100:00:01,000 –> 00:00:07,480Faith is never the fruit of commitment.200:00:07,480 –> 00:00:10,480It is always the gift of God.300:00:10,480 –> 00:00:13,680That’s Ephesians chapter 2 in verse 8.400:00:13,680 –> 00:00:17,400Faith is a gift that comes down.500:00:17,400 –> 00:00:21,719It is never an effort that is worked up.600:00:21,719 –> 00:00:24,440Welcome to open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith.700:00:24,440 –> 00:00:27,320I’m David Pick and I’m glad you can be with us today.800:00:27,719 –> 00:00:30,440We continue our series about Asaph,900:00:30,440 –> 00:00:32,919a worship leader who struggled in his faith,1000:00:32,919 –> 00:00:36,040and it’s great to see how God turned him around.1100:00:36,040 –> 00:00:38,360We’re comparing it to a five point turn,1200:00:38,360 –> 00:00:40,320which drivers will know all about.1300:00:40,320 –> 00:00:44,480First he had to stop then think then confess1400:00:44,480 –> 00:00:45,360and then believe.1500:00:45,360 –> 00:00:48,320And today we’ll see how he has to commit.1600:00:48,320 –> 00:00:49,880And isn’t it interesting that commit1700:00:49,880 –> 00:00:52,119is the last in these steps.1800:00:52,119 –> 00:00:54,320God turns Asaph around.1900:00:54,320 –> 00:00:56,119If I went to someone looking for help2000:00:56,240 –> 00:00:58,959and I said, now I’m absolutely exhausted,2100:00:58,959 –> 00:01:00,439I’m at the point of despair,2200:01:00,439 –> 00:01:02,799I don’t see any point in carrying on,2300:01:02,799 –> 00:01:03,840and that person said to me,2400:01:03,840 –> 00:01:05,919You know what, Colin, you need to try harder,2500:01:05,919 –> 00:01:07,239you just need to commit.2600:01:07,239 –> 00:01:08,519I’m not going to be helped.2700:01:08,519 –> 00:01:09,639And how wonderful that2800:01:09,639 –> 00:01:12,239that is not how God responds to Asaph2900:01:12,239 –> 00:01:15,680when he’s feeling like he’s at the end of the line.3000:01:15,680 –> 00:01:20,720God very, very gently brings him back to truth,3100:01:20,720 –> 00:01:24,040brings him to a place where faith is established,3200:01:24,120 –> 00:01:26,760gets him off what he’s seeing in himself3300:01:26,760 –> 00:01:30,760and onto all that he’s able to see by faith in God,3400:01:30,760 –> 00:01:34,000and on that basis he’s able to commit and step forward.3500:01:34,000 –> 00:01:36,400Now the order’s very, very important3600:01:36,400 –> 00:01:38,879and I hope that that will be a great blessing3700:01:38,879 –> 00:01:40,559and encouragement to many today.3800:01:40,559 –> 00:01:42,879So we’ll find out in Psalm 73,3900:01:42,879 –> 00:01:44,680so I hope you’ll join us if you can4000:01:44,680 –> 00:01:46,680as we begin the message, Commit.4100:01:46,680 –> 00:01:48,080Here’s Colin.4200:01:48,080 –> 00:01:51,440Today is the last in a series of five messages4300:01:51,580 –> 00:01:55,279from this psalm that tells us the story of Asaph,4400:01:55,279 –> 00:01:57,860a mature believer who, at one point in his life,4500:01:57,860 –> 00:02:00,540faced such discouragement that he tells us,4600:02:00,540 –> 00:02:04,139frankly, he almost gave up.4700:02:04,139 –> 00:02:06,839And I’d like to read through the psalm,4800:02:06,839 –> 00:02:10,479picking up what we’ve learned over this last month together4900:02:10,479 –> 00:02:14,600so that we can understand the flow of this testimony5000:02:14,600 –> 00:02:18,800into the ending, which is our particular focus today.5100:02:18,880 –> 00:02:22,520So, if you have your Bible open at Psalm 73,5200:02:22,520 –> 00:02:25,039that would be helpful as we review together5300:02:25,039 –> 00:02:26,520what we have learned.5400:02:28,139 –> 00:02:29,779Disap tells us at the beginning5500:02:29,779 –> 00:02:31,220what he had always believed.5600:02:31,220 –> 00:02:33,720Verse one, surely God is good to Israel,5700:02:33,720 –> 00:02:37,000to those who are pure in heart.5800:02:37,000 –> 00:02:39,460But he tells us that there came a time, verse two,5900:02:39,460 –> 00:02:42,759where as for me, my feet had almost slipped,6000:02:42,759 –> 00:02:46,679I narrowly lost my foothold.6100:02:46,679 –> 00:02:47,860The reason for this problem,6200:02:47,860 –> 00:02:50,580he sets out clearly, in verse three.6300:02:50,580 –> 00:02:52,820The reason was, I envied the arrogant6400:02:52,820 –> 00:02:56,240when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.6500:02:56,240 –> 00:02:58,500And he goes on, they have no struggles,6600:02:58,500 –> 00:03:00,059their