Good evening. Good to see you folks tonight. I appreciate it, Nathan's emphasis from Reminder last Sunday evening when he talked about how each of the Psalms of a cent builds on each other, and there's a theme that waves as woven throughout. And last week he bought our attention to the great theme of victory, and victory produces confidence. And as we enter into Psalm 125 tonight, we see indeed that this is a sum of confidence, of assurance, of blessed assurance. Fear cannot abide where faith has laid hold of the security of the children of God. Psalm 125, I invite you to take your bibles and your hearts and turn with me to this sum of a cent. The writer of this sum is one of the returning exiles, one of 50,000 who made the difficult 1700 mile journey across the desert sands to Jerusalem. He reached Jerusalem. And haven't reached Jerusalem, he looks around, and he sees other ruins. He sees the walls that were supposed to defend the city level to the ground. He looks at the temple that was built by Solomon, a beautiful object of art and worship, and now it no longer is standing. He sees a few houses joined together. The streets are all filled with rubble and with grass and weeds. He also sees the enemies all throughout the ones that we read about in the book of Nehemiah, the Samaritans. They're all throughout the area. All sorts of obstacles to face as they set about this enormous task of rebuilding Jerusalem of reorganizing how unable, how defenseless they seem to themselves. No doubt fear mingled with insecurity of what lies before them, ludged their minds, particularly the writer of Psalm 125. What about you and me tonight? What about the uncertainties of the insecurities that are before us? Consider tonight the nature of the times in which we now live. Tonight in our own country, we're dealing with all sorts of shortages. In our education system, shortage of teachers and principles and aids. In the medical field, the shortage of nurses and doctors, shortage of laborers in the workforce, the shortages of food due to food-prossing plants having been closed and mysteriously burned down. I think we can all remember the baby formula shortage that occurred not long ago. Tonight, you and I know about the shortage of gas with OPEC cutting back $2 million million barrels of oil a day. Think about the shrinking power of the dollar. How can you and I cope with the increasing evil, the growing hostility towards the Church, the instability of the economy, and the uncertainty of the future? Let's bring it down to level. What about the insecurities and the uncertainties that are before us in our own personal lives with our families, perhaps with our jobs, perhaps with our future, perhaps with our investments in planning for retirement? Well, I would say to you tonight that the answer to this is found in what the Psalmist unfolds in his own testimony of Psalm 125. As he looks out amongst Jerusalem, he sees underneath all of its debris and stubble and all the challenges before him and the others. Jerusalem sits on Mount Zion, strong, stable, and secure as it always has. And with those thoughts in mind, turn with me, unless read Psalm 125, those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and for evermore. For the sector wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, thus the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong. Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts. For those who turn aside to their crooked ways, the Lord will lead away with evil doers. Peace be upon Jerusalem. Let's pray, Father. Tonight we would ask again that our hearts would be attentive to your word. Lord, I ask that you would grant to me the thoughts and the leadership of your Spirit and so honor you by declaring your word in Jesus' name. Amen. Notice what the Psalmist does for us here in this great Psalm. First of all, in verse 1 he reminds us as he reminds himself of who we are. Verse 1 tells us that we are the people of God. He says this, those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever. And then reminding himself, reminding us he reveals to us in verses 2 and 3 the protective power of God. He says as the mountain surrounds Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people from this time forth and forevermore, for the scepter wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, thus the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong. And then thirdly, having remind us of who we are, revealing to us the protective of power of God, he rerouts us back to the very presence of the face of God in verses 4 and 5. He cries out, do good, O Lord, to those who are good, to those who are upright in their hearts, but those who turn aside to their crooked ways, the Lord will lead away with evil doers. Peace be upon Israel. Notice here, as he looks out and he sees the debris and the ruins of Jerusalem, he goes beyond that and he reminds himself of who he is, those who trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abides forever. You know, it's easy to forget our identity, isn't it? I've never had my identity stolen, I don't think it would be worth much, but those that have had that happen to them know how frightening that is. It's frightening to realize that there are people that are walking the streets tonight for whatever reason. They don't know who they are. Some are sick and have emotional disorders, and they're at the mercy and the kindness of others. But there are also those within the body of Christ who forget who they are, and it's easy to do that. And we find here the psalmist says, those that trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion. Now that's what you are tonight. If you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, here is the description given to us, those who trust in the Lord, a personal bond between a