ROMANS 1:2-6 THE GOSPEL - THE HEART OF THE PASTOR’S MESSAGE

 

ROMANS 1:2-6

THE HEART OF THE PASTOR’S MESSAGE

If you ask, “what is our pastor’s chief calling and message?”, then we must reply, “The chief calling of the pastor is this faithful, consistent proclamation of the Gospel of God”.  

If you then say, “well is this all?”, then the answer is clearly “no!” for from the heart proceed the issues of life (Prov. 4:23 KJV). Even as the human heart is a vital organ – perhaps the most important one - and yet not without reference to the other organs, so the gospel is the heart of our life, but it connected to all sorts of other important applications. The gospel produces a healthy spiritual heart and therefore a true gospel spirit will produce the fruit of the Spirit – “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” (Gal. 5:22,23). The gospel produces a life of good works. We shall see what the application of the gospel produces in Romans 12 and following.  The gospel not only makes us glad. It not only makes us worshippers. The gospel also drives us to consider  the world in which we live. So the gospel produces so much more than we would bargain for. In one sense this is what the whole letter to the Romans is all about – the Gospel of God - in all its fullness. 

To that end we will find the key text in 1:16,17. This is followed by a lengthy explanation from 1:18-3:20 as to why the gospel is necessary. Sin makes the gospel necessary. Paul shows us the pervasive problem of sin (all have sinned- that means – me, you and the whole world) and he shows us the consequence of sin (the wrath of God).  The gospel is then introduced in 3:21  by means of the great “But now”  and an explanation of how sinners are justified  by grace alone through faith alone, through Christ alone.

And therefore we can say that this is what the work of your pastor is all about. He is the one man  who must keep these things constantly before your eyes – constantly, because we forget these things  so very quickly. That is also why we regularly have the Lord’s supper – to remind us of the gospel.

We are a gospel church in Robertson.  “We exist for the gospel of God”.  

Now I remind you that the word Gospel means good news (euaggelion) and good news is only meaningful if we understand why it is good. The Good news is meaningful against the background of bad news. The  God who loves this world  has placed  the church into  this community called Robertson, South Africa, Africa and the world  to be explainers  and examples of the Good news in  a world ravaged by sin and degradation. This clarifies our vision as a church. It helps us to understand why we exist. It gives reason and meaning to our gathering. 1. The gospel makes us glad. Therefore we worship the God who has saved us by His gospel  2. The gospel compels us to share this good news with those that still live under sin’s curse, and who are not yet reconciled with God, and who continue to live under the wrath of a holy God. The gospel gives us reason to pray for our world, and evangelise and engage in missionary activity.   3. Once the gospel is received it gives us power to say “no!” to ungodliness (Titus 2:12ff NIV). This means that  men become better husbands  and fathers, women better wives and mothers , children more obedient to parents  etc… 

 1:2-6 THE HEART OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

And now let us consider this message  or content of the gospel in itself

4 Things

1. It is promised beforehand through the prophets in the holy Scriptures...The gospel is not Paul’s invention. It is not a new thing. It is based on a promise consistently contained in all the OT Scriptures.  In Acts 17:2 we read that Paul “reasoned with them from the scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead and saying, “This Jesus whom I proclaim to you is the Christ.” 

The Lord Jesus Christ explained Himself to 2 discouraged disciples on the Emmaus road by means of the OT Scriptures, beginning with Moses and the prophets (Lk 24:27)  

At RRCC we need to make sure that we spend enough time in the OT to understand how the gospel is rooted there.

2. It is concerning His Son (Jesus) – descended from David according to the flesh. 

This promise is concerning a Messiah (an anointed One) who would in due time be sent from God to redeem His people Israel from the weight of their slavery – and especially from the burden of the slavery of sin. The gospel is not an abstract philosophical concept. It is a person and He makes a massive difference in the lives of those that embrace Him. The first thing about the gospel is that it is not something new. It has ancient roots.  Paul tells us that the OT prophets had spoken about this gospel.  The gospel is found in the OT.  Concerning him we learn two things (i)  that He would arrive in a form of a human being, via the line of David. This is what Paul consistently draws attention to in his preaching everywhere (e.g. Acts 13:23).  The gospel is rooted in God’s ancient revelation 2 Sam. 7:12ff (Davidic covenant)  tells us that a greater Son of David will sit on the throne, occupying an eternal kingdom.  Through the Genealogies in Matthew (1:1-16)  and Luke (3:23-38) we know that both Mary and Joseph were descended  from the line of David, so that when Jesus was born, one could truly say,  “as to his human ancestry” that he was a son of David!  He was often called “Son of David”. Sadly Jesus came to His own but His own did not receive him (Jn 1:10,11. Yet there were a few  that saw  Him for who He was. 