bodies are healthy and strong,6700:03:00,059 –> 00:03:02,339they’re free from the burdens common to man.6800:03:02,339 –> 00:03:04,360They are not plagued by human ills,6900:03:04,360 –> 00:03:06,220therefore pride is their necklace,7000:03:06,220 –> 00:03:08,500they clothe themselves with violence,7100:03:08,500 –> 00:03:11,460from their callous hearts comes iniquity.7200:03:11,460 –> 00:03:14,460The evil conceits of their mind knows no limit,7300:03:14,460 –> 00:03:16,520and you sense this frustration, you see.7400:03:16,520 –> 00:03:19,600Here’s the problem, God lets them get away with it,7500:03:19,600 –> 00:03:21,240makes no sense.7600:03:22,339 –> 00:03:25,639Verse 12, this is what the wicked are like,7700:03:25,639 –> 00:03:29,820all was carefree, they increase in wealth.7800:03:30,919 –> 00:03:33,820So, as Asaph looks at the way in which God rules the world,7900:03:33,820 –> 00:03:35,059it makes no sense to him.8000:03:35,059 –> 00:03:39,539Things just don’t seem to be ordered in a way that adds up.8100:03:40,880 –> 00:03:43,160And then, as we saw, when he looked at his own life8200:03:43,160 –> 00:03:45,240it didn’t make much sense either.8300:03:45,240 –> 00:03:46,259Verse 14.8400:03:46,300 –> 00:03:48,979All day long I have been plagued,8500:03:48,979 –> 00:03:51,380I have been punished, every morning.8600:03:52,460 –> 00:03:55,979Look at my own life here, I’m trying to honor the Lord,8700:03:55,979 –> 00:03:57,699I’m trying to pursue godliness.8800:04:00,020 –> 00:04:02,539Look at the way things are, it makes no sense.8900:04:04,059 –> 00:04:06,639And so he’s fast coming to the conclusion9000:04:06,639 –> 00:04:09,059in verse 13 that there really isn’t any point9100:04:09,059 –> 00:04:10,800in pursuing a godly life at all.9200:04:10,800 –> 00:04:14,020Surely, in vain I have kept my heart pure,9300:04:14,020 –> 00:04:17,980in vain I washed my hands in innocence.9400:04:17,980 –> 00:04:19,820In vain, you see what was the point?9500:04:19,820 –> 00:04:21,220What was the point?9600:04:22,880 –> 00:04:25,200The first thing that we learned then from this series9700:04:25,200 –> 00:04:28,040is that even the strongest believer9800:04:28,040 –> 00:04:30,640because remember, Asaph was a mature believer,9900:04:30,640 –> 00:04:32,619a man in ministry.10000:04:32,619 –> 00:04:34,739Even the strongest believer can come10100:04:34,739 –> 00:04:36,500to an experience like this.10200:04:36,500 –> 00:04:39,420My feet had almost slipped,10300:04:40,339 –> 00:04:43,579and the good news is that when that happens to you,10400:04:43,579 –> 00:04:48,579God knows how to bring you through an Asaph experience.10500:04:49,899 –> 00:04:51,140And we’ve been seeing the pattern10600:04:51,140 –> 00:04:55,679that God brought this man through a five point turn.10700:04:55,679 –> 00:04:59,299And that Asaph’s five point turn is really a pattern10800:04:59,299 –> 00:05:01,059of what God will do in your life10900:05:01,059 –> 00:05:03,239and in mine in times of discouragement11000:05:03,239 –> 00:05:04,579when we feel like giving up.11100:05:05,420 –> 00:05:06,579And to review what we’ve learned11200:05:06,579 –> 00:05:07,859to seal it into our minds11300:05:07,859 –> 00:05:09,880on this last Sunday in the series,11400:05:09,880 –> 00:05:12,739we saw that first Asaph had to stop.11500:05:12,760 –> 00:05:14,739His recovery began,11600:05:14,739 –> 00:05:17,679not with the answering of all his unresolved questions,11700:05:17,679 –> 00:05:22,260but with a decision of loyalty to God and to his people.11800:05:22,260 –> 00:05:25,440His mind was going off in all the wrong directions11900:05:25,440 –> 00:05:27,359and he had to bring that to a halt,12000:05:27,359 –> 00:05:30,799stop, if I had said verse 15, I will speak thus,12100:05:30,799 –> 00:05:34,320I would have betrayed your children.12200:05:35,200 –> 00:05:37,320Then secondly, he had to think.12300:05:38,320 –> 00:05:41,119He couldn’t make sense of his problems thinking on his own.12400:05:41,119 –> 00:05:45,160That’s verse 16, When I tried to understand this,12500:05:45,160 –> 00:05:47,079it was oppressive to me.12600:05:47,940 –> 00:05:48,940But the turnaround came12700:05:48,940 –> 00:05:50,940when he went into the presence of God.12800:05:50,940 –> 00:05:55,220Verse 17, I entered the sanctuary of God,12900:05:55,220 –> 00:05:57,140and then I understood there,13000:05:57,140 –> 00:05:59,779that’s the wicked’s final destiny.13100:05:59,779 –> 00:06:02,799Surely