Kerwin Baptist Church Daily Sermon Broadcast

Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church that trouble me.

Many are they that rise up against me. And that has to do with the timing of the music. All of these Psalms were sung. This was the song book. And these Psalms were sung and Selah obviously would control the timing and when pause would be in a song or different things of that nature. What's interesting in Psalm 3 is that Selah is given three different times. Now there's only eight verses. And so as we look at this meaning to stop and really meditate, think about what you have just heard or sung. We think that man there's a lot of room to pause and meditate and stop in this one chapter and eight short verses. Notice if you would, verse three.

But thou O Lord, that means verse one and two say one thing and then we change directions. Verse three, but thou O Lord art a shield for me, my glory and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the Lord with my voice and he heard me out of his holy hill.

Selah, I laid me down and slept. I awake for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about. Arise O Lord, save me O my God for thou hast smitten all my enemies upon the cheek bone. Thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord. Thy blessing is upon thy people, Selah. Lord we need you this morning and I know Lord I especially need you. And I know the things you've laid on my heart and Lord may I make them clear and plain. May your word be a blessing to our people as it was to me. In Jesus name, Amen.

A couple things I want you to see first before we dig into this. This psalm was written at a very difficult time in David's life. David was literally running from his own son. His son Absalom was trying to kill his dad. He was not trying to just get his dad's crown and be king.

He was trying to kill his dad. And the Bible gives a lot about Absalom. The Bible describes Absalom as a rebellious young man. The Bible describes Absalom as a very popular young man. The Bible says that Absalom often times would stand outside of the gates and when people would be upset or disagree with David the king that Absalom would go and talk to them and he would say something like well if you don't agree with that I don't either if you'll help me to become king. Or if I was king I would do like what you just said.

And he would kind of win and try to gain the hearts of the people and different things. And so we know Absalom had his issues. But I will say this that there are a lot of us that would think maybe Absalom had good reason to hate his dad and to be mad at his dad.

And what had happened just to give you a little bit of background. David, you all know about the sin that David had with Bathsheba. David was the king and they were at war and David should have been at war. But he was at home and he was in his king's chambers and he was looking out over his kingdom and he saw a woman taking a bath on her rooftop. And he lusted after her and being the king he did what he wanted to do. He had them bring that woman Bathsheba to him and he did that which was not right. And she became pregnant and he began to panic thinking that her husband was at war and here I am here and she ends up pregnant.

People are going to know something went on. So he sent and had her husband brought back to just spend the night there. He thought maybe if he comes home he and his wife will be together and then they'll think that's the reason and then her husband will know this is the reason because if she ends up pregnant he knows he hadn't been home for probably a year or two he would know something was wrong. But unfortunately for David's plan but as always in the providence of God he was such a good man that her husband instead of going home to his wife he slept outside of David's door to protect him because he was a soldier. Well when David found this out it ruined his plan and so David sent that man her husband to the battlefield to the very front line knowing he would be killed.

This is all in an attempt to cover his sin. And it was bad and things began to happen one after another from that point and the baby that Bathsheba had died and so David had to basically pay for his sin through that and then David had a daughter and he had another son and they were step brothers. It was a step brother and a step sister and David's son Amnon ended up raping his own half sister Tamar. So David's son raped David's daughter and although they were step brother and sister he ended up raping her and Absalom who was Tamar's full brother.

Amnon was just a half brother but Tamar was Absalom's sister full blood. You know dad and mom and David the king didn't really do anything about it and so Absalom took things under control and obviously Amnon was killed and so Absalom was mad at his dad. He hadn't defended his sister and his dad had done things that were wrong and got this woman pregnant and he was the king and Absalom had a lot of bitterness and a lot of resentment and a lot of these things had happened and so now in Psalm chapter 3 David is running from his son and Absalom had turned much of the kingdom against David and now David is running and he runs up to the Mount of Olives we know later where he is here in Psalm chapter 3 and he is up on the Mount of Olives running for his life praying, he's singing, he is trying to do everything he can do to keep a relationship with God despite what's been done despite fearing for his life, despite these down days and hurtful days and dark days that he's in.

