No Fear in Death

Good evening. It would be worth having Psalm 116 in front of our eyes as we have a look at it this evening.

! So it would be great if you got that open. And as you get it ready, let me suggest to you that culturally, we tend to associate certain songs with certain occasions.

Now, I'll choose ones which are neutral, which won't apply to you. For example, if you like rugby, well, you might like rugby, and you're Welsh, we have a national anthem, of course, as do you, but there's a hymn, Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land.

Bread of heaven, feed me now and evermore. From childhood, that hymn, right or wrong, is associated with watching Wales, as a child, play rugby.

A bit more common and untidy is that if you like football, if you like Liverpool, or even if you don't, you may well know that you'll never walk alone is a song that is always associated with that football team.

Now, Psalm 116 is deeply associated in the mind of the writer or any child who ever, ever read it at Saturday school as a Jewish child.

So, Psalm 116 is deeply associated with the Passover festival.

And the last thing that a Jewish home ever did on the last night of Passover, a Thursday, was to have a meal together.

And when they had a meal together, they sang as the last thing they did that night.

Psalms 113 to Psalm 118, as they recorded for us, as the final Passover hymn.

So, when Jesus Christ goes to the last supper, Matthew tells us in chapter 26 and verse 30,

when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

You know the hymn.

It's Psalm 113 to 118.

Right in the middle of those psalms, as we have them captured in those numbers,

would be words that the Lord Jesus Christ would have known since he was a little boy.

He'd have known them inside out, upside down and round and round.

He could sing them any time.

Because every year since he was a kid, his family had sung that song the day before the Passover final celebration on a Friday.

So, my friends, when you ever read or sing Psalm 113 to 118, and tonight we're in the center, 116, and we shall look at it in detail.

You need to get, sorry, that's not fair, I need to get, we need to get, this clear point.

These words that we're looking at tonight were in Jesus' mind as he walked into Gethsemane.

They were in his mind as Judas Iscariot betrayed him.

They were in his mind when he was arrested and beaten.

They would have been in his mind as he hung on a cross.

So, we are about to read through again the very psalm that Jesus knew applied to him on the cross.

The psalm, if you look down at it, refers to the horror of death three times in verses 3, verse 8, and verse 15.

It's a psalm of despair at facing the agony and the horror and terror of death.

But it is also a psalm of rescue.

It's a psalm that cries out that God will rescue his nation and his people, as sung at Passover.

When we read this psalm now together, we therefore need to look at it from a certain perspective.

When the psalmist wrote it, he was looking back to the Passover.

Make sense?

He was looking backwards in history.

As he wrote it, he didn't know.

He was writing forwards to Jesus Christ.

We live beyond the time of Christ.

So, now we can look back

via the cross of Christ

and the Jesus who knew this psalm applied to himself.

And then we can apply it to ourselves on this Sunday evening.

So that we may walk out of that door tonight saying,

I am glad.

I am glad that I have a Savior.

I am glad.

It is my privilege to be a woman or a man who has Christ in their lives.

Psalm 116 is Jesus' song.

The Jesus who knew that as he walked into that cross and grave,

who cried out,

Father,

Father, take this cup from me,

but not my will,

but your will be done.

The very Jesus Christ,

who cried those words,

knew he would go to the cross,

knew it would be anguish,

knew he would defeat death,

and knew that you and I would be in this building tonight,

looking back.

When he says to us,

all right,

you,

sing the song with me,

because it's your song now.

It is your song now,

because of what I've done.

So come on,

let's get into the song,

because if you're a Christian,

it's your song,

through faith in Jesus Christ.

Here we go.

Let's have a look at it in detail then.

Verses 1 to 2.

Please have a look at it.

It's full of emotion.

I love the Lord,

because he has heard my voice,

and my pleas for mercy,

because he inclined his ear to me,

therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

Let's sing this song,

as it were,

as a Christian,

if you are a Christian tonight.

Jesus' death at the cross,

the Passover lamb,

as he sang this song,

going to that cross,

he made it possible for you and me to say this evening,

I love the Lord.

I really do.

I just love him.

Why would we love him?

Look at verse 1.

Because he has heard my voice.

As Jesus cried to his father that night,

he goes on to beat death.

He goes on to beat the grave.

