Imprecatory Praying

 Temple Baptist Church - 8-31-2025

Psalm 35

Introduction:

 

A.  Psalm 35 is another of the Psalms of David, the greatest king who ever lived, and a man after God’s own heart. David wrote 73 of the 150 Psalms, almost half, as he was a musician, singer, songwriter, and also the most feared king alive.

 

B.  These things may seem contradictory, but they are not. We see both “sides of the coin” in King David: a hardness when needed, as he “killed his ten thousands” in battle, and also compassion.

 

C.  Imprecatory - he word “imprecatory” comes from imprecate, meaning to invoke a curse or to call down judgment.

 

D. An imprecatory prayer (or psalm) is a Spirit-inspired petition calling upon the Lord to execute judgment, bring down vengeance, and uphold His righteousness against those who oppose Him and His people instead of taking personal vengeance out of spite.

 

E.  Imprecatory in a Biblical sense:

 

1.  To call on God to judge the wicked according to His righteousness.

 

“Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.” (Psalm 35:4)

 

2.  To ask God to vindicate the righteous.

 

“Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.” (Psalm 10:15)

 

3.  To appeal to God’s justice rather than taking personal revenge.

 

Psalms 58:6  Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.

 

“Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.” (Psalm 69:24)

 

F.  I said all that to express this: imprecatory prayer is both correct and Scriptural! There is a time for kindness, but there is also a time for righteous indignation and anger.

 

Ephesians 4:26  Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

 

G.  Now, to the breakdown of Psalm 35.

 

1. Verses 1-10 – David’s Plea for Divine Intervention.

 

a.  Verses 1–3 – David appeals to God as a warrior.  There is a time for peace and a time for war.  God’s people are not to be pacifists nor weaklings!  David was a man of War as a man of God!  Strong men, strong women who are willing to stand for right and justice.

 

b.  Verses 4-8 – David prays for the shame and destruction of his enemies.  If the wicked will not get right and continue in their wickedness, then the ultimate price must be paid!  Let them fall into the trap they have laid for the righteous.

 

c.  Verses 9-10 – David’s promise of glory and praise to God for His intervention.  “Let all be done to the glory of God!”  “In everything give thanks!” 

 

2.  Verses 11-18 – David’s Complaint of False Accusation.  Here, we find that the battle becomes psychological rather than physical.  Psychological abuse is, in many cases, worse than physical abuse. 

 

a.  Verses 11-12 – His enemies rise as false witnesses.  David is slandered.  He is repaid evil for good.

 

b.  Verses 13-14 – David’s Compassion Upon His Enemies.  I find this portion of the Psalm fascinating and essential.  David differentiated between the wickedness of his enemies and their condition.  As God hates the sin but loves the sinner, David fasted and mourned for them as if they were his brethren!  Some have greatly hurt our family over the years, and I have them on my prayer list.  I cannot hate them, nor do I wish them harm of any kind.  Justice, yes, but harm no!  Our Lord said this in the Sermon on the Mount.

 

Matthew 5:43-48  Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.  (44)  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;  (45)  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.  (46)  For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?  (47)  And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?  (48)  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

 

c.  Verses 14-16 – The Cruelty of David’s Enemies.  They rejoiced over David’s misfortune and mocked at his calamity!  People can be so cruel to one another, and we see "so much the more" as the day of the Lord approaches.

 

d.  Verses 17-18 – David’s Confusion.  David did not understand God’s seemingly delayed promise, but he promised to trust God throughout the trial.  God’s silences are God’s business and we are prone to try and hurry God up at times.    I love these verses in Ecclesiastes chapter 3: 

 

Ecclesiastes 3:11  He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

 

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.

 

3.  Verses 19-28 – David’s Prayer for Vindication and Final Judgment.

 

a.  Verses 19-21 – Don’t let them rejoice over me. 

 

Isaiah 59:19  So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

 

b.  Verses 22-25 – Don’t let the prevail over me.

 

c.  Verse 26 – Let them be brought to confusion.