So we find here in verse 1 that David when he fled from Absalom his son number 1 I want you to understand this chapter number 1 we see David's restlessness. The Bible says here in verse 1 that he said Lord how are they increased that trouble me many are they that rise up against me and he was fleeing from Absalom his son number 1 I want you to see that he had a problem with family I know if you're a parent that you have probably at times experienced problems with your kids be they're young, teens, older, whatever there always ends up to be issues and some things but I wonder how many of you have actually had to run for your life because your son or daughter was trying to kill you maybe some of you have actually faced that I don't know about you that's not what I've been it's been the temptation sometimes to run after them and try to hunt them down but you ever had family problems? Do you know it's very difficult when you have problems with family? Let me ask you this have you ever had problems with your children?

Have you ever been hurt because of what your children have done or the direction that they're going? Here's David hiding out for his life literally who had been the king now he was hiding in brushes and caves and dark areas and shaded areas because his own son was trying to kill him Number two he had persecution from friends he didn't just have problems with family but he had persecution from friends you see when it says here that he was running from his son then he says this Lord how are they increased that trouble me many are they notice this that rise up against me he is describing people that used to be for him people that used to be loyal to him people that used to love him now they had risen up against him these are people that he had trusted and loved and by the way David had been very good to his son Absalom he had been very lenient and he had been very merciful to Absalom and now Absalom had repaid him by trying to kill him and then David had individuals as the king that he had taken care of that he had shown loyalty to and now they had gathered around Absalom and now they were rising up against David have you ever experienced persecution from friends? you know what I find interesting David here says two things about this number one he says that there were very many and number two he says that they were very malicious what's amazing is that as Absalom began to turn against his dad the snowball began in motion and David here in Psalm 3 literally talks as a person that is absolutely amazed that just can't believe that so many people that he loved and trusted were now against him have you ever been there in your life maybe at a job?

