Faith In The Midst of Fear

Let me give some facts and statistics of what's going on here very quickly to begin this message.

The latest updates on the coronavirus, COVID -19, which has been a great threat global.

These are confirmed cases on a global scale. The global scale of cases are 663 ,828 people have confirmed and it still is rising.

Total deaths on a global scale is 30 ,822 people.

You don't hear much about the last year but total recovered is 139 ,451 people that has recovered.

In the United States confirmed cases, which is number one right now globally, 124 ,217.

Total deaths has been 2 ,185. Total recoveries has been 1 ,195.

That's in the United States alone. The coronavirus is spreading and still is rapidly spreading throughout the world and has caused havoc and panic and fear everywhere in our nation.

So as we all face this crisis in which God has ordained, and of course a lot of people may disagree with this, but God has ordained this.

We believe in God's sovereignty that he's sovereign over everything. But one thing

I do appreciate before I get into the message is what the Bible has to say about these facts and the truths.

But I love the honesty of the Bible, don't you? The Bible faces the facts straight up more than even the statistics and what's of course on social media, which you will not get the right facts, but I can promise you you will get the right facts and truths from the

Word of God. The Bible gives us life as it is and it really is, as it takes into account, human weakness.

Human weakness. And we see this in the chapter that we're going to be looking before us today, in the life of a godly man,

David. David was a man after God's own heart.

He was a godly man. Now some people may disagree with that because of the many sins he committed, but according to Acts 13 .22,

this was the testimony of this man's life. After he had removed him, speaking of Saul, God removed

Saul, he, God, raised up David to be their king, concerning whom also testified and said,

I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.

Now keep in mind, this is the testimony of what Scripture has to say concerning King of David.

And again, some people would disagree with this question, the question of the reality of the designation of David, since he proved to be such a sinner at many, many times.

He fell into adultery. He unpurposely murdered

Uriah, according to the historical facts and Scripture, but no man after God's own heart is perfect.

None of us is perfect. Only the Lord Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, was completely perfect without sin.

But yet David is recognized, he recognized his sin, I should say. He confessed his sin before God, and he repented of his sin, as Scripture says.

The chapter that I've chose for us to focus on this Lord's Day is Psalm chapter 56.

Psalm 56, and the reason for this is because it gives to us a honest commentary on how we can overcome fear in this chapter.

Also in this chapter, we have faith in the midst of fear. We're going to look into this because faith and fear can exist simultaneously.

Both can be present at the same time. So within this hour, as we go to the

Word of God, let us turn our complete attention and focus on God's Word. After all, I've said this many times to Redeeming Grace Church, I really have nothing to say, but the

Lord has much to say. And that's what we want to hear. We want to hear a fresh word from God as what is going on in the crisis that is before us.

So as we look at Psalm chapter 56, I will be reading verse 1 through 13.

Verse 1 through 13. Hear the word of the Living God. Be gracious to me,

O God, for man has trampled upon me. Fighting all the day long, he oppresses me.

My foes have trampled upon me all the day long, for they are many who fight proudly against me.

When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. In God, whose word

I praise, in God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?

All day long they distort my words. All their thoughts are against me for evil. They attack, they lurk, they watch my steps as they have waited to take my life.

Because of wickedness, cast them forth. In anger, put down the peoples, O God.

You have taken account of my wonderings. Put my tears in your bottle, for are they not in your book?

Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me.

In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust, and I shall not be afraid.

What can man do to me? Your vows are binding upon me, O God. I will render thank offerings to you.

For you have delivered my soul from death, indeed, my feet from stumbling, so that I may walk before God in the light of the living.

Let's take now just for a few minutes to seek our God once again in prayer. Let's bow.

Our Father in heaven, we do thank you, and we give thanks to you because of your mighty word.

It is sharper than any two -edged sword, but Father, we are also reminded that your word is alive.

It's active. We thank you for this, Father, that it's doing its work and continues to do its work, for it will endure forever.

And Father, we also pray that this is how you have revealed yourself to us in a special, special way.

It is through your word. Lord, we thank you for your word in our language today. And Father, we desire to worship you now as we are spread about, but your presence is with us in each home as we call upon you and as we look into your word.

Father, our desire is to glorify you in all things. And Lord, I pray this morning, may you, through your

Holy Spirit, give the full honor and glory that you deserve.

Thank you, Father, that you are ever present with us, your people. You never leave us.

You never forsake us. You're with us. That's all we need is to know this great promise that you, your presence is with us and you go before us.

You've already lived out not only our yesterdays, todays, but our tomorrows as well.

But Father, we pray. We thank you as you have promised you're with us even to the end of the age.

