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Over the years, there were times I used the bulletin space to add comments to sermons I preached previously, or to emphasize a point in more detail for the sermon I preached on that Sunday morning. Today, I look back to last week and the sermon A Sad Day for Galilee. There is not a true Christian who does not wish that Christ were present with us at this very moment. We long for Christ to come, but also wonder what it would be like if we could live in the physical presence of Jesus as the disciples in the first century did. Would we immensely enjoy His presence and understand all His words, or would we be shortsighted and weak in faith as the disciples often were?

         The answers to these questions are not difficult. We not only have sufficient samplings of Christ teachings in the Bible, but we also have the advantage of the Bible authors’ examination and explanations of His teachings. Along with these are centuries of solid commentaries written by faithful expositors of the scriptures. These extra availabilities are the work of the Holy Spirit using men to guide us into the truths of God’s word. We can know Christ because looking into the scriptures is like looking directly into His eyes. When we examine what we have compared to what the disciples did not have, there is no excuse for us to fall short of their understanding of Christ’s words.

         What is our excuse for not experiencing the same types of advancements that caused Christianity to circle the globe and become the greatest religion known to earth’s inhabitants? There is no excuse. Our failure centers in our lack of dedication to spend time learning the word and gaining strength by our fellowship with God’s people in His church. Our failure is weak discipleship without conviction to live as Christ commanded.

         This reminds me of the rich man in hell and his conversation with Abraham. The rich man suffered torment and asked Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead as a warning for his brothers to believe in Christ and avoid the awful punishment of that place. Abraham told him his brothers had Moses and the prophets as their witnesses. If they would not believe their witness, they would not believe the warnings of one returned from the dead. There are extensive important teachings from this story in Luke 16. One of these we should not miss is that the Bible is the best and only way to obtain knowledge of Christ. If the scriptures are not sufficient, we have no hope of salvation.

         Would we be better Christians if Christ sat in front of us and conversed with us daily? No, there is no proof we would. Like thousands in Galilee that were only interested is satisfying selfish lusts, so we reject the brightest light we have. Thus, we have gross lifestyles that have infiltrated the church and threaten to destroy it from the inside. We punch holes in the bottom of salvation’s boat and expect we will never sink. We are sinking. Christian feet are wet while we claim we ride in Jesus’ boat. It is a sad day for us as our boat goes down. Salvation looks us in the eyes while we are too busy to do anything other than look at us. The world says to look for our authentic self. Christ tells us to reject all such thoughts. The Christian life hides with Christ in God. Unless you are what Christ is—unless Christ is what you claim to be, you neither know Him nor your authentic self.

         Would you be better off if Christ were within sight of your physical eyes? No, only further condemned for aggravated rejection of His truth.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

               It is a welcome, exceptionally good feeling to return to our home church this Sunday morning. We have greatly missed the fellowship of those in our covenant relationship within the Lord’s church. We thank God for your continued faithfulness to Him and the work He calls us to do. Often, the times and the seasons discourage us but thank Him for His promise never to leave us or forsake us.

               We love this church because of your love for God’s word. With the diversity of opinions about what passes for acceptable preaching, it is difficult to gauge the value of the thirst for it. The most prominent desire of hearers is earthly pleasure and whatever satisfies felt needs. Churches center their attention on their core figure—easily identified as self.

               The first part of today’s message reminds us of what Christians should live for. We enjoy the blessing of living in the freedom of the United States and with our economic prosperity as a bonus. These are benefits that most Christians throughout the centuries have not enjoyed. There is little doubt these advantages have captured our hearts leaving us with a lesser reward than what should be the pursuit of our lives. We should reshape our driving motivation for the Lord’s work by living in the hope of Christ’s return.

               The Second Coming impresses us with the urgency of reaching out with the gospel. If we believed what we preach, our attitude about sharing the good news would be much different than it appears now. We sing songs and preach sermons that speak of the imminent return of Christ, and yet there is not an intense concern that today could be our last day. If it were our last day, the focus would not be on us and what happens to us. We know the answer to this delightful question. The answer is not the same and is vastly unappealing to those who have not heard and believed the gospel. We do not urgently pursue conversions because from pulpit to pew we live with much less expectancy.