you place them on slippery ground?13200:06:02,799 –> 00:06:04,700You cast them down to ruin13300:06:04,700 –> 00:06:06,399how suddenly they’re destroyed,13400:06:06,399 –> 00:06:08,660completely swept away by terrors,13500:06:08,660 –> 00:06:10,600as a dream when one awakes,13600:06:10,600 –> 00:06:12,040so when you arise, O Lord,13700:06:12,040 –> 00:06:14,779you will despise them as fantasies.13800:06:15,619 –> 00:06:17,619It was when I came into the presence of God13900:06:17,619 –> 00:06:19,640that I remembered his truth,14000:06:19,640 –> 00:06:20,619I met with his people,14100:06:20,619 –> 00:06:23,859I saw the ultimate outcome of life,14200:06:23,859 –> 00:06:27,459and God turned on a light in my mind.14300:06:28,859 –> 00:06:30,000Stop. Think.14400:06:30,000 –> 00:06:31,579And then the third thing we saw,14500:06:31,579 –> 00:06:33,000confess.14600:06:33,000 –> 00:06:36,559When you embrace God’s truth in your life,14700:06:36,559 –> 00:06:39,920you will begin to pray.14800:06:39,920 –> 00:06:41,540And as you grow in the truth,14900:06:41,540 –> 00:06:43,459you will see things in yourself15000:06:43,459 –> 00:06:45,200that you did not see before,15100:06:45,200 –> 00:06:47,779and they will cause you to confess.15200:06:47,779 –> 00:06:49,320And so in verse 21, he says,15300:06:49,320 –> 00:06:52,619when my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,15400:06:52,619 –> 00:06:54,899I was senseless and ignorant,15500:06:54,899 –> 00:06:57,619I was a brute beast before you.15600:06:57,619 –> 00:07:01,420And we learn together that when your heart is grieved,15700:07:01,420 –> 00:07:04,779the sins of Asaph will be crouching at the door,15800:07:04,779 –> 00:07:05,940so watch out for them.15900:07:05,940 –> 00:07:07,179What are the sins of Asaph?16000:07:07,179 –> 00:07:08,100I became bitter.16100:07:08,959 –> 00:07:11,920I let my heart rule my head.16200:07:11,920 –> 00:07:13,200I acted on impulse.16300:07:13,200 –> 00:07:16,399I was a brute beast before you.16400:07:17,540 –> 00:07:19,160Now, the amazing thing we saw, of course,16500:07:19,160 –> 00:07:21,600is that God held onto him.16600:07:21,600 –> 00:07:23,700Asaph said, my feet had almost slipped.16700:07:23,700 –> 00:07:25,679Well, why didn’t he slip?16800:07:25,679 –> 00:07:29,279Why didn’t he fall to utter disaster?16900:07:29,279 –> 00:07:31,279The answer, of course, in verse 23,17000:07:31,279 –> 00:07:33,119the reason that Asaph is still17100:07:33,119 –> 00:07:35,200and always with the Lord is just this,17200:07:35,559 –> 00:07:38,679you held me by my right hand,17300:07:38,679 –> 00:07:40,760you guide me with your counsel,17400:07:40,760 –> 00:07:44,880and afterwards you will receive me to glory.17500:07:44,880 –> 00:07:45,700And so in this way,17600:07:45,700 –> 00:07:48,779his faith is wonderfully renewed and restored.17700:07:48,779 –> 00:07:52,019Stop, think, confess, believe wasn’t the fourth thing17800:07:52,019 –> 00:07:54,160we saw last week, and he’s able to say,17900:07:54,160 –> 00:07:56,079whom have I in heaven but you?18000:07:56,079 –> 00:07:59,019On earth there is nothing that I desire besides you.18100:07:59,019 –> 00:08:00,959My flesh and my heart may fail,18200:08:00,959 –> 00:08:05,119but God is the strength of my heart and my portion.18300:08:05,359 –> 00:08:10,459Forever, stop, think, confess, believe.18400:08:13,179 –> 00:08:15,799Now today what comes to the last two verses of the Psalm18500:08:15,799 –> 00:08:18,200and our key word is commit.18600:08:18,200 –> 00:08:23,019Psalm 73 ends with Asaph making a clear commitment18700:08:23,019 –> 00:08:25,559to live near to the Lord18800:08:25,559 –> 00:08:29,440and to tell his story of what God has done.18900:08:29,440 –> 00:08:33,799He opens his hands and his heart to God and to others.19000:08:33,799 –> 00:08:37,400Let’s look at these last verses, 27 and 28.19100:08:37,400 –> 00:08:40,500Those who are far from you will perish.19200:08:41,400 –> 00:08:44,780You destroy all who are unfaithful to you.19300:08:45,919 –> 00:08:50,919But as for me, it is good to be near God.19400:08:53,520 –> 00:08:57,039I have made the sovereign lord my refuge.19500:08:57,039 –> 00:09:00,880I will tell of all your deeds.19600:09:01,719 –> 00:09:04,900Now, the thing that has struck me most19700:09:04,900 –> 00:09:07,539reflecting on these verses over these last days19800:09:07,539 –> 00:09:09,719is just how natural they are.19900:09:11,080 –> 00:09:16,099I mean, how else would