The sermon titled 'Afflictions and the Lord' focuses on Psalm 34:19, exploring the relationship between afflictions and righteousness. It highlights how David, despite his many afflictions, was considered righteous due to his faith in God. The sermon emphasizes that believers, both in the Old and New Testaments, become righteous through faith, not by being inherently righteous. It acknowledges the reality of afflictions in the lives of the righteous, explaining that trusting in the Lord does not exempt one from experiencing difficulties. However, it highlights the promise of God’s deliverance from all afflictions, as the Lord is depicted as an irresistible deliverer. The sermon further argues that afflictions serve a purpose, aiding spiritual growth and development. It draws parallels with Paul’s teachings in the New Testament and quotes from Charles Spurgeon to underscore the biblical expectation of tribulation. The speaker encourages believers to focus on God’s promise of deliverance, rather than the afflictions themselves, and to maintain faith even in the face of self-inflicted wounds and divine discipline.

The title of the sermon this morning from Psalm 34, just verse 19, is Afflictions and the Lord. In this one verse we learn about afflictions, difficulties that we encounter in life, and the Lord and the relationship that they have to each other. Psalm 34 was written by David when he was fleeing for his life from King Saul. The king was trying to kill him and so David was trying not to be killed by Saul and so he made his way to Gath. Now Gath is where Goliath is from.

I really don't know why he was headed to Gath, But then he's at Gath and he's trying not to be captured or harmed by the Philistines. And he pretends to be insane. This is actually the heading. This is not put there by your publisher. This is actually before verse 1 in the Psalm.

But it's part of the text of scripture. It says, a psalm of David when he pretended madness, he pretended to be insane, before Abimelech who drove him away and he departed. David was a righteous man, his sins not withstanding. He was righteous like Abraham was righteous. How was Abraham righteous?

Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. His faith was counted to him as righteousness. David was a man after God's own heart and yet when we read about the life of David you find there's a lot wrong with David. But he was still a righteous man because of his trust in the Lord. David, in the midst of a life of many afflictions, so Psalm 34 was written midstream.

He had many afflictions before, including Goliath. He had many afflictions after, including Absalom, his son, trying to kill him. He was in the midst of a life of many afflictions when he wrote this Psalm. As we come to this one verse, let's ask God to help us. God, I thank you for how realistic Scripture is.

That we're not promised all roses all the time, but You tell us what we really should expect from this life, can expect from this life, but also you promise your goodness to those who trust in you and walk with you. How sweet. Thank you. God, I pray that this verse, the preaching on this verse, would be a help and an encouragement to your people today. In Jesus name, Amen.

If you have a handout, you can take notes on the handout or not, but there's really just two divisions in what I'll be preaching on. There's what happens before the comma in this one verse and what happens after the comma. What's before the comma? Many are the afflictions of the righteous. Okay David, author of the psalm, Who are the people in view?

Who are you talking about? The righteous. And who are the righteous? In Romans 4, Paul quotes Genesis 15 verse 6 to argue that no matter when you lived in human history, the righteous have always become the righteous in exactly the same way. So Old Testament saints became righteous in one way and New Testament saints become righteous in exactly the same way.

It doesn't matter when you lived in human history. If you are to become righteous, Bible teaches you didn't start righteous. If you are to become righteous, no matter when you lived in human history you become righteous in exactly the same way. Paul argues for this in Romans 4 and quotes Genesis 15 verse 6, and he believed in the Lord and he accounted it to him for righteousness. Abraham trusted in God, and God accounted that trust to Abraham for righteousness as if he was actually righteous in and of himself, although we can study Abraham too, he was not righteous in and of himself.