               The scriptures also use the Second Coming as encouragement for our moral lives. John said we should live so as not to be ashamed when Christ appears. I remember hearing this as a child growing up in church. These types of messages motivated me more than any others. I was far less afraid of hell than of Christ finding me doing what I should not be doing. When the preacher made Christ’s coming real enough, I wanted to be careful of every move I made. A simple child-like faith is often more sensitive than what many believe is mature faith. Our mature faith says we know too much to be excited with guesswork.

               Peter also encouraged us to godliness by the theme of Christ’s return. He asked, “What kind of people should we be considering the world and everything in it will be burned up?” Likewise, Paul used the same motivation. He wrote, “When Christ who is our life shall appear…” He follows this with a significant list of our former sins and commanded us to put to death these sins that cause God’s wrath on children of disobedience.

               I will add one more reason to think on Christ’s return. This strikes closer to home and is a daily prayer at our house. We want our Lord to return because it results in our transformation. This earthly body ravaged by sickness will transition into a glorified body made like that of Jesus Christ. John said we will be like Him for we shall see Him as He is. It is true that death will bring the same relief from pain but with infinitely less spectacle. I would rather pray for the return of Christ than the death of my wife. One I will do, the other I will not do.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Psalm 44

          In the last few weeks, my daily Bible reading has centered in the Old Testament books of the Pentateuch. The great prophet Moses wrote these first five books of the Hebrew scriptures which chronicle the accounts of creation and the history of the beginning of the nation of Israel. The story of Israel’s exodus from Egypt and their wanderings in the wilderness consumes four of these five books and contain within them miraculous works of God’s deliverance. Israel’s experience with divine providence in the exodus is an often-repeated theme in both Old and New Testaments.

          Psalm 44 gives us one of the varieties of usages for the exodus theme. Have you ever felt abandoned by God, and you lack a discernable reason for it? Have you examined your heart for sin and found you have done your best to serve God, and yet despite your best-efforts, you cannot find Him? If this is how you feel, you have just hit upon the author’s dilemma in this psalm.

          We do not know the author although we do know he was a descendant of Korah. This means the time of writing falls into the 1000-year period from the exodus to the end of the Old Testament. Israel had just suffered a stunning military defeat, and the psalmist did not understand the reason God did not come to their aid. There were times in Israel’s past when the reason for defeat was clear. These times connected to obvious sins, usually the sin of idolatry, when Israel fell into the worship of false gods. This was not one of those times nor of other known sins which makes their defeat more puzzling.

          The psalm divides into three parts. The first eight verses are about the past as the psalmist remembers the stories told by his forebears about the Almighty God’s marvelous deliverances from their enemies. This section ends with the admission that each victory was because of God, not because of Israel’s military might.

          The next section (vv. 9-22) is about the present. This is the psalmist’s lament as he tries to understand their defeat and why God did not care. The third section (vv. 23-26) is about the future as the psalmist is sure that God would not forget them, and he expected God to help. He cries out for God to awaken from sleep—a metaphor for God’s inattention.

How much this reminds us of that fearful night when a boisterous sea tossed the disciples’ boat. While they rowed and worried, Jesus slept in the boat. The tumult of the sea did not bother Him. The disciples’ fearful pleas for help awakened Him. A hymnist expressed their words this way: “Carest thou not that we perish? How canst Thou lie asleep, when each moment so madly is threatening a grave in the angry deep?” Jesus was not troubled. He awoke and said, “Peace be still.”

          The psalm does not give the explanation for this instance of God’s refusal to help Israel. However, we know the character of God. He said He would never leave us or forsake us. If we think He has, we know it must be for His divine purposes. Sometimes trials come upon us simply because Christ calls us to suffer for Him. Peter wrote: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy” (1 Peter 4:12-13).  Paul also often mentions the sufferings of Christians, even his own, as being divine providence. This is often hard for us to understand just as it was for Christians in the early centuries who suffered under extreme persecution. We notice, however, they always held on. They were firm and steadfast and waited for God’s deliverance. Sometimes the deliverance was death—but death is no problem when the destination is the glories of heaven.