That's what your son said to us. So, Father, my prayer today to not only redeeming grace church,

Father, we pray for your church worldwide. Give ear to what we hear.

May we take heed to your word. Father, may we be sensitive to what your spirit is saying to your church, your people in this hour.

Give us, O Lord, eyes to see the Lord Jesus Christ and nothing else. May we not have our eyes upon the circumstances and the coronavirus, even though that is a reality.

But, Father, you are a greater reality. You're greater than all these things. Father, I pray that you would give us a heart to perceive your truth so that we may apply it to our lives and our everyday living to be doers of the word and not only hearers.

And Lord, we praise you in all this. In Jesus' name I pray for your glory and for your name's sake.

Amen. I'd like to speak about faith in the midst of fear. The chapter before us in chapter 56 comes to us in a very difficult time in the life of David.

Psalm 56 is called a Michtam of David. I hope

I'm pronouncing that right. It could be pronounced Michtam. However you pronounce it, it means that it is understood as golden.

It's interesting that it means golden. Others think it could be related to a word meaning to cover, which implies necessary secrecy in a time of crisis in the life of David.

But, as it is recalled, the background of Psalm chapter 56, in particular in the life of David's time here, is when the

Philistines captured him and Gath. And this event is recorded to us in 1st

Samuel chapter 21. So please turn with me very quickly to 1st Samuel 21 to get the background of what is being said.

This is very important to understand the context of Psalm chapter 56.

But if you look in 1st Samuel chapter 21, look at verse 10 through 15 with me.

I will read this. And the Word of God says, Then David arose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath.

But the servants of Achish said to him, Is this not David the king of the land?

Did they not sing of this one as they dance, saying, Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands?

David took these words to heart and greatly feared, notice this, he greatly feared

Achish king of Gath. And in verse 13 it says, So he disguised his sanity before them and he acted insanely in their hands and scribbled on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down into his beard.

Then Achish said to his servants, Behold you see the man is behaving as a madman.

Why do you bring him to me? And in verse 15 it says, Do I lack madmen that you have brought this one to act like a madman in my presence?

And then he asked another question, Shall this one come into my house?

That's a very interesting, isn't it? To get the background of Psalm 56. And as we look at this period between the visit, and this is what the time period that was going on, to the tabernacle at Nob and David's arrival at Dulim, David was alone,

David was desperate, David was afraid, he was fearful, and as we read in 1st

Samuel, he wasn't thinking too clearly, was he? He was acting like a man that was totally insane as a madman.

Now it's interesting to see this man of God, a man after God's own heart, acting this way.

You could almost say it's kind of embarrassing, but here is a man, and he knew exactly what he was doing, and the text says he disguised his sanity.

Now let me ask the question, you ever wondered why David did this? What was his motive?

Why did he do such a thing like this before this king and his servants?

What was his reason to act like a madman before the servants of Achish? Well the only reason that I can conclude is that David feared for his life.

He really feared that he would die. He was fearful of losing his life, and he would do whatever it takes to spare his life.

And at this particular time in David's life, we see that there was a lack of trust in God to deliver him, and he feigned insanity to persuade

Achish to send him away to spare his life. And with this background in mind of what was happening in David's life, there was definitely fear and desperation.

We have Psalm 56. We see here him singing and calling out on God.

It begins by first, as we see in Psalm 56 in verse 1 and 2, there's fear, there's faith, and response to constant danger.

Notice, danger is before him. Even his life could be taken. And we look at the

Most High God for mercy. This is what is the most important thing,

I believe, and David begins many of his psalms like such as this. He looks to God.

He calls on God. But what is the very first thing he focuses on?

He says, be gracious to me, or merciful to me,

O God, for man has trampled upon me. Or you could say, man would swallow me up.

Fighting all day long, he oppresses me. My foes, my enemies, have trampled upon me all day long, for there are many who fight against me,

O Most High. Some of translations leave out the O Most High, but I believe it's important to have that in the text, and because that's who he's calling on is the

Most High God. Notice, first of all, the very first thing David cries out. He cries out, be merciful, be merciful, be gracious to me,

O God. He calls out for mercy, just as he was repenting in Psalm 51, have mercy upon me.

But now he says, be merciful, be gracious to me, O God. I love that about David. He calls on God, the

Most High God, and calls to mind his attribute of mercy.

Don't you love that? And I believe that is a very good attribute to call on as he goes to God, is

God's goodness. In the Hebrew, it is hesed, his loving kindness, his compassions, and as Lamentations says, they never fail.

David was in great danger, constant danger from many enemies, both from the

Philistines, just not only from the Philistines, but he was also in danger from Saul's servants.

And he cries out to the only one who is the Most High God to deliver him, to help him in the midst of so many enemies.

