3-7-21 Grace-Tucson Sermon

Pastor Tim Patoka The Struggle: Psalms for Lent

3rd Sunday in Lent March 7, 2021

The Struggle: Empowered by God’s Word Psalm 19:1-14 1) God Empowers Christians Through His Word 2) Christians Face Their Struggles Wise and Renewed When you’re going through a particular struggle, what gets you through it? Maybe it’s that cup of steaming, hot coffee during the workday or a relaxing beverage at home. Maybe it’s hearing the voice of a loved one or the tune of a familiar song. Or perhaps it’s the light at the end of the tunnel that looks like time off, something checked off the to-do list, or peace of mind. Depending on the particular struggle, I’m guessing you have any number of carrots, sticks, or mechanisms to get you through them.

These solutions may work for our struggles that are here today and gone tomorrow or of a physical nature. But what about those struggles that just won’t go away or those of a spiritual kind? It’s likely these solutions do little, if anything, to actually help us get through them. In fact, they may fail us or set us up for further struggles.

But that doesn’t mean that we’re up the creek and without a paddle. As Psalm 19 tells us, we are in fact empowered to face and withstand these struggles through a way that we may surprise us. And that often overlooked way is none other than the Bible, the Word of God. It is through God’s Word, more than most anything else, that our Lord empowers us to face and withstand our struggles. And for those who listen to God’s Word and put its empowerment into faithful action, they can face their struggles wise and renewed for it.

1) God Empowers Christians Through His Word Whether it’s the lyrical words we earlier sang, or the verses that are printed for you in your worship folder, Psalm 19 begins by recounting God’s glory as seen through nature. And indeed, that is a great place to look as we survey the beauties that God created in 6, 24-hour days. It’s all of nature, including the sky and sun which Psalm 19 specifically points out, that speaks silent words to all mankind. And what do they say? That there is someone who is highly intelligent and immensely powerful who designed this all, someone who is definitely not human like you and me. For the Christian who knows much more about God, it can be beneficial to considering God’s glory as seen in nature. But what about the person who doesn’t know much more about God? How does God’s glory as seen in nature equip them for their struggles? Not all that much. That’s because nature simply tells us that God is far more powerful and intelligent than we are, and there’s nothing we can do to bridge the chasm between us.

That’s why we go to God’s Word, for it empowers us for the struggles that we face in life far more than nature does. Psalm 19 goes on to talk about God’s Word in six different ways. The first four go like this, “The law of the Lord is perfect. It revives the soul. The testimony of the Lord is trustworthy. It gives wisdom to the inexperienced. 8The precepts of the Lord are right. They give joy to the heart. The commandment of the Lord is bright. It gives light to the eyes.” (Psalm 19:7-8 EHV) First of all, God’s Word revives our soul, that is, it brings life back to our very being whether it’s spiritual or 1

Pastor Tim Patoka The Struggle: Psalms for Lent

3rd Sunday in Lent March 7, 2021

emotional. Secondly, God’s Word brings wisdom to the inexperienced, that is, it teaches life lessons without the trial and error typically involved. Thirdly, God’s Word gives joy to the heart with its promises of God’s blessings which don’t depend on our earning or deserving of them. Finally, God’s Word gives light to the eyes as it shows us the path to heaven and how to live for him.

The last two things that Psalm 19 mentions about God’s Word go like this. “The fear of the Lord is pure. It stands forever. The just decrees of the Lord are truth. They are altogether righteous.”

(Psalm 19:9 EHV) Instead of telling us what God’s Word does, this time we learn two eternal truths about God’s Word – it ain’t going anywhere and what it says is perfectly right. As such, we can stake our claim in it and never be ashamed.

It’s with all this that we can view God’s Word in the same way the author of our Psalm did, “They are more desirable than gold, even better than much pure gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the honeycomb.” (Psalm 19:10 EHV) Imagine that! More desirable than the world’s wealth to buy whatever our hearts desire. More satisfying than the choicest morsel or local, raw, organic honey. That’s what God’s Word truly is. Not only for what it tells us about our Savior, but also for its empowerment through our many struggles.

But do you consider God’s Word in such high regard? Do you turn to it for help to face and withstand your struggles? I hear of some people who’d rather turn to nature to find God. It’s indeed breathtaking to consider the mighty mountains, open expanses, enviable weather we have at this time of year, and the biodiversity across the globe. But if we all get is a reminder of how intelligent and powerful God is and what we will never be, how helpful is that for our distressing struggles? If I were to ask you, “what’s most important: God, money, or pleasure?” I’m guessing you’d give me the correct answer of God. But do we show that same answer in real-life and on-the-spot situations? Whenever we deprive ourselves of God’s Word and the faith’s empowerment we receive through it, not only do we set ourselves up for harder-than-needed struggles ahead, we also expose our faith to increased risk.

God’s Word is vitally important. But don’t just take my word or Psalm 19’s word for it. Instead, let us look back to Jesus clearing the temple courts as we heard in this Sunday’s Gospel from John chapter 2(:13-22). Why is it that Jesus got so enraged, took such drastic actions, and made enemies for himself? It wasn’t to get the people’s attention and the temple court’s vendors were sadly in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nor was it because Jesus was a problem child who routinely did such things for no apparent reason. Rather, it was to purify God’s house from being a breeding ground for sin and restore it for its intended purpose – to be a place where God dwelled through his Word and people left empowered by his Word.

