Who is Lord Over Us?

Psalm 12 and the Cry for Help in a Wicked Generation

Turn with me, please in your Bibles to psalm 12. Psalm 12 don't panic. I know that we have addressed psalm 12 in the past, but we're going to be looking at a different aspect of this psalm Than we have in the past psalm 12 Help Lord for the godly man ceases to be for the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.

They speak falsehood to one another with flattering lips and with a double heart they speak. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips the tongue that speaks great things. Who have said with our tongue?

We will prevail our lips our own who is Lord over us? Because the devastation of the afflicted because the groaning of the needy. Now, I will arise says the Lord. I will set him the safety for which he longs.

The words of the Lord are pure words as silver tried in the furnace on the earth refined seven times. You O Lord will keep them you will preserve him from this generation forever. The wicked strut about on every side when what is vile is exalted among the sons of men.

Amen now as Most of you know my mind often turns to this psalm. Especially verse 8 as I consider the wickedness of the world around us and the fact that we live in a day where People are rejoicing in that wickedness.

They are no longer in in any sense shamed by standing openly for wickedness and in fact have come to the point of calling that which is wicked good and Calling those who would practice godliness evil and This is the case at the very highest levels of governments all around the world.

Not just our own. That has been illustrated just in the past couple of days and so the the wicked strut about on every side When that which is vile is exalted amongst the sons of men. I even have a an email address I have a dome of my own domain psalm 128 well, there is no psalm.

There is a hundred twenty-eight psalm, I suppose but it's actually psalm twelve eight psalm 128 net is I have a Domain there an email and so on so forth because that is a verse I've looked at but that's really not where my focus is this evening instead I Could not help but Notice as I was thinking about this evening a a Meme that appeared on Facebook now some of you like dear brother Fry Wonder what language I just began to speak.

Is he speaking is he speaking in tongues? This is a bad thing if he's speaking into what is a meme? Well, most of us know what a meme is brother Fry. Do you know what a meme is? No, he doesn't know what a meme is.

A Meme there are a couple others Meme it's not Mimi. It's a meme. What is a meme? Well, all the young folks are going really? Yes. It actually goes back to Richard Dawkins, I guess sort of coined the the phraseology but it's come to refer to these Very very frequently.

It's used for those of us who use Facebook of these graphics That are fairly easy to produce that you put put text on and I get memed all the time I I guess I am very very memable and Because I do the dividing line on video now people can take a screen capture of me in a certain You know looking a certain way and then they'll throw they'll throw text on it and and I've been memed and In debates, it's really easy to get me, you know looking really mean at somebody and and so I get memed all the time.

Well, there was a meme that I saw of a this smiling obviously very liberal young woman. Smiling and holding up a sign that says my body my choice and Next to it. They put a little baby saying It was your choice up until when I was conceived after that I beg to differ or something along those lines and I was thinking about the The fact that the scriptures tell us that we are all going to be judged for every word that we speak and that includes words that we type or Words that we display upon a screen or whatever else it might be it it has to do with our communication and my mind turned again to Psalm 12 and You'll notice that the psalmist begins with a cry to Yahweh help.

Help look look at the situation in our land and and he says that the godly man ceases to be the faithful disappear from among the sons of men and there is that there's a cry for help because when. When the land becomes filled with those who rejoice in evil.

When the land becomes filled with those who who are not subject to the law of God. Well, that land is going to come under the judgment of God and that land is going to experience tremendous Difficulty and and trial and tribulation and that there's not going to be the blessing of God.

There's going to be the curses of God. Now, of course, we realize that we live in a land where very few Christians even recognize that reality let alone live in light of it and Far fewer of those around us recognize that reality and live in light of it and yet The godly heart does cry out when we see that the godly man ceases to be the faithful disappear from among the sons of men this this clearly is an indication of God's judgment upon a nation, but but notice then that the address changes.

