So Psalm 75 is all about a relationship with God. 45 00:02:40,990 --> 00:02:44,550 Now, we don't know if this psalm fits in with a real time situation 46 00:02:44,550 --> 00:02:47,870 that the people knew in particular, or whether it was a general 47 00:02:48,110 --> 00:02:52,110 psalm for them to be able to cry out to God against their enemies. 48 00:02:52,890 --> 00:02:56,850 But the tune, as I mentioned as we read this passage that would 49 00:02:56,850 --> 00:02:58,970 have been used, is simply called do not destroy. 50 00:02:58,970 --> 00:03:02,130 Now, we have no idea what it Sounds like it is interesting if 51 00:03:02,130 --> 00:03:04,890 you go onto YouTube and type in do not destroy. 52 00:03:05,050 --> 00:03:09,370 There are churches that have attempted to try and guess what this 53 00:03:09,370 --> 00:03:10,490 tune might have been like. 54 00:03:10,490 --> 00:03:16,330 But this is the fourth Psalm and the last that this tune is associated 55 00:03:16,330 --> 00:03:16,730 with. 56 00:03:17,450 --> 00:03:20,890 So this is a tune that would have been known well by the people 57 00:03:20,890 --> 00:03:24,600 of God, because the previous three Psalms that was used in were 58 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:27,880 actually three consecutive Psalms 57, 58 and 59. 59 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:34,280 And those are all psalms of David, as he wants to pray against 60 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:38,840 Saul's action against him, the unfairness of Saul. 61 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:42,200 And the songs are about Saul's unjust rule. 62 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:48,160 So we get an idea of the tone of this, that there's a sense of 63 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:50,440 vindication, of personal vindication. 64 00:03:51,110 --> 00:03:54,350 In the earlier Psalms, David saying, saul is saying all this about 65 00:03:54,350 --> 00:03:56,630 me, but it's not true. 66 00:03:56,710 --> 00:03:58,390 So vindicate me, Lord. 67 00:03:59,350 --> 00:04:02,150 And that's what we'll see in Psalm 75. 68 00:04:03,270 --> 00:04:08,990 So in the age in which we live right now, it has never been easier 69 00:04:08,990 --> 00:04:11,910 to keep in touch with family and friends, be they across the street 70 00:04:12,310 --> 00:04:13,510 or across the world. 71 00:04:14,390 --> 00:04:19,689 If you're born after 2006, you quite literally don't know you're 72 00:04:19,689 --> 00:04:20,049 living. 73 00:04:21,729 --> 00:04:26,489 And you see, if you're born after 2015, my goodness. 74 00:04:26,489 --> 00:04:29,249 Many of us here don't even understand how you communicate. 75 00:04:29,729 --> 00:04:31,809 I've heard of this thing called Snapchat. 76 00:04:32,209 --> 00:04:34,209 I've been told don't go anywhere near it. 77 00:04:34,289 --> 00:04:36,049 And I've been obedient and haven't. 78 00:04:36,609 --> 00:04:41,249 So I know that Snapchat, I know that WhatsApp, if you're older 79 00:04:41,569 --> 00:04:45,480 and apparently if you're really old, Facebook messenger is 80 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:47,240 the ways of communicating. 81 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:55,200 I'm so old, as many of you will know, text messages are my way 82 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:55,640 to go. 83 00:04:57,480 --> 00:04:59,320 But it really hasn't been easier. 84 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:05,240 In an instant, photographs can be sent from one part of the earth 85 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:06,200 to the other. 86 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:11,410 We can hear news quite literally in real time because of 87 00:05:11,490 --> 00:05:16,010 audio technology, video technology, and it's instant, with 88 00:05:16,010 --> 00:05:17,570 barely any delay. 89 00:05:18,690 --> 00:05:23,090 But many of you will remember costly telephone calls that were 90 00:05:23,090 --> 00:05:27,730 made because in our day there was no such thing as inclusive minutes. 91 00:05:28,130 --> 00:05:30,770 You paid per minute that you were on the phone. 92 00:05:31,170 --> 00:05:34,450 And of course, the closer the phone call was, the cheaper it was. 93 00:05:35,170 --> 00:05:38,890 Letters took anywhere between five days to two weeks to be delivered 94 00:05:38,890 --> 00:05:40,610 to the furthest parts of the globe. 95 00:05:41,470 --> 00:05:43,630 And there was nothing instant about it. 96 00:05:44,110 --> 00:05:48,030 Communication 30 years ago required a lot of waiting to hear 97 00:05:48,110 --> 00:05:49,550 news or receive information. 98 00:05:50,430 --> 00:05:54,590 And if you were going to spend 20p, that's all it cost back in 1990 99 00:05:54,750 --> 00:05:58,590 on a first class stamp, then you made sure you took the time to 100 00:05:58,590 --> 00:06:02,750 write a full letter giving all the details that were needed. 