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Guest (Male): Here's John. I drew him to faith 30 years ago. His feet almost slipped many times. But I held him by his right hand, and that's why he's here today. Imagine Jesus saying that of you.

Steve Hiller: Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. Really an encouraging message today, Colin, as we've been taking a look at the story of Asaph as we find that in Psalm 73. A Christian leader, he's discouraged in his faith, so much so that he just about, as he says, lets go of his faith. His feet almost slipped. But we're going to end with a word of encouragement today.

Colin Smith: I think the whole Psalm is a wonderful encouragement for me to know that one of the greatest godly leaders in the Old Testament went through an experience where he said, "My feet almost slipped." Well, that really helps me to know that as Christian believers, there are times where we think, "But for the grace of God, I would have been gone."

But for the grace of God. And that's the whole point of the story. God doesn't let His children go. And He held onto Asaph and got him established, brought him through. And friend, if you are in a place of feeling that you're ready to give up, I want to say to you, Christ will bring you through, and you can put your trust in Him. So the prayer for this series is that there will be encouragement to press on with Jesus Christ.

Steve Hiller: Well, let's get into today's message as we do end with this word of encouragement. We're in Psalm 73 and the final part of our message, "Commit." Here's Pastor Colin.

Colin Smith: Let me tell you the story of a man I know very well. I'm going to call him Joe. Joe was a pastor for some years. It wasn't easy. Joe and his wife endured great difficulties over many years. They scraped by in ministry on a desperately low income. They did what they did in a small church for the sake of Christ.

After some years, the pressures of the pastorate began to affect Joe's health, and so he left the ministry. He was desperately discouraged, broken. Joe and his wife started attending a church in London. Some time later, I heard they'd stopped going. A short time after that, Joe's wife died. I took the funeral.

It was some time after that that he told me why he gave up. It has left a deep and a lasting impression on all my thinking. "It was the same every Sunday, Colin," he said. "We just got slammed about making a commitment. And I was desperate. I didn't have any strength. And I was just looking for hope."

Now, Asaph's story tells us what Joe and thousands of others need to grasp in the middle of an Asaph experience, and it's this: God will sustain you when your strength is gone. When your feet are sliding, He will hold you by your right hand. He will guide you with His counsel, and afterwards, He will bring you to glory.

And if you have been wounded by a version of Christianity that makes the Gospel seem like an endless list of demands and impossible expectations, you need to take in the grace of God from this Psalm. The Gospel is not an endless exhortation to what you should be, what you must be, what you ought to do, and all the rest of it.

The Gospel is about the grace of God, right? And it's not your commitment that will lead to God's grace. It is God's grace that will lead to your commitment. All the difference in the world.

I want to suggest three ways in which we might use this Psalm as we come to a conclusion this morning. The first is simply a very practical idea that I hope might be useful. And that is that you may find at times when you go through an Asaph experience that it is useful for you to write your story as Asaph wrote his story here.

Obviously, this whole Psalm is this man writing out his story under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, of course, and it has been preserved for our encouragement in the Scriptures. So you may find, as I've found at different points in my life, to write out the experience in which the Lord is meeting you and the turn through which He's bringing you will help to clarify how He is at work in your life.

The second thing is simply learn. And here we focus in more closely on the words that Asaph uses here. Notice what Asaph learned from these last verses: "Those who are far from You will perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge."

Now, if you look back to the beginning of the Psalm and compare verse 1 with verse 25, you will see how far Asaph has come. Remember we saw at the beginning that verse 1 was a kind of credal statement, a sort of statement of faith that would regularly be repeated in worship. "God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart."

You see, it's almost said the sort of thing you're brought up with and that every good believer believes, you know, "God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart." This is what Asaph had always believed, but it seems from his testimony that he did not have a very clear idea of what it actually meant. What does it mean to say that God is good to Israel?

Now, the ancient philosophers, Plato and Socrates and all these guys, they used to debate what is the highest good in life. To use a phrase from today, what is as good as it gets? And they had a phrase in Latin that they used to use, and it's still sometimes used today. They used to talk about the *summum bonum*, which, you know, for the kids in grade school, you can say I was in church on Sunday and I learned about the *summum bonum*.

You see, that'll impress your teacher, but don't get proud about it. The *summum bonum*, the highest good. What is as good as it gets? Now, you see, the point of this Psalm is that Asaph is saying, "You know, I looked at other people who were not living a godly life, and frankly, I thought they'd got it. I was thinking that the highest good is health and wealth and fulfilling your personal dream."

Now I realize, he's saying, that I was completely mistaken. "I'll tell you what the *summum bonum* is. As for me, it is good to be near God." God opened my eyes to this in the sanctuary when I saw the ultimate outcome of the wicked. Those who are far from You will perish. I see it now. The reason that God is good to Israel is that He's brought Israel near to God.

I see now that even if everything in my life was as I wanted it to be and I was far from God, I would be in a desperate position. And even if nothing in my life were as I would want it to be and I was near to God, then I would still be supremely blessed. For me, this is the *summum bonum*, to be near God. There is nothing greater in all of life than this. And this is what Asaph learned from his experience.

