How To Pray For God's Justice

Well, I'm so glad you're here with us, a worshiping

with us this morning. If you have your Bible as

your turning with me to Psalm thirty five this morning.

We're continuing our journey through the Psalms this month, and

this morning we're turning to Psalm thirty five. You know,

as we live in a world. We live today in

a world that's really broken. There's many things as people

throughout our world is hurting.

We hear it. But we love missions and we're involved

in doing missions throughout our world.

And the difficult thing is and doing missions is that

people that you reach and you're trying to go to

there's many of them. Even though we're separated from time

by I'm not time by miles. There are many people

there in that area where we minister who are hurting

and hurting. Today I heard of a little girl. Her

name is Alicia. Alicia is twelve years old and she

lives in kind of the remote parts of Waka. Is

one of our ministry partners. We go on mission trips

to Wahawka every year. Alisha lives in the kind of

remote villages in Wahaka. Alisha and her family became Christians.

They she put her faith in Christ and her family

put her face into Christ. But as a result of

her putting her faith in Christ and her family come

into Christ, they're facing persecution today. So where I've read

just this week is that in that remote village, even

though Wahaka in Mexico are ninety five percent Christians, in

the remote villages, they have the law allows them to

self govern in certain places, in certain areas, and in

her little village, there are accessial kind of tribal religions,

if you will, that are mixed with Catholicism.

And if you don't.

Follow that tribal religion that's mixed with Catholicism, the village

has a right to enforce you to believe as they believe.

Her family came to Christ, and ever since they came

to Christ, Alicia and her family are experiencing persecution. She

says very simply, we are not bad people.

We just want to worship Jesus.

The story is that they're where they are since they

have put their faith in Christ, their families come under attack.

With this this law that allows these villages to to

preserve their their kind of trouble religion. They have the

ability to cut off their power, to confiscate their property,

and even to deny their children education. And that's what

Alicia's families face today. After they came to Christ, they

the local authorities told her family that they would be killed.

And Lisia says, but Jesus tells us to fear not.

After starting worshiping Jesus, her grandma got sick and they

were trying to take her to the hospital, but the

local leaders in the village would not allow them to

take her to the local clinic. They begin praying, she said,

We prayed on our knees and we asked Jesus, who the.

One is the hell He's the one who heals, not

the doctors.

Her grandmother recovered, but eventually, because of the hostility, they

were forced to sell their home and move into another village.

But they continue to face persecution today.

Her father has been put in jail, her family has

been just refused just kind of basic rights. Alicia says,

they don't let us do anything. They won't let us

worship Jesus. You know, as you think about stories like

this is happening in places like we go to wa

Hawk's happening in Nigeria today.

And congo.

Throughout our world, believers are facing persecution. You know, as

we think about this passage to this morning, we're looking

at David, who is facing suffering, He's facing attacks from others.

And David writes some thirty five and his response to

facing attacks, I wanted today, if you've ever faced attack,

if you've ever been mistreated, if you've ever been falsely accused,

And Todavid had felt that way, he'd been attacked, he'd

been falsely accused. And David responds, this morning we come

to a psalm. It's probably just gonna be honest with you,

it's probably the most difficult palm I've ever preached. It's

called an a precatory psalm. There's only four of them

in all of psalms. These psalms are psalms where David

prays for God's vengeance on his enemies. As important as

we think about this though, as we come to this psalm,

it's so difficult for us to read as David praise

that God would attack, God would judge his enemies.

How do we understand that? Because you know, the.

Bible says in Luke, Jesus tells us to pray for

our enemies like in Luke six twenty seven through eight,

Jesus says, but I say to you here, love your enemies,

do good those who hate you, Bless those who curse you,

pray for those who abuse you. So Jesus tells us

we should pray for our enemies. But here David prays

that God might judge them. You know, and the Bible, David,

I mean Jesus teaches us to turn the other cheek. Right,

he says, you've heard it said, and eye for an eye,

too for a tooth. But I said, you do not

resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps

you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also,

So how do we understand that David, he's being attacked,

and he asks God that God might catch them in

the net that they've laid for him. How do we

understand that the Bible tells us In Romans twelve, Paul

teaches us that we should pray no evil for evil,

repay no evil for evil, but give a thought to

what is honorable in the sight of all. So we

understand that Scripture tells us a New Testament that we

are to turn the other cheek, were to pray for

our enemies.

