Text: Psalm 130:1-4

1Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.

2Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

3If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

4But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

Aim: To stir up faith toward God and His forgiveness; to bring people to repentance.

Method: Textual

Outline

I. The Depths (v.1)

A. The Depths Defined: Sin

1. Sin is like bacteria. If every bacteria were left to grow unchecked

the entire Earth would be covered up to six feet - in one week! Sin, if

left unchecked, will swallow up the sinner, until he is literally drowning

from his sin.

Sin will always grow larger. It always consumes the sinner. It

never abates or goes into remission.

2. What is sin? I John 3:3 defines sin as transgression of the law.

James 4:17 defines sin as the failure to do what is right.

B. The Effects of the Depths: Drowning

1. Sin will always grow and consume the sinner.

When you get into deep water, you will drown, unless you get out!

No matter how hard you struggle, and no matter how long you can keep

going, you will eventually drown.

2. But unlike water, sin is sticky. It's more like quicksand. It grips you

and pulls you down.

The Psalmist in Psalm 40 cried out to the Lord from "the miry clay."

C. The Person in the Depths: Recognition

1. Many of us know others who are clearly in "the depths" of sin.

It is very easy to recognize the characteristics of someone drowning.

An out-of-contol lifestyle. A lifestyle that controls the sinner.

The thrashing, gasping of a drowning man is easy to regonize.

2. However, many of us need to check our self. Am I in "the depths?"

I John 3:6-9 tells us that if we practice sin; if we have a sin habit - we

are in "the depths."

II. The Marking of Iniquity (v.3)

A. The Marker of Iniquity: God

1. Hebrews 4:13 tells us that God sees all.

There is an all-seeing eye watching you.

"...all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom

we have to do."

He knows what we have been doing. He knows exactly how deep we

are. And it's probably much deeper than we think!

2. Revelation 20:12 tells us that God actually does mark down our

actions!

The books that are spoken of here are books of our deeds.

God actually does record all we do - both good and bad

B. The Effect of Being Marked: Judgement

1. Who shall stand? The great question of the ages.

Here it is raised rhetorically, as if the Psalmist realizes that being

in the depths prevents him from standing before God.

Romans 3:10 says that no one is righteous, not even one!

2. When we cannot stand in God's presence, He must cast us away -

eternally.

Revelation 20:15 says that those not in the book of life will be cast into

the lake of fire.

*Note to Preachers: There is an excellent excerpt in the Jamieson,

Faucett, Brown commentary on this verse. Due to copywrite issues, I

cannot post it here.

It is an excellent reading at this point, detailing the criminal court

process,and the guilt of the sinner.

III. Forgiveness with Thee (v.4)

A. The Escape From The Depths: Forgiveness

1. Forgiveness is offered freely to repentant sinners.

Forgiveness is the chance of a lifetime to avoid a just eternal

punishment.

2. Forgiveness is being rescued from the depths. It is the life line to

the drowning man. It is the extraction from the "miry clay." It is the

hope of the doomed.

Forgiveness means being cleaned up, cleansed, purged, washed from a

permanent blot.

Forgiveness takes sin off the record. It makes sin as if it never

happened.

It removes the penalty for the guilt of the soul.

I John 1:9

B. The Rescuer from the Depths: God

1. The same All-Seeing, Almighty God who marks our sin is the one who

offers this forgiveness.

The wonderful thing about this forgiveness is that it is offered from the

One we sinned against.

2. The Almighty God is also All Gracious and extends forgiveness to

those who have offended Him - and He restores them to Himself

The second wonderful thing about forgiveness is that it restores the

relationship with the One we sinned against.

"Up from the deeps, O God, I cry to thee!

Hear my soul's prayer, hear thou her litany,

O thou who sayest, "Come wanderer, home to me."

Up from the deeps of sorrow, wherein lie

Dark secrets veiled from earth's unpitying eye,

My prayer, like star crowned angels Godward fly.

From the calm bosom when in quiet hour

God's Holy Spirit reigns with largest power

Then shall each thought in prayer's white blossom flower.

Not from the shallows, where the waters sleep

A chill low marsh where stagnant waters creep

But ocean voiced, deep calling deep.

As he of old, King David, called to thee

As cries the heart of poor humanity

Clamavi, Domine, exaudi me!"

-C.S. Fenner

Altar Call: 1. Are you in "the depths?" Call out to Jesus!

2. Do you feel the weight of your sin? Call out to Jesus!

3. Do you need forgiveness of sin? Call! Out of the depths - Call!