Psalm 55: Lamenting a Lack of Loyalty

This morning, we are continuing our sermon series through the book of Psalms. Looking at Psalm 55 entitled this sermon, lamenting a lack of loyalty. What we see in Psalm 55 is a Psalm of lament by way of introduction this morning. I want to look at two questions to questions that I addressed when we were in Psalm 44 last summer and talked about lamenting and really my introduction comes from that sermon to remind everyone what it is. We're talking about. The first question is what is lament from the zondervan dictionary Bible and theology words? We learned that a lament is an expression of grief or Sorrel Elements song is this song in which a crisis as described and gods. Assistance is involved. I want to remind you of a book that I found incredibly helpful in regards to lament and which I will quote, fairly extensively during the sermon, because it is so good on this topic, it's called dark clouds. Deep Mercy, discovering the grace of lament and it's by Mark rogoff and I can't recommend it highly enough. It is excellent. Excellent, on this topic. And so I'm going to quote it to throw my sermon, and I'll start with a quote in which he addresses the importance of lament and this is what the author says. When the circumstances of Life create dark clouds, I hope you'll come to embrace lament as a divinely. Given liturgy leading you to Mercy. This historic song gives you permission to vocalize your pain. As it moves, you towards God centered worship and Trust the mint is how you live between the poles of a hard life and trusting in God's sovereignty. Lament is how we bring our sorrow to God without lament, we won't know how to process pain silence, bitterness, and even anger can dominate our spiritual lies. Instead, without lament, we won't know how to help people walking through Sorel instead will offer trade Solutions, unhelpful, comments or impatient. Responses, what's more without this secret song of Sorrow, will miss the lessons historical events, are intended to teach us. Lament is how Christians grieve it is, how to help hurting people lamented. How we learn important truths about God in our world. He goes on to say my personal and pastoral experience has convinced me that biblical meant is not only a gift, but also a neglected to mention of the Christian life. For many 21st century, Christians, a broken World in an increasingly hostile culture, make contemporary Christian. The unbalanced and limited in the whole we offer. If we neglect this minor key songs, we need to recover the ancient practice of Le Mans, and I can couldn't agree more with what he shared in that quote. So how do we lament while the songs? Teach us how to love a man? And as we look at the songs, we see that there is a pattern that we can follow on this journey. Journey, there's four key elements. There's an address to God. There's a complaint, there is a request and then, there is an expression of trust and praise. And so, we're going to look at for Words as we go through. This lament, Psalms 55 complain, ask and Trust. So in a lament, we turn to God In Prayer. In a lament, We complain to God in a Godly way. From there there is a request for God to act. We ask God for something and finally almost always in the Bible of a mint and with a declaration of renewed trust and praising God. So turn complain, ask and Trust. the main idea of this song really, which was expressed so well in our two opening songs is this God Saves people in their difficulties Therefore, we should lament in our suffering and thereby entrust ourselves to God. Lament is how we entrust ourselves to God in the middle of suffering. Let me see the main idea again. God Saves his people out of difficulties, we should lament in our suffering and thereby entrust ourselves to God. All right, let's get to the song now. So I'm 55, I'll read it in its entirety from the ESV.