Falsehood, Flattery, and the Double Heart

To talk about the people of the land they speak falsehood to one another. With flattering lips and with a double heart they speak. What does that mean? They speak falsehood to one another. I don't think that's just that they lied one another all the time in the sense of trying to get away with something.

You know in the olden days They speak falsehood to one another would be there they're trying to get away with something they were trying to to get an advantage. They were trying to Deceive other people.

I don't think that's. I don't think that's what's being said. I Think the whole idea is That they're they're very speech is marked. Even as they speak with one another by falsehood. Not by a love of truth not even by a recognition of truth, but falsehood has become the very.

The very context in which they speak that since since there's no godly person around since since. The the level of the society has sunk so low and we know there are times when this happened in Israel's history.

That they they speak falsehood to one another because it just becomes the context of their thought and their life. They have been deceived. They believe in error. They believe in untruth and So it just becomes natural for them to speak that to others.

And is that not what we are seeing? Especially in the younger generation. In those that are coming up this first fully secularized generation. They speak falsehood to one another and think that it's natural that everyone believes like this.

And if you think differently they they don't understand and in fact, they react with emotion. With flattering lips and with a double heart. They speak a double heart. That's. That's literally what the Hebrew says.

It's a strange. It's a It's with a heart and a heart. So, what's it what's it referring to well, I Think it the only way it can be understood is, you know, the flattering lips are saying things That are not true most of the time.

When you're flattering somebody you're trying to get something from them or you're trying to put yourself in a better position and you're not really speaking the truth and When you have a double heart.

Well, it's the man who has a The divided mind as James talks about or it's the the person who is a hypocrite, you know. The idea of hypocrisy is the idea of putting on one face, but there's something else behind it.

Well, here's one heart, but there's something else behind it. There's a division. There's an inconsistency. There's not purity and sincerity and truth. And so the description of this Context that causes the psalmist to cry out to God for help is That honesty and consistency and godliness and truthfulness.

It's gone. It's gone in this society. And so the psalmist says may Yahweh cut off all flattering lips the tongue that speaks great things. Now, what does it mean to speak great things? Well, I don't think it's the tongue that's speaking about great things about God's creation or things like that.

That's that's not what I was talking about. It's it's a tongue That thinks it has the ability just simply by speaking to exalt itself and to speak great things. I am speaking great things and I'm gonna tell you something is November of 2016 really a full year away yet.

Honestly, I I mean I try not to expose myself to too much of it, but You know There are a lot of men and women running around our nation today and You know their their tongues. Seem to think they speak great things great things big promises lots of lots of flattery lots of complimenting people.

You and I both know That the reality behind those words is something completely different than what they're saying. I'm glad it still bothers me that that people lie public. I Suppose when I get to the point where it's just that's just the way it is that that's not a good thing.

That's not a good thing. It is a good thing for a Christian to say may the Lord cut off all flattering lips the tongue that speaks great things. Think we should pray God. Silence the evildoers and the false teachers and the liars in your way not in our way, but in your way and Then listen to the description of those that the psalmist and gifts Who have said with our tongue we will prevail our lips are our own.

Who is Lord over us? Have you ever looked at that verse real carefully, that's what caught my attention. Here's their words. Here's what they've said. With our tongue with our speech we will prevail with with what we say we will be victorious.

There is a confidence on the part of these ungodly people. That they will be able to deceive. They will be able to accomplish what they want to accomplish through their speech. And you know the Bible says a lot about the tongue.

Bible says a lot about how we express ourselves and don't don't think for a moment that that phrase tongue doesn't also include. What you type? What you does anyone still write anymore suppose few people might oh, there you go.

There you go. I still write. I write during debates. But the ironic thing is I use an electronic pen. Brother Callahan thinks that's funny. But seriously, it's a it's a it's a special notebook and even though I'm writing stuff.

It transmits it to my iPad and then it can put it into Evernote and then it can convert it into type text. All on the fly and record what's being said while I'm writing it. How do you like that? How do you like that?

