What role does obedience have in the Christian life? Is it something that is optional, as a road for those who do not only want to go to heaven but have the best of heaven while they are there or is it essential? And is it something that we’re to do all the time, or is such a thought one for someone whose head is in the clouds and has never dealt with a period of great fear, depression, struggle and heartache?

Ever since a move to revivalism where conversion was assured as one simply walked an aisle or prayed a prayer, regardless of whether or not one had a changed life the thought of obedience in the Christian life has undergone a serious examination. Once revivalists have walked through a district and people are left with unchanged lives while being assured of their salvation, something had to aid in explanation. What the church has come up with in recent years was the divorcing of salvation and lordship. Thus, many have claimed that an individual can accept Christ as Savior and not as Lord. Consequently, they try to continue to assure those who hold onto their professions despite unchanged lives that they indeed are saved, but that the reason there is no obedience is because Christ doesn’t sit on the throne of their hearts; he is not their Lord.

Thankfully, God has raised up many men to challenge such a thought and have recovered in many circles of the church the truth that salvation and Lordship go hand in hand, that conversion is exampled by a changed life, and that fruit is the true evidence of life. They point to the fact that a profession of faith is just that – a profession – and the years of one’s life after such a profession shows whether or not that profession was accurate. I remember hearing that point made by William Mounce as I sat as a student at a Union University chapel service. And I am thankful to have been a part of a church here at Cornerstone where my fellow church members have held up the biblical standard that obedience to Christ is that which characterizes a believer, and that where it is absent, one cannot be given assurance of salvation.

However, with all of that said, obedience is indeed difficult. There are times, we have all no doubt experienced, when it seems that every second of the day is a fight against temptation. And there are times when we feel like the air has been ripped from our sails as we have been hurt, disappointed, or are going through a time of struggle, fear, or depression. So, what does the Bible say about obeying in those times? on those days? How do you continue to obey when you are in a time of great fear or have been crushed by your circumstances?

I think Psalm 108 serves as an answer to these questions. For it is actually a combination of a section from two previous psalms, namely, Psalm 57:7-11 and 60:5-12. In the Psalm 57, David writes as he is being hunted by Saul and in the Psalm 60 he writes after his army has been defeated. However, each of these psalms ends strongly, and this one picks up at the point where the other two turn hopeful and put both of these hopeful portions together to make one new psalm.

It’s as if David is looking ahead to something not yet seized and declaring as he did in the past under these two difficult times that he would move forward in hope because of the promises and character of God. It could be that he reflected on these past circumstances, which seem similar to his present ones, and is now vowing that he will press forward based on God’s faithfulness in those circumstances without even identifying the present circumstances. He simply sees their similarities. We simply cannot be sure of the circumstances as this is a combination of two other psalms. But we can see what this new psalm says about David’s heart to obey. Therefore, it serves as somewhat of an instruction manual for obedience in difficult times.

Thus, this morning, I want us to see a few truths from this psalm that I think will serve as pillars, giving us a foundation to obey in difficult times. And then I want to point out one key way that I think we can apply these truths in our setting right now.

First, we see from this psalm that …

We must obey God whatever the circumstances in our lives

As I have mentioned, we do not know exactly the setting of this psalm, but seeing the psalms from which David picks to form this new psalm, we can imagine that he is in a difficult circumstance. Again, in Psalm 57 he was being chased by Saul and in Psalm 60 his army had been defeated. And in this new psalm David does not omit this difficulty. He speaks of the need for deliverance and salvation in verse 6 and in verse 11 he writes, “Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go out, O God, with our armies.”

However, his response is not that he looks at the situation, voices the fact that he is in trouble and that it appears that God has rejected him and left him, and so he frets and refuses move forward and obey. No, rather, he resolves that he will move forward in obedience. In verses 1-3 he declares that his heart is steadfast and that he will walk forward in praise to the Lord. He will move forward in declaring thanks and praise to God among all the nations. Then he ends the psalm in verses 11-12 with confidence that they will “do valiantly” as it is God who will tread down their foes.