you expect this psalm to end?20000:09:17,780 –> 00:09:18,880You look at the path,20100:09:18,880 –> 00:09:20,200and that’s why we’ve reviewed it20200:09:20,200 –> 00:09:21,400over these moments together.20300:09:21,400 –> 00:09:23,979You look at the path on which the Lord has led him,20400:09:23,979 –> 00:09:26,080you look at how the Lord has turned him around,20500:09:26,080 –> 00:09:28,539you look at what God has been doing in his life,20600:09:28,580 –> 00:09:32,000and what’s the natural outflow of that?20700:09:33,020 –> 00:09:34,340There seems nothing more natural,20800:09:34,340 –> 00:09:36,539no other way really in which the psalm would end,20900:09:36,539 –> 00:09:37,380but for him to say,21000:09:37,380 –> 00:09:39,299well, now, there’s nothing that I want more21100:09:39,299 –> 00:09:41,099than to live near the Lord,21200:09:41,099 –> 00:09:46,099and indeed, I will naturally want to tell of all his deeds.21300:09:49,539 –> 00:09:52,140Now, I think that’s very important for this reason.21400:09:53,099 –> 00:09:54,099It’s often been said,21500:09:54,099 –> 00:09:57,940and I think it’s true that if you scratch21600:09:57,940 –> 00:10:00,299an evangelical,21700:10:00,299 –> 00:10:03,960you will find very close to the surface21800:10:03,960 –> 00:10:07,440a bad conscience about two things.21900:10:07,440 –> 00:10:11,400One is prayer, and the other is evangelism.22000:10:12,619 –> 00:10:14,140And that being the case,22100:10:14,140 –> 00:10:16,919it should not be surprising that we will come across,22200:10:16,919 –> 00:10:18,919perhaps from time to time,22300:10:18,919 –> 00:10:20,340in the Christian world,22400:10:20,340 –> 00:10:24,479a form of teaching that plays on that guilt,22500:10:24,479 –> 00:10:28,880and it goes something like this.22600:10:30,520 –> 00:10:32,059Are you living near to the Lord?22700:10:34,440 –> 00:10:35,960Do you know that Martin Luther prayed22800:10:35,960 –> 00:10:37,359for three hours every morning,22900:10:37,359 –> 00:10:40,880and that if he was really busy he added an extra hour?23000:10:40,880 –> 00:10:43,739Do you know that Jesus prayed all night?23100:10:43,739 –> 00:10:44,580What do you think you’re doing, then?23200:10:45,479 –> 00:10:47,840And what about telling of God’s deeds?23300:10:47,840 –> 00:10:49,700When was the last time you shared your test?23400:10:49,700 –> 00:10:51,320You know this kind of thing?23500:10:51,320 –> 00:10:53,299And the congregation kind of cringes,23600:10:53,460 –> 00:10:54,880and say, oh, boy, here we go.23700:10:54,880 –> 00:10:57,239We’re in for a right lashing this morning.23800:11:01,799 –> 00:11:05,299Asaph’s commitment is wonderfully releasing23900:11:06,820 –> 00:11:09,960because he talks about living near to God24000:11:09,960 –> 00:11:12,780and he talks about telling the deeds of the Lord,24100:11:12,780 –> 00:11:14,599and none of it comes from guilt.24200:11:16,080 –> 00:11:19,020It is the natural outflow.24300:11:19,020 –> 00:11:19,859You read it.24400:11:19,859 –> 00:11:21,580How else would the psalm conclude?24500:11:21,580 –> 00:11:24,619It is simply the natural outflow24600:11:24,619 –> 00:11:27,619of what God has been doing in his life.24700:11:28,659 –> 00:11:30,419I want to live near the Lord24800:11:31,739 –> 00:11:36,080and I will tell of all that he has done for me.24900:11:37,020 –> 00:11:38,320You’re listening to Open The Bible25000:11:38,320 –> 00:11:41,700with Pastor Colin Smith and a message called Commit.25100:11:41,700 –> 00:11:44,880The last in our series, I Almost Gave Up.25200:11:44,880 –> 00:11:46,460And if you’ve missed any of the series,25300:11:46,460 –> 00:11:50,780why not come to our website at openthebible.org.uk25400:11:50,820 –> 00:11:53,780and there you can catch up or go back and listen again.25500:11:53,780 –> 00:11:56,520You can do the same thing on your favourite podcast site25600:11:56,520 –> 00:11:57,619if that’s better for you.25700:11:57,619 –> 00:11:59,739And you can find Pastor Colin’s messages25800:11:59,739 –> 00:12:03,159by searching for Open The Bible UK.25900:12:03,159 –> 00:12:05,739Back to the message now, here’s Colin.26000:12:05,739 –> 00:12:08,140So I want you to notice the order here.26100:12:08,140 –> 00:12:11,780The order of progression, the flow throughout this psalm26200:12:11,780 –> 00:12:13,539is really very, very important.26300:12:13,539 –> 00:12:15,479And for us to grasp this principle,26400:12:15,479 –> 00:12:19,760you see that it is faith that leads