If you have your Bibles, would you turn to Psalm 115, which is going to be the study this morning from God's word in its entirety. That's Psalm number 115. Would you be so kind to rise for the reading and hearing of God's word? Not to us, O Lord, not to us. but to your name give glory for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness. Why should the nation say, where is their God? Our God is in the heavens. He does all that he pleases. Their idols are silver and gold. The work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak. Eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear. Noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel. Feet, but they do not walk. And they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them. So do all who trust in them. O Israel, trust in the LORD, He is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD, He is their help and their shield. You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord. He is their help and their shield. The Lord has remembered us. He will bless us. He will bless the house of Israel. He will bless the house of Aaron. He will bless those who fear the Lord, both the small and the great. May the Lord give you increase, you and your children. May you be blessed by the Lord and who made heaven and earth. The heavens are the Lord's heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man. The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence. But he, we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord. This is the Word of God. Please be seated. Let us pray now for the illumination of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, we come to you now as we continue our worship. We ask that you would give us clear minds, spiritual ears, and spiritual eyes to be able to see what you have prepared, the delight that you have prepared for us this day in your word. We pray that we would be changed by it, not just for a couple of hours or a day or two, but throughout all of eternity. And we pray this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen. The introductory words of Psalm 115 have really a rich history in Western civilization. When the English King Henry V experienced victory at the Battle of Agincourt, he had his troops kneel and sing the hymn. I'll try to do this the best that I possibly can. Non nobis domine, sed tibi sit gloria. Not to us, O Lord, but to thyself be the glory. When John Sobieski, the King of Poland, pushed back the Turks from Vienna in September the 12th in 1683, ending the Muslims' final attempt to conquer Europe, the excited, victorious army sang the opening lines of this psalm, including verses two and three. Why do the nations say where is their God? Our God is in heaven. He does whatever he pleases. Now, I did chicken out trying to pronounce this in Polish. The day after the House of Commons and the House of Lords abolished slavery, William Wilberforce went to his home and meditated after years of doing battle for the cause of abolishing slave trade. He repeated the introductory words of Psalm, not to us, O Lord, but unto you be the glory. What these all have in common is that they quote this psalm after a victory was experienced. But when this psalm was originally written and sung, the people of God were not experiencing victory, but instead they were in distress. We don't exactly know what they were challenged by. But when we look at verse two, we will discover that this psalm is a response to mocking or taunting made by those who are not God-fearers, unbelievers. It is a call by God's people to have God rise up and save them. But I think more importantly, it is motivated by their desire for God to protect his reputation and his name. This psalm is instructive for us to see how they responded to the challenges that were before them, and for us to consider how to apply those things in our lives today on a very personal level. You may be going through some struggle today. I don't know what it may be, and in the grand scheme of things, how important it is in your life, or how painful it is currently in your life. Whether it's a financial concern, a relational problem with your spouse, your children, your parents, or a problem with your career, or even health concerns. Such are some serious examples of distresses that we all have in life. Whatever your affliction or distress may be, let's see how this psalm would minister to you today. The nation of Israel was facing its problem. In verse two, we hear the taunt, don't we? Why do the nations say, where is their God? The people are crying out. The nations make fun of us. They say that the God of the Israelites has abandoned them. They are claiming that their gods are greater than you, oh Lord. Why should they be able to say such a repugnant, detestable, and contemptible things as such as this? This is the cry of the people. Let's see how it is that they approach distress in their lives. Verses one through three begin with an assumption. Begin with an assumption. The assumption is that whatever the outcome, it will turn out in the manner that God wants it to turn out. See, in verse 3 it says, He does all that He pleases. God doesn't ask for permission to do the things that please Him. He does all that pleases Him. This does not mean that when we're facing some problem or affliction in our lives that we're to sit back and do nothing. No, no. We should live our lives according to his revealed word. One thing that gives us assurance is that it will turn out according to his great wisdom and good pleasure. Whatever the circumstance may be, We should live to see, perhaps, if we live to see God's victory in our lives, we should turn to him with anticipation. Turn to him with anticipation, with our pleas. When we're praying in our times of distress, we must remember, not to us, O Lord, but unto you goes the glory. Question. Do you go before God with an anticipation that the Lord will deliver you or your loved ones? Do you pray with anticipation that at some point God, should he wish, save the persons that you are praying for? Whatever the need may be, do you turn to God with anticipation? But just as importantly, when God does deliver you or your loved one, do you sit back and utter, to you, oh Lord, to you alone belongs the glory. What does conversation with fellow believers look like in your life? When God delivers you from the distresses that are afflicting you, do you sing the praises of the person who helped you? Do you sing the praises of an institution that helped you? Do you sing the praises of a charity that helped you? Do you sing the praises of a surgeon that saved you? Don't get me wrong. It's okay to be thankful for the