From Feeling Stressed to Peace & Confidence (Psalm 27)

Speaker: 
Andrew Fountain
Date: 
Sun, 2022-08-14

Video cover image by Liza Summer Public Domain

  • All of us sometimes feel stressed, feel alone or vulnerable.
  • Let’s examine the process David went through in Psalm 27 so that we can learn how to go from feeling stressed to peace and confidence.
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Sermon Slides - From Feeling Stressed to Peace & Confidence

Goal

To examine the process David went through
so that we can learn how to go from feeling stressed to peace and confidence.

Because all of us sometimes feel stressed,
lose heart, feel alone or vulnerable.

Four parts to Psalm 27

  1. Physical fear [1–3]
  2. Physical safety [4–6]
  3. Fear of aloneness & abandonment [7–10]
  4. Favor & confidence [11–14]
  • This will be our outline—we’ll go through each part
  • Each part is almost exactly the same length and ends with a statement of confidence

1. Physical fear

1. Physical fear (v.1–3)

  1. The LORD is my light and my deliverance!
          Whom shall I fear?
    The LORD is the fortress of my life!
          Of whom shall I be afraid?
  2. When evil men stalk me
          to devour my flesh,
    when my adversaries and enemies attack me,
          they stumble and fall.
  3. Though an army besiege me,
          My heart will not fear.
    Though war is rising against me,
          Even then I will be confident.
  1. “Whom shall I fear?”

Fortress

Fortress

  1. The image is of predators
  2. The picture builds up to a climax, v.3

2. Physical safety (v.4–6)

  1. One thing I have asked of the LORD—
          this is what I seek after!
    That I may live in the LORD’s house
          all the days of my life,
    So I can gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
          and focus on him in his temple.
  2. For in the day of trouble he’ll hide me in his own shelter
      He’ll conceal me under the cover of his tent;
        He’ll lift me up onto a high rock.
  3. Then I will triumph over my enemies who surround me!
    I’ll offer sacrifices in his dwelling place with shouts of joy!
          I’ll sing and make music to the LORD!

dog licks kitten

dog licks kitten

kitten under dog’s ear

kitten under dog's ear

  1. The one focus of David’s life
  2. The plan is this
  3. He is really confident this plan is going to work (and we know it did)

The plan is:

  • Believe he is your fortress
  • Keep close to the Lord and you will be safe

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3. Fear of aloneness & abandonment (v.7–10)

  1. Hear me, O LORD, when I cry aloud!
          Be gracious to me and answer me!
  2. My heart tells me to seek your face,
          and I do seek your face, O LORD.
  3. Do not hide your face from me!
          Do not push your servant away in anger!
                You have been my help!
    Do not forsake me or abandon me,
          O God of my salvation!
  4. Even if my father and mother abandoned me,
          the LORD would take me in.

Psalm 71

  1. For you give me confidence, O Lord;
          O LORD, I have trusted in you since I was young.
  2. I have leaned on you since birth;
          you pulled me from my mother’s womb.
          I praise you continually.

Psalm 71 cont’d

  1. Do not reject me in my old age!
          When my strength fails, do not abandon me!
  2. For my enemies talk about me;
          those waiting for a chance to kill me plot my demise.
  3. They say, “God has abandoned him.
          Run and seize him, for there is no one who will rescue him!”
  4. O God, do not remain far away from me!
          My God, hurry and help me!

Psalm 71 cont’d

  1. O God, you have taught me since I was young,
          and I am still declaring your amazing deeds.
  2. Even when I am old and gray,
          O God, do not abandon me,
          until I tell the next generation about your strength,

Psalm 139

  1. Certainly you made my mind and heart;
    you wove me together in my mother’s womb.
  2. I will give you thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing.
          You knew me thoroughly;
  3. my bones were not hidden from you,
          when I was made in secret
    and sewed together in the depths of the earth.
  4. Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb.
          All the days ordained for me
          were recorded in your scroll
          before one of them came into existence.
  5. How difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me, O God!
          How vast is their sum total!

Isaiah 49

  1. Can a woman forget her baby who nurses at her breast?
          Can she withhold compassion from the child she has borne?
          Even if mothers were to forget,
          I could never forget you!
  2. Look, I have inscribed your name on my palms;
          your walls are constantly before me.
  • This is such a powerful concept if you can grasp hold of it
    • God’s connection with you is so complete that he’s never abandon you
    • If this is clear in the O.T., how much more revelation does Jesus bring!

4. Favor & confidence [11–14]

  1. Teach me your way of living, O LORD;
          lead me along a straight path
          because of those who wait to ambush me!
  2. Do not turn me over to my enemies,
          for false witnesses who want to destroy me
          lie against me.
  3. Where would I be if I did not believe I would experience
          the LORD’s favor in the land of the living?
  4. Rely on the LORD!
          Be strong and let your heart be confident!
    Rely on the LORD!
  • “straight” (at “right” path and a “safe” one, free from ambush)

The answer is:

  1. Believe he is your fortress
  2. Keep close to the Lord and you will be safe
  3. Know that he will never abandon you
  4. Finally give him all the praise!
  • Where are you?

Updated on 2022-08-15 by Andrew Fountain