======================================================================== THE PRIVILEGE OF INJUSTICE by Art Katz ======================================================================== Summary: This sermon emphasizes the privilege of suffering injustice for the sake of deepening one's relationship with God, highlighting the psalmist's cry for vindication and deliverance in the face of oppression. It explores the concept that suffering injustice can lead to a greater knowledge of God and a joy that surpasses mere happiness. The message encourages choosing joy through distress, recognizing God's sovereignty in all circumstances, and seeking Him as the ultimate source of strength and joy. Duration: 50:01 Topics: "Suffering for Righteousness", "Finding Joy in Trials" Scripture References: Psalm 43:1, Psalm 43:3, Psalm 43:5, Psalm 43:5, Psalm 43:5, Psalm 43:5, Psalm 43:5, Psalm 43:5, Psalm 43:5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DESCRIPTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This sermon emphasizes the privilege of suffering injustice for the sake of deepening one's relationship with God, highlighting the psalmist's cry for vindication and deliverance in the face of oppression. It explores the concept that suffering injustice can lead to a greater knowledge of God and a joy that surpasses mere happiness. The message encourages choosing joy through distress, recognizing God's sovereignty in all circumstances, and seeking Him as the ultimate source of strength and joy. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENT ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Good morning, precious saints. What a privilege to be in the house of God with you. I told pastor I've been a believer for 35 years. I have never observed worship like this. I don't think you have any need of me or my message. But I would direct you to my morning devotional reading on February 13th. Which is Psalm 43. Are you reading the Psalms every day? Really reading? Devotionally? Not as religious obligation? Of how many chapters you have read? But to luxuriate in the word. To dwell in the word. So let's read this short Psalm. Psalm 43. Is saying cry. It's a cry. Of a man who is afflicted. A man who is oppressed. A man who is suffering injustice. And that is traditionally the condition of the psalmist. He is hated by the world. Even the religious world. And what he suffers. Is the result of his relationship with God. He would not have needed to suffer it. If he was satisfied with something less. But the deeper the relationship. The more intimate the knowledge. The greater the suffering. I'm giving a title to my message this morning. I hope you will understand me. The privilege of injustice. It's a privilege. It is a privilege to suffer injustice. If it will bring you to a depth in God. Then only it can. We will praise God for the privilege. For listening to this. It begins with the cry of verse 1. Vindicate me oh God and defend my cause. Against an ungodly people. Vindicate, justify me. They are deceitful and unjust. Deliver me. His appeal is not to men. Nor to society. Nor to government. Nor to God. You deliver me. Because what I'm suffering is because of you. And I look to you only. Vindicate me, justify me. For you are the God in whom I take refuge. This is not a mere play on words. This is not religious language. This is heartfelt cry. Directly to God. By a man who will not look to any other source. But to God only. And if God will not vindicate him. Will not answer him. Will not defend him. Then he will be defenseless. And he deserves to suffer that. Than any benefit that he might have obtained. If he had turned to man. If he had turned to man. But God does not answer. And the psalmist cries out in verse 10. Why have you cast me off? Why must I walk about mournfully? Because of the oppression of the enemy. Why don't you hear me? Why don't you answer immediately? What kind of God are you? For the issue of what I'm suffering. Is about you. And for you. Why don't you hurriedly come in my behalf? Why am I mourning? Why do I feel that you have cast me off? This is painful. This brings our whole faith into question. Where is God? When we so urgently need him. And have been faithful. And have not turned to another. He still does not answer. This is typical of the Psalms. The Psalms are God's end time book. It's instruction for the believers of the last days. Who if we are not suffering oppression now. We will then. And we will cry out to God. And not receive an immediate answer. Doesn't he hear? Has he not the power to reply? Why does he withhold himself? If you could but understand. This is very love. Because if he gave you an immediate answer. You would be in spiritual danger. Of making Jesus your errand boy. You call the answers. He serves your purposes. These are your convenience. Yes you have received an answer. But you have degraded God. You have made him less than what he is. Because he is not our errand boy. He is not under obligation to answer. Immediately because we are hurting him. And when he withholds his answer. It's for our sake. That we might really know him. As something more than an errand boy. Who does our bidding. For he is God. God Almighty. And we don't know him as we ought. And oppression and affliction. And injustice. Are a gift from God. To bring us to the knowledge. The true knowledge. That cannot be obtained in