Sermon Tone Analysis

“Heart Surgery”

Psalm 143:1-12

Textual Idea – When David was in deep distress, he turned to the only One who could transform him from the inside out.

Sermon Idea – When life is out of control, turn to the only One who can transform our hearts and lives with Divine “Heart Surgery.”

Interrogative – What do we do when the wheels come off & life is out of control?

Transition w/ key word – Our text reveals 7 specific requests of God to perform Divine “Heart Surgery.”

Introduction – Today is Father’s Day.

In a day & age where Dad’s have been kicked to the curb by the feminization of society & the mantra of so-called “toxic masculinity”; I want you men to know I love you and I’m proud of you.

You have one of the most difficult jobs in the world, being a husband, father & grandfather.

God has designed it, whether you like it or not, whether you believe it or not, you have been called by God, ordained by God and equipped by God to be the spiritual leaders of your households!

I want to encourage you that God has everything in His Word needed for you to be the husband, father & grandfather He has in mind for you to be!

It is not for the faint of heart & I want to encourage you, empower you & help you in the wonderful calling of being a Spirit filled man of God.

I am the man I am today by the grace of God & because my own dad took that calling seriously.

I believe my kids are who they are today by the grace of God and that I’ve tried to take this calling seriously.

I was scheduled to be in Revelation 14 this morning as you can see in your bulletin, that was the message I’ve been preparing all week.

But God in His providence and wisdom decided I need to change gears yesterday morning through my QT & SOAP journaling reading in Psalm 143.

This passage just gripped me and how it applies to us, not just as husbands & fathers, but as followers and disciples of Jesus Christ.

So for a few moments today, I want to walk through this cry of King David, a flawed man, a sinful man, a man who at the time he wrote this incredible Psalm, his family life was literally in the toilet.

Yet David’s faith that God could fix his own heart was resolute.

Later the Scripture said of David, that he was a man after God’s own heart (Acts:13:22)!

Sermon Idea – When life is out of control, like David, we must turn to the only One who can transform our hearts and lives with Divine “Heart Surgery.”

Interrogative – What do we do when the wheels come off & life is out of control?

Transition w/ key word – Our text reveals 7 specific requests to God to perform Divine “Heart Surgery.”

Read Text

Background - The background of this Psalm is not explicitly stated but most likely it was written late in David’s life when his son Absalom rebelled against his own father, committed treason and took over David’s throne.

Absalom was David’s 3rd son through a political marriage to Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, King of Geshur according to 2nd Sam.

3:3.

David violated God’s plan for marriage of one woman for one man for one lifetime.

BTW just because the Bible is faithful to record what happened, doesn’t mean God approves of what happened!

Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar.

David’s first born son through another woman was named Amnon who was Absalom’s half brother.

Amnon was infatuated with Tamar and by trickery violated her and David didn’t do anything about it.

So two years went by and Absalom rose up and killed his half brother Amnon & then fled from David.

After some period of time, Absalom was brought back to David b/c his father David still loved him & David forgave Absalom.

It’s interesting Absalom’s name means “father of peace.”

But Absalom was not a father of peace!

The Bible tells us for 40 years, Absalom undermined David as King, by going to the city gate every day where business was conducted, and presented himself as the king’s representative to everyone who had a dispute and was coming to the king for a resolution.

(Verse Slide) 2nd Samuel 15:5-6 gives us the chilling results of Absalom’s treachery.

“5 And so it was, whenever anyone came near to bow down to him, that he would put out his hand and take him and kiss him.

6 In this manner Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment.

So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.”

The long story short is that David had to flee Jerusalem to get away from Absalom and was cursed on his way out of town!

It is against that backdrop David wrote Psalm 143 as his own son betrayed him.

David’s first request of God is:

1. Hear me - vs. 1-2

Explanation - David was powerless at the moment to do anything about Absalom.

For a Dad, we’re generally wired to try and fix things.

Around my house, my nickname is “Mr.

