Perseverance of the Saints

Psalm 73
July 25, 2021
James Shin

Sermon Script

Father, we are now going to listen to your holy words. Let us know you more, and let us know your love more so that we can love our families and neighbors with your love. Lord, during this time, please open our hearts, eyes, and ears. In the name of Jesus. Amen. 

Good morning Highland. It is good to see you again. Today’s title is Perseverance of the Saints.

Before we begin with this title. I Strongly believe that you still remember what I delivered a few weeks ago.

The title was “Who God is and Who We Are.”

The previous sermon was about God’s Revelation of Himself and Ourselves.

We learned that God revealed Himself through His creation, Scripture, and Jesus, and not only Himself, but also He revealed who we are through the creation, scripture, and Jesus.

Today’s sermon connects to the previous sermon. In other words, the two sermons are dealing with the Revelation of God.

In the today’s passage, God reveals a few things to the author of this Psalm 73 whose name is Asaph.

According to the title of this psalm, the modern readers can see that the author is Asaph.

Then, who is Asaph? Who is Asaph?

We know David. We know Solomon. Then, who is Asaph?

First Chronicle 16, verse 4 and 5 says, “Then he appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the LORD, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel. Asaph was the chief.”

King David appointed Asaph as a praise team leader. Asaph was a faithful man who was appointed as a praise team leader by God through King David.

As a leader, Asaph had a big significant responsibility among his team members and among the Israel people. He had to be a spiritual leader. He had to be a spiritual model for his people.

With the responsibilities and roles, he tried to live pure before the eyes of the Lord. He devoted himself to live according to the commandments of God.

He didn’t think about himself, but thought about God and his neighbors. The praise leader Asaph loved His God and neighbors. He was at peace and hope in God.

But, at a certain point of his pure religious life, Asaph began to see some Unfairness, Injustice, and the Prosperity of the wicked.

In the passage, verse 2 and 3 state, “But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”

From verse 4 through 12, the author shows how they are wicked and how they are prosperous.

From verse 4 through 12, it is his complaints before God.

Through the passage, the author keeps saying, “They are evil, but they are living better than me!” “They are sinners, but they looks happy” “They don’t know you Lord, but they are rich.”

Then, what was the issue within his heart with the prosperity of the Wicked in the Passage?

He is questioning the difference between the people of God and the faithless people.

Highland, have you ever thought about the wealth and prosperity of the non-Christians?

For example, we can say, “I am Christian, but I don’t have any job while my friends are already working. Why are non-believers healthier than Christians?” “I am a Christian, but why is God not taking care of me and my family?”

In his eyes, Asaph does not see any difference between the two different groups. But rather, the faithless people look living better and wealthier than the people of God.

So, in verse 13, he says, “All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.”

He struggled to understand this unfairness. But he didn’t want to be like the Wicked. He didn’t want to betray His God and his faith because he was a spiritual leader among the Israelites.

In verse 15, he didn’t want to betray His people by becoming like the wicked people.

Verse 15 connects to verse 11.

According to the author, the wicked people say “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?”

Asaph struggled himself to understand this unfairness, and struggled to keep his faith in God.

And what happened next? Did he finally find his answers?

No, it got worse. He could not understand it. He could not find the good answers with his experience and knowledge. And, his struggle became more painful.

We will see how the issue is solved. We will find out how his question, struggle, and pain are solved. And, we will focus on what God has shown and what God has done for him.

From now on, I have three things that I want to share with you this morning.

First, God taught him. Asaph was taught by God in the place of worship. It was the place of worship that God showed His knowledge to Asaph.

Then, what did he learn from God in the place of worship? What did he learn in the presence of the Lord?

Asaph learned the End of the wicked. God has shown their end to Asaph.

The author learned the true identity and characteristics of the Wicked, and he confesses in verse 18 and 19, “Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors!

Now, Asaph does not see the prosperity of the wicked anymore, but he sees the end of the wicked.

Now, Asaph does not see the wealth of the wicked, but he sees the death of the wicked.

Now, Asaph does not see their wealth as prosperity, but as suffering by being away from God.

Moreover, he does not see his suffering and the un-fairness anymore, now he sees the blessing and fairness of God.

Asaph now begins to see the world in the eyes of God.

Asaph begins to see the creation of God in the perspective of God.

God changed and developed his worldview.

Brothers and sisters, with the new worldview, Asaph now sees not only the death of the wicked, but also his weakness and his sinfulness.

In other words, Asaph now sees that he is also a sinner before the Lord.

