Word of Salvation – Vol.46 No.38 – October 2001

 

Secure In The Lord

 

Sermon by Rev. J. Haverland on Psalm 48; Heidelberg Catechism LD 21, Q 54

Scripture Readings: Revelation 21:9-27; Matthew 16:13-20

Suggested Hymns: Ps.H: 89; 398; 402

 

Brothers and Sisters,

Our small denomination has been in existence for less than 50 years – less than half a century.  During our brief history we have had our ups and downs, our debates and discussions, our share of conflict and division.  Individual congregations have also been through times of blessing and trial, through joy and sorrow, through times of growth and times of decline.

This has been true of the church throughout her history – for 2000 years the church has experienced good times and bad times, periods of expansion and great missionary work and times of apostasy and of falling away.

If we were to look at one congregation or at one small period of history, then we might despair over the church of the Lord.  But when we look at the big picture we can see that “the Son of God, through His Spirit and Word, out of the entire human race, from the beginning of the world to its end, gathers, protects and preserves for himself a community chosen for eternal life and united in true faith.” (HC Q.54).

Today we are going to look at this big picture and see how God preserves and protects His people; how He keeps the church secure; how we can trust Him to guard us and guide us through to the very end.  That is the great theme of this Question and Answer of the Catechism and of this Psalm.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE PSALM

This Psalm begins and ends by focussing our attention on the Lord.  Verses 1 and 14 direct us to God and His greatness.  This, then, is a psalm of praise to God, but especially a psalm of praise for the way He looks after His people.

This theme is expressed in verse 8, right in the middle of the psalm that God keeps His city secure.  Mount Zion is a word used to describe the city of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem is a picture of the people of God.  So this whole psalm is a description of the security of the people of God – a picture of the security of the church.

This is described in four sections:

verses 2-3 describe her security in God;

verses 4-7 her security against her enemies;

verses 9-11 her praise of God for her position; and

verses 12-13 her testimony to the next generation.

First of all, then…

1. The Church’s Security in God

The city of Jerusalem was built on a hill.  When the people of Israel first conquered the land of Canaan, there was a strong fortress on the hill, occupied by the Jebusites.  It was so well protected that they warded off attack right through until King David managed to get into the city via a water shaft.  In later years the city expanded but it was always well protected by its walls.

But the important feature of the city was that it was the City of God.  The writers of the psalm describe it as “beautiful in its loftiness”.  While Jerusalem was built on a hill it wasn’t a huge mountain.  This is more a reference to the spiritual significance of the city than its geographical location.  The city was beautiful because this is where God met with His people; where God had His temple; where a holy God came close to a sinful people; where the Creator came down to His creatures.

It was like “the utmost heights of Zaphon”.  Zaphon was another mountain in the far North where the Phoenicians had built a temple to their god, El, high in a remote part of the mountain.  This psalm is claiming that God reigns in Jerusalem – this is His royal seat.

The city of Jerusalem wasn’t secure because of her position, but because of her God.  God was looking after her.  God was protecting her.  And when God withdrew His protection, then she was as weak and vulnerable as any other city in the world – as when the city was captured by the Babylonians in 587 BC.

Here is a good lesson for us.  As a church and as believers we are only strong in the strength of the Lord.  In ourselves we are as weak as water.  By ourselves we are nothing.  We are not strong because of our numbers, or our many activities, or our good organisation or our fine buildings – none of those things give us strength.  We are only strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  We remind ourselves of that at the beginning of each service: “Our help is in the Name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Ps.124:8).

So, our security is in God.

2. God Makes Us Secure Against Our Enemies (vss.4-7)

Enemies attacked Israel at various times during her history.  We aren’t sure what attack is referred to here in these verses.  It may refer to the great victory of King Jehosaphat over the armies of Moab and Ammon (2Chron.20), or it may refer to the turning back of the Assyrians when they tried to attack Jerusalem in the days of King Hezekiah (2 Kings 19).  Whatever the exact event in mind, it is clear that the Lord protected His people against the attack of their enemies.

Enemies are attacking the church today.  There are external forces like secularism where God is pushed out of public life and out of education; where God is regarded as outdated, unnecessary and irrelevant for day to day living.  The lack of a sound ethical base for morality is also an attack on the church.  So, too, is the strong emphasis in our society on the individual; this promotes the idea that the individual is free to do their own thing without any concern for the good of the wider church.

Then there are internal attacks: division, disunity, power games, false doctrine, following a person rather than the Lord, our human sinfulness and pride.