To the choirmaster with stringed instruments of maskell of David. Give ear to my prayer. Oh God, and hide. Not yourself from my plea for Mercy. Attend to me, and answer me, I am restless in my complaint, and I'm own, because of the noise of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked, for they drop trouble upon me in an anger, they bear a grudge against me. My heart is in anguish, within me, the Terrors of death have fallen upon me with fear and trembling come upon me and horror overwhelms. Me and I say, all that. I had wings like a dove. I would fly away and be at rest. Yes, I would wander far away. I would Lodge in the wilderness Cielo. I would hurry to find a shelter from the Raging wind and Tempest destroy Lord. Divide their tongues for I see violence and strife in the city day and night they go around on its walls and iniquity in trouble. Within it ruin is in its midst, oppression and fra do not depart from its Marketplace. For does not an enemy who taunts me. Then I could bear it. It is not an adversary who deals insolently with me. Then I could hide from him. But it is you a man? My equal, my companions, my familiar friend, we used to take sweet Council together with in God's house. We walked in the throng, let death steal over them, let them go down to Shayla life or evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart. But I called to God and the Lord will save me evening and morning in at noon, I order my complaint and moan and he hears my voice. Do you redeem my soul and safety from the battle that I wage for many are arrayed against me? God will give you ear and humble them. He wasn't thrown from a mold Cielo because they do not change. I do not fear God. My companion stretched out his hand against his friends. He violated his Covenant. His speech was smooth as butter yet war, was in his heart, his words were softer than oil yet they were drawn swords, cast your burdens on the Lord and He will sustain you. He will never permit the righteous to be moved but you owe God will cast them down into the pit of Destruction. Man of bloody a blood and treachery shall not live out half their days, but I will trust in you. Let's take a look at this song of lament. In regards to those four words that give us the structure of Godly lament starting with the word turn. We see this inverse one into a give ear to my prayer. Oh God, and hide. Not yourself for my plea of Mercy. Attend to me and answer me. Until the initial verses of the song convey, the simple record of the psalmist, David who is troubled and scared and hurting and unsettled calling out to God and prayer simply appealing to God for help. Attend to me. Answer me. Like, we seen worse to really sums up his turning to God in the midst of his difficulty. Very similar to the help me, hear me that we talked about last week.

We're going to apply each of these words. The first word being turned the application beings in the midst of suffering, do not remain silent call out to God, turn to him, listen to the quote, by Rogue up in regards to turning to pray in pain. Even with its messy struggle. And tough questions is an Act of Faith where we open our hearts to God. Prayerful lament is better than silence. However, I found that many people are afraid of them and they find it too honest to open or too risky. But there's something far worse, silent despair. Giving God the silent treatment is the ultimate manifestation of unbelief, despair lives under the Hopeless. Resignation, that God doesn't care if he doesn't hear. And nothing is ever going to change. People who believe this, stop praying. They give up. However, lament directs our emotions by prayerfully vocalizing are hurt our questions and even our doubt, I wonder how many believers stop speaking to God about their pain. Disappointed by unanswered prayers are frustrated biota control circumstances, these people