If you would please, let's open our Bibles and let's turn to Psalm 125. Psalm 125. We just sang that moments ago, and so now we want to go ahead and read that passage, verses 1 through 5, so that we can have the text for this morning's message. Psalm 125. Let's give attention to the reading of God's word. Psalm 125, the superscription says a song of a sense, beginning now in verse one. Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people from this time forth and forevermore. For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong. Do good, O Lord, to those who are good and to those who are upright in their hearts. But those who turn aside to their crooked ways, the Lord will lead away with evildoers. Peace be upon Israel. May God add his blessing to this reading from his holy and inspired word. Let's bow together in a brief word of prayer. Let us pray. Father God, we are grateful that you feed us with Christ, the manna from heaven. When we ask for bread, you do not give us a stone or a serpent, but rather you care for us. You care for us not only by feeding us, but you array us more gloriously than the lilies of the field and more gloriously than Solomon himself in his finest raiment. For indeed, O Lord, you clothe us with the righteousness of Christ. We give thanks, O Lord, that you provide for us in these many different ways. But we pray, O Lord, that as we reflect upon your word, that you would continue to feed us, that you would satisfy our hunger, that you would quench our thirst with the outpouring of your spirit, that you would conform us more to the image of Christ, and that in all of these things, you would bring glory to your name. We pray and ask all of these things in Christ's name. Amen. And as often as we look forward to meeting together as the people of God, the temple of God, His dwelling place each and every Lord's Day, I think we're undoubtedly aware of the enemies that lurk about. We can certainly look outside the walls of the church, and we know that there are evil people out there in the community, in the world, and in our culture. We know sadly, of course, that there are even enemies within the church. That's not to say within this local body, but rather within the visible church of Jesus Christ, those who are out for selfish gain, those who spread false teaching. But at the same time, from time to time, we also know that as we look into the mirror, sometimes our worst enemy can be the person that looks us back. Well, I think this is the nature of the psalm that's before us, this psalm of ascent as the writer rejoices within this overarching story that as the pilgrims make their way to Jerusalem and they finally arrive after their long journey in the temple, they arrive at the temple and that they know that they are safe within the temple confines from the evil people on the outside of the city. but they also know that even though they are safely within the temple, that the evil people are still out there. They also know and might wonder whether or not some of the people that walk around in and about them are also perhaps not fully devoted to the Lord. Maybe perhaps they themselves, as they are plagued with their own doubts, they wonder how certain is their own faithfulness to the Lord. And so the psalmist naturally looks upon the temple and he recalls one of the benefits of God's presence in Israel's midst, that God preserves and protects his own. And so we want to see here how the Lord preserves and protects his own here in the temple. But it's not just simply the idea of preserving them, protecting them, although that theme is certainly present in the passage, but rather it's the idea that the Lord surrounds those whom he loves. He surrounds them with his care. He surrounds them with his protection. He surrounds them with his love. And so we want to reflect upon this, how he surrounds us with his love in Christ. And so first, we want to give thought to the nature of how God surrounds us. Secondly, how that surrounding provides protection for us. And then third and finally, how this surrounding and this protection constitutes a great blessing that we receive in and through the gospel of Christ. So let's look first at what as to what the psalmist has to say about being surrounded. I think that as the pilgrims would make their way into the city of Jerusalem, they would know that the city walls surrounded them and would ostensibly protect them from enemies. But at the same time, I don't think that the psalmist is just merely setting our eyes upon the city walls of the earthly Jerusalem, but rather his eyes are ultimately set upon the city walls of the heavenly Jerusalem, the new Jerusalem itself. And he is thinking about how those walls of the heavenly city protect the people of God. In fact, in the book of Revelation, when we look at the dimensions of the New Jerusalem, the book of Revelation tells us that those city walls are 144 cubits high, which is about 216 feet tall. Those are some pretty massive walls when you begin to think about it. So there's a sense in which I think the psalmist is calling us to look with the eyes of our faith to behold the protection that the walls of the New Jerusalem itself provide for the saints of God. But