A Homesick Soul

Okay, morning folks. Lovely to see you today. My name is Graham. I'm the pastor here.

I'm a bit tired this morning. I haven't been on that weekend away yesterday, but it is lovely to be

! together as a church family. If you have a Bible, you're going to need Psalm 43 open in front of you.

Also worth having a finger in John chapter 14, which is, surprise, it's just where we're going to end

John 14 · chapter mention

this morning. Two places that are going to be helpful for us to have God's Word open in front

of us so that you can see that what I'm saying, I hope, is what God says in His Word. But maybe to

get us started and to get us into the situation of this Psalm, complete the phrase on the screen.

It's given away. There's no place like home. So I wonder who here this morning is the furthest away

from home. Michaela, what do you think? Which is home in it? Where's home again? Michigan.

I can think of one person in this room who might top that, but go for it. Yeah.

10,000 miles. Wow. Putting the proclaimers to shame with their 500 miles. Hayden, you're

who I was thinking of this morning. Where are you from, buddy? Where's home?

South New Zealand.

South New Zealand, which I don't think you could actually get much further away from here,

could you? Puts my 12 minutes down the road to shame. But you know that phrase that we

have, okay? There's no place like home. When was the last time you found yourself saying

that? We don't say it when we're away from home, do we? We actually say it when we're in

our bed and we're at home. Actually, there's no place like home. But we all know that feeling,

don't we? That my body might be somewhere, but my heart is way back there. And that longing,

bring it to this psalm, and you begin to understand the situation into which this is written.

Take it with you to Psalm 43. Right? My body might be here, but my heart's way back there.

That's where the writer of this psalm is in Psalm 43. Here's the geography of this psalm.

Currently, if you look at verse 6 of Psalm 42, the writer of this psalm is miles away from Jerusalem,

up in the north, miles away from home. But their heart is back in Jerusalem, back at home.

But this is about way more than just homesickness. No wish you were here postcard from his mates

back home. He's going to soften the blow that the psalmist feels from being miles away from his home.

There's a way bigger spiritual dimension going on in this psalm for us to see.

What we're going to see this morning is the reality of how hard life can be.

We're going to think about the beauty of who Jesus is. And then we're going to think about the wonder

for every Christian of the glory of home. And this is what is pulled out in this psalm today.

So if you're in that place where actually life is really hard just now, and you're longing that it

wouldn't be the case, there's wonderful balm for your soul in this psalm.

The detachment, if you look at verse 2 of Psalm 43, the detachment, if the writer's trying to describe

what this feels like, do you see the word beginning with M that they go for? It's not miss, a miss home.

This detachment feels like mourning. That's how there's been a death in the family word, isn't it?

It's mourning. And the strength of that word there makes us want to ask, why so strong?

Two things I think explain it. Here's the first one. I think it's his job, the psalmist job.

Now, Psalm 43, you'll notice, doesn't have underneath the word Psalm 43. It doesn't have an assigned author.

But if you look at Psalm 42, and there's good reason to think of Psalm 42 and Psalm 43 going together,

we'll come back to that. Underneath the words of Psalm 42, do you see what's written in italics?

It is a mascal, and that word just means a song that's written in order to impart wisdom, right?

So you can imagine you go to Spotify, you type in, I want a wisdom song. This is the one that's coming up.

It's that kind of gig, okay? A mascal, song to, written to impart wisdom, and written by the sons of Korah.

Now, the sons of Korah were the musicians who served at the temple back in Jerusalem.

So they are, for all intents and purposes, if you want to understand it in our language today,

they are the worship leaders at the temple. That's their job, but it's more than just their job.

This is not something kind of Dolly Parton, 9 to 5. This is just what we do.

No, this is, and you get it in this psalm, this is their job, and it's their joy.

Love doing this.

But now, this psalmist, because he's away up north, away from home, away from his job, away from his people,

this psalmist is staring early retirement from the thing that they love doing right in the face,

and they wonder if they'll ever get back to do it again.

That's the first thing. It's their job.

But the second thing that explains it, it's all to do with the reason that they've ended up away from Jerusalem in the first place.

And it's not because they typed the wrong digits into Satnav and got lost and refused to ask for directions.

They've been driven away from Jerusalem, way up to the north, because their enemies have forced them out.

And the combination of both of those things, this is a double whammy.

The combination of both of those things, and notice the word verse 5, it has left them feeling downcast.

And that's a hugely emotional word.

Of all the words they could have picked, downcast.

And it's spelled out with graphic metaphors all the way through Psalm 42.

Take, for example, verse 3. Do you see it of Psalm 42?

My tears have been my food day and night.

Now there's a metaphor and everything in that phrase.

Have you ever done that?

Have you ever cried so much that the taste from the salt of your tears hits your mouth and you begin to taste it?

