The following is a sermon transcript from our Sunday Service at The Rock Church in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Each week, we gather to worship, learn from God’s Word, and grow together. This transcript is provided as a free resource to encourage and equip you in your walk with Christ. While you’re welcome to read and share this content for personal use, we kindly ask that it not be redistributed or published elsewhere without prior written consent from The Rock Church.
Introduction
Have you ever felt completely surrounded? The pressures of life, the worries of the future, the unending regret of the past. It could be any number of things—a crushing medical diagnosis, that bank account that keeps falling into the negative, or that relationship that just feels stuck in the mud.
There are so many things in life that surround us like wild dogs. It feels like there’s nothing that we can do. We’re cornered in a dark alley. The dogs are closing in. There’s no fence to climb. There’s no weapon to fend them off. The situation seems hopeless.
And yet, it is often in these very moments that the Lord reminds us, call out to me. Cry out to me in your pain.
But many of us ask the same question: Lord, why does it have to be so hard? When will I find some relief?
We try everything we can to improve our situation. We work harder, get that extra job. We try to fix the relationship. It’s just counseling we need. It’ll make it all better. We attempt to manage our fears. And yet the pressure still surrounds us.
So the cry of the heart becomes, God, my fears have surrounded me. When will you deliver me?
That cry is not new. It’s the cry that we hear in Psalm 22. But Psalm 22 is more than a story of David. It’s one of the clearest windows into the Old Testament of the sufferings of Christ.
Hundreds, even a thousand years before the crucifixion, the psalm describes a righteous sufferer surrounded by his enemies, mocked by crowds, physically exhausted, and brought to the brink of death.
You see, David experienced this in part, but Jesus experienced them perfectly and completely. On the cross, Jesus entered the deepest darkness of Psalm 22 so that sinners like us would never be abandoned.
When we read this psalm, we’re not only hearing David’s cry, we’re hearing the voice of Christ surrounded by enemies. Christ mocked by the crowds, poured out in suffering, crying out to the Father. And yet through that suffering, God accomplished the greatest rescue the world has ever known.
That is why our central truth this morning is this:
God is faithful to save even when all hope seems lost.
Not because we’re strong.
Not because our circumstances improve.
But because Jesus Christ has already secured His victory through His death and resurrection.
So as we walk through this important passage, we’re not simply learning from David’s experience. We’re seeing the suffering Savior who rescues helpless sinners.
And through this psalm we will learn:
- When all hope seems lost, recognize that your real enemy is spiritual.
- When all hope seems lost, realize your helpless condition.
- When all hope seems lost, reject confidence in yourself.
- When all hope seems lost, rest in the saving power of Christ.
1. Recognize the Real Enemy Is Spiritual
(Psalm 22:12–13)
So we’ll learn first to recognize the real enemy is spiritual, not physical. It’s verses 12 to 13, Psalm chapter 22. We read together:
“Many bulls encompass me;
strong bulls of Bashan surround me.
They open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and a roaring lion.”
You see here, David describes his enemies as bulls and lions. These images communicate to us overwhelming danger. And while David faced physical enemies, Scripture reminds us that behind the hostility of this fallen world lies a deeper spiritual battle.
David is not simply surrounded by one bull that he can tame or simply avoid. No, it’s many fierce enemies. It’s an unbearable situation. No scheme or strategy will save him from these dire straits.
He describes the strong bulls of Bashan. Bashan was a fertile region in the ancient world. It produced some of the most massive, strong livestock. In fact, it’s a symbol here of strength and wealth and plenty.
And the situation reminds us of Christ on the cross, surrounded by the powerful religious leaders in His day, raging in anger. David’s experience becomes the pattern that Christ ultimately fulfills.
David speaks of bulls and lions and dogs surrounding him, but at the cross we see that true fulfillment. The religious leaders rage, the crowds mock, the soldiers gamble for his clothing, and the powers of darkness gather against Him.