• The Magi saw him for who was  (Matt. 2:1-12
• Simeon and the prophetess Anna  saw Him for who he was (Luke 2:22-38). But that was not all ...

3. He was  also declared  to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by His resurrection from the dead:  The Holy Spirit confirmed Christ’s  identity as Son of God :   

•     At his baptism  (Matt. 3:17)
•     At the transfiguration (Matt 17:1-13)
• BUT the gospel   was made supremely  visible by the Holy Spirit  at  Christ’s resurrection  (1:4) 

Although Jesus was the Son of David as a physical descendant, He was more than the physical Son of David. He also is the eternal Son of God - God the Son. At this point Paul asserts something very important.  Jesus is both fully man  (and as such He identifies with us – minus sin) AND  fully God. These two aspects of Christ’s nature were much debated  in church history. People have always found it difficult to hold to the two natures of Christ, because our human experience finds no counterpart in Christ. But early church councils  e.g. the Nicene creed and Chalcedonian creed,  made it very clear that  the Bible reveals that our Lord Jesus Christ had two natures, which were undivided. And here, in the opening sentence of the letter to the Romans we have  a powerful statement of the fact that Jesus is descended both from a human ancestry (through the line of David) AND  from a  divine  ancestry  through Holy Spirit’s work at  the resurrection. He represents both realms.

And so  Paul  names him, “Jesus Christ our Lord “ (1:4). He is ….

•          Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins

•          Christ  (Greek- Christos);  Messiah (Hebrew) – God’s anointed One,

•          Our Lord ( Greek- kurios) – literally  our Master, Owner.  He is the One,  says Paul,  who has called me into service to bear testimony to the Gentiles.

Having said that, the gospel is rooted in the Old Testament redemptive purposes, revealing   the Messiah as the   Son of David  and  as the eternal Son of God, Paul now he goes on to say that…

 4.      The gospel is for all nations:  “…through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for  the sake of His Name among all the nations ...

Paul is announcing something radical here. He is a Jew. The knowledge of salvation came from the OT scriptures to the Jews. But  this does not exclude the  nations – the gentiles. The gospel for which Paul has been set apart now becomes a message for the whole world – for Jew and gentile.  The gospel is for all nations. The gospel  brings a divided  world   together  again.

The Implications Of The Gospel

In  1:5-7  we  see just how radical are the implications of the gospel  are – particularly in terms  of how we view ourselves. You and I need to understand what the gospel does for us.

The gospel is not a little addition to life e.g. going through the rites and motions (baptism, church membership   etc).  The gospel transforms you. It changes who you are, because of who He is. And He  redefines us  and helps us to see  what we are meant  to be.  Paul says 4 things  concerning this: 

1.  1: 5,6  Paul makes it clear that we are part of a united body  which includes both Jew and Gentile -  i.e. those  that are saved  out of  the whole world, uniting us  in gospel bonds, uniting  Jew and Greek, Israel and the nations into one church, transcending cultural  boundaries that separate us “in the obedience of  faith for the sake of His Name”. The gospel redefines the way in which we look at people and culture. The gospel makes us one people through Christ. The gospel changes the way we look at one another. It changes the way we look at the world.

2. 1:6. He goes on to mention specifically that we are called by Jesus Christ Himself. Think of yourself that way. Jesus has called YOU! A personal, particular call.

3. 1:7 Those saved by the gospel are loved by God the Father. Think how important that would have been for those early Roman Christians.  They were hated by the world. They were thought to be part of an evil  sect and accused of all sorts of things, including cannibalism. But the apostle Paul says that they are the loved ones of God.  If you have the  hate  and wrath of the world against you but the love of God for you, then you have what really matters.