The Most High God, he calls out and he appeals to God's mercy, not relying on what he may or may not deserve.

No, he knows that he deserves justice, but he calls on God for mercy, for compassion.

Notice also that David does not build up to his complaint in this prayer, in this singing out.

He just pours out his heart before God. Isn't that the way we should do?

He immediately goes to God. He immediately goes before the Lord directly to God.

And should not we do the same? Should not we have the same reaction as we should, as we, as children of the living

God, as Hebrew says, let us come boldly before the throne of mercy to find grace in time of need, and not to wait, not to stall, but to go immediately to God's mercy throne.

David is surrounded literally by his enemies, isn't he? His foes are everywhere. Actually, in one chapter they said, they're more than I can number.

They're like bees. There's so many of them. I have so many enemies. You know, no wonder that would be, that would be quite discouraging to me, wouldn't it to you?

But he encouraged himself in the Lord, and he knew

God was on his side, and that's all that really mattered. He says in verse 2, my foes, my enemies would hound me, trample upon me all day long, swallow me up.

You know, C .H. Spurgeon in the Treasury of David says, the open mouths of sinners, when they rage against us, should open our mouths in prayer, and that's what we do.

We go, God's people pray. We rely upon God, and as we pray, we're basically saying,

God, you're in charge. You're the one that's in charge of this whole situation, even with this virus that's going on.

Lord be with us, as we're in the midst of danger, and so many that fear you, but sometimes fear grips our own heart as well, because we are weak, and we're weak as well.

We'll redeem sinners, but we are weak, and we need to call on God as well. Well, there are many who fight against me,

David says. Many who fight against me, O Most High. And then he says this, fight proudly against me, and then he says in this text, for they are many who fight proudly against me, he says, on earth

David really was greatly, he was greatly outnumbered. Now, I want you to think about this.

He was greatly outnumbered, so he looked for help from the God who enthroned above. He went, he said in another chapter,

I will call on the Lord. He's my deliverer. I will look unto the hills, whence cometh my help.

My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He goes to God above, the sovereign

Lord who reigns over all. And David knew the strategic value of higher ground in battle.

You take the higher ground, so you get the better footing.

So he knew in prayer that God was the higher ground, and so he went to the

Most High God. Don't you love that name about God? He is the Most High God. The next thing we see is

David in verse three and four, he says, when I am afraid, this is a vital text here of verse of Scripture in the chapter, when

I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. In God whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust,

I shall not be afraid. David was afraid, but he was not afraid.

That sounds almost like an oxymoron, a contradiction, but I want you to, don't lose me here.

He was afraid, but he wasn't afraid. Well, what do we mean by this? Well, when he says, think of it, as he, this is a man here that defeated, as a young man, he killed a lion with his, with his bare hands, as far as we know of, like Samson.

He defended his sheep. However, he killed the lion. He probably, probably with the, with the, with the sling.

It doesn't say in the text, but he did kill the lion. He killed the bear, and we also know he killed the mighty man of war,

Goliath the giant. That's, that's our Felicity's favorite Bible story. I know she's just really enjoying this.

So David had the courage and the boldness of a mighty warrior, as a young shepherd boy, as he defeated the lion, the bear, and Goliath.

He was successful also as a captain of Israel's army, yet he never denied the presence of fear.

He never said, I'm not, in a sense, in the presence of danger.

He said, in the fear of this, but yet I will trust

God. See, there were times when he was afraid. That's, that's the honesty of the scriptures.

David knew what to do with that fear. He boldly proclaimed his trust in God, despite the fear.

Again, Spurgeon in the Treasure of David says this, he feared, but that fear did not fill the whole area of his mind.

For he adds, I would trust in thee. It is possible, this is

Spurgeon, then for fear and faith to occupy in the same mind at the same moment.

End quote. So David put his confidence in the Lord. His confidence was in God.

His trust was in God. That was his purposeful decision, replacing an emotional reaction, which comes naturally, in one's danger and circumstances.

Now you notice again, he never denies the fear that is present, but God is present at the same time.

God is in the midst of it. I want to give you another example. Turn with me very quickly to chapter 20 of 2

Chronicles. I love this story. Chapter 20 of 2 Chronicles. I want to read to you an example of a situation of fear that gripped the heart of a godly man, a good king by the name of Jehoshaphat.

In chapter 20 of 2 Chronicles, it says this, and I'm going to read the first 19 verses, and I think you'll really get the picture of what

David was going through at the same time. It says this in the Word of God, and now it came about after this, that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon, together with some of the

Mennonites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat.

And then some came reported to Jehoshaphat saying, a great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea.

Now listen to this, out of Amram, and behold they are in Hazatamar, that is in Gedi.