 

d.  Verses 27-28 – David’s Vow.  Thanksgiving: Every section of this Psalm ends with a vow to praise God.

 

Psalms 35:9-10  And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.  (10)  All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?

 

Psalms 35:18  I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.

 

Psalms 35:27-28  Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.  (28)  And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.

Conclusion: 

 

Pray for those who choose to be our enemies in a spirit of forgiveness and compassion.

 

Be thankful to God in both the good and the hard times of life, as He must allow all things to happen for our good.

 

Romans 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Hamartiology: The Doctrine of Sin - Part 1

Temple Baptist Church - 8-31-2025

Isaiah 14:12-16; Ezekiel 28:11-19

 

A. Hamartiology is derived from two words in Greek: hamartía, Greek: ἁμαρτία – to miss the mark, and logos, which means “word”— the study of sin. These messages will contain a lot of information. If you want my messages in their entirety, send me your email address at pastorjohnston@gmail.com and I will gladly add you to my sermon list.

 

1. The word “hamartia” (more accurately hamartía, Greek: ἁμαρτία) is a fundamental term in the New Testament. It is the most common Greek word translated into English as “sin” in the King James Bible.

 

2. In the Theological sense, it means to miss the mark, to fail, or to err concerning God’s laws and standards. Sin is found in the rebellion of mankind against God, whether by omission (not doing what is right) or commission (doing that which we know is wrong).

 

B. Today, I want to look at the Origin of sin and its results. When sermonizing sin, we must find its beginning and work from there.

 

1. I do not want to spend a lot of time on Angelology, but to understand the origin of sin, we must look a Lucifer.

 

1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

 

2. Sin did not originate on earth. It originated in heaven; therefore, we must look into Angelology to a degree in order to understand sin’s origin and originator.

 

C. The Person of Lucifer. Lucifer – “light bearer” – “son of the morning” – a created being referred to as “the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. (15) Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.”

 

1. As to the time of Lucifer’s creation, we are not sure, but I believe that it was around the time of creation, as the Bible says, “In the beginning God created!” This expresses the thought that there was nothing created before creation. We do know that Lucifer’s sin took place after creation because he walked in Eden, the garden of God, before his sin.

 

Ezekiel 28:13a Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God

 

2. Lucifer was created as a Cherubim. Cherubims are different from angels in general, as they were specifically designed for a specific work. They are the defenders of the holiness of God.

 

D. The importance and work of angels.

 

1. There are different types of heavenly creatures mentioned in the Bible. I will start at the bottom. I will be general in my terms.

 

a). Angels in general. They are servants of God who do multiple things. 1) Angels were created to glorify God 2) Angels serve God’s people 3) Angels execute God’s commands 4) Angels deliver God’s messages 5) Angels protect believers 6) Angels accompanied Christ in His earthly ministry 7) Angels will participate in the final judgment. 8) Angels are never the center of attention but always point back to the greatness of God.

 

b) Seraphim (to burn or be on fire) are mentioned only twice in Isiah but are the Living Creatures found in other places in the Bible – 1) Seraphim dwell in God’s immediate presence 2) Saraphim proclaim and magnify His holiness 3) Saraphim model reverence and humility before God 4) Seraphim serve in God’s work of cleansing and preparing His messengers 5) Seraphim assist in the unfolding of God’s will in heaven and earth.

 

c) Cherubim - 1) Cherubim guard the holiness of God 2) Cherubim bear the throne and glory of God 3) Cherubim symbolize God’s presence in worship 4) Cherubim reflect God’s attributes of God in creation 5) Cherubim exalt the holiness and sovereignty of the God.

 

d) Three Special Angels:

 

1a) Michael the Archangel protects God’s people, especially Israel 2)Michael will lead angelic armies in battle against Satan 3) Michael is the leader among the angels 4) Michael will deliver Israel in the end-time.

