Fatal Miscalculations

Introduction

We do tons of calculating about this outcome or that outcome and the results of choices and decisions that we make. And sometimes we do better than that than at other times. And so I want to talk to you this morning about fatal miscalculation. The last words of a redneck. Hey, y’all watch this. Reminds me of when I was at Florida College. And at the time there was a pool. There was Girls’ Day and Boys’ Day. And on boys’ day, we would hopefully have a class hour free and we’d go to the pool. And you know, boys will be boys. We got bored. And so we would climb up on top of the bathhouse that has the Spanish style roof, a very uneven surface, and we would go up to the pinnacle of the bathhouse and come running down and jump over four to five feet of concrete to get to the four-foot end of the pool.

It occurred to me later. This was a very bad idea. If I had tripped somewhere going down the bathhouse roof, that could have been a very ugly thing in terms of gravity, distance, and velocity when I hit the pavement below. So I can somewhat sympathize with this fatal miscalculation. Just so happens this week, turned on the news for a millisecond, and I see a news story about fatal plunges at Yosemite National Park. Apparently it’s happening at an alarming rate this year. Look, when you’re standing next to a waterfall, it might be slippery there, and you probably shouldn’t venture out too close to the edge. People are falling at an alarming rate. Think about it. Fatal miscalculation. Stay away from the slippery edge. What all bullies fail to realize?

1. A Sovereign Lord Who Will Accomplish All His Will

What all godless individuals ignore, what all negligent, once faithful practitioners foolishly allow to escape their thoughts. A fatal miscalculation. There is a sovereign God, a sovereign Lord who will accomplish all his will. The control freak’s worst nightmare. There is somebody who has control, and it’s not me. And that would be the Lord. His power trumps everything. So you’d better just deal with it and accept that truth. So many people do not figure into the equation a supreme power who will ultimately dictate everything. And there’s no getting around it. Even though sometimes in the world, it may seem to be that one is circumventing that truth. And I would just suggest to you that is a fatal miscalculation. In Psalm 10. The conclusion of the Psalm, this is a fascinating Psalm.

The Lord is king forever and ever. You can’t get around that. You better make sure you’re calculating that. The Lord is king forever and ever. Nations have perished from his land. Oh, think about history. Think about all the nations that have come and gone and come and go still. I remember as a kid being fearful of the USSR. That powerful nation on the other side of the world never would have fathomed the breakup of the Soviet Union. Some can’t even fathom that one day the United States of America may not exist. Get real with it. Nations come and go.

And you better calculate that. And so he says of the wicked. The wicked says, God doesn’t see. He’s aloof. He’s detached. The psalmist explains his mindset in verse 5. It says, His ways prosper at all times, or his ways are strong. His judgments are on high, but out of his sight. As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them. You know, God really isn’t paying attention here. As if to say, really, there is no God at all. I think sometimes we look at Psalm 10 and verse 4 and we go to an atheist point of view, and I really don’t think that’s the idea here. Where it says, the wicked and the haughtiness of his counsel does not seek him. All his thoughts are, there is no God.

When you go on to look what else it says in the Psalms, he lurks, he crouches, he schemes, and he foolishly concludes, he says to himself in verse 11, God has forgotten. He has hidden his face, he will never see it. They shun any thought of accountability for their actions, saying, in essence, there is no God. Look, this Psalm indicates the worst epitaph ever. The worst epitaph ever.

Throughout all generations, I shall not be in adversity. Oh, really? Fatal miscalculation. He spurns God, fears no accountability. He has said to himself, You will not require it in chapter 10 and verse 13. These are the same thoughts with Psalm 50 a little bit later. Since God is silent, I just felt like God approved of what I was doing. Beware. God will turn and tear you into pieces. The time of reckoning is coming. Don’t think you’re going to escape it because you’re getting away with it now. Fatal miscalculation, the psalmist says.

Why is this allowed to go on? In verse 1, why dost thou stand afar off, O Lord, similar to David’s, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why do you stand afar off, O Lord? Why dost thou hide thyself in times of trouble? Look at what’s going on, look at the incongruities of all of this, look at the injustice of all of this, look at what the wicked man is doing. His day of reckoning comes. Every opposer of God, his day of reckoning comes is a fatal miscalculation to think that our ways are hidden from God. It is a fatal miscalculation to think that what we do in private will not be shouted from the rooftops. It is a fatal miscalculation to say God doesn’t see and that God will not reward either positively or negatively for our conduct.

Let them be caught, these evil men who abuse the afflicted. Bring them justice. Let them be caught in the plots they devise. Does anyone come to mind?

2. The Fatal Miscalculations of Those in Scripture

When I read this verse, I thought about the fatal miscalculations of those in Scripture. And I immediately thought of this character. And I’m thinking now I need to do a sermon on Mordecai. I was thinking about that a little while ago. Haman’s gallows. You remember this guy in the book of Esther? He hated Mordecai. He hated the Jews who were still in that place of captivity, and he wanted to destroy them and get rid of them. And so he built these gallows. He had planned them just for Mordecai. And he ended up in Esther 7 and verse 10 being hung on the gallows. He had built for Mordecai and the Jews. He got caught in his own wicked devices that he had planned for others. And then I thought of some other fatal miscalculations.