He goes on to reach you,

so that you can say this Sunday evening,

I love the Lord.

Why?

Because he hears my voice.

He's always listening for me.

Look,

he hears my pleas for mercy.

When life is terrible,

when it's gone wrong,

when it's broken,

who can I turn to?

When I have sinned,

when I've let myself down,

when I've let my parents down,

my family down,

when I'm hurt inside for my failure,

where can I turn?

And he says,

turn to me.

You can always turn to me.

I will never turn away from you.

Isn't that a relief?

If your ability

to turn to Christ

depended on how good you've been

in the last six days,

could you turn to him?

I hazard a guess

that many of us would say,

no, I couldn't.

This is a psalm that says,

you can turn to him

because he paid for your sin.

He's paid for it.

And so,

turn to him.

Plead to him.

Ask him for his help

in your adversity.

And look at verse 2.

Don't you think

this is the most beautiful picture?

If a child is shy,

this is what you do, isn't it?

Of an older person

can't hear you very well.

You incline your ear to them.

This is verse 2.

You say,

tell me again.

What did you want to say?

And this is a picture

of the Lord Jesus Christ himself

when you cry out to him

saying,

what's wrong?

Tell me again.

What can I do for you?

What's the matter?

Like a parent loves a child.

I want to help you, darling.

This is the Christ

of the Bible.

This is the Lord Jesus Christ

that Christians come to worship

together on Sundays.

He is the God of compassion.

The God of comfort.

But don't make the mistake

of thinking

he's only there to comfort

well-behaved Christians

or people who got it

perfectly right this week

because no one would be

available for comfort.

Which is why Christians

gather together to remember

that through the death

and resurrection

of the one who sang this song

at Calvary.

You and I

can flee to him

and say,

I love you.

You listen to me.

You care about me.

You listen out for me.

And I will call on you.

Look at the end of verse 2.

As long as I live,

there will never be a day

when you can't call

on Jesus Christ.

Never.

Not once.

In the middle of the night

when everybody's asleep.

Mum and dad are asleep.

Or your husband or wife

are asleep.

Or your,

anyone who really loves you

is fast asleep

and you wake up

and you don't know

what you're going to do.

I've got it wrong.

I'm frightened.

I'm scared.

What shall I do?

Whose year

is always there?

Christ's year

is always there.

He never turns away.

He never rolls his eyes.

This is the wonder

of being

a Christian.

At that cross,

he paid it all

so that you could always

come to him

in all your failures.

That's why the reformers,

the 16th century reformers,

when they talked of grace,

the great Thomas Cranmer,

the English reformer,

he said,

you'll never understand grace

if you don't feel gratitude.

The grace of God

in the death

and resurrection

of Jesus Christ

always engenders

gratitude

in the human soul.

Thank you

that you love me.

Not just my mum,

not just my dad,

not just my friend,

not just my granddad,

that you love me.

Not just the woman

next to me.

You love me.

Me.

Personally, me.

That's why you died.

That's why he's

the Passover lamb.

And verses 1 to 2,

you'll be glad to know

are the overture

that runs throughout

this psalm.

What's the problem

for Jesus

as he goes to the cross?

What's the problem

for the psalmist?

Have a look with me

at verses 3 and 4.

He says,

the snares of death

encompass me,

says the psalmist.

Well,

he's pointing to Christ.

They certainly did

encompass him that night

on the way to Calvary.

The pangs of Sheol

laid hold of me.

I suffered distress

and anguish.

Then I called on

the name of the Lord.

Lord,

I pray deliver my soul.

The picture here,

look,

snares,

being trapped

like an animal.

So let me ask you again,

think of times

in your life

when you feel trapped.

The snare has got you.

Where shall I turn?

Who shall I turn to?

And there's another picture

here in verse 3.

As if life is

closing in on you,

you're walking

into a dark cave

and the rocks are gathering

and there's no way out

and you're trapped.

That's what these words mean.

And what the Lord Jesus,

death and resurrection,

of the song he sang

that night of the Passover,

means for you and I tonight,

is that when the snares

of death encompass us,

yes,

when that day comes,

yes,

when the end is nigh,

no death

will crush us

for eternal life

is ours.

My life will not end

when I take my last breath

in this world

because my Lord Jesus

beat death

and it will not crush me.