Verse 3, notice the reaction Jehoshaphat had. Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the

Lord. See, he had the right response. And he proclaimed a fast throughout all

Judah. And so Judah gathered together to seek help from the

Lord. And they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the Lord. I love that, notice that.

He came to seek the Lord, to proclaim a fast, to seek help from the Lord, to seek the

Lord. And notice Jehoshaphat in verse 5, then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah in Jerusalem in the house of the

Lord before the new court, and he said, O Lord the God of our fathers.

Notice the questions he puts before God in his prayer. Are you not God in the heavens?

And are you not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in your hand, so that no one can stand against you.

Did you not, O God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it to the descendants of Abraham, your friend forever?

And notice what he's doing. Let me, let me pause there for a second. He's calling to mind, he's identifying with Judah in his prayer, he's acknowledging

God's sovereignty in verse 6. In verse 7, you'll see he reminds

God of God's covenant. He, then he brings to mind God's presence, and then

God's goodness, and God's possession, and the utter dependence on him. Now notice what he goes on to say.

They have, in verse 8, they have lived in it, and have built your sanctuary, sanctuary for your name, saying, should evil come upon us.

Notice what he says. Should evil come upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you, for your name is in this house.

It's all about God's name. And cry to you in our distress.

Notice that he does not leave that alone. He, there is distress, but we will cry to you in our distress, and you will hear and deliver us.

Now behold the sons of Ammon, and Moab, and Mount Seir, whom you did not let

Israel invade when they came out to the land of Egypt. They turned aside from them, and he did not destroy them.

See how they are rewarding us by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us as an inheritance.

And notice the next question he gives in prayer. Oh, oh our God, will you not judge them?

For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us, nor do we know what to do.

Now look, I love this, but our eyes are on you. And all

Judah was standing before the Lord. You can picture this, listen to this. All Judah was standing before the

Lord with their infants, their wives, and their children. And then, then in verse, there's something that happens here in verse 14.

Then in the midst of the assembly, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jehazel.

Jehazel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaniah, the son of Jeel, the son of Mattaniah, the

Levi, the son of Asaph. The Spirit of the Lord came.

That's what made the difference. And he said this, listen all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the king

Jehoshaphat. Thus says the Lord to you. That's all we need.

We need to hear what God has to say. Thus says the Lord to you. Do not fear.

Notice the first thing God says. Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's.

Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. And you will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jerial.

And you will need not fight in this battle. Station yourselves.

Stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf. Oh Judah and Jerusalem. Again he says,

God says, do not fear or be dismayed. Tomorrow go out to face them for the

Lord is with you. In verse 18, Jehoshaphat, what was the reaction here?

This king, this godly king, bowed his head with his face to the ground. And all

Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord worshiping the Lord.

And the Levites and the sons of Koahites and the sons of the Koahites, I'm sorry, stood up to praise the

Lord of God, Lord God of Israel with a very loud voice. I love that.

This godly king knew where to go and how to pray and who to look to.

God and God alone. And God says, this is not your battle. It's my battle. I'm going to fight for you.

And God every time encourages us, this godly king, you do not be dismayed.

You do not fear. Even in the midst of all this, God is in charge. And that's exactly what we need to do in the midst of all that's happening today.

So the world will see our trust and reliance upon our God. That God is a

God of deliverance. This is a wonderful classic example how God's people should react when we are afraid.

Fear can grip us. But here, what do we do? We seek the Lord. We go to God.

Well, if you go back to Psalm 56 and verse 3, he says, when I am afraid,

I will. Notice there's a choice. I will put my trust in you.

In God. Then he says, in God. I think that's the key phrase there. In God. In God.

Whose word I praise. In God I have put my trust. I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?

Spurgeon says, and again, it's a sure sign of grace when a man can trust in his

God. For the natural man, when afraid, falls back on some human trust, or he thinks that he will be able to laugh at the occasion of fear.

You know, you see this in our time now. Somebody sent me something on the social media that says, country boy can survive in the midst of all this coronavirus.

It was almost laughable, really. Country boy can survive. Almost in arrogance, no matter what takes place, that they can do this within themselves.

But I'm telling you what, we have the protection of God. Now, if God ordains for us to get it, then we get it.

But you know something? God's with us still. God will carry us through it, whether he delivers us or not.

That's what Spurgeon says. He says, I pray it does not come to God's people, but if it does come to God's people,

God is sure to be with us. Because sometimes God does, he chooses not to deliver sometimes.

It depends what God wants. He may have another plan in mind. It is always God's will.

So we don't know those kind of things, but God knows exactly. But it is grace that helps us to trust in him.

Now notice, in God, in God, whose word I praise, in God I put my trust. Twice, David says, in God, in God, whose word

I praise. God calls attention, I'm sorry, David calls attention to God's name, his praiseworthiness.