secondly, we can say that this tells us that God not only dwells in our midst, in and through the person of Christ, that he is Emmanuel with us. But if he is with us, then not only he is present in our midst, but he is also around us, and that he surrounds us and he protects us. And this is the very imagery that the psalmist brings out in the first two verses, those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever as the mountains surround Jerusalem. So the Lord surrounds his people from this time forth and forevermore. In other words, God is not merely present in here with us, though certainly he is present in that way, but he is also present out there surrounding us, protecting us. OK, so here I want us to note, though, who the Lord surrounds, because it's important, it's not a blessing that he gives just unto any person. Notice here that the psalmist says in verse 1 that God surrounds those who trust in him. What does it mean to trust in him? Well, according to the Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 14, Paragraph 2, the principal acts of saving faith are receiving, resting, and accepting Jesus Christ for the blessings of salvation. And so what the psalmist is saying, and especially if we think about this in the overall arc of the Book of Psalms, remember, Psalm 2 are some of the opening words, kiss the son lest he be angry. seek refuge in him from the wrath that is to come. And so it is for those who trust in the gospel promises that the Father gives us in Christ, those are the one whom he surrounds. But it's not just trusting. Remember, we have to understand what it means to trust. Again, as our confession says, it means to receive the blessings of the gospel in Christ by faith. It means to rest in those gospel promises. It means to accept those gospel promises. Notice all of those things are passive in nature. In other words, the protection that we receive through the gospel of Christ is not something that we ourselves try to accomplish by our own good works, but rather it is something that we receive by the gift of faith in Christ. It's a blessing. It is something that God freely gives us in Christ. So here, this is what the psalmist says for those who trust in those gospel promises, who rest in the protection of the Messiah. What does the psalmist say in chapter two, verse 12, blessed are all who take refuge in him, in Jesus the Messiah. And so this is the hope that the psalmist held out. Or in the words, for example, of Martin Luther's version of Psalm 46, as he looks to Christ, he says, did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing. We're not the right man on our side, the man of God's own choosing. You ask who that may be? Christ Jesus it is he. Lord, Sabbath oath his name from age to age the same, and he must win the battle. And so here, the psalmist looks to those gospel promises that come to us in Christ. But notice how those gospel promises abound to us. Indeed, Christ is Emmanuel, God with us. As John says in John chapter one, verse 14, that the word became flesh and he tabernacled among us. But remember, Jesus is not merely among us, Again, though he certainly is, he is among us even now, where two or three are gathered, there I am in your midst, Jesus tells us. But through his providential care and love, he surrounds us. He's in here, but he's also out there. This means that there is a wall of protection around us. He defends us from our enemies, and even beyond Jerusalem's walls, he hems us in like the mountains that surround Jerusalem itself. In other words, Jerusalem rests upon a small elevated mountain, but then as you would stand in the midst of the city, you would be able to see the mountains hemming you in all around. Recently, the family and I were traveling in the Pacific Northwest and we were in Seattle. and you could stand at certain points in Seattle and you could look from the city and you could see the majestic Mount Rainier in the background with its snow-capped peaks. Well, that's something of the imagery that we want to think of as the pilgrims would stand in the midst of Jerusalem and they would see themselves hemmed in by the mountains all around. These aren't mountains that would trap them in, rather these were mountains that provided a wall of protection. We can think about this, for example, think about Switzerland. Why is it that Switzerland has been able to remain neutral through two world wars? Because they remained hemmed in by the Alps, by the mountains around them. No one can get an army in there, they are protected. And so notice here, the Lord surrounds those whom he loves and he surrounds us with the love that he gives us in Christ. But how specifically we want to ask, does Christ protect us? This brings us to our second point. And that we can rest assured that Jesus surrounds and protects us from foes outside of the church, as verses one and two tell us. Here, for example, the Heidelberg Catechism in Question 54 says this, protects and preserves for himself a community chosen for eternal life and united in true faith. And of this community, I am and always will be a living member." So the Lord Jesus Christ, he gathers us, he protects us, and he preserves us. And notice that line