(Preached at Markethill Free Presbyterian Church, 17th April 2026, as part of the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster.)
“Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. . . . Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. . . . Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.” Psalm 80:3, 7, 19.
There are two kinds of ‘turning back’ referred to in Holy Scripture that I would have us consider.
1. That reported in John’s Gospel, chapter 6.
“From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him,” verse 66.
I believe that we should note that they are called “his disciples”. Even Christians can go back and cease to walk with the Saviour.
The reason these turned back was because of what the Saviour had been saying of Himself. “Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” Verse 60.
What it was they considered “hard”, that is ‘hard to take in, rough and harsh’?
It was the doctrine He had just proclaimed.
“Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever,” John 6:54-58.
The Saviour explains what he meant in the verse 63.
“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”
John Gill
As Dr John Gill says: ‘The doctrines which Christ had then been delivering concerning himself, his flesh and blood, being spiritually understood, are the means of quickening souls.’
He was not saying that His physical body was to be eaten in order to be saved, any more than He was claiming to be a wooden structure when He said, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture,” John 10:9.
Foolish men can jump to foolish conclusions when reading the Bible.
Reproach of the cross
These words, being ‘hard” were offensive, verse 61. Here is another element of their reason for turning turn back.
Please recall what is said in John 12:42-43.
“Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”
The reproach of the cross has ever been a reason professing believers have turned back from ‘openly and publicly following Christ!
Poor old Peter was guilty of that, indeed so too were all of the apostles and many of the disciples!
“Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off. . . . And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things,” Luke 22:54, 23:49.
I cannot condemn them for the danger involved in following Christ was great and who is there who can criticise them in these days of widespread compromise, born of a fear of man!
2. But there is another ‘turning back’ which is holy and commendable. It is the referred to in our text. It is the prayer of the child of God who has been made conscious of their backsliding and the resultant chastening from the Lord and the tears and misery their backsliding had brought upon them.
Earlier comments
I am sure that many of the disciples, referred to in our earlier remarks, would have been brought to praying as did the Psalmist. It certainly was so with backsliding Peter.
“And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly,” Luke 22:59-62.
Dear Christian, in these days of backsliding and compromise, we ought to envy Peter’s tears of repentance!
Today, heaven’s call to Christians is:—
“Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls,” Jeremiah 6:16.
Sadly, the response of many seems to be: “ We will not walk therein.”
Let us come to the words of our text.
I. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THE EARNESTNESS DISPLAYED BY THE REPEATED PETITIONS OF THE PSALMIST.
It was a time of deep distress for the people of God. This was felt and understood by Asaph, the Psalmist.
1. Not every believer is aware of the dangers that have overtaken the cause of God in times such as those depicted in this psalm.
“Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her? The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it. Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine; and the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself. It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance,” verses 12-16.
Today is a day of ‘carelessness’. There is little concern at the dreadful state of the ‘walls of Jerusalem’ in contrast to Nehemiah — 1:2-4.
It is like Song/Solomon 5:2-6. The ‘beloved’ was careless and indifferent to the state of “her beloved” and would not stir herself to answer his call.
The same is told us of the church at the end of this age, just before the return of Christ — asleep, indifferent to the attacks upon the Lord Jesus by the Antichrist! Matthew 25:5-6.
Understanding
Asaph rightly understood that what happened unto the believers in his day was the result of the Lord’s judgment upon them for their backsliding. He had withdrawn His blessing and the enemy had come in like a flood, (Isaiah 59:19).
Paul said: “We are not ignorant of his devices,” 2 Corinthians 2:11. However, that has not always been the case. Darkness often enshrouds the hearts and minds of God’s people concerning the trouble they are in as a result of the devil’s devices. As a result they do not rightly understand the times in which they live!
2. Many times the Lord has had to say to His people, “Do ye not yet understand.” Matthew 16:9 is an example of times when this was said. “Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?” Just how obtuse and unbelieving we Christians can be is illustrated in that verse.
Paul
Paul complained of a like spirit amongst the Hebrews to whom he wrote.
“Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil,” Hebrews 5:11-14.
3. I believe that is the case with many Free Presbyterians today. Being unaware how things were once amongst us, they are likewise unaware of the true condition we are in.
When Paul rehearsed the central elements of the Gospel before King Agrippa and Festus, the procurator of Judea, Festus interrupted him and said: “Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad,” Acts 26:24.
Madness
The truth of God has often, if not always, appeared as madness to those who foolishly rejected it.
This can even be the case with God’s own people!
“And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished. But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place,” Acts 12:13-17.