What David experienced in shadow, Christ experienced in full reality. And yet through that suffering Jesus was not defeated. He was defeating for us sin and death and Satan.
Scripture reminds us our real enemy is not physical. It’s spiritual.
You know the verse from Ephesians 6:12:
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood… but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present
against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
When you feel threatened today, if you do, pause and ask, “Lord, what spiritual reality am I missing right now? How can I trust You over what I see?”
That’s right. There are spiritual forces at work in the hearts of man. Unbeknownst to them—and many times we forget—Satan and his kingdom are at work. They’re at work in a situation where you feel like you’re hopeless.
It’s those thoughts that come rushing into your mind when you don’t see a way out.
“My life is over.”
“I can’t do it anymore.”
“I’m helpless.”
“I’m hopeless.”
“There’s no one to come to my aid.”
Those very lies we must fight against. Remind ourselves of what is true. Remind ourselves that we have the mind of Christ, taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
Don’t count it strange when those lies come into your mind, into your heart. It’s part of the spiritual battle. It’s part of the desire of the enemy to take us out.
David, of course, as we see clearly, finds himself in the sorrows of death. Death was knocking at the door.
“God, they’re going to kill me. They’re going to destroy me.”
You see, Satan’s strategy is simple. He wants to convince you that your situation is hopeless so that you can forget the riches that are yours in Christ.
We feel all alone without help. Then suddenly this band of criminals approaches. What do you do? How do you escape?
“Lord, my peace is gone. I’ve forgotten the joy of my salvation—that the Lord is my strength. Lord, I am trying to accomplish in my strength what You alone can do by Your Spirit.”
Not only am I surrounded by the strong bulls—now here comes this roaring lion.
Of course we know that picture of the roaring lion is none other than Satan himself. For what does he do but roam the whole earth, seeking whom he may devour?
The real enemy is constantly at work.
How will I ever find success?
How will I ever win?
I’m reminded of a verse from Proverbs 21:31:
“The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.”
You see, we need to be setting our minds on the things above where Christ is seated. We need to set our gaze upon the One who is seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us.
For there’s no greater than our Lord.
And we’ve got to plead with Him:
“Lord, send Your help. Give me the strength to endure what would otherwise seem like a defeat.”
The roaring lion is approaching. But with a single word the Lord sends him away.
Even though there are these strong bulls surrounding, this roaring lion approaching, Jesus has brought the victory through the finished work on the cross.
You may feel surrounded by the pressures of life, the worries about the future, the regrets about the past. But the Lord is victorious in His resurrection power.
There’s no force of wickedness that can stand back our strong and mighty Lord.
Even though you’re going through all these difficulties, they do not define you.
You are more than a conqueror through Christ who loves you.
Look to Him.
Look to your victory in Christ.
Remind yourself of the eternal joy that has been secured on your behalf.
Walk in the Spirit. Do not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
On and on we go, looking forward, looking up to the Commander of the Lord of hosts, who is strong in battle, mighty to save.
Be sober-minded. Be watchful. Be aware the spiritual reality is greater than the physical.
It’s not people you’re fighting against.
It’s not your spouse, your boss, your parents.
The spiritual forces of wickedness are trying to insert themselves into your relationships.
One of Satan’s chief goals is division.
Divide the church.
Divide the families.
Divide the nation.
And that’s what we see in the world.
By contrast, the unity of the Spirit brings peace, brings strength, brings power.
And what greater threat to the kingdom of darkness than a church that stands together? It’s a church that’s willing to sacrifice for one another. It’s a church that’s fully equipped to do the work of the ministry, to advance the gospel to the ends of the earth.
You see, the lion has been bound in the sense that he’s not able to stop the power of the Gospel.
And by the grace of God, the Lord has ordained that we would go forth into the world to proclaim this Gospel. And He would use us to save people, to save sinners, as He works through us as we are obedient to the command of Christ to proclaim this Gospel.
