Ever felt rejection and defeat? Been an object of ridicule or scorn? Or maybe been disgraced; you’ve sinned and now you’re just covered with shame. Or worse yet, maybe you’ve felt abandoned by God and swallowed up in darkness, and now you’re facing death all day long. Today I want you to know how to handle these things and be an overcomer, a victor not a victim. First, notice the writers of Psalm 42 in the Bible went through the same thing: • Rejection and defeat: “But now you have rejected and humbled us; you no longer go out with our armies. You made us retreat before the enemy, and our adversaries have plundered us.” Psalm 44:9-10 • Object of ridicule and scorn: “You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, the scorn and derision of those around us. You have made us a byword among the nations; the peoples shake their heads at us.” Psalm 44:13-14 • Disgraced, covered with shame: “My disgrace is before me all day long, and my face is covered with shame.” Psalm 44:15 • Darkness and facing death: “But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals and covered us over with deep darkness. Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” Psalm 44:19, 22 These experiences are common to all of us at one time or another. It’s important is to know how to deal with them. The apostle Paul quotes this very passage and shows us how to deal with these things: “As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ Romans 8:36 But what’s important is to see the context of the above passage, and to see that Paul actually surrounds that verse with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Notice: “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. Romans 8:31-36 (New International Version) It’s as if Paul wrote directly to the writers of Psalm 44 and said: “You feel that your enemies are defeating you? Well if God is for you who can be against you? God didn’t spare His own Son for you, how will He not give you what you need?” “You feel people maligning you, accusing you, and bringing charges against you? Well even if they are all true, who is the only one who can really bring a charge against God’s people? That’s right, Jesus, and He’s the One Who died for you.” “Oh, and you sense you’re in darkness and facing death all day long? Remember Jesus died and rose to life, and is now interceding for you.” You see how Paul takes that very passage from the Old Testament, wraps the gospel all around it, and then shows our victory in Christ? He concludes with: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Romans 8:37 So here is what we should learn today: whatever we are going through, the gospel is the solution. • Feeling rejection and defeat? Jesus was rejected that you might be accepted, and was seemingly defeated on the cross that you might be eternally victorious. • Ridiculed and scorned? Jesus endured ridicule and scorn in your place when He died on the cross. • Disgraced and covered with shame? Jesus endured the cross, scorning the shame for you. • Darkness and facing death? Jesus overcame darkness and death for you, and now makes you more than a conqueror through Him Who loved you! Learn to take all your problems and surround them in the gospel, just like Paul did. That’s how we win!
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 02:45:30 +0000
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