 

2a) Gabriel the Messenger - 1) Gabriel delivers God’s word as His messenger 2) Gabriel interprets prophecy and give understanding 3) Gabriel announced God’s plan of salvation in Christ 4) Gabriel represents God’s presence as His envoy 5) Gabriel brings good news of hope and redemption.

 

3a) Lucifer (The Cherubim) – “Light Bearer” – “The Anointed Cherub that Covereth” “The Defender of the Holiness of God!”

 

1b) Cherubims protected the Tree of Life after Adam’s fall. Genesis 3:24 – After Adam and Eve sinned, God placed cherubim at the east of the Garden of Eden, with a flaming sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.

2b) Cherubims protected the Mercy Seat where God spoke to man. Exodus 25:18–22 – God commanded two golden cherubim to be placed upon the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. God said: “there I will meet with thee…from between the two cherubims.”

3b) Lucifer had a special task to perform as he walked in Eden, the Garden of God. The only thing in Eden that needed to be protected was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil!

 

E. Lucifer (“light-bearer”) was created as a perfect, exalted cherub before his rebellion.

 

Ezekiel 28:11-19 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (12) Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. (13) Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. (14) Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. (15) Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

 

1. “Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.” (v. 12)

 

2. “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God…” (v. 13)

 

3. “Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth…” (v. 14)

 

4. “Thou wast perfect in thy ways… till iniquity was found in thee.” (v. 15)

 

1. The Sin of Lucifer.

 

Ezekiel 28:15-16a Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. (16) By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned:

 

a. Isaiah 14 lists the “I wills” of Lucifer.

 

Isaiah 14:12-16 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! (13) For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: (14) I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

 

1) “I will ascend into heaven.”

 

2) “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.”

 

3) “I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation.”

 

4) “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds.”

 

4) “I will be like the most High.”

 

b. His sin was pride and a desire to usurp God’s throne (1 Timothy 3:6 warns against “the condemnation of the devil”).

 

1 Timothy 3:6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

 

This verse does not mean that the devil condemns, it is saying that the same pride that we have is what condemns us just as it did Lucifer! Pride elevates the self above God and, therefore, causes us to place ourselves in the place of God. Therefore equal with God.

 

2. The De-Elevation of Lucifer.

 

Ezekiel 28:16b-19 Therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. (17) Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. (18) Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. (19) All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.”

 

a. These verses are both present tense practically and future tense in their prophecy.

 

b. By practical, the Bible speaks of Satan now. Satan means adversary or accuser—Devil – the supreme spirit of evil. Though he does not hold his previous position as the “anointed Cherub that covereth,” he still has access to the throne of God as the accuser of the brethren, as well as access to the earth.

 

Job 1:6-7 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. (7) And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

 

Satan is given many titles in the Bible describing his character and work:

 

Satan – “adversary” (Job 1:6; Zechariah 3:1).

 

Lucifer – “light-bearer” before his fall (Isaiah 14:12).

 

Devil – “slanderer” (Matthew 4:1).

 

Serpent – deceiver in Eden (Genesis 3:1; Revelation 12:9).

 

Dragon – symbol of destructive power (Revelation 12:3, 9).

 

Prince of this world (John 12:31).

 

God of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4).

 

Prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2).

 

Accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10).

 

Tempter (Matthew 4:3).

 

Wicked one (Matthew 13:19).

 

Angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14 – he disguises himself).

 

c. By prophetic, the Bible speaks of a future time when Satan will be “cast … to the ground … will lay thee before kings … will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee … and never shalt thou be any more.”

 

1) Cast down. Revelation 12:7-12 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, (8) And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. (9) And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (10) And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. (11) And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. (12) Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

 

2) Laid before kings. Cast into the bottomless pit. Revelation 20:1-3 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. (2) And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, (3) And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

 

3) Destroyed forever. Finally cast into the lake of fire forever. Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

 

3. The Hatred of Lucifer.

 

a. Satan hates God.

 

1) He opposes God’s plan (Isaiah 14:13–14).

 

2) He counterfeits God’s works (2 Thessalonians 2:9).

 

b. Satan hates Christ.