Stand firm in the Lord and look to the Lord who is faithful to rescue.
Fear not, for the Lord is by your side. He is standing by you.
Don’t get overwhelmed by what seems to be hopeless. It is not.
The Lord will deliver you.
The Lord will fight for you.
The Lord Jesus has won the battle at the cross and in His resurrection.
So number one, we recognize the real enemy is spiritual, not physical.
2. Realize Your Helpless Condition
(Psalm 22:14–15)
Secondly, we realize our fears and helpless condition. This is the honesty that’s required in our lives.
“I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast.
My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
You lay me in the dust of death.”
Well, if there’s one thing you cannot accuse King David of, that is dishonesty.
Man, this is heavy.
David is describing his condition honestly, and it’s one of extreme physical, emotional, spiritual depletion—obviously pointing to Christ.
It’s on every side that he finds no relief.
With the physical, he describes himself as that of a potsherd.
Just picture in your mind a pot made out of clay. In its original form it’s pretty strong and structurally sound.
Now take that very pot and smash it upon the concrete.
What happens?
It becomes broken and brittle, and sitting in the sun, scorching heat, breaking it down even further.
What good is it?
What good is that piece of clay that’s been destroyed?
Has that ever happened to your heart?
It feels as though it’s been smashed into a million pieces.
Your soul lies broken, seemingly beyond repair.
Who will put these pieces back together, O Lord?
David says his strength dried up like a potsherd. It’s a broken piece of the pot sitting in the sun, breaking down.
His heart poured out like water.
His tongue stuck to his jaws.
But at the cross, these words take on even deeper meaning.
Jesus hung on the cross in total physical exertion. And just before He died He says:
“I thirst.”
The Son of God entered the full depth of our human suffering.
Why?
So that weak sinners like you and me could find strength in Him.
The One whose strength was dried up on the cross now gives to us living water to all who come to Him.
Amen.
3. Reject Confidence in Yourself and Remain Watchful
(Psalm 22:16–18)
Third, reject any self-reliance and remain watchful. Verses 16 to 18.
“For dogs encompass me;
a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and my feet.
I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
they divide my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.”
David is facing the strong bulls, the roaring lion. What else, Lord? How about some wild dogs?
Okay, if it wasn’t bad enough, here come the wild dogs.
Now in our day we certainly love dogs—pets, therapeutic, man’s best friend. Love them, of course. But not in the ancient world. Oh no. Dogs were a symbol of all that is unclean. They would travel in herds. They weren’t pleasant.
And in fact they’re a perfect description of those mentioned by the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:2. Paul warns the church in Philippi. What does he say?
“Look out for the dogs. Look out for the evildoers. Look out for those who mutilate the flesh.”
Who are these people?
These Judaizers, the Jewish Christians who were so emphatic about imposing circumcision as a means of justification.
In other words, you’re not a true Christian unless you’re circumcised.
There are certainly many modern examples of adding to the gospel today.
Only if you keep God’s commands will you be saved.
God will only accept you if your performance is good enough.
In other words, the bridge to salvation is built almost all the way across the chasm. But there’s that ten feet that you’ve got to jump.
You see, God did all the ninety percent. You’ve got to do this part.
Here’s the reality: if any part of our salvation was dependent on us, we would not be saved by grace.
Amen.
Not even a moment of it.
Yes, you respond in faith. That is the outworking of the Spirit’s work. It’s not your work.
And yet the wild dogs here—the wild dogs of those in our day that come into the church and try to divide, the wild dogs that sneak in—they whisper the lies of the gospel.
“It’s not unless you add this little thing. It’s very minor. It’s this little piece that you’ve got to add on.”
They’re roaming. They’re looking for ways to get into the church.
But we’ve got to keep them out. We’ve got to remain diligent and see and understand that they are malicious and hostile.
They will attempt to pierce the purity of the gospel, making all kinds of accusations. They’ll say that they belong to the true church and everyone else is false.