His trust wasn't a blind hope. His trust wasn't a wishful cast up to heaven, no.

It was based and grounded upon the revealed character of God and his promises.

He was grounded in his word. And he says, trust

God. That's what, this is what this is all about. You know, there was only one that really trusted

God perfectly, from the cradle to the cross, and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. We fall short so, so shy of that.

But what's encouraging about it is, you see Abraham fall, was, he fell short of it.

David fell short of it. We fall short of it. So we're right there.

Elijah panicked, in a sense, and was, ran from Jezebel when she threatened him.

He ran like a scared rabbit to hide. That's the great prophet of fire.

You know, you think of it, and he shares like passions as we do, but you know,

David failed God many times, but he still had a heart after God.

It's the direction of your heart, not the perfection. So trusting God is how, in confidence that we know we abide with God.

You trust God through these things. His ways, his will, his plans, his mind.

And you know it's in and through his word, his self -revelation to us. That's what a Psalm chapter 19 is all about.

God has revealed himself through the general revelation, through nature, but he's also revealed himself, don't you love this, through the word of God.

His own word, his self -revelation. He has given us everything we need to know in life is through his word.

David could have this kind of faith in the presence of fear because his complete trust was in the

Most High God. Notice in verses 5 through 7. I'm not going to unpack all of this, but let me just read this.

All day long they distort my words. All their thoughts, now he's talking about his enemies now.

All their thoughts are against me for and for evil. They attack, they lurk, they watch my steps.

Do you ever have people doing that to you? They attack you, they lurk you, they watch my steps, are watching you.

And as they waited to take my life. Now David's life was on the edge here, in danger.

Verse 7, because of wickedness, cast him forth. And he says, in anger put down the peoples,

O God. You know it's incredible. Now he calls upon God to give justice, vindication.

Now I love this about David. David appeals to God's justice now. Now we need to also keep in mind that God is a destroyer as much as a deliverer.

A lot of people don't like to hear that, but it's true. If people want a God that's all love and not justice, they don't have the

God of the Bible. The God of the Bible is a God that is loving, but he's holy and he's just, and his wrath is an attribute as much as his love.

You see right here David calls on God to destroy the wicked. You know it's not that God just has a bad temper and he just inflames himself against the wicked, but this is the way

God is. This is the way he is in his justice. He's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, and he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.

But there's coming a day that God will pour out his wrath against the wicked and the ungodly.

We know this, for our God is a God of vengeance as well as a God of love. Notice that David calls on God for justice, to vindicate.

He never relies on his own hands to give justice, does he, or vindication.

No, he knows his hands are not worthy of this. No, as Paul says, vengeance is the

Lord's. I will repay. You see, God brings true vengeance and only

God is just to do this. Next we see in verses 8 through 9 that not only you see that he calls out for God to give vengeance and justice, but we also see a tender side of God that God is sympathetic, caring for David in verses 8 and 9.

Notice this, you have taken account of my wonderings. Put my tears in your bottle.

Are they not in your book? Now let me stop right there. I love this.

I love this. God is caring. He has taken account or numbered our wonderings.

He knows all things and then he says this, put my tears in your bottle.

What's David saying? David is asking God to keep a remembrance of all his sufferings and all that he went through.

Why? Why? So that God would eventually vindicate him in all that he does.

Don't you love this? In this time period of David's life before coming to the Adullam's cave in 1

Samuel 22, he was completely alone. This made

David value the sympathy and care of God all the more and he found great comfort in the thought that God noted his sufferings and misery.

David was a broken man. He was broken and contrite. His heart was tender before God and he says, put my tears in your bottle.

God has a bottle full of the tears of the saints in heaven.

Isn't that wonderful to know that God keeps this in remembrance and account? And he says it.

Let me read to you something from A. W. Tozer. He said, I love this, about tears. This is from his book,

God Tells the Man Who Cares. This is what Tozer said about tears. The Bible was written in tears and to tears it will yield its best treasures.

God has nothing to say to the frivolous man. It was to Moses, a trembling man, that God spoke on the mount and that same man later saved the nation when he threw himself before God with the offer to have himself blotted out of God's book for Israel's sake.

Daniel's long session of fasting and prayer brought Gabriel from heaven to tell the secret of centuries.

When the beloved John wept much because no one could be found worthy to open the seven -sealed book, one of the elders comforted him with the joyous news that the lion of the tribe of Judah had prevailed.

The psalmist often wrote in tears as we read today. Tozer says, the prophets could hardly conceal their heavy -heartedness and the

Apostle Paul in his otherwise joyous epistle to the Philippians broke into tears when he thought of the many who were enemies of the cross of Christ and whose end was destruction.