Christians today need to do what the psalmist did. Look back to the past and remember the victories we have won in Christ. Examine yourself in the present to make sure sin is not your problem. Consider the future because you know God will never abandon you. When your feelings tell you God is not with you, be sure His Spirit testifies He is. He is closer than in your boat—He is in your heart. Another hymnist related the sentiments of God’s heart: “Fear not, I am with thee, oh, be not dismayed, for I am thy God, and will still give thee aid; I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.”

Pastor V. Mark Smith

My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? (Psalms 42:2)

          As the chosen children of God, we should truly desire to meet God. Deep in our souls there should be anxiety to meet Him, but not the dreaded type of anxiety we usually think of when we use the word. Our anxiety is of a different sort. It is eagerness. It is not anxiety pent up as if to meet God is to face our doom. Instead, it is like a child who cannot wait on Christmas Eve to open all his presents. The 42^nd Psalm expresses this eagerness in another way by using the term thirsteth. The psalmist’s desire to see His Lord was as a man dying of thirst in the desert and seeing a beautiful flowing spring in the distance.

The psalmist said, “My soul thirsteth for God, the living God…” You might suppose “the living God” would not need to be an often-repeated phrase in scripture for surely nothing is clearer than the fact we serve a living God. The first chapter of the Bible does not announce the existence of the living God. Rather, the author assumes there must be a living God who made this marvelous universe. God’s majesty is evident across the heavens, so do we really need a chapter that explains there is a living God?

          The theme of this section of the psalms is deliverance. It corresponds to God’s deliverance of Israel during the exodus. This phrase “the living God” appears in the book of Joshua as the Israelites were ready to cross the Jordan River to attack the fortified city of Jericho. This is the point where they would begin the conquest of Canaan.

In front of them was their first obstacle. How would they get an army across the river when it was at flood stage? In chapter 3 verse 10, Joshua explained that they were about to see the evidence of the living God, or as a direct quote, “the living God is among you.” The evidence announced itself when the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant stepped their feet into the waters of the Jordan River. The river immediately stopped flowing and they crossed on dry ground. This was no small feat—a miracle at any time—but especially since at this time of year the river overflowed its banks. A torrent of water cascaded down the channel making it impossible to cross.

To stop the water at their crossing point, meant that God must also stop all the tributaries from flowing as well. In the 16th verse, this is what happened. Joshua said, “The waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.”

          The significance of the phrase “the living God” in Joshua is Israel’s confrontation with an enemy that also had their gods. The enemy was formidable and certainly more warlike than the children of Israel. One of the fears of Israel when they attempted to conquer Canaan was the Canaanite’s iron chariots and their plentitude of horses. Israel did not have these and were at a great disadvantage—except for the living God. Canaan’s fortified cities and armaments were no match for the living God. The gods of the Canaanites were dead gods of stone, and their horses were mere creatures that God created with the spoken word. He could as easily destroy them all with only a thought.

          This kind of genuine deliverance makes this section of Psalm 42 fit its section’s motif. Trust in the living God is the foundation of our great hope. The living God ensures the reality of our faith. This is the God that we shall see—as Job said, “In my flesh, shall I see God” (Job 19:26). He ever lives and is working in the world to bring us to Him.

          The psalmist said in this verse that his soul thirsted for God. How do we satisfy this thirst? There is only one way—we drink from the wells of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus said: “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38). Living waters from the living God—what can be more satisfying?