They believe that the true believer must adhere to the Jewish laws, observe all the biblical feasts and the dietary laws.
They are the wild dogs that Paul warns about in the church of Philippi, and the very same ones that assaulted David in his distress.
They prey upon the weak and those who don’t know the Word of God.
They put Jesus to open shame.
So we must reject that.
We must reject any self-righteousness that somehow we can prove to God that we are worthy of His love and acceptance.
Not so, dear believer.
He’s loved us before the foundation of the world.
His love is an enduring love.
And we are made clean by the blood of the Lamb—not by the works that we’ve done, but by Christ and Him alone.
You see, David here is in such bad shape that his bones are visible through the skin.
And not only that, he’s being mocked by his enemies.
They’re staring at him.
They’re taking great pleasure at him.
They’re seeing themselves as having triumphed over him.
You ever been there?
That coworker who just loves to watch you make mistakes.
“Oh, there you go again. When are you going to get this right?”
It’s that friend who laughs at you.
Or worse yet, those assaults that come through on social media, leaving our young people in distress.
There’s nothing worse than being completely humiliated and feeling like there’s no one on your side.
But we’ve got to reject any notion of self-reliance that we can improve the situation based on our own strength.
Because that only leads to futility and hopelessness.
We look to the Lord—the Maker of heaven and earth, the One who is always by our side, the One who is fighting for us, who has won the victory on the cross.
He’s defeated sin and death.
He is the One that we look to.
But we must remain watchful.
Remain watchful for those dogs—the dogs that encompass David, the dogs in the church that seek to devour.
So number one: realize the real spiritual enemy.
Number two: recognize your fears.
Number three: reject any self-reliance and remain watchful for those that come in to destroy.
4. Rest in Christ’s Finished Rescue and Present Reign
(Psalm 22:19–21)
And lastly, rest in Christ’s finished rescue and present reign.
We look at verses 19 to 21.
“But you, O Lord, do not be far off!
O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
Deliver my soul from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dog.
Save me from the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen.”
Take a big sigh of relief.
Go ahead.
We can breathe now.
David, I was getting so discouraged with all of this negative, negative.
Now the wonderful transition that begins with the phrase:
But you, O Lord.
Many bulls surround me—but you, O Lord.
A roaring lion is coming after me—but you, O Lord.
Wild dogs are encircling me—but you, O Lord.
What a comfort.
That the ever-existing God of the universe is never far off. He is near to all who call upon His name.
Everything changes with these words.
But you, O Lord.
Surrounded by enemies—but you, O Lord.
Weak and exhausted—but you, O Lord.
On the brink of death—but you, O Lord.
At the cross it looked like the enemies had won.
The crowds mocked.
The soldiers gambled.
The Son of God has died.
Story over.
It looked like the lions had defeated Him.
But then, three days later, God spoke the final word.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ proves forever:
When all hope seems lost, God is still faithful to save.
Those lions don’t get the last word.
The dogs don’t get the final bite.
The cross was not the end.
The empty tomb declares that God saves His people through the suffering of His Son.
Psalm 124:8 says:
“Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”
God is our refuge and strength, our very present help in trouble. He is our strong tower. The righteous run into Him and are safe.
You see that word for help in verse 19? Another word for that is succor.
Now that’s not what Mr. T may be saying to you all. Sucker. Not sucka. Not that one.
Succor is S-U-C-C-O-R.
It’s that help that you need.
When all the thoughts are spinning in the whirlwind of your mind and you’re trying to go to sleep at night and the alarm clock is going off and off and you cannot turn it off—but suddenly someone comes in and smashes it into a million pieces.
Finally, I can lie down and rest.
Succor is when you’re in the darkest valley full of grief or loss and that peace of the Lord comes over you at exactly the time that you need it.
Succor is when the Lord comes to water your soul when you’re in a dry land.