We're not to repay evil for evil.

Yet David here praise that God would judge his enemies.

So how do we understand that?

I think it's important to understand as we come to

this pastor of scripture, how we rightly understand these are

precatory psalms. We have to understand first that David wrote

this psalm. And as David wrote this psalm, David.

Is the king over Israel.

And so when God, when when people attacked David, and

they were not only at taking David, They're attacking God's people.

And so when David prays, he he's not He understands

that when they attack my name, they're not only attacking

my name, they're attacking your name, God, God. When they

try to take my life and they try to take

the life of your people, they're not only attacking my name,

They're attacking us.

They're attacking you God.

And so God's name is at stake here, and God's

people are at stake. And so David is praying on

that behalf of God's people as God's king. You understand

and acts chapter six, acts chapter nine. He remember there

was a story of a man named Saul who before

coming to Christ. When he came Christ, he became Paul.

But before he came to Christ, he was what a

persecutor of the church. Right, we understand he held the

cloak of Stephen. That Stephen was killed, he was a

He had Stephen killed and many other Christians beat and

drug out the homes that put in prison. You remember

on the road to Damascus and Acts chapter nine, he

met the Lord.

You remember what the Lord said to Saul.

That day, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting what me?

You see?

The understanding was that when Saul attacked a Christian, when

Saul verbally attacked them, physically attacked them. When Saul killed Stephen,

he not only verbally attacked Stephen and other Christians, he was.

Attacking the Lord.

So as David writes this psalm, he's writing to defend

not only.

Him, but God's people.

He's not only defending his name, He's defending God's name.

And he's praying here.

David's praying for justice, and he's praying for justice not

only for him, but for God's name.

He's not only praying just for justice for his sake,

but for the sake of his people.

This is not a personal vendetta, this is not retaliation.

He's praying for God's justice. Do you understand today, as

there's people in the village in Wahaka who are attacking Alisha,

they're not only attacking Alysha and her family, They're attacking

the Lord and his name and his people. And as we,

as David sought to pray for God's justice today, as

people are being attacked all over the world for their faith,

may we learn how do we pray for God's justice?

As David prayed?

So this morning, it's a very long passage, and what

I want to do is kind of go section by section.

And so let's stand and get together this morning and

read Psalm thirty five, and let's understand God, how do

we pray for your justice? How do we pray for

your namesake and for your people. Listen to what says

in Psalm thirty five, starting verse one, contend o Lord,

with those who contend with me, fight against those who

fight against me. Take hold of a shield and a buckler,

and rise up from my help, draw the spear and

the javelin against my pursuers.

Say to my soul, I am your salvation.

Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek

after my life. Let them be turned back and disappointed,

who devised evil against me. Let them be like chaff

before the wind, with the Angel of the.

Lord driving them away.

Let their way be dark and slippery, with the Angel

of the Lord pursuing them. For without cause, that hid

their net from me, without calls, they dug a pit

for my life. Let destruction come upon him when he

does not know it. Let the net that he hid

ensnare him. Let him fall into it to his destruction.

Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord, exulting in

his salvation. All my bones shall say, O, Lord, who

is like you, delivering the poor from him whom there's

too strong for him, the poor and the needy from

him who robs him. Let's pray together, Father, I thank

you for this morning, and I pray as we look

to Lord your word and we see how David prayed

for justice. Lord, I pray that you would give us

a heart to pray for Lord Justice.

Lord, that you would be.

Just and Lord you would Lord Lord, respond to those

who attack believers all over this world. Lord, and Lord

you would defend them. Lord, that you would Lord, you

would vindicate. Lord, what's happened to them?