 

1) Tempted Christ in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1–11).

 

2) Entered Judas to betray Him (Luke 22:3).

 

c. Satan hates Believers.

 

1) Accuses (Revelation 12:10).

 

2) Tempts (1 Thessalonians 3:5).

 

3) Deceives (2 Corinthians 11:3).

 

4) Devours (1 Peter 5:8).

 

5) Sows tares (Matthew 13:39).

 

6) Hinders the work of God’s servants (1 Thessalonians 2:18).

 

d. Satan hates the World

 

1) Blinds the minds of the lost (2 Corinthians 4:4).

 

2) Works in the children of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2).

 

3) Controls kingdoms of this world (Luke 4:5–7).

 

4. The Serpent. Not to surmise a little but I believe that this must have happened.

 

a. The very thing that Lucifer was to protect because the object of his attack on all that God loved.

 

b. As we know that Lucifer walked in Eden, the Garden of God, he must have personally picked the serpent to do his dirty work. The body was a serpent, but the voice was one of Satan!

 

c. “Yea, hath God said?” The temptation of Eve, the deception of Eve, led to the sin of Adam, which led to Romans 5:12!

 

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

 

Conclusion: Lucifer – Satan – the Devil – is the epitome of sin incarnate as he used his time in God’s Garden of Eden to influence the serpent to entice Eve!

Judgment

 Temple Baptist Church - 8-27-2025

1 Corinthians 4:1-5

 

Introduction: 

A.  As Paul, through the moving of the Holy Ghost, continues to write the Corinthians Epistle to a baby, carnal church, he deals with a problem among new converts.  Division.  Not division concerning who they choose to follow in 1 Corinthians 1:12-14, 3:3-9.  Division because of personal division. 

 

B.  In every church and in every believer, there is a time to “grow up” by realizing that not everyone who disagrees with you is wrong, nor are they not on your side.  We are labourers together with God and need to keep this in mind.

 

C.  I find the problem of judging an important one because the Book of 1 Corinthians lists many different judgments.  Don’t worry, I will not deal with them tonight! 

 

1. The judgment of others’ motives.  1 Corinthians 4:3  But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.

 

2  The judgment of self.  1 Corinthians 11:28-32  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.  (29)  For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.  (30)  For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.  (31)  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.  (32)  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

 

3.  The judgment of hidden things.  1 Corinthians 4:5  Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

 

4.  The judgment of sinful believers by the local church.  1 Corinthians 5:4-5  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,  (5)  To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

5.  The judgment of angels by the saints.   1 Corinthians 6:3-5  Know ye not that we shall judge angels?

 

6.  The judgment of quarrels among brethren.  1 Corinthians 6:3-5  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?  (4)  If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.  (5)  I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?

 

7.  The judgment of the world by the saints.  1 Corinthians 6:2  Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

 

D.  Judgment can be a right thing, or it can be a wrong thing.  There are three kinds of judgments found in 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 that need to be discussed tonight: judgment of others, judgment of self, and Judgment by God.

 

1.  The judgment of others.  There are things that we can judge, and some things that we cannot. 

 

a.  The unrighteous judgment of others.  1 Corinthians 4:3  “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment …” 

 

1)  I have often said that I care what others say about me but, I also do not care.  This is what Paul is saying in verse 3.  Paul was doing what God wanted him to do, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, and apologizing for nothing. 

 

2)  I too am careful how I answer others and simply tell them what God says.  At that point, I will not back up.  Don’t ask the question if you are not ready to allow the Bible and Holy Ghost to answer it.

 

3)  If the answer is biblical, “it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment!”

 

4)  Be careful when you judge the motives instead of the act.  Paul said that this was a “very small thing” because there will be things that we do that others will not understand and judge in the wrong manner.

 

Matthew 7:1-2  Judge not, that ye be not judged.  (2)  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

 

5)  There is an old saying that goes like this:  “Never judge another until you have walked a mile in his shoes.”  People are so prone to making quick judgments without all the facts.  They are also prone to making quick judgments without knowing the motive.