Pastor V. Mark Smith

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. (Psalms 37:23-24)

Each day we walk through our difficult life, we think about our confidence in Christ. Others wonder how we think like this when our journey here should be much easier than it is. As the scriptures say, they will mock our hope in Christ’s return, and they think it foolish that we give up so much to serve a dead man. The 37^th Psalm reflects on the hardships of the Christian life and how we regularly fall behind in the prosperity of the world. The Word encourages us not to despair because this life is as good as it gets for the wicked. Though the evil man may appear to be prosperous, his prosperity is a mirage. He may clutch his title deed to the earth for a while, but soon God will take everything he has away. The earth belongs to God and is the inheritance of His people (v. 11).

          The psalm fills the troubled Christian with hope, but none is better than the words of verses 23 and 24. Think carefully on this phrase: “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD…” These are the most hopeful words you will ever read. They speak of two great doctrines of the faith—God’s divine providence and God’s sovereign predestination. There is not a step you will ever take that God did not know you would take. He knows because He is the one that puts one foot in front of the other.

          When God formed the world by His spoken word, He knew a race would inhabit it that He had chosen for His name. The beginning of man was in the predestination of God, and we dare not think that after He created, He abruptly relinquished His divine providence. The fall in the Garden was not a surprise to Him and neither was how He would restore everything lost in that devastating event. If God should have relinquished control at that awful hour, there is not one soul that would ever have hope of redemption. Through the fall, we became completely corrupted. It radically altered every faculty of man so that sin consumes us through and through. This radical corruption is what we call total depravity, and it left man in such a state that we are incapable of looking up to God and helping ourselves in any way. We will not look because we care not to look. The scriptures say we became the enemies of God and of His righteousness. If God should leave us alone in our depravity, we are hopeless because we do not have the power or will to escape it.

          The scriptures do not present a God who has abandoned us. We are enabled to come back to Him for one reason—His marvelous grace. In regeneration, He changes our disposition from hostility against His grace to openness to receive His grace. He orders the steps of repentance and faith. If you trust Christ as Saviour, you owe your trust to a sovereign act of the Holy Spirit. You did not change your mind; He changed your mind. Our statement of faith accurately says: “[He] secure[s] our voluntary obedience to the gospel” (Article 7). God’s method leaves Him alone responsible in all ways for our salvation.

          With the tremendous costliness of salvation requiring the death of Christ for sin, how can we imagine that God who bought our redemption with blood should permit us to fall permanently? When we fall, God does not cast us off. In the bleakest hour of our deepest despair, God still has His eye on us. He fully intends to raise us again and put us back upon the solid rock. The timing of His lifting is also His alone. We know it cannot be too long because the time of life is nothing compared to eternity. Our long time is God’s brief time.

          The promise is providentially intact. He sees with His eye but goes much further—He holds with His hands. We know we can never sink too low to be beneath His tender embrace. We often say, “Keep the faith!” We shall because it is God’s power not ours that keeps us (1 Peter 1:5).

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded… Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. (James 4:7,8,10)

In these past few weeks, I have been thinking about the relationship between the trials we experience and the righteousness of our lifestyles. The psalmist asked God to try his heart to see if there was wickedness in it, and if found to lead him from it and into the ways of everlasting life. These thoughts lead me to the epistle of James, one of the most practical treatises on Christian living found in scripture.

James has answers to common problems that plague Christians. He addresses issues such as persecution, poverty, sorrows, and pain. He says in the first chapter, “Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” He speaks of the equality of the saints in chapter two by telling us we should not unduly favor the rich over the poor which is an example of how prone we are to bad judgment. Chapter three is about a foul mouth, and in this culture, it is obvious evil speech is pervasive.

         Chapter four is no different as James addresses the most fundamental of all Christian problems; that is, we are in a constant battle with Satan as he tempts us to deny our faith by living in the sins of our old nature. All sin is the result of temptation, and the yielding to temptation exemplifies our forgetfulness to consider the purpose of our salvation. Christ saved us for a life of holiness and righteousness which results in unceasing dedication to His will for our lives. Living in the will of God is to live by His commandments which enable us to reach ultimate fulfillment of our purpose. Our salvation is for God’s glory. Paul says, “Therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

         Since temptation is a daily ongoing problem, we must learn what to do when tempted. James provides a practical outline that if followed brings guaranteed success. The Bible does not tell us to try things to see if they work; it commands us to do them because they will work. The first step in overcoming temptation is to submit to God. Put yourself in God’s hands and be pliable enough to listen and act according to His words.