Those Christian leaders who shook the world were one and all men of sorrows whose witness to mankind wailed out of heavy hearts.

There is no power in tears per se, but tears and power ever lie close together in the church of the firstborn."

Let me ask you today, beloved, are you a man and woman of tears?

Are you broken before God? Are you like David, a man after God's own heart that had a tender heart broken before God?

He was a man of many tears. Notice the latter part of verse 9.

Notice this, then my enemies would turn back in the day when I call.

This I know that God is for me. That's key right there to this whole chapter.

God is for me. What does that remind you of? It reminds you of the Apostle Paul's echo.

He echoes this, the triumph end of the wonderful verse in the epistle of Romans and at Romans 8 31 and the great question he gives.

He gives a series of questions and a hymn of security for God's people.

What then shall we say to these things if God is for us?

Who then can be against us? Who can be against us if God is for us?

Beloved, this is the believer's eternal security right here. Nothing, nothing

I'm here to say can separate you or me from the love of God in Jesus Christ our

Lord. Absolutely nothing. I had a person years ago that came from this particular church and he says, you know, he says nothing could separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus but yourself.

I said my friend, that does not say that in the text. The text says nothing and that means nothing.

That's what the word of God says. It doesn't say that I could take myself out of it. God keeps us by his power who are his own.

Now if someone goes astray and backslides, well there's a question that remains.

Has this person ever been a child of God in the first place? We don't know the hearts of people.

But I do pray if they are God's children, God disciplines them and they come back to their senses and they repent.

But when people fall aside and go shipwreck, it is questionable to ask.

They may not have been a child of God in the first place. But we do know that God keeps his own.

As a matter of fact, Jesus talked about this in John 10. You're kept in God's, the

Father's hand and also Jesus' hand. One hand is one and the same because Jesus is

God. Now back to Psalm 56. Look at verse 10 and 11. Notice 10 and 11.

In God, he again, he repeats himself. In God whose word I praise and the

Lord whose word I praise. In verse 11, in God, notice how many times, in God, in the

Lord, in God I have put my trust. I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Nothing. Nothing that they can't take you from out of God's hand. You're secure in the hand of God.

No matter if they torment you. Think about the martyrs and the people that went through all the torment.

God was with them. They only could do so much. Some people say, yeah, that would hurt severely.

Yes, it would. But you know something? There's a greater eternal glory on the other end.

You know, what they had their mind fixed on, it was much greater than the little suffering that they're getting temporarily now, rather than the eternal sufferings of hell.

They knew that the sufferings here, this momentary sufferings here, doesn't even compare to the eternal weight of glory.

But see here for the second, David says second and third times in the Psalm, what does he bring out?

He declares the greatness of God's word. This is the key. This and was is how he knew that God was for him.

How did he know that God was for him? Because of his word.

Somebody once said, believe it, God said it, that settles it.

Well, actually, if we believe it or not, God said it, that settles it. But I'm apt to believe.

I don't know about you. I want to believe it. But whether we believe it or not, it's settled.

Scripture says it. Thy word is forever settled in heaven. Well, God, let

God be true and every man found liar. When news came to Luther, the monk, and what he was doing, that great work during the time of history, when the

Reformation was taking part, somebody said, they came to Luther and said that both the emperor and the pope had threatened his ruin.

They're coming after you, Luther. And he bravely answered, says,

I care for neither one of them. I know whom I have trusted. You know, it sounds like he's been reading

Paul. That's exactly where he got that. Paul the apostle said in 2 Timothy 1, 2, for which cause

I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom

I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which

I have committed unto him against that day. That's the resolve. Are you resolved, children of God, founded on the rock, no matter what comes your way, no matter what comes, how bad it is, whether it's famine, whether it's pestilence, whether it's sword or death, nothing's going to take you out of the

Father's hand. Psalm 56, 12 -13, the conclusion of this, he gives a vow.

Notice in verse 12, your vows are binding upon me, O God. I will render thank offerings to you.

And then he says this, for you have delivered my soul from death, indeed my feet from stumbling, so that I may walk before God in the light of the living, before the face of God.

You know, what a beautiful conclusion to this chapter. David was completely confident that the

Lord would deliver him. So David already vowed to present a thank offering to God.

Now he talks about thank offerings. Let me give you some verses here that really sum this up. Psalm 50, verse 14, the chapter before that, this is what he said, offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the

Most High. That's a sacrifice of thanksgiving that always pleases God. That's what he's talking about.

Notice in Psalm 51, 17, when he was repenting against his sins that he did before the face of God.

And he said that, he says, before you and you alone I have sinned. Verse 17, the sacrifices of God.

Notice he's talking about the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart.

