“ KNOCKED DOWN BUT NOT KNOCKED OUT ”
Psalms 63 : 1-11

• Before we get into the message I would like to look at Paul a fighter of the faith and a true warrior. II Corinthians 4:8,9 “ We are troubled on every side,(We are hard pressed on all sides) yet not distressed;(But we are never frustrated) we are perplexed,(Puzzled) but not in despair; 9) Persecuted, but not forsaken;(Never deserted) cast down, (“Knocked Down…)but not destroyed;” (…But Not Knocked Out ”) ·
• David was another warrior going through some rough times which seemed to be his lot in life. He had been driven from the throne by Absalom, had headed out across the northern edge of the wilderness of Judea, which stretched away to the arid banks of the Dead Sea, and was far from the sanctuary in Jerusalem, the sum and center of his life. He had been strengthening his soul in God. “He was knocked down, but not knocked out”
• The caption in my Bible calls this… “A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.”

I. How David Longed For God

• What David missed most of all, was God’s house. He did not miss his own house, nor his throne, nor his family, but God’s house!
• He missed the place of prayer
• He missed the sanctuary of God
• He missed the place where the people of God came to worship together.
• If we were driven in exile what would we miss?

A) Where He Was

• Psalms 63: 1) O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
• David had left Jerusalem on the Jericho road. His journey had taken him through some of the wildest, most barren,and discouraging scenery in the world.
• His soul thirsted for God. He describes it as a “dry and thirsty land” others called it “a dry and weary land”. Which of coarse this world should be to us!
• C.S. Lewis reminds us that pleasure is God’s invention. Satan has never been able to manufacture a single lasting pleasure. We are driven back to God for the true enjoyment of life. § Where he was left him physically weak.

B) What He Wanted

• Verse 2) To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
• David is now praying that he may once again see God’s power and His Glory as he once did in the Tabernacle! Why He Worshiped
• 3) Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
• Note the words “thy lovingkindness”. It is mentioned some 23 times throughout the book of Psalms and is a favorite word of David’s used to describe his Lord.
• God offers us not just “kindness” but “lovingkindness”; not just “grace”, but “tender grace”
• We worship someone because of their love that is displayed towards us.
• David worshiped God because of His love(God’s love) for him.

II. How David Lived For God

A) He Worked For God

• Verse 4) Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
• There are two ways that we can lift up our hands to God. 1) in supplication(to humbly ask for something) 2) in service.
• God has no hands but our hands to do the work that needs to be done in this world! (Pass out tracts, knock on doors, going to missions, helping the needy.
• I believe David may have sung Hymn #315 “Take my life and let it be”
• David lived for God by working for him.

B) He Witnessed To God

• 5) My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
• In other words… “I have a God who keeps me satisfied, and who keeps me singing.”
• Lets look at David’s situation…he had been forced to leave behind him everything he possessed in this world. He was now a beggar, dependant for his next meal on the kindness of others. Did he feel sorry for himself? NO!
• The miserable shape of David did not turn him bitter towards God, but drew him closer.

C) He Waited For God

• Verses 6) When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. 7) Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
• David was not one to toss and turn in bed fretting over things beyond his control.
• David’s cure for insomnia was…”God”
• David would think of the times God helped him before and how merciful his God was.

D) He Walked With God

• 8) My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.
• Because he knew that “God would never leave thee, nor forsake thee”
• When Brett (My three year old son) is afraid of something, he grabs my hand or wishes me to pick him up because he knows that I will protect him from whatever harm may be threatening to him.
• David was walking in a dangerous place… Absalom was waving the red flag and the strong bulls of Bashan were preparing to charge. David crept closer to God.
• David lived for God by Walking with God.

III. How David Looked For God

A) He Looked For Victory

• We as Christians should look for the victory (Turn to God) when we are down. David can see that his foes will be: · Doomed…9) But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
• “the lower parts of the earth” means… they will go back to Shoel. The classic examples in David’s own experience were King Saul, Absalom, and Ahithophel. It’s a dangerous thing to oppose God’s anointed.
• Defeated…10) They shall fall by the sword:
• Devoured… they shall be a portion for foxes. ( No worse fate could be conceived by a Hebrew than for his body to remain unburied and become prey to scavenger beasts or birds.
• When we Christians see a battle that looks to big for us to handle, when the heavyweight gloves of Satan seem to be hitting us for what looks to be the final blows in round 15…Look to God for the victory!

B) He Looked For Vindication

• 11) But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.
• David could imagine what was being said of him in Jerusalem. People spreading rumors, lies, far fetched stories….
• David has done some wrong things, but they had been put under the blood… One Night in a church service, a young woman felt the tug of God at her heart. She responded to God’s call and accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. The Young woman had a very rough past, involving alcohol, drugs, and prostitution. As time went on she became a faithful member of the church. She eventually became involve in the ministry, teaching young children. It was not very long until this faithful young woman had caught the eye and heart of the pastor’s son. The relationship grew and they began to make wedding plans. This was when the problems began. You see, about one half of the church did not think that a woman with a past such as hers was suitable for a pastor’s son. The church began to argue and fight about the matter. So they decided to have a meeting. As the people made their arguments and tensions increased, the meeting was getting completely out of hand. The young woman became very upset about all the things being brought up about her past. As she began to cry, the pastor’s son stood to speak. He could not bear the pain it was causing his wife to be. He began to speak and his statement was this… “ My fiancee’s past is not what’s on trial here. Today, you have put the blood of Jesus on trial. So, does it wash away sin or not?” The whole church began to weep as they realized that they had been slandering the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
• Today folks, we bring up some one’s past whether it be divorce, alcohol, drugs, theft, murder, whatever, and use it for a weapon against our brothers and sisters.
• If the Blood of Jesus does not cleanse the other person completely then it cannot cleanse us completely either.
• David Knew that God would vindicate him. Now David sings… “What can wash away my sins…nothing but the blood of Jesus”

DAVID WAS KNOCKED DOWN, BUT NOT KNOCKED OUT!

Preached at S.M.B.T in the evening service at 6:00 on April 28, 2002