Sin is the transgression of God’s law (1 John 3:4), so it makes sense that if you obey God’s commandments you will not surrender to sin’s temptations. When James says to submit to God and to resist the devil, he is speaking in military terms, but he is not speaking of hand-to-hand combat. He means to focus your attention on what God as commander has commanded, and then letting God’s word energize your mind to combat temptation. The Word is the sword of the Spirit and if you want to defeat Satan you must wield the sword.

         The example set for this kind of combat is the Lord’s own temptation in the wilderness. In each temptation, Jesus recalled words of scripture and replied to Satan “it is written.” The scriptures were His source of strength. The Psalmist said, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psa. 119:11).

         Secondly, James says “draw nigh to God.” Isaiah says that sin separates us from God. The way to get close to God is to repent of our sins. We do this by going to God in prayer and asking for His forgiveness. He is always faithful and acts justly in the forgiveness of our sins and promises to cleanse us of unrighteousness. James expressed this by “Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts…” How do we do this? None of us can cleanse our own hearts; only God can. However, we can take the action which will lead to its accomplishment. You must “humble yourself in the sight of the Lord,” and then the promise follows: “and he shall lift you up.”

         David knew there were actions he must take when God searched him and found sin. James provides the outline for walking in the ways of life everlasting.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Psalms 81:10-16

         Recently I someone asked a question about Matthew 23:37 in which Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” This question concerned the ability of man to decide to believe in Christ. Is salvation a matter of the will in making a pure rational decision of the mind, or is man incapable of choosing Christ because of the depravity of his will? Still another way of asking is, “Was the will of man debilitated by the fall to the extent he is spiritually incapacitated?” These questions are important because they address the ordo salutis (order of salvation).

         This is an interesting query that would take quite a bit of time to explore fully. There is an interesting parallel to Jesus’ words in Psalm 81. The parallelism helps to explain what Jesus meant. His lament over Jerusalem is identical in thought to God’s plea for Israel in verses 10-16: “I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels. Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever. He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.”

         Notice the parallels: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee.” This corresponds to “Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!” How did God speak to Israel? He spoke through the same prophets that Jesus said they killed. Jesus said, “How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings.” This speaks of His power of protection which is echoed by God’s words: ”I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.”

         The response of Israel in both cases was “They would not.” It is clear in the Old Testament that God is speaking of the temporal blessings Israel would have enjoyed in the establishment of her kingdom as the dominant government in the world. He would have filled His people with everything they needed (v. 10), but Israel would not listen (v. 11). In the context of Matthew 23, Jesus speaks the same. The result of Israel’s rejection, specifically the rejection of the religious rulers, was the destruction of Jerusalem and the loss of any significant role for Israel until the Second Advent. Christ did not begin His earthly kingdom during the First Advent because Israel rejected their Messiah King.

         The importance of this interpretation of scripture is to show the will of man in salvation is not under consideration in this passage. It is critical to keep scripture in context rather than wresting it from its context to support mistaken doctrines. It is far better to examine scriptures that are without doubt dealing with the question at hand. For example John 1:13:  “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” Does anyone have an issue interpreting this to be a salvation verse? Another is John 5:40:  “And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” Is salvation a matter of the will? Most certainly, and nothing is clearer than “Ye will not come to me.” How can this verse be cast positively to argue that man’s will enables him to come when Jesus said you will not come?