 

6)  In a court of law, one cannot use hearsay nor can they attest to what another person is thinking or has thought because these two things cannot be considered as factual.

 

7)  Both Paul and James declared that the only judgment that counted was God’s! 

 

Romans 14:12-13a  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.  (13)  Let us not therefore judge one another any more …

 

James 4:11-12  Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.  (12)  There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

 

b.  The righteous judgment of others.  Now, having said that, there can and will be unrighteous judgment; there are things that we can righteously judge.  Not all judgment is wrong or unrighteous.  Righteous judgment is when we witness an evil deed and judge the act, not the perpetrator, according to God’s law or man’s righteous law.

 

1 John 5:16-17  If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.  (17)  All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.

 

1)  This is an act that we witnessed as wrong and should not have been done.  I have personally seen saved people do things that are not right to do and know for a certainty that it was not right.

 

2)  We can, to some degree, judge the act, be it done in ignorance or willfulness.  We set judges in place for just such a time to make righteous judgments.  They seat a jury in both criminal and civil cases at times to make a righteous judgment.

 

3)  Just make sure that what you judge is right.  Another old saying, “Believe nothing that you hear and only half of what you see.”  Great advice.

 

2.  The judgment of self.  1 Corinthians 4:3-4  But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.  (4)  For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

 

a.   Let me begin by saying that personal self-inventory is an essential part of our walk with and before God.  As we walk with God, we need to understand that we also walk before God.

 

1 Corinthians 11:28  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

 

1)  Examine your Salvation.  2 Corinthians 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

 

2)  Ask God to examine your integrity (honesty, veracity, truthfulness).  Psalms 26:1-2  A Psalm of David. Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.  (2)  Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.

 

3)  Ask God to examine your inner self.  Psalms 139:23-24  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:  (24)  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

 

b.  Paul said, “I judge not mine ownself.”  Self-judgment can also be wrong. 

 

1)  There are times when we believe that what we are doing is right, only to find out that it was wrong.  Once again, we often do not have all the information when we make decisions and, though we want to do right, they may turn out wrong.

 

2)  Then there will be times when we are harder on ourselves than need be and slow to forgive ourselves when God has already forgiven us.

 

3.  The righteous judgment of God!  1 Corinthians 4:4-5  For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.  (5)  Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

 

a.  The ultimate judgment is to be of God.  “For I know nothing by myself.”  Paul said that his knowledge was limited and may not have all the facts or information needed to judge rightly.  Things are working in the background that we know nothing about; therefore, we must allow God, who knows it all, to become our righteous judge.

 

b.  “Therefore judge nothing before the time.”  The ultimate judgment of God will come at the right time, as the issues may not yet be resolved.  Often, things appear right or wrong, but their continuation may prove to be different.

 

c.  “the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.”  We do not know the thoughts and motives of others because they are “hidden.”  God understands their thoughts afar off and, when judging, will bring these hidden things to light.

Standing in the Night

Temple Baptist Church - 8-24-2025

Psalm 134

 

Introduction: 

 

A.  Psalm 134 is the last of the “Songs of Degrees,” and therefore a very important one.  These were Psalms of Song that were to be sung as the Jews journeyed to Jerusalem and the Temple for each of the three feast days that all males were required to attend.

 

B.  The Psalm speaks of the people or priests who worked the “Night Shift” in the Temple.  When we think of the Temple, we think of the myriads of sacrifices that took place each day as the people of Israel offered sin offerings, thank offerings, etc.  In the Book of Leviticus, we find many different offerings listed that were both requirements and “love offerings.”

 

C.  When we think of the work that went on in the Temple, we never give thought to those who served after the end of each day until the next, Night Shift.  The work of the Temple, in one form or another, never stopped.

