A Portrait of the Agiatetd
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 8 viewsNotes
Transcript
Are you agitated?
Are you agitated?
As an adjective in the English language, the word agitate means feeling or appearing troubled or nervous. As a verb, it means to make someone feel worried or angry. It is not the strongest word to describe worry or fear, which is why when I say our nation seems agitated right now, you might laugh and say, “That is an understatement.”
The Guardian reported 78% of Republicans alleged unfairness believe mail-in ballots spurred fraud, while 72% believed ballot tampering occurred. That is somewhere in the ballpark of voter 50 million plus Americans think the election was fraudulent. The remaining 20 million conservative minded voters are fearful the republic will be compromised under Biden’s leadership, and feel disenfranchised by liberal media and Big Tech companies who push the socialist agenda. These 70 million conservative minded Americans are angry and fearful the direction our nation is heading.
On the other side of the political isle, there are over 70 million Americans who fee like President Trump and his supporters have perpetuated a fascist presidency that has compromised our democracy and brought hatred among Americans and nations abroad. They feel like Trump supporters are immoral and inconsistent with their values and beliefs. Furthermore, though president-elect Biden is calling for unity, those in His party are calling for Trump-supporting heads to role. These 70 million plus liberal minded Americans are angry at the president and his supporters and are fearful of what could happen if there is not a peaceful transfer of power in January 20, 2021.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that our nation is agitated. We are internally angry at each other because both sides see each other as a bunch of frauds, as evildoers, as wicked, and we are fretting about what may come if the other side succeeds.
Agitated is the word the HCSB uses to describe anger and worry in Psalm 37:1.
Do not be agitated by evildoers; do not envy those who do wrong.
For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender green plants.
The word agitated in Hebrew is a common word used 134 times in the Old Testament. Though the root of the word conveys anger, it also conveys being in a state of worry and concern as an extension of being internally angry; hence some translations like the ESV uses the word fret.
Agitation is fear that rises out of anger.
Fear, anxiety, and worry sometimes comes from a heart that is angry about circumstances out of their control. I think of a mother who tells her son not to play in the road. She gets angry when he disobeys, especially when a car is coming and the boy is clueless. When the boy is safe she squeezes him in relief and then shakes the fire out of him screaming, “What were you thinking?”
Agitation or Fretting can come in a less maternal sense when people fear that evil, like corruption or fraud, is having its way in institutions, democratic practices, and society an culture at large, without consequences, people become angry. Fretting or agitation is a natural response. No one wants to be cheated or suffer at the hands of the wicked.
What agitates your heart?
The evildoer can suffer your heart to feel helpless indignation.
The bible says that at times the evildoer prospers and causes life to be difficult.
An evildoer is any morally reprehensible person, which is every sinner. The Hebrew word conveys the idea of a rogue person. In this sense, an evildoer is a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel. It is someone who does evil deliberately and deserves to be punished.
The Psalmist in Psalm 73 describes how his heart became agitated and envious because the evildoers prospered in their wickedness. He describes them as prideful and arrogant people who clothe themselves in violence (Psalm 73:5-6). The wicked are foolish people who scoff at wisdom and speak with malice toward their fellow man breathing out threats (Psalm 73:7-9). Corruption and injustice are means to their wealth and leisure (Psalm 73:10). There is no reverence for God. They do not accept his judgments and provoke him to his face (Psalm 73:11). They rebuke the righteous and afflict them all their days (Psalm 73:14). In short, evildoers make life hard for the righteous, especially when the righteous are outnumbered.
Someone who comes to mind when I think about the righteous suffering in a culture of unrestrained immorality is Lot. Look how Peter describe Lot in his second epistle. The Apostle Peter says
and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked
(for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard);
Lot lived in a sexually “revolutionized culture,” if you will. The lawlessness was so bad that its stench rose up to heaven like smoke before God and provoked him to judgement (Genesis 18:20). Peter says that Lot was a righteous man who was tormented by the evil of his community. He was distressed by the unrestrained behavior of the the evildoer.