out of the catechism as it says, out of the entire human race. We have a blessing in the protection given to us by Jesus Christ, a protection that the outside unbelieving world does not know. Now, the Lord can protect us through many different ways. According to Westminster Confession 5.3, it says, God in his ordinary providence makes use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against them at his pleasure. So this means that the Lord Jesus can protect us through means. He can use the governing authorities to protect us from time to time. And in the history of the church, this is certainly something that has happened. Sometimes he can also work without means, such as in the story of Esther, though the name of God is not mentioned, nevertheless, the Lord is protecting his people. He is preserving them. Sometimes he can work against them, against means, by thwarting the plans of the wicked. Either way, the Lord can work without means, through means, or against means, but all of this he does, he does in the service of the church to protect us and to preserve us. This means that Christ can directly intervene by protecting his church through miraculous means. Think of the Red Sea Crossing. quite a dramatic and immediate intervention of Christ on behalf of his people. In addition to this, he can also use supernatural means such as angels to protect his church from harm. Psalm chapter 34, verse seven, the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and delivers them. I can remember years ago reading a book by one author all about angels. And one of the claims in the book was, is that the Lord uses angels to protect his people. I think in general, this is a true statement. It's a truth in which we can take comfort. You know, think of the angels, for example, that surrounded and encamped around Elisha and his servant Gehazi in the Old Testament. You know, 2 Kings 6, verses 16 and following, where Elisha tells his servant, quote, do not be afraid for those who are with us are more than those who are with them. They were surrounded on all sides by the army of the king who had come to arrest them and to take them away. You can imagine Gehazi saying, let me get this straight. You're saying that there are more people with us than there are with them. I only see two of us here, unless I'm miscounting. And what is, what is Elisha say? Oh Lord, open his eyes that he may see. So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man and he saw and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. There they were, present with Elijah and Gehazi, protecting them. You know, the book of Hebrews in chapter 12 tells us that we worship in the presence of angels. I wonder, were the Lord to pull back the veil and allow us to see the spiritual realm, how many angels would actually be present here with us? It's passages like this and others in the scriptures that one like John Calvin said this, he said essentially, I don't think that we have each of us a guardian angel. Instead, he says, I hold for certain that each one of us is cared for not by one angel merely, but that all with one consent watch for our safety. In other words, we don't have one guardian angel, but rather all of the angels, the entire host of heaven, watch out for us and protect us. We are surrounded by an army of angels. And so I think this is but one of the ways in which the Lord protects us through his providence. It's the way that Christ protects and preserves his church, using means, working against means, intervening directly, or even intervening supernaturally by using angels to protect us. but we should not pass too quickly by another way that the Lord surrounds us and protects us. Notice what he says in verse three here, the psalmist says, for the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong. So as the psalmist undoubtedly rejoiced because he was within Jerusalem's walls and he found safety from external foes, there were nevertheless still foes within the city. Think of the wicked who surrounded Christ within the walls of Jerusalem. We've used these words before, but The church is one foundation, though with a scornful wonder men see her sore oppressed by schisms rent asunder by heresies distressed. We know that within the walls of the church there can be enemies. And yet the psalmist says that no matter how dim it might look. Verse three, the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous. To use a term or a phrase from the oath that soldiers take when they join the military, the Lord protects us from foes, both domestic and foreign. He protects us from foes outside the church. He protects us from foes within the church. The scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous. The Lord will protect us, even from those within the church. This is yet another way that the Lord surrounds us and protects us. But there's still yet a third way that the Lord Jesus Christ surrounds, defends, and protects us. And at first it may seem odd to us. It may seem odd to us. Notice at the end of verse three, when the psalmist says, lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong. This to me are some of the most comforting words in this song. Because I'm fully aware that I