There is a root

through the cave.

These images are graphic.

Ropes,

a net,

a trap,

a burial.

And the creator

of the universe says,

I'm going to go

through that

so that you,

when you go through it,

will know that

I beat death

and my darling,

you are mine

and I'm taking you

through as well.

I love you.

You see,

the refrain is verses

one and two,

the chorus is verses

one and two.

I love you.

I'm listening for you.

I've got my ear out for you.

Talk to me.

Talk to me.

Throw all your weight

on me.

I've crushed the door

down for you.

I am your Lord

and Savior.

It's a beautiful psalm.

Beautiful.

Who is this Lord

Jesus Christ?

Look at verse five.

Look at these wonderful

characteristics.

He's gracious.

Gracious is the Lord

and righteous.

How could God

forgive Israel

in the old covenant?

Because he made

a covenant with them

and he said,

I am your covenant God.

And at Passover,

they celebrated

that the righteous God

put the punishment

on the Passover lamb.

That's what the righteous God

did in the Egyptian Passover.

But he's a gracious God

because the punishment

goes on the lamb

to liberate the people

from their sin

so they can walk free

to the promised land.

And at Calvary,

as we look back

through this psalm

that Jesus sung,

he knew he was singing

in verse five

that the righteous God

wouldn't kill a lamb

but would kill

his own son.

And the kind

and gracious God

would rescue you

and me

because our price

was paid at Calvary.

And the price

for your rebellion

and mine

is paid at that cross.

And because it's paid,

I am free.

There is no condemnation

for those who are

in Christ Jesus.

and Christ knew this

as he went to the cross.

And you and I

sit in this room tonight

as the recipients

of the price paid

at Calvary

for the righteousness

of God

and for the compassion

of Christ

that saves us.

How could somebody

not be a Christian?

It's mad

not to have this hope.

When life

kicks you in the teeth,

we die once

and for all

in the end

until we go to heaven.

Everybody does it.

It's 100% success rate

at this stage.

Mortality.

But you know

we suffer death

by a thousand cuts

don't we every year?

The pain of rejection,

an argument,

a fight,

a failure,

a getting it wrong,

a fear

of what's coming tomorrow.

Death by a thousand cuts

and we're asked

in this psalm

to run to Christ

and say

you felt it all,

Saviour.

You felt it all.

I'll come to you.

You went through it

and you understand me

and you're my Lord

and I'm running to you.

Help me.

And there he is

like this.

Come here,

lovely.

Come here.

Come to me.

I love you,

he says.

That's how the line starts,

doesn't it?

I love you,

Lord.

And in 6 to 11,

you could say them

for yourself

when the adversity comes

because they're words

for the believer

in Christ.

Let me read them.

The Lord preserves

the simple.

I don't think

that means

the stupid.

You know,

sometimes where I come from

we say simple

means a bit dim.

I don't think

it means that.

Well,

I know it doesn't.

Here's what it means.

It means those

who don't pretend

to be cleverer

than they are.

It means the woman

and man in this room

tonight who says,

well,

I'm not sure

I can follow your accent

as a Welsh bloc

here in the Highlands,

but I get the general

drift of the talk.

This psalm

was the psalm sung

on the night

of the Passover festival.

The one who was

the Passover lamb

sung it.

And he sung it

knowing

that he would die

for me.

And he sung it

knowing that he would

break the cords of death

for eternal life

for me.

And he sung it

knowing that one day

on a Sunday evening

in Stornoway,

a few people

would gather together

to try and make sense

of their lives

last week and next week

and say,

Lord,

are you with me?

And he says,

dear,

I'm with you always.

I went through

Calvary for you.

Do you think

I'd leave you this week?

Whatever you do wrong,

not a chance.

Not a chance,

he says.

The Lord preserves

the simple.

When I was brought low,

could you say this

this week?

Can you look back

this month?

When I was brought low,

he saved me.

Return my soul

to your rest,

for the Lord

has dealt bountifully

with me.

For you have delivered

my soul from death,

my eyes from tears,

my feet from stumbling.

I will walk

before the Lord

in the land

of the living.

I believed

even when I spoke

I am greatly afflicted.

I said in my alarm,

all mankind

are liars.

