DON'T SHOP FOR ANOTHER BOAT

Psalm 40:1-3&5.

Psalm 40:1-3&5 (CSB) - ¹ I waited patiently for the Lord, and He turned to me and heard my cry for help. ² He brought me up from a desolate pit, out of the muddy clay, and set my feet on a rock, making my steps secure. ³ He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord. ⁵ Lord my God, You have done many things— Your wonderful works and Your plans for us; none can compare with You. If I were to report and speak [of them , they are more than can be told.

INTRO:  The different philosophy's out there are a lot like going to a boat factory and picking and choosing.  You have big impressive yahts, you have the mighty roaring speed boats.  Boats of different colors and different sizes and style.  Then you remember your old fishing boat.  It doesn't appear at first that impressive, but it has always meet your needs.

That is the way Christianity is.  Other religions and philosophy's may appear impressive and appealing, but they can never make the claims that true Christianity makes.  They may satisify a lust and desire, but they won't truly meet your needs, spiritual food.  Only Jesus Christ can do that.

It is like a story I read the other day.  There was a man who had fallen into a dark and foul pit, breaking his legs and arms as he lands.  Soon his helpless and pain-wracked cries for help are heard.  Humanism comes by, looks down, and says, "Friend, let me give you some sage advice:  If you ever get out of there, take heed where you walk, that you fall not again into such a place."  With this, Humanism walks on.  Next, Religion comes by, hears the cry for help, and looks down into the pit at the man.  Religions says, "Friend, you need help.  If you can meet me half way, I'll aid in your escape.  Just climb a bit and stretch your hands toward me, maybe you can reach me."  But the broken and beaten man cannot move his broken arms and legs.  So Religion sadly just walks away.  Next, Faith/Prosperity hears the cries, and looks down at the man in the pit.  Faith/Prosperity declares, "If you had enough faith and was confessing God's promises, you wouldn't be in that pit!"  And with that, Faith/Prosperity walks away, not lifting a finger to help.  At this point, our victim in this story has given up all hope of ever getting out of the pit.  He is helpless, and there doesn't seem to be anyone who can possibly help him.  At his darkest moment, He utters one final cry for salvation.  Then the Savior of all men approaches, looks down into the pit, and filled with love and compassion, jumps into the pit with our victim.  He tenderly places the man over His strong shoulders, and climbs out of the pit with Him.  He sets Him on a secure place, which is this huge mountanous boulder.  He washes the man off head too toe making him completely clean.  He sets the broken bones, and feeds him and provides clean water for him to drink.  After the man has been refreshed and restored, He points the man toward the narrow path toward heaven, whispers in his ear something, and then tells the man to open his mouth and repeat what he said.  When he does, it comes out the most glorious, victorious song ever sung.  A song of a fallen person who has been rescued from a deep dark pit!

That is what Christ Jesus has done for each of us.  He is the one who set up the church.  It isn't the biggest, fastest, or most impressive boat out there, but it is the only boat that is dependable to take us to our true destination - fellowship with Christ.

There is a New Testament parable that Jesus told that talks about this as well.  I want to look at it in this light as well.

Luke 10:30-34 - A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³² In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a  Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw [the man] , he had compassion. ³⁴ He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

Let's look at our text just for a few moments.

1.  We all at times fall into pits.

A.     Many times these are pits that we have dug ourselves.

B.     Let’s be honest, we can’t blame anyone for either the pits we dig or the pits we fall into.

1.      Not the Devil, not enemies, not friends, not families, not jobs, not influences.

2.      We only have one person to blame and one person only for falling into pits – ourselves.

C.     I believe that there are three things that tries to put pits in our paths, hoping that we will fall.  I’m going to put them in the proper order of importance.

1.      The flesh or ourselves.  I honestly believe that this is our greatest enemy, the one who puts the most pits and traps out there to try to get us to fall.  And sadly, this is the one that is the hardest one for us to acknowledge or admit too.