4. 1:7 “called  to be saints".  Christians are holy, set apart  for the pursuit of holiness. Our fallen nature is progressively  recreated  by God.

We must preach the gospel. It is the  gospel alone that changes everything because it re-introduces  us to the One who made us – the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone has the power to change us. 

This gospel is for all the nations- for all people. 

This  gospel not only  transforms us individually but it places  us into one body – the body of Christ.

Now this is my message. This is my calling. This is my work. This is  what I am called to remind you of.  Amen

ROMANS 1:1 THE PASTOR AS SERVANT AND MESSENGER BOY OF THE GOSPEL OF GOD

 

As we begin a new chapter together at Robertson Reformed Community Church under the leadership of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, I would like to begin by clarifying my role or ‘job description’ among you. I will do this with the help of the Bible  and  the letter to the Romans in particular.  In the opening  15 verses we are pointed us to the supreme example of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by way of a further example to one who followed Him - the apostle Paul. 

These are our models. We are called to imitate them (1 Cor 11:1; Eph 5:1). I  am going to present the apostle Paul as a model of a pastor. His life and his words describe my work, and I would like to take at least three sermons to explain that with the help of Paul’s letter to the Romans. 

I will also make the letter to the Romans my main preaching material for this year.  Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones (1899-1981)  has argued that, "the epistle to the Romans  has possibly played a more important and a more  crucial part in the history of the church than any other single book in the whole of the Bible .”[1] This is because Romans speaks with such clarity and power about the life changing gospel! We do not need motivational speaking and life coaching to get to heaven. We need the gospel.  We need gospel clarity in this generation! You will see this very quickly in 1:16,17  - the  pivotal statement of the letter to the Romans.  My prayer for you is that if you lack gospel clarity you will receive it, and if you lack assurance of salvation, that you will receive it. If you are simply a religious man or woman, a churchgoer without passion for God, I pray  that you would stop being religious and live  by the power of the gospel of God.

But today I wanted to say something about the gospel  messenger, because the letter to the Romans begins with a note about the messenger - “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God…” (1:1)

He says three things about himself: 

(i) Servant of Christ Jesus 

(ii) called to be an apostle               

(iii) set apart for the gospel.  

Here is Paul’s job description. We would miss something important if we did not pay attention to this for here we have an introduction to the man whom God used to bring about a huge transformation in the world  and  indeed in all generations of this church age.  

 1 . A servant (doulos – bondservant) of Christ Jesus...

The Gospel had changed Paul’s life radically (Acts 9). The result was that Paul's whole life was lived in service of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus occupies the centre of Paul's life and proclamation. Jesus Christ and His great work on the cross is Paul's great theme (see 1 Cor.2:2). He calls himself a slave of Jesus. This tells us that he was a man owned by another.  I remind you all that,  prior to becoming a Christian,  every man and women  is a slave of Satan, who had captured us to do his will (2 Tim 2:26). By His mercy we have been redeemed (purchased from) the market place of sin by Jesus. We now belong to a new master.  I also remind you that there is no such thing as belonging to nobody! All of us are attached to, and enslaved to somebody or something. But if you are a Christian  you belong to Jesus  forever! And then let me also  remind you  that servants never choose their master. Their master chooses them. So it is with Paul.  He is a servant of (Genitive – case of possession )  Christ Jesus.  He is  completely owned  by the Lord Jesus.

Reflection: This is not only something that characterizes Paul or your pastor or a church leader. This is the growing characteristic of every true Christian. Let’s apply these diagnostic questions to ourselves:

·         Does Jesus Christ occupy the centre of my life?  Does He rule my heart and my mind?

·         Is He the reference point and standard by which all things are measured? 

·     Does He govern what comes out of my mouth? As I  grow in grace  do I talk  less  about  myself  and more about  Jesus? “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus‘ sake” (2 Cor. 4:5). Do we use our bodies to glorify God? “Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God. You are not our own, for you were bought with a price." (1 Cor. 6:19-20) 

       2."Called To Be An Apostle..."