That's the idea that's going on here.

This person, this psalmist, is at rock bottom.

And if life were a boxing match, this is the point where you would be winded, lying on the canvas, thinking to yourself,

do I have the strength to get myself back up again and go again?

And do you know what?

There will be times for all of us, I think, as Christians, as we follow Jesus, when we're there.

We're downcast.

We're overwhelmed.

And we're just really sad.

We're low.

And it's not that we've done anything wrong.

It's just living in this world where it's broken.

You know, there's no indication that the psalmist has done anything wrong here.

There's no sin involved here.

But I think the very fact that God has given us this hymn book of the Psalms is God's way of saying,

do you know what?

In life, you will feel like this.

And here's my permission slip, as it were, as a parent, to say, it's okay to feel like this.

And I'll go better than that.

I'll give you a song that you can sing when you feel like this, and you can just sing it back to me.

Do you not love that God is big enough to handle our questions?

Do you not love that God is loving enough that he invites these kind of questions as a father who knows us?

Here's what we can sing in the times when we're downcast.

And we need to add this song to the Spotify playlist of our Christian lives.

Because do you know what this is?

This is a hymn for the hurting and homesick heart.

It's a hymn for the hurting and homesick heart.

And just look what is going on in this psalm if we get into the details of it.

They're crying out.

This psalm is two things.

Just crying out to God.

Look at the first thing.

Firstly, verse 1.

Do you see that?

God, here's the first cry.

Declare me right.

Do you see the first word there, verse 1?

Literally the first word.

Vindicate.

Straight from the law court.

What's going on here?

Vindicate me.

Because currently the enemies living round about me are saying,

Oi, Bible basher.

Where's your God now?

Did he miss the memo?

Is he asleep?

And so the Sabbath is saying,

God, would you,

in your perfect way,

would you declare in the sight of the watching world

that I'm in the right for trusting you

and they're in the wrong for mocking and defying you?

That's what he's,

he's crying out to God.

Right?

I don't know about you,

but I found it in my own soul this week

as you kind of watch the stuff

that was going on in the parliament,

the votes,

and just the heaviness of that.

You know, we're living our lives in a world

that is just hostile to God.

Just pursuing our own ways.

And of course,

we engage in those debates compassionately,

but we engage with conviction as well.

But a world that says,

no, do we want to go our own way?

We're not going God's way.

I found that overwhelming.

The psalmist is saying,

declare me right in the eyes of the watching world

for trusting you.

And the second thing, verse three,

if the first cry is declare me right,

the second cry is bring me home.

Do you see the language here?

Send me,

verse three,

let them,

let them.

So here's what I think

the psalmist realizes

as he says those words.

I think he realizes

that he is powerless

to change this situation.

Being there,

God, this has to be all of you

because I ain't got nothing.

And look specifically

at the plea of verse three.

Send me your light

and your faithful care.

Some of your translations

will say truth.

Send me your light.

Send me your truth.

Maybe he's thinking

in the Bible story,

of course,

if he's a worship leader

at the temple,

he's singing about

how God has delivered

his people over the past.

Maybe he's thinking

specifically about

how God led his people

from Egypt

through the wilderness

and to the promised land

by a pillar of fire

by night.

Maybe that's what he's thinking

of in his head.

And he's saying,

God, I want you to do it again.

And I want that light,

I want that truth

to lead me,

as it were,

carry me all the way

to your,

do you see it?

Holy mountain.

And what's the deal

with God's holy mountain

in this psalm?

It is the place

where God dwells.

So he's not after

a bit of real estate,

is he?

He's after the very presence

of God himself,

which at the time

of writing

would have been

the temple

at Jerusalem.

He's saying,

God, bring me to you.

I want you.

My soul is lost.

It is,

look at verse 1

of verse 42.

I'm like a deer

panting by streams

of water.

I've actually not seen

many deer in my life,

believe it or not,

but I've seen a lot

of dogs do this.

Just desperate,

desperate for water.

And that's what he's saying,

Lord, I'm desperate

for you.

Because you are my joy

and you are my delight,

would you bring me home?

But this is all of you.

I can't do this.

Would you bring me home?

And then we get

that inner pep talk

repeated at verse 5.

He's saying to himself,

come on soul.

Come on soul.

Remember.

Remember who this God is.

Remember he's the Lord.

Capital L,

capital O,

capital R,

capital D.

He's the God

who promises.

He's the God

that delivers.

And I know it's

looking bleak out here,

but come on soul,

remember who this God is.

He will act.

He will be faithful

to his promises.

And do you see

how these are

the exact same words?

This is a total

copy and paste job.

Right?

This was the plagiarism check

when you submit

your essay at uni.

This would be flagging up.

Right?

We've seen this before.

Three times we get it.