My friend,

if you feel afflicted

this week,

if your soul

is disturbed,

if you feel

human beings

have let you down,

look at 11

liars.

If you feel

betrayed,

it doesn't mean

that the Christian

doesn't weep.

It doesn't mean

that the Christian

isn't in anguish.

Of course,

it can't mean that

because it's the human condition.

But it does mean this.

The one who went

before us,

the perfect one,

the one who paid

the penalty at Calvary,

the one who beat death,

he,

he knows how you feel.

And he's right with you.

He is never going away.

He is never going to stop

putting his arms around you

and saying,

I'm here.

That's what we're meant

to understand

in this psalm.

The greatest need

of being a human being

is met in Christ.

The greatest hope

for meaning this week

and comfort

and deep joy

in all circumstances

is to know Christ

is your Saviour

and Lord.

We see him

as the one

who rescues us

ultimately

from the cords of death

and this week

from death

by 20 cuts

which hurt us

on the way

through the week.

and finally

with that in mind

let's look at the last

few lines

from 12 to the end.

if what I've said

and my interpretation

of the psalm for you

this evening

is true

what do you think

for the psalmist

what do you think

the obvious question is?

surely it's question

in verse 12

what shall I render

to the Lord

for all his benefits

to me?

Lord

if you love me

this much

if you love me

and you know

what I've been up to

and you know

things that my mum

and dad don't know

my husband or wife

may not know

you know what's

in my head

if you died

for me

and you will

never leave me

because the covenant

is met in your blood

and I can come

to you any time

even in my failure

and anguish

at life

Lord

what shall I do

for you?

if somebody loves you

this much

humanly

you'd say

what can I do

to give it back

to you?

now

here's the brilliant

climax of this psalm

it's the brilliant

climax of the Christian life

what can you do?

here's what you can do

verse 13

I will lift up

the cup of salvation

and call on the name

of the Lord

what?

oh

here's what I do

I go to God

and I say

hey

you saved me

didn't you?

you love me

don't you?

well I'm going to

call on your name

and I'm going to

ask for your help

this week

is that the response

that he wants?

surely

he wants us to

try harder

be better

keep more rules

and he said

no

no

don't be soft

here's what I want

you to do

keep coming to me

and saying

Lord I can't keep it up

can you help me?

I'll never succeed

by my own efforts

will you help me?

he loves

nothing more

than for one

of his children

to come to him

and say

I can't do this

but you can

please help

we lift up

the cup of salvation

do you see what we do?

