Psalm 73

Order of Service

• Call to Worship — Psalm 145:1-2, 10, 21
• Hymn — O Worship the King
• Prayer of Invocation
• Shorter Catechism — Question 102 (Second Petition: Thy Kingdom Come)
• Hymn — I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord (#353)
• Pastoral Prayer
• Scripture Reading — Psalm 73
• Sermon
• Closing Prayer
• Hymn — All My Heart This Night Rejoices (#609)
• Benediction

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Sermon Title: Is the Christian Life Worth It

Scripture: Psalm 73

I. A View of Life When God Is Distant — Psalm 73:1–15

A. Verse 1 serves as the thematic conclusion stated at the outset: God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart — but the psalmist recounts how his foot nearly slipped

B. Asaph's near-fall begins with his eyes — he becomes envious of the arrogant when he sees the prosperity of the wicked (Psalm 73:2–3)

1. Scripture repeatedly traces sin to what we see: Genesis 3 (Eve and the fruit), Genesis 6 (sons of God and daughters of men), 2 Samuel 11 (David and Bathsheba)
2. Both the eyes and the heart are portals through which sin enters

C. The wicked are described as dying peacefully, living without trouble, fat and sleek, never stricken (Psalm 73:4–5)

D. Their prosperity produces pride, violence, blasphemy, and contempt for God (Psalm 73:6–11)

1. They do not deny God's existence outright — they strip Him of His divine attributes (omniscience, omnipresence): "How can God know?" (Psalm 73:11)
2. This mirrors much of contemporary culture: not outright atheism, but a diminished, domesticated god who neither sees nor judges

E. Asaph turns his gaze on himself in verses 13–14: "All in vain have I kept my heart clean" — unlike the wicked who are never stricken, he is afflicted every morning (Psalm 73:13–14)

F. The root problem: Asaph has a small view of God

1. He allows circumstances to define God rather than allowing God to define his circumstances
2. God is glued to the news headlines rather than transcending them
3. The infinite, unlimited, transcendent God has been contained within finite, limited human experience

G. Yet Asaph remains a believer — verse 15 shows the assembly of God's people serving as an anchor keeping him from fully slipping (Psalm 73:15)

1. Paul in prison longs for Timothy's presence (2 Timothy 4:9)
2. Luther, burying his daughter, rested in the intercessions of the church when he lacked the strength to pray himself
3. Brothers and sisters in Christ are instruments of God's grace holding us up in seasons of doubt

II. A View of Life When God Is Near — Psalm 73:16–28

A. The turning point: entering the sanctuary of God (Psalm 73:17)

1. Asaph could not reason his way through the problem — it was "wearisome" (Psalm 73:16)
2. Corporate worship gave him God's perspective: he now sees the wicked through the lens of God rather than through his own limited lens
3. The plural worshiping community reflects the Triune God — plurality in oneness
4. Like Christian in Pilgrim's Progress, the burden is lifted when he beholds God in worship — songs, the Word read and proclaimed, sacraments, and prayer together evaporate doubt and fear

B. From God's perspective, Asaph now discerns the end of the wicked (Psalm 73:18–20)

1. "You set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin" — the very paths of their success are God-ordained paths to destruction
2. The example of Bernie Madoff: apparent success and impunity ultimately ended in ruin — a microcosmic illustration of Psalm 73:27
3. God's Word and sacrament pull back the curtain (the meaning of revelation) and show us who is truly in control

C. Asaph confesses his own foolishness and beastliness (Psalm 73:21–22), but the great "nevertheless" of grace follows (Psalm 73:23)

1. Even as a beast and a fool, God holds his right hand
2. Before (verse 13), Asaph boasted of his clean heart and innocent hands — now he sees himself clearly as a sinner upheld only by grace

D. Asaph breaks into doxology (Psalm 73:25–26)

1. "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you"
2. The praise is not grounded in Asaph's righteousness but in God's faithfulness — God is the strength of his heart and his portion forever

E. The conclusion: nearness to God is the supreme good (Psalm 73:27–28)

1. Those far from God shall perish; those near to God find refuge
2. Effective grace does not produce complacency — Asaph is now compelled to proclaim God's works: "that I may tell of all your works"
3. Echoes of The Sermon on the Mount: do not hide your light under a bushel; be salt and light to the world (Matthew 5:13–16)