“YOU NEED GLASSES”

PSALM 73

 

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I remember several facts about the day my friend said to me, “You need glasses.” I was in the 7^th grade and was in the north center section of the then, new Bradford Middle School building. We were in, what could be called, the Home Ec. Room. My friend was reading a poster on the wall on the far side of the room, and I remarked. “You can’t read that from here!” He read the whole thing out loud, looked at me and said those words, “You need glasses!” I had never thought about it. A few days later my world came into focus. I had not realized what I was missing.

The Psalmist describe a similar situation of seeing the world without the corrective lenses of God’s Word. It was not a clear picture of the world he was seeing.

 

I. THE VISION OF THE UNFOCUSED CHRISTIAN [

 

1. He Knows the Goodness of God [v. 1, 2 Chronicles 6:41, Romans 2:4]

 

Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness.

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

 

2. He Feels Insecure in His Faltering [v. 2, 11:3]

 

If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

 

3. His Focus is on His False Perception [v. 3]

 

II. HIS MISCONCEPTION OF WICKEDNESS [v. 3-16]

 

1. The Wicked Have No Trouble [v. 3-7]

 

2. Living Wrong Pays [v. 8-12]

 

3. Living Right Does Not Pay [v. 13-16, Mark 9:41,  1 Cor. 15:57-58]

 

For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

 

III. THE VISION OF THE FOCUSED CHRISTIAN [v. 17-28]

 

1. The Unsaved Sinner Faces Eternal Judgment [v. 17-19, John 3:18]

 

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

 

2. The Focused Child of God Can See Clearly [v. 17, 20-26]

 

3. The Faithful Child of God Has a Purpose [v. 27-28]