This describes the second aspect of what Paul is and does. He is an apostle. What is an apostle? The Word "apostolos" is derived from two words "apo" (from) and "stello" (to send).  Paul is actually a messenger boy sent by Jesus. In the more formal  definition of that word, as it  was used in general  conversations  in the Greek world  an apostolos  would be one who is specially called and chosen  by a higher authority  to  convey a message  on behalf  of  that authority.

APPLICATION :  When Christ  (the higher authority)  called  the 12 disciples  (Lk 6:12-13 / Matt 10:1,2) He  chose them  and designated  them to be apostles.  They were to be his spokesmen. They did not speak and work in their own authority, but they spoke in and by His authority (see the Great Commission  in Matt. 28:18-20)

 What Are The Marks And Signs Of A Biblical Apostle?

·         No man could be an apostle unless he had been appointed by Christ and had  seen the risen Lord. (Acts 1:21 ; 1 Cor. 9:1). Paul  had met the Lord  Jesus  on the Damascus road and was called  by Him to be the apostle to the gentiles.

·         An apostle was given authority to do miracles e.g.  see 2 Cor. 12:12  where Paul speaks about  the signs of an apostle.

·         They had authority to teach and lay down doctrine (as seen by their writings).  They were given authority to ordain and appoint elders. In short, they spoke and acted with the authority of the Lord Jesus  Christ Himself.     Their words represented the  mind of God (see  1 Thess 2:13; 2 Cor.10:8; see also 2 Peter 3:15,16 - where Paul's words are placed on  the same level as Scripture). When the N.T. Canon was being decided upon (with large number of other   Christian writings in circulation) apostolic authority of the letters (directly or indirectly) was the criterion.

·         Are There Apostles Today? This question needs to be asked in the light of claims made by the R.C. Church, the Charismatic movement  and other movements e.g. New/old Apostolic Churches etc. If the criteria concerning the marks and signs of an apostle are applied  to the modern claims  then it becomes clear  that  there are no  apostles (in the narrowest sense of that word) after the  apostles  of the early church.  Some people would  challenge this by appealing to Ephesians 4:11. Are we robbing the church of an essential gift by denying the existence of modern apostles? No,  provided that we understand that  the apostles  chosen by Christ  still have  a major influence  on  our modern  day.  Paul, in writing to the Ephesians  says that the Christian  church is "built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets , with Christ Jesus as the chief cornerstone...". (Eph 2:20). Look at the logic of this paragraph. You certainly do not go on building the foundation. A foundation is something that you lay at the beginning.  Following that you build the walls upon that foundation. The foundation is still there and it is still influential and it still dictates the stability of the building. But we do not continue to lay foundations. The foundation is laid.  We are building RRCC  upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus as. We don’t need  new apostles and prophets any more than we need  a new Lord Jesus – the cornerstone. We stand upon the old foundations. So then, in what sense is the apostolic and prophetic ministry still among us? Every time the Word of God is read and proclaimed with the help of the Holy Spirit, the apostolic ministry and the prophetic ministry is in operation. Our job is to build a spiritual  house upon this foundation – using special  gifts to equip and train us. These are called  evangelists and pastor - teachers (Eph 4:11). This is where my work comes in.

 3.    "Set Apart ..."

Notice the progression: "A servant... called to be an apostle...set apart ...!" Paul's own "separation" is described in Gal. 1:15,16. He is called from His mother’s womb! You will see that Paul  frequently  speaks about this calling; this act of  separation by God. In Romans  9, he says: "Jacob I have loved, but   Esau I have hated." (Rom 9:10-15). There is an act of separation here.  When did this happen? Before they were born! Paul was called to be a preacher of the gospel before his birth!" (see also Jeremiah 1:5 ; John the Baptist, Moses, Samson , David )

Acts 15:18 tells us, "...the Lord who does these things that   have been known for ages." Here we come face to face with that great, unsearchable, glorious doctrine of the Sovereignty of God. Paul's calling was not an afterthought. IT WAS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE ETERNAL PURPOSE AND   FOREKNOWLEDGE AND COUNSEL OF GOD. We shall learn  about this matter with respect to ourselves when we get to Romans 8        

  4. "…For The Gospel Of God..."

