Redeem Us For the Sake of Your Steadfast Love

Psalm 44
July 10, 2022
Abraham Hong

Sermon Script

Being a Christian is not easy for so many reasons. It is not easy to read God’s Word and pray to God. It is not easy to love others with God’s love and forgive others as God has forgiven us. It is not easy to put off sin. It is not easy to evangelize.

And it is definitely not easy to go through suffering.

If you are a Christian, if you have repented of your sins and if you believe in Jesus for your salvation, then you will suffer. You should suffer. You ought to expect to suffer. You must suffer.

This may sound strange to you. But it’s true. And it’s very important for you to understand.

There are two simple but profound reasons why you will suffer. Reason #1. You are united with Christ. And when you suffer, you share in his suffering. Reason #2. Bad things will happen to you in this world because of your faith in Jesus. Bad things such as hardships, sadness, persecution, disaster, humiliation, danger, or even death. This is why you will suffer as a Christian.

But know this. You will not be alone in your suffering. When you suffer, you will suffer along with the Apostle Paul who suffered. When you suffer, you will suffer along with many believers throughout the world who are suffering and being persecuted for their faith in Jesus. When you suffer, you will suffer along with your fellow church members, your brothers and sisters in Christ here at Highland, who are also suffering through many things too.

And when you suffer, you will suffer along with the main character who speaks here in Psalm 44.

The main character of Psalm 44 cries out to God with great sadness and emotion. Did you feel it when we read it a moment ago?

In verses 1-8 the main character begins by telling God how he and his people all heard what God did for his people in the past. How God gave them a home in the Promised Land and how God saved them from their enemies. The main character gave thanks and praise to God who was his King. And the main character gave God all the credit. It all happened only because of God’s strength. It all happened only because God delighted in his people.

But then in verses 9-16 the main character goes on to say how God rejected them and disgraced them. God caused their enemies to defeat them. God allowed them to lose their home in the Promised Land. God scattered them and made them a laughingstock among the nations. The main character is faced with shame taunting from those who hate him. And so the main character declares to God these profoundly dark words: “You have made us like sheep for slaughter….” Can you imagine the feeling of being made like sheep for slaughter? The feeling of being made to die?

Now at this point, one would expect the main character to confess sin. If you know your basic Old Testament history, you would know that all of the bad things that happened to God’s people happened because of their sin. But in a fascinating twist, the main character doesn’t go there at all.

Instead in verses 17-22 the main character tells God that he and his people are innocent. They have not forgotten God. They have not broken God’s covenant. They have not turned away from God in their heart or departed from God in their steps. God would know if they have done such things. But they have not done such things. And so it doesn’t make any sense for the main character. They are innocent. And yet for God’s sake they are being killed all the day long. They are innocent. And yet they are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

And so the main character closes in verses 23-26 with a plea for God to wake up and show his face and help his people. These are heartbreaking words. Things are so bad that it seems like God is sleeping. The circumstances are so hard that it seems like God is not even there and God is never coming back. The situation is so sad that it seems like God has forgotten his people and what they are going through.

And the worst part about Psalm 44 is how it ends. It ends with no answer from God. No reply. It just ends with the main character crying out to the empty darkness. “Rise up; come to our help Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!” But it seems like no help will come. It seems like the steadfast love is gone. All hope is lost. The end.

Dear Highland, can you relate to the main character here in Psalm 44? Can you imagine and can you understand his heart and his mind? I hope so. Because the main character here is Psalm 44 is actually Jesus Christ.

Psalm 44 was written by the Sons of Korah. The Sons of Korah were writers and musicians of the royal court of King David. But while the Sons of Korah wrote Psalm 44, they wrote it in the perspective and the voice of the king. They wrote it. But the king owns it and sings it. Psalm 44 is ultimately a psalm of the king.

And so it is truly amazing that the king, the main character of Psalm 44, is a king who suffers.

This king cried out with great sadness and emotion. This king was rejected and disgraced. This king took on shame. This king was made like a sheep for slaughter. This king was innocent. This king was without sin. This king died on the cross. This king was forsaken by the Father.

Dear Highland, Jesus is the main character of Psalm 44. Jesus suffered and died for your salvation.

And when you suffer, you do not suffer alone. For when you suffer, you share in Christ’s suffering.

This is a profound mystery, but this is biblical truth.

Listen to 1 Peter 4:12-13. “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” Dear Highland, when you suffer, you share in Christ’s sufferings. You are not alone in your suffering. Be encouraged. Jesus suffered for you. Jesus loves you.

Listen to Philippians 3:8-11. “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith — that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” Dear Highland, when you suffer, you becoming like Jesus in his death. You are not alone in your suffering. Be encouraged. Jesus suffered for you. Jesus loves you.

And listen to Romans 8:35-39 (listen for the moment when a stanza from Psalm 44 is quoted). “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Dear Highland, when you suffer, you suffer with Jesus in order that you may also be glorified with Jesus. You may be regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. But nothing will be able to separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus your Lord. You are not alone in your suffering. Be encouraged. Jesus suffered for you. Jesus loves you.

It is not easy to go through suffering as a Christian. But when you suffer, remember that you are united with Christ and that you share in his suffering.

Perhaps some of us will suffer hardships… because we worship Jesus. Perhaps others of us will suffer great sadness in our lives… because we love and obey Jesus.

Perhaps some of you will suffer mental, emotional, or physical persecution in an America that is becoming more and more anti-Christian. Perhaps others of you will suffer life-changing disaster because you are a Christian.

Perhaps some of us will suffer humiliation like never before and be a laughingstock to people who taunt us and scorn us. Perhaps others of us will suffer danger for the sake of Christ.

Perhaps some of you will die because of our faith in Jesus Christ, because of God’s sake, and it will feel like you are sheep for slaughter.

Dear Highland, you may go through hardships, sadness, persecution, disaster, humiliation, danger, or even death. But hardships, sadness, persecution, disaster, humiliation, danger, and even death itself cannot separate you from the love of Christ.

So when you feel like giving up, remember that you are not alone. Jesus suffered. Jesus suffered and died for your salvation. And now we all share in his suffering. This is the real Christian life. You will suffer.

Therefore, suffer well. Suffer and wait with endurance for the return of Christ.

Listen to Revelation 21:1-5. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’”

Soli Deo Gloria