Cork Free Presbyterian Church, 10 Briarscourt
(Annex) Shanakiel, Cork, Ireland
Pastor: Colin Maxwell. Email: colin.maxwell@fpcmission.org
mp3 download here
PSALM 44:1-26 TEXT: v18 OUR HEART IS NOT TURNED BACK ETC.,
Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;
These are the words of healthy Believers in our Lord Jesus Christ
Whether they are found among the OT saints (as here) or NT saints (as
when Paul said: We are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but
who believe to the saving/soul: Hebrews 10:39) the experience and the
determination is the same i.e. to walk with God and do His will
There is a tendency (perhaps I am guilty of it myself) to put undue
emphasis/fact: God's salvation is from the guilt/condemnation of sin
We warn sinners of the consequences of their sins, we point to the
substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ and we preach up the doctrine
of justification that clears the sinner of any guilt in the sight of
the satisfied law of God - all well and good
What we also need to do, without any demise for the latter, is to preach up the doctrine of sanctification
Our current studies in James is certainly a great help here as we are coming to face our responsibilities as a redeemed people
We simply cannot say that we have faith and yet send the poor, hungry
and naked believer home (James 2:16) without practical aid
The faith that justifies is also the faith that sanctifies
It saves not only from the penalty of sin, but also the power/sin
It relates to time as much as it does to eternity
Where such sanctification is missing, we have every right to query
whether justification is present, for we are saved by grace through
faith alone unto (not with, but unto) good works (Ephesians 2:8-10)
In Psalm 44, the unknown writers are concerned re: their sanctification
Although it is evident that they are living in hard days (v9-17/19ff)
yet they are able to say (making allowances for human weakness): Text
This affords us much instruction
It is well that it was written in hard times, for it robs us of one
possible excuse that these things are well spoken, but only in
days/prosperity
4 main thoughts:
1) THE BELIEVER IS EXPECTED TO WALK WITH GOD:
A/ This is captured two ways in the text
[i] There is a path to walk: "Thy [God's] way"
[ii] There are feet given to walk - " Neither have our steps"
B/ God's way is mapped out for us in the Bible
Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. (Psalm 86:11)
We must treat/greatest suspicion those who claim to walk with God
according to any other rule - Indeed, we must reject their claims:
If any man teach otherwise, and
consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness…from
such withdraw thyself (1 Timothy 6:3-6)
On the other hand, we recognise and warm to those who walk according to the Bible:
And as many as walk according to this
rule [canon] peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of
God. (Galatians 6:16)
C/ Believers have walked with God from the earliest times
Both Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Noah (6:9) walked with God
In the NT, we are urged to do likewise:
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)
Again: If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (6:25)
It may be argued that this is an even stronger responsibility, since
there has been a greater outpouring of the Holy Spirit to enable NT
saints to do what Enoch/Noah did in their restricted times
D/ Where you have the ongoing situation of a professing Christian
showing no signs of a godly walk, then it is evident that all is not
well
What would think of a little child that kept crawling and made no attempt to stand on its feet and toddle along then walk?
