Saturday 28 November 2015

REJOICE THIS CHRISTMAS (AND EVERMORE!)

Many of you will be familiar with the writing and preaching of John Piper. Through the Desiring God Web site he has generously made freely available some of his books as pdf files. I am intending to read one this Christmas and invite you to do the same. The book is 'THE DAWNING OF INDESTRUCTIBLE JOY' Daily Readings for Advent.


May you know what it is to rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory this Christmas.


Saturday 14 November 2015

HOME GROUPS NOVEMBER 2015 'FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD' CHAPTER 11 & APPENDICES A & B


1. In what ways can we promote reading the Bible among Christians in Philip Street?

2. How can we encourage unbelievers to read the Bible?

3. Discuss his comments on studying 'foundational books' on page 178.

4. What are the differences in the approaches of John Murray and John Newton on the guidance of the Holy Spirit?


5. Say one good thing you have learned, or been reminded of, by our study of this book?

Friday 16 October 2015

QUESTIONS FOR HOME GROUPS OCTOBER 2016 'FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD' CHAPTER TEN



1. What does he mean by 'affections' and 'dispositions' on page 163 line 11? 

2. How can you tell when your heart is not being receptive to God's word? What can you do about this?

3. How should we react when someone tells us that they have become a Christian?

4. What means does God give us to engage in spiritual weed killing?

5. Why does it take so long for a Christian to reach spiritual maturity? Is there anything we can do to speed this up?

 





 

Saturday 12 September 2015

HOME GROUPS - SEPTEMBER 2015

HOME GROUPS - SEPTEMBER 2015
FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD - CHAPTER 9 WHAT'S THE USE?
1. Martin Luther wrote the hymn: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. One translation says:
God’s word and plan, which they pretend
is subject to their pleasure,
will bind their wills to serve God’s end,
which we, who love him, treasure.
Then let them take our lives,
goods, children, husbands, wives,
and carry all away;
theirs is a short-lived day.
Ours is the lasting kingdom.
Is the word of God treasured by you more than those things Luther lists? If so, why? If not, why not? How important is the Bible?
2. If all this chapter says is true why don't we read the Bible more: often, carefully, thoughtfully, closely, enthusiastically, fully (every page), prayerfully, obediently......?
3. Why is it important to believe that the Bible is the word of God, that it is, 'the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth'?
4. In the light of what he says at the bottom of page 157 about standing firm do you think it becomes easier or harder to stand firm as you get older?
5. Jesus was the most 'normal' man who has ever lived - see page 161. Why are so few Christians today very 'normal'? What can we do to make ourselves 'more normal'?




Tuesday 8 September 2015

FINISHING LINE

Finishing Line (Course Leaders Booklet and DVD)

At Keswick this year we heard John Wyatt speak about Assisted Suicide. He was very clear, compassionate, informed, biblical and extremely helpful. Some heard him speak in 2012 on the subject of dying. 

A series of five short talks have been recorded and an accompanying booklet prepared. Although this would be something of a departure from our usual mid-week practice this may be of help to us all as we grapple with this very important and topical subject. What do you think? 

You can see further details by following this link:



NEXT HOME GROUP BOOK - 'INTENDED FOR GOOD'

Intended for Good

The next book for our Home Groups will be 'Intended For Good' by Melvin Tinker. It deals with the subject of 'The Providence Of God'. You can read about it by following this link:

http://www.thinkivp.com/9781844745708

Do not be deterred by Don Carson's preface as this is the hardest part of the book! 

If we order 20 copies or more the price is currently £5.39 each. Please sign up on the sheet in the foyer if you would like a copy - even if you are not able to attend the Home Groups.







Tuesday 18 August 2015

'HE HAS DONE IT' - PSALM 22:21-31

'HE HAS DONE IT!' - PSALM 22v21-31
21 Save me from the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!
22 I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23 You who fear the LORD, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob,
glorify him, and stand in awe of him,
all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or abhorred
the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from him,
but has heard, when he cried to him.
25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the LORD!
May your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth
shall remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
28 For kingship belongs to the LORD,
and he rules over the nations.
29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not keep himself alive.
30 Posterity shall serve him;
it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness
to a people yet unborn,
that he has done it.