wind up in a spiritual desert unable or refusing to talk to God. This silence is a soul, killer brothers and sisters. If you are struggling this morning under some form of suffering, Physical illness of being unwell, mentally, relational, difficulties, economic hardship, whatever it is. Do not give God the silent treatment. Silence in regards to our struggles is a sign of unbelief. To God In Prayer. Turn To God In Prayer. Lest you sink into despair? Call out to him. That's the first part of lament. The second part is complain and this is a, this is a tough one. We need to be careful as we talked about this but the complaint comprises, the largest component of the song to be through 810, through 14, 20 and 21. Those verses are all the Samus bringing his complaint to. God, understand there might be room in our thinking about our faith for Godly complaint. I'm not talking about sinful grumbling, we understand from scripture that that's a problem, but there is a place for Godly complaint. And this song, the complaint contains three components a description of the enemy's activities that are causing the psalmist harm that Enemy being plural. Enemies. Number to a description of an enemy. One particular person that is likely the source of the larger problem, as well, as the most painful aspects of the Suffering. The psalmist is going through and then he complains through describing the condition that he is in the condition of the psalmist. Let's look at the enemy's actions. He says, I am restless in my complaint and I moan, because of the noise of the enemy because of the oppression of the wicked, for they drop trouble upon me and and anger, they bear a grudge against me. So he complains to God about the noise of the enemy, this is most likely the info. Alton the threatening words that his enemies are making against them. And he complains about the oppression of the wicked, that is the pressure that their words and their deeds put on him personally. And they complained about them dropping trouble. When we set were a drop in regards to the song. We shouldn't think about maybe dropping off groceries, think about a piano dropping off. A high height on to a person that is to say, they hurl at the psalmist, that which causes violence and evil and results in grief, and in pain and he says, and anger, they bear a grudge that is they cherish their animosity and they intend to act on it. He says I see violence and strife in the city day and night that go around on its walls and in iniquity in trouble or within it. Ruin is in its immense oppression. And fraud, do not depart from its Marketplace. David talks about Jerusalem. It is filled with violence and strife because of his enemies there is no safety, there is no peace evil duels Dewar's prowl around the city. Activity looking to pursue their evil, Deeds oppression, which speaks to various social, and justices and fraud, which speaks to business-related deceptions are constant. And all these things are causing the psalmist to suffer but it's not just in general. It's a particular enemy that we see in verse 12, through 14, for the song, Thomas mix of painstakingly, clear that the pain and giraffes are. The current situation was not only instigated and initiated by the evil action of a close friends, but it also led to what the crowds doing. In some way. The commentators disagree on, what exact event that is in the life of David. And perhaps, it's not even one of the stories that conveyed to us, but he has been betrayed by someone. The taunting and wicked actions of the crowds he says, would be tolerable. Were it not for the Betrayal of this trusted? Comrade this friend, try to harm those who are at peace with him. He stretched out his hand against his friends, the Covenant he made with them. He profaned his words, were the words of Friendship with the intention of his Hearts were told was Warfare.