O God, you will not despise. Hebrews 13, 15, this goes right along with what

Brother Keith said in the introduction about that God has spoken to us.

But notice in the very last chapter of Hebrews, verse 15, through Him, through who?

Through Jesus Christ. Then let us continually, oh I love that, continually, just not once, just not on the

Lord's day, every day of our lives we should continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God.

We should praise our God. We've got much to praise Him for. That is the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.

The fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. God desires the praise and thanksgiving of His people to bless

Him and to praise Him rather than offerings of animals and grain. But notice the next verse, in verse 16 in Hebrews 13, and do not neglect doing good and sharing for with such sacrifices

God is well pleased. You see there must be action to it. We just cannot, it's not enough to know it in our head.

We've got to put obedience to it. That's the fruit. The root is regeneration in faith and then you have repentance.

And then you have the fruit of repentance is action. In other words, sacrifices of praise coming from the lips of God's people please

Him only when accompanied by loving obedience to Him. Psalm 56, 13,

David says of God, You have delivered my soul from death, on its way to Gath and in Gath and on its way from Gath.

David's life was in constant danger but God and God alone was his deliverer.

The deliverer for his life from his enemies. God kept his feet from falling.

He says, so that I may walk before God in the light of the living. David knew that this was why

God spared his life. It was because of God. It wasn't so that David could do his own thing.

No, we don't live unto ourselves, do we? We live unto the Lord. Paul said that in Romans, I believe it's

Romans, I want to say 14, he says whether we live or die, whatever we do, we do to the glory of God.

We do it unto the Lord. If we live to God, if we live, we live unto God. If we die, we die unto

God. Everything we do is God's. He understood the sovereignty of God more than just about any other person on the face of the planet.

The Apostle Paul knew that. It wasn't so that David could do his own thing, nor us, but it's so that he could live a righteous life before God.

Now when we talk about righteous life, we know within ourselves we can't live a righteous life, but he's talking about the way we walk, our righteous living before God.

Notice what Spurgeon says in the Treasure of David here. Thus, in the short

Psalms, we have climbed from the ravenous jaws of the enemy into the light of Jehovah's presence, a path which only faith can tread.

Only a path that faith can tread. Brother Keith sent me a good, one of my favorite verses this morning,

Hebrews 11, 6. But without faith it's impossible to please Him, and he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that what diligently seek

Him. Notice King Jehoshaphat. King Jehoshaphat he sought the Lord. David sought the

Lord. You know, that's what God's people does. In trouble or not in trouble, we seek

God. We always seek God. Jesus says this in John 8, 12, and then

Jesus again spoke to them saying, I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in darkness, but he will have the light of life.

You know, deliverance comes from God, and God alone. J. I. Packer, I love what he says here.

To know that nothing happens in God's world apart from God's will may frighten the godless, but it stabilizes the saints.

Can I get an amen? Just to make sure you're there. I'm preaching into a phone here so I, amen, praise

God. I want to make sure that redeeming grace is with me. Well let me close with a couple of verses and a few questions.

Amen. Praise God. Thank you. Praise God. Well, so God says in Isaiah 35, 4, listen to what he says.

Say to them that are of a fearful heart, to those of a fearful heart, what do we got to say?

This is what we got to say. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, right? Be strong, fear not, behold your

God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense, and he will come and save you.

That's a promise. Even in the storms, and the winds, and the waves, he whispers to us, fear not,

I am with you. Let me ask a question. Let me ask a series of questions of what, in the light of what's going on today.

How is God using this current trouble? What is he teaching you through this?

With this COVID -19 outbreak? With so many people having to stay indoors like a hermit because of this outspread?

Well, I wrote these things down. They're not original with me, but I got them, somebody posted this online and I thought it was very excellent.

Number one, how does God use this current trouble? Number one, to test the strength of our faith.

That's very good. You notice we've been going through the book of James? James is talking about the testing of our faith, all the way through that book.

To test the strength of our faith. You know, we don't realize what faith can really do until it's tested to the hardest things in life.

This is a hard thing, but when we're tested, God is with us. So it tests our strength with God.

How do we come out? Well, God's people come out as pure as gold. They're refined.

They're even better and stronger. How about this one? How does

God use this current trouble? To humble us. I think there's a humbling thing here. This should humble the nation.

You would think so. It's apt to be seen, but it humbles

God's people. I don't know about you, it has helped me to seek the Lord even more, to pray and intercede for my lost loved ones more.

And I know you've got lost loved ones that need prayer. It has really sobered me in much more of a greater dimension to seek

God for the saving of the souls of the ones that are lost in my family, in your family.

So it humbles us, doesn't it? To help us pray more. How about this one? Third, it helps us to wean us from earthly things, doesn't it?