         There is neither time nor space to explore this question in depth. A little reading in John chapter 6 would certainly further our understanding of the matter. It is wise for every Bible student to be sure to keep scripture in context lest you run afoul of its plain declarations.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

During my long absence this past summer, it was natural for me to think about the faithfulness of our Berean members. As God’s chosen people, fellowship in the gospel church is our highest priority. It is in the church that we receive instruction in God’s word and learn what we should do to honor and glorify Him. In the New Testament, the apostles were busy about the business of winning souls to Christ and then teaching the new disciples to band together in local assemblies. These assemblies are the same as what we call churches. Thomas Paul Simmons wrote in his systematic theology, “When one is saved, the next consideration that should claim his attention is the church. Gratitude to God for salvation should make him as conscientious about church affiliation as about matters pertaining to salvation.” This is an accurate assessment of the value placed upon church membership by the apostles in two ways. As Simmons states, there should be conscientiousness about affiliation. His primary meaning is that each Christian should carefully choose a church that is faithful to New Testament doctrine. To this we would add, a Christian should be conscientious about becoming a church member at all! Neither the apostles nor Simmons would imagine a Christian not being a part of a church.

In the Great Commission, Christ told the apostles to preach the gospel, to make disciples, to baptize them, and teach them to observe the commandments of Christ. Thus, we emphasize again a great reason to become a part of the Lord’s church. The church is the place for the teaching of God’s word. Paul explained in Ephesians that God put pastors and teachers in the church for the purpose of building the faith and knowledge of His people. Contrary to the thinking of many, the church is not primarily a place for evangelism. Teaching those who have already received Christ is our primary mandate. Since God has predestined our conformity to the image of Christ, He has given His church as a place for us to receive instruction that we might come “unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13).

Additionally, I would like to point out the fellowship of the church. The church is a place for Christians to come together to encourage one another. Hebrews says, “Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another…” (10:25). Church membership identifies you with other Christians and is acceptance of the responsibilities of your faith. Church membership is commitment to the cause of Christ and accepting the personal responsibility of conducting the commission that Christ gave to His disciples. Our Lord gave the Great Commission to the apostles as they constituted His first church. He commissioned them as a church for the perpetual work of evangelism. It is your responsibility as a child of God to assist in obeying the commission through the work of the church.

Instructions for the church fill the New Testament. Paul wrote nine of his epistles specifically for local congregations. He wrote three for instructions to pastors and deacons and for church order. The Revelation written by John begins with a message for seven local churches. Acts is the history of the growth of the church in the first century. These books along with the gospels and the general epistles center on the church. We cannot escape the reality that the local church is the plan and purpose for God’s people today. I encourage you to be thankful for your true Bible believing church and serve God faithfully by committing yourself to its ministry. Be conscientious about your choice of affiliation. Be sure your choice is a church that is committed to sound doctrine. I can think of none better than Berean Baptist Church! Help us as we minister to this community and send the gospel around the world.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother. But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together… (Psalms 35:14-15a) 

         If I were to give a name to the 35^th Psalm, I would call it the psalm of the ungrateful. The title would not be given because David was ungrateful, for the psalms are replete with his praises and thanksgiving for the Lord’s wonderful works. Rather, I would look at the underlying issues depicted in the psalm. This is David’s plea for God to turn back his adversaries whom he once befriended but were ungrateful for his friendship. They were people he honestly cared for and prayed for, yet they turned on him and spread lies about him. I hardly think a more loyal and trustworthy friend than David could be found, but though receiving benefits from him they did not value his friendship.

         I think you can see in this assessment a striking parallel to the ungratefulness of the Jewish people that turned their backs on the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus stated clearly that He came to save them. He demonstrated boundless love and compassion by expending Himself to the state of exhaustion as day after day He healed the helpless multitude. What was His reward? “They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul” (v. 12).

         With all the helping and healing, it was very difficult, in fact impossible, to find fault in Jesus. This was exceedingly frustrating for His enemies because when seeking charges against Him they could never find any legitimate accusations. What did they do? Just as David was lied against when they said he was against Saul, so Jesus was lied against when they said He was against God and the government. The psalm says: “False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not” (v. 11).