am my own worst enemy. I'm not so much worried about the people out there, I'm not even so much worried about the enemies within the church. I'm not saying I'm unconcerned, but the person that I fear is me. The person that I fear is me the most. You know, sometimes it may seem that the wicked are all powerful and will prevail, and the temptation is great to join them. That's the whole message of the book of Hebrews. The Jewish Christians who had converted to Christ were thinking about going back to the ways of Judaism because they were under persecution. So we've all heard the phrase, if you can't beat them, join them. And so here, this is what the psalmist is saying. the scepter of the wicked will not rest over the land that is allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong. In other words, lest the righteous see that maybe the answer to their suffering is simply to cave and to join the wicked. There's a history that a story that comes to us from church history. Polycarp, who is the Bishop of Smyrna, Polycarp is famous for among other things that he was discipled by the man who knew the man. He was discipled by Irenaeus and Irenaeus, sorry, Polycarp was discipled by the Apostle John and then Polycarp discipled Irenaeus. So Polycarp knew the Apostle John. And when he was an old man, he was arrested because the Roman authorities were saying that you had to burn incense to Caesar. you had to acknowledge that he was God. And so think in that moment, Polycarp, a man of 86 years old, who at that point was frail and weak, they said to him, all you have to do is say Caesar is Lord, Kaiser Escuria, say Caesar is Lord, and you won't go to be burned on the stake. You won't go to be burned on the stake. What's the harm? That's just three words. Caesar is Lord. Maybe I just join the wicked in this one moment. I don't really mean it, but it'll certainly turn down the heat of persecution. I won't die, and I won't die in the fires as they tie me to the stake. All I have to do is burn some incense and say Caesar is Lord, how simple it might be. How easy would it be for the righteous to join the wicked, to stretch out their hand and to join them in their cause just for a moment? How did Polycarp respond? Quote, 86 years I have served him and he has done me no wrong. How then can I blaspheme my king who has saved me? He refused. The Lord gave him courage to say, no, put me on the stake, burn me to death. Christ gave him the courage and the grace to die on the pyre. But the psalmist says that what God will do is he will protect the righteous. He will prevent them from reaching out their hands in moments of temptation, lest they join the wicked. He protects us from the enemies out there. He protects us from the enemies in here. He protects us from the enemy in here, from us. Jesus Christ himself taught a very similar point when he spoke of the great tribulation. And he says in Matthew 24, 22, and if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short. In other words, in Paul's words, 1 Corinthians 10, 13, no temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability. But with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure it. God protects us from us. He preserves us. Christ loves us. He says, I'm not gonna let you wander. prone to wander, Lord, I see it, prone to leave the God I love, Lord, bind me, bring me close, hold me close, never let me go. So this is how the Lord protects us. This is how he surrounds us. But thirdly and finally, how is it that he blesses us? We can say that God has tremendously, of course, blessed us in Christ as he surrounds us with his protective care. We read in verses four and five, do good, O Lord, to those who are good and to those who are upright in their hearts. But those who turn aside to their crooked ways, the Lord will lead away with evildoers. Peace be upon Israel. The psalmist says, O Lord, do good unto those who are good. This is not the psalmist holding forth his righteous works as if to say, I've done good, now you do your part. Remember, the Lord does good for those who trust in him. It's only through the gift of faith that we trust in him. It is only the gift of faith that enables us to do those good works. Rather, what the psalmist is calling upon the Lord to do is he's saying, essentially, finish the good work that you have begun in us. Hebrews 12.2, Jesus is the founder and the perfecter of our faith. He's calling upon the Lord Jesus to complete his work. or Paul in Philippians 1.6, I am sure of this, that he who began the good work in you will bring it to completion on the day of Jesus Christ. It is the psalmist way of saying, do not let us go, do not abandon us, hold us tight, protect us, protect us from ourselves, protect us from our foes, ensure that we will enjoy the blessings of salvation. But here, given that the psalmist addresses a mixed crowd, a mixed crowd that would presumably be gathered there to worship in the temple, he addresses both believers and unbelievers. He's warning them of the impending judgment. Don't wander away from Christ. That's the only place where you find salvation. That's the only place where you find protection. I can remember years ago when I was in seminary, and it was really