God in the Middle

Temple Baptist Church - 9-14-2025

Psalm 36

 

Introduction

A. Psalm 36 is a study in contrasts. What a huge contrast! In this Psalm, we find a description of the wicked, a description of the saved, with God in the middle. This is not meant to be disrespectful, but God is the Buffer.

 

B. The title is “A psalm of David the servant of the LORD.” I love the Davidic Psalms because they show us the victories and defeats of a man after God’s own heart. Oftentimes, we tend to make these biblical examples super spiritual, rather than seeing them as the stories of men and women who struggle from day to day, just as we do.

 

C. This psalm gives us a contrast between saved and lost sinners. I believe that we know who we are, and the only difference between saved and lost is a personal choice! “But for the grace of God go I” has been used by many over the years concerning the saved and lost.

 

D. Now, let us break the psalm down into its four parts.

 

1. The Wicked Man. Psalm 36:1-4

 

2. The Righteous Throne of God. Psalm 36:5-6

 

3. The Saved Man. Psalm 36:7-9

 

4. The Prayer of The Righteous. Psalm 36:10-12

 

1. The Wicked Man. Verses 1-4

 

a. The Sinful Man’s Persuasion (36:1) “that there is no fear of God.” This man is not only wicked, but he is also foolish! Not all men fall into the category of the “fool,” who rejects the truth that there is a God.

 

b. The Sinful Man’s Pride (36:2) “For he flattereth himself in his own eyes.” He is both proud and self-centered.

 

c. The Sinful Man’s Policy (36:3a) “The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit.” Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh!

 

d. The Sinful Man’s Past (36:3b) ´ he hath left off to be wise, and to do good. ' There was a time and place where he permanently chose to leave God. When they knew God, they glorified not God!”

 

e. The Sinful Man’s Plans (36:4a) “He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good.” His heart’s desire is to do wickedly instead of good. The deceitfulness and hardness of a sinner’s heart make them both unrighteous and unreachable.

 

f. The Sinful Man’s Path (36:4b) “he abhorreth not evil.” He will more than likely continue on the path chosen.

 

2. The Righteous Throne of God. Verses 5-6.

 

a. A Throne That Cannot Be Matched. (36:5) “Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.” It is a heavenly throne founded in mercy and faithfulness. Nothing matches God!

 

b. A Throne That Cannot Be Moved. (36:6a) “ Thy righteousness is like the great mountains.” God’s throne is an eternal one. Eternality belongs to God alone as the thrones of earth come and go, they rise and they fall, but God’s throne is an everlasting one. Nothing shakes God!

 

c. A Throne That Cannot Be Measured. (36:6b) “ thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.” God created everything, owns everything, and sustains everything. He alone is God!

 

3. The Saved Man. Verses 7-9.

 

a. He Is Wonderfully Sure. (36:7) “How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.” There are so many things that I neither know or understand, but I have found out through all the troubles and trials of this life that I can trust God!

 

b. He Is Wonderfully Satisfied. (36:8) “ They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.” Barbara and I have enough! We have the desires of our hearts! God is good all the time, and His pleasures are eternal ones. The Believer’s Satisfaction. Verses 5-7.

 

1) Verse 5. The Satisfaction of God’s Mercy. Psalm 23:6 says Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life! Our God is merciful!

 

Psalms 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

 

2) Verse 6. The Satisfaction of God’s Faithfulness. God is Faithful. Though we are often not as faithful as we should be, God is always faithful!

 

2 Timothy 2:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

 

3) Verse 7. The Satisfaction of God’s Loving Kindness. God is not only loving, He is gentle.

 

Ephesians 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

 

4) Verse 7. The Satisfaction of God’s Sheltering. Under the shadow of Thy wings!

 

Psalms 91:1-4 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (2) I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. (3) Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. (4) He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

 

c. He Is Wonderfully Saved. (36:9) “ For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.” Salvation is a fountain that never goes dry; a fountain that is always fresh; a fountain that satisfies our souls.

 

4. The Prayer of The Righteous. Psalm 36:10-12

 

a. Keep My Heart Right! (36:10) “O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.” Oh, how I want to finish my course with joy, fight the good fight, and keep the faith!

 

b. Keep Me From Failing or Falling. (36:11) “Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.” Remove all pride and defeat all the wicked that surround me.