Cuz I thought about this enemy in this betrayal, I couldn't help but think of the gospel and how we consider Christ fulfilling the songs. And we see again in this song that Christ is truly God. And therefore, he's the one to whom we pray for salvation. And yet we see again that Christ is also the true and better psalmist, who suffers instantly innocently to the Betrayal of a friend. The heinous act of betrayal is particularly significant when we stop and consider Jesus. His work on Earth, his was a work of redemption of saving people. It's interesting. As you read, the gospels, how much Jesus makes of the Betrayal of Judas Iscariot.

His betrayal According To Jesus is heinous and his betrayal leads to Jesus lamenting in the gospels that he had been betrayed.

You see despite the fact that Jesus was God. Became a man in order to rescue mankind, despite his Decades of living, his life and perfect obedience to God, despite his demonstration of his own Divinity, through incredible acts of power during his ministry despite his willingness to suffer and die for other people's sins. Despite even that his declaration that he would rise from the dead and victory, despite all of those things that were well known to Judas, Judas, still betrayed him. Despite that life that he lived, despite his willingness to suffer for his people, someone close to him still betrayed him. We all need to understand that we play the part of betrayer and we align ourselves with those who reject God, salvation. And the evidence of that is in our city, we play the part of betrayer, each, one of us every human being

and we continue to play the part of the betrayer when we were jacked, the good news of the Salvation that Christ worked Jesus is the Fulfillment of the psalmist, who suffers we are the Fulfillment of the one who betrays when we live in our sin.

Fortunately we can be save and enjoy the salvation of God from sin. If we believe in Jesus Christ, if you're here this morning and you have never repent of your sin and entrusted yourself to Christ and gone to him for that salvation that he offers. I admonish you this morning to do so. As long as you keep rejecting the Salvation that God offers, you align yourself and act as the betrayer.

The complaint continues with the song as the psalmist then goes on to describe his condition and he piles up words and expressions to communicate. The gravity of the emotional jurusan, the mental anguish she is, experiencing the Deeds of the enemies and the one enemy, I've had a great impact on the psalmist, we read that the psalmist is restless to use. That is he is agitated and worry, that causes him to pay seabolt, we've all been there, the psalmist is morning, that is the inner pain. He is experiencing results in audible lamentation. It says he is an anguish which is a way to describe an internal writhing in pain. I know many of us have been, there he is under Terror of death that is significantly afraid of death. Many of our people have been and are in that place. He's overwhelmed by horror and he desires to flee away from it as a result of the evil words and deeds of those against in the psalmist is in a terrible state of mental, anguish and fear. And that state is precisely what has brought him to this place of lament that we are considering this morning. Know that the psalmist brings his complaint to God. And I bringing your complaint to God is a crucial step in navigating the pain.