Lord?

We pray, Lord, help us Lord aligne of heart's Lord

with your word. Lord, I pray this morning, Lord that Lord, today, Lord,

that you would give me your words. Lord, I recognize

today I'm a sinner. And Lord, my words and my

thoughts are not sufficient. Lord, your word is. And so Lord,

I pray today. Lord, what would be heard would not

be my thoughts or my words, But Lord, your thoughts

and your word. And Lord, may your word speak to

our hearts. Lord, May you your word change our hearts. Lord,

may our hearts be aligned? Lord to you today, may

we look to you, Lord and your name? We pray

a man you may be seated. So how do we

pray for God's justice this morning? How we pray for

God's justice?

First?

We pray for God's defense. Understand is David's praying here?

David is face attacks, these attacks from the enemy.

We don't know.

Exactly who this is or the time frame from which

this happened. We could say it could be saw as

David was a fugitive for a while, he got an

annoint him as king, but Saul was coming after.

Him, and he lived as a futitive.

We've seen others who attack David, like Absalom and others

even in the village. As David's fleeing and who are

personally attacking him, we see many attacks by David. We

don't know who this is, but we know that David

is being attacked. I think it's very important here as

you come to this passage of scripture, what day David

prays for is not for his defense. Listen, as we

pray for God's justice. Listen, it's important that we pray

for not our defense, but for God's defense. Understanding the

attacks are coming from against us by the enemy, are

attacks against God's people, against God's name, against God's reputation,

And what we should long for is not for our defense,

but for God's defense. And that's what happens here in

this past scripture.

If you look at the very.

Beginning, David says, contend, o Lord, with those who contend

with me, fight against those who fight against me. It's

interesting as he David starts, he uses the word contend

contend there is a legal term. It's translated maybe as attack.

It gives the imagery.

Of this idea that there's charges kind of being brought

up against David by this whoever this enemy is. They're

bringing like attacks, verbal attacks against David, and David.

Is crying out to the Lord.

Lord, I want you to be my legal defense. Lord,

I want you to be my lawyer. And as people

bring charges against me, God, I want you to be

my personal attorney that stands and defends against the attacks

of the enemy against me. Lord, may you might be

my defending attorney. So we see kind of too imagery.

In verse one, there's this legal God, I want you

to be my legal counselor who would defend against personal attacks.

But then also in verse two he gives this not

only this, God, I want you to be my legal defense.

I want you to defend against what people say. But God,

there's a tax coming against me, and God, I want

you to be my warrior.

Listen to the imagery.

In verse two, he says, take a hold of a

shield and a buckler. Shield will be a small shield,

a buckler would be a much larger shield.

He says, take a hold of a shield and a.

Bucker and rise from my help. God, I need you

to defend me. You notice in this passage, David doesn't

say Lord, I'm going to contend with those who contend

for me, those who personal attack. I'm going to create

a defense for myself. No, he says, God, I want

your defense. I don't want my defense and how I

might defend myself. God, I want you to defend me. God,

I'm not getting my own shield. God, I'm not getting

my own buckler. I'm not getting my own spear, my javelin.

He's asking God to rise up and be his defender,

God to be his warrior. And as we think about

when we pray for justice, we need to pray that

God would be the one who defends for Alicia who's

in Wahaca, Mexico, and we're separated by thousands upon thousands

of miles, and we can pray that God would maybe

bring a nice security system for them. We might pray

that God might give them a nice guard dog or

whatever at outside the house as people come up bring attack.

So we might pray that God would bring someone who

would be a lawyer, who would be legal representation to

help her get to the hospital.

What she needs.

We can pray for all these human things that might

help her in defending her family. But what we need

to pray together that she doesn't need the defenses and

the mechanism the defenses in our world.

She needs a holy God who would rise up and

defend her.

Who sees the attacks that are coming against her, who

sees the attacks from the enemy, and who would rise

up like a counselor who is standing defend against the

accusations of others, who would rise up like a warrior, and.