Keep in mind the context in which Lot lived. The lived in Sodom. Sodom and Gomorrah are two cities that are identified with God’s judgement of sin. They were known as sexually immoral people, particularly homosexuality. Bit their depravity reached deeper into oppression. The the Hebrew word for outcry in Genesis 18:20 is used in scripture to describe an outpouring of those who were experiencing savage treachery, or victims of inhumane brutality. It is the same word used to describe Israel’s outcry to God when they were enslaved to Egypt (Exodus 2:23; 3:7, 9). It is the cry of the orphan and widow (Exodus 22:22,23). It was the screams of terror when a city was attacked by raiders. It is a miserable, says Kent Hughes, wail of people who are oppressed and brutalized. This was the outcry of the oppressed in Sodom. And righteous Lot lived in this culture and society and was miserable.
It is worth noting that the text says that “he was tormenting his soul over their lawless deeds.” In other words, Lot inwardly suffered a feeling of helpless indignation at the wrong doing that surrounded him. Helpless indignation is another way of describing agitation or fretting. Lot was tempted to let his heart be agitated.
In a few days or weeks, the election is going to come to an end. The courts will decide a winner before January 20, 2021. When the court gives its ruling, my concern for our nation is that one side or the other is going to feel helpless indignation. They are going to feel cheated or robbed and will also feel helpless in doing anything about it. You can begin t see why letting your heart be agitated is a bad idea.
Why is agitation (Fretting) bad for God’s people?
Remember, agitation (fretting) is being in a state of worry and concern as an extension of being internally angry. The anger being expressed in Psalm 37:1 is the kind of anger Jesus says is murder in Matthew 5:22. The root Hebrew word used for agitation in Psalm 37:1 is also used to describe Cain’s heart toward Abel in
but He did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was furious, and he looked despondent.
Why was Cain angry? His offering was rejected by God because it was not given by faith. The writer of Hebrews says
By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was approved as a righteous man, because God approved his gifts, and even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith.
The writer of Hebrews also says a few verse later
Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.
Cain did not offer his sacrifice by faith and he was rejected by God. Cain responded to god with indignation, anger.
Cain’s anger was unrighteous because it was driven by unbelief. Unbelief hardens the heart (Hebrews 3:7-19). Anger that is wrought with unbelief hardens the heart to hate people and therefore commit murder according to Jesus (Matthew 5:22). Cain killed his brother because in his anger, he hated his brother.
The same kind of anger in Cain’s heart is spoken of here in Psalm 37:1. Cain’s anger was nuanced in jealousy, but in Psalm 37:1, it is nuanced with fear.
Both are rooted in unbelief. Both will harden your heart toward the Lord. Both will bring death.
Consider for a moment three things can happen when you harden your heart with fretting or being agitated by the wicked.
Your agitated heart will not listen and obey God.
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you hear His voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,
As it is said: Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.
Watch out, brothers, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that departs from the living God.
But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception.
Jesus calls out, Those who have ears to hear let them hear in the parable of the sower. he then goes on to explain why people cannot understand the message of the gospel to his disciples. He says its because the soil of their heart is hard, like a road that is walked on.
Your agitated heart will not love your neighbor
Jesus tells you what anger does to your heart
“You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment.
But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Fool!’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, ‘You moron!’ will be subject to hellfire.
We’ve already labored on this with Cain, but it is worth reminding you that unrighteous anger in your heart will lead you to hate people. Hatred always brings death to every relationship it attacks.
Your hardened heart will not believe God’s promises.
When you let your heart become agitated, you are not believing that God will keep his promises, specifically in Psalm 37, you are not believing that
Those who are blessed by Him will inherit the land, but those cursed by Him will be destroyed.
Psalm 37:20-22 is the main idea of Psalm 37. Psalm 37. It is the main reason why you should not let your heart be agitated by evildoers. God says to you
Christian, do not fret the evildoer because the wicked will perish and the meek will inherit the earth.
This is a twofold promise. First the wicked will perish.
God promises the evildoer will perish
David begins and ends our text with the destruction of the evildoer.
For evildoers will be destroyed, but those who put their hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
A little while, and the wicked person will be no more; though you look for him, he will not be there.
he says..
Do not be agitated by evildoers; do not envy those who do wrong.
For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender green plants.
The bible uses plant illustrations like grass and green plants to convey perishing. for example,
Let all who hate Zion be driven back in disgrace.
Let them be like grass on the rooftops, which withers before it grows up
Jod illustrates the futility of man using a plant illustration
Man born of woman is short of days and full of trouble.
He blossoms like a flower, then withers; he flees like a shadow and does not last.
Job says that for the evildoer
Terrors overtake him like a flood; a storm wind sweeps him away at night.