See verse,

sorry,

Psalm 42 verse 5.

Psalms 42:5

Psalm 42 verse 11.

Psalms 42:11

And here we go,

Psalm 43 verse 5.

Psalms 43:5

Three times it's

exactly the same phrase.

And that tells us

something really important

about the Christian life.

Our soul needs to hear

the same truths

from God's word

over and over

and over

and over

again.

Pride says,

I've heard it before.

Humility says,

I need it again.

Over

and over

and over.

What do they say

about repetition?

It's the mother of all

education.

Here's his advice.

This song,

put it on your record player.

This advice,

why are you,

my soul,

so downcast?

Play it on repeat.

Play it on repeat.

Feel no embarrassment

about putting it on repeat.

My kids are always like that.

Dad,

we've heard this song.

We heard another one.

No.

Let's hear the same one.

Hope in God.

That's what he's saying.

In other words,

remember soul

because of who God is

and what he said is true.

One day,

all of this is going to pass

and I'll be home with God.

And here's the thing.

We can sing this today

ever so,

so much more confidently

than the psalmist here

could sing this.

Do you know why?

Because that plea

that the writer has made

away from home,

God,

would you send me

your light

and your truth

and would that light

and truth

lead me home to you?

We can say to ourselves

this morning

that God has answered

that cry

and he's answered

that cry

in the person

of the one

who called himself

the way,

the truth

and the life.

Jesus says that

about himself

in John chapter 14.

John 14 · chapter mention

Do you want to

skim there?

You can turn there

to John chapter 14.

John 14 · chapter mention

And it's a wonderful

chapter of John's gospel

and the context

is that Jesus

has just told

his 12 disciples

that

having been with them

for three years,

he's leaving them

and he's going

to his father

in heaven.

So he's no longer

going to be physically

with them.

And imagine the questions

flying about their minds

at this point.

How are we going to cope

when our main guy

is not around?

How are we going to

stand for him

when he's not

by our side?

How are we going to

experience knowing him

when he's not physically

with us anymore?

Will we ever get home?

You see the disciples

are panicking

in John 14

but Jesus

isn't.

And he speaks

words of truth

to troubled hearts.

And if you see

is it verse 1

of chapter 14?

Jesus says

do not be troubled.

And so when we cry

why?

Why?

God?

How long?

Lord?

There are no sweeter

words for our souls

to hear than Jesus

saying

don't be troubled.

And what makes

those words more

than just one

of those thinking

of you cards

that you'd pick up

in the card factory

and gives them

gravity

is that Jesus

says in John 14

that he goes

to prepare a place

for us.

And before he's

talking about heaven

what we need to

understand is that

place that he's

talking about

is the cross.

That's the place

where he's going

first and foremost.

The place where he

will willingly die

bearing the punishment

for all of our mistakes,

all of our sin,

all of our shame,

all of our regrets.

He goes there

to make us

right with God.

It's there

that we are made

sons and daughters

adopted into the

family of God

as the Spirit

is sent

to live inside

of us.

Salvation

is all of him.

It's all of him.

The psalmist

is saying

God it has to be

all of you

and Jesus

comes along

and says

John 14

do you know what?

It's going to be

all of me.

salvation

is all of him.

I feel that burden

off of you

this morning.

Salvation

is all of him.

I like to think

of it like this

when it comes

to salvation.

You know when you

go out with a friend

for dinner

something to eat

and there's that

awkward moment

when it comes

to paying

and if you haven't

agreed this in advance

what often happens

in those moments

is just say

we're going to

split it.

Yeah?

We're going to split

the bill.

See when it

comes to salvation

friends

we don't split

the bill

with Jesus.

This is all

of him.

Jesus goes

to pay it all

and because

he goes

to the cross

God vindicates

him at the

resurrection

and 40 days

later he ascends

to heaven

and do you not

love the intimate

and homely

language that

Jesus uses

to speak of

heaven?

This is not

the father's

hotel.

This isn't a

place where

guests check

in, stay

the night

have breakfast

leave a review

on TripAdvisor

and then check

out again.

This is the

father's house.

Children live

there with

their father.

I don't know

maybe home

for you

wasn't a good

place

when you were

growing up

and I'm

really sorry

to hear that

that was your

experience

but this will

be everything

that we

ever want

in a home.

A place

of warmth,

a place

of protection,

a place

of communion,

a place

of delight.

Of course

in the bigger

Bible story

this is

everything

that Adam

and Eve

had,

Genesis 1

and Genesis 2

before sin

entered the

human equation.

How often

we think of

heaven as a

place where

our dreams

come true

like heaven

is this

never ending

round of golf

or it's a

never ending

week long

shopping trip

in Milan.

What makes

heaven heaven

is what

Jesus says

about it

that one

day he

will return

and he

will take

us to be

with himself.