Who would defend her. That's what David does here. He

prays that God would be his defense. Notice the passive scripture.

He not only praised that God would defend but God.

He prays that God would bring judgment upon them. He

says in verse four, let them put to shame and

dishonor who seek after my life.

Let them be turned.

Back and be disappointed who devised evil against them. Let

them be like chaff before the wind, with the Angel

Lord driving them away. Let their way be dark and slippery,

with the.

Angel Lord pursuing them. He gives four.

He prays for judgment upon them for four different ways.

He prays judgment and shame and honor. And verse four

he praised judgment and chaff. Chaff is a worthless part

of the wheat, and that they would be carried away

like the chaff, that they would be worthless and be

carried away. He prays that for judgment that they would

they would, they would fall upon dark and slippery passed.

This is, they would trouble, as uncertainty would come upon them.

He prays that they would face sudden and complete desolation.

The word used there for ruin, they would come.

Look at the verse six, Let their way be dark

and slippery, with the injured the Lord pursuing them without calls, so.

He gives us these imagery.

On verse eight is where the ruin let destruction come

upon him when he does not know it.

He asked for judgment to come.

He he sees God as his defender, but he asked

God to bring judgment upon them. You know, as David

is facing these attacks verbal, personal attacks, literal attacks. David

asked for God's judgment, but he asked for his defense.

He asked for for God's defense, but he asked God

would bring judgment upon them for how they've attacked him.

He's asking for here, what is he asking for in judgment?

He's asking for judge justice God. Wrong has been done

to me, said against me. Attacks have been wronged against me,

and God, I pray that you would bring judgment for

what they've done against me. A few years ago, there

was a many many years ago when Branny and I

were in college. We were many times we're asked to

help out in churches with denails and and be like

counselor for the students. And one year we were asking

we went to her parents or her parents went to

a church, and we went and were counselors in that

little church. And that day we met this girl and

and she was she was in the group and we

were part of discipling her that weekend.

Later on, she would get married and have kids.

And a few years ago her she she was married

and she had a child, and she eventually was divorced

and her husband would take the kids, would her kids

would live with her husband, and a few years ago

her son went missing.

He was eleven years old.

For months, there was just this turmoil of trying to

figure out where this eleven year old boy.

Naturally, we followed this because.

We knew the younger lady from many many years ago,

and we knew her parents. Her parents lived in the

community of Brandy's parents. The step mom would come out

and say she saw him riding off on the bike.

She thought somebody maybe kidnapped him, and it just seemed

like it was a fuzzy story, didn't make sense. And

after several months later they found the little boy stuffed

in a suitcase two about a thousand miles away from

her that home. Come to find out that the stepmother

had killed him. She stabbed him eleven times and she

shot him with the pistol in the head. As we

watched that unfold, and seeing this girl that we've known

from when she was a teenager, we didn't know very well,

but we knew her when knew her family, you could

just sense there was this raw sense of God, wrong

being done, wrong being done to this a little eleven

year old boy, Wrong to be done against this mother

and against this father. And you had this sense that

crying out, God, why and God, when will this one

who did such an evil thing be brought to justice?

And you would have this sense that.

There was just no peace for this couple, No peace

until the boy was found.

No police until charges will be brought.

To that mom, and no peace that stepmam, And no

peace until justice was done, until she was found guilty

and convicted of her crimes.

And that's the imagery of this passage.

David is saying, God, these things have come against me.

The have come against me, and these attacks hear this,

have come against your people. And God, our hearts are

are at war within us because these wrongs have happened

to your people. And God, you know the things that

have been done. And God, listen, we're not at peace

until justice is done. But here's the thing. Listen, I

want you to understand. I don't understand in any way

what that mom must feel, and I can't understand today

what if she ever found peace in the judicial system

of our world.

But David in this passage understands that peace.

Or any type of rejoicing cannot come until God's judgment comes.

And listen what David says. I want you to hear that.