This is based on the work that Ralph Walker did among us. I thought about Goliath’s challenge. As he marched out there day after day, the massive giant. Who are you going to send out to face me? Bring any guy you got. I can take him. And he taunted the armies of the living God. And then when David finally accepts the challenge, who is this little runt you’re sending out against me, the great giant Goliath. You’ve taunted the armies of the living God. And so a slinger, adept at his craft, guided by the providence and will of God, the sovereign Lord, boy, that was a perfect shot. Right in the giant’s forehead, and down he went. Probably a little shocked, but not for long. Because David cut off his head.

Major miscalculation. Wasn’t it? I thought of the Rabshekah, the envoy of King Sennacherib. You know, Sennacherib’s cylinder mentions only the highlights. Like I had Hezekiah the Judahite locked up in a cage in Jerusalem. Well, yeah, you did. But you didn’t mention what happened after you had him locked up in the cage when 185,000 of your soldiers died, and you had to run back home. Well, I guess there wasn’t anybody left to run back home. You lost. Because they had miscalculated. Oh, the gods of these other peoples that we’ve conquered, they weren’t able to withstand us. Don’t think that this will be any different. Don’t let Hezekiah lie to you. Your God isn’t any more powerful than their gods. You’re gonna fall here. We’re the strong, powerful, mighty Assyrians.

And hey, let’s just look at it on paper. On paper, he was exactly right. Hezekiah had nothing. On paper. But beyond the sphere of what was seen. He takes it and rolls the scroll out before the Lord and says, He’s insulting you, not us. And he appeals to the Lord to act. And boy, was the Rabshaka surprised at the result that day. Well, another I thought about something Ralph talked to us about, and that is the story of Absalom. What was Absalom thinking as he stole away the hearts of the sons of Israel? I’m opposing the Lord’s anointed, my dad. Certainly my dad deserves better than this, but no, Absalom had designs on the kingdom, and he had all these people coming to him, and he felt this swell of support.

He even had David’s counselor, Ahithophel, whose words were as the words of a God. Everything he said, his counsel was true, it was right, it was excellent. But one major miscalculation.

For the Lord had ordained, -oh. There’s the sovereign God again. For the Lord had ordained to thwart the counsel of Ahithophel. Yeah, he was good. He was smart. He had all the right answers. But he was no match for the Lord. That the Lord might bring calamity to Absalom. And that’s why when Ahithophel saw that his word was not followed, and they listened to the wonderful speech given by Hushai David’s friend, whose heart was not with Absalom. It was a wonderful speech. It sounded really good. But his heart was not with Absalom. It was with David. Because God had ordained to thwart the counsel of Ahithophel. And Ahithophel knew it, and he went out and he hung himself. He knew this wasn’t going to end well.

And Absalom, this beautiful, handsome, looked like the perfect selection to be a leader. Ended up with his head caught in a tree. And finished off by Joab. Major miscalculation. What do all those stories have in common? Is there a thread between all those stories beyond the fact that individuals had miscalculated that there is a powerful God that trumps them. Who’s behind it all? What about the dragon himself? The great red dragon of Revelation chapter 12, whose tail sweeps away the stars of the heaven. He is the impressive power behind all of these acts. And he inflicts his damage. He has his murderous threats of accusation. He causes people pain. And our foe is real, and he’s tenacious, and he will inflict his blows. But you know what happens in the book of Revelation, right?

His cause comes to nothing. It always has.

3. A Warning to the Wealthy

Fatal. Miscalculation. Oh, there’s three thoughts that flow out of that I want you to think about. Three warnings. The first warning is to the wealthy. To those who have an abundance of this world’s stuff. Like some of the people we’ve been talking about. Warning to the wealthy. Make friends with the mammon of unrighteous. Don’t think, don’t calculate that your stuff is all you need. If there’s anybody here today who walks out of here not in a right relationship with the Lord, it is probably because their hope and their trust is in their stuff. I’m here to tell you, don’t miscalculate about your stuff or your bank account. When you’re running the numbers, what’s going to happen when the numbers fail? Sometimes riches make wings like eagles and fly away.

Proverb writer warns of that. There’s nothing certain in the financial world. And even if there is some level of trust and certainty that things might be a certain way, and that your bank account that’s federally insured might actually be there for the next several decades. Ultimately, you’re not going to be here. And that bank account’s going to belong to someone else. And all that stuff and all that wealthy. Look, ultimately, it fails. And whether what fails in that verse in Luke 16 are the friends who are taking care of the unjust steward, or simply the fact that the mammon itself ultimately doesn’t provide what people think it does. Whatever it is that’s failing in that verse, I’m here to tell you better use material stuff wisely and knowing that you’re going to give an answer to the sovereign God.