His trust in God was credited to him as if he were righteous. So if you if you're righteous, That's the only way you could have become righteous, by faith. And of course the New Testament also teaches that when a person believes savingly in the Lord, over time There is a transforming effect of walking with the Lord. Walking with the Lord over time has a transforming effect on your life. The beginning of that is spiritual life, but on the day you are saved, you are so far from conformity to the perfection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

God gives you a little bit of progress as you walk with Him over time. Being born again by faith leads to a growth in personal righteousness as the believer is transformed. So when you say righteous, the righteous don't think that these are self-righteous. No, no, no. They have believed in God and God accounted to that for righteousness, but also don't separate that from a growth in personal righteousness.

The Bible actually keeps these two things together. All of that personal righteous being so far short of conformity to Christ up until the time of your death and then it's perfected all at once. But there should be growth in it and evidences of it. These are the people in view, the righteous. These are the people David is talking about.

Okay David, what do you want us to know about these people, the righteous? I bet it's something wonderful. It's about the righteous. It must be something wonderful. What do you want us to know David?

They have many afflictions. That's not so wonderful. They have many afflictions. Looking at the original Hebrew words, we could say it this way. The evils of the righteous abound.

Not the evils they do, no, the evils they experience. The evils that the righteous experience abound. They're not few, they're many. So David wants those who trust in the Lord and walk with the Lord to know this, your trust in the Lord will not and does not free you from having afflictions. Well that's not the happiest of truths, but if it is true you're better off knowing it.

If it's true there's no sense in hiding that from you. I've trusted in the Lord. I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Good.

But that will not and does not free you from having afflictions. Can't find that anywhere in the Bible. Your trust in the Lord will not and does not exempt you from experiencing evils. No, actually they abound. The evils experienced by the righteous abound.

Now does that mean all affliction all the time? No, of course not. That's not what David says. That's not what David means. But there are many, many are the afflictions of the righteous.

The righteous, those who are righteous by faith, experience many evils across the period of their lifetime. Most people who trust in the Lord also know periods of great joy and peace. Now There are people in the room who have trusted in Christ and walked with the Lord for decades. For me, it's 40 plus years. It's getting pretty close to 50 years of walking with the Lord.

And I've known seasons of great joy and peace. So I can tell you it's not all afflictions all the time, but there had been many afflictions. What is David saying? If you trust in the Lord and you're in one of those periods, one of those seasons of great joy and peace, don't imagine that it will last for the rest of your life. The Bible does not set that expectation for you.

Praise God if you're in a season of great joy and peace. May it last a long time. Don't expect it to last forever. David is telling you that. The Apostle Paul agrees entirely.

Listen to 2 Timothy chapter 3. You can turn there if you'd like or you can just listen as I read it. The Apostle Paul agrees entirely. He actually uses almost exactly the same words. 2 Timothy 3, beginning in verse 10.

Listen to Paul in 2 Timothy 3, beginning in verse 10. Paul's writing to Timothy, "'But you, Timothy, have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, love, okay now here's the list that ties in, Perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra. What persecutions I endured. So Paul's writing to Timothy. You've known my doctrine, you've known my life, you've known the persecutions and afflictions that I've encountered in my life.

You watched me encounter persecutions and afflictions. Now verse 12. And out of them all the Lord delivered me out of them all all the persecutions the Lord delivered me all the afflictions the Lord delivered me yes and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." Here's the testimony of the Apostle Paul. If you want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus, You desire to live godly in Christ Jesus. You will suffer persecution.

All and will. All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus, there aren't any exceptions. All means all. They will suffer persecution. Of course, being persecuted for godliness is only one form of affliction, but let's call it representative, shall we?

In verse 11, Paul mentions both persecutions and afflictions and says, out of them all the Lord delivered me. Listen to Charles Spurgeon. He writes a wonderful commentary on all the Psalms called The Treasury of David. So this is from The Treasury of David. Charles Spurgeon says, Scripture does not flatter us like the storybooks with the idea that goodness will secure us from trouble.

The storybooks flatter you. They say, oh just be good. It'll spare you from all trouble. This virgin says the Bible doesn't flatter believers that way. On the contrary, we are again and again warned to expect tribulation while we are in this body.