In Psalm 19 which we studied together a few weeks ago, David realized that he was not perfect while God was perfect; in other words, from the scripture, David came to know that he was sinner.

And, In Psalm 73, Asaph came to know that he was a sinner in the sanctuary of God.

In the beginning, Asaph believed that he was pure and clean before the eyes of the Lord.

He thought that he was righteous without any blemishes. In verse 13, he said, “All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.”

But now, he realizes that he is also wicked before the truly pure and holy God.

He says in verse 22, “I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.”

He confesses his sinfulness, unfaithfulness, and unrighteousness. He repents before the Lord. God turned Asaph to Himself.

Brothers and sisters, in the place of worship, we come to know who God is and who we are.

In the presence of the Lord, we come to know our sinfulness before the Lord.

And, the presence of the Lord leads us to life, to Jesus.

Second, God Healed him.

God healed Asaph from His suffering and pain. He was healed by God in the place of worship.

He was suffering because of the prosperity of the wicked. And, it was hard to understand the unfairness. And, the struggle became more painful.

In the place of worship, God healed his pain by showing him the end of the wicked and the life of God’s people.

Moreover, God healed him by making him to be with God, through the relationship.

Asaph could be healed through the spiritual relationship with God in the place of worship.

Verse 23 and 24 state, “Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.// You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.”

Brothers and Sisters, God turned Asaph to Himself by leading him to the worship place.

While God set the wicked in slippery places, he set Asaph in a worship place.

God distinguished Asaph from the wicked by placing him in the holy place.

It was God’s healing. God healed him by leading him to the worship place.

In the holy place of worship, there was teaching, repentance, and healing.

God turned Asaph to Himself who was his strength, portion, and refugee.

Brothers and Sisters, God leads us to His holy church: the body of Christ.

God has distinguished us holy by placing us in the holy place: the church.

In the church, there is teaching, repentance, and healing.

In the place where there is the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, there is Repentance and Healing.

Brothers and Sisters, What can we learn from the author’s experience?

The third and last point is that God is Good.

God is Good.

From his experience, we can learn that God is Good.

Now, we can understand verse 1; in other words, we can now understand why in the beginning the author said, “Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.”

In the passage, verse 1 begins with a joyful praise sentence, “Truly God is Good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.”

In the passage, verse 1 functions as a summary of his testimony.

Throughout his testimony, Asaph wanted to proclaim the goodness of God.

He wanted to show, he wanted to emphasize How God is Good.

Then, how is God good to us? In what way, can we tell that God is good?

God has shown His Goodness through His only-begotten Son: Jesus Christ.

God healed us through the cross of Jesus.

God brought us out of our suffering and pain through the cross of Jesus.

Then, what was our suffering? Seeing the life of the Wicked?

What was our pain? Understanding the prosperity of the Wicked?

We were suffering from our sins. We were in death because of our sins.

Death was our biggest suffering and pain. But, we could not recognize that we were dead.

We could not feel our pain because we were blind like Asaph who could not know he was a sinner until he encountered the Presence of the Lord in the place of worship.

But, while we were still sinners, God healed our pain through the pain of Christ.

God moved us from death through the death of Christ.

Brothers and sisters, in verse 1, Asaph says, “Truly God is good to Israel.”

As God was good to Israel, God is always good to His church.

God is always good because God keeps holding fast to us by leading us to His holy church.

God keeps His relationship with us by leading us to the place of worship.

That is why we can say, “God is Good.”

Brothers and Sisters, we sometimes can say, “I am Christian, but I don’t have any job while my friends are already working. My wages are lower than them!

Why are non-believers healthier than Christians?” “I am a Christian, but why is God not taking care of me?”

But, Christianity is not about material prosperity, but spiritual prosperity through the fullness of Christ.

We come to have spiritual prosperity when we encounter the suffering and cross of Christ.

The spiritual prosperity is peace and hope in Christ who healed and saved us from our sins.

We trust in God not to receive something from God, but we trust in God because we have already received Jesus Christ who is our peace and hope while we were still sinners.

At the end with Christ, there will be no more questions, no more struggles, and no more pains, but Peace with Christ.

Brothers and Sisters, God did everything. God did everything through His Son.

And, God is still holding us fast by leading us to the worship place.

Therefore, while we are living our Christian lives, let us see not this world, but God.

And, let us think about what God has already done for us rather than what we can receive from God.

God is Good to His Church.

Since God is good, it is good to be near God.

Highland, all is grace.

Soli Deo Gloria