101 00:06:03,550 --> 00:06:08,290 So again, if you were born after 2006, you really don't know. 102 00:06:08,290 --> 00:06:11,970 You're living in what we had to do in the good old days. 103 00:06:13,570 --> 00:06:18,770 And in one sense, Psalm 75 is a Psalm that is written carefully, 104 00:06:19,170 --> 00:06:22,810 just like you're writing a letter with a 20p stamp, wanting 105 00:06:22,810 --> 00:06:24,450 to give as much as you can. 106 00:06:25,170 --> 00:06:28,930 This is not an instant message to God's people. 107 00:06:30,210 --> 00:06:34,580 This is something that they need to hear and they need time to 108 00:06:34,580 --> 00:06:35,460 ponder on. 109 00:06:35,460 --> 00:06:39,460 And we see that space given right in the heart of this psalm, 110 00:06:39,460 --> 00:06:41,260 and we'll come to it in a few moments. 111 00:06:42,620 --> 00:06:46,220 You see God's wanting to express to them or giving them an 112 00:06:46,220 --> 00:06:50,580 opportunity to express their feelings about who he is and the 113 00:06:50,580 --> 00:06:52,620 situation in which they find themselves. 114 00:06:53,260 --> 00:06:56,900 For them, the people of God, their issue is that they have to 115 00:06:56,900 --> 00:07:00,950 wait on the Lord, and they don't know when he will respond, 116 00:07:00,950 --> 00:07:02,630 nor do they know when he will act. 117 00:07:03,430 --> 00:07:06,190 And they begin in verse one with grateful praise of his name, 118 00:07:06,190 --> 00:07:10,190 because that's where God's people must always begin in reminding 119 00:07:10,190 --> 00:07:15,270 ourselves of who he is, where they say, we give thanks to you, 120 00:07:15,270 --> 00:07:18,710 O God, we give thanks for your name is near. 121 00:07:19,110 --> 00:07:21,990 Men tell of your wonderful deeds. 122 00:07:23,110 --> 00:07:27,630 As God's people sing this song, they identify themselves as 123 00:07:27,630 --> 00:07:29,830 the ones to whom God's name is near. 124 00:07:31,250 --> 00:07:35,290 They are the people on whose account God has performed his, as 125 00:07:35,290 --> 00:07:37,090 they describe it, wondrous deeds. 126 00:07:37,490 --> 00:07:40,730 Now they're not specific here, as they were in Psalm 74 about what 127 00:07:40,730 --> 00:07:46,770 God has done, but as we saw back then, that included the exodus 128 00:07:46,770 --> 00:07:50,250 from Egypt crossing the Red Sea, and the mighty enemies that 129 00:07:50,250 --> 00:07:53,090 they had to defeat to get to the promised land. 130 00:07:54,210 --> 00:07:59,140 But what they are doing here is thinking of him and his goodness 131 00:07:59,140 --> 00:08:00,020 towards them. 132 00:08:00,740 --> 00:08:03,780 And this may simply have been on how he provides for them on a 133 00:08:03,780 --> 00:08:04,740 day to day basis. 134 00:08:05,140 --> 00:08:08,460 Again, how he defeated his enemies, as we just mentioned, or 135 00:08:08,460 --> 00:08:11,980 their appreciation of his covenant love for them, how he's 136 00:08:11,980 --> 00:08:15,020 told them again and again, you're my people, I will love you 137 00:08:15,020 --> 00:08:15,860 no matter what. 138 00:08:16,660 --> 00:08:19,980 And throughout the Psalms, the deeds of the Lord are described in 139 00:08:19,980 --> 00:08:20,500 different words. 140 00:08:20,500 --> 00:08:24,230 They're described as wondrous, as mighty, and as awesome. 141 00:08:24,230 --> 00:08:27,790 Those are powerful words and they express gratitude for the great 142 00:08:27,790 --> 00:08:32,390 acts God has done to guide and guard his people so that they will 143 00:08:32,390 --> 00:08:35,470 flourish in true righteousness or true piety. 144 00:08:36,590 --> 00:08:41,750 And as in Psalm 74, we know that they know what these deeds are 145 00:08:41,750 --> 00:08:45,150 and how God has led them and defeated their enemies. 146 00:08:45,150 --> 00:08:48,270 And this is what they want to tell each other as they sing. 147 00:08:48,270 --> 00:08:51,310 But they also want the nations around them to hear this truth. 148 00:08:52,260 --> 00:08:54,940 They want to declare to themselves and to the nations, as 149 00:08:54,940 --> 00:09:00,140 again we saw in Psalm 74, so that everyone will turn and glorify 150 00:09:00,140 --> 00:09:00,580 God. 151 00:09:02,580 --> 00:09:04,980 So verse one gives us a moment of praise. 152 00:09:05,620 --> 00:09:09,620 But it's in verses two to five that we move into a different way 153 00:09:09,620 --> 00:09:13,860 that this psalm speaks than has been presented in any of the 154 00:09:13,860 --> 00:09:14,860 psalms previously. 155 00:09:14,860 --> 00:09:18,910 Because here we have God speaking through this psalm. 156 00:09:19,870 --> 00:09:23,870 And as he does, he promises to work his judgment over the earth. 157 00:09:24,750 --> 00:09:28,270 And this judgment will be in God's own time. 158 00:09:29,230 --> 00:09:34,670 God will do what is right by his timing and not necessarily when 159 00:09:34,670 --> 00:09:36,670 his people want him to act. 160 00:09:37,630 --> 00:09:40,510 And you know, this often can be perceived as it was then and still 161 00:09:40,510 --> 00:09:42,030 today, as frustrating. 162 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:47,320 But it is God who gives the promise that he will judge uprightly, 163 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:50,840 or as the King James Version says, with equity. 