Our afflictions come from all points of the compass, meaning they come from every direction, and are as many and as tormenting as the mosquitoes of the tropics. You go to the tropics, just mosquitoes everywhere. He said, your afflictions are like that. They come from everywhere and they're as tormenting and annoying as the mosquitoes of the tropics. It is the earthly portion of the elect to find thorns and briars growing in their pathway." It's true.

Just expanding on what David is saying. Many are the afflictions of the righteous. Friends, it wasn't long ago that we studied Genesis 3, the Fall. God didn't create the world with afflictions, but we're not in that world. We brought sin and rebellion against God into that world, and we brought afflictions with it.

Genesis 3 means that we live in a cursed world. And trusting in the Lord and walking with the Lord doesn't change that fact. In some ways, it intensifies that fact. Makes it worse in some ways. What do I mean?

That when you live in a world at war with God. When God claims you for His own and brings you into the kingdom of His Son, all hail King Jesus, you are now in a war zone living in enemy territory. That's what happens when you're born again. You're living in a world at war with God, but this God says, you're my own now. You have a new king now.

And now you're living in a war zone, living in enemy territory. You have placed yourself by trusting in God at odds with the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world, that's big. The flesh, that's big. The devil, that's big.

No wonder your afflictions are many. So that in Psalm 73, which Martin preached on a couple of weeks ago, Asaph looked around and said, few are the afflictions of the unrighteous. To which I would say, by the way, don't you believe it. It might look to you from the outside that the unrighteous have few afflictions, but that's simply not true. They're afflicted in some of the worst ways, but some of the least visible ways.

So that's what's before the comma. Many are the afflictions of the righteous. Those who trust in God and are made righteous by faith, can expect to experience many evils in their lifetime. Not all evils all the time. Some seasons of joy and peace, but you cannot expect them to last forever.

What's after the comma? But the Lord delivers him out of them all. The Lord delivers the righteous man or woman, boy or girl, out of all of his or her afflictions. This is one of the great but-gods of Scripture. We love Ephesians too.

You were dead in trespasses and sin. You were by nature children of wrath. God was angry at you because of who you are in your core. But God, who is rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us, made us alive. You were dead in sins and transgression, but God, because of His mercy and His love for you, made you alive.

This great reversal. You were like this, this is an accurate description of you, but God had mercy on you and loved you. Made you alive. Psalm 34 19 is another one. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers.

But the Lord delivers. It is true that those who trust in the Lord experience an abundance of evils in this life, but that truth must bow to this truth. Bow to this truth. The Lord, the Almighty self-existing God, Lord in all caps, the self-existing God, the Almighty God is the irresistible deliverer of all who trust in Him. Who could resist Him when He's trying to deliver you?

No one. He's the almighty self-existing God. Who could hold Him back from delivering you when He is determined to deliver you. No one, nothing can keep this God from delivering those who trust in Him. Not anyone or anything.

When this God claims you for his own and draws you to trust in him, this God then undertakes to deliver you out of all your many afflictions. He undertakes one, I'm bringing him to myself. I'm bringing her to myself. And at the same time, he undertakes the other. I'm delivering him or her out of all of his or her afflictions.

He never does one without doing the other. All those who he claims for himself, he delivers out of all their afflictions. There is not a promise that you will have no afflictions. In fact, scripture sets our expectations for the opposite of that. Scripture sets our expectations for experiencing many afflictions.

There is a promise for comprehensive deliverance, meaning across-the-board deliverance, meaning out of them all. The believer will never have an affliction from which he or she is not delivered. Are you tracking with me? The believer will never experience an evil from which he or she is not delivered. Every affliction will have its deliverance, everyone, without exception.

So please let me encourage you who are feeling the weight and pain of affliction. Is this meant to say you shouldn't feel the weight of affliction? Is this meant to say you shouldn't feel the pain of affliction? I think the answer to both of those questions is no, it's not a denial of reality. It's an encouragement in the middle of experiencing the weight and pain of affliction.