Fixit” which I got from my dad who used to fix something that was broken and you’d hear dad holler, “They don’t call me Mr. Fixit for nothin!”.

Well, David couldn’t fix Absalom or his country, but he could ask God to fix his own heart.

So He says hear me Lord.

Hear my supplication.

Supplication: word means have pity & mercy upon me.

On what grounds would God hear David anyway?

David lists 3 reasons why God would listen to him: On the basis of...

A) God’s faithfulness -

He’s expressing faith in the face of treachery that God is the only one he can trust.

On the basis of...

B) God’s righteousness -

Another expression of faith that God alone is the One we can count on to do what is right at all times and all circumstances, according to God’s character & integrity as God! Also on the basis that...

C) None is righteous -

“In Your sight…” - Everyone is under God’s watchful eye and (Verse slide) Romans 3:10 tells us “There is none righteous, no not one.”

David’s point is well taken: “God if you won’t listen to me, you won’t listen to anyone because no-one deserves an audience with you.

What a humble expression of submissive faith in God.

David is saying God, in order to fix me by divine heart surgery, it begins with your giving me a fair hearing.

So when the wheels come off, everything is out of control, we see the first thing to do by David’s example is to talk to God about it first!

2. Rescue me - vs. 3-4

Explanation - Why is David in distress?

Even though God knew and was not unaware of David’s distress, David listed his reasons why, not for God’s benefit, but for David’s - to get it off his chest.

You might as well be honest with God about how you’re feeling because He already knows!

Notice David’s list:

The enemy has persecuted my soul - most of the occurrences of this word persecute mean pursue as in military action.

David was literally run out of town by his own son and Absalom’s loyal followers!

He has crushed my life to the ground - He’s literally stomped on me.

He’s buried me in darkness - It’s as though I’m dead in a tomb!

I’m overwhelmed & distressed - As David is trying to process, how he’s been run out of Dodge so quickly, he’s overwhelmed and distressed.

A flood of questions, what’s next?

How do I care for all these people I’m responsible for?

Have you been overwhelmed and distressed?

I know I have!

I get overwhelmed nearly daily with each bit of bad news that comes down the pike.

Our family is big & is spread out all over the country.

My mom is in Virginia & I’m concerned for her welfare.

Cheryl’s mom is in Edinburg & Dad Wychopen is in memory care so we’re trying to help her and see dad as much as possible.

Church family members in distress, concern for your spiritual welfare and growth as a disciple of Jesus Christ, and Wednesday & Sunday are still coming and I need to have a Word from God to feed your weary souls.

On top of that, all of us these days have too much month left at the end of the money.

The world is going to hell in hand basket.

We’re being told we’re racists just because God painted our skin white.

Mayhem is everywhere.

Recent videos of a poor guy pumping gas & getting beat up & car jacked by 3 thugs in broad daylight.

A police office on a traffic stop has a guy in another car stop and attack him with a hatchet & is forced to shoot him!

I don’t know about you guys but I’m greatly concerned for the protection of my wife, my children, my grandchildren from creeps and evil people!

Politicians are corrupt and beating on us while lining their pockets on our backs.

Ronald Reagan said we don’t have inflation because the people are living too well, we have inflation because the government is living to well!

David didn’t look to his government or his gun safe to rescue him, he looked to Almighty God and said in effect: Rescue me as part of your divine heart surgery.

3. Refresh me - vs. 5-6

Explanation - David reflected on all the ways he’d seen God work in his life.

He was recalling God’s faithfulness to him and how often he’d seen God work.

Maybe he remembered the day God helped him kill a lion & a bear trying to prey on his sheep.

Maybe he thought about that incredible day the Lord helped him slay the giant Goliath with a sling and stone.

As he meditated on that he turned his palms up and said God, my hands can’t do anything but ask You to refresh my heart and life - like I wrote out in that pasture in (Verse Slide) Psalm 23: lead me beside still waters, restore my soul.