And so that brings us to another point of application. Practice Godly complaint, practice, Godly complaint. Listen to Mark Drug up on this many people. I know fall into one of two camps. One walking through suffering anger or denial. Some people are so filled with anger at God. They live in a self-made. Prison of Despair and bitterness for the rest of their lives. There pain gives rise to rage and their spiritual life is never the same. Sometimes even result in a complete rejection. Of Christianity is pain paves the way for unbelief. Still others seem to think that godliness means a new form of stoicism. They try to project an air of contentment that feels like denial. Everything's fine. They say, But, you know, it isn't as I've dealt with many people and pain. I've often had to coax them off the cliff of their anger or out of the cave of hiding their honest struggles and offers an alternative to got a complaint. We are able to express our disappointment and move toward a resolution. We complain on the basis of our belief in God who he is and what he can do. Brothers and sisters. Bring your complaints to God. Pour out your heart to him. Be transparent before God open up to him about your circumstances in the state of your soul. and do so in a Godly fashion, you do that by coming to him on the basis of who you know, him to be A good and gracious and kind and loving God. But one who is Sovereign even over your circumstances. And it's important part of the application of lament is bringing our complaint to god. Let's keep moving this morning. We are looking now at the next word. Ask turn complain. As we see this in verse 9, and verse 15. The song that says destroy. Oh, Lord. That's an interesting prayer. Request one word, destroy, he's talking about his enemies and then he says divide their tongues. He also says in verse 15, let death steel over them. Let them go down to Shayla live for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart we see the content of his request and verse 9 verse 15 Samus ass for God. To do something in response to the difficulty. He is going through he prays and makes a request. His first request is that, God will destroy his enemies. One of the translations I liked was instead of destroy was swallow them up. Swallow them up. God, the second request is that the Lord would divide their tongues and there's several in interpretation suggested for what this would mean. But they all hinge on the idea of his enemies councils and plans being confused and their communication being impeded. So that their plans might be frustrated.

Universe 12. The request as repeated are three words, fifteen, with more emphasis. It's because they are thoroughly evil. Let death overcome them and may they be buried alive. And so we need to ask the application is ask again. Let's go to World Cup. We pray differently, he says, when we're hurting and desperate, I'm sure, you know what I'm talking about pain, as a way of awakening us to our need for God's help it shines a spotlight on our powerlessness to control everything. We are never more aware of our Frailty than when hardship comes our way. This is one of the blessings of suffering. If we allow a meant to lead us the various Trials of Life can become a platform to reaffirm our dependence upon the Lord. The request of a man can become the place where we celebrate our need, for God's help. And this way, I request become more than just expressions of need these petitions. Our prayers of Faith, Anchored In what we believe about. God, I so we turn to God to prevent despair. We bring our complaints to God to prevent anger and denial. But asking God to help. Asking for the help of our God, who saves is the pivotal application of lament? We need to ask him to help us. The save us.

From there we move on to trust verses 16 through 23. We see David chooses to trust but I call to God and the law will save me. Evening and morning and at noon, I under my complain and moan and he hears my voice. He redeems my soul and safety from the battle that I wage for many are arrayed against me. God will give ear and humble than he who is in Throne of, because they do not change. You do not fear God. And then listen how the song is finishes off this song. But you, oh, God will cast them down into the pit of Destruction men of blood and treachery shall not live out half their days, but I will trust in you till the end of the song, but I will trust in you. And so our application this morning is to put our trust in God, one more time. Let's go to the author of dark clouds and deep Mercy. From the beginning of our journey, my goal has been to help. Envisionware, lament, leads. We've reached our destination. I hope you sent the opportunity that's before you, but you're going to have to make the choice to take this final step. Unfortunately, I know far too many people who are stuck in their complaints, others, never move beyond the request or what they want God to do for them. I hope you'll be different. Well, I've tried to encourage you to talk to God about your struggles and to ask for what you need, now you will need to bring them into its appropriate, conclusion, you will need to choose to trust So I can't make that decision for you. I know lament can help lead you there. This prayer language is divinely designed to guide you to the spiritual Safe Harbor of confidence in God and praising his name. Reaching out to God In Prayer, laying your complaints before him and pull the asking for help Were Meant to bring you to this point to invite you to make the decision of Faith filled worship. Brothers and sisters, that's where lament takes us. That's where Gali lament is supposed to bring us to in the midst of our difficulties, in the midst of our suffering, in the midst of the horrors of life as it comes our way. Lament is a way for us to get to and remain in that place. Of Faith. Filled worship of God. I know that's where you want to be in your suffering. I know the difficult things that God has brought you through at your deepest level. You want to remain close to him. You want your trust to be strengthened in him. I believe one of the things the songs teach us is that lament is the path to get us there. And so we need to learn how to do this. We need to pursue lament as the biblical path through suffering. God will save his people. We need to put our trust in him. And the way we do that is biblical Lament. To close the sermon. I'm going to ask Rob Bell in the worship. Team to come up to the stage beginning of this week. I asked Rob Bell one of our elders to write a lament. For us so that we could apply this is very morning and I asked him to write a lament about the pandemic that we've been going through through for a year-and-a-half. And so Rod going to come up and prayerfully, read his lament, and I would ask him as he reads it and prayer in regards to this.