Let me encourage you. We can fast forward to the end. We know how it's going to end. How's it going to end? With you being delivered from all your afflictions.

The Almighty God will save you out of all those afflictions. As sure as the sun has risen today and will set today, the Almighty God will deliver you out of all your afflictions. As sure as gravity holds you to the earth as you sit here today, the Lord will deliver you out of all of your afflictions. Like Psalm 73, where knowing the end changed the middle for Asaph, You can know the end and it can change the here and now of experiencing the weight and pain of your current afflictions. Does it help with the weight and pain of current afflictions to know that in the end the end is guaranteed and it is that the Lord will have delivered you.

You'll be on the far side of them. He will have delivered you from all of your afflictions. Of course it helps you in the here and now to know that. To be able to fast forward to the end and know with certainty that The Almighty God who cannot be restrained by anyone or anything once He has determined to deliver you will deliver you." Of course that changes things in the middle to know how the end is. Don't worry.

You don't need to worry. You don't need to worry. God has undertaken to deliver the righteous out of all their afflictions. Don't be afraid. You don't need to be afraid.

The Almighty God has determined, has undertaken to deliver the righteous out of all their afflictions. Their afflictions. Focus on what comes after the comma in Psalm 34 19, but the Lord, But the Lord delivers the believer out of all of his or her afflictions. Tell the truth, which do you focus on? What's before the comma?

Oh, many are the afflictions of the righteous. Don't I know it? Or what's after the comma? But the Lord delivers him out of all of them. I think we should shift the focus on what's after the comma, what God will do, has undertaken to do for his people.

A few thoughts and observations and applications, I'll give you five. Number one, what about my self-inflicted wounds? Got any of those? What about my self-inflicted wounds and the areas of my life where God has had to discipline me because of my stubborn disobedience? Got any places in your life where God has had to discipline you because of your stubborn disobedience?

What about those? What about them? What about them? Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. Are you righteous or aren't you?

If you are righteous, then why are you righteous? Because you got your act together? Of course not! Because Jesus bled and died for sinners and you trust that. Do people in that state have self-inflicted wounds, have areas of stubborn disobedience where God has to discipline them?

Of course they do. Do you think that's an exception? We aren't Catholics, we're Protestants. We don't believe in penance where we flog ourselves for our sins in hopes of somehow making up for them. We believe in repentance, just turning and throwing ourselves upon Christ and then going forward.

Go forward. Don't wallow in pity over your self-inflicted wounds and the areas where God has had to discipline you because you've been stubborn in your disobedience. Repent, turn, trust God and move forward. Trust God and move forward. Number two, You have an affliction.

When will you be delivered? How should I know? I'm not delivering you. Figuring out the method And the timing is in our job. How's God going to deliver me?

Not your job. When will God deliver me? Not your job. Our job is to look steadfastly to God for deliverance, believing that what He said He will do, He will do. It can't be otherwise.

It's impossible that he should lie. This is the book of Hebrews. It's impossible for God to lie. So he has said this. It's clear.

He didn't stutter. It's not an unclear language. It's two phrases. There's just a little comma in between just two phrases. It's not hard to understand did he say it or didn't he say it?

He said it, so he'll do it. Our job is to look steadfastly to God for deliverance and to keep his praises on our lips in the meantime. This whole Psalm, when you look at the whole Psalm, you don't get to verse 19 for forever. The first of it is just David praising God for what he's like. He has God in view.

So his afflictions are, They come in verse 19. A contemplation of his afflictions. This is the man who, by the way, after he acts insane to get away from the Philistines, Saul is still seeking his life. His afflictions aren't over. He has confidence in the comprehensive deliverance of God, but he hasn't experienced the comprehensive deliverance of God yet.

