How Not To Fear Bad News Psalm 112:7 8/20/06

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1 How Not To Fear Bad News Psalm 112:7 8/20/06 Introduction: Pray Tonight I would like to share a portion of Scripture that in the last two weeks has become more dear to me than ever before. As I opened my Bible about two weeks ago at random, my eyes came to rest on the words of Psalm 112:7. -these words shot off the page, and into my heart. -and I ve been chewing on them ever since. -so tonight I want to talk to you about some of those things. -and I have to tell you up front that I am indebted to Charles Spurgeon for some of the thoughts I ll share this evening. -On Sunday morning, August 27 th, 1865 he preached a sermon on this text... and I believe God used him in that particular sermon to lift the hearts of many Christians. Read Psalm 112:7 I would like to highlight three main points from this text tonight... the first being this: I. We are all prone to receive evil tidings at some time or other in our lives. Evil tidings here simply means bad news. We are all going to get bad news in our lives. We cannot reasonably expect that we are going to slip through this life without trouble. -either one we re going to get the call in the middle of the night, or early in the morning saying that someone we have loved died in the night, or has been in a car accident. -or we are going to get a Dr. s report that we hadn t planned on. People the world over get bad news... and don t imagine for a moment that because you re a Christian you ll get by with it. 1

2 If we say that we know Jesus, if we say that the Holy Spirit is our Comfort, if we say that God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble, then we don t have to fear, and tremble, and fall apart every time bad news comes. -God gets the glory when in trouble we just wait for him... when we do as Moses did at the Red Sea, Stand still and see the salvation of God. -God is most glorified when in the midst of evil tidings we say, God, I don t know the end from the beginning of this thing, but my eyes are You. - You settle it in Your time, and in Your way. Kinds of bad news we re apt to hear: A. World News Lately I ve been keeping a kind of rough and unofficial record of the news stories we re getting. Here s a sample: 1. North Korea and Iran are working on missiles and nuclear warheads. Good news or bad news? -the concern is that they might be able to develop an intercontinental missile -this poses a huge threat to the U.S. -what if they get their nuclear capabilities, what if they sell the weapons, or use them? -what if we go to war, and China enters into it? 2. The gas company BP has had to shutdown some of it s pipeline for repairs that will take who knows how long to make. Good news or bad news? -what will that do to gas prices? 3. The cost of everything s going up. 4. Hurricane season is upon us... what devastation is that going to have? Good news or bad news? -what will it do to our economy? -what will happen to offshore drill rigs? 2

3 5. In just yesterday s paper, there was a report about killer asteroids. -apparently there are 1,100 comets and asteroids in the inner solar system that are at least a half mile across. -if only one of them hits the earth, it could unleash a global cataclysm capable of killing millions in a blinding flash. -in 1908 a small asteroid hit the earth and unleashed as much energy as a 15 megaton nuclear bomb. -fortunately it hit in a remote part of Siberia, and wiped out 60 million trees instead of people. The list of bad news has no end: -crime, weather, war, the waning dollar (some say the dollar will die and we ll have to go to a new currency), health insurance woes, killer flu and viruses -and the news agencies tell these stories with the tone of saying, folks, this is it, this is the big one, this is the one that s gonna get us! -and what you end up with is a scared, vulnerable populace who feels exposed. But God isn t glorified when the church, and when Christian run around that way. B. Personal News Fact of the matter is, we have a frail hold on the things we count most precious in our lives: -we look into the eyes of our spouse, we love them deeply. -but if we are wise, we realize that every day with them is a loan... and one day there will be a separation. -the time when we must return them might be closer than we think. -our families are on loan -our eyes and ears and healthy bodies are on loan. Illustration: Chuck Scholz, former mayor of Quincy was in the campaign for representative. In a few short days finds that he has a liver disease. 3