I'll show it to you brother Callahan. You'll look at and go. Don't know if that's very natural don't know if that's. Not sure we should do things like that. I can just sort of see it but Doesn't matter whether you're typing or writing or texting.

The Bible says a lot about how we communicate because out of the abundance of the heart. The mouth speaks and the fingers type and the thumbs text. Doesn't matter the form. It reflects the abundance of the heart what fills the heart.

And so when ungodly people say with our tongue we will prevail. They're claiming to have the ability to bring about their own victory by the means of communication and What is being said is it's our tongue.

It's mine. And see what caught me was. Have you noticed I don't know how any of us could avoid it. What we're seeing in our society is this absolute open explosion of Rejoicing in the claim of absolute Human a tight get to determine my own reality.

Bruce Jenner says and the world says we've got people that decide That they're black when they're white. But it's their reality and this all goes back to this idea we are not Created we are not under God's authority and to see our Lips are our own.

It's literally our lips are with us. Not with anybody else. They're under our control and Then you have that that phrase. Me I don't. Who is Lord over us. Who is Lord over us. We are Lord over our tongues and No one can judge us.

With our lips we will prevail. There is arrogance and there is the claim of human autonomy and the psalmist says Lord Cut them off help. Oh Lord. These are not godly men the faithful. They're disappearing from our nation.

And instead we have these people who think That they rule over their own. Yeah, who is Lord over us the Christian? Has no choice But to respond to that question Jesus Christ is Lord over you. Oh. That's offensive to me.

How dare you say that to me it's true. He rose from the dead. He is going to return to judge the living in the and and the dead. He's the Son of God. There's an empty tomb that proves someday you will have to deal with him and don't think I'm standing here thinking that I'm somehow better than you.

See, the thing is I've already fled to him for mercy and what I'm saying you need to do the same thing. All that's offensive to the natural man. Defensive to our society. Can we possibly? Not. Give the answer that the Bible gives to that question in verse four.

Do you do you recognize how often in the conversations you're having with the people of the world? That they're saying this very thing these very words lie behind exactly how they're thinking and how they're speaking to you.

Who is Lord over us? Brother talks about talking to people at the airport, right? I'll bet you you hear this all the time if you'll just be listening for it in School. Oh my have they have they put it in iron gates over the entrance to ASU yet?

Who is Lord over us. If they haven't they might as well. Because the entire educational system is now based upon promulgating this idea and Cramming it into the minds of every single young person. Old person doesn't matter who comes who is Lord over us.

No one our lips our own we can say what we will we can express any idea we want. The Christian has to say my friend. Your very ability to express yourself through the use of speech is a gift from God.

And he will hold you accountable. For what you say because you are his creature. He made you he made you a communicating being. How insane is it for you to think That this ability to speak Just simply Developed over time.

I'm telling you it came from your creator and he has the ability to speak and he has spoken and He has spoken with clarity. I don't think we have any Ability as believers to shrink back and To not say to those around us.

Do you know the Bible quotes you? That'll get you a few seconds. That'll get you a few seconds that the Bible the Bible quotes me. Yeah, it does. I mean, let me show you where it says that Our lips are own who is Lord over us?

You don't seem to think you have a Lord over you. You seem to think that you are your own Lord. Where'd you get that idea? Well, I I don't believe there's a God. I I believe I'm just a The result of an accidental process over time.

No, you're behaving that way, aren't you? I'm gonna tell you something. There's an empty tomb. Tells you you do have a Lord. You do have someone that you are going to stand before and answer to who is Lord over us you and I.

We have to say the world by God's grace. I Know who my Lord is. I have given up the rebellion. I Have bowed the knee someday. Every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess. But today is a day of salvation.

Someday that confession will not be the salvation. Now is the time to bow that knee when we have interaction with the people around us was we listen to this society, which is absolutely intent upon expressing its detestation of God.

I Hope we hear and we remember when we hear someone saying who is Lord over us. We will be quick To point out who the true Lord is and may the Lord bless our testimony as we give it pastor.