He just knows he will. Why? Because of what God's like. The first, the whole beginning of the Psalm is about what God's like. When you get that fixed in your mind, you can take your mind off the afflictions like, oh my God is like this, And he's promised this.

David was keeping the reality of God before his eyes in the midst of his afflictions. So he was looking steadfastly to God for his deliverances. And God's praises, he was keeping those praises on his lips. Oh yeah, that's what we should be doing. Number three.

This one is an application about three times a year. I have no apologies to make, It's a real application of the text. At least this often. I could probably do it more often. Number three, forewarned is forearmed.

Telling you what's coming is arming you for what's coming. The prosperity gospel preachers promise you that the work of Jesus can keep you from afflictions, no afflictions for you, if you trust enough. If you trust enough, you will not experience afflictions. Health and wealth have been purchased by Jesus for the believer. Only trust enough.

I am here to tell you on the authority of the word of God something very very different. I am here to tell you that the Lord promises to deliver the believer out of afflictions, not from afflictions. Those are two totally different things. If God had promised to deliver you from afflictions, from ever entering into afflictions, that would be one thing. That's not what is said in Psalm 34 verse 19 is deliver you out of afflictions, which presupposes that you'll come into afflictions.

The Bible has prepared us so now our world doesn't have to be turned upside down every time we encounter an affliction. This is so common for new believers. Your world is rocked by every affliction. Where is God? No, no, no.

The person who has studied the scriptures, internalized the scriptures, believed the scriptures, says, God told me this would happen. God, I'm waiting for you to deliver me. I'm looking to you to deliver me. In the meantime, I'm just going to think about what you're like. Number four.

It is actually good news that God delivers us out of afflictions, not from all afflictions, not bad news. This is not bad news. This is actually good news. That God delivers us out of afflictions and not from all afflictions. We think, oh it's bad news, God is actually going to let me have afflictions in my life.

No, that's good news. Why? Because afflictions are exceedingly useful. They're so useful. We need them.

Romans 8 28 Romans 8 28. We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. All things. The good things and the hard things, all things work together for good for those who love God and are called by God. Gary read to us from James chapter 1, My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces.

We need things produced in our lives, established in our lives that are not established at all now. God is using these various trials to establish things in our lives, to produce things in our lives that we need. I actually need my afflictions. How do I know that? Because my Heavenly Father, who is almighty and who loves me even more than I love myself has sent them to me.

That's how I know I need my afflictions because my Heavenly Father who is almighty and who loves me more than anyone else has sent them to me. The truth is the Lord who delivers me out of all my many afflictions is the Father who brought me into each one of them out of His love and perfect wisdom." So, He is the Lord who delivers me out of all my many afflictions. Amen, he's the Lord. Does the Bible say the only thing about God is he's the Lord? No, he says to his people he's a father, the best father, and He's brought me into each one of my many afflictions out of His love and perfect wisdom.

It wasn't lack of love, it wasn't lack of wisdom. He's perfect in love and He's perfect in wisdom. Friends, the doctrine of the sovereignty of God, that God is almighty and He's working out all things according to His plan, and the doctrine of the fatherhood of God demands this. It cannot be otherwise. What else did David say?

In another Psalm he said this, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For you are with Me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort Me." Psalm 23 verse 4. I have many afflictions. Where is God?

He's with you. And he brought his rod and staff. He's right there with you. I'm in the valley of the shadow of death. God, where are you?

I'm right here. I brought my rod and staff. How are you supposed to know God as a mighty deliverer? Unless He delivers you out of afflictions. Do you want to know God?

Do you really want to know God? You know Him so richly by being in the valley of the shadow of death and having Him there with His rod and staff. And there you are comforted in the middle of the valley of the shadow of death and having him there with his rod and staff. And there you are comforted in the middle of the valley of the shadow of death, learning that he is a mighty deliverer who's willing and able. If he was able but not willing, how terrible would that be?