a series of terrible, terrible storms that were brewing tornadoes. We had golf ball size hail falling. And a couple of my friends, their cars were so damaged that the insurance company totaled them, but they turned around and they bought the car back. because it was mechanically sound, it's just that their car looked like a golf ball. Some of them even had white cars. They drove these white cars down the road that looked like golf balls because they had been pelted to death by golf ball-sized hail. I can remember the night of the storm. I was working that night in the library. And as I worked in the library that night, the tornado sirens started going off. And so naturally, they called everybody down to the bottom floor to take shelter in what was the lowest part of the building, in the most enclosed part of the building. But one of my friends said, I want to see what's going on outside. And I said, you're a fool. You know, it's like you could hear the wind. It sounded, I'm not exaggerating. It sounded like a freight train. I said, you're a fool. If you go outside, you run the risk of being injured. You run the risk of maybe even getting sucked away. Don't go outside. Don't get exposed to the danger. This is what the psalmist is saying. Don't go outside. Don't go outside the protection that you have in Christ. Don't go outside the protection that you have from Christ who protects you from yourself, who protects you from the foes within the city, who protects you from the foes without the city. Or in the words of Christ in his John chapter 15, verses five and six, I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me, I in him. He that is that bears much fruit for apart from me, You can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers, and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. Or in the words of the psalmist, kiss the son, lest he be angry and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all those who take refuge in him. Do not step out into the storm of the wrath of God, says the psalmist. Seek shelter in Christ. But here we can say this, the psalmist doesn't end on the flat note of judgment, but rather he ends on the note, a bright note of hope and of salvation. What awaits those who seek refuge in Christ? Not only does Christ surround us, He protects us, He provides for us, but through His presence, He imparts peace. At the end of verse five, peace be upon Israel. Peace be upon Israel. Have you ever thought about that? Peace in the midst of the storm? Peace in the midst of the chaos? In the face of the devastating medical diagnosis, do you have peace? In the face of persecution, maybe it's verbal persecution, do you have peace? Do you have peace when your family member who's the unbeliever rejects you or ridicules you? Do you have peace in your heart? Do you have peace when you face economic uncertainty? Do you have peace when you look at the news media and you see all the negative stories that are out there? Well, maybe if you're out in the storm alone, maybe you lack that peace. But if we look to the Lord Jesus Christ and we seek his protection, his provision, if we take shelter behind him, knowing that he surrounds us, then with the psalmist, we can say, peace be upon Israel. This, in fact, is the very blessing that the Apostle Paul ends the book of Galatians with in Galatians 6, 16, when he says, peace be upon the Israel of God. You are the Israel of God because you are joined to the son of God by faith and through his indwelling presence. And Christ imparts peace unto you. And this is the peace that you can know by seeking shelter in Christ. In the words of John Newton, Oh, speak that gracious word again and cheer my drooping heart. No voice but thine can soothe my pain or bid my fears depart. Recognize, beloved in Christ, that the Lord Jesus Christ is not only within you, but he also surrounds you, and he protects you, and he provides for you, and he gives you peace. Let's bow together in a word of prayer. Father God, we pray that you would give us peace in the Lord Jesus Christ. We know that we have peace through him with you, for the fire of your wrath no longer hangs over our head, because when we were still yet sinners, Christ died for us to give us peace. We have the abiding presence of your Holy Spirit within us to impart peace unto us. For you can give through Christ in the Spirit a peace that surpasses all understanding. And even though all hell may be breaking loose around us, you can give us peace. And so we pray, O Lord, that you would call us to yourself, that you would draw us near to yourself, and that you would impart unto us the peace that we so desperately want, a peace that's in the face of our guilt and shame for sin, a peace When we have anxiety, O Lord, and we know not what the future holds. A peace, O Lord, when we have uncertain times and perhaps even persecution. Father, impart unto us the peace that only comes to us through Christ, and help us to remember that your Son, the Lord Jesus, surrounds us with his love, and that nothing can separate us from it. We give thanks, O Lord, for your glorious provision and protection in Christ, and we pray all of these things in Christ's precious and holy name, amen.