An east wind picks him up, and he is gone; it carries him away from his place.
It blasts at him without mercy, while he flees desperately from its grasp.
The Psalmist says
Indeed, You put them in slippery places; You make them fall into ruin.
How suddenly they become a desolation! They come to an end, swept away by terrors.
Like one waking from a dream, Lord, when arising, You will despise their image.
John tells us that the greatest evildoer of them all, and everyone who followed him, will be destroyed
The Devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Then the sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead; all were judged according to their works.
Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
God promises to his people that he will deal rightly with the wicked.
There are two ways the wicked can be dealt with rightly.
The Condemnation of God deals rightly with the wicked.
Jesus warns us
Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
God will judge the wicked. It’s not popular but it is true. When God says that he will destroy the wicked, he means that
and to reward with rest you who are afflicted, along with us. This will take place at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His powerful angels,
taking vengeance with flaming fire on those who don’t know God and on those who don’t obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction from the Lord’s presence and from His glorious strength
Jesus also says of those who reject Him and follow the beast will suffer his anger
And a third angel followed them and spoke with a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,
he will also drink the wine of God’s wrath, which is mixed full strength in the cup of His anger. He will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb,
It is appointed for everyone to die once and then face His judgement. If your wickedness follows you into eternity, you will live out your eternity in hell under his anger. It will be just and eternal.
This is not something we boast in as believers, but we accept with trembling and fear. For God to give the earth the is people, he must vanquish wickedness forever. Michael Horton words are wise for us:
“ Since God does not delight in the death of the wicked, neither can we. Hell is both the vindication of God’s justice and the prerequisite for his creation’s restoration.”
The other way God deals rightly with the wicked is though the cross.
The Cross of Jesus justifies the wicked who come by faith.
The cross expresses God’s commitment to deal with wicked people. God has provided a way for the wicked to be forgiven and redeemed. He has provided a means to justify them and give them a new life of righteousness that will be lived forever with him. The wicked can be forgiven and justified through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Paul teaches us
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
As John Calvin says rightly says, Justification consists of two parts: “the remission of sins and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness.” At the cross, sinners have their sins forgiven, meaning that sin is no longer reckoned to their account (Romans 4:6-8). They are also given Jesus’ righteousness, which means they are forever made righteous before God (Romans 5:19).
Who are the poor in Spirit? Who are those who mourn over their sin? Who are the meek who inherit the earth? It is those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and are satisfied by it. It’s the righteous who will be delivered from the wicked and given the new earth.
Jesus alludes to Psalm 37:11 when he says
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
The meek and the righteous are on one the same. The righteous are God’s people, and he promises to give them the land. The meek are Christians, and Jesus promises they will inherit the earth.
An agitated heart is a hardened heart that does not listen to God, does not obey God’s command to love his neighbor, and refuses to believe God’s promises.
The real threat to your agitated heart is not what the wicked can do, but what you don’t believe God has done and is doing for you.
Christian, do not fret the evildoer because the wicked will perish and the meek will inherit the earth.
The twofold promise of God to his people is that one day he will make everything new by abolishing wickedness and restoring creation in order to give it to his people. He sent his Son to die on the cross to prove his commitment and continue the process of on the one hand dealing with the wicked and on the other restoring creation for his people.
He gives us a picture of this in
Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea no longer existed.
I also saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.
Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look! God’s dwelling is with humanity, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away.
Christian, do not fret the evildoer because the wicked will perish and the meek will inherit the earth.
The meek inheriting the earth is the positive reason why you should not let your heart fret or be agitated.
A Picture of the Meek
A Picture of the Meek
The meek trust in the Lord (Psalm 37:3-4)
The meek trust in the Lord (Psalm 37:3-4)
Trust in the Lord and do what is good; dwell in the land and live securely.
Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires.
The meek commit their way to the Lord (Psalm 37:5-6)
The meek commit their way to the Lord (Psalm 37:5-6)
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act,
making your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like the noonday.
Casting your cares, relying on him, making your plans and resting in God to fulfill them
God will vindicate you and justify you.
The meek wait for the Lord (Psalm 37:7)
The meek wait for the Lord (Psalm 37:7)
Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him; do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the man who carries out evil plans.
The meek refrain their anger for the sake the Lord (Psalm 37:8)
The meek refrain their anger for the sake the Lord (Psalm 37:8)
Refrain from anger and give up your rage; do not be agitated—it can only bring harm.