Dwelling in Psalm 25

Prayer/Welcome/ Intro

Opening Prayer:

Would you join me in preparing our hearts to receive what God has for us this morning in prayer?

Yahweh King of the Universe, We come before you this morning hungry. Hungry for more of you. We might even be aware of our hunger, but its there. We may have tried to satisfy it with things that will perish and rot, but we are hungry still. We ask that you provide for us now, the Spiritual food that we need to grow up in maturity in Christ. May we be transformed by this encounter with the written Word, each other and the Living Word, Jesus. May we walk out of here with the courage and power to Go be the church sent to live and love like you Lord! AND ALL GOD’S PEOPLE SAID?

Good Morning Church! How is everyone doing this morning?

Series Recap

We are continuing our series called Dwelling Deeply in the Word, where we are sitting with a Psalm each week in Lent and Allowing these Psalms to prepare us for the Celebration of Easter as we reflect on themes of Forgiveness, Our Need for God, Sin and So much more!

Intro:

ME: As I have read through this Psalm this week, I couldnt help but what was happening in our lives this time a year ago. If you will step back in time with me for a moment, this time a year ago we were three days from moving out of our apartment. At this point we had a week to fully pack our lives up and move in with frank and Rose.

That was a season of my life where I had to put all my trust in God, because We were in the middle of buying our house. Which I love so much by the way! Well the day we were moving out we were scrambling and I remember praying God, we need help, we arent going to be ready in time to move and a few minutes later Elsie showed up said, “God told me to come help”

YOU: Church, when was a time that you had to put your trust in God or put your hope in Him? Can you share a time with us this morning? (Slide)

Transition: Well, the opening lines of this Psalm talk about the same things we have jumped into this morning, putting our hope and trust in God.

Walking Through the Text

Context and Structure

This Psalm is attributed to King David, but has been used in corparate settings as a Psalm of Lament and Petition for Generations. In other words, this Psalm can speak to us today Amen.

Second thing I want to point out is a little about the structue. This Psalm is comprised of 2 petitions (1-7) and (16-22)with a reflection on God’s character samwiched in the middle

Transition: the opening lines of the Psalm talk about the speakers Trust of the Lord.

Trust and HOPE

David says that He trusts in the Lord twice in the first word. Now what does it mean to trust the Lord, We just shared about times where we put trust in the Lord.

Definition Trust: firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.

Illustration of Deep Trust: The Pews that we sit on we have a deep sense of trust in their relability to hold us up. Im sure most of us didnt think about what would happen when we sat down.

Think about if we had the same trust for God to care for, provide, and be with his children that we do for these pews.

David then says, no one who puts their hope in you will be put to shame

What does it mean to have hope?

Yesterday, at everence the speaker pointed out a vital point when it comes to hope.

We all hope for things… our day to go well, our team to win the MCC auction, I hope to keep my hair..

But David doesnt say no one is put to shame who hopes for… (What does it say?)

No one will be put to shame who puts their hope in you.

Jessica’s pastor on hope.

Transition: If we turn to Verse 4 transitions to a petition from David to Yahweh Directly. In the next verses David asks God for several things in his prayer.

What are we asking God for in Our Prayer lives? (slide)

healing for friends, reonciliation in family, yesterday I prayed jess would win the One80 raffle!

Praying For Deeper Relationship and Spiritual Growth

David asks God to show him “His Ways” - Teach me how to Live

He says Guide me in your Truth- Teach me what I should believe and Know

He asks God for his forgiveness - Ive messed up , again show me How you want me to Live Lord?

David’s Petitioning to God to Help him Grow, in Relationship with Him and to Grow Spiritually!

Are we praying for this Church? I know I some of my own passion and fire has dwindled as I got older.

Its actually to easy for us to fall into a state of complacency

Let me illustrate with a flea.

Did you know that a flea can jump up to two feet high? Thats over 100 times their size.