any other way. We are privileged. To suffer for his name sake. If that's what our suffering is about. Not the suffering that follows our stupid sins. But our righteousness. Is a different kind of suffering. Why have you cast me off? Oh in verse 3. Oh. Send out your light and your truth. Let them lead me. Let them bring me to your holy mill. And to your dwelling. Notice what he is asking. Let them lead me. He is not praying that God will lead his oppressor. Bring light to the one who is afflicting him. But let them lead me. Send the light. And the word send is the great apostolic word. That's what the Greek word apostolos means. Send. It must be sent from God. It's God's initiative. We have to wait for him to take it. We cannot compel him. But we can only appeal to him. Send light. For me. Not my oppressor. Send light and truth. Let them lead me. Let them bring me to your holy mill. And to your dwelling. That's an ultimate place. An ultimate place. Have you been there? The holy pill of God. The very dwelling of the most high. It's not a place for the curious. It's not for us to gape at him and stare at him. It's a revelation of God as a man. As God. In the holy place. When he will give us light to find it. In the cry that comes out of our afflictions. Not to be saved from it. Because it's inconvenient. But to be driven by it. By light and truth. Into the holy place of God. I will go to your altar. Then I will go to the altar of God. The place of true sacrifice. The place of true worship. And I will praise you. My God. My exceeding joy. Isn't that a great word? Amen. What price tag would you put on it? How valuable is it? To experience the joy of the Lord. Unfamed joy. It's not something that we can work up. It is something given. It is joy unspeakable. I'm full of glory. Few there be who have found it. Because I have not come. To the place of dwelling. To the altar of God. My exceeding joy. There's something so intensely personal about it. That's true of all the Psalms. The Psalmist says, My God. My God. My defense. My strength. My exceeding joy. Is mine. It's personal. I know it in my deeps. Because I have been brought there. By the difficulty of my circumstances. I'm not turning to man. Nor murmuring nor complaining. But I receive it as privilege. Because it brings me to God. Who becomes by that. My exceeding great joy. We are privileged. To be the afflicted and the oppressed people of God. Not because we're black. But because we're lovers of God. Does the world despise us. And afflict us. And drive us to him. So the Psalmist talks to his own soul. In verse 5. Why are you cast down O my soul. The soul is the emotions of man. The feeling. That always wants to feel sorry for us. That always wants to encourage self pity. That always wants to run the show. And wants us to become soulless. But the soul is only one component of man. And his spirit. And God's spirit in his spirit. His true being. His true identity. What in fact he is in God. Has got to take authority over his soul. And address it. And speak to it. Why are you cast down. I'm not going to allow you that mood. I'm not going to allow that mood to swallow me. That's not where I'm living. I'm in my spirit. And God is in my spirit. So why are you cast down. Why are you disquieted within me. Hope in God. For I shall again praise him. My help and my God. You love that song? Can you catch the Hebraic flavor of that song? Can you sense the kind of intimate knowledge that the psalmist has of God? My God. My Lord. My help. My joy. When a man can talk like that. When a woman can talk like that. It doesn't matter what the external conditions of the life might be. You've come to something precious. Something indestructible. Something the world cannot provide. Something enduring. Is my God. My strength. My joy. I've appropriated something. That is life transforming. That I never would have sought. I would have been content with less. But I was driven to the holy place. By injustice. And I cried out to God. He gave me life. But not right away. That I might know Him. And rejoice in Him. Who is my hope. This is the privilege of injustice. You have ministered. To Africa. To white Africa. That has not had to share your experience. It's a saving message. It's a revelation. For those who are satisfied only with religion. And even that not to effectually. To see an entire people. Brought to joy. By the power of God. Who do not look to man. Or to society. To right the injustices. But to God. Who vindicates. And who justifies. Those who look to Him exclusively. Is something of what the world does not know. And cannot know. It cannot be presented to them as a principle. It has to be presented to them as a reality. Demonstrated by an entire people. Who are in their midst. Who have the joy of the Lord. Not as some kind of cultural thing. Or some soullessly prompted thing. But as something given. By God who waits. For those who will seek Him. And make Him alone their defense. Who has found Him like that? Who has the opportunity to find Him like that? And those who have had the privilege of injustice. We don't cry out because we are suffering inconvenience. While someone has more than we have. That's not a cry that he will hear. We are suffering because of our faith. We are suffering an injustice. An injustice from the world. And trusting God to vindicate us. Not for something that's petty and personal to