 

When I worked in the coal mines of Western Kentucky, we usually mined coal during the first and second shifts. A few mines tried to operate on all three shifts but faced serious problems with their equipment. Mining equipment endures heavy wear during a shift and needs regular, thorough maintenance. These mines started to “patch up” the equipment instead of repairing it properly, and eventually, they produced less coal than the “two shift” mines because of equipment failures. Although they did not produce any coal during the third shift, it was just as important as the first two because it kept those shifts running smoothly with minimal breakdowns or downtime.

 

D.  This Psalm pronounces a blessing on those “which by night stand in the house of the LORD.”

 

E.  Now, the question could be asked, “Why the Psalm?”  Here are two things that I want to look at tonight by way of introduction.

 

1.  This Psalm shows Reminder and Responsibility.

 

a.  A Reminder that Night will come.

 

1)  In real time, of the 24 hours of the day, at least 8 (or one-third of those hours) are spent working in darkness.  The history of Israel is one of good and bad times.  There are times of blessing and times when there is little blessing.  These Jews were expected to travel to Jerusalem regardless of whether the year was good or bad!

 

2)  Prophetically, in our lives, possibly one-third of our years are what I would call “darker” years or harder years.  This Psalm is a reminder that the work of the Lord does not diminish in those darker or more complex years of our lives.  The Lord never said that we were to serve in good times but were excused in the bad times.

 

b.  A Responsibility that the God’s work is to continue. 

 

1)  God’s work never diminishes until He is done with us.  That’s why Paul’s life-ending statements of fighting a good fight, finishing his course, and keeping the faith are so important to us all.  When God is done with us, we will know it and then be excused from our service.

 

2)  Our work or “Light” is essential to the work of the Lord.  This is not of my choosing or yours; it is God’s!  We are to let our “lights” shine in both the good and bad times!  It is in the bad times of our lives that our lights shine more brightly.

 

F.  Now, look around you.  If there was ever a time of spiritual darkness or “Night,” we live in it.  Noah’s Day, Lot’s Day, a Day of Falling Away, and Laodicea all combined.  You and I work the Night Shift spiritually.

 

G.  Here are some things that the “Night Shift” at the Temple had to do before the break of day (in our case, the coming of the Lord).

 

1.  They Protected The Holy Things of The Sanctuary – We must protect the Old Paths of both doctrine and practice.  So many churches have become more worldly than holy, and it is up to us to keep holiness within our church.

 

1 Timothy 4:16  Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. 

 

2.  They Cleaned The Sanctuary For The Morning Worship – We must keep not only worldliness out of the local church, but also keep our pews clean from sin that is to be censured.  We are all just sinners saved by the grace of God, but there are things that the Bible commands the local church to censure.  Most churches in our area allow sin to sit on their pews and, therefore, make it acceptable.

 

1 Corinthians 5:1- 7 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, … In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,  To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, … Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 

 

3.  They Kept The Fires Burning on The Altar – We must keep our worship a priority in our services.  Church worship begins in the personal lives of its people and is manifested in our corporate worship.

 

Leviticus 6:12-13  And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings.  The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out. 

 

4.  They Kept The Candlesticks Trimmed And Burning Brightly – We must keep the testimony of our church clean and bright in the community.  Once a church gets a bad name, it takes years to live it down.  We have a good name in Laurens County and are well respected.

 

Hebrews 1:5  By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 

 

5.  They Baked Fresh Bread For The Table of Shewbread – I try to give you something every time you come to church.  Sound doctrine with practical application is a necessity for continued communion with our Lord Jesus Christ and each other.

 

2 Timothy 2:14-16  Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. 

 

Conclusion:  The threefold exhortation to the “Night Watch.”

1.  Be Sure And Be Thankful - vs. 1 “Bless ye the Lord”

 

a.  Because That Out of So Many Lost, You Are Saved 

b.  Because Of The Task That God Has Entrusted You With 

         

2.  Be Sure And Stand - vs. 1 - “Stand in the night”

a.  A Time of Spiritual Watchfulness 

b.  A Time of Spiritual Weariness 

c.  A Time of Spiritual Weaklings 

 

3.  Be Sure God Will Bless You For Standing - vs. 3