maybe in your own family? folks that you trusted, folks that you loved, folks that you thought surely they would never and they did this is how David was feeling what I find interesting here that David amidst persecution from his friends and problems with his family David here was still having communion with God can I give you a little bit of advice this morning and I want to help you let no kindness or unkindness and let no persecution or abuse ever make you stop your communion with God because that's exactly what Satan wants the average person when there's problems with family our tendency is to back away from them and from God and the common person when they begin to have problems with friends or people they begin to stop reading their Bible and stop praying and stop going to church and stop winning the spiritual battle and dear friends, Satan is winning every day I want to challenge you it doesn't matter what family or friends or anybody does to you don't let it stop your communion with God as a Christian that's your life blood so many people do let me tell you the third thing that he's facing here which I find to me the most damaging look if you would at verse 2 he says many there be which say of my soul there's no help for him in God what I find interesting in David's restlessness here why he couldn't hardly sleep and he couldn't hardly eat and he was running for his life is because he had problem with family and he had persecution for friends but let me tell you what was weighing on him heavily was past failure you see what David here is saying is that there's a lot of people that are saying because of what I've done that there's no help for him David is saying they're literally saying this about me and my soul that even God can't help him that wicked king because of what he's done I don't know about you but I find at times that you know what eventually maybe I could deal with those problems with family and when there's persecution from friends or whatever the case might be that eventually maybe you can get victory and get over that but can I tell you something dear friends the hardest thing that I have ever had to deal with and I deal with it every day of my life is failure of myself and as David is running and hiding there had to be part of him that realized that he had created some of this by the failures he had done anybody here ever failed? anybody here ever found it difficult to deal with yourself and you have blown it David comes to God and he basically lays out what they were saying about him literally they were saying even God can't help you David we're after you we're going to kill you and God's not even going to help you because you have failed and if you're not careful that's exactly what Satan wants you to think when you've blown it it's done God can't get you out of this situation even God can't help you now God's probably mad at you and God doesn't want anything to do with you because you've blown it because you have done this in your life and dear friend you might be here and you might have made some mistakes and you might have apologized and gotten right and then you messed up again but I'm here to tell you God doesn't hold that against you He gives us through exactly what Deborah was talking about his grace David said they say of me Lord that you won't even help me he's talking to God right here he said God they're saying about me that I can't even get help from you and to this complaint he adds the word Selah saying this it's literally a long pause that all the things that they had said hurtful what had hurt David the most was that they said that God can't even help you and David stops right there and there's a long pause as he talks to God wondering for a response God is that true that even you can't help me that even you would turn your back on me right now when everybody in my life has turned their back on me I find it interesting that you find the attitude change as verse 3 begins and what happens is David literally is saying here let them say what they want but what I am concerned about is what you have to say God and can I give you a little bit of advice today what's not important in your life is what people have to say what is important is what God has to say that's what's important well let's see what God had to say to David let's see by the way as we look through this chapter what God is to his people what God here is to David what David found in God and what you and I can find in God because as David was restless in verse 1 and 2 beginning in verse 3 we find something interesting here David describes his relationship with the Lord so David goes from restlessness to his relationship let's look at our relationship with God now this encouraged me here's David in a dark time this is what people are saying God this is what I'm going through I'm hiding from my life look if you would at verse 3 but thou O Lord art a shield for me my glory and the lifter up of mine head this begins the part of David's relationship with the Lord and David begins to describe it and I want to encourage you with this today number one you'll see that it is a pardoned relationship here's what's interesting notice those first three words but thou O Lord now that word O is not a word so before you begin to say there's four words no it's not it's three words and a letter I watched Sesame Street when I was younger blah blah blah remember that count anyway we don't want to talk about that notice what he says in verse 2 this is what people are saying they have past judgment they say there's no help for me they say I've blown it they say I'm dead but in verse 3 but thou O Lord what he is saying is this God they have past judgment they have past sins they are done with me but you think differently dear friend I'm here to tell you if you know the Lord as your savior you have a pardoned relationship people might say whatever they want to about you but God doesn't feel that way they might look and say you're a failure but God says you're my friend they might look at you and say you know what you have blown it but God looks at you and says you're forgiven but thou O Lord isn't it wonderful to know it doesn't matter what anybody else has to say what's important is what God says dear friend I'm here to tell you your whole family and your whole whatever social circles might have turned on you but the Lord feels different the Bible says he will never leave thee nor forsake thee even if you've blown it a pardoned relationship what I love about this by the way is that conjunction B-U-T now there are other conjunctions there's a conjunction called and and you know what the conjunction and does and connects or continues but the conjunction but it changes and continues and obviously connects but that conjunction but changes thought that means this the word and means whatever's coming next is exactly what was in the front but the word but means this that what was said now there's a different opinion coming they say this God but thou say differently a pardoned relationship notice number two we see a protecting relationship David said but thou O Lord art a shield protection that means this everybody might be against me but God I don't have any kind of a shield I don't have any way to defend myself I'm out here hiding in the shrubs and the bushes up here on the Mount of Olives man I am crying half the time I'm praying half the time I'm trying to sing psalms half the time and God I'm about to go crazy I don't have any way to defend myself but God you're my shield dear friend listen to me may I give you another little piece of advice quit trying to protect yourself quit trying to take care of everybody else and block what they have to say and constantly trying to fix this and fix that dear friend you don't have to be your own shield God is your shield and you know the only way you and I ever find that out is when we get to the point that we can't defend ourselves and God comes through dear friend you're going to drive yourself nuts trying to answer everybody that criticizes you and let me tell you something I'm going to be honest with you a lot of preachers get up and blast technology and different things and I'm here to tell you I don't feel necessarily that way about it I think technology is just like everything else in this world it can be used for