164 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:55,560 In other words, he will judge those who deserve his judgment, because 165 00:09:55,560 --> 00:10:01,000 he is a God who lifts the righteous and he punishes the wicked. 166 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,920 Now, we must know something about God in all of this and who 167 00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:06,360 he is. 168 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:11,670 See, God doesn't fly into an uncontrollable fit of rage and kind 169 00:10:11,670 --> 00:10:15,990 of dish out punishment on all around him, the innocent then being 170 00:10:15,990 --> 00:10:17,030 collateral damage. 171 00:10:17,030 --> 00:10:21,150 That's how humanity responds in anger and rage. 172 00:10:22,190 --> 00:10:26,750 God knows those who are evil and how they have treated his people 173 00:10:26,829 --> 00:10:27,470 wrongly. 174 00:10:27,950 --> 00:10:30,830 And he will judge them and them alone for this. 175 00:10:31,870 --> 00:10:33,870 That's why God is a righteous judge. 176 00:10:34,510 --> 00:10:36,990 That's why he will judge uprightly and with equity. 177 00:10:37,750 --> 00:10:40,950 Because he is the God who knows who is wicked and he knows 178 00:10:40,950 --> 00:10:41,750 who is righteous. 179 00:10:43,510 --> 00:10:46,510 And the reason why this is affirmed in verse 2 is because of 180 00:10:46,510 --> 00:10:49,030 what the Lord goes on to say in verse three. 181 00:10:49,750 --> 00:10:53,950 He says, when the earth and all its people quake, it is I who 182 00:10:53,950 --> 00:10:55,830 hold its pillars firm. 183 00:10:56,550 --> 00:11:00,670 And this is where the pause comes for God's people, the time 184 00:11:00,670 --> 00:11:03,790 that they need to think through what's just been said with 185 00:11:03,790 --> 00:11:05,830 this one little word, selah. 186 00:11:06,950 --> 00:11:09,830 And if you're here and wondered why, I paused after it, 187 00:11:09,830 --> 00:11:12,710 because that has been our practice, that as we've been going 188 00:11:12,710 --> 00:11:16,670 through the Psalms, we've paused after the word selah so that 189 00:11:16,670 --> 00:11:21,949 we can think or even look at what has been said and know its truth 190 00:11:21,949 --> 00:11:22,710 for us today. 191 00:11:23,750 --> 00:11:26,710 And so what verse three is telling the people as they pause 192 00:11:26,790 --> 00:11:32,000 and as they think about it, that as he judges uprightly, God 193 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:35,440 will preserve the stability of his creation. 194 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:40,960 Again, God doesn't fly into fits of rage, uncontrollable rage. 195 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:42,880 He knows what he's doing. 196 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:48,200 He keeps all of Creation in its order as he ordained it, while 197 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:49,680 he punishes the wicked. 198 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:52,960 This is what's meant in verse three when he speaks of the earth 199 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:57,320 and its people quaking, even though all around it may feel as 200 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:01,820 on steady ground, it is the Lord who will keep it, and he will 201 00:12:01,820 --> 00:12:06,540 keep it together, because that's who he is in these moments. 202 00:12:06,540 --> 00:12:11,020 He holds the created world tightly so it doesn't spin out of 203 00:12:11,020 --> 00:12:13,380 control, even though we may feel that it is. 204 00:12:14,260 --> 00:12:17,540 But in verse four, he picks out those who will face his judgment. 205 00:12:17,540 --> 00:12:20,780 And he will rebuke the boastful, and he will rebuke the 206 00:12:20,780 --> 00:12:21,220 wicked. 207 00:12:21,620 --> 00:12:24,420 And these are names for people who don't know God. 208 00:12:25,180 --> 00:12:27,820 But they're also content in their unbelief. 209 00:12:29,820 --> 00:12:33,780 And it beggars belief that there are people in this day and 210 00:12:33,780 --> 00:12:40,260 age, in the world all around us who are content in their unbelief 211 00:12:40,260 --> 00:12:40,859 of God. 212 00:12:42,140 --> 00:12:43,420 They will deny Him. 213 00:12:44,060 --> 00:12:45,340 They will mock Him. 214 00:12:46,060 --> 00:12:50,140 We have seen it even in these past days on our television screens 215 00:12:50,780 --> 00:12:52,220 of how he will be mocked. 216 00:12:53,580 --> 00:13:01,180 And people simply go around boastful, proud and wicked, content 217 00:13:01,340 --> 00:13:03,260 in their unbelief of God. 218 00:13:04,300 --> 00:13:07,660 Now, the psalm doesn't make clear whether the set time for judgment 219 00:13:07,740 --> 00:13:10,980 is the time of the final judgment for all the earth, or any 220 00:13:10,980 --> 00:13:14,460 time in which God chooses to make his justice visible. 221 00:13:15,340 --> 00:13:16,700 Either way works. 222 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:19,480 But the warning is that he will judge. 