to commitment26500:12:19,760 –> 00:12:22,919not the other way round.26600:12:22,919 –> 00:12:24,520If you wanna write down one thing in your notes26700:12:24,520 –> 00:12:25,960at this point, that’s it.26800:12:25,960 –> 00:12:29,940It is faith that leads to commitment.26900:12:29,940 –> 00:12:34,400It is not the other way round.27000:12:34,400 –> 00:12:36,539Now, see if you get this the wrong way around,27100:12:36,539 –> 00:12:38,020you will always struggle.27200:12:38,919 –> 00:12:41,159Some folks have the idea,27300:12:41,159 –> 00:12:43,520that the way you become a real Christian27400:12:43,520 –> 00:12:46,520is really all about commitment.27500:12:46,520 –> 00:12:48,359And that becoming a real Christian27600:12:48,359 –> 00:12:49,739means having a stronger commitment,27700:12:50,640 –> 00:12:52,119and having more commitment and so forth,27800:12:52,119 –> 00:12:53,820it is all about being disciplined in your commitment,27900:12:53,820 –> 00:12:56,159if you’re a 100 percenter28000:12:56,159 –> 00:12:57,700then you’ll be the real deal28100:12:57,700 –> 00:12:59,280and so forth and so on.28200:13:00,460 –> 00:13:01,719Their focus, in other words,28300:13:01,719 –> 00:13:04,619is entirely on personal effort.28400:13:04,619 –> 00:13:07,520Discipline, trying harder,28500:13:07,520 –> 00:13:09,039behavior modification,28600:13:09,039 –> 00:13:10,719trying to do certain things28700:13:10,719 –> 00:13:12,059in the hope that28800:13:12,059 –> 00:13:13,820this will make you a real Christian.28900:13:13,820 –> 00:13:15,260Let me tell you this,29000:13:15,260 –> 00:13:18,340it never works.29100:13:19,280 –> 00:13:22,780It never works.29200:13:22,780 –> 00:13:26,859Faith is never the fruit of commitment.29300:13:28,059 –> 00:13:30,559It is always the gift of God.29400:13:30,559 –> 00:13:32,840That’s Ephesians Chapter 2 and verse eight.29500:13:33,700 –> 00:13:37,700Faith is a gift that comes down.29600:13:37,700 –> 00:13:41,559It is never an effort that is worked up.29700:13:41,559 –> 00:13:44,239You say, okay, if it’s a gift that comes down,29800:13:44,239 –> 00:13:46,419how does the gift come?29900:13:46,619 –> 00:13:48,780Well, Asaph story has been telling us this.30000:13:48,780 –> 00:13:51,140It was not the result of his own effort30100:13:51,140 –> 00:13:52,380that he was restored.30200:13:52,380 –> 00:13:53,880Indeed he says, verse 16,30300:13:53,880 –> 00:13:57,780when I tried to understand all of this,30400:13:57,780 –> 00:14:00,260it was oppressive to me, It got me nowhere.30500:14:01,239 –> 00:14:02,580How was faith restored?30600:14:02,580 –> 00:14:03,419It was restored.30700:14:03,419 –> 00:14:05,419When I came into the sanctuary, he says,30800:14:05,419 –> 00:14:08,179into the presence of God, I remembered God’s truth,30900:14:08,179 –> 00:14:09,659and what happened was that God31000:14:09,659 –> 00:14:11,140turned on the light for me.31100:14:11,140 –> 00:14:13,380You see, he’s discovered this great principle31200:14:13,380 –> 00:14:17,679that salvation is from the Lord.31300:14:18,979 –> 00:14:21,619See, it’s God who does things31400:14:21,619 –> 00:14:23,460like turning on the light in your mind31500:14:23,460 –> 00:14:26,159so that you begin to see your sin and confess your need.31600:14:26,159 –> 00:14:29,580It is God who does things like bringing you to faith31700:14:29,580 –> 00:14:31,419and restoring your soul.31800:14:32,419 –> 00:14:34,359Now you see, this runs all the way through the Bible.31900:14:34,359 –> 00:14:36,419We’ve been looking at Psalm 73.32000:14:36,419 –> 00:14:40,080It’s the same thing as David found in Psalm 23.32100:14:41,059 –> 00:14:45,219The Lord is my shepherd.32200:14:45,219 –> 00:14:47,719That’s why I shall not want.32300:14:47,719 –> 00:14:51,140He makes me lie down in green pastures.32400:14:51,140 –> 00:14:54,280He leads me by the still waters and guess what?32500:14:54,280 –> 00:14:57,739It’s He who restores my soul.32600:15:00,000 –> 00:15:02,320How will your soul be restored32700:15:02,320 –> 00:15:04,880when you are desperately discouraged?32800:15:06,159 –> 00:15:07,580God will do it.32900:15:08,460 –> 00:15:09,559Thank God.33000:15:10,799 –> 00:15:14,859Let me tell you the story of a man I know very well.33100:15:16,919 –> 00:15:18,659I’m going to call him Joe.33200:15:20,500 –> 00:15:23,500Joe was a pastor for some years.33300:15:24,340 –> 00:15:25,419It wasn’t easy.33400:15:27,419 –> 00:15:32,419Joe and his wife endured great difficulties over many