But a flea placed in a jar with a lid on it will only jump as high as the lid. Even when the lid is removed it will still jump the same height, in fact, the flea’s children and grandchildren will only jump as high as the lid. Theyve grown used to that limit placed on their jump.

Church, have we like the flea grown used to what we think our limits in our spiritual growth and relationship with God?

Lets start today to pray for our own spiritual growth amen?

In verses 8-11 David appeals to the character and actions of God, I want to highlight what we can learn about who God is from these verses.

What we Learn from verse 8-11

God is upright, He teaches sinners his ways

He guides the humble and teaches them what his ways are

He is loving and faithful to those who Keep his covenant.

He acts for the sake of his name.

Transition: David Changes his focus in verse 12, saying who are those that fear the Lord?

Focusing on They, them, their

In many ways, this can be a dangerous question for us readers because in they next 3 verses David talks about them, they and their and these words can often trip us up, because they can lead us to focus on others.

Jess always reminds me of this when I am driving and someone else does something stupid. and I say I cant believe other people would drive like that!

If we are honest, we can do the same with the lives of others around us. but this Psalm gives us to key to how we are to deal with when we fall into this trap.

Look at Verse 15 it says my eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will realease my feet from the snare. When we have our eyes fixed on Jesus the they, them, theirs arent as important.

But we are human right, and whenever I comment “I cant believe a driver would be that dumb” Jess says, you only have to worry about your driving, I too often snap back, my drivings fine, its others Im worried about- But when we are truly focused on Jesus the mistakes, actions and sins others truly dont matter.

Let me demonstrate this with an illustration. Yamie would you come help me with this?

Come to the front and walk around the sanctuary

Wait can you do it with this cup.

Can you do it with this cup full?

a try to make it all the way around and not spill a single drop

Question: When you were walking around what were you focused on?

I want us to imagine if we fixed our eyes on Christ with the same faithfulness that Yamie had on that cup, what would change?

Transition, The last 5 verses are the final petition of the Psalm of what David’s needs are. Lets unpack them together

Sharing Our Needs with God and Each Other

David shares his Deepest Need’s with God.

Turn to me and be gracious- why does david ask for that? He is lonely and afflicted

Relieve the troubles of my heart, and free me from my anguish- Why? because he is in afflicted, in anguish and distress.

He asks God to take away all his sins- Why does he ask that church? Because like each one of us he is a sinner!

In verse 20 He asks for Rescue and Refuge, presumable from his enemies.

Look at all the deep needs that David shares with not only God, but his brothers and sisters. David is open and vulnerable in the Psalms.

Church what are some of your needs right now? Where do you need God’s grace, freedom, relief, rescue or refuge? (Slide)

Church I want to encourage you to share as if there was an ever a place to share our needs with each other it would be with our brothers and sisters right?

And if you are too scared to share this out loud, I want to share two things. First I will share first. Even Jesus shared his needs on the cross.

My Needs: I am in a deep need for God to help me reevaluate what I proritize in my life and to consider the many luxuries I have that I take for granted. I need strength and faith to keep going at school and serving in the church. I need his Rescue and and refuge every day. so let me ask again?

What are some of your needs right now? Where do you need God’s grace, freedom, relief, rescue or refuge?

Transition: The last verse is a petition not for Himself, but for God’s people Israel. For Deliverance. This last verse challenged me this week as it made me think, what is my petition for Diller Church?

Prayer for God’s People/Diller Church

My prayer right now is for the future of the Church Leadership that God would make it clear what he desires for his KIngdom and His Church

My Prayer right now is for us to Be a Spirit Lead Church

My Prayer for Church right now is that God woud encourage, equip, and empower us to go into the streets of newville this summer to pray and share Jesus with those who need Jesus most in our community.

what about you? What is your petition for Diller Church Family right now? In other words, what are you asking God to do with our church in this season? (Slide)

Would you join me in prayer to bring prayer for our church family, I want to invite you to knee if you are able to, if you cant id invite you to kneel with us in spirit and lift up our petition for God’s people, pray silently as I pray out loud.

After prayer invite worship team up.