223 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:24,080 And no one should want that judgment to fall on them, for they 224 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:28,040 will not survive it because of their sin against God. 225 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:32,240 And there's a phrase in verse four that might cause a bit of a 226 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:34,520 question in our minds, because it's a bit of a strange one. 227 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:36,280 We don't use phrases like this today. 228 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:40,760 The Lord says to the wicked, do not lift up your horns. 229 00:13:42,770 --> 00:13:45,730 I was at a drive in service one time, and the preacher once said, 230 00:13:45,730 --> 00:13:48,610 lift up your horns, and everybody blasted the horn of their 231 00:13:48,610 --> 00:13:49,170 cars. 232 00:13:50,050 --> 00:13:51,970 That's not what we're talking about. 233 00:13:52,850 --> 00:13:55,490 Nor are we talking about the blowing of a trumpet, as we would 234 00:13:55,490 --> 00:13:59,090 known horns in Scripture to be used as a trumpet call. 235 00:14:00,610 --> 00:14:04,130 More, it's symbolic of who these people are and what their instruments 236 00:14:04,130 --> 00:14:07,570 are, because in scripture the horn is a symbol of power. 237 00:14:08,460 --> 00:14:12,700 And so to lift it up is to make a public assertion of power. 238 00:14:13,660 --> 00:14:18,500 God warns the ungodly not to lift up their horn, and he promises 239 00:14:18,500 --> 00:14:22,140 to lift up the horn of the faithful instead, as we'll see in 240 00:14:22,140 --> 00:14:25,380 verse 10 and verse 5 strengthens this image. 241 00:14:25,380 --> 00:14:28,940 When God says, do not lift up your horns against heaven. 242 00:14:29,020 --> 00:14:31,900 Do not speak with outstretched neck. 243 00:14:32,460 --> 00:14:36,140 And here God is warning the wicked not to be defiant against 244 00:14:36,140 --> 00:14:36,540 Him. 245 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:41,240 He has given his people a way by which they must live. 246 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:46,920 And it is his way, not one of their own or our own making. 247 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:52,760 And so humanity is warned that as the wicked of the world are warned 248 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:57,160 not to be defiant against him and his ways, rather they're to turn 249 00:14:57,160 --> 00:15:02,040 to him to seek his forgiveness and trust in his salvation. 250 00:15:03,150 --> 00:15:05,870 And the one truth that this psalm wants to tell us is that God 251 00:15:05,870 --> 00:15:07,790 has always been a God of salvation. 252 00:15:08,430 --> 00:15:11,670 There is no difference in the God of the Old Testament and the 253 00:15:11,670 --> 00:15:12,590 New Testament. 254 00:15:13,070 --> 00:15:15,670 He demonstrates Himself to be the God of salvation. 255 00:15:15,670 --> 00:15:20,110 And in passages like this we see them pointing us to Christ, in 256 00:15:20,110 --> 00:15:22,830 whom we can only know full salvation. 257 00:15:23,470 --> 00:15:26,550 And so the warning of these verses are still the warning for 258 00:15:26,550 --> 00:15:27,150 us today. 259 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:30,280 Now we may not like the term wicked. 260 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:33,160 In fact we may not even like to think that there would be those 261 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:34,920 who would call us wicked. 262 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:38,920 But in our sin, that's who we are to God. 263 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:41,240 Because of our sin. 264 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:45,160 We are not good in sin. 265 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:50,160 We are rebellious people who defy God and we defy him and his 266 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:50,680 ways. 267 00:15:51,240 --> 00:15:54,360 And the warning is clear in these verses that judgment will be 268 00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:56,730 brought on those who rebel. 269 00:15:57,850 --> 00:16:01,570 The only way to know escape from God's judgment is to trust in 270 00:16:01,570 --> 00:16:05,370 the Savior, to trust in him and to know his love. 271 00:16:06,410 --> 00:16:09,290 And as we go into the New Testament, in John's Gospel, it's 272 00:16:09,290 --> 00:16:13,410 actually John the Baptist in his response to an argument between 273 00:16:13,410 --> 00:16:16,730 his disciples and a certain Jew that states this truth. 274 00:16:16,730 --> 00:16:22,210 Because he says in John 3:36, whoever believes in the Son and has 275 00:16:22,210 --> 00:16:27,770 eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, 276 00:16:28,330 --> 00:16:31,610 for God's wrath remains on him. 277 00:16:32,410 --> 00:16:35,130 This is what Psalm 75 is telling us. 278 00:16:35,930 --> 00:16:39,410 It's telling us that there are those who believe and those who don't 279 00:16:39,410 --> 00:16:43,050 believe, well then God's wrath will be upon them, will remain with 280 00:16:43,050 --> 00:16:43,370 them. 281 00:16:43,530 --> 00:16:45,210 And so it's quite clear cut. 282 00:16:45,690 --> 00:16:50,050 The only way to know salvation is to trust in Jesus and no escape 283 00:16:50,050 --> 00:16:54,470 from God's wrath, which is his judgment on sinful humanity. 