It’s like walking in the desert. There’s no water. You’re exhausted. You’re thirsty.
And there is the spring.
Ah, thank you Lord.
Your succor has come.
Your help.
Think of it another way.
It’s the parent who runs to the aid of a hurting child.
It’s the lifeboat that appears to the sinking ship.
David fears that his precious life will soon end.
It’s the priceless possession—our lives—that can never be replaced.
But he cries out:
“But you, O Lord, deliver my soul from the sword.”
The sword, obviously, is the instrument of death. It’s the place of violence and extreme mental suffering.
It’s the very sword of the wrath of God that was poured out on the Son.
Imagine that.
We can’t.
The most agony, suffering—our Savior bled and died under the full weight of the wrath of God for all the sins of those who would believe.
We may be in a season of suffering, but it is not forever.
David cries out:
“Save me from the power of the dog, from the mouth of the lion, from the horns of the wild oxen.”
That mouth of the lion in your life might be restless anxiety or fear.
It could be overwhelming debt, illness, workplace pressure, or some other impossible circumstance that you’re faced with.
But the Lord is faithful to save.
Whatever dogs are circling around you—fear, temptation, suffering—God is the one who will safely deliver you into His kingdom.
It’s more than surviving.
It’s deliverance.
It’s thriving.
It’s deliverance from the bite of the enemy that wants to devour your soul.
Final Exhortation
This psalm marks one of the darkest moments in David’s life.
Surrounded by strong bulls, a roaring lion, and wild oxen, David’s body is failing him. His spiritual strength has left him. His emotional state is beyond repair.
And not only that—all of his enemies are mocking him and staring at him.
But David teaches us some important lessons.
He recognizes the real enemy.
He realizes his desperate need.
He rejects confidence in the flesh.
And finally, he rests in the rescue of God.
Crying out:
“But you, O Lord, do not be far off. O my help, come quickly to my aid.”
And that’s exactly where God wants to bring every one of us.
Because sooner or later every one of us will face a moment when our strength runs out.
There will be a situation you cannot fix.
You cannot control the outcome.
You cannot fight the battle on your own.
Our resources will fail by design.
Our plans will collapse by God’s decree.
And we will feel just as surrounded and helpless as David was.
But Psalm 22 reminds us that when our strength ends, God’s faithfulness does not.
At the cross, Jesus entered the very depths of Psalm 22.
He was surrounded by enemies, mocked by onlookers, pierced in His hands and feet, forsaken in His sufferings.
It looked like defeat.
All the disciples looked on and said, “Man, this has really ended poorly.”
But three days later God proved forever:
When all hope seems lost, God is faithful to save.
The lions don’t get the last word.
The dogs don’t get the final bite.
The horns of the wild oxen do not have the final victory in your life.
God does.
Closing Prayer
Let’s take a moment now to go to the Lord.
Let’s cry out to Him for help and deliverance.
Many of you may be in that situation—hopeless, no way out.
Let’s cry to the Lord for His help and deliverance.
And then I’ll close in prayer.
Thank you, Lord, that You have heard our cries for mercy. Thank You, Lord, that You have sovereignly placed these dogs and lions and bulls in our lives so that we would know one thing:
Our help comes from the Lord.
There’s no one else. None to save. No one to rescue.
You alone, Lord, are the God of our salvation—the God who has saved us from death, from the wrath that we deserve, the God that has saved us from sin and Satan and death.
God, we are so grateful.
But You are also the God who continues to save us, who continues to change us and to form us more and more like Your Son.
And so as we look now to You for Your suffering that You endured, we count it a privilege to share in that suffering.
As Paul the apostle would say, Lord, this is a mystery. But this is part of the means of grace that You are using in our lives to transform us.
So Lord, hear our cries of mercy.
Hear our cries for deliverance.
And come to our rescue.
We’re so thankful that You’ve heard us.
And we’re so thankful that when all seems hopeless, You’re still faithful to save.
We pray all this in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
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