You know, we come to find out, I think, that there's a lot of things that are not necessary, necessarily, that we need, but we do need each other in a sense.

We need God most of all, but it weans us from earthly things, from earthly things.

How about this fourth one? To call us to a heavenly hope. You know, you think about the world out there.

What are they thinking of? You think they're thinking of a heavenly hope? No, they're panicking, they're worried, they're concerned.

They've got something to be fearful about. Yes, death. I mean, they fear death.

You know, there's something more deadly than the coronavirus. It is sin. You know, you would think that something like this would sober people to deal with their sin.

Well, let's pray that it does, that people will, you know, it would get their attention.

I had the opportunity yesterday to witness to a couple of people. Right when I was pulling milk off the truck, they're just sitting there watching me, and I'm thinking, really?

I said, I said, I said, you know, you're going to get a chance to watch the milkman in action here. And they just gave me this big wide -eyed look, and next thing

I knew, I was pulling it off, and the guy started saying some foul language to me, a series of elf words about my back.

And I stopped right there, and I said to both of them, I guess it was a father and a daughter, but I don't know.

You don't know nowadays. And I looked to them, and I said, you know, let me ask a question to both of you right now.

And I thought, this is a perfect opportunity to give them the gospel. I said, do you know the

Lord Jesus Christ is your personal Lord and Savior? I said, if you were to die right now,

I would like to ask you, where would you go? Can I say, beloved, that they did not have the slightest idea.

The answer she gave me, the girl gave me, all of a sudden, says, well, my grandmother's religious, but I don't have nothing to do with religion.

I said, you know, I'm not talking about religion here. I'm talking about a relationship.

I said, set aside religion. I said, religion somehow is man's attempt to get to God. I said, but if you were to die, and I had to come back to the question, what would qualify you to enter into heaven?

And she, I don't know if she was with me or what, and she says, well, judgment, I guess. And I said, my dear friend,

I said, judgment's going to come. It's appointed for one man to die, and after that, the judgment. I said, you need to really,

I said, do you have a Bible at home? I said, you know what the Bible has to say about these things?

It says the most serious thing is about your soul is in jeopardy. If you were to die, your soul is going to live in eternity somewhere, and if you die without Jesus, you're going to be in eternal hell.

And when I gave a chance to give the bad news and the good news, I pulled off some milk, and the next thing

I knew, off they went. They flew off as fast as they could go. And I thought to myself, well, you know,

I cast, I cast a seed. I was faithful in doing that, and I said,

I pray that God takes that seed somehow and makes them think. But we need to take these times to really warn people about all this.

Well, next is to reveal that, that we truly love God and truly love one another.

Six, to love others in these trials of times. We need to love, make sure we're thinking of others in these times.

And I think seventh is the most important of all, is to bring God all the glory, because this is what it's about.

God allows these things, and His sovereignty to glorify Him. Let me close with this verse here.

David said this, when I'm afraid I will trust in you. Isaiah 41 10, fear thou not, for I am with thee.

Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee.

Yea, I will uphold thee with my right hand of my righteousness. That's enough for me.

What about you? If we've got God's presence with us, we've got nothing to fear. For if God is for us, who then can be against us?

May God be glorified in all things. May His presence, even in the presence of danger and fear, may the faith of God, may we come, overcome these dangers of fear in the midst of all this.

Let us pray. Father, we thank you, Lord, for your word.

We thank you that you have recorded this through your

Holy Spirit, through this man that you raised up, David. Father, we see fear and faith.

We see that, Lord, the opposite of faith is definitely not doubt.

It's most surely fear. This is something that we're all prone to do, even of all that's taken place.

But, Lord, we know what your word has said. You have promised to be with us, to uphold us, to help us with your right hand.

For deliverance comes from you, Lord. Thank you for this time that we've had. Father, we thank you for, we see a lot of times the bad things about the

Internet and so forth, and the technology. But, Father, we thank you for the good things for now while this is taking place.

We can still meet together as your people to sing your praises, to hear your word read, to hear your word preached, to encourage one another in the faith.

Lord, and most of all, your presence is with us. That's what matters. Help us,

Lord, to have this kind of confidence by your grace as David did, knowing in the very midst of his dangers and his problems, you were more nearer to him than his very breath.

And, Lord, even through his very breath, as he was breathing and writing this and singing it, you were right there.

May we take account of these things. Lord, we praise you. We want to give songs of deliverances to you.

Help us to trust you, and help us to always give thanks to you, no matter what we're faced with.

And, Father, I pray, may your word so encourage your people to strengthen everyone's faith in the

Lord Jesus Christ and in you alone. And we ask this in your name. We pray in Jesus' name, amen and amen.