The Day of Trouble

 Temple Baptist Church - 6-30-2024

Psalm 20

 

Introduction:

 

A.  Psalm 20 is Davidic, so this helps to clarify the context of the Psalm.  I want to introduce this Psalm by looking at some of the individual words in verse 1.  “In the day of trouble”

 

B.  David, because of his greatness in the sight of the Lord and his position in the Nation of Israel, was a man of many troubles.  Some troubles that he had were relatively small and easily managed.  Our lives fall into the same pattern of ups and downs as troubles are a way of life. 

 

C.  I often say that life is hard, so we need to just get used to it.  Life is so full of ups and downs that a worldly song said, “Up high in April, shot down in May!”  These mountains and valleys are what make the child of God grow.  We need the good times to get it all back together and we need the bad times to test our integrity.  “What will it take to stop me?” is a question that only time and troubles will answer.

 

d.  The text says, “the day of trouble”, which implies that this day was not a normal troublesome day.  It was “the” day of trouble.  “The” is a definite article implying that this was just a particular day of trouble, but also that it possibly was one of a kind.

 

e.  This particular Psalm must have been a doozy!  The Psalmist cried out to the LORD, the only One who would be able to sustain and succor him in this hard time in his life.

 

1.  My mind goes back to the oldest book in the Bible, the Book of Job.

 

2.  Job was a godly man who was upright and eschewed evil.

 

3.  Job was a man who prayed for his family because he feared for them.  Job 3:25  For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.

 

4.  Job was a man who lost it all in a couple of days.

 

5.  Job was a man who maintained his integrity.  Job 1:20-22  Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,  (21)  And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.  (22)  In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

 

6.  In the midst of his trials, Job said this.  Job 14:1  Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.

 

g.  One day may be the day that “the day of trouble” comes to us.  In this chapter of Psalms, there are some lessons taught we can learn from “the day of trouble”!

 

1.  Verse 1.  “The Lord hear thee … the God of Jacob defend thee”  Notice that verse 1 is not a question!  It is a statement of fact. 

 

a.  The Lord does hear us when we are in trouble so, learn to pray early.  So often, prayer is the last thing you do when in trouble.  There is an old saying, “Are we down to that already?"  If not careful, lasting damage can occur before we pray and, though the day of trouble passes, the “sword” will never leave our house.

 

Proverbs 8:17  I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

 

Isaiah 55:6  Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

 

b.  The Lord will defend us when we are in trouble, so trust Him.

 

Psalms 9:9-10  The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.  (10)  And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

 

2.  Verse 2.  “Send thee help from the sanctuary … strengthen thee out of Zion” 

 

a.  We get so much of our help while in church.  Learn to remain faithful to the house of God.  Too often, when life really comes down of us hard, it so easy to blame God and give up on the house of God. 

 

b.  We get so much of our strength comes from our church family.  “And exhorting one another” cannot be of help if we are not here to be exhorted!  Satan is the “Divider and Chief” as he knows how effective it is.  If God’s people are not faithful in attendance, there may come a day when they no longer have a church to attend!

 

3.  Verse 3.  Here we find one of the temporal blessing of offerings and sacrificing.  When God’s people are good to God, God is good to them.  Remember to be faithful in stewardship, especially when “the day of trouble” incorporates financial pain.  “Remember all thy offerings … !”  Selah!  “To pause and to weigh.”  If we are not faithful with the “unrighteous mammon,” we will not be given the “true riches” that God has in store for us.

 

4.  Verse 4.  Seek your counsel from the Bible first.  Weigh decisions in times of confusion by the Word of God.  The Bible is our “anchor in the shifting sands of human theology!”  Everything is changing and so is the counsel of the world as it continues in its decline into moral decay.  God is always right and the world is almost always wrong when it comes to things of morality and decision making.

 

5.  Verse 5.  I preached on rejoicing this morning.  The Bible says to “rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.”  Both the good and bad times.  Rejoicing in bad times will help you to find your encouragement in the LORD and trust Him to fulfill His promises.

 

Hebrews 10:23  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

 

6.  Verse 6.  Understand that when the heavens seem to be silent or made of brass, the LORD both sees and hears.  He knows where we are and what we need.

 

Isaiah 40:31  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

 

7.  Verse 7-8.  Place your faith in the LORD whom you cannot see instead of in the temporal things which can be seen. Temporal things will fail you, but the Lord will never let you down.

 

2 Corinthians 4:17-18  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;  (18)  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

 

8.  Verse 9.  Trust in the Lord with all thine heart!  Do the best that you can but rest in the fact that He will hear and He will save.

 

Psalms 30:5  For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

 

Conclusion:  We all need to know that God is good all the time.  In our ups and in our downs, good times and hard times and He will be there with us and for us.

 

Psalms 9:9-10  The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.  (10)  And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

The Desired Result Of Revival

 Temple Baptist Church - 5-30-2024

Psalm 85:1-13

 

Introduction: 

 

A.  Next Sunday, Bro. Max Alderman will be with us again.  Though revival services are important, they are not well attended.  This is a reminder that we need a revival!  We use these Revival Meetings to stir our hearts for the Lord Jesus Christ.  We need revival when:

 

1.  We Have Lost The Freshness Of Our Salvation.  We take salvation for granted!

 

2.  We Have Lost The Burning Love For Our Saviour.  We have, as the Church at Ephesus, “left” our first love.

 

3.  We Have Lost The Excitement Of Our Service.  Things that are temporal will pass away but the things that are done for the Lord will endure forever!