You would seek medical help and attention - all kinds of tests done
Treated as an abnormality - a handicapped child
Believers are likened unto little children, expected to grow/mature
[i] Our entrance into the Christian life is a birth (John 3:3/1 Peter 1:23)
[ii] We should desire like new born babes the milk/word to grow (2:2)
[iii] We need to move from the milk to the strong meat (Hebrews 5:12)
[iv] Strong meat is to help us walk in this evil world with God
E/ There is a whole section within the professing Christian church that practically rubbish's these things:
They seem to maintain the possibility of being justified without it leading to and being proved: sanctification
This is not the view of the Bible in either testaments
2) THIS WALK CANNOT BE MERELY OUTWARD, BUT MUST INCLUDE THE WHOLE HEART: Our heart
A/ Relatively easy to maintain an outward show of being a Christian
You make it known publicly that you are a Christian
You attend Church at appointed times with Bible in hand etc.,
You are seen doing certain things and refrain from others
Lord's Day is restricted to the spiritual and necessary/merciful works
We urge the outward manifestation of any professed faith
B/ Danger is that we can stop at outward performances and not engage in
heart exercises - go through motions, void of total commitment
C/ This was a constant battle of the OT prophets with Israel
Isaiah 58 describes the outward professing situation but not the reality
They come unto thee as the people
cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words,
but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love,
but their heart goeth after their covetousness. And, lo, thou art
unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and
can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do
them not. (Ezekiel 33:31-32)
There was no outward rebellion here - No wide scale apostasy as in other times, when the cause of God appeared weak
If you were happy with the outward, then this was the place to be
D/ But the Lord isn't happy with the mere outward
The Lord knows the hearts (v21) - weighs/spirits to see their real worth
If the heart isn't there - then the Lord sees it as a rottenness
Complaint/Christ: He answered and said unto them, Well hath
Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people
honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. (Mark
7:6)
It is all about the attitude of the heart
He says: My son, give me thine heart, and (significantly in light of what has been said already) let thine eyes observe my ways. (Proverbs 23:26)
He wants the whole heart and soul and mind etc.,
E/ Might be a good place to mention a little re: Lordship salvation
Big (and even bitter) debate raging over this in the USA
Some folk call sinners to forgiveness/sin but without being required to
a disciple of Jesus Christ - rank, easy believism and to be rejected
Or (as it is often portrayed) sinners are expected to show evidences of
grace before they are saved i.e. a totally submitted heart
Truth must lie somewhere in between two extremes: A sinner needs to be
instructed that the Christian life is what it says: A life
An evidence of being in Christ will be a new life as in 2 Corinthians 5:17
There are no such things as Christian drug dealers, Christian
racketeers etc., or Christian gangland members etc., and while it
may take some time (hardly overnight) for someone to cut their links
with the world, yet this is something that is to be striven for ASAP so
that a clear cut testimony for the power/Christ to sanctify can be
established
Many people want the benefits of the faith without its responsibilities
3) IT IS SADLY POSSIBLY FOR THE BELIEVER TO CEASE WALKING WITH GOD:
Since only implied in the confession/faithfulness by the speakers, we
need not deal with it at length, but mention it only with a few
remarks:
A/ Every last saint/Bible experiences such sad declines in his walk
Lives of many of the prominent saints/Bible record is scarred:
Abraham/Isaac/Jacob/Moses/David/Peter etc.,
B/ Although this is so, yet it ought not to be so and it should not be
thought acceptable - when discerned, it ought to be rectified
C/ Both Enoch/Noah walked with God in very ungodly days
Already seen the difficult days in which the Psalmists lived
Heightened by the fact that they had learned of and longed for the days of old when God's presence was greatly manifested (v1-6)
Further heightened by the fact that they perceived the Lord's hand in
their many trials - it is all what the Lord has done (v9-14)
This had led to continual confusion and covering shame (v15)
The words of v22 are repeated in Romans 8:36 to show that their
experience was not unique, but common to all saints at all times
Yet even with such things possibly providing some kind of excuse,
The Psalmists here can make this gallant profession of faith (text)
D/ What an answer to those who say that Christianity is too hard and strict and totally impractical - more idealistic than real
Yes…if we urge fidelity in our own strength, but this is not so (v6)
If God actively rises up the many difficulties (v9-14) it is still the Lord who will help us to overcome them (v4-8)
There ought to be no turning back nor even a declining of the feet
4) THE BELIEVER BEST WALKS STEADILY WITH GOD WHEN HE MAINTAINS FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHER BELIEVERS:
Note: the use of the singular "heart" even though plurality of speakers
A/ Fellowship with other saints in itself cannot prevent coldness/heart
Already seen how you can go through/motions in other things - not this?
But fellowship/saints is a means which God uses to strengthen us
Part of the disciplining of the Pentecost converts was that they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:42)
After going through the mill themselves in Acts 4, they banded together:
The multitude of them/believed were of one heart and of one soul (v32)
This enabled them to successfully face trial after trial together
B/ Think of the trials/Apostle Paul:
And from thence, when the brethren
heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three
taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage. (Acts
28:15)
Not the mere sighting of a bunch/people…but the element of fellowship
They were really of one heart with him, so much so that his suffering became their suffering as expressed in Hebrews 13:3
Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.
C/ This singleness/heart seen also in Luke 24: 32
Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by/way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
Conclusion: The soul can be pardoned and enter into fellowship with God and a creditable profession can be made/sustained
Appeal
THE END