Gospel means "Good News". We have become so familiar with this word that we fail to appreciate its tremendous significance. The apostle is thrilled by the gospel (see Rom 1:16,17). By way of appreciation, we have to remember that he is now no longer  a teacher of the law (he was a Pharisee, a great expert in the law, but there was no good news in the law). Now he is a preacher of the Good News.

The relationship between Law and Grace will take much time in our study in this book. It is at the heart of the book of Romans. We shall discover that the law is utterly unable to  bring a man to God. What then is the purpose of the law? The purpose of the law is to show us God’s holy standard and how far we fall short of that standard. Its purpose is to expose our sinfulness, making us to cry out, "Wretched man - who will deliver me from this body of sin?" (Rom. 7). The answer to this is, “Thanks be to God - Jesus !”

And  so, Paul introduces us to His main calling – to preach the gospel- the gospel of God (1:1,15,16-17;16:25)

APPLICATION

This then, in a nutshell is the heart of the pastoral ministry: Serving you by being a servant of Christ Jesus. I am not an apostle in the classic sense of the word, but I do have a sense of calling and urgency about being a messenger boy for Jesus, making sure that you understand the  gospel and the freedom that this gospel alone brings. Later in the book of Romans  Paul will deal with the great problem of sin. Sin alienates us from God and from one another. We must take the problem of sin seriously. The gospel of Christ’s death on the cross deals with that problem alone. We must look to Jesus. My greatest priority  will be to help you  to look to Jesus  and to see (as far as this is possible)  that you are truly converted, and  bear fruit that will last, and get to heaven by that narrow gate. Again, I identify with Paul,  ”My little children for whom I am again in the  anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.” (Gal. 4:19) 

To that end the pastor works- to make the gospel clear. That is the FIRST thing. Frome there my job is to help people to see  how our Lord Jesus  Christ must be embraced in all kinds of situations. My field of activity embraces every known profession, and that makes it quite challenging at times. I speak from some experience.  Peter Leithart writes[2],

“The ideal pastor would combine the dialectical skills of the best attorney, the bedside manner of the most compassionate physician, the rhetorical passion of politicians from ages past, and a breadth of scholarship that befits a student and teacher of the Creator’s book. The pastor is no specialist. He is called to represent Christ in every kind of situation of need or pain. He anoints and prays with the child suffering from leukaemia, rebukes and guides the adulterer in the way of repentance, offers counsel and encouragement to the entrepreneur whose business has folded, rejoices with new parents and mourns with those bereft of friends and family. Beside the doctor, beside the financial consultant, beside the nursing home attendant, stands the pastor. In the maternity ward, in the jail cell, in the home tense with marital strife, stands the pastor. At the baptism, at the wedding reception, at the funeral, stands the pastor. He is a generalist in human crisis, a generalist in moments of passage, a generalist confronted with all of the infinite varieties of human suffering. There is a sense in which the pastor is a specialist. For every situation, he has essentially one word, the word of the gospel of Jesus. Among the sick, the pastor’s concern is not only for healing but to indicate how suffering can be transformed into joyful witness. Among the poor, the pastor’s concern is not just how to pay next month’s bills, but to consider how poverty may strengthen faith in the goodness of the heavenly Father. At the bedside of the dying, the pastor’s concern is not just to ease pain but to hold forth the promise of resurrection life. 

 So pray for me. It’s  a tall order and I am under no illusion that I am  not  going to be that in my own strength. I am not a young man any longer, but I do have His energy. And pray for our church that we may be enabled to raise up pastoral leaders/elders for the future. The health of the future church depends upon this.  I would like to speak to you about this some more next time. 

---

[1] D. Martyn Lloyd Jones : Romans, Exposition of Chapter 1:1-32 , p.3

[2] Peter Leithart in his introduction to  “ Mother Kirk: Essays and  Forays in Practical Ecclesiology ” by Douglas Wilson p.9

PSALM 5 - PRAYER : THEOLOGICAL AND EXPERIENTIAL

 

This Psalm, like so many other Psalms, is a prayer of David. And like so many of these personal prayers of David they were collected and compiled into this “hymnbook of Israel“.  This happened under the direction and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so that generations to come would find heavenly wisdom, counsel and comfort in these words.