God’s Word today empowers us in the same way because its content hasn’t changed. As in the past, it is still focused on who our Savior is and what he has done for us. In this Lenten season, we are looking especially at Jesus’ suffering and death. As we do so, we see that Jesus went through a number of struggles of his own just to get to the cross, be our perfect substitute, and pay the full price for our sins. Jesus faced and withstood these struggles so that he could obtain forgiveness and give it to us through faith.

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Pastor Tim Patoka The Struggle: Psalms for Lent

3rd Sunday in Lent March 7, 2021

It is this assurance of forgiveness throughout all our struggles that makes God’s Word better than gold and sweeter than honey. For it revives our souls spiritually and emotionally, gives wisdom to the inexperienced without the usual scars and wounds, gives joy to the heart with its assurance of sins forgiven, and gives light to the eyes with its guidance and direction for Christian living. And because God’s Word stands forever and is altogether righteous, we continue to go back to God’s Word for empowerment for our many struggles.

2) Christians Face Their Struggles Wise and Renewed We are also assured of this empowerment by seeing how God’s Word equips Christians to face their struggles wise and renewed. Psalm 19 tells us, “Yes, by them your servant is warned. In keeping them there is great reward.” (Psalm 19:11 EHV) While the Bible is primarily focused on our Savior and what he has done for us, there are some sections (like our 1st Lesson on the Ten Commandments) which warn us against particular sins while also guiding us how to live as God’s thankful children. If you remember, this is in line with what we earlier talked about, how God’s Word gives wisdom to the inexperienced.

I saw this first-hand during my college years on a Spanish immersion trip to Argentina. Because of financial assistance which ultimately came from the offerings we all give to our Lord, 20-year old me was able to spend a month in Argentina to improve my Spanish skills. On our last night there, the host dad for my all-male group decided to take us on a field trip. Even though our novice Spanish skills were barely conversational level, it became clear what his intention was when we got off the bus in the red light district. Being a bunch of 20-something guys, you can probably imagine what our host dad figured was going to happen. But I’m happy to tell you that no one in our group of aspiring pastors and teachers did what our host dad expected.

Did we say no that night because our group of 20-somethings had the maturity of those much older or who have learned themselves from trial and error? By no means! As 20-somethings with basic conversational skills, we were relatively naïve to what was all happening and not equipped to fully explain ourselves. In fact, the reason why we seemed wise beyond our years and said no that night was because we listened to Scripture’s warning about sinful pleasures. And, in so doing, we received the great reward by dodging the bullet of who-knows-what if one of us had said yes. But it’s not just on college immersion trips of the past that we can listen to Scripture’s warnings. It’s every day we can be wise in facing our struggles by listening to these warnings and, in keeping them, receive great reward of all different kinds.

God’s Word doesn’t only make us wise to face our struggles. It also renews us in our struggle against sin. Psalm 19 goes on to say, “Who can recognize his own errors? Declare me innocent of hidden sins. 13Restrain your servant also from deliberate sins. Do not let them rule over me. Then I will be blameless. Then I will be innocent of great rebellion.” (Psalm 19:12-13 EHV) What hidden sins have you committed? Sins you didn’t realize you committed in the first place or have forgotten about?

While we can’t precisely answer that question, we know that the answer is more than we wish. Even these hidden sins have been freely and fully forgiven by our Savior. You are, as Psalm 19 says, blameless and innocent.

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3rd Sunday in Lent March 7, 2021

Pastor Tim Patoka The Struggle: Psalms for Lent

What deliberate sins do you personally struggle with? What pet sins regularly attempt to rule over you, perhaps even right now? Go to the Lord for renewal. Not just for your complete forgiveness of all your failures, but also for strength to live for God as he guides you in his empowering Word.

Conclusion When you’re going through a particular struggle, what gets you through? Maybe it’s a certain beverage, comforting words, or a promise of what’s to come. While these solutions work for some struggles, they don’t do much for struggles of a lasting or spiritual kind. Yet God’s Word does as told to us in Psalm 19. While nature can tell us about God’s almighty power and incomparable intelligence, it’s rather through God’s Word that he empowers us to face and withstand our struggles. For God’s Word revives our soul, gives wisdom to the inexperienced, gives joy to the heart, and gives light to the eyes. Because of its primary message about Jesus and his salvation, its unchanging stance and altogether righteousness makes God’s Word better than gold, sweeter than honey, and more important than anything else.

Empowered by God’s Word to face our struggles, we then see its effects in our Christian lives.

For God’s Word warns us against specific sins so as to make us wise in facing our struggles. God’s Word also renews us with our Lord’s free and full forgiveness in our personal struggles against sins of all kinds. It’s with all this that brings us to call upon our Lord in the same way that Psalm 19 does in its closing verse, “O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14b EHV) Our Rock in whom we trust and our Redeemer who has bought us back from sin’s captivity.

May we continue to hold God’s Word close and listen to it daily so that we may always call the Lord our Rock and our Redeemer as he continues to empower us to face and withstand our struggles until the day we reach our struggle-free home in heaven. Amen.

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