redeemed sinner and the Savior, those who fully trust in the Lord, he says, are as fixed and as firm as Mount Zion, which is the image presented to us of eternal steadfastness, of permanence. You know, there are some people that are like the sand, they're ever shifting and they're unstable. Some people would like to see, they're restless and they're unsettled. Some people are like the wind, uncertain and inconsistent. But believers, I like what Spurgeon says, are like a mountain, strong, stable and secure. Notice that the promise is mentioned here to those that trust in the Lord, they cannot be moved but abide forever. The pilgrims that would follow this psalm in the march up to Jerusalem later on, they would see Mount Zion in the future. And it's the closer they get to Mount Zion, they're impressed with the stature and the standing. And that same identification is applied to the children of God. Those who believe and trust in the Lord, is promised the same security of that mountain that stands, that stands forever. Who could ever imagine Mount Zion being moved? As the psalmist stood there that day, he saw the things that were leveled by destruction of mankind. But one thing stood still and was secure and strong and that was Zion Mountain. Zion Mountain, the fixed point that enables the writer to make the claim that as it is immovable, the people of God who place their trust in God are immovable. We are stable because our faith links our soul to the solid foundation of Jesus Christ. Songwriter put it this way on Christ, the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. Our place tonight in the Savior's love, our place tonight in the Savior's new life and the purposes that He has appointed unto us. Last forever and cannot be moved. We have the Savior's word on that. Remember what he said to his own in John chapter 10? He said about his sheep. I give unto them eternal life and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My father who has given them to me is greater than all. And no one is able to snatch them out of the father's hand. Tonight is a child of God who trusted in Christ who is his own. No one can calm and remove you from the position that you're in regardless of whatever is in front of you for the psalm as it was looking around and seeing total destruction and moving ahead and starting a new life for you in this point of life that you are tonight. You belong to Him and He is by your side and whatever comes through your way, you will never leave you. Tonight we belong to Jesus Christ. He saved us and He keeps us. But notice that the psalm is revealed to us secondly, the protective power of God. As the mountains surround to Jerusalem. So the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever. For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest upon the righteous. So the righteous will not put their foot for their hands to do wrong. The simple truth that the psalmist brings to us tonight in those verses is that God protects His people. There's a famous castle called the Hoan Verfen Castle. You may have seen it if you watched the Great World War II movie where Eagles dare. It's one of my favorites. In the movie it's referred to as a swash addler but it's a real castle. It was built in 1075. It's the only castle to survive the wars of the Middle Ages remaining intact in undefeated. Not once in its wrong history has it ever known of the enemy overtaking it. And the key to the security of that castle that still stands today is not its massive walls or the torrets that are found throughout the wall. The stronghold is secured because of the Swiss Elps that protects this great castle called the swash addler or the Hoan Verfen. Surrounded with mountains, Mount Zion is not the highest peak in its mountain range. God promised not only to be present with His people but to surround them, to be all around them. It's just like putting Zion Mountain or Mount Zion in an amphitheater. It's in the center and it's surrounded and it's protected. Well we find here that that's what the psalmist brings to our attention. He says God promised not only to be present with His people but to be all around them as the mountains surround to Jerusalem. Now the psalmist here draws his analogy from the scene that he sees. He's here in Jerusalem. To the east he sees the Mount of Olives. To the south he sees the hill of evil council. To the west he sees the ridge beyond the valley of Jehazavat to the north he sees Mount Scopus. All of these are higher than Mount Zion. All of these mountains provide to Jerusalem with natural protection and security. God's protective power. We need to lay a hold of that tonight. We find it beautifully illustrated in the Old Testament reading that Derek read for us and I invite you to take your bibles and turn back with me to second Kings chapter 6 verse 15 through 17. As Derek read this account we find that the king of Syria saw to capture and kill the prophet Elisha once and for all. Elisha was a thorn in his flesh. He was upsetting all of his battle plans and something needed to be done and so the opportunity came for the king of Syria he thought to capture Elisha and take his life once and for all. And so he sends numerous soldiers with horses and chariots and they surround the city of Gothen and there is Elisha and his servant. And we read when the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold an army with horses and chariots was around the city. And the servant said, I'll ask my master what shall we do? He said, do not be afraid for those who are with us are more than those who are with them. Then Elisha afraid and said, oh Lord please open his eyes that he may see. So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man and he saw and behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. I'll ask my master what shall we do?