good and it can be used for bad and I'm going to tell you something even something like Facebook I have seen Facebook be a blessing to my family I don't even have Facebook I don't have a Facebook page I don't have the time all I can see is a bunch of problems coming out of it because somebody would want to friend me and I don't want to friend them back or maybe I didn't see it I didn't see it for a month and I'm going to lose families out of my church because preacher didn't friend me on Facebook so I'm not even going to go through that but I'm going to tell you something I have watched Facebook be a blessing as folks spread things and people pray for you and they know about things and I'm going to tell you something they just recently did a TV story in Denver, Colorado about Kayden Denver is building a bed for Kayden because he heard about his condition and I go through the whole thing and he raised money on social media some of you might have even given to that and he raised money, he's building this bed driving it all the way from Denver to August to give it to Kayden because of his heart condition and different things and they did a whole TV story in Denver they Skyped my wife and I and we were interviewing with a reporter there and it hit the news and I think last count like 38,000 people praying for Kayden, praying for Kayden I don't know Kayden, I'm here to tell you I'm so thankful that word spreads like that and I'm so thankful for every prayer that God would give or people would give to God on behalf of my son I am for all that but I'm here to tell you one of the downside about social media is that when you get criticized or somebody's after you or somebody's against you they're going to get on there and type that and you might not even know who they are and you don't have a face and all of a sudden people will begin to jump on and I'm here to tell you that you're going to drive yourself crazy to try to defend yourself to everybody let God be your shield David said you're my shield I am not strong enough right now God to be my own shield here's a man David that killed a giant here's a man David that tore a lion's mouth apart who killed a bear, bare handed who had literally slain thousands of men on his own now he couldn't even protect himself he said God you're my shield let me tell you something you go ahead and you try to protect yourself all you want to but I'm here to tell you eventually the time will come when you can't and God will have to be your shield I want you to notice not only is it a pardoned relationship a protecting relationship but oh I love this it's a personal relationship David said this but thou O Lord aren't a shield what? for me isn't it nice to know that God is a shield and he gives grace and glory but what is even more wonderful is that he's your shield it's personal God takes care of you like you're the only person in the world David said God you're a shield that makes it obviously protecting but he said for me that makes it personal you're my shield you're there when I need you you're always with me you're always protecting you're always watching dear friend how blessed you ought to be this morning I don't care what's going on in your life and how bad it is let me tell you something you and I have no idea how many things God has protected us from over the years and he did it for you personally it's personal he's a shield for me let me say next that we only see that it's a pardoned relationship it's a protected relationship a shield it's a personal relationship for me and notice this it's a praising relationship David says this but thou O Lord are to shield for me and he says this my glory that means this now listen you gotta understand what David here David here admits that with his failures there is nothing in himself to glory about the only thing in David's life worth giving glory to was his Lord you are my glory and by the way listen to this God is the only thing in your life worth glorying about can I ask you something is God the only glory in your life or is there a part of you that glorifies in you I'm gonna be honest with you it's amazing how personal failure can change that and humble us it's amazing how you and I will glory in ourselves very willingly but as soon as we blow it and we fail and folks start turning against us then we realize I got nothing to glory about only God may I say this that here is David he allowed himself to have impure thoughts and then he allowed himself to have impure actions and he was the king and he had what he wanted and by the way David had seven wives at the time that he did this with Bathsheba I've been working on a message a lot of people didn't know that I've studied every one of his seven wives and it is an interesting study let me tell you but this man had seven wives and then here comes Bathsheba and here he's the king he had impure thoughts impure actions on top of the world thinks he can do whatever he wants to do he does what he wants get what he wants he has whoever kill that he wants and now after being big king and being on top of the hill now he's hiding in bushes running for his life and now he says God you're my only glory I have failed I have blown it but God you have it you're my glory dear friend I don't know about you but when you have some failures in your life as I have there ain't nothing left in here to glory of there ain't nothing left to brag about there's nothing left to try to get credit for something I've blown it way more than I've been victorious God's my only glory you come up if you're nice and some people are kind I know that probably half the time they're not telling the truth and they don't mean it but if you come up and you say preacher that was a great message today can I tell you something there ain't no part of Daniel Hotry that thinks Daniel Hotry had anything to do with that cause Daniel Hotry knows Daniel Hotry's failures and I'm here to tell you to God be the glory if God uses something in your life David said here it's a praising relationship and by the way we all eventually will find through circumstances in our life that God is our only glory I want you to notice next he says but thou O Lord art a shield for me my glory notice this a providing relationship the lifter up of my head and by the way you say preacher what are you saying here I am saying this that when you're low and when you're down and when you're defeated the Holy Spirit of God comes into your life and he lifts up that head he provides that strength he provides that encouragement whatever is needed to get that head up and get that spirit up and get back out to serve God that Holy Spirit provides that in your life it's a providing relationship dear friend look at me I'm not this isn't about me but I'm going to tell you I can't use one of you I might hurt your feelings if I gave your life story but I'm going to tell you something the past three or four years there have been enough circumstances in my life through the things we have been through sitting in hospitals watching a mom die watching a child an infant go through surgeries whatever the case might be there has been a lot of times that I'm going to tell you that my head has been lifted up and I made it to the pulpit on Sunday morning and I tried to preach with a fresh heart and I tried to preach as best I could with a clean heart and a pure heart and the only reason that my head was lifted up is because God did it because I did not have the strength to lift up my own head but God provides that and you might have had times in your life by the time a Sunday night's done you don't even have strength to get up on Monday morning and go to work but you wake up and you do it why because God lifts up that head dear friend quit trying to lift it up on your own trying to find this and that to make you happy and to make you content dear friend you can't we're not made with the ability God has to lift up our head thank you for listening today we hope you received a blessing from our broadcast the Kerwin Baptist Church is located at 4520 Old Hollow Road in Kernersville North Carolina you may also contact us by phone at 336-993-5192 or via the web at kerwinbaptistchurch.com and our services live and all our media on our website and church app thank you for listening to the Kerwin broadcast today, God bless you