Is this not a lesson to us that we are called to obey no matter the circumstances? God does not call us to obey only when circumstances are right for it. He does not call his commands to be carried out only in a utopian society.

We do not have to understand how everything will work out before we obey. David clearly didn’t. Nor do we have to figure out how we might settle and work through all the difficulties along the way that might encounter us. Again, all looks bad in front of David, but he resolves to move forward in praise and obedience.

So it must be for us. God does not charge us to figure how everything may work and minimize our risks. He asks us to obey him, whatever the charge, and allow him to take care of what occurs from there. Again, this psalm should remind us again that it is always more risky to disobey God than to obey him, no matter how grim the road of obedience may look. God calls us to obey whatever the circumstances.

However, there is also a reminder of comfort in this psalm for such difficult times. It is that …

We do not have to move forward in obedience as if we are stepping off of a cliff or into the darkness but can move forward based on the sure character and promises of God

In verse 4 we read David’s hope I moving forward – God’s great and lasting love and faithfulness. He writes in verse 4, “For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.”

That is to say, the reason David feels confident in moving forward in obedience despite these difficult and scary circumstances is not because he knows something about the circumstances others don’t. Nor is it because he thinks he’s greater than other men who have failed or greatly struggled in such circumstances. Rather, he feels confident in moving forward in obedience because he knows the character of God.

He knows God is loving and faithful and that his love for his children and faithfulness toward his children is without end. Is this not something we know as well? In fact, is this not something that we have seen in a greater way that David ever did? For we have seen the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. We have seen that God did not even spare his own Son but delivered him up for us all. And we are reminded in the pages of the New Testament (even in a text we’ve already read in this service) that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ.

My son is willing each day to jump down off of the top stair not because he’s confident in his ability to land without falling or has found some secret way to fall down the stairs in such a manner that he can keep from getting hurt. He jumps off the stairs because of nothing about his own strength, ability, or secret knowledge. He jumps off the stairs because he knows that I am waiting there to catch him, doing all I can to keep him from being hurt. And even that example is convicting because I am actually able to fail. I have actually missed him on one occasion. That time he was jumping off of a step in the bathroom, and I didn’t realize he was jumping; however, he should be aware that I can fail him.

With God, it is different. We know his love, faithfulness, and almighty power. David knew God’s love and faithfulness.

He also knew another aspect of God’s character, namely, God’s continuous work of exalting his name and working good for his people. In fact, I would say that as David looked back over the Scripture he saw that God’s passion for his glory to be exalted and good to come to his people work hand-in-hand.

But before showing this, let’s first look at what David writes in this psalm. In verses 5-6 he writes, “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth! That your beloved ones may be delivered, give salvation by your right hand and answer me!”

These two verses are actually the last verse he uses from the text in Psalm 57 and the first from the section he uses from Psalm 60. He is combining two separate verses so that they now stand side-by-side and make a new point. He cries out for God to be exalted and spread his glory in verse 5, and then there is a purpose attached in verse 6, namely, so that the beloved ones may be delivered.

Again, David can pray this because he understands that God’s glory being exalted and his people being delivered go hand-in-hand. These are linked in the Scripture because God’s people are the children of the King, friends of the King, in a world that is enemy-occupied territory. Therefore, the story of Scripture is a constant repetition of God exalting his greatness and strength over those who would stand against him and (consequently) and constant delivering of his people. We see this in the exodus, conquest of Canaan, freedom from exile, in the cross, and ultimately in the new earth.

And again, we see this more richly than David ever did, for we see the cross. We see that Christ prayed, “Father, glorify your Son” before going to the cross, that which is the source of our great deliverance and freedom. So, is it God pursuing the exaltation of his Son in the cross or the good of his children? I think we should say what David sees, namely, that these two should not be separated. Even as this age ends and the kingdom of this world becomes fully the kingdom of our Christ it will be both the ultimate display of god’s supremacy and triumph over all who stand against him, and it will be the greatest good that Gods people will know.