4 Now the battle is not for public office... the battle is simply to stay alive! It s all a gift from God... a loan. At any moment, evil tidings can take all of that away from us! -our ability to come to church and be fed, and be encouraged is on loan. -our strength to be active is on loan. -our children are on loan -our worldly possessions are not ours to keep forever... they re simply a loan. And the time and the hour for us to return any one, or all of these loaned people and possessions could be this very night. So don t make them your gods. We are all prone, in this fallen, imperfect, limited, sin filled world, to get bad news.... and we ve got to be ready for it... we don t have to fear... we don t have to look ahead with worry and doubt. Look at the passage again!! He will not fear evil tidings, his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. C. Spiritual News - The Bible s dead! - Christianity s been proven false by this or that recent finding. -Voltaire many years ago had a printing press in Geneva. -He printed the prophecy that Christianity wouldn t survive the century. -Years later, that very press was printing Bibles. We don t have to fear!!!! Let me show you from the Bible how we ought to respond to bad news. Keep your place there in Psalm turn over to Job 1. 4

5 Read Job 1:13-19 Now look at all the bad news Job has gotten: -verses 1-3 listed all of his assets, including his ten children. -what we just read was the wiping out of everything. -he s lost not just one child, not just two children, not just three children... he s lot 10 children... he s lost them all. -that would be more than most of us could bear. -and then, if that were not enough, he s lost all of his livelihood. -he had no way of making money for his food. -and eventually, he loses his health. How would you handle all that bad news? What does he do? How does he handle the bad news? Read Job 1:20-22 Application: Hey, let me tell you... you re going to get bad news... don t try to dodge it... don t try to slip by it.... PREPARE FOR IT!!!!! Keep your place in Job, and go back to Psalm 112 II. Who is the one who does not fear evil tidings? Now that s what I want to know! That s the million dollar question. Who but a crazy man wouldn t fear the bad news we ve been talking about? Well look at the text... you notice that it often uses the word, he to refer to the one who doesn t fear bad news. Who is this person who does not fear bad news? 5

6 A. The person who fears the Lord. (vs. 1) You know you fear the Lord if you delight in keeping His commandments. So here s the simple, straightforward point: If you make it your purpose to obey God in your life, you have nothing to fear. B. The person who is righteous and upright (vs. 3b, 4) None of us is righteous in himself... but if we re saved, we possess the righteousness of Jesus Christ. To be upright is to walk in a simple, straight manner, doing what s right. C. The person who is gracious, compassionate, helps and gives to others (vs. 4b, 5, 9) Look at what is true about this kind of person: vs. 4- light arises in the darkness That s a wonderful thing... that in the middle of darkness, and difficulty, and uncertainty... light arises. What I find encouraging about this is that anyone seeking to daily walk with Christ, and obey Him fits the criteria for not having to fear when bad things happen. Illustration: Now turn back to Job 1 Read vs. 1:1-5, 8 III. How does he not fear bad news? Psalm 112:7 A. His heart is fixed It s set, it s secure, it s steadfast... it s not shaken, it s firm, it s not overwhelmed by fear. 1. The Christian fears God, and walks with God doesn t waver, or waffle, or turn away from God... he s fixed. 6

7 2. He s fixed in that he knows God is in charge... and God is guiding the whole situation 3. The Christian going through trouble also knows that while there are some things he stands to lose... there are some things he cannot possibly lose. -he cannot possibly lose his inheritance in heaven. -he cannot possibly lose the presence of God in his life -he cannot possibly lose the love of God. -he cannot possibly lose his position as a child of God. B. He trusts God. Illustration: One Christian from many years ago was nearing the end of life said this to his friends: In years gone by, I often dreaded the taking away of certain earthly comforts, but when they have been withdrawn, I have had so much more of the grace and presence of God, that I have had to be thankful for the apparent loss, for it was a real gain. And now that I am a cripple and confined to my house, I am far happier than I ever expected to be, and am as happy as a man.... could be out of heaven. (Dr. Payson s words in Spurgeon s sermon on Psalm 112:7- Heart s-ease ) And to me... this is the bottom line, and the only way of how not to fear any bad news that a Dr. might give, or a news broadcast, or a stockmarket report, or any other kind of bad news..... you must be trusting God. Job, after all that happened to him said of the Lord, Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Do you trust God in that way? Conclusion: Big Idea: A heart fixed on trusting God is the only antidote for the fear of bad news. I d like to close by reading Psalm 112 Read it. 7