Jesus regarded the Psalms as inspired, for in them He, the Greater Son of David, would find the fulfilment of His life and ministry:

“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms  must be fulfilled.” (Lk. 24:44)

In the NT we are encouraged to sing “Psalms, Hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in our hearts to God.” (Col. 3:16)

 A reason why the Psalms remain so popular is that many people find their own experiences reflected in them.

Many of these Psalms were sung, directed by a choirmaster, and as in this case, also accompanied by flutes (In Psalm 4 – stringed instruments).  Singing the Word is one of the most wonderful tools for our collective worship of God, and a great aid to scripture memorization.

 So, what is this Psalm all about?

1.      5:1-3 –  A Prayer – a pouring out of the soul

2.  5:4-12 - A Prayer undergirded by Theological Convictions and Practical Experience

 1.      5:1-3 It is a Prayer – A pouring out of the soul.

“Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray. O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch”.

 (i) it teaches us  something about  the biblical forms in which prayer may be expressed. David speaks   here of…   

a. my words

b. my groaning

c. my crying

These are all forms of prayer. Sometimes prayer is words - an outpouring of our souls in words, such as we find here. At other times prayer is simply wordless groaning. Ex. 6:5 I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves;

Rom.8:26 “…The Spirit  helps us in our weakness. For we  do not know what to pray for  as we ought, but the Spirit himself  intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words…)  or crying  (see examples  in Ex 3:7 “ I have surely seen  the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry…”  so also in Ex 3:9 ;8:12; 14:10;15:25; 17:4 etc). Hannah, the mother of Samuel did both.  She prayed to the Lord in words (1 Sam 1:10,11)  and then she prayed in her heart  with groans  (1 Sam 1:12-13).  In both forms she poured out her soul before the Lord (1 Sam.  1:15)

 (ii) it is forceful, demanding, bold, and yet  not arrogant.  Give ear … consider, give attention ….This is a prayer of holy boldness. When last did you pray like this?  Such prayer is based upon an intimate knowledge of the character of God and of the promises  of His Word. David knows the God to whom he prays: “my King and my God, for to you do I pray“.

 (iii) the timing of this prayer:  “O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice  for you (lit. “I arrange or set in order “ – and the object must be  inferred from the context. Hence  another translation: “I direct my prayer to you”) … and watch”. He comes to His King and God with his sacrifice of prayer in the morning.  According to C.H.  Spurgeon, “an hour in the morning is worth two in the evening“[1].  Prayer takes concentration and alertness. The morning is best for this.

Surely our earliest thoughts should rise to heaven, our earliest words should speak to God. Happy the life when every day begins with Him! The First should have our first employ. (Matthew Henry)

We find here a form of prayer which is rarely used and heard in our churches: A prayer of holy confidence and therefore of strong argumentation.  I want to quote something that C.H. Spurgeon had said in a sermon (entitled “Order and Argument in Prayer” - preached on the Lord’s Day, July 5^th 1866 at the Metropolitan Tabernacle): 

“The best prayers I have ever heard in our prayer meetings have been those which have been fullest of argument. Sometimes my soul has been fairly melted down where I have listened to the brethren who have come before God feeling the mercy to be really needed, and that they must have it, for they first pleaded with God to give it for this reason, and then for a second, and then for a third and then for a fourth and a fifth until they have awakened the fervency of the entire assembly “[2].

This form of prayer is one that we should desire to see among us.   From the testimony of Scripture we find  that God  is pleased to answer  strong, believing  and urgent prayer, because it  comes from a believing, trusting, earnest, expectant heart. We hardly hear passionate prayer like this in our church prayer meetings.  Let us take hold of God and ask Him to give us hearts like that.

Why is this kind of prayer so rare  among modern  Christians?

Firstly, it may sound too much like the modern ‘name it and claim it’  brand of Christianity,  by which  healings  and prosperity are   demanded  from heaven. We are intensely suspicious of anything that is loud and demanding. However, we must be careful not to engage in knee jerk reactions, and thus to lose a biblical boldness in prayer. Our enemy is very crafty in this area. There is a holy boldness with which we may come to God (see James  5:13-18)  and by which we may expect great things from God.