In the face of all these attacks we need to remember the promise of the Lord that the gates of hell will not overcome the church of the Lord Jesus (Mat.16:18).  This promise is based on the victory of the Lord Jesus on the cross and in the resurrection.  Through those great saving events, Jesus defeated Satan and the forces of evil.  These guarantee our victory.

Certainly, we must be faithful and obedient, and we must continue to follow Him and trust Him; but we must also remember that He is faithful and He will keep His promise and He will watch over His church.  Remember that Jesus said of His people, “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

So, the church is secure in God and is protected from her enemies.

3. The Church PRAISES GOD for her secure position

Notice that God’s people meditate on what He has done.  “Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love” (vs.9).  To meditate is to think about, consider, ponder, turn over, and reflect on.  The puritans described this as the “digestive faculty of the soul.”  The more you think about God and His truth, the more you will benefit from that.

The people of Israel meditated on the Lord within the temple.  That was the place of prayer and sacrifice.  We no longer have a temple, but we know that the Lord is present with His people, and the worship of the church is a wonderful opportunity to meditate on the Lord.

When we do that, we especially consider the unfailing love of God.  The Hebrew word used refers to God’s covenant love, his loving kindness, his great mercy.  It is because of His love that the Lord “gathers, protects and preserves” the church.

Meditating on God’s great love prompts us to praise God, and this praise “reaches to the ends of the earth” (vs.10).  This reminds us that all God’s people praise Him.

This psalm is about Mount Zion, Jerusalem, the city of God.  It mentions the temple.  It also mentions the villages of Judah.  But the psalm looks out way beyond that physical location, that city, and that temple.  This psalm has a very broad scope.  It looks beyond the city of Jerusalem to the whole earth and to the praise that the people of God all over the world will give to Him.

This was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came and the gospel was proclaimed in many different languages.  That was a symbol of how the good news about Jesus would be preached through the whole world and how the church would spread and grow.

What was said about Jerusalem in verse 2 can also be said of the church today – it is the joy of the whole earth.  It is the means of bringing joy and peace to people’s lives.  The joy of salvation, the good news of great joy that centres in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The church is secure because of God, who protects her against her enemies.  In response, all the people of God praise Him for all He has done.

4. They Give A Testimony to the Next Generation

You need to appreciate the church of the Lord.  In verses 12-13 the people of God are encouraged to take a good look at Jerusalem.  “Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers, consider well her ramparts, view her citadels.”

This could be taken literally.  This is what the people of Israel did in the time of Nehemiah.  When the walls were finished, one half of the people walked around the walls one way and the other half walked around the other way (Neh.12).  The Sons of Korah writing this psalm could be urging Israel to do the same.  Walk around Jerusalem and consider it well.  Or they could be asking Israel to do this in their minds – picture the city in your mind.

Whether literal or figurative, they were asking Israel to appreciate Zion.  They were urging an appreciation of the people of God and how God had made her secure.

We need to do this, too, with the New Testament church.  Think about what the church is; consider your privileges; appreciate what God has given you in the church and value her as the pillar and foundation of the truth, the household of God, the body of Christ.  Think about your position as sons and daughters of your Father in heaven.

It is easy to be negative and critical of the church.  You could get annoyed and critical of the elders, other members, the way activities are run, how worship is conducted, how the organists play, and how the minister preaches.  None of that will help you – rather, you should think positively about the church.  This isn’t just “The Power of Positive Thinking” – no, this is the attitude God wants us to have to the church.  You should rejoice in the church and love the people of God.

And then you need to speak of the church to the next generation.  The children and young people of the church are young and impressionable; their minds are soft and they are in their formative years.  So you need to be very careful how you speak of the church and what you say about her.

What attitude do your children pick up from you about the church?  Do you speak of her critically or positively?  Are you often complaining or are you generally appreciative?  Do you describe the church and her office bearers and her members with love and respect?  Do you tell of the beauty and glory of the church to the next generation?  Are your children learning to honour and value the church from your conversation and speech?  They should because this is the church of God – our God!

The psalm ends as it has begun – by focussing our attention on God.  He is the Great King of His people.  He is the Shepherd King who will guide His people through life.  He has bound Himself to us with the promises of His covenant and He will be faithful to what He has promised.  He will protect His church and watch over us.  The church will have its ups and downs, but the Lord will continue to gather, protect and preserve for Himself a community chosen for eternal life and united in true faith.

This God is our God!  He will be our God forever and ever; He will be our Guide, even to the end!

Amen.