Afraid or Almighty
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 3 viewsNotes
Transcript
Intro and Tension
Intro and Tension
Last week | Ended Series = Perspective | Our perspective of God shapes behaviour
1 point:
Your life changes when you embrace Jesus and make it all about His Life.
This Sermon Series | Start with answer: Embrace | Key Verse;
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
I pray = What you’re struggling with | HS will convict you = answer is Embrace Almighty, Jesus, Truth - What ever the sitaution.
God wants to meet you where your’e at;
Fear | Battle | Temptation | Depression | God will reveal himself in a way that leads you to take step of faith to embrace… Jesus
Today we start with what happens with Fear when comes up against God’s Character = Almighty
Title: Afraid or Almighty
*Pray*
Shake someones hand | Don’t knhow how hard
Thats how it is with God | Wonder, how many of us struggling - without wanting to give it to God
Pray = today = fresh revelation of Who God is and you will have faