Cork Free Presbyterian Church, 10 Briarscourt
(Annex) Shanakiel, Cork, Ireland
Pastor: Colin Maxwell. Email: colin.maxwell@fpcmission.org
PSALM 61:1-8 TEXT: v2 LEAD ME TO THE ROCK HIGHER THAN I (GOSPEL)
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From the end of the earth will
I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the
rock that is higher than I.
Although we want to preach the gospel from these words, please remember
that they are the words of an OT believer i.e. David, when (as it is
thought) he was fleeing from Absalom his son
There were two flights in David's life
First from King Saul who wanted to kill him
Last was from his own son, Absalom, who likewise wanted his head
If it is indeed, as Calvin and others suppose, when fleeing from
Absalom (last flight) then the grief he was experiencing was greater
than when he fled from King Saul
[i] He was much older than in former days and less able for the life of
a fugitive which took a tremendous toll upon his body and mind
[ii] His flight was scarcely at a moment's notice - He could see the
writing on the wall with Saul - but this seems to have taken him by
complete surprise
[iii] Unkindest cut of all: He was fleeing, not merely from Ahithophel
his dearest friend, but from his own flesh and blood, even his own son
whom he had fathered, reared and advanced
It is worth saying that texts like these with double applications (gospel and ministry) are very precious texts and instructive
Wrong to think that the gospel is only for the sinner while the saint should look elsewhere for his help
We can afford ourselves much comfort in any situation by going back again to the basics of the gospel and rejoice in them afresh
And Abraham went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto
the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and
Hai; (Genesis 13:3)
Drink afresh at the gospel well and your drooping spirits will be revived
5 things we must see from our text as we preach the gospel:
1) THE ROCK IS NONE OTHER THAN OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST:
A/ In a very practical sense, ("devoid of figure" as Calvin puts it) it
may be that David had some large rock in mind where he could take safety
But the rock figures/typifies Christ who willingly takes this title
[i] Takes it in Matthew 16:18 ("Upon this rock, I will build my church")
[ii] Bears it in Isaiah 28:16 Described as a Rock/Stumbling with the application (Romans 9:33 ) "Whosoever believeth in Him…not stumble"
[iii] He is given it in 1 Corinthians 10:4 "That rock was Christ"
[iii] Given it again in Ephesians 2:20 "Christ Himself: chief corner stone"
B/ Gospel is all about getting people to Jesus Christ
Not about filling churches, building up congregational or denominational or party structures: But getting men to Jesus Christ
Having the spirit/Andrew:
He first findeth his own
brother Simon, and saith to him, We have found the Messias, which is,
being interpreted, the Christ. (John 1:41)
Or the Samaritan woman: Come and see a man etc., (John 4:29)
C/ If people do not make it to the rock, then they will be lost
As David here is on the run, he is not thinking of trivialities
Not sightseeing, but thinking of something pretty fundamental
We need to think about the Lord Jesus as being Someone fundamental
We cannot reduce Him to being just another religious leader and another choice in this matter of salvation
Text uses the definite article: He [alone] is THE Rock
Outside of Him men perish
2) THE ROCK OFFERS US SOMETHING WHICH WE OURSELVES CANNOT PROVIDE:
A/ Already hinted at this in that we have said that those who fail to
make it to the Rock are lost - Christ offers us salvation
Obviously, the matter here is much bigger than a family feud or much bigger than an attempted coup-de-tat in a country
Thinking about the human soul with its guilt before God and its dangerous position in the light of an unending eternity
B/ We cannot provide this ourselves
Fact/David fled from Absalom shows how helpless he regarded himself
If he could sort the matter - why did he flee at all? He knew the truth
Not comparing Absalom with God (Absalom was a rebel/traitor) but we cannot face God in our own strength/righteousness
Those who try to do so are eventually lost - they fail
C/ The Rock David sought offered him so much:
[i] It offered him protection from his foes
Satan is our great foe. He wants to keep us in our sins so that we will
perish under the righteous wrath of a holy God. He wants to ensnare us
further in our sins with strong, forged chains that we cannot break
[ii] It offers him shade from a burning sun and a biting wind:
Again, there are spiritual applications afforded to us
What of this present evil world with its very critical views of
Christians seeking to live for Christ? No easy thing to be a faithful
Christian
Easy to be a compromising Christian with a foot in the world
That's all the world wants - it justifies their sins
But to live out and out for Christ brings great flak from this quarter
The child/God cannot cut himself of from society and be an effective
witness for Christ - but he cannot survive without having a strong rock
to shade/shelter him from the hot/icy blasts he is exposed to
The Lord Jesus offers all this to His people
The Eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms
Consider the cruel blast which John 's disciples felt when their beloved master had been murdered:
They went and told Jesus (Matthew 14:12)
What a shade from the heat - what shelter from the blast they found
Let no sinner find any crumb/excuse in the thought:
This Christianity business is too hard - It cannot be done
Our strong Rock says: Our power is given unto me in Heaven and in earth (Matthew 28:19)
While I was with them in the world, I
kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none
of them is lost, (John 17:12)
[iii] When the desert sands are hot with the scorching rays/blazing
sun, the great rock often contains delicious and cool springs of water
Moses struck the rock and the water came gushing out
Another Psalmist said: All my springs are in thee (87:7)
A rock without water can only keep you alive for so long
In the last day, that great day of
the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, 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)
D/ This is why we preach Him so much
This is why we fight Rome tooth/nail over her falsehood: Peter is the Rock (Matthew 16:18)
Some fights with Rome can be relatively petty e.g. whther BVM had other children etc.,
Not so as to who is the Rock upon whom the church is built
The church is doomed if built on Peter!
3) WHEN WE WILL SEEK OUR NEED OF THIS ROCK:
Text: When my heart is overwhelmed
A/ The invitation/command must be extended to every sinner, no matter what mood/attitude he displays
Perhaps the sinner is somewhat giddy/lighthearted and entertains no
thought about eternity - It may be that your witness may lead to
some serious thinkingi.e. be the means that God would use
B/ But it is true/say: Only when the sinner becomes overwhelmed that he will earnestly seek the Lord with his heart
[i] Overwhelmed with a sense of guilt! How is this sense produced:
The preacher proclaiming the law/God which leads to the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20)
Not consciousness/guilt without it: "What have I done wrong?"
The Spirit applying that same word direct/personally to the sinner's
heart (John 16:7-8) Otherwise: just a general (useless) guilt feeling
[ii] Overwhelmed with the urgency of the matter:
Feeling that it is too dangerous to wait for another day
Consider those who desired to flee to the Cities of Refuge
Did they get out of their diaries and see if sometime in the next few weeks would suit?
Or did they not flee as if their life depended on it?
It is a sign when the Spirit is working that there is an urgency about it
A feeling that delay could be fatal
[iii] Overwhelmed with the desire to be reconciled with God in Christ
Start putting barriers between the Spirit awakened sinner and Christ
and his sense/despair increases and he will be overwhelmed with grief
On the other hand - it wll only be removed when you point him savingly to Jesus Christ and he believes to the saving of his soul
4) FROM WHERE WE MAY SEEK THIS ROCK:
From the end of the earth shall I cry unto thee
A/ It is not that David had gone to the antipodes etc., but that he was
out of his usual haunts and familiar surroundings and felt so isolated
B/ In the gospel, we may remember: the sinner is said to be afar off
His sins separate him/God (Isaiah 59:2) He is alienated (Ephesians 4:18)
Wonderful thing is: No matter how far…the word/salvation is nigh thee
(Romans 10:8-9) David could still cry out and be heard of God
Let no sinner declare himself to be "too far gone" for Christ to save
Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6) even the chief (1 Timothy 1:15)
C/ If we do take the end/earth literally (as we might/gospel) then we have echoes here of Isaiah 45:22 "Look unto me…saved…ends/earth"
Let this encourage us unto missionary work as we seek the ingathering of every last soul to Jesus Christ
5) WHY WE NEED TO BE LED TO THIS ROCK AND HOW:
Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I
A/ David does not even trust his own to get to the Rock - no, he
requests that he be led and that by God - to ensure arrival/safety
B/ Sinner needs not only a redemption supplied, but redemption applied
He is lost (Luke 19:10) Helpless (without strength) Blind (Romans 2:19)
He will not come unless drawn of the Holy Spirit (John 6:44/65)
Note: David does not ask to be enabled to come - that would be akin to
a hyper Calvinism that looks for faith (means) instead of looking for
Christ (End) He asks to be brought so that he may be saved from his
distresses.
So must the sinner.
Appeal.
THE END