2.      The World.  We have to face the influences of the world everyday.  On our jobs, build-boards along the streets, the temptation that comes by the way some people are dressed, the entertainment that we watch or listen too, the people and friends we hang out with.

3.      Finally, Satan.  There is a reason that I have him listed as the least influence to get us to fall into pits.  Now don’t get me wrong.  He is mighty, and he knows how to make sin appear very appealing and to twist Scripture.   But one thing about it, he is not God.  He can only be in one place at one time, he can’t be everywhere at once.  To be honest people are going around rebuking the devil over everything in their lives and not seeing any change.  The reason, is because it is a fleshly or worldly issue.  Study Scripture when you get home.  If you do you will notice one thing – you can’t rebuke and cast out the flesh or the world.  You must take authority over it by submitting first to God, and then not allowing their pits to influence you and I.  Church, it is high time we quit praying to the devil.  The only one we should be lifting up in our prayers is God Almighty in Jesus name.

     D.  Now let’s look at our text.

2.  When you fall into the pit, cry out to the Lord for help, and then wait for Him.

Verses 1-2 - ¹ I waited patiently for the Lord, and He turned to me and heard my cry for help. ² He brought me up from a desolate pit, out of the muddy clay, and set my feet on a rock, making my steps secure.

A.     A little background information on this Psalm so we can keep it in proper context.

1.      This Psalm was written by David most scholars feel. 

2.      It is a Celebration of God’s deliverance, followed by David lamenting, and then David declaring devotion unto God and declaring his help and delivering power.

B.     The first thing we see in verse 1 is that David declares that he is waiting patiently.

1.      In Hebrew, this means, “waiting, I waited.”  The emphasis is not on the patience part of the waiting, but the fact that David completely waited upon the Lord.

C.     Notice that while David was waiting, God turned to him and heard his cry for help.

1.      What a beautiful picture we have here.

2.      It is like you are walking along a street in a town that you are not familiar, not expecting to see anyone you know, and then someone yells your name.  What do you do – you turn toward the direction of the voice and see who is calling your name.

3.      While David is waiting, he is calling upon God, and God turned to him and heard his cry.

D.     Next, David is picked up from the desolate, horrible, muddy pit that he has found himself in by God.

1.      David writes this Psalm during a period of great stress in his life.  He feels like he is stuck in this horrible, smelly swamp.

2.      No matter how hard he tries, he can’t get himself out.

3.      At this point of desperation, the Lord God comes in and gets him out of the pit.

E.      He sets David on a rock making him secure.

1.      God changed David’s position:  From guilt to pardon; from corruption to holiness; from the slippery pit of sin to the security of a rock that is above the sin.

F.      What can we learn?

1.      Wait patiently for God and continue to call out to Him.

2.      He will turn to hear your cry and pick you up from the pit.

3.      He will clean you up, wash you off, and set you on the rock of Jesus Christ where your footing is secure.

3.  When He rescues you, He will give you the most glorious, victorious song to sing.

verse 3 - He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.

A.     David is so excited about the fact that the Lord has delivered him, that he begins to sing a new song to the Lord.

1.  You see, this is a song that only he can sing.  Why?  Because it is a song that comes from David’s own personal heart to God’s.

B.     You may not be a singer, but understand this.  When God rescues you, you can’t help but be joyful and express that joy as only you can.

4.  Remember this, God has great plans for you - He wants to work in your life.

Verse 5 - Lord my God, You have done many things— Your wonderful works and Your plans for us; none can compare with You. If I were to report and speak of them, they are more than can be told.

A.     David marvels at all the wonderful great works of God and His plans for Him.

1.      He recognizes that he couldn’t possibly declare all of the things that God has done for him.

B.     God has done so much for us. 

1.      We could spend an eternity giving Him praise and thanksgiving for all He has done and it just wouldn’t be enough.

CONCL:  The boat we may be riding in may not seem that impressive but remember this:  It will take us to the destination that God has for each of us.  Don’t go shopping for another boat, but ride out the storms in the boat God gave you.