Secondly, we do not hear such prayer because we know God and His Word (the promises of God) so little. Therefore we lack confidence in speaking to God. We are not sure what to say, or what to ask. We have no “words to take with us“ (Hosea 14:2).  We need the confidence expressed in 1 John 5:14. This confidence is well expressed in what follows in Psalm 5:4 etc.

2.       5:4 - It is a Prayer undergirded by Theological Convictions and Practical Experience.

 

Why did David begin with this urgent plea in the first 3 verses?  David’s life was always threatened by enemies, both without and within. If it was not an external threat from the enemies of Israel, it was a threat from within i.e. from the house of Saul, and sadly, even members of his own family (e.g. Absalom). There is nothing that strengthens our prayer life as much as needing to depend upon God for survival.  So, David’s theology of prayer was formed in two ways: (i)                 Through his objective  knowledge of the Word of God  (ii)   Through the subjective experience of the truth of God’s Word.

 In prayer David always kept in mind these twin realities:

(i)                 the ever present  reality of wickedness (evil) around us  and

(ii)               the righteousness imputed to him by God.

 Concerning these, David’s theology is clearly expressed in prayer:

Concerning the wicked (5:4-6). 

David reminds himself, “For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.” He saw them as people unable to stand in the presence of God. His was a holy presence, a just presence, a sin-hating presence, a fearful presence, and that is how David looked on them. Furthermore, concerning the wicked, David has this to say (5:9), “For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue. He reminds himself of the fact that the wicked possess no real truth. Their destiny is self- destructive. Their speech is deceptive and consists of lying.

Before we admire the world in which we live and which we love so often more than the God who made us, let us remind ourselves of what God thinks of this world (5:4-6) and what the reality and destiny  of such people is.

The most difficult aspect of David’s prayer concerning the wicked is found in 5:10: “Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.”

This is called imprecatory prayer[3]. Imprecatory prayers are prayers that curse the enemies of God in no uncertain terms. This is not as a result of David feeling threatened or assaulted himself. He is praying this because he is zealous for his God. These rebellious people are continually insulting the God who made them.  Such people have ultimately no one   left to appeal for them, because they have insulted the Only One who can save them. Him they have rejected. They ultimately get what they desire and deserve.

 

Concerning the righteous, David was encouraged by the love and the righteousness  he had received from God: (5:7 - 8a) 

“But I, through the  abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you. Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me”.

David knew God’s steadfast (covenantal) love. He knew the fear of the Lord. He knew  the righteousness  of God   (imputed to him) upon which he stood – despite the fact that his enemies kept on accusing him of  all sorts of things, even  that God had forsaken him (3:1,2). An understanding of the  righteousness of Christ,  imputed to a believer, is a wonderful  help  when we  are overcome by the fear and intimidation of  the world of enemies  within and without  (the world, the flesh and the devil).

In this regard the house of God  (regular public worship) had a major role to play in David’s life. (5:7b)  “ …I will enter your house, I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you”.

The  result of a heart set free is  “joy”  (5:11,12),  “But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy,  and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favour as with a shield.”

When Martin Luther was summoned to the papal court at Worms in Germany, one of the cardinals mocked him. “Where would you find shelter when all the world was gathered against you, if your patron, the Frederik, Elector of Saxony, should desert  you?”  Luther said, “I’ll be safe under the shield of heaven.” And it is true for us who trust in Jesus. Greater is He that protects us than all the forces that oppose us.

 SUMMARY

This is the nature and experience of true prayer. This is the theology of David’s prayer. And it is rooted in David’s practical experience of God’s steadfast love.  It is not an unsure,  doubting …“I wonder if God is able …” mindset. 

David knows the God to whom he directs His prayer. David knows God’s views on the wicked and the righteous. And therefore verses 1-3, the introductory bold prayer, is based on theological certainties and experience.  May we learn to pray like this!  To that end we must make it our goal to get to know God, both theologically and  experientially. 

That will certainly embolden   and strengthen our prayer life. Amen.

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[1] C.H. Spurgeon : Treasures of David , p. 46

[2] A sermon  on Job 23:3,4 , entitled  “Order and Argument in Prayer “

[3] See my exposition on Psalm 69 : Psalms that curse