284 00:16:55,350 --> 00:16:59,670 But we turn back to Psalm 75 and in verses 68 we see the people 285 00:16:59,670 --> 00:17:03,630 confirm that it is God who lifts up, and it is God who puts 286 00:17:03,630 --> 00:17:05,510 down the lifting up. 287 00:17:05,510 --> 00:17:07,030 Here is a display of authority. 288 00:17:07,590 --> 00:17:10,550 Verse 6 confirms that no one can exalt a man. 289 00:17:10,870 --> 00:17:15,190 That is, no one can lift them up to forgive them or to know forgiveness 290 00:17:15,190 --> 00:17:15,550 from them. 291 00:17:15,550 --> 00:17:17,190 It's only God who can do this. 292 00:17:17,630 --> 00:17:19,390 And that's confirmed first in verse seven. 293 00:17:19,390 --> 00:17:20,670 But it is God who judges. 294 00:17:21,070 --> 00:17:24,350 He brings one down and he exalts another. 295 00:17:25,550 --> 00:17:28,670 God's people sing this verse demonstrating that they are taking 296 00:17:29,790 --> 00:17:32,350 a stand for what they believe, a stance of faith. 297 00:17:33,230 --> 00:17:36,830 And there are many times when God's faithful people must simply 298 00:17:36,990 --> 00:17:40,910 await his timing and not give in to despair. 299 00:17:41,630 --> 00:17:43,230 And that's what they're doing here. 300 00:17:44,310 --> 00:17:47,430 They're demonstrating their faith that God will be who he says 301 00:17:47,430 --> 00:17:51,430 he is, and that he will work in his perfect time, because God 302 00:17:51,430 --> 00:17:56,070 has promised that he will act, and when he does, then he will do 303 00:17:56,230 --> 00:17:57,430 what is right. 304 00:17:58,310 --> 00:18:01,470 And verse 8 describes the judgment of the wicked, using the 305 00:18:01,470 --> 00:18:05,750 image of potent wine that the wicked must drink. 306 00:18:06,070 --> 00:18:08,630 And this is an image that's used throughout the Old Testament. 307 00:18:09,360 --> 00:18:12,160 And it's also used in contrast, because we have, in Psalm 308 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:17,680 116, verse 13, a contrast to this cup of bitter, potent wine. 309 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:22,240 And the drink of the righteous is one that brings joy and warmth. 310 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:26,120 But this one that's mentioned here in Psalm 75, that they will 311 00:18:26,120 --> 00:18:30,080 drink its dregs, is one that produces madness, confusion. 312 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:34,640 And it creates staggering, in other words, an ability not to walk 313 00:18:35,100 --> 00:18:36,140 in the right ways. 314 00:18:36,780 --> 00:18:40,260 But notice how it ends, as I've mentioned, that he pours it 315 00:18:40,260 --> 00:18:44,540 out and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs. 316 00:18:45,420 --> 00:18:47,980 And saying that the wicked will drink its very dregs tells us 317 00:18:47,980 --> 00:18:51,339 that God's judgment of rebellious people will be complete, 318 00:18:51,740 --> 00:18:55,140 that when that judgment happens, there will be no ability 319 00:18:55,140 --> 00:18:56,060 to turn back. 320 00:18:56,460 --> 00:18:59,540 Just like the Image In Revelation 18, God's judgment will 321 00:18:59,540 --> 00:19:02,470 be final and no one will escape. 322 00:19:03,430 --> 00:19:07,350 Now, this should give us both hope, but it also should be a warning. 323 00:19:07,350 --> 00:19:10,230 And the warning comes that if we're not on the side of the Lord, 324 00:19:10,230 --> 00:19:13,190 and if we're not trusting in Christ for salvation and living for 325 00:19:13,190 --> 00:19:17,630 him, then we will face the judgment and we will face the punishment 326 00:19:17,630 --> 00:19:19,830 that we rightly deserve. 327 00:19:21,190 --> 00:19:25,110 But the hope is that salvation in Christ is enough. 328 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:29,360 Jesus has done everything that we need for salvation. 329 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:33,320 And so our response this morning must be that we are to trust 330 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:34,960 in him or that we will trust in Him. 331 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:37,920 And this trust in Christ is twofold. 332 00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:42,520 First, we need to know that his salvation is true and that it 333 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:43,520 will not fail us. 334 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:46,560 That's what the people in Psalm 75 are telling themselves. 