See, this is exactly the blessing of the Gospel, isn't it? What is the whole message of the Christian faith actually about? It is simply this: that those who were once far away from God have now been brought near in Jesus Christ. Paul states it in Ephesians, that Christ came into the world, He gave His life on the cross so that you could come near to God now and come near to Him for eternity.

You who were once far away, he says, have been brought near. How? Through the blood of Jesus Christ. You don't come near to God simply by coming to church, by saying prayers, by being religious, by feeling better about yourself. How do you come near to God? Oh, Paul says it is through the blood of Jesus Christ.

You're brought into a covenant relationship, sealed with His blood. There is the fulfillment of the covenant relationship that God had with Israel, and their supreme blessing was that they were brought near to God. That's what the sacrifices were all about, pointing to the shed blood of Jesus, by which those who are far away are now brought near.

How do you get near to God? Through the blood of Jesus Christ. He is our peace. He came to preach peace to those of you who are far away, Paul says, as well as to those who are near. The *summum bonum*, the highest good that you can know in this life, is to be near God. So why would you remain at a distance from God when Jesus Christ has come and shed His blood so that you could come near? That's what Asaph learned.

Steve Hiller: You're listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith, and a message called "Commit," the final message in our series on Psalm 73 called "I Almost Gave Up." A look at Asaph, a godly man who is struggling in his faith. We're looking at how God turned his life around and how He can do the same for us.

If you've missed any of the broadcasts in our series, you can listen online. Just come to openthebible.org. There you can stream the program or download an MP3 for free. You can also listen through the Open the Bible app, which you'll find for free at your App Store. Or you can order a copy of the entire series on CD when you call us at 1-877-OPEN-365. Or you'll find ordering information online at openthebible.org.

Open the Bible's a listener-supported ministry, and as you give a gift of any amount this month, we want to send you a copy of John Stott's book called *The Incomparable Christ*. And Colin, who is this book for?

Colin Smith: Well, it's for anyone who wants to know the Lord Jesus Christ better. And it's written by one of the most influential Christian leaders of the 20th century. John Stott was a faithful preacher, a pastor, and a scholar for over 60 years. He's one of my heroes of the faith. I love to read his writing, and never more so than when he's writing on the most central subject of all, the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And you know, this book, *The Incomparable Christ*, if you've never read a book by John Stott, this is a great place to start. It's a deep dive on who Jesus is. And it comes in four parts. We see Jesus as He is presented in the New Testament, Jesus as He's been presented by the church over the centuries, Jesus as He's inspired various figures in history, and Jesus as He's presented to us in the book of Revelation. It's just a glorious snapshot of who the Lord Jesus Christ is. And I think anyone who reads this book is going to feel that they come to a deeper worship of Jesus, a deeper love for Jesus, and a deeper trust in Jesus, too.

Steve Hiller: Well, we want to send you a copy of this book as our way of saying thank you for your financial support this month. You can give online at openthebible.org or when you call 1-877-OPEN-365. That's 1-877-673-6365. Or again, our website is openthebible.org.

If you joined us late, we're in Psalm 73 looking at verses 27 and 28 today. Let's get back to the message. Here's Pastor Colin.

Colin Smith: And here's the last thing: to tell. To write, to learn, to tell. "I will tell of all Your deeds," verse 28. Now, again, this really shows us how far Asaph has come. Remember back in verse 15 that the best thing Asaph could do for God's people was keep his thoughts to himself. He said, "If I had spoken, I would have betrayed this generation."

There was a point in my life where if you knew what I was really thinking, it would have been discouraging to everyone. So the best I could do for God's people was simply to keep my mouth shut. But now the grace of God has worked in his life in such a way that he has something to say, and he's able to open his mouth and share the story of what God has done for him.

Every Christian has a story of God's grace. And the wonderful thing is that your story of God's grace is still being written. And every time you go through an Asaph experience of real discouragement, another chapter is added. And every chapter that is added becomes another part of the great story of testimony among God's people to how His grace brings us through every circumstance of life.

It's really a wonderful thing to think about it. Psalm 73 describes the worst time in this man's life. And here we are 3,000 years later, feeding on the fruit of it, drawing encouragement from his testimony. You see, what God gives to you will always be for the good of others. Your testimony to God's grace bringing you through discouragement will be a strength to the rest of the body of Christ.

Paul puts this in an extraordinary way in 2 Corinthians chapter 4. He says, "Death is at work in us, life is at work in you." Here I'm going through this experience, Paul was saying, and it feels like death. And you know the result of that testimony of the apostle's perseverance was what? Life in the church. Every difficulty that you go through will be a means of blessing in some way through God's grace and mercy in the life of others. I will tell of all Your deeds.

Now, in these last moments, I want to make another application. And I want us to think about what this Psalm would mean in the experience of Jesus. That's an important way actually to come to all of the Scriptures and especially the Psalms. Remember, this was the prayer book that Jesus used. So what would it mean in the experience of Jesus?