Well, this morning, we continue on and our sermon series in the Book of Psalms looking at Psalm 55 a sermon, I have entitled lamenting a lack of loyalty, lament a lack of loyalty, we're going to introduce this sermon by considering two questions to questions that speak and help us to understand and really remind us about what element is and how it works. I hope some of you recall we'd dealt with this topic last summer, I believe it was Psalm 44 and so this introduction is going to lean upon that in and get us moving as we consider lament this morning. The first question is, what is lament from the zondervan dictionary of Bible words? Do we learn that lament is an expression of grief or sorrow and a woman Psalm is a song in which a crisis as described and God's assistance is invo Now last summer, I commended to you a book bite mark rogoff on lamentation on lament and I want to do so. Again this morning and I'm going to quote him again this morning, the book was dark clouds deep Mercy, discovering the grace of lament and it is an excellent, excellent book and I I commend it to you again and I'm going to lean on his work again this morning as we consider lament, this is part of of the prayer manual that we call the Psalms that God has given us to help us navigate life and in particular suffering, listen to these words by the author. As he considers the importance of lament, he wrote this, when the circumstances of Life, create dark clouds, I hope you'll come to embrace lament as a divinely given liturgy leading you to Mercy. This historic song gives you permission to vocalize your pain as it may. You toward God, centered worship and Trust lament is how you live between the poles of a hard life and trusting in God's sovereignty lamented. How we bring our sorrow to God without the men, we won't know how to process pain silence, bitterness and even anger can dominate our spiritual lives. Instead, without DeMent, we won't know how to help people walking through Sorel instead will offer Trace Solutions on helpful comments or impatient. Responses, what's more without this secret song of Sorrel will miss the lessons historical events, are intended to teach us. Lament is how Christians grieve it is, how to help hurting people. Lament is how we learn important truths about God in our world. Then he goes on to say that my personal and pastoral experience has convinced me that biblical lament is not only a gift but also in the elected to mention of the Christian Life For Me, 21st century Christians, a broken World in an increasingly hostile culture, make contemporary Christian balanced and limited. In the hope we offer. If we neglect this minor key songs, we need to recover the ancient practice of lament and I couldn't agree more with what the author has said. They're. So then we have the question of how do we lament and really, as we consider the Psalms of lament, there is a four-part structure or pattern, which I think is very helpful as we learn how to Lament. The four key elements of a lament, our first and address to God, second, a complaint third, a request and forth an expression of trust and pray and so for words can help us to learn. Lament turn, complain, ask and Trust. In the address of element, the heart is turned to God In Prayer. And then one man, we bring our complaint and lay it before. God. Then we asked or request God to act and finally it ends with renewed trust and praise. And so those are the forwards we're going to use a structure for this sermon as well. If I would articulate, the main idea of the sermon, I would say it this way as our songs that we started the service with, so helpfully proclaimed, God Saves his people. Out of their difficulties. Therefore, we should lament in suffering there by entrusting ourselves to God. Let me say that again, God Saves his people out of their difficulties, therefore, we should lament and suffering there by entrusting ourselves to god. So, let's go to the song. I'm going to be reading the entire song. Psalm 55 from the ESV, To the choirmaster with stringed instruments of maskil of David. Give ear to my prayer. Oh God, and hide. Not yourself from my plea for Mercy. Attend to me, and answer me, I am restless in my complaint, and I'm own, because of the noise of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked, where they drop trouble upon me in an anger, they bear a grudge against me. My heart is in anguish, within me, the Terrors of death of Fallen upon me. Fear, and trembling come upon me and horror overwhelms. Me and I say, all that I had wings like a dove. I would fly away and be at rest. Yes, I would wander far away. I would Lodge in the wilderness Cielo. I would hurry to find a shelter from the Raging wind and Tempest. Destroy oh Lord. Divide their tongues for I see violence and strife in the city day and night they go around it on its walls and iniquity in trouble are within it. Ruin is in its midst, oppression. And fraud, do not depart from its Marketplace. For does not an enemy who taunts me, then I could bear it. It is not an adversary who deals. I silently with me. Then I could hide from him. But it is you a man? My equal, my companion. My familiar friend, we used to take sweet Council together with in God's house. We walked in the throng. Let Dusty all over them. Let them go down to Shayla live for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart, but I called to God and the Lord will save me evening and morning and afternoon. I order my complaint and moan and he hears my voice. You redeem is my soul and safety from the battle that I wage for many are arrayed against me. God will give ear and humble, then he, who is enthroned from old Cielo because they do not change and do not fear. Your god-like companion stretched out his hand against his friends. He violated his Covenant. His speech was smooth as butter yet war, was in his heart, his words were softer than oil yet. They were drawn swords. Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you. He will never permit the righteous to be moved, but you owe God will pass them down into the pit of Destruction men of blood and treachery shall not live out half. Today's, but I will trust in you. Let's begin this morning. Looking at that first word. We see it in first one and two, a give ear to my prayer. Oh God and hide. Not yourself from my plea for Mercy, attend to me, and answer me. So the initial versus of this song, convey, the very simple record of the psalmist. And this is David, who is troubled scared, hurting in and settled, calling out to God In Prayer appealing to God for help. His words at 10 to me. Answer me, as we seeing verse to some of the beginning of this song. Similar to that. Help me hear me of Psalm 54.