4. A Warning to the Defiant

Don’t miscalculate that. And a warning to the defiant, to those who shake their fist and say, I don’t need God’s limitations. I don’t need his restrictions. Who needs this business of who wants to repent and actually change? Who wants self-control? The fruit of the Spirit. Well, some of it’s okay, but the self-control part. I don’t want to exercise any of that. The psalmist pictures that in Psalm chapter 2. Let us tear his feathers off, his chains. I’m going to be free of his tyranny. I’m going to do things my own way. Understand one thing. God has set his king in Zion. You can go to the bank with that. You better calculate that. There is a king reigning in Zion. And he sits right now at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

You better reverence the Son, lest you perish in the way. So many want to defiantly reject God’s plan. A warning.

5. A Warning to the Boastful

Absalom’s confidence in himself. Oh, he was so good luck. A warning to the boastful. Tomorrow is never a guarantee. That’s what James says in James chapter 4. You who say, today or tomorrow, we’re going to go into such and such a place. You ought to say instead, if the Lord wills, we will do this or that. Why? Because God is sovereign and God knows things that you don’t. Do not boast in what you do not know. All you have is right here and right now what’s right in front of you. And as Ecclesiastes 9 and verse 10 as Solomon says to us, that’s what you can count on, what’s right here in front of you. So whatever your hands find to do it with your might.

Make the most of today. He says, there is no planning in Sheol where you are going. Don’t think all this planning you have for the future, everything you’ve got mapped out, the course you’re going to take in life, don’t think for a second that’s a guarantee. These stories tell us you better calculate God into the equation. And then I thought of this New Testament example of this very thing. The rich fool. Poor guy doesn’t even have a name. You know? Who was this guy? You ever think about that? The rich fool doesn’t have a name. Maybe it’s because the name of the wicked will rot. We read in the Proverbs chapter 10 and verse 7. Tore down his barns, built bigger barns. I have many goods for many years.

6. What Calculating God Into Your Plans Means

No, you don’t. No, you don’t. Fatal miscalculation. I don’t know why this is happening. What calculating God into. Oh, this is just ridiculous. Seriously, Jacob. Okay. We’re at crunch time here. You’re watching on social media. We apologize for the technical glitch. And we’re searching for Texas now. Okay. So we’ll just have to go the old-fashioned way until it comes up. What calculating the sovereign God into your plans mean. Thank you very much. It doesn’t mean everything is going to go your way. That’s what I mean. I had no way of knowing that this was going to happen. Maybe it’s doing that for a reason. Miscalculation. I mean, I thought we would have slides today. Everything doesn’t always go our way. But I’ll tell you what calculating God into your plans means.

You will have God as your companion and your help. Doesn’t mean you’ll never suffer. Doesn’t mean you’ll never hurt. But when you calculate God into your plans, you will have Him as your help and your companion. And number two, the outcome of calculating God into your plans is enormously and infinitely valuable. I don’t know of any better adjectives to use. Enormously and infinitely valuable. Three. You calculate God into your plans, you’ll be very wise. Don’t discount that either. You’ll be wiser than the ancient. I love that in Psalm 119. You’ll have a wisdom that’s unparalleled because you’ll know who’s really in control. And you’ll be aligned with him. And I’ll tell you, when you get that right, that gives you a wisdom that is supreme, that is high, that is valuable.

And that’s why you need to spend time in the Proverbs. Because it makes you wise. Oh, let me throw in Ittai here. That’s what Ittai saw. Everybody else, hey, let’s jump on the Absalom bandwagon. No. Hey, Itai, you don’t have to come along. You’re not an Israelite. You can stay behind with Absalom. It’s it’s fine and dandy if you don’t come. No. Whether wherever my Lord the King be for life and for death, there also will your servant be. You see, Ittai was in the null. I’m going to stay with the Lord’s anointed. And then this in Psalm 31, 14 and 15, my times. My times are in his hand. There’s no circumventing that. God masterminds all of his purposes. And you are foolish to fight against it.

Conclusion

What are you calculating? What are you thinking about the trajectory of your life? Where are you going? Let me just tell you this. If you ignore him and refuse him, there’s one question you need to be asked. When the prophets and priests were not doing their job, it says an appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land. Jeremiah chapter 5 and verse 30. Some appalling and horrible things are going on in the days of Jeremiah. His people are ripe for judgment. It’s coming. The prophets and priests aren’t doing their job. And he says, And my people love it so. But then this question is raised. It’s one of the great questions of Scripture, Jeremiah 5 and verse 31. And this is a question that pertains to you and the calculating that you do.

The question is this. But what will you do at the end of it? What will you do at the end of it? You need to think seriously about where you stand with the living God right here, right now. And think about if you don’t repair what needs repairing, by the grace and help of God, if you don’t take advantage of the provisions of the gospel while there’s time and opportunity, what are you going to do at the end of it? It’s not going to be pleasant. It’s not going to be any more pleasant than Haman or Absalom or Goliath or Ahithophel or the rich fool. How many stories do we need? It’s time to calculate. It’s time to calculate what your need is. There’s something note about the invitation song.

What’s happening? Number 822 in your books. Let’s stand and sing.