instruments of God. because they are used by God to lift us out of the pit that we may be in. But James reminds us, and it's so important for us to be reminded again today, that all good gifts come from our Heavenly Father's hand. All the blessings come from Him, including the instruments that He uses to answer our prayers. When you work your way out of a difficult situation, does your heart perhaps sing a different lyric to a very famous hymn that we may all know? How great I art. Isn't that the way the world and the way the world thinks today? Trust in yourself. You can pull yourself up by your bootstraps. You are an army of one. It's all about you. You can do it. You can do anything that you point your mind to. And when you get there, it's all about you, isn't it? We can sometimes forget about God's blessings and mercy, working sometimes, well, it seems almost all the time, or most of the time, imperceptibly in the background of your life, in the foreground of your life. How do the lyrics of your great accomplishment sound on social media? You see, proclaiming God's mercies and deliverance becomes much more possible when you do what the psalmist and the people of God have done from the beginning. If you are petitioning God with anticipation that all your groanings will be heard and answered according to his good, wise, and all-powerful will, then it's uppermost in your mind when you are delivered or when you see deliverance. See, that's the disease, isn't it? We doubt, we forget, don't we? This brings us to a dose of reality, doesn't it? In the eyes of the surrounding people, Israel appeared to have her God abandon her. The psalmist is asking, why should they say such a thing? The psalmist responds to this mocking with holy, yes, holy but theologically accurate mocking of his own. This holy mocking was not uncommon. And sadly, due to politically correct society we live in, I think it has stifled the church from being bold in its proclamations today. And yet it's okay for those outside the church to mock the true and living God and his bride. This type of mocking reminds me of Isaiah chapter 44. I won't go through the entire section here, but I'll read a couple of things here to bring you to mind. I'm starting in verse 9, and I'm going to drop down to the lower verses. It says, all who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Half of the wood he burns in the fire, over it he prepares his meal. He roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says, ah, I am warm, I set the fire. From the rest he makes a god, his idol. He bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, save me, you are my god. No one stops to think, Isaiah says. No one has the knowledge or understanding to say, half of it I used for fuel. I even baked bread over its coals. I roasted meat and I ate. Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood? Such a person feeds on ashes. And he says, a deluded heart misleads him. He cannot save himself or say, is not this thing in my right hand a lie? You see, the Israelites, the people of God then and now, do not have icons or images or bow down to and worship to them. The images that were made by hands in verse four, we see were made from silver and gold. They would construct them and make them so that they would be found in either indoor or outdoor temples and shrines. They would go over and offer sacrifices to them, touch them, dance for them, do what it takes to manipulate their gods to give them what they want. But the truth is that although these idols were constructed to have a nose, an ear, a mouth, or hands, they couldn't smell or hear or grunt out words, simply because they are false. They are not living beings. False gods don't exist. They cannot help you. False gods cannot be your shield nor your help. They have no value. They really are created things that have no substance. And the psalmist adds, all who make them and trust in them will be like them. What does he mean by that? I know. Sometimes we say that a guy is like gold or this person is, you know, is worth their weight in gold. That's not what he means here. He says we will be like them. What does he mean? Human beings mimic, follow, bow down to the gods we worship. We become like the gods that we follow. If you follow a god of greed, you'll become like them. If you follow the gods of fame, you become hungry for fame. If you follow the gods of beauty, you desire beauty. If you follow the gods of youth, you follow them and attempt to be like them. Is this not true, Christian? Have you not experienced that in your own life? Do we not live in a society that is consumed with having more and more stuff? Do we not live in a society that is consumed with having more fame? What about beauty? All you have to do is just turn on the TV and all the commercials that are brought to you from the temples that bow down to the gods of beauty will start lining up one after, excuse me, another. What about living in a society that is now obsessed with youth? We look to young music stars, movie stars, who haven't even gone to college yet as those that define the morality of our society. They tell us what our passions and pursuits and ethics should be. They define religion for us. They've become the priests and priestesses of our society. And how has society responded to all of this? Well, the annual expenditure of just, let's just say certain rejuvenating surgeries were only in the tens of millions annually about a decade or two ago. They are now in the billions of dollars. The psalmist says, all who make and trust them will be like them, empty, and false, a joy that is momentary and ultimately dissatisfying. The God you follow will be the God to whom you will give glory. Just think about that. The God you follow will be the God to whom you will give glory. When you finally get the job that you've been gunning for, was it because of the plastic surgery? Is it because of the right makeup and dress? Was it that lucky charm that you always bring along with you? Or was it your charm and your work experience? Whoever your God is, it is that God who will get the song of praise. The Bible says the way of idolatry leads unto death. Let us now take a look at what we are to consider once we have dealt with the disease of idolatry. Verses 9 through 11 remind us that this song is a song. There appears to be antiphonal singing, which means that there are different groups singing, that is that they're responding back and forth. So as we look at verses 9 through 11, we see the first group, perhaps they may have been priests, singing. All you Israelites, trust in the Lord. And then perhaps the people would sing back antiphonally, he is their