That's what's make our first application. As we find ourselves in suffering, in turmoil, in difficulties, we need to turn to God. Mark, bro. Got the author. I have commanded to you writes in his book, these words to pray and pain even with its messy struggle. And tough questions is an active case where we open up our hearts to God? Prayerful lament is better than silence. However, I found that many people are afraid of them and they find it too honest to open or too risky. But there's something far worse, silent despair. Giving God. The silent treatment is the ultimate manifestation of unbelief. Despair lives under the Hopeless. Resignation, that God doesn't care. He doesn't hear. And nothing is ever going to change. People who believe this, stop praying! They give up however lament directs our emotions by prayerfully vocalizing, our hurt, our questions and even our don't Brothers and sisters, are you struggling under suffering In This Moment? Has God in his Providence, directed your life, such that you are being put through the ringer these days. Some of you were in that place. Some of you will be in that place soon.

How's your struggle in suffering? Resulted in silence.

Let this be a warning to you silence. When it's turned towards, God can be deadly. Do your spiritual life. Let's be people who has week, go through suffering and encounter difficulties Turn To God In Prayer.

The next word is complain. This is a tough one. We understand from God's word that it is. Not a good thing to Grumble against the Lord and yet we must have a category. Godly complaint. It's clear in the scriptures is clearing the songs. Which were meant to direct God's people to him in prayer that there is a place for Godly complaint. In fact in this sermon The Lion's Share our story. In this song, The Lion's Share of the psalm is made up by David's, bringing his complaint before God wears. To be 2 verse 8, verse 10 through 14th vs, 20 and 221 are all David bringing his complaint to God, a complaint that has three components to it. First of all, David had enemies that were causing his suffering, a large group of people In the city of Jerusalem. Whose words and actions were causing him to suffer but number to David had and Anna meet one particular person. Who had hurt him considerably? In the third part of his complaint is him pouring out his condition to god. Let's take a look at those things, complain. He first complains about the enemy's actions. I am restless in my complaint, and I moan, because of the noise of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked, for they drop trouble upon me in an anger, they bear a grudge against me, the noise of the enemy is most likely the insults in the threatening words that that his enemies were Aiming towards him and the oppression of the wicked speaks of the pressure that those words and their deeds put on King David. He says they drop trouble on. How do you make sure shouldn't be like dropping off groceries somewhere? It should be like dropping a piano on someone from a height. They hurl at the psalmist. Things that cause pain. And evil and grief. And in Anger, they bear a grudge. That is a cherish the animosity that they have for him, and they intend to act on it. EZ's. I said he says I see violence and strife in the city day and night. They go around on its walls and iniquity in trouble or within it. Ruin is in its midst, oppression. And fraud, do not depart from its Marketplace because of these people, Jerusalem is filled with violence and strife. There is no safety, there is no peace. The eagle duals Dewar's, prowl around the city that they might pursue their evil deeds and evil ends. There is oppression. Speaking of various social injustice has his faults broad, speaking of business-related deception and these are constant and David complains these things to God. And says these are the reasons I'm suffering. But it's not just the enemies. There is an enemy one particular person, and the song that makes it painstakingly clear that this one person has caused his pain, injury is a very likely. This one person, very likely instigated and initiated the evil of the crowds. But even that evil would be tolerable. The psalmist said, we're not for the Betrayal of this trusted comrades. This friend tried to harm those who were at peace with them stretched out his hand against his friends. He made a covenant with him and yet he profaned it. His words were the words of Friendship with the intention of his heart was Warfare. As I considered this betrayal, I couldn't help but think and look to the gospel as we consider Christ and how he fulfills. The song we talked about last week, house key for Phil's, the songs as the one who brings salvation but also as the psalmist who suffers and we see again that Christ is the true and better psalmist, who suffers in innocently through the Betrayal of a friend. Jesus makes much of the Betrayal of Judas, Iscariot in his gospels, he makes much of it, one of his disciples. One of those who was close to him. And we see in the Gospel of Jesus lamenting, the fact that Judas betrayed him. And it's a heinous betrayal, despite the fact that Jesus was God, who became a man to rescue mankind, despite Jesus has Decades of living, and perfect, obedience to God, despite Jesus's demonstration of of divinity as he worked miracles, during his ministry, despite his willingness to suffer and die for the sins of others and despite his declaration that he would rise from the dead and victory, he was still betrayed by someone close to him.

We need to understand this morning that we play the part of the betrayer and we align ourselves with Judas when we reject God's offer of salvation. Every human being does that any evidence has our sins.

thankfully many of you have received God's salvation through repenting of your sins in putting your faith in who Christ is and what Christ has done and if you're here this morning and you're not a believer understand that as Jesus is the Fulfillment of the Samus who suffers you and we Fulfill the one who betrays the psalmist. If we don't receive the Salvation that God offers, if we stay in her sin, You can be saved this morning if you turn from your sin and believe in Jesus Christ, and I encourage you to do that.

This betrayal leads us to the final aspect of the psalmist, complaint where he conveys his condition to God. The song is piles of words and expressions to communicate. The gravity of his emotional giraffes and his mental anguish. The Deeds of his enemies. The words and deeds of his enemy have had a great impact on this song. Must we read that he is restless. He's agitated and worry causing him to Pace about many of us have been there. Which team owns that is the inner pain results in audible lamentation.

He tells God that he is in anguish, a a phrase that means internally. He is writhing in pain. He's under the terror of death.

He's in fear and trembling. He's so scared that it has physical. Has given him physical trammell's Tremors. He is overwhelmed by horror. He says He pours this out to God, as a result of the evil words and deeds of those against them, he is in a state of mental, anguish and a state of fear, and it's this state precisely that brought upon the lament that he offers to God and some 55.