It was not Rhoda that was ‘raving’, but the disciples who rejected her truthful testimony! Why should such a thing be considered ‘mad’? Had they not been praying for such a thing to happen, verse 5?
Warnings
For years Dr Paisley, and ministers now in glory, had warned of the danger of the Free Presbyterian Church drifting and falling into the same folly as those churches which it had been raised up by the Lord to protest against!
Now that it is beginning to happen and few recognise this dreadful development!
II. IF THE LORD DOES NOT INTERVENE, IT WILL SOON BE RECOGNISED TO THE GREAT SORROW OF THE UNDISCERNING!
1. What is happening today is what was happening in the Psalmist’s day. “O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people?” Verse 4.
Few Free Presbyterians believe that the Lord could be angry with us, never mind IS angry with us!
Why was the Lord angry?
“So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name,”verse 18.
Two things — there was a going back and a ceasing to pray!
The first expression - “will not we go back from thee” means “backsliding”. Of course the first manifestation of backsliding is a ceasing to pray as had been done before!
Prodigal
When the ‘prodigal’ left home, he ceased to commune with his father!
Our prayer meetings are not what once they were, either in their spirit or in their attendance!
What prayer is offered is not met with the responses of that which was once enjoyed.
It is a case of:— “O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people?” Verse 4.
2. As a result of this falling off, we are open to the devil’s attacks. “Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves,” verse 6.
“Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her? The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it,” verse 12-13.
When we cease to be ‘separated’ from the apostasy around us, we are very open to attack!
The ‘hedge’ of separation between us and the apostasy, recognised and complied with by our founding fathers, has been ignored and breached by Free Presbyterians.
Ministers have held fellowship with those ‘evangelicals’ within ecumenical denominations, who are in disobedience to God’s command to be separated.
Again, I have heard of Free Presbyterians attending services in churches belonging to the ecumenical movement.
Wrong
This is wrong and a breach of God’s Word but few seem to be aware of this.
“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple,”
Romans 16:17-18.
“And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother,” 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15.
This breach in the ‘hedge of separation’ has taken place, and it cannot be truthfully denied. But the offence has been repeatedly ignored by the leadership of our church and maybe even endorsed!
3. These breaches in the hedge of separation will result in our hurt! “Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her (rob her of fruit)? The boar out of the wood doth waste it (ravage), and the wild beast of the field doth devour (graze upon) it,” verses 12-13.
Maybe some of you here know the consequences of cattle or sheep breaking into crops. There is a destruction wrought both by feeding upon and trampling down!
That is what the future holds for the Free Presbyterian Church if the God-commanded action of repentance and return is not taken.
III. THE PSALMIST’S AWARENESS OF THE TRUE SPIRITUAL STATE THEY ARE IN LEADS TO PRAYER
This is the first step in the right direction. Desperate as the situation was in the Psalmist’s day, there was recovery possible.
That has to be noted. The Psalmist did not consider the people of God abandoned by the Lord, terrible as their circumstances had become! Let us take heart from this truth today and yet let us also take warning. The state of the people of God, as represented here in Psalm 80, was very close to utter ruin!Time was shot!
1. There is a wonderful reference to the God of Israel in the opening verses of the psalm. “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us,” verses1-2.
The person and the past mercies of the Lord are remembered.
He is the “Shepherd” and the One Who has led us and protected us in times past. In those times there was a glorious shining forth by the Lord in the times of prayer.
But that is not so now as it was then for we have sinned and offended the Lord!
2. There is a recognising of our place close to the Ark of the Covenant, the place of prayer, according to God’s order. “And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel,” Exodus 25:21-22.
The reference to the three tribes in verse 2 of our Psalm, is of those tribes who followed immediately after the Ark of the Covenant, while on the march, as stated in Numbers 10:21-24.
“And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elishama the son of Ammihud. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.”
Close to the Ark
We are to be as “Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh”, close to the Ark, where God has promised to answer prayer.
I believe there has been a forsaking of the order that the Lord has ordained and men have taken upon themselves to set their own ‘order’, both in preaching and in hymnology!
The contending for the faith and the rebuking of sin is not carried out as before and the old hymns are often times replaced by modern ‘fleshly’ renditions by some who seem utterly in ignorance of their follow!
3. Please note, as we pray, we become more conscious of Who it is we are communing with. Turn us again, O God, . . . Turn us again, O God of hosts, . . . Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts”.
We have lost sight of just Who is our God and Redeemer but that knowledge is restored as we turn back and repent of straying and pray.
As Moses desired to know more of the Lord’s glory, so it will be with us as ‘old time’ praying is restored amongst us!
This is the ONLY way forward!