years.33500:15:33,900 –> 00:15:38,900They scraped by in ministry on a desperately low income.33600:15:40,539 –> 00:15:45,239They did what they did in a small church33700:15:45,239 –> 00:15:46,919for the sake of Christ.33800:15:49,140 –> 00:15:51,580After some years, the pressures of the pastorate33900:15:51,580 –> 00:15:53,840began to affect Joe’s health.34000:15:55,359 –> 00:15:56,919And so he left the ministry.34100:15:58,119 –> 00:16:00,859He was desperately discouraged, broken.34200:16:03,679 –> 00:16:06,580Joe and his wife started attending a church in London.34300:16:07,280 –> 00:16:09,340Sometime later, I heard they had stopped going.34400:16:11,400 –> 00:16:14,260A short time after that, Joe’s wife died.34500:16:15,979 –> 00:16:17,080I took the funeral.34600:16:20,780 –> 00:16:25,320It was some time after that that he told me why he gave up.34700:16:30,020 –> 00:16:33,520It has left a deep and a lasting impression34800:16:33,599 –> 00:16:37,760It has left a deep and a lasting impression34900:16:37,760 –> 00:16:39,119on all my thinking.35000:16:43,599 –> 00:16:48,099It was the same every Sunday, Colin, he said.35100:16:50,619 –> 00:16:54,099We just got slammed about making a commitment.35200:16:56,299 –> 00:16:57,599And I was desperate.35300:16:59,960 –> 00:17:02,799I didn’t have any strength.35400:17:04,400 –> 00:17:07,619And I was just looking for hope.35500:17:11,319 –> 00:17:15,900Now, Asaph’s story tells us35600:17:17,599 –> 00:17:22,520what Joel and thousands of others35700:17:22,520 –> 00:17:26,459needs to grasp in the middle of an Asaph experience.35800:17:27,959 –> 00:17:28,959And it’s this.35900:17:28,959 –> 00:17:33,959God will sustain you when your strength is gone.36000:17:34,979 –> 00:17:38,579When your feet are sliding,36100:17:38,579 –> 00:17:41,459he will hold you by your right hand.36200:17:41,459 –> 00:17:44,699He will guide you with his counsel,36300:17:44,699 –> 00:17:49,099and afterwards he will bring you to glory.36400:17:51,459 –> 00:17:56,459And if you have been wounded by a version of Christianity36500:17:56,800 –> 00:18:00,459that makes the gospel seem like an endless list of demands36600:18:00,459 –> 00:18:02,800and impossible expectations,36700:18:02,800 –> 00:18:06,660you need to take in the grace of God from this psalm.36800:18:08,140 –> 00:18:12,560The gospel is not an endless exhortation36900:18:12,560 –> 00:18:15,020to what you should be, what you must be,37000:18:15,020 –> 00:18:17,300what you ought to do, and all the rest of it.37100:18:18,699 –> 00:18:22,099The gospel is about the grace of God, right?37200:18:23,060 –> 00:18:27,119And it’s not your commitment that will lead to God’s grace,37300:18:27,119 –> 00:18:29,979it is God’s grace that will lead to your commitment.37400:18:29,979 –> 00:18:31,540All the difference in the world.37500:18:33,680 –> 00:18:35,219Now I want to suggest three ways37600:18:35,219 –> 00:18:36,780in which we might use this psalm37700:18:36,780 –> 00:18:40,280as we come to a conclusion this morning.37800:18:40,280 –> 00:18:42,380The first is simply a very practical idea37900:18:42,380 –> 00:18:43,780that I hope might be useful.38000:18:43,780 –> 00:18:45,420And that is that you may find,38100:18:45,420 –> 00:18:48,199at times when you go through an ASAPH experience,38200:18:48,199 –> 00:18:51,540that it is useful for you to write your story38300:18:51,660 –> 00:18:55,260as Asaph wrote his story here.38400:18:55,260 –> 00:18:57,560Obviously, this whole psalm is this man38500:18:57,560 –> 00:18:58,920writing out his story,38600:18:58,920 –> 00:19:01,420under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, of course,38700:19:01,420 –> 00:19:02,619and it has been preserved38800:19:02,619 –> 00:19:05,900for our encouragement in the scriptures.38900:19:05,900 –> 00:19:06,739But think about it,39000:19:06,739 –> 00:19:09,339when you go through an ASAPH experience,39100:19:09,339 –> 00:19:12,739you may find it helpful also to write out your story,39200:19:12,739 –> 00:19:17,060and you could use the main points from Psalm 7339300:19:17,060 –> 00:19:21,000as a kind of grid to frame your testimony.39400:19:21,579 –> 00:19:23,040Here’s how you might do it.39500:19:24,339 –> 00:19:25,579You might take a piece of paper39600:19:25,579 –> 00:19:28,099and put up the following headings,39700:19:28,099 –> 00:19:32,160my feet almost slipped because…39800:19:32,160 –> 00:19:35,699And then write down what it is, what it has been,39900:19:35,699 –> 00:19:36,959that has been your struggle,40000:19:36,959 –> 00:19:40,339write it out as honestly as Asaph did,40100:19:40,339 –> 00:19:43,459he wrote it out no holds barred, right?40200:19:44,319 –> 00:19:45,420You can do that.40300:19:46,300 –> 00:19:49,140You can write it out before the Lord,40400:19:49,140 –> 00:19:51,459it will be helpful for you.40500:19:51,459 –> 00:19:55,300My feet almost slipped because…40600:19:56,859 –> 00:19:58,219Then you’ll have a second heading40700:19:58,219 –> 00:20:00,219if you’re following the grid of the psalm,40800:20:00,219 –> 00:20:01,859God taught me that.40900:20:02,619 –> 00:20:04,859You see remember that he went into the presence of God41000:20:04,859 –> 00:20:05,859and the light went on.41100:20:05,859 –> 00:20:08,579Well, God taught me that.41200:20:08,579 –> 00:20:12,140Now if you can’t fill this part out yet,41300:20:13,660 –> 00:20:18,239ask God that He will turn the light on in your mind41400:20:18,239 –> 00:20:20,599and then do what Asaph did.41500:20:20,599 –> 00:20:22,900Keep coming to the place of worship,41600:20:24,119 –> 00:20:26,959keep coming into the presence of God,41700:20:27,839 –> 00:20:31,380keep opening and reading the word of God in the Scriptures41800:20:31,380 –> 00:20:34,479because these are the ways in which God will speak.41900:20:34,479 –> 00:20:37,859In His word and in the company of His people.42000:20:38,959 –> 00:20:40,959Share perhaps what you’ve written with a friend42100:20:40,959 –> 00:20:42,439if that will be helpful to you.42200:20:42,439 –> 00:20:46,719God will draw near and he will help you.42300:20:46,719 –> 00:20:47,900That’s his promise.42400:20:49,040 –> 00:20:50,819Have some hope in that.42500:20:52,119 –> 00:20:55,680He will not leave you without help in your struggle.42600:20:57,020 –> 00:20:59,959Then you might use this third heading, I have confessed,42700:20:59,959 –> 00:21:03,000and write down what God has shown you about yourself.42800:21:04,000 –> 00:21:05,119That’s in the past tense42900:21:05,119 –> 00:21:07,540because once you’ve confessed it,43000:21:07,540 –> 00:21:09,060you mustn’t go on harboring it,43100:21:09,060 –> 00:21:11,599you must believe that what is confessed43200:21:11,599 –> 00:21:13,680in the name of Jesus is forgiven43300:21:13,680 –> 00:21:15,959and, therefore, let it go43400:21:16,180 –> 00:21:18,339and thank God for his grace that forgives.43500:21:19,479 –> 00:21:22,119And lastly, you may write down this heading I believe.43600:21:22,119 –> 00:21:24,880Write down what you do know from the gospel.43700:21:24,880 –> 00:21:26,459It’ll do your soul good.43800:21:26,459 –> 00:21:28,680There are many things that you don’t know,43900:21:28,680 –> 00:21:31,000but Asaph affirms what he does know.44000:21:31,000 –> 00:21:34,579Never allow what you don’t know to hold you back.44100:21:34,579 –> 00:21:37,680Instead, use what you do know44200:21:37,680 –> 00:21:40,760to enable you to move forward.44300:21:40,760 –> 00:21:43,339So you may find, as I’ve found at different points44400:21:43,339 –> 00:21:45,380in my life, to write out44500:21:46,140 –> 00:21:49,359the experience in which the Lord is meeting you44600:21:49,359 –> 00:21:51,479and the turn through which he’s bringing you44700:21:51,479 –> 00:21:56,459will help to clarify how he is at work in your life.44800:21:58,140 –> 00:22:00,140What a great reminder there from Pastor Colin44900:22:00,140 –> 00:22:02,880that faith is never the result of our effort.45000:22:02,880 –> 00:22:05,699It’s always a gift from God.45100:22:05,699 –> 00:22:08,339That was the first part of our message, commit,45200:22:08,339 –> 00:22:11,520and it’s part of our series, I almost gave up.45300:22:11,520 –> 00:22:13,239And if you ever miss one of the series,45400:22:13,239 –> 00:22:14,800don’t forget you can always catch up45500:22:14,900 –> 00:22:17,079or go back and listen again online45600:22:17,079 –> 00:22:20,920at our website OpentheBible.org.uk45700:22:20,920 –> 00:22:22,859or you can find us as a podcast45800:22:22,859 –> 00:22:24,719and those are on all the main podcast sites.45900:22:24,719 –> 00:22:27,000Search for Open the Bible UK46000:22:27,000 –> 00:22:29,219or follow the link from our website.46100:22:30,400 –> 00:22:33,219Also available on our website and as a podcast46200:22:33,219 –> 00:22:35,260is Open the Bible Daily.46300:22:35,260 –> 00:22:36,560And that’s our series of46400:22:36,560 –> 00:22:39,479short two to three minute daily