And this complaint, this bringing our complaint before. God is a crucial step in the psalmist. Navigating, his pain and navigating his suffering, and it's a crucial step for us to. That's our next point of application. We need to practice Godly, complaint. We need to practice. Godly complain, listen, to mark rogoff on this. Many people I know fall into one of two camps. When walking through suffering anger or denial, some people are so filled with anger at God that they live in a self-made. Prison of Despair and bitterness for the rest of their lives there. Paying gives rise to rage and their spiritual life is never the same. Sometimes it even result in a complete rejection of Christianity is pain paves the way for unbelief. Many of us know, people like that. The author goes on still others seem to think that godliness means a new form of stoicism. They try to project an air of contentment. That feels like the Nile. Everything's fine. They say, but you know, it isn't as I've dealt with many people in pain of often, had to coax them off a cliff of their anger or arrow to the cave of hiding there on his struggles, biblical meant offers an alternative to Godly complaint. We are able to express their disappointment and move toward a resolution. We complain on the basis of our belief, in who God is and what he can do. Brothers and sisters this morning. Let me encourage you to bring your complaints to God. The Psalms, as I said our manual for prayer teaches us to do, so pour your heart out to him, be transparent before him open up to him about your circumstances and the state of your soul. But do so in a Godly waste do. So based on who, you know, God to be a gracious, kind, merciful and Sovereign God

A next word is ask. We see it in person. I know we see it in verse 15. The song, The Straits destroy. Oh, Lord, divide their tongues, let death still over them, let them go down to Shayla live for evil, is their dwelling place and in their heart and Bruce 9:15. We see the content of the request the song estas for God to do something in response to the difficulty he is going through. He asked God for something. And the first request is that, God would destroy his enemies. Interesting prayer. What's your prayer request this morning? Destroy That's what the psalmist is asking for. His second request is that the Lord would divide their tongues, there's several ways to interpret the term for this, but all of them hinge on the idea that God would confuse the Council of his enemies that he would impede their communication. So that their plans might be frustrated, this is what the song is ass. And that's alright, plication as well. We need to ask, we need to make a request to God. Broke up says this? We pray differently when we're hurting and desperate, I'm sure. You know what I'm talking about. Pain has a way of a waking up waking us to our need for God's out. It shines a spotlight on our powerlessness to control everything, we are never more aware of our Frailty. Then when a hardship comes our way to, this is one of the blessings of suffering. If we allow the men to lead us the various Trials of Life can become a platform to reaffirm our dependence upon the Lord. The request of lament can become the place where we celebrate our need, for God's help. And this way, I request become more than just expressions of need these petitions. Our prayers of Faith, Anchored In what we believe about. God, brothers and sisters. We need to turn to God because turn into God's prevents us living in despair. We need to complain to God in a Godly way because complaining to God prevents living in anger and denial. But brothers and sisters, we need to ask God for his help as we sang this morning, he is a God who saves asking God to help is the pivotal application of Lament. if you're going through suffering, ask God to help. We finished with trust, we see trust throughout the verses 16 through 23. The psalmist rates, but I called to God and the Lord will save me. Evening and morning and at noon, I order my complain and moan and he hears my voice.

He redeems, my soul and safety from the battle that I wage for many are arrayed against me. God will give ear and humble them. I'm in the last verse of the Psalms verse 23, but you are God will cast them down into the pit of Destruction, Med and blood are men of blood and treachery shall not live out their days. Any finishes this song of lament, but I will trust in you.

Purpose of Lehman Brothers and Sisters, is to get us to and keep us in place of trust and faith in God in the midst of suffering. One more quote from bro. He says, from the beginning of our journey, my goal has been to help you envision where lament leads we've reached our destination. I hope you sent the opportunity that's before you, but you are going to have to make the choice to take this final step. Unfortunately, I know far too many people who are stuck in their complaints, others, never move beyond the request and what they want God to do for them, I hope you'll be different. Well, I'm trying to encourage you to talk to God about your struggles and as boldly, for what you need, now you will need to bring them into its appropriate, conclusion, you will need to choose to try Well, I can't make that decision for you. I know lament can help lead you there. This prayer language is divinely designed to guide you to the spiritual Safe Harbor of confidence in God and praising his name. That's why we lament people. That's why we we lament and suffering to get us and keep us in that place of trust in God. And so I encouraged you to pursue lament as the biblical pass through suffering.

Turn to God. Bring your complaints to God. Ask God to save you and then put your trust in God.

That's the purpose of lament. I'm going to ask the worship team and one of our elders Rob Bell to come up to the stage. I made a request of Rob Bell this week. I asked him to write a lament for us as a church so that we could apply this teaching this Sunday. I asked him to write a lament about the pandemic that we have been through. And so I'm going to ask him to come up and read what he has written and what I said We join him prayerfully as he does so wrong.