So what

makes heaven

heaven

is the fact

that he's

there.

Meanwhile

Thomas chips

in at verse

5,

Lord how

will we

know the

way?

So we're

going to be

away from

you,

we're going

to be

away from

our home.

How are

we going

to know

the way?

So he's

out with

his map

and his

compass,

he's

wanting

GPS

digits

and Jesus

says

unashamedly

and yet

unreservedly

that he

is the

way,

the truth

and the

life.

You've

got to

notice the

definite

article there.

He's

the way,

the truth

and the

life.

So Jesus

doesn't give

Thomas a

postcode.

As it were

he gives

him a

person.

And he

says,

look at

me.

You see,

Jesus is

the light

and the

truth sent

from the

Father.

He is

the light

and the

truth that's

mentioned in

this psalm.

He is

the one

who has

acted and

he is the

one who

will return

one day

to take

us home.

And so

see when we're

downcast,

see when we're

lying on that

canvas,

see when we're

wondering if

we can get

back up

again.

The

psalmist

pep talk

to himself

is hope

in God.

For us,

this side of

the cross

are waiting

for Jesus'

return.

Filled with

the spirit,

the advice

to us is to

look to

Christ.

All eyes

on him.

Why, my

soul, are you

downcast?

Why so

disturbed within

me?

Put your

hope in

God.

Lift your

eyes to

Christ.

Remember

who he

is and

remember

where he

is.

Just as we

finish, let's

just close on

that note.

There was a

story once

told of

Charles

Spurgeon,

a famous

preacher down

in London

in the

early,

mid-18th

century.

He once

did a

kids'

talk and

he got

the

children

to gather

around and

he had

on the

stage a

big bucket

of water

and he

said to

one of

the kids,

I want

you to

put your

hands in

it for

30

seconds.

So they

put their

hands in

it for

30

seconds and

then he

asks them

to everyone

watching,

can anyone

tell me why

that child

hasn't drowned?

And of

course the

answer that

the little

girl did

who was

doing the

demonstration

said,

it's because

my head's

not in

the water.

And he

said precisely

because if

your head's

alive,

it doesn't

matter if the

rest of you

is in the

water.

What the

most important

thing is

where your

head is.

And I

just find

that little

illustration,

see when I'm

in these

places of

being downcast,

I just find

that so

helpful to

remember that

our head,

Jesus,

he's there.

Right?

He's victorious,

he's there.

So I might be

struggling down

here, I might

be weary, I

might be weak

down here, but

he says look to

me, look where

I am.

I'm victorious

at God's

right hand.

I've paid for

your sin on the

cross, you're

mine, I've

bought you to

myself and I've

sent my spirit,

my spirit lives

in you so

that you can

know, you

can know the

future as hard

as it gets

down here, you

can know who

I am, you

can know communion

with me and you

can know the

glorious future

that's ahead of

you.

Because one day

what happened to

Jesus in the eyes

of the watching

world when he

was vindicated,

when he returns

friends, the same

thing will happen

to us.

If our trust is in

him today, we will

be vindicated in the

eyes of the watching

world.

When our king

returns, evil will

be banished, sin

will be a distant

memory, tears will

be redundant, doctors

will be unemployed,

death will no longer

be a thing and we

will be physically

with the God who is

our delight and our

joy.

You know, no one

puts this better than

English hymn writer

Charles Wesley in his

song and can it be.

And let me just

finish with this.

This is his chorus.

No condemnation now

I dread.

Jesus and all in

him is mine.

Alive in him my

living head and

clothed in

righteousness divine.

Bold I approach

the eternal throne

and claim the crown

through Christ my own.

Amazing love, how can

it be that thou my

God should die for

me.

Let me pray.

And so Father we

thank you so much for

your word this

morning.

Thank you that we

have it in our own

language that we can

pick up, read,

understand and know

who you are.

Thank you that you're a

God who is delighted

to reveal yourself.

And you still speak

through what you have

spoken.

And so Father I pray

for any of my

brothers and sisters

here this morning who

are downcast.

For whatever reason

Lord and we're all

there at some point

that we're just low

and maybe we're weary

and maybe we're

doubting.

Maybe we're full of

questions and so Lord I

pray that by your

spirit as your word

goes forth as it does

its work in our

lives.

Lord that we would

leave here today

knowing that you're a

God who invites us to

come to you with our

questions.

But knowing that you

are a God who has

wonderfully answered

that prayer of the

psalmist to send out

your light and your

truth.

And so Father I pray

Lord that we would be

captivated this morning

with the glory of the

one who said that he is

the way, the truth and

the life.

Help the eyes of our

hearts be fixed on him.

So Lord we thank you

for your commitment and

your steadfast love to us

this morning and we pray

all of these things in

Jesus' precious name.

Amen.