David prays for judgment, and verses four through eight, he

prays that shame and honor come, that that they would

be pushed, they would be swept away like chaff, that

that would fall upon dark as silvery paths that would

fall into ruin. But then listen what David says. Then

says David, then I we will rejoice.

This is what he says.

Then my soul will rejoicing the Lord in the exult,

exulting in the salvation.

All my bones shall say, O.

Lord, who is like you, delivering the poor from whom

who is too strong for him, the poor and the

needy from who him who robs him? David says, Lord,

When when you defend us, and when justice comes, Lord.

Then we rejoice.

I can tell you today, I know because of I

understand statistics, and I understand I've been in ministry long

enough that there's some of you in this room that

you've suffered. You've been attacked, you've been maybe even abused,

and those who attacked you abuse you. You've never seen

justice brought to them. And maybe you would think, and

I could find peace if there was, if they would

be found guilty in the court of law, or if

they would be exposed for what they did to me,

or what they'd been disposed to, what they did to others,

or maybe you just simply say, today, Lord, you know,

and Lord, I want you to be my defender. And Lord,

I know that there's no one like you. There's no

justice that scept outside of you. And Lord, I pray

that Lord, you would be my defender. Maybe you're looking

for defense and something else from this world. David found

defense in the Lord.

Lord, you heard my defender.

I ask you today that as we pray, as we

think about this little girl and Alicia and the others

who suffered wrongly, we pray that God would be their defender,

that God would bring justice. That's what David did here.

What you see now? Do we pray for justice when

only pray for a defense, but we pray for God's vengeance.

This is strong imagery.

Isn't strong words, words that we can't even comprehend at times,

But we pray for God's vengeance.

I think it's very important.

Look at what happens here this passage, verse eleven through eighteen.

As David describes this, he says, malice witness rise up,

and they ask me of things that I.

Do not know.

They repay me evil for good. My soul is bereath.

But when they were sick, I wore sackclothed.

I was afflicting myself with fasting.

I prayed with my hid bowed on my chest, and

I went about as though I was grieved for my

friend or my brother. As one who lament laments for

his mother. I bowed in mourning, But at my stumbling,

they rejoiced and gathered. They gathered together against me, wrecheus

whom I did not know. They tore at me without ceasing.

They like profane mockers at the feast. They gnashed at

me with their teeth. How long, oh Lord, will you

look home, rescue me from their destruction, my precious life

from the lions, and I will thank you in the

great congregation, in the mighty throng, I.

Will praise you.

David describes here the wrong that had been done to him.

David describes the scenario that these people that there was

a time in my life that they were going through something,

and I was, I was, I was worried about them.

David says, I was so worried about that I pray

for them. I fast, I wore sackcloth, I pray for them,

I grown for them. I was so filled with sorrow

for them that I pray for them like I would

pray for my own mother. I was so broken for

the situation that they were once in. But God, and

you know that, But God, when I stumbled, when I

went through a hard time, They rejoiced at my affliction.

They mocked, They said he deserved that.

They gnashed their teeth at me.

God, I once did good for these people, and the

ones that I once did good for, they've returned my

good that I did for them. They've returned that with evil. God,

they longed for my destruction. God, you see, Lord, how

this was not right. You see how this is not fair.

God, you might.

Bring vengeance upon them for what they have done against me.

How they attacked me.

David says, just this few months ago, on September eighth,

at nine pm on a Monday night, in the dr

of Congo, there.

Was a group of believers.

Someone had died in the community and they mourners had come.

I've seen this in Tanzania one time. We were went

to a village and there was someone past and in

that standard procedure that everybody in the community comes and

you gather around the grave together and you mourn to get.

As a community.

And that's what happened here in this place in the Congo.

They were gathered together and there was an Islamic state

who's in power right now in the Congo, and they

came in and as they were mourning. They attacked them

with guns as they started running away. They would be

shot down as they were running fleeing from the funeral.