335 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:51,280 They're believing and continuing from Psalm 74 that even 336 00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:55,540 in their individual moments, where things have not gone as they 337 00:19:55,540 --> 00:19:58,260 wanted, God will not fail them. 338 00:19:59,300 --> 00:20:01,460 They will know his salvation to be true. 339 00:20:03,460 --> 00:20:07,380 And this may then spark a question for us, that if we are to 340 00:20:07,380 --> 00:20:11,020 continue to believe that God's salvation is true and will not fail 341 00:20:11,020 --> 00:20:14,100 us, then how can we be sure of that? 342 00:20:14,340 --> 00:20:17,460 And how can we know that we are saved to continue to believe 343 00:20:17,460 --> 00:20:17,780 it? 344 00:20:18,260 --> 00:20:21,220 And we call this assurance of salvation. 345 00:20:21,220 --> 00:20:24,110 So how can we know of assurance of salvation? 346 00:20:24,990 --> 00:20:31,750 Well, Jesus tells us quite Simply in John 10:27, 28, my sheep 347 00:20:31,750 --> 00:20:32,830 listen to my voice. 348 00:20:33,390 --> 00:20:35,710 I know them and they follow me. 349 00:20:36,030 --> 00:20:39,069 I give them eternal life, and they shall not perish. 350 00:20:39,070 --> 00:20:41,230 No one can snatch them out of my hand. 351 00:20:41,870 --> 00:20:44,830 My Father, who has given them to me is greater than all. 352 00:20:45,550 --> 00:20:48,550 No one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 353 00:20:48,550 --> 00:20:52,240 Look at that verse and look at its logic. 354 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:54,160 Look at where it begins. 355 00:20:54,480 --> 00:20:57,760 How can we know that we're saved for all eternity? 356 00:20:58,160 --> 00:21:03,120 Well, we listen to the voice of the shepherd, and as we do, well, 357 00:21:03,120 --> 00:21:04,960 we are known by the shepherd. 358 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:09,400 The shepherd knows us, but as we know that he knows us, then we 359 00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:10,800 will want to follow him. 360 00:21:11,120 --> 00:21:13,960 And this is the logic that Jesus gives us because he gives us 361 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:14,720 eternal life. 362 00:21:15,530 --> 00:21:18,530 And so that assurance of us is that when we know eternal that we 363 00:21:18,530 --> 00:21:22,010 have eternal life, then we'll never perish, because we will be 364 00:21:22,010 --> 00:21:23,450 found with him forever. 365 00:21:24,410 --> 00:21:26,570 No one can snatch us out of his hand. 366 00:21:28,170 --> 00:21:31,530 My Father Jesus goes on to say, who has given them to Me is 367 00:21:31,530 --> 00:21:32,410 greater than all. 368 00:21:33,130 --> 00:21:37,730 And he affirms that no one can snatch his people out of His Father's 369 00:21:37,730 --> 00:21:38,010 hand. 370 00:21:39,130 --> 00:21:40,810 How do we know we're saved? 371 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:43,680 How can we have assurance of salvation? 372 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:47,400 We listen to the voice of Jesus as we find it in the word of 373 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:47,720 God. 374 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:51,520 We follow his way, and we want to live for Him. 375 00:21:53,120 --> 00:21:57,680 So let me give you a very straight challenge this morning. 376 00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:02,360 If you call yourself a Christian, well, then there's something 377 00:22:02,360 --> 00:22:06,840 that you must do, and that's what Jesus is telling us here in 378 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:07,680 John's Gospel. 379 00:22:08,540 --> 00:22:11,340 We must read His Word, and we must read it daily. 380 00:22:11,740 --> 00:22:15,100 Whether you as a young person say you're a Christian or you're 381 00:22:15,100 --> 00:22:17,500 an old person who says you're a Christian and everyone in between, 382 00:22:18,220 --> 00:22:20,060 you must be daily reading His Word. 383 00:22:20,860 --> 00:22:25,540 You can't just depend on me to read it for you on a Sunday, nor 384 00:22:25,540 --> 00:22:28,300 can you depend on a YouTube video during the week. 385 00:22:29,020 --> 00:22:31,820 You must read it, and you must go to somewhere else in Scripture 386 00:22:31,820 --> 00:22:33,180 that I'm not reading from. 387 00:22:34,260 --> 00:22:38,180 There's books out there to help you daily read so that you can 388 00:22:38,180 --> 00:22:43,340 know and listen to the voice of the Lord through God's Word, that 389 00:22:43,340 --> 00:22:48,860 you will live his ways, that you will want to live for him, and 390 00:22:48,860 --> 00:22:51,460 that no Christian ever gets it completely right. 391 00:22:52,100 --> 00:22:53,380 Let's be honest about that. 392 00:22:53,380 --> 00:22:53,940 We don't. 393 00:22:54,980 --> 00:23:00,100 But we live desiring to want to do what is right, as Christ tells 394 00:23:00,100 --> 00:23:00,380 us. 395 00:23:01,020 --> 00:23:05,060 And so what we're saying is that our standard of authority doesn't 396 00:23:05,060 --> 00:23:08,540 rest with ourselves, nor does it rest with the opinions of those 397 00:23:08,540 --> 00:23:09,180 around us. 398 00:23:09,660 --> 00:23:15,380 It firmly rests with Jesus Christ and how we read the revealed 399 00:23:15,380 --> 00:23:20,460 word of Scripture each and every day, be it one verse or a hundred 400 00:23:20,460 --> 00:23:21,100 verses. 