         At the time Jesus was taken to the cross, there were plenty in Israel that had been helped by Him. There were so many they could have easily overcome the mob that was against Him. But where were they? Were they thankful? We would scarcely believe they would come to His aid when His own disciples forsook Him and fled. Despite the constant rejection of Him by Israel’s leaders, Jesus still uttered words of compassion. He truly desired even His bitter enemies to repent, and He would gather them to Him in loving forgiveness. Still there was no gratitude for His concern—only relentless attempts to murder Him.

         This psalm is a lament against such ingratitude. However, it is also a plea for true justice. Those that refuse Christ’s friendship, who live for personal gain, who care little to thank Him for their very breath—this psalm heaps upon them their righteous reward.

         We cannot help but think the same attitude prevails today. In a world that is strangely tolerant of every evil harmful to man, there is intolerance for what will do us the best. We partake of the Lord’s benefits every day, but as the old proverb goes, we bite the hand that feeds us. The psalmist says: “Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me” (v. 26). God will not tolerate ingratitude indefinitely. The second advent of Christ will not end like the first. The ungrateful will meet their demise while the righteous grateful will magnify the Lord forever. Ingratitude is a serious sin, so do not be party to it. Praise the Lord and give Him the thanks He deserves.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Reprinted 07.14.24

         The sermons and articles of the past few weeks may leave you feeling trounced and beaten to a pulp. When we preach scriptures dealing with the natural moral condition of mankind, we will not go away from them thinking too highly of ourselves. Neither should we because the scriptures force us to see ourselves as God sees us.

         In the sermon on the Memorial Day weekend, I mentioned I had been reading from the last chapters of Job. At the close of chapter 37, Job’s “comforters” had exhausted their speeches without offering Job any relief from his misery. In God’s place, they announced their wisdom and judged and condemned Job as a vile wicked sinner. Surely, the chastisement of God was on him proved by the terrible calamities he experienced that practically ruined his life.

         After these condemning speeches, God’s voice came out of the whirlwind and His scathing words seemed to confirm the assessment of Job’s comforters. This continued from chapter 38 through chapter 41. What could Job do but say, “Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:6). As Job’s comforters heard both God and him speak, they must have felt justified with an “I told you so” attitude. As if hearing God speak audibly in the wind was unexpected, hearing next what He said to these three wisemen of the East was the least expected of the entire ordeal. God said, “I am angry with you because you have not spoken what is right as did my servant Job.” Then God commanded each of them to offer a burnt sacrifice and ask Job to pray for them. After God burned their best wisdom to ashes like the sacrifices they would make; after obliterating their self-congratulations; this command to ask the one they eviscerated to pray for them was the ultimate humiliation. However, they knew the Lord and knew they must obey. Did they grumble at the requirement and act as if God was unjust to treat them this way? No, there is no recording of more speeches.

         In my sermon on the holiday weekend, this was in my mind as we discussed the Syrophonecian woman in Mark 7. She gladly accepted Jesus telling her she was a dog. I quoted Matthew Henry’s commentary on the reaction of Job’s three friends after God exonerated him and told them make their sacrifices. Henry wrote: “Peace with God is to be had only in his own way and upon his own terms, and they will never seem hard to those who know how to value the privilege, but they will be glad of it upon any terms, though ever so humbling.” Henry commented on a much different event than in Mark 7, and yet the underlying issue was the same.

         My thoughts were that we will never come to the type of faith God requires, until we accept how truly wicked we are. The suffering Christ endured on the cross reached its infinite intensity in view of the measurement of our crimes against God. It is beyond our ability to understand how far we are beneath the holiness of God. When we admit our sinfulness, it is not as if there is a light dusting of grime on our souls. A sense of the seriousness of our plight without Christ leads us to Henry’s conclusion. Anything God asks of us no matter how far we think it is beneath us is a valued privilege to do. We rejoice in God’s demand of humiliation—an accepted humiliation when the word of God describes exactly what we are.

         I do not preach to beat up on anyone. I preach the doctrines of the faith of Jesus Christ to exalt Him and never to let us think we deserve anything at God’s hand but judgment. If God grants the ability to miss the judgment of hell, are the terms too steep?

Pastor V. Mark Smith