The Lord opened the eyes of the servant and he saw the innumerable host of chariots of fire. The Lord surrounds his people, beloved you and I may not see horses and chariots of fire, but the Lord surrounds us as surely as he did Elisha. He defends his own. Minds me of the song that Nathan has called us lately, he will hold me fast. Well that's what the Lord does to his own. He defends us, he holds to us. That means nothing gets to you, nothing touches your life without his sovereign permission. That means no sorrow, that means no sickness, that means no temptation penetrates the divine fortress unless God so wills it. I remember hearing Dr. Kelly say back in 2009 that twin legs conference, he said, nothing comes to us except through his nail pierced hands first. Well, other than that is a great truth to lay a hold of, that nothing comes our way whatever it may be except through the nail pierced hands of the Lord. Notice how long this protection lasts. It's not temporary from this time forth and forever. God's surrounding protection will be with his children forever. He promises his presence to his disciples just as he was returning to heaven. Remember what he said and the hold I am with you always, even until the end of the age. Now the psalmist gives us additional insight, but it means to be secured by the Lord. Look at verse 3. For the scepter wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, less of the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong. The Lord will never let wickedness get the upper hand so that it forces his people to sin. As you look over the history of Israel, the scepter of wickedness only rested on the land when God's people were stubbornly unrighteous and untrusting in him. What do we know about that called in the New Testament, the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 10-13? O Lord, will not allow us to be tempted above what you're able to bear? For he says, no temptation has overtaken you. That is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability. But with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure it. Love it tonight. We can never say, God made me sin. We can never say, as was popular when I was growing up, the devil made me do it. We cannot say tonight, I had no other option. Because what it gets down to is we sin because we want to. We fall because we choose a deliberate course of action, realizing what Paul says to us in 1 Corinthians 10-13 that whatever temptation comes our way, that we're able to overcome, the Lord provides a way of escape. And with that promise, you know what? It should lead us to pray. It should lead us to pray for God's restraining hand on the leadership of our country tonight. Just mention the insecurity that we face as a nation. We should pray that the Lord will be with the leadership and that he will protect his people in the midst of all the insecurity that is before us and to foster an atmosphere for righteousness to grow and for justice to be carried out. The Lord promises us that will not be forced into sin. But He also knows that we're easily led into it. You remember King Manasa. And you remember what it said about him, how wicked he was, more so than the Amorites, which was the all-time example of wickedness. And this had seen was as king of the kingdom of Israel. He led the people into wickedness. We should pray for the Lord's restraining hand on the leadership of our country. What about Germany doing the World War II? Who would have believed that so many people had been led into such wickedness? We can't condemn every German who lived in Germany, but many Germans were led into great wickedness from their leadership. And we should pray. We should pray that our leaders will create an atmosphere in our land where righteousness will flourish.
And this also should motivate us. It should cultivate in our walk of faith day by day a deep longing in our hearts for the reign of King Jesus for his return. Let me ask you, did you wake up this morning thinking that you belonged to Jesus Christ? Did you wake up this morning realizing you're not your own but been bought by the precious blood of Jesus Christ? Did you wake up this morning realizing that God is your father and he has delivered you from the wrath to come. But along that line, have you given any thought that this might be the day that the Lord returns for his own?