reflections46500:22:39,479 –> 00:22:41,619based on Pastor Colin’s teaching46600:22:41,619 –> 00:22:43,760and read specially in the UK.46700:22:43,760 –> 00:22:48,760That’s Open the Bible Daily at openthebible.org.uk46800:22:48,900 –> 00:22:51,260Open the Bible is supported by our listeners.46900:22:51,260 –> 00:22:52,800It’s people just like you47000:22:52,800 –> 00:22:56,219who enable us to stay on the radio and on the internet47100:22:56,219 –> 00:22:57,619and we’re extremely grateful47200:22:57,619 –> 00:22:59,599for the support we receive from you.47300:22:59,599 –> 00:23:01,760So if you already gave to Open the Bible,47400:23:01,760 –> 00:23:03,380thank you so much.47500:23:03,380 –> 00:23:05,560If you’re considering beginning to support47600:23:05,560 –> 00:23:07,280Open the Bible financially,47700:23:07,280 –> 00:23:09,819this month we have a great offer for you.47800:23:09,819 –> 00:23:12,119If you’re able to begin a direct debit47900:23:12,439 –> 00:23:14,619of five pounds per month or more48000:23:14,619 –> 00:23:17,839or a one-off gift of 60 pounds or more,48100:23:17,839 –> 00:23:19,520we’d love to say thank you48200:23:19,520 –> 00:23:22,800by sending you a copy of John Stott’s book,48300:23:22,800 –> 00:23:25,079The Incomparable Christ.48400:23:25,079 –> 00:23:27,640Colin, who is this book for?48500:23:27,640 –> 00:23:29,680Well it’s for anyone who wants to know48600:23:29,680 –> 00:23:31,479the Lord Jesus Christ better48700:23:31,479 –> 00:23:33,839and it’s written by one of the most influential48800:23:33,839 –> 00:23:36,280Christian leaders of the 20th Century.48900:23:36,280 –> 00:23:40,040John Stott was a faithful preacher, a pastor and a scholar49000:23:40,040 –> 00:23:41,739for over 60 years.49100:23:41,739 –> 00:23:43,739He’s one of my heroes of the faith.49200:23:43,739 –> 00:23:46,060I love to read his writing49300:23:46,060 –> 00:23:48,099and never more so than when he’s writing49400:23:48,099 –> 00:23:50,300on the most central subject of all,49500:23:50,300 –> 00:23:54,380the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.49600:23:54,380 –> 00:23:56,739This book, the Incomparable Christ,49700:23:56,739 –> 00:23:58,839if you’ve never read a book by John Stott,49800:23:58,839 –> 00:24:00,680this is a great place to start.49900:24:00,680 –> 00:24:04,060It’s a deep dive on who Jesus is50000:24:04,060 –> 00:24:06,020and it comes in four parts.50100:24:06,020 –> 00:24:09,760We see Jesus as he is presented in the New Testament,50200:24:09,800 –> 00:24:11,599Jesus as he’s been presented50300:24:11,599 –> 00:24:13,880by the church over the centuries,50400:24:13,880 –> 00:24:18,359Jesus as he’s inspired various figures in history50500:24:18,359 –> 00:24:22,099and Jesus as he’s presented to us in the book of Revelation.50600:24:22,099 –> 00:24:24,359It’s just a glorious snapshot50700:24:24,359 –> 00:24:27,119of who the Lord Jesus Christ is.50800:24:27,119 –> 00:24:28,719And I think anyone who reads this book50900:24:28,719 –> 00:24:30,239is going to feel that they come51000:24:30,239 –> 00:24:32,020to a deeper worship of Jesus,51100:24:32,020 –> 00:24:33,760a deeper love for Jesus51200:24:33,760 –> 00:24:36,000and a deeper trust in Jesus too.51300:24:36,000 –> 00:24:37,459Well, this book by John Stott,51400:24:37,520 –> 00:24:40,239The Incomparable Christ is our gift to you51500:24:40,239 –> 00:24:42,239when you begin a new, direct debit51600:24:42,239 –> 00:24:43,979to the work of Open the Bible51700:24:43,979 –> 00:24:47,099in the amount of five pounds per month or more51800:24:47,099 –> 00:24:51,300or a one-off gift of 60 pounds or more this month.51900:24:51,300 –> 00:24:53,680Full terms and conditions are on our website,52000:24:53,680 –> 00:24:57,180that’s at openthebible.org.uk52100:24:57,180 –> 00:24:59,180and you can give online.52200:24:59,180 –> 00:25:01,739Don’t forget to leave your full name and address52300:25:01,739 –> 00:25:03,819so we can send you your free gift.52400:25:03,819 –> 00:25:07,119For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith,52500:25:07,160 –> 00:25:09,300I’m David Pick, and I look forward to you52600:25:09,300 –> 00:25:11,420joining us again for our next program.52700:25:17,300 –> 00:25:20,839You almost gave up, you almost lost your faith,52800:25:20,839 –> 00:25:22,920but God brought you through it all.52900:25:22,920 –> 00:25:26,260Find some practical ways to respond to Him53000:25:26,260 –> 00:25:28,319next time on Open the Bible.