ourselves. It's not an issue of creature comfort. It's the question of the name of God. And the honor of God. As is seen in this people. So don't expect an immediate response. And don't be disappointed. God is teaching you to wait. Teaching you to trust. And saving you from minimizing God. And demeaning God. If He's quick to answer. You'll make of Him your head boy. And He waits to be recognized. As God. You've been waiting a long time. And I trust you're waiting for this. This is historic. This is God's answer. For an entire nation. For an entire continent. That the issue is God. Not to be submitted as a Sunday religion. But as the God who desires to be our exceeding great joy. Oh for the people that can demonstrate that. Not when they're sailing along beautifully. But in the midst of their affliction. And the injustice that is not yet made right. In that condition. When the world expects you to be moaning with self- pity. And nodding your fist at the oppressor. You are exhibiting the joy of the Lord. He'll send out His light and His truth. Not for the oppressor. But for you. It will lead you. To the holy place. For that is the whole purpose of our human existence. It is the whole purpose of nations. It is the whole purpose of history. That God might be recognized as God. Because He has found a people who know Him. And it is seen in their joy. That no circumstance or situation can dim. What is an exceeding great joy. It's the joy of the world. It's a deep calling unto people. And we will only be brought there by distress. He waits to be met there. He Himself is deep. And He's deep calling unto people. And only distress will bring us there. If it's rightly employed. We miss a choice. Of how we will use the circumstances of our life. One choice leads us to despair. To anger. To hatred. To violence. To alcoholism. To defeat. To death. And the very same distress can lead us to God. To deep calling unto deep. To the joy of the Lord. That is exceedingly great. It's a circumstance. But you choose your response to it. And in that choosing. You are made a person. I don't care what our origins are. What education we have had. What advantage or disadvantage. In the moment of choice. When we assert ourselves. When we command our soul not to be depressed. When we choose God. We have become the men and women of God. We have come to a truth in ourselves. A reality in ourselves. An ultimate identity. Beyond race and color. Beyond nation and ethnic origin. True personality. True selfhood. Because we have chosen God. Amen. Every soul is capable of that choice. Because there is a deep calling unto truth. God himself has produced the distress. He has employed man. But he himself is the author. To compel us to God. As a deep identity. So we may not be powerful in the world. We may not have prestige in the world. We may not have influence. But we have an ultimate power. That even the wealthy do not enjoy. It's an ultimate power. Over our own soul. To command it. Why are you cast down? Why are you depressed? Why have you allowed circumstances to affect you? I command you. Rejoice in the Lord. He does all things well. He is perfect in all his ways. And a person who has authority over his own soul. Is a person in authority. That even the powers of darkness are required to respect. What a privilege we have. In our relationship with God. To establish these things. By our choice. So hope in God. Are you going to be the psalmist of your own generation? Are you sweet singers of Israel? Or are you victims? Murmuring and complaining. About the injustices that are in the world. Or have you employed them? Recognize them. As given by God. To bring you to a place in the knowledge of him. Of which the world knows nothing. Does not even know that such a place is possible. Is occupied with the world. And will perish. Until there's a people in their midst. Who will demonstrate. Authentically. The joy of the Lord. No matter what darkness. Light has come. God has taken initiative. And by that light we will find the holy place. Find God. As a deep unto deep. As our refuge. Our strength. Our exceeding great joy. That's the purpose for your existence. That's why God has made you black. And set you in the midst of this continent. To have a ministry. And a calling. As an entire people. To demonstrate God. Not as you're thinking to be. A Sunday supplement. But as he in fact is. The living God. The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. The God of our fathers. The God who sent Jesus. The God who is. Our exceeding great joy. Only distress will win you there. There's no other route. You can't have to it except through it. That's why I have all this message. Given me this morning. For you. The privilege of injustice. Are you willing for it? Really? Would you rather have your circumstances improved. That you could be happy. Take your choice. Happiness. Brought by physical improvement. Or joy. Brought by distress. This joy is worth everything. It is. Everything. There's nothing higher. Nothing greater. No experience more to be desired. More life sustaining. More enduring. More encouraging. More strengthening. There's no greater witness. Than the joy of the Lord. My God. My exceeding great joy. Is the statement of the psalmist. Who has come to it through suffering. And he has made himself a candidate to receive. He's not making the best of a bad thing. He has opened himself