Therefore, knowing that God delights to combine these two elements, David prays for them and marches forward in obedience because he knows God’s character.

Yet, David also knows God’s plan. He writes in verses 7-9, “God has promised in his holiness: "With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter. Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph." David knew the promised plan of God.

Whereas, prior (in verse 4), David had based his hope on God’s character, in verses 7-9 we see that David adds another basis or pillar of hope. He bases his hope on God’s promises that he would conquer certain lands and distribute them to his people. David knows that Judah belongs to the Lord as that place from which the ones one come to whom the scepter belongs. This was God’s promised plan. So he looks in hope and marches forward in obedience.

Again, we have a fuller picture of God’s plan than David ever had. We know that God’s plan is to redeem a people from every tongue, tribe, and nation. We know that God’s goal for us is to conform us to the image of Christ, who is the image of the invisible God. We know that God’s desire is to exalt his Son through the building up and edification of his church and his kingdom.

Finally, we see the steps David took after reflecting on God’s character and promises. In verse 10 he asks who will allow him to accomplish his mission. In verse 11 he looks at the dreary circumstances. In verse 12 he asks God to be his help. And in verse 13 he declares in faith, “With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.”

I believe these are the same steps we can take. Again, many will say to you as you look as God’s use of David, Moses, or Isaiah that you are not them. And we can agree. However, according to Matthew 11 we are greater than them, for greatness is not measured in our great abilities but how clearly we an see and understand who God is and what he is doing.

We can see this more clearly than Moses, David, or Isaiah ever did. They longed to see the days that we see and of which we can read. Therefore, we should not look at this psalm and think that we cannot walk as David did. In fact, we should more easily and readily obey.

For again, have we not seen God’s love, faithfulness, exaltation of his glory, and deliverance of his people more clearly than David did? We’ve seen the basis of our forgiveness. We have the Spirit of God in us which causes our desires and abilities to be after God. Again, the call to obedience and trust should be stronger to us, and we should more easily say, “Lord, I will obey.”

Therefore, let’s look at our own circumstances and our own day. The church in many areas looks quite weak. Disobedience has been quite costly. We have abandoned God’s design in so many areas for so long that they are no longer recognizable as God’s commands and design. It looks like in many ways the church looks weak and we might wonder why God has not poured out his Spirit in greater measure so as to cause his people to walk in obedience. Our circumstances might appear grim.

At the same time, however, we know in a clearer way what David knew. We know that God is pursuing the exaltation of his Son and the good of his people. In fact, we know that the means by which God is seeking to exalt his Son is through the church. And we know that God has given his Son to redeem his people so that they might be conformed to the image of Christ. We know God’s character and his plans.

Therefore, my charge to us is two-fold. First, it is that as individuals we will resolve this morning to obey God whatever the circumstances and whatever our difficulties, even as David did, acknowledging that we have even more reason to be steadfast than David had. Resolve to personally obey God in all areas of life. And, second, let us resolve to labor for the exaltation of Christ and the good of God’s people by laboring and praying for the building up of local churches all across our land.

I remember being in college with a number of individuals voicing their disgust for the church as they saw many things in Scripture being disobeyed by God’s people. And at the time some were suggesting not involving themselves in the church. My prayer, however, is that with David in this psalm we might look upon the character and promised plan of God and say with David unto the Lord, “My heart is steadfast, O God!” and that we would labor in prayer for the local church, even asking God to send forth many to go out for the building up of the church, even might who might be channeled through this very congregation. And let us go forth in hope, knowing that God is our only hope but that with him we will do valiantly. May God hear and answer our prayers. Amen.

PRESSING FORWARD AND UNDERSTANDING GOD'S PROMISES