 

B.  We all have a need to be revived again and again.

 

1.  We must revive the fainting.  Proverbs 24:10  If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

 

2.  We must revive the discouraged.  Job 3:25-26  For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.  (26)  I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.

 

3.  We must revive the perishing.  1 Samuel 27:1  And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul …

 

4.  We must revive the chastened.  Hebrews 12:5  And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

 

C.  Why do we have revival time?  I believe that the word again says it all.  “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,” the song writer said.    We certainly need a reviving in our day: a day of Laodicea, a day of Perilous Times, a day of Falling Away. 

 

Habakkuk 3:2 says, “O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.” 

 

1.  Sometimes, it just takes a “cup of water” to revive someone.

 

2.  Sometimes, it just takes an encouraging word to revive someone.

 

3.  Sometimes, it just takes being there with and for someone.

 

4.  Sometimes, it takes spiritual CPR to revive someone.

 

D.  How does revival come?  Revival cannot be worked up.  Revival cannot be brought in by a man.  Revival comes from the Lord.  Every mention of revival in the Bible is consistent with this thought.  Notice with me three things by way of introduction about revival:

 

a.  Revival Comes Through Desire – “Wilt thou not”  (God is looking for a desiring heart!  A desire for a personal walk with Him.)

 

b.  Revival Comes Through Direction – “Wilt thou”  (God is looking for a directed heart!  Stayed upon Him.)

 

c.  Revival Comes Through Determination – “again”  (God is looking for a determined heart!  Not a double heart.  The sense is continuing.)

 

E.  What is the real need of Revival in the local church?  When asked, you would get a wide variety of answers and most of them good ones.  Some would say that the real need of Revival in the local church is:

 

            a.  It Is To Produce More Zeal For Service In The Christian.

 

b.  It Is To Bring About More Of A Burden For Souls And Aggressive Soul Winning.

 

c.  It Is To Increase Giving In The Offerings In Order To Do More For Missions.

 

d.  It Is To Exhort Church Members To Faithfulness In Both Attendance And Service.

 

            e.  It Is To Cause True Worship To Be Present In The Church Services.

 

F.  David understood the need of God’s people.  Psalm 85:6 Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?  (Revival is all about Reviving a Relationship with the Lord.)

 

1.  The Main Objective Of Revival Is Rejoicing – “that thy people may rejoice”

 

2.  The Main Object Of Rejoicing Is In The Lord And Not Circumstances – “in thee.”

Habakkuk 3:16-19   When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.  Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:  Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.  The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.  (To be put to music and sang.)

 

Here Is The Key To Rejoicing:  our rejoicing is to be “in thee.”  Because circumstances change and the Lord is unchanging.  He is immutable! 

 

1.  We Rejoice In the Fact That The Lord Never Changes.  (We can rely upon Him to think the same, act the same, and speak the same.  This gives us great confidence!)

 

Hebrews 13:8  Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

 

Hebrews 1:12  And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

 

Psalms 90:2  Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

 

Psalms 102:27  But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.

 

Malachi 3:6  For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

John 8:58  Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

 

                        a.  The Lord Is Great

 

                        b.  The Lord Is Glorious

 

                        c.  The Lord Is Gracious

 

                        d.  The Lord Is Good

 

2.  We Rejoice In The Fact That What The Lord Does Is Eternal.  (He will not change His mind.  Our security is based upon His Promises and, therefore, assured.)

 

Ecclesiastes 3:14  I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

 

Isaiah 46:9-10  Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,  Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

 

3.  We Rejoice In The Fact That The Lord Is Sovereign.  (He is in complete control and will allow nothing to touch us unless it is His will.  Our circumstances are under His feet.)

 

Romans 11:34  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

 

Isaiah 40:13  Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?

 

Jeremiah 23:18  For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?

 

Acts 10:36  The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)

 

Revelation 19:16  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

 

4.  We Rejoice In The Fact That The Lord Will Supply All Of Our Needs.  (In days of rising prices and layoff in the textile industry, we may be assured that He will take care of us.)

 

1 Kings 17:4-6  And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.  So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.  And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.

Matthew 6:31-34  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

 

Philippians 4:19  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

 

5.  We Rejoice In The Fact That Safety Is Of The Lord.  (God’s hedge in perilous times.  Praise the Lord!)

 

Job 1:10  Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

 

Psalms 4:8  I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

 

Psalms 20:7  Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

 

Proverbs 21:31  The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.

 

Conclusion:

 

1.  God’s People Need Rejoicing More Than They Need Zeal!  (If you are a rejoicing Christian you will have zeal.)

 

2.  God’s People Need Rejoicing More Than They Need Soul Winning!  (If you are a rejoicing Christian you will win souls.)

 

3.  God’s People Need Rejoicing More Than They Need Giving For Missions!  (If you are a rejoicing Christian you will give.)

 

4.  God’s People Need Rejoicing More Than They Need Faithfulness!  (If you are a rejoicing Christian you will be faithful.)

 

5.  God’s People Need Rejoicing More Than They Need Worship!  (If you are a rejoicing Christian you will worship.)