 

c. Keep Me Having Compassion For The Wicked. (36:12) “ There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.” One day, they will die, and hell and the Lake of Fire will be their eternity. God help me to witness to the lost!

The Longsuffering of God

Temple Baptist Church - 7-11-2018

2 Peter 3:9-15

Introduction: 

A.  I as watch the sinfulness and rejection of God in this present evil world, I stand amazed at the longsuffering of God.  In this third chapter of 2 Peter, God speaks of the end of all things as we know them.  God is just; God is holy; but, God is good; God is love; and God is longsuffering.

B.  There are three words in the Bible that show this: mercy, forbearance, and longsuffering.

C.  To understand God’s longsuffering in these last days, it is important to go back to the First Mention of God’s mercy, forbearance, and longsuffering with mankind’s sinfulness.

1 Peter 3:20  Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

D.  The Flood came 1,656 years after the creation of Adam.  I verified this number personally by adding the numbers in Genesis, chapter 5. 

1.  For 969 years before the Flood, God prophesied its coming.  The birth and life of Methuselah was the prophecy of the judgement of God.  Dr. Henry Morris said it may mean, “When he dies, judgment.” Others say: “When he is dead, it shall be sent.”  I also calculated the date of Methuselah’s birth and death.  Methuselah died the year of the Flood.  Almost 1,000 years of longsuffering.

2.  Noah, a preacher of righteousness, preached for 120 years (Genesis 6:3) before the Flood and until the actual event.  After 120 years of preaching and building, the Ark was finished, and God commanded Noah to load the Ark, bring his family, and come into the Ark in Genesis 7:1.  12o years more of longsuffering.

3.  In Genesis 7:3, it is recorded that God kept the Ark’s door open for an additional 7 days in the which any person on earth could have repented and entered.  7 more days of additional longsuffering.

E.  Notice the rapidly diminishing number of years and days (969 years, 120 years, 7 days) as the judgement of God approached.  Peter said, “Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God,” in 2 Peter 3:12.

F.  Noah’s day is a story of man’s sinfulness, God’s messenger, God’s universal invitation, and God’s additional longsuffering before He shut the door of the Ark.  Now, we see the meaning of our verses for tonight.

1.  The Mercy of God.  Mercy is, to be simply put, not getting what one deserves.  God does not want mankind to get what they deserve!  We all deserve hell, but God has prepared a place called heaven.

Exodus 34:5-6  And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.  (6)  And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

Lamentations 3:22-23  It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  (23)  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.  (The mercy of God is the foundation for the forbearance of God.)

2.  The Forbearance of God.  Fore-bear.  To make up one’s mind in advance to put up with something.  Forbearance is the most basic form of patience and is usually thought of as an action—a relatively short-term restraint or act of tolerance. It is directed toward another person, group of people, or set of immediate circumstances, resulting from some wrong (or perceived wrong) having been committed against us.  Forbearance, in the human sense, may be shown with a truly loving heart or it can also be shown with much grumbling and little in the way of a loving motivation.  Throughout each generation of mankind, God has—because of His great love—put up with man’s rebellion and sinfulness.

Romans 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Romans 3:25  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;  (God has mercy upon us and, in forbearance, God puts up with us!  The mercy and forbearance of God are the foundations for the longsuffering of God.)

3.  The Longsuffering of God.  Longsuffering is like unto mercy and forbearance in its meaning and application. The chief difference is that longsuffering, as suggested by the word itself, is a type of forbearance which is not just exercised in the immediate moment of an experience. Rather, it is a character quality developed and exercised over the long-term course of many similar experiences.

1.  God is longsuffering in His Forgiveness.  In verse 9, we see that He is not willing that “any” should perish.  No predestination to hell.

Ezekiel 33:11  Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

2.  God is longsuffering in His Salvation.  In verse 9, we see that He wants “all” to be saved.  No election of a few to salvation.  An open invitation.

1 Timothy 2:1-3  I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;  (2)  For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.  (3)  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

Conclusion:   Thus, we see God’s longsuffering in Noah’s day ended with the judgement of this evil world.  Today, we see God’s longsuffering with the wicked but—one day—it will end with the judgement of this present evil world.  He loves sinners and has provided the Lamb of God to take away their sin.  To reject God’s offer of forgiveness and salvation is to suffer eternal punishment in hell.