Many of them were killed by machetes. By the time

the militants left, seventy were dead, one hundred were kidnapped,

and sixteen houses were burnt to the ground. Thinking about

the imagery of David, I was praying, I was doing

a good thing, and they've returned. What's something I did

for good? They've returned with evil? And as we look

what happened in Congo, that's the same imagery, right, They

were doing good and what was returned upon them was evil,

and David saying, Lord.

You've seen this.

You've seen the injustice of what's happened to me. Lord,

you've seen the injustice of what's happening to your people.

There's one the report says, and even there was a

pastor in the local area. He explains that the killings

didn't stop there. Actually, the very next day they went

into a neighboring town and they killed the farmers in

that area.

And one day.

Removed from seventy people dying at a funeral, thirty people

were killed in their farms. They slaughtered up to thirty

people the very next day. There's a pastor in that community.

And this is why he says, make God listen to this.

May God come to our rescue because we're fed up

with these killings.

You know what is vengeance? What is vengeance?

Vengeance is when God avenges they're wrong done to God's people.

Right.

Notice, as David is praying, listen, David's praying that God

would defend. David's not saying let's take up arms, let's

get our own shields, let's build up our own defense. No,

David says, God, may you be our defender. But also

in the second part, we're here with David praise for vengeance.

He doesn't say, all right, now, it's time for us

to retaliate. It's time for us to bring our own

vengeance against what's happened to us. It's time for us

to lock arms and go on and we repay eye

for an eye to for tooth. No, that's not what

David prays for, right, David praise that God.

Would be the avenger, not man be the avenger. It

a temptation for all of us.

By the way, Romans is, this is what Romans says.

Is what Paul says. Paul says, repay no evil for evil.

But give thought to do what is honorable in the

sight of all, if possible, so far as depends on you,

leaves peaceably with all beloved. Never listen to this avenge yourself,

but leave it up to the wrath of God. First written,

vengeance is mine, I pay, says the Lord. That's what

David says here. David doesn't say you need to repay

evil for evil. David says God, vengeance is yours, and God,

I pray that you see what's happening, and God, might

you repay Lord may he prays for God's vengeance. I

think there's a temptation for all of us, right, every

one of us in this room, when we're attacked, when

people say things about us, and there's not anybody in

this room you've not that's not face some type of

personal attack by someone someone's there's not a person in

this room that's never been falsely accused of something or

falsely said, someone said falsely something about you, or someone's

done something against you or others. What's the natural response,

isn't it when they do something against us? We want

to respond by saying something. They say something about us,

we want to respond by saying something back to them.

Right, they attack us, we want to attack them.

They post something about us on Facebook, we want to

post some.

Thing in their comments defending ourselves.

Right.

And this is this, this is a it's a natural

tendency for us to retaliate.

David is not retaliating here.

David is saying, God, you see, and God, I pray

that God you, God, I pray for your vengeance to

be done what you see.

Lastly, here, how do we pray.

We pray for God's justice, We pray for God's defense,

We pray for God's vengeance, and lastly, we pray for

God's vindication. David in verse nineteen, listen to what he

says here. Let's read the rest of it. He says,

let not those rejoice over me who are wrong, who

are wrongfully my foes.

Let not those wink an eye who hate me without

calls for then now speak peace.

But against those who are quiet in the land that

divise words of deceit, they may open up their.

Mouths and they say, ah, ours have seen it.

Verse twenty two. You have seen O, Lord, be not

silent Oh Lord, be not far from me. Awake and

arouse yourself from my vindication for my cause, My God,

My Lord, vindicate O Lord, my God, according your righteousness.

Let not them rejoice over me. Let not them say

in their hearts ahah, our heart's desires.

Let them not say we've swallowed him up. Let them

be put into shame, disappointed altogether who rejoice.

At my calamity.

Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnifies

themselves against me. Let those two delight in my righteousness,

shout for joy and be glad, and say evermore, grade

is a lord who delights in the welfare of his servant.

Then my tongue shall tell of.

Your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.

David describes this imagery as this passage star. It says

that they attack.

Me without calls.