to the bad. That he might help God. And carry that knowledge into eternity. For that's the purpose of this life. He comes to such a knowledge. Such a relationship. Such a service. And will carry into the life to come. You are a message. You're a testimony. You're a statement from God. To a world that is dying. It's BMWs. It's Chinese fences. It's barricaded houses. It's barricaded houses. It's gates and fences. Because they don't know God. They're satisfied with a Sunday supplement. They're joyless. And they're hopeless. Because they have not made him their hope. Because their souls are riding them. They have not seen an alternative. As God intends them. Do you? Talk about an answer for Africa. It doesn't need a program. It doesn't need a humanly contrived political solution. It needs a demonstration. That only a psalmist can make. Only a sweet singer of Israel can make. Who knows God as a deep unto deep. Because he has sent light. And truth. To bring you to his altar. To find him in a new way. Deeper than what we have known. That he might be our joy. So what will you allow him to do? I have no pause. What will you allow him to do? How far are you willing to go with God? Sunday enjoyment? Or the one in whom you live and who would have you be? He's willing for anything that comes from his hand. And interpreting your circumstances by the eye of the spirit. As not coming from men. But from God. Not once in this psalm. Do we hear complaint? Do we hear the psalmist saying God let them have it? Do them in. As only a prayer by himself. Bring bright truth into my life. That I might find you. And know you. Unto a joy unspeakable. And full of glory. Full of glory. Full of glory. It's your joy. Unspeakable in spite of this. But it's his glory. He will be glorified by your joy. Before the face of all nations. Because they cannot expect it. They only know happiness. If you own a car. If you own a BMW. If you own a Mercedes. They only know happiness. Today is your life. Last but a moment. But they don't know joy. To see your joy is to see God's glory. And that is the purpose of life. Are you praising God for it? Are you choosing to be chosen? My brother introduced me as an American speaker. I'm no more American than the man in the moon. I have his passport. The American passport. I'm living within its boundaries. But I'm a man from heaven. A Jewish man. Saved by the blood of his son. Can I pray for you? I'm in a new dimension with God. My prayers are becoming authoritative. It's not religious human well- wishing. It establishes something. It becomes an event. Are you willing for a prayer like that? Are you choosing affliction? Are you counting yourself privileged? Lord. Precious God Almighty. The only true and living God. Whose eye of compassion looks upon this Africa. And sees the suffering everywhere. Not only by those who are down and out. But those who are up and out. They are still out. They have not seen, they have not heard. They do not know. What is available. Raise up a people. Who know you. As deep unto deep as. In the midst of their difficulty. And their distress. May their eye look to you. May their cry be directed to you. Exclusively. As the God who will give answer. Not the relief of the condition. The revelation. Of God. From the holy place. Of the joy of people. And full of glory. Bless this Africa. By this people. In this faith. For we have come to a crisis. And only this demonstration can answer. The knowledge of God. Who is our exceeding great joy. And our eternal reward. In this life. And in the life to come. Bless this people. While their willful choosing. To be the people of God. That they might make him known. As he deserves to be known. And as you know him. Because he has not been demonstrated. By people who joy in him. In their every circumstance. I bless this people. Bless this word. Bless this word. This message. Let it not fall to the ground. Let it not be just a Sunday in passing. A visiting speaker. A little unusual perception. Let it be the word of love. Whose time has come. An appointed word. For a people and place. An historic word. Whose time has come. Sent from heaven. Sent. Sent. Sent. That we might receive it. Bless your word to this people. And this people to their nation. And this nation to this country. May God guide me God. O for all. The God of this harvest. The God of this harvest. The God who is God. Amen. Hallelujah. Wow. I believe the Lord has. Not believe but I know God has spoken to us. That suffered. Or the troubled parts of nation. Could be someone who distress. Or distress. Or distress. Praise God. Let's give Jesus a hand. Our answer has come. Our breakthrough has come. Amen. We are not affected in the name of Jesus. We thank you. We thank you. We give you thanks. Shall we pray for ourselves? Maybe you will be treated unfairly. Longing justice. And like the Psalmist here, pray for yourself. I can tell you. Just for one minute, the situation that you are in, even people who are relative, and many things that I have given to you. Thank you. Don't cry. Pray for yourself. So that God will strengthen you. ======================================================================== Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/7V4_VRUa5bw.mp4 Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/art-katz/the-privilege-of-injustice/ ========================================================================