He could do it, but he's just not willing to do it. How awful. If he was willing but not able, He wants to, but he just can't. How awful would that be? You have his sentiments, but he can't actually do it for you.

But he's willing and able. He brings this rod and his staff. And this is such a comfort to the people of God, which is why you find the people of God not just surviving afflictions, but flourishing. How like They seem like they're doing better than ever. How can this be?

There's this crushing weight upon them. Oh, someone else is bearing the weight. That's how it can be. Number five. What do the martyrs say about Psalm 3419?

That's a useful question. What do the people who have been beheaded for their faith in Africa last week. Say about Psalm 34 19, many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all." Here's what the martyrs say about Psalm 34 19. Amen! The martyrs actually say the heartiest amens.

How can they say amen? They died. How was that a deliverance out of their afflictions? Listen to 1 Corinthians 15 verses 54 through 57. Paul writes, so when this corruptible has put on incorruption, he's talking about when you die, You die in a state of corruption.

So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, the believer, when they die, all their corruptions are left behind. They put on incorruption. They are incorruptible. And this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. Oh death, where is your sting?

Oh Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ have the martyrs been delivered out of all their many afflictions of course they have of course they have their greatest enemies sin and death have been conquered on their behalf by the Lord Jesus. You don't even face your greatest enemies. Sin, sin you face.

You don't even face your greatest enemies. Sin you face. You don't even face your greatest enemy, death, until the very end. Then believers find that their worst enemies have been conquered by the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. What does Paul say?

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we do not look at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen For the things which are seen are temporary But the things which are not seen are eternal Paul calls our he lumps himself in, he lumps himself in, says our afflictions are light. Easy for you to say, pastor. Look like you're living a pretty soft life. Okay, I grant you that.

What about Paul? Think it's easy for him to say? Think he lived a soft life? Paul says, our afflictions are light and they're momentary. So Paul is actually, our afflictions seem like they're lasting forever.

It's been forever. No, actually this is so momentary. If we had a sense of eternity and how long it is, it's a million, it's a million ages. How long's an age? I don't know.

There's no end to it. The sense of scale. Paul is trying to make sure we're not lost without perspective. He's giving you a sense of scale. This is your life and eternity stretches out forever in that direction.

And so you just can't be obsessed about anything that is in this because actually It's light compared to the glory of eternity, and it's short compared with the length of eternity. That's what the Bible teaches. That's what Paul thought. And it wasn't easy for him to say. Listen to Spurgeon.

Again, Charles Spurgeon from the Treasury of David. Through troops of ills, So you're talking about your afflictions coming in troops. You're buying in bulk. Through troops of ills, Jehovah shall lead his redeemed unscathed and triumphant. There is an end to the believer's affliction, and a joyful end too.

None of his trials can hurt so much as a hair of his head. Neither can the furnace hold him for a moment after the Lord bids him to come forth from it. The same Lord who sends the afflictions will also recall them when his design is accomplished, but he will never allow the fiercest of them to rend and devour his beloved." The same Lord who sends the afflictions. Where did all these afflictions come from? Well, there are secondary causes.

We can blame the world, the flesh, and the devil, and There is a level of truth to that, but the primary cause of all the afflictions is they are sent by God for our good and His glory. The same Lord who sends the afflictions will also recall them when His design is accomplished. As soon as it's accomplished, His purpose for the affliction, it will be recalled. We won't have an extra second of it. Let's pray.

God, I thank You for The Lord Jesus Christ. The One who was righteous in Himself. The only One ever who's ever been righteous in Himself. He was a man of sorrows. He did know many afflictions.

But his Heavenly Father brought about the greatest glory from his afflictions. This is an example to us. God, thank You for showing us the Lord Jesus, for Jesus conquering our greatest enemies, sin and death. Thank you for telling us the truth about life, that the righteous will experience many evils in their lifetime, but that you have undertaken to deliver them from them all. We praise you, God.

Thank you for your goodness in Jesus name, Amen.