What does that mean? David means that I'm innocent. Really,

there's no justification. There's not really any accuracy to their

attacks against me. They accused me a lot of different things,

but it's really innocent. Even goes to say that they

He describes them saying, Ahi, we've caught him. I think

it's important as you noticed that in that verse they're

not only attacking David, but they're also attacking God's people.

He uses the term in verse twenty for they do

not speak peace but against those.

Who are quiet in the land.

Quiet in the land there is the people of visual

in the land of visual. So they're only they're not

only not wanting peace for David, they don't want.

Peace for God's people.

And that's why David is praying for God to defend

his people, that.

God would bring vengeance for his people. And lastly, he

prays for.

God's vindication the imagery there vindication as what there's charges

that's been brought against me, but what I'm innocent, and God,

I want you to defend what my innocence.

And that's what David does here.

He describes in verse twenty three, awake and rouse yourself

from my vindication for my cause, My God, my Lord,

vindicate me, o, Lord, my God, according to your righteousness,

letting not then rejoice over me. You know, in the

Bible we see this is an important attribute for David,

that as as king and as leading God's people, that

he prays for God's defense for his people.

He prays that God.

Would he prays for God's vengeance for his name and

for his people, but he also prays for God's vindication.

There are people who falsely accuse David and God's people

of wrong, and he's saying, God, you know, oh, there's

no accuracy in what they say.

And God, would you rouse yourself up as that legal.

Counselor as my warrior, and you might defend my righteousness,

my innocence. Do you know that David praise this? But

do you know that this is a picture of judgment

in the end? Do you know they're In Revelation six',

Nine john The revelator gives us an. Image it's the

image of people who've been martyred for their. Faith think

about the people In congo and the people In nigeria

just over the last few months that were killed because

of Their. Christians In revelation six,' nine it gives us

the imagery of those people in heaven and then heaven.

They're praying you know what. They're praying listen to what

Says the revelation six, nine SAYS when i opened up the,

FIFTH seal i saw under.

The altar listen.

To this the souls of those who've been slain for

the Word, of god for the witness they they, had

borne and they cried out out with a, Loud, Voice, Old,

Sovereign lord Holy, and true how long before you will

judge and avenge our.

Blood on those who dwell on.

The earth, you know right now, in Heaven the bible

gives us. A picture there are martyrs who are crying

under the Altar, of god and, They're, saying god, how

long How long lord before you avenge and vindicate the

wrong that was done. To, us david as he's Praying

in psalm, thirty five is only mirroring the Prayers of

god's people.

In heaven who've been martyred, for faith.

And they're crying Out for, god's vengeance and they're, Crying,

out god how long will it be that you'll vindicate

what's happened? TO us i wonder today we even See

in revelations eighteen and nineteen the prayers of people rejoicing

over the imagery of. This, passage too is in heaven that,

one Day when god brings justice on, this earth that

YOU and i Rejoice that god defended the wrongs that

were Done to his people on, this Earth that god

brought vengeance to those who attacked, his People and god

vindicated the saints of. His people scripture Says then, revelation

eighteen that there will rejoice, Over Her, oh heaven you saints,

and apostles Prophets, of God for god has given judgment

for you. Against Her in revelation, nineteen three it says

once more they, cried Out, how alijah the smoke from

her goes up forever. And ever that's the imagery that

in heaven one day will unite with the body, of

belief that those are in heaven and were Rejoice of.

God's, Justice god. You're. Just god, You've.

Defended you've, brought Vengeance, And god you've. BROUGHT vindication i,

wonder today how how are YOU and? I today how

do we put our Trust that god? Is just how

do we Trust that god knows the things that you've

suffered in?

This life how do we, Today, SAY god i want

you to be. My.

DEFENDER god i don't want to. Defend, MYSELF god i

don't want. TO retaliate i don't want to try to

bring vengeance.

On. MYSELF god i. Trust You, see god you.