1. GET A FEEL FOR THE POETRY:
[1] Put it in a word processor, pick up features in different colours, rearrange the layout.
[2] Read the NLT and the MESSAGE translations
2. GET A GRASP OF THE MESSAGE
[1] See the flow, the argument, the journey (start, stages and ending).
[2] How does this fit in with the surrounding Psalms?
Psalm 22 The Cross,
Psalm 23 The Crook,
Psalm 24 The Crown
An alternative suggestion:
Psalm 21 The Crown
Psalm 22 The Cross
Psalm 23 The Crook
Psalm 24 The Conquering Hero
How much more of a surprise is Psalm 22 when we see it as following on Psalm 21. How great a surprise the cross was to Jesus' disciples, and to people today.
[3] GET INTO THE DETAILS
By now you will have your own ideas of the possible meaning of the Psalm. If you have any commentaries see what they make of this Psalm. (Do not rush to the commentaries straight away or you will end up just repeating their ideas.)
If you can look at more than one for commentators differ. If you do not have one then one of the older commentaries such as Matthew Henry Commentary or CH Spurgeon's 'A Treasury of David' are freely available on-line and a good place to start. The newer commentaries, such as those from IVP, are not yet free, but are better with the meaning of the Hebrew words and understanding the Hebrew poetry.
After a long period of little new writing on the Psalms there are several major commentaries on the Psalms currently coming out.
It is likely that the Welwyn Garden 2 volume Commentary on the Psalms by Philip Eveson will be the most accessible (I have not read this but his other volumes in the series have been excellent. I should declare that he was my college lecturer and took our wedding - but you can read the reviews for yourself.)
What do we see in the details?
i) There is a complete change of tone. Desertion and desolation give way to Presence and Praise.
God had appeared to abandon the Psalmist, but now he comes to the rescue - v21, 24 & 31 and will save others who call on him - v26.
The Psalmist never ceased to cry out to the Lord even in the darkest moments. This is trust. To believe God when every circumstance, and many people, are telling you that you are mad to do so.
ii) The reference to vows in v25 should be followed up as this is something the law speaks about.
Lev 7:16 But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow offering or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice, and on the next day what remains of it shall be eaten.
Deut 12:17 You may not eat within your towns the tithe of your grain or of your wine or of your oil, or the first-born of your herd or of your flock, or any of your vow offerings that you vow, or your freewill offerings or the contribution that you present, v18 but you shall eat them before the LORD your God in the place that the LORD your God will choose, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your towns. And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in all that you undertake.
This is the picture the Psalmist gives: fulfilling a vow, public testimony, and the family meal afterwards. The suggestion is of a fellowship offering being made.
iii) Here is worship on an international scale - v27. This is only fitting for one who rules the nations to the ends of the earth.
John 12:32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
iv) This is not just for this generation, it is for those as yet unborn. We are not only serving our generation we are serving those who will live after us -v30-31.
v) Once again Psalm 22 is quoted in the NT:
Hebrews 2v11b: That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, v12 saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” v13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.”
Psalm 22v22 I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
Picture Jesus reading this Psalm, knowing that it spoke of him. What do you think he felt?
Hebrews 12v2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
[4] LEAVE WITH APPLICATIONS
i) The Psalmist was determined to praise the Lord - v22. Do we come with that same determination. No matter if no one else will praise him, if all others are 'bored' and 'lethargic' I will praise him.
ii) What is our attitude to the suffering and afflicted? Do we plead v24 for them and long to see them in v26? Or are we too focused on our own suffering?
iii) Do you have a missionary heart? God does - v27.

iv) We shall be asked by the Lord to do things for those who are not yet born - v30-31. Will we do them with the same zeal as those things where we see (some) of the fruits in this life? Maybe we will see the fruits in glory, but maybe not, God does not owe us any explanations as to why he wants us to do certain things. Isn't it enough to know that it is the Lord Christ we are serving?