we don't do anything

we just ask for more help

oh my gosh

fancy the chance

of going into

a new week

and saying

keep helping me

Lord please

keep helping me

I can't do it

and he loves it

he's waiting

for you to ask

there's not 15 things

he wants you to fix

it's a posture

that says

help me

help me more

than ever before

and you see

that unfolds

for the rest

of the passage

how do you pay

your vows

to the Lord

verse 14

and repeat it

in verse 18

well this is how

you do it

verse 16

you say

Lord

I'm your servant

I'm your servant

you've

you've loosed

my bonds

do you see it

in 16

how do we go

to the Lord

for help

we say

Lord

you took my

chains off

you set my

heart free

you gave me

a new life

in Christ

what shall I do

for you

oh it's easy

I come back to you

and thank you

for cutting my

chains loose

and I ask you

to help me

I lift up

the cup of

salvation

Lord

you took the

chains off

keep freeing me

up please

I can't do it

without you

this is the

response of the

Christian

no vanity

no hubris

no arrogance

no self-sufficiency

complete dependency

on the saviour

who's listening

and loving

and yearning

to be your

greatest ally

and friend

in all your

adversities this

week

I put it to you

that Christians

come to church

to keep reminding

themselves

that this is

life

Satan himself

will keep saying

to you

you're not good

enough

hopeless

rubbish

Christian

nowhere near

as good as

him or her

you're a

disgrace

you shouldn't

be here next

week

give yourself

a couple of

weeks

sort yourself

out

and then

you might

get a year

ring from

God

the lie

of hell

it's the

lie of hell

your saviour

wants you to

come to him

at all times

whatever's going

on

because his

love saved

you and will

continue

to give you

hope

lift up the

cup of salvation

and say come

again Lord

come again

I need you

now

I need you

today

that's what

we offer

him

and in

17 he

tells us

it's called

it a

sacrifice

of

thanksgiving

I'll offer

to you

a sacrifice

of thanksgiving

and note the

words that come

immediately

afterwards

do you see

them

and call

on the

name of

the Lord

it's the

same thing

for the

third time

it's going

to God

this week

and saying

Lord

I'm giving

you myself

I can't

do anything

I'm not

good enough

I'm too

prone

to failure

but I know

this Lord

I am

thankful

and I'm

bringing myself

to you

again this

week

help me

look after

my kids

properly

help me

respect my

parents

properly

give me

the best

chance

when no one's

watching me

to behave

in ways

that bring

me joy

because I

know you

want them

but Lord

I'm lifting

myself up

to you

help me

Lord

I can't

do it

without you

so I

give myself

to you

this is how

we thank

him

the total

absence

of vanity

and arrogance

that I can

make it

happen

and the

total

willingness

for him

in his

marvellous

love

in a way

that he

knows me

that no one

in the world

knows me

to work

with me

and to

change

me

this is

what Jesus

Christ

achieved

at Calvary

this is

what he

will do

this week

by his

spirit

in my

life

and yours

and this

is what

he knew

he would

achieve

on the

night

before

going to

the cross

as he

sang this

song

so that

we could

sing it

today

that's why

we sing

the psalm

today

and finally

look closely

please

at verse

one

and the

last

phrase

in verse

19

if you

have

doubt

or

uncertain

that

this

can

be

the

meaning

of

this

psalm

well I

draw your

attention

to verse

one

which

starts

I love

the

Lord

we

meet in

church

on

Sunday

time

after

time

for

corporate

worship

that

the

believer

in

Jesus

might

walk

out

of

the

building

and put

their

head

on a

pillow

tonight

and be

able to

say

I love

the

Lord

and what

is the

last

phrase

in this

psalm

do you

see it

I

praise

the

Lord

the

truths

of the

gospel

are

meant

to

move

from

the

head

to

the

heart

so

that

your

heart

sings

for

joy

that

this

is

my

savior

and

onto

my

hands

that

changes

my

day

to

day

behavior

the

greatest

human

need

is

love

and

the

greatest

love

is

captured

in

this

psalm

by

the

savior

of

ultimate

love

who

paid

my

penalty

and

will

never

stop

loving

me

this

is

the

Christian

hope

this

is

the

Christian

life

may

it

be

your

experience

even

tonight

as a

result

of the

marvelous

Lord

Jesus

Christ

and his

commitment

to you

and to

I

Amen

well thank

you Graham

for that

wonderful

reminder

of

the love

the Lord

has for

us

and what

better way

to finish

our service

and to

sing

some

verses

from

this

psalm

psalm

116

we're

going

to

sing

from

verse

1

down

to

verse

9

it's

a

sing

psalms

version

you'll

find

this

on

page

154

of

the

psalm

books

psalm

116

we're

going

to

sing

verse

1

to

9

I

love

the

Lord

because

he

heard

my

voice

and

listened

when

I

cried

to

him

for

aid

I'll

call

on

him

as

long

as

I

prayed

we

stand

to

sing

from

verse

1

to

9

to

God's

please

him

as

long

as

I

shall

live

because

he

turned

to

hear

me

when

I

pray

the

hearts

of

death

let

down

let

handle

me

upon

me

I

and

wish

of

the

game

with

grief

and

trouble

I

was

overdone

then

on

the

name

of

God

I

called

Lord

say

miracle

And full of grace

Both righteous and compassionate

The Lord protects

All those of childlike faith

When I wasn't with me

He rescued me

Restore my soul

God has been good to you

For you, O Lord

Have saved my soul from death

My feet from stumbling

And my eyes from tears

Last I made it for you

While I have breathed

Let's close in prayer

Let's pray

Lord, our gracious God

We do thank you for every way that you

Listen to our cries

And that we will be able to say

I knew this evening I love the Lord

Because he has heard my voice

And may we be able to go away from here

With that sense of praise to you

That you remember us in all our needs

And that you will remember us

Even in this week ahead

As we put our trust in you

So may you guide us then by your spirit

We ask your blessing now on us

That grace, mercy and peace

From God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit

May rest upon and abide with us all

Now and forevermore

Amen

Amen

Amen