This is Asaph's story. In some particular ways, it will become your story and my story, but it is also Jesus' story. You see, all of history is heading up to the day when Jesus Christ will tell His story, the greatest story ever told. The book of Hebrews describes a day, *the* day, when Jesus will stand in the presence of the Father with all of the company of His children who have been gathered in faith and brought into the presence of God.

And Jesus will say this, He'll say to the Father, "Here I am, and here are the children that You have given Me." Can you picture that? It will be a glorious moment. Jude also speaks about that day. He says this, and it's wonderfully relevant to Psalm 73. He said Jesus Christ is able to keep you from falling. And more than that, He is able to present you faultless and with great joy in the presence of the Father.

Now try and picture that day with me. Jesus stands before the Father. And all who are His people through faith in His blood are gathered there with Him. We are overwhelmed with joy just to be there. And there's awe in our hearts as we hear His voice begin to speak.

He tells His story. He tells of how He came into the world to seek and to save the lost. He tells of how He was despised and how He was rejected. And thinking of what it would mean for Jesus to take the themes of this Psalm on His own lips and into His own experience, perhaps He would say something like this.

Guest (Male): My feet did slip. I stumbled under the weight of that cross. And when I fell, no one came to My aid. They had to press-gang someone who was standing there just to help Me. I could not go into the sanctuary. I was shut out from God's temple. They did not want Me there.

I was driven outside of the walls of God's Holy City. And there I bore the sins of the world. In My own body, I carried the guilt and the shame and the weight and the condemnation of every sin and every crime that is known to mankind.

And when that happened, I looked up to heaven for comfort, and there was no light for Me. I cried out in anguish, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" and there was no answer to My cry. Yet, Father, I put My trust in You. Into Your hands, I commit My spirit, I said.

On the third day, You raised Me from the dead. And ever since that day, I have been at work, drawing men and women to repentance and to faith, sustaining them in their journey, sending them out into the world in My name. And now, Father, here I am with the children You have given to Me.

Colin Smith: You know, it's a great thing to know that Jesus is in your story. It is an even greater thing to know that *you* are in Jesus' story. Actually, that's your ultimate assurance. I want you to try and picture this in these last moments, even though it is so difficult to imagine these things. He will present you to the Father. You are part of His story.

He'll be standing with us, you see. "Here am I and the children You have given Me," Jesus is saying. John, I know you well enough to ask you to stand. And He comes alongside you. John, how long you been a Christian?

Guest (Male): About 30 years.

Colin Smith: 30 years. 30 years. "Here's John. I drew him to faith 30 years ago. His feet almost slipped many times. But I held him by his right hand, and that's why he's here today." Imagine Jesus saying that of you.

Now try and picture that. You know what I think I'd be saying, what John would be saying, and what you'd be saying? "Jesus, I can hardly believe I'm here. I mean, I almost gave up. My feet had almost slipped. I was senseless, I was ignorant, I was a brute beast before You.

But You held me by my right hand. You guided me with Your counsel. You've now brought me into glory. Who have I in heaven but You? Oh, for me, it is good to be near God. I will tell of all Your deeds." And in that moment, you will discover with greater clarity than at any other point in your entire life what Asaph learned here. I almost gave up. You almost gave up. And the reason you didn't give up on Jesus is that Jesus did not give up on you.

Steve Hiller: What a great way to wrap up this series. The reason you didn't give up on Jesus is because He did not give up on you. Our message today is entitled "Commit." It's the final message in our series on Psalm 73 called "I Almost Gave Up." Really a look at Psalm 73 written by Asaph as he was walking through a spiritual crisis in his life.

And if you or someone you know is going through a spiritual crisis, you may want to get a copy of the series for yourself. Ask about "I Almost Gave Up" when you call us at 1-877-OPEN-365. That's 1-877-673-6365. Or you'll find ordering information online at openthebible.org. Well Colin, it's Friday, and the weekend's coming.

Colin Smith: And I want to encourage you to get to church on Sunday. If you live in the Chicago area and you don't have a church home, I'd love for you to join us at The Orchard. There are six locations in the northwest suburbs. For more information, go to theorchard.church. That's theorchard.church.

Steve Hiller: Well, thank you, Colin. And thanks for listening. I'm Steve Hiller, and I hope you'll join us next time. This program is a listener-supported production of Open the Bible.

Colin Smith: This is Pastor Colin, and I want you to know about a resource that will help you in your devotional life. It's called *Open the Bible Daily*. My colleague Pastor Tim Augustine takes what you hear on Open the Bible, and he edits it into daily bite-sized chunks that you can read in your devotional time in less than three minutes.

Every day you'll find a verse of Scripture, a short teaching from God's Word, and an application that you can carry with you through the day. People who use this tell us that they read it every day, and I think that if you try it, you'll love it too. For more information, visit openthebible.org/daily. That's openthebible.org/daily.