401 00:23:22,620 --> 00:23:24,100 And so this is what we must do. 402 00:23:24,100 --> 00:23:28,940 And so if you say you're a Christian, then what you must be 403 00:23:28,940 --> 00:23:33,620 doing is reading the word of God, because as Jesus himself says, 404 00:23:33,940 --> 00:23:36,500 my sheep listen to my voice. 405 00:23:38,020 --> 00:23:40,020 So find ways of doing that. 406 00:23:41,060 --> 00:23:44,340 Find a moment in the day where you can read and you can think. 407 00:23:45,300 --> 00:23:47,860 Start out early morning, and if you have a long drive ahead of 408 00:23:47,860 --> 00:23:50,580 you, you have a drive in which you can think of what you've read. 409 00:23:51,460 --> 00:23:54,300 Or maybe the 11 o' clock tea break or the lunchtime where the 410 00:23:54,300 --> 00:23:57,500 tea time is a moment of quietness or a moment where you can 411 00:23:57,500 --> 00:24:02,240 take yourself and read and pray and meditate on the Word. 412 00:24:03,360 --> 00:24:09,720 To be a Christian means we live by God's way, and we, as his 413 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:13,200 sheep, listen clearly to his voice. 414 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:16,400 And so that's the first thing we need to know that his salvation 415 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:18,280 is true and will not fail us. 416 00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:21,720 And so we must have assurance of salvation, which means we listen 417 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:23,520 to the voice of the Lord Jesus. 418 00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:26,800 And the second part of this response is to trust in Him. 419 00:24:27,430 --> 00:24:30,310 And that means to know that evil will be punished. 420 00:24:31,350 --> 00:24:35,070 All too often we start to balance things as we see them here 421 00:24:35,070 --> 00:24:35,750 on earth. 422 00:24:36,950 --> 00:24:40,710 We begin to want judgments based on what we see in the world 423 00:24:40,710 --> 00:24:41,430 around us. 424 00:24:42,390 --> 00:24:45,590 And you see, this is where Psalm 75 lands for us today. 425 00:24:46,550 --> 00:24:49,670 Perhaps there are things in your life that still haunt you. 426 00:24:50,630 --> 00:24:55,760 You weren't treated well, or you're plagued by animosity from 427 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:57,360 family members towards you. 428 00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:01,840 Perhaps you feel discouraged when you read or listen to the news 429 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:06,360 and hear the media and those whom they interview twisting the 430 00:25:06,360 --> 00:25:06,800 truth. 431 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:11,600 What we need to know from this psalm is God will judge. 432 00:25:12,640 --> 00:25:15,760 And as he does, all will be put right. 433 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:20,880 You will be vindicated, and those who have perpetrated against 434 00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:24,000 you will face what they deserve in God's judgment. 435 00:25:25,050 --> 00:25:27,210 For a little while on this earth. 436 00:25:27,530 --> 00:25:32,090 It may seem as if they're getting away with it, but they won't 437 00:25:32,330 --> 00:25:32,970 forever. 438 00:25:33,450 --> 00:25:37,410 And this is what Paul assures us in Galatians chapter 6 and verse 439 00:25:37,410 --> 00:25:37,770 7. 440 00:25:38,090 --> 00:25:39,130 Do not be deceived. 441 00:25:39,210 --> 00:25:40,810 God cannot be mocked. 442 00:25:40,970 --> 00:25:43,690 A man reaps what he sows. 443 00:25:45,130 --> 00:25:49,290 So if you are haunted by things of the past, if you're facing 444 00:25:49,290 --> 00:25:55,020 that animosity of today, or what you see on the news send you 445 00:25:55,020 --> 00:25:55,860 into despair. 446 00:25:56,900 --> 00:25:57,700 Take heart. 447 00:25:58,820 --> 00:26:04,540 These days of sorrow and injustice will pass, and it is God 448 00:26:04,540 --> 00:26:06,500 who will have the final word. 449 00:26:08,820 --> 00:26:10,180 But there's another side to this. 450 00:26:10,180 --> 00:26:14,620 Maybe you're here and you find yourself tormented by a conscience 451 00:26:14,620 --> 00:26:21,150 that knows you yourself to be the perpetrator of evil, of selfishness, 452 00:26:21,870 --> 00:26:27,390 of mean words or relational withdrawal of deceit. 453 00:26:28,590 --> 00:26:30,750 If so, repent. 454 00:26:31,550 --> 00:26:35,629 Repent and seek restitution with those whom you have wronged. 455 00:26:35,950 --> 00:26:38,110 But beneath it all, take heart. 456 00:26:38,110 --> 00:26:43,150 In the greatest truth of God's judgment, God judges his own righteous 457 00:26:43,310 --> 00:26:46,990 Son in place of us on righteous rebels. 458 00:26:47,550 --> 00:26:53,230 So that any who turn to take, who want him as their Savior, to 459 00:26:53,230 --> 00:26:59,310 take him as their Savior, gets the future, gets that future that 460 00:26:59,310 --> 00:27:00,910 Jesus gave his life for. 461 00:27:01,710 --> 00:27:04,790 This, above all else, is the reason to give thanks to God for 462 00:27:04,790 --> 00:27:06,270 His wondrous deeds. 