A deep impression was made on me growing up in our church in Baltimore. There was a great emphasis on the return of Christ. And yes, we had conferences that focused on that, but we had people in the membership, the believers there, had a focus that the Lord could come in their lifetime. And the thought was looking for his return but living a life that would reflect holiness. Deal on for his return. We sing many songs about his return and the truths are deep embedded that he has promised. And we do pray as John did at the end of Revelation, even so come Lord Jesus. Well, having reminded himself and us that we are the people of God and having revealed to us that God protects his people. He brings us now into the very presence of God. With confidence, he answers the throne room and he bears his requests to God. Verse 4 and 5, he prays, do good, O Lord, to those who are good and to those who are upright in their hearts. But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways, the Lord will lead them away with the doers of iniquity. Peace be upon Israel. He prays that the Lord will do good to those that are good. Now, several thoughts here, we find that the child of God is one who trusts in the Lord that he is a part of the greater people of the Lord. And tonight we see also he is listed as those that are good and upright in heart, those who have been justified and given a heart for him, living a life out that reflects his presence. And you know in one way that prayer request is already being answered each day in our lives. Turn with me to Romans chapter 8. Look if you will at verses 28 and 29. In one sense, he is answering that prayer request of the psalmist, do good, O Lord, to those who are good. What do we find here in the words of the psalmist and we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he had foreknown, he is also pregested to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the first born among many brothers. Do you realize that tonight everything that the Lord is doing in your life and in my life is for this good to make us like Jesus. It also means here that he withholds no blessing in Christ from you and me. Look at verse 32. He who did not spare his own son but gave him up for Saul. How will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Do good, O Lord, to those that are good. What he's doing that tonight? Have you taken inventory of that this day? Have you acknowledged his working in your life in Sunday school, in the morning service with your family today, even tonight as you gather again in the house of God? Every grace we need in the midst of the insecurities and the obstacles that are before us. Every grace we need, everything that pertains to life and godliness. He gives to his children. And here is our blessed assurance. God will do us good. When life is unstable, when things are uncertain and unsettled, we find peace. We find safety in knowing that God uses everything to make us like the Lord Jesus. And that's the reason why he saved us to be like him and to worship him. When we ask God to do good to his people, we have to believe that at the same time he'll bring judgment on unbelievers. It's mentioned in verse five, those who turn aside to their crooked ways. They do not trust in the Lord and they face the certain judgment of the Lord. O Lord will lead them away. He will judge them with evil doers. Now, folks, however, off with this truth is, there's a great source of security for the Christian. Because he reminds us that the Lord is committed to doing what is right. He will bring into account and deal with every sin because in his commitment to your security, to my security, he is committed to his own righteousness. I think of the words of the him that we often sing, this is my father's world. Oh, let me never forget that though the wrong seems all so strong, God is the ruler yet. This is my father's world. Why should my heart be sad? The Lord is king, let the heavens ring. God reigns at the earth be glad. Tonight beloved, Psalm 125, give us confidence in assurance that we're not alone even now, whatever the insecurities and the uncertainties that are before us, nationally, that are before us regarding our families, our jobs, whatever it might be. They that trust in the Lord are as Mount Sin. As as the mountains surround Jerusalem so the Lord surrounds his people. And so that the Lord is working in us in this hour, making us more like him with giving us the grace we need. He ends this prayer with that last sentence. He praises prayer peace be upon Israel. What is he praying here? Lord, do good to your church, calls her to thrive. May she experience the fullness and the wholeness of what she is in Christ. Our assurance, our security begins where this home began, trusting in the Lord, let's pray. Father tonight, we thank you for your word. We thank you for the assurance that you are a good God, working in the hearts of your people, doing good, performing us to the image of your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, where we confess at times we forget who we are. We confess that sometimes we act more like the world than we are as blood brought, brought children of the Lamb of God. Lord, may we get a new sense of who we are. And Lord, may we realize that you saved us and you will see us through, that your great power, nothing can come to us except through your nail pierced hands. And, O Lord, we look to you by faith, and we look to you one day to see you face to face. But meanwhile, Lord, we pray that you will accomplish your will in us and that we might have this confidence that you're by our side in the coming week. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.