Know the things that were said to me that Were,

False god might you be. My, avenger GOD may i rest,

In You, and GOD may i pray that You will

your vengeance will, Be done your vindication Will, be god

you will bring. Your defense you know the beautiful thing

about this passage of scripture as we close, this morning

the tenor you can make your way up Is in

psalm thirty.

Five nineteen david, Says this.

Let those not rejoice over me here wrongful.

My foes let not those wint the eye who hate me.

Without Calls.

In john fifteen, Twenty five jesus applied those words. To himself,

you see the good news Of the gospel. Is listen

just as we are hated, without calls So was jesus

was hated without calls.

For us you know what the good. News is jesus

identifies with. Our suffering.

The beautiful thing Of the Gospel is jesus identifies with,

our suffering just as Identified with. David's suffering jesus knows

what it's like to be. Falsely accused he was falsely

accused By. The pharisees he is falsely attacked, by those

and he had done nothing but what shown kindness, to

them give demonstrated the Love of god.

For them he on the, cross said either, forgive them

for they know not what. They Do, But god jesus

endured suffering.

Hate that he might die on the cross that YOU

and i might find forgiveness. Of sin, YOU know i

wonder today if there's someone here that's Just. Like saul

you know there was a time in your life that you,

oppose faith You, oppose christianity You, oppose god People. And, god,

today listen he wants to. Forgive you he wants you

to find salvation. In him he wants you to find

Forgiveness of him in a relationship. With, Him listen god

wants to. Save you god doesn't want to. Judge you

Scripture says jesus came what to? Save today would you

put your Faith in him for? Salvation today if you're

here and you've suffered in, this LIFE can i Tell

you jesus identifies with. Your suffering he knows what your

suffering is.

All about.

HE knows i love this Passage. Of, scripture god they

say one THING that, i did. One Thing, but lord you, See,

today lord you've Seen what i've.

Been Through, AND god i pray that you'll be.

My defender would you just say that maybe you're to

hear today and you're just struggling with some things and

you want to retaliate against some things that's happened. To

you would, You, say god you're. My, defender god all

rest in. You today you pray, with me everyhead body of. Y'all,

CLOSE god i pray today for this time or RESPONSE

or i know this is a, Difficult Passage, BUT lord

i know there's people in this room.

Right now.

They have, been hurt viciously attacked. By others there's been

evil people who have come, against Them, and god they've

sought justice maybe in. This, World LORD today i pray

the day that they Would find lord you to be.

Their, defender.

Lord that Just as david cried to you, And, say

god you've seen. What's, HAPPENED lord i pray they would Recognize,

that lord that you identify with.

Their suffering god, you See, and god you'll be. Their.

DEFENDER god i pray they'd be those who would Trust

in lord.

Your, DEFENSE.

Well i pray they'd be those who would, Cry, OUT

god i be my. Salvation, Today, Lord, however lord you're

speaking to. PEOPLE today i pray whether it is that

today they need to put their Faith into christ.

FOR salvation i pray they would.

Do that they've send, against you A holy, God, today

lord they've been an enemy.

Of, you lord today they could find a right relationship.

With, YOU lord i pray today they would put their

Faith in you, for salvation repented their sins and find

the right Relationship.

With.

You today if there's someone here today that's been hurt

and have looked for peace and justice in this world

and Recognize, the lord nor there's no justice outside, Of,

you LORD will i pray that they would cry Out

to you to be. Their, defender god that pray out For,

your lord for. Your, VINDICATION lord i pray today that

we as a Body of christ would see the suffering

of our World, and lord that we would Unite with

david in Praying, that god you would be the defender

of people like Suffering in Wahaka and Nigeria and congo throughout. The,

world god that, You, would lord we pray for, Your,

vengeance lord, Your, vindication lord not, our vengeance not.

Our, Vindication lord yours. Be, Done, lord lord we.

Love you lead us in this time. Of, praise lord

We recognize lord no more where we. Face, today lord

you are Good, and god you.

Could, Be Trusted, so lord may we seek you today

while you may.

Be found in, your name We pray jesus to