463 00:27:06,590 --> 00:27:08,830 And that's how this psalm ends. 464 00:27:09,710 --> 00:27:11,710 As for me, I will declare this forever. 465 00:27:12,170 --> 00:27:14,410 I will sing praise to the God of Jacob. 466 00:27:14,490 --> 00:27:17,650 I will cut off the horns of all the wicked, but the horns of 467 00:27:17,650 --> 00:27:19,450 the righteous will be lifted up. 468 00:27:20,010 --> 00:27:23,810 This is the declaration that these people finish on even in the 469 00:27:23,810 --> 00:27:25,610 midst of their cry for vindication. 470 00:27:25,930 --> 00:27:29,770 The psalm ends as it begins with praise of God for who he is, 471 00:27:30,010 --> 00:27:34,050 but also an affirmation that they will do what is right and they 472 00:27:34,050 --> 00:27:38,170 will stay away from sin and evil and seek to live righteous lives. 473 00:27:39,650 --> 00:27:40,690 Is this your desire? 474 00:27:41,570 --> 00:27:43,490 Do you desire to live a righteous life? 475 00:27:44,290 --> 00:27:48,490 Do you desire to have the name Christian upon you and actually live 476 00:27:48,490 --> 00:27:49,010 like it? 477 00:27:50,130 --> 00:27:54,210 Because it's so easy to call ourselves Christians and do nothing 478 00:27:55,970 --> 00:28:00,890 when God's word tells us that as his people, we must walk in his 479 00:28:00,890 --> 00:28:04,930 way, otherwise we are making a mockery of Him. 480 00:28:06,010 --> 00:28:09,850 And as Paul says in Galatians 6, God cannot be mocked. 481 00:28:10,250 --> 00:28:13,210 A man reaps what he sows. 482 00:28:14,250 --> 00:28:19,050 Do you want to stay away from sin and from evil? 483 00:28:20,410 --> 00:28:23,850 Do you want to have assurance of salvation? 484 00:28:25,210 --> 00:28:31,050 Well, the only one who can strengthen us to do this is the Lord 485 00:28:31,050 --> 00:28:31,530 Jesus. 486 00:28:32,450 --> 00:28:35,170 And so each of us today must trust in Him. 487 00:28:35,730 --> 00:28:40,090 Trust that he can and will save you, but also trust that he 488 00:28:40,090 --> 00:28:45,850 will vindicate you, that he will judge in his time, and he will 489 00:28:45,850 --> 00:28:47,250 keep us away from evil. 490 00:28:47,650 --> 00:28:53,490 So that as we look ever to Jesus to listen to his voice, then 491 00:28:53,490 --> 00:28:58,050 the gracious Savior will truly lead us home. 492 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:05,840 Turn to Christ this day, truly in your heart, and know him to be 493 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:07,680 the greatest we can ever know. 494 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:13,680 Our Redeemer, our defender, our Savior, our friend. 495 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:19,600 Look ever to him and respond well to him this day. 496 00:29:20,160 --> 00:29:25,400 Let's pray our Father God, we thank you for your word that directs 497 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:25,680 us. 498 00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:28,360 It helps us to see what the truth is. 499 00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:32,120 Even though in this world all around us, the truth that we see 500 00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:33,200 is not real truth. 501 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:35,080 It's all a screen. 502 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:38,520 It's all what the devil wants to put before us so that we will 503 00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:39,600 turn away from Christ. 504 00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:41,840 So help us to be faithful. 505 00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:45,440 If we profess the name of Christ, if we call ourselves a Christian, 506 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:50,880 help us first and foremost to look ever to him and listen to his 507 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:53,070 voice as we read it in Scripture. 508 00:29:53,710 --> 00:29:58,670 Then help us to respond in prayer, in worship and in fellowship. 509 00:29:58,910 --> 00:30:01,990 So that indeed we will continue to grow as a community of 510 00:30:01,990 --> 00:30:06,230 your people who truly love you and truly love one another and want 511 00:30:06,230 --> 00:30:07,630 what is best for each other. 512 00:30:08,590 --> 00:30:13,470 As we outshine Christ before each other, so that they will know 513 00:30:13,470 --> 00:30:15,870 truly what it is to live for Him. 514 00:30:16,910 --> 00:30:18,110 So help us to. 515 00:30:18,640 --> 00:30:19,680 To live in this way. 516 00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:24,560 To know what it means to have Christ living in us and through us, 517 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:28,320 that all will see and place their trust in him as they respond 518 00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:29,440 to his great word. 519 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:31,840 So hear us as we pray and as we respond. 520 00:30:31,840 --> 00:30:34,160 In Jesus name, Amen.