Tuesday 11 August 2015

PSALM 22v11-21 - 'THE DUST OF DEATH'

'THE DUST OF DEATH'
1. DAVID AS POET AND PROPHET (AGAIN)
11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.
12 Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
13 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;
15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.
16 For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet--
17 I can count all my bones-- they stare and gloat over me;
18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.
19 But you, O LORD, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog!
21 Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!
(1) See David the Poet.
How carefully he crafts his Psalms.
This section divides into two parts marked by the refrain do not be far off - v11&19.
In the first part v11 there is none to help, in the second the LORD is his help v19 - O you my help,
See how the images change from v12 bulls to, v13 lion to v16 dogs and then in reverse v20 dog, v21 lion and oxen.
We feel with him what it is to be v14 poured out like water...and then be v15 dried up like a potsherd.
He describes the different sensations he feels in his body: my bones, my heart, my breast; my strength, my tongue my jaws, my hands and feet, my bones, my garments, my clothing.
He says v15 you lay me in the dust of death and goes on to ask for deliverance for -v20 my precious life.
Enter into the poetry of the Psalms, get a feel for it and the Psalms will come alive for you.
(2) See David the prophet:
We cannot but see Jesus on the cross. No one today could miss it.
13 they open wide their mouths at me,
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint;
15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.
16 a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet--
17 I can count all my bones-- they stare and gloat over me;
18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.
Before the cross no one but Jesus (and the prophets?) saw his suffering.
1 Peter 1v10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, v11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. v12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
The Spirit predicted the sufferings of Christ, but how much did the prophets see and understand?
Nowhere in any Jewish writings is there any trace of anyone seeing the suffering Messiah here, or in any of the other Psalms, or in Isaiah 53. No one expected the cross. This is why Peter reacted so strongly when Jesus first spoke of the cross - Mark 8v31-33.
The cross is not just to be admired, it is to be appropriated, taken up by everyone who would follow Jesus - Mark 8v34-38.
2. THE SUFFERINGS OF DAVID AND THE MESSIAH
(1) David feels alone.
David, who has earlier spoken of feeling forsaken by God calls for the Lord not to be far from him: v11 Be not far from me,
He states the reason for this plea: for trouble is near, and there is none to help.
Where were David's mighty men? See 2 Samuel 23v8-39.
Sometimes even the mightiest of men (and women) cannot help (as much as they may wish they could).
See Psalm 27v9-10.
We can request help for one another in prayer. I am sure the faithful were praying for David.

(2) David feels surrounded.
i. As by a herd of strong bulls of Bashan bulls from Bashan
Remember Og king of Bashan whose bed was made of iron, 9 cubits in length (Goliath was 6 cubits and a span tall) and four cubits in width (Deut 3v11)
Og's 60 cities were taken by the Israelites. The region is a large fertile plain east of modern-day Jordan. It became famous for it's rich pasture and it's large livestock.
Ezekiel 39:18 You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth--of rams, of lambs, and of he-goats, of bulls, all of them fat beasts of Bashan.
Amos 4:1 “Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to your husbands, ‘Bring, that we may drink!’
Micah 7:14 Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, who dwell alone in a forest in the midst of a garden land; let them graze in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old.
He is a weak worm, they are strong bulls, who outnumber him and are far more powerful than he.
ii. The bulls change to become lions.
It is as if the lion opens it's mouth and is about to bite off David's head. (Remember the Lion tamers act in the circus) The lions that open their mouths against David are no well fed, contented, trained, circus act - they are ravening and roaring.
Lions rip open their prey. He is their prey!
iii. His strength has gone.
v14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;
v15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.
A potsherd is a fragment of a clay baked vessel.
Job 2v8 And he took a piece of broken pottery (AV - a potsherd) with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes.
What does it feel like to be really terrified?
(Has anyone here ever been really terrified?) This is what David felt.
iv. The lions become dogs.
16 For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me;
Dogs are not pictured in the Bible as family pets, man's best friend.
1 Kings 14:11 Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs shall eat,
1 Kings 16:4 Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city the dogs shall eat,
1 Kings 21:23 And of Jezebel the LORD also said, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the walls of Jezreel.’
Jeremiah 15:3 I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, declares the LORD: the sword to kill, the dogs to tear, and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.
Philippians 3:2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.
Revelation 22:15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
Dogs are pictured as savage animals who will pray on a man's flesh and lick up his blood. David is surrounded by dogs...a company of evil doers encircle him.
v. The suffering intensifies
they have pierced my hands and feet--
17 I can count all my bones-- they stare and gloat over me;
There is more than physical suffering here, there is the mental suffering caused by the company of evildoers who are against him:
They stare and gloat over me;
And far from helping him they want to profit from his death. He sees their eagerness to take the very cloths he stood up in.
v18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.
vi. The depths of his physical and mental suffering are described by that memorable phrase:
you lay me in the dust of death.
Genesis 2:7 then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
Genesis 3:19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Job 30:19 God has cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes.
Ecclesiastes 3:20 All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return.
Ecclesiastes 12:7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
1 Corinthians 15:47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.
David knew what it was to feel as though he was going to die (or at least that there was a very real possibility that he was going to die at that time.)
When Jesus read this Psalm he learned that what David described as something he felt, it was as if...., he would experience for real. He would suffer and die such a death as described here.
A wonderful insight into the cross given 1,000 years earlier (cf. Before William the Conqueror!)