help and their shield. Then again the priests would sing, house of Aaron, trust in the Lord. The response coming back, he is their help and their shield. And finally in verse 11, you who fear him, trust in the Lord. And the response is, he is your help and your shield. What are we to learn? All those who are children of God, the Israel of God, today the visible church, we must be reminded, we must remind ourselves. Verse 15 tells us that God is the creator of heaven and earth. Is what? He is our help and our shield. He is the one who we must turn to in our times of trouble. This is so easy to say, isn't it? It's so easy for us to recite, recite to one another. But how true is it in practice? One moment we're saying to others and to ourselves, God is our help and our shield. God is my help and my shield. And the next moment, we're living out our lives as if God is even in the equation. We comfort ourselves by saying platitudes, and they're false ones, like, God only helps those that help themselves. If it's going to be, it's because of me. We don't say it out loud, but we live it. I am my shield and my defender. Don't we, Christians? We must remind ourselves of this frailty and temptation all the time. The Christian life, if it is to be lived out with sustained beauty, joy, and victory, it must be lived out with God being at the center of our lives all the time. Not just some of the time, all the time. Being a Christian shouldn't be looked at as something that you do. It's what you are. Which is it for you? If I were to ask that question privately, how would you answer that question? Would you say, In my life, being a Christian is something that I do. You know, like being a parent or an electrician, if you're an electrician. Or would you say that I see myself as a Christian, a child of God, a disciple of Christ who is loved and protected by him. And everything that I do in life is informed by and through the prism of my heavenly father and his word that is found in the Holy Scripture. You see, the way that you answer this question, now I'm not talking about how perfectly this is reflected, but the way that you answer this question says a lot about how you approach life. I guess perhaps the equivalent computer language would be, I guess these are your settings in life. God is my help and my shield. Why are we called to sing that God is our source of provision and protection? Because he is the maker of heaven and earth. He is the one who has made all things. Even the raw materials used to create false gods. He is the true and living God, the only God that exists. What is it that this psalm is reminding us? Well, the psalmist reminds us that we are to look to God for blessing. He says in verses 12 to 15 that the people of God are blessed by God no less than four times, and once he uses a parallel word, flourish. Every good blessing comes from our Father who is above reigning and ruling, accomplishing all that pleases him. So the point is that if you are reminded that all blessings in your life, whatever the provision or protection you are needing and getting, and sometimes that blessing is in the form of a rebuke, trials, suffering, they all come from God. Don't know if you think that way. that those things are actually blessings from God at times. God is the maker of all things, of heaven and earth, and he loves you. You will get exactly what you need, but he will never abandon you. You may not get what you want, But you'll get what you need. And that's so much better. Because sometimes things that we want in life, they're not really good for us. So you won't get that love from false gods. To love. At least you got to have some sort of an existence, right? False gods don't exist. They won't love you. They can't love you. But God does love you. So what's the response? Verses 17 and 18 declares what our response should be from these wonderful truths. Exaltation. Exaltation of the living and true God by his people. In this last section, the psalmist is reflecting a belief of their time. Praise God while you can. Some of the belief systems that surrounded Israel at this time did not have an afterlife. Perhaps you may remember even in Jesus' time, the Sadducees, did not believe in an afterlife. You see, those that did not believe in an afterlife did not have a personal judgment for the lives they led when they entered into death. I suspect that even in some continued or sustained mockery, the psalmist is saying to worship the true God, the living God, while you can before you enter into the grave when you can't, wink, wink, because the dead can't sing. No, instead, it is we who extol the Lord forevermore. We who follow the Lord are the ones who will be able to extol the Lord in this life and the life to come and forevermore. As a consequence of all of this, we can then do as we are exhorted to do at the beginning of the Psalm. Even before we experience the victory by saying, To you, O Lord, alone belongs the glory with anticipation, even under the distresses that you are facing today. Isn't it apt? We who live on this side of the cross can see so vividly the truthfulness of the statement, And of all times in redemptive history, we have so much to give thanks for. I'm able to say even on this side of the Protestant Reformation, we have so much to give thanks for, don't we? When we realize that the way of salvation has been preserved and recorded for us in the Word of God, the complete canon, which tells us that our salvation comes from God alone, in Christ alone, and received by faith alone. We can sing, what? Not to us, O Lord, but to you be the glory. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you. And indeed, we gather today to extol you, to celebrate you, to give thanks to you, because you are our great God. You are our help and our shield. You are our protector and our provider. We pray, Heavenly Father, that we would be reminded in anticipation that whatever it is that we are struggling with, whatever it is that you have brought into our lives, that you will have victory in that. in whatever form or fashion that you have chosen to have victory. Help us to be reminded of that. That your wisdom is so much greater than our supposed wisdom. That things turn out the way that you have designed them to be for our good. and for your glory. Let us take comfort in knowing that you are our great God that does exist and that does provide for every one of our needs. Grant us hearts that are malleable to understand and to submit and then rejoice in what you have done to us and for us by the Holy Spirit. because of what you have done to your son for us. And we ask this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.