3. DAVID RENEWS HIS PLEA FOR HELP AND THIS TIME HE IS ANSWERED
19 But you, O LORD, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog!
21 Save me from the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!
Faith waits on God and keeps waiting and will not be disappointed. Even in death? Especially in death.
For David, this time, it is rescue. For Jesus it will be death.



Sunday 19 July 2015

QUESTIONS FOR HOME GROUP JULY 2015

QUESTIONS FOR HOME GROUPS 21st JULY 2015
'FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD'
CHAPTER 8 'FOR EXAMPLE'
  1. Say one new thing (or something you had forgotten) that stood out to you from this study of the book of Ruth.
  2. Do you find a Study Bible, Bible Dictionary or something similar helpful?
  3. How much do you use your imagination when reading the Bible? How does this help? What are the dangers?
  4. Please share one question that you have found fruitful to ask when reading the Bible? (You may make a list but let everyone share one at a time!)
  5. How can we apply truths from the times and culture of the Bible to our own day? (Why is the Bible still relevant today. How can you explain this to someone who is not yet a Christian.)
  6. Boaz is one of the forgotten hero's of the Bible - discuss.






Tuesday 14 July 2015

PSALM 22:6-10

A WORM PLEADS WITH THE LORD
1. DAVID AS POET AND PROPHET
[1] David was a poet:
2 Samuel 23:1 Now these are the last words of David: The oracle of David, the son of Jesse, the oracle of the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel:
His ability to put into words, to express his experiences has never been surpassed.
The Psalms show us a believers experience as it really is, not as we imagine, or think, or hope it should be.
Psalm 22 shows us that a believer can feel abandoned, desolate and forsaken by God. A believer can go through times of great suffering and persecution. We are not called to 'put on a stiff upper lip', to play the part of the stoic, or to borrow a phrase from Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones: to be 'grinning ninnies'! It is alright to cry out to the Lord. He has given us words to do so in the Psalms.
See the careful structure of verses 6-10.
Psalm 22v6 But I am a worm and not a man,
a. scorned by mankind
b. and despised by the people.
v7 All who see me mock me;
a. they make mouths at me;
b. they wag their heads;
v8 a. “He trusts in the LORD;
b. let him deliver him;
b. let him rescue him,
a. for he delights in him!”
v9 a. Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
b. you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
v10b. On you was I cast from my birth,
a. and from my mother’s womb you have been my God
[2] David was a prophet:
Acts 1:16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David...
Acts 4:25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,
John Calvin's comments are helpful:
David complains in this psalm, that he is reduced to such circumstances of distress that he is like a man in despair. But after having recounted the calamities with which he was so severely afflicted, he emerges from the abyss of temptations, and gathering courage, comforts himself with the assurance of deliverance. At the same time, he sets before us, in his own person, a type of Christ, who he knew by the Spirit of prophecy behoved to be abased in marvellous and unusual ways previous to his exaltation by the Father.
I have been arguing that for the last 150 years we have so concentrated on the prophetic nature of Psalm 22 that we have neglected, downplayed, even denied that his Psalm reflects David's experience and that of believers through the ages. It may have been Jesus' prayer from the cross (he quotes v1), but that does not mean it cannot be our prayer as well.
2. DAVID AS A WORM
Psalm 22v6 But I am a worm and not a man,
a. scorned by mankind
b. and despised by the people.
A. I feel about worms the way some people feel about spiders!
We learned about earth worms in biology. First find some worms. Pour some formalin on a patch of ground and wait a few minutes. Gather up the worms. Place one in a dish and observe it. Draw what you see.
Exodus 16:20 But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them.
Job 7:5 My flesh is clothed with worms and dirt; my skin hardens, then breaks out afresh.
Job 21:26 They lie down alike in the dust, and the worms cover them.
Isaiah 14:11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, the sound of your harps; maggots are laid as a bed beneath you, and worms are your covers.
Traditional Yorkshire song: On Ilkla Moor baht: Then t'worms 'll cum and eat thee oop On Ilkla Moor baht 'at Then t'worms 'll cum and eat thee oop.
No, I've never liked worms even though in Biology I learned that worms are essential for producing good soil.
Here David says that he feels more like a worm than a man. Why? What makes him feel like a worm?
The answer is not some much what, as who, for he is:
a. scorned by mankind
b. and despised by the people.
i) Scorned, AV 'a reproach' regarded as a disgrace, a shame.
David speaks of this feeling in other Psalms: Psalm 31v11; 44v13; 69v7, v11, v20; 119v22.
ii) Despised - disdained, treated as contemptible.
The reaction of other people to David, their scorning him and their despising him all contributed to his sense of isolation. It seemed the whole world was against him!
B. Jesus warns his disciples to expect similar treatment by the world:
Matthew 5v11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. v12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Remember David was one of those prophets.)
You may meet this from those who once were your friends before you became a Christian, some of those you work with; some of your neighbours, some of your family. It can make you feel like a worm!
C. Jesus was treated with contempt:
i) Luke 7v44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. v45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. v46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. v47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven--for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
ii) Never more so than when on the cross.
Isaiah 53v2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. v3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
3. DAVID MOCKED
v7 All who see me mock me;
a. they make mouths at me;
b. they wag their heads;
A. The people treat David with derision, they laugh at him. The description is very graphic - they make mouths at me; and they wag their heads.
Remember the stories of Nabal in 1 Samuel 25 and Shimei in 2 Samuel 16v5-14 who each treat David with contempt.
B. The Christian may meet with such mocking:
See Psalm 80v6; You make us an object of contention for our neighbours, and our enemies laugh among themselves.
Jeremiah 20v7 O LORD, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me. v8 For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout, “Violence and destruction!” For the word of the LORD has become for me a reproach and derision all day long.
See 2 Chronicles 30v1-12;
C. Jesus was mocked
He knew from the scriptures, from his reading of Psalm 22 that he would be so;
Matthew 20:19 and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”
Herod and his soldiers mocked him:
Luke 23:11 And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate.
The Gentiles, Roman soldiers mocked him:
Matthew 27:29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
Matthew 27:31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.
The Jewish leaders mocked him:
Matthew 27:41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying,
4. DAVID ABUSED FOR HIS FAITH
v8 a. “He trusts in the LORD;
b. let him deliver him;
b. let him rescue him,
a. for he delights in him!”
A. David knew what it was to cry for deliverance:
Psalms 7:1 O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me,
Psalms 17:13 Arise, O LORD! Confront him, subdue him! Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,
Psalms 25:20 Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
Psalms 40:13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me!
Psalms 50:15 and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”deliver me!
Now his very prayers are mocked. They scorn his faith.
B. When our faith is impugned, scorned, and all the outward evidence seems to agree (no deliverance seems to be coming) it hurts.
C. Jesus knew from reading this Psalm that this would be his experience - and it was:
Matthew 27v39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads v40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” v41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, v42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. v43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”v44 And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.
5. DAVID AFFIRMING HIS FAITH
v9 a. Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
b. you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
v10b. On you was I cast from my birth,
a. and from my mother’s womb you have been my God
A. David Remembers
Remembering past mercies can help us in present troubles to wait upon God.
However, sometimes when we do remember, the contrast between then and now can add to the feeling of desolation - "You have been my God from birth, why have you deserted me now!"
The Psalm is not yet finished. The fight of faith must continue. Sometimes there are no easy answers
B. Christian Remember life can be hard at times.
Job 13:15 Though he slay me, I will hope in him;
C. Jesus Remembers God's Care
God protected him at birth preventing Herod from murdering him. But what devastation was reaped on that little town that night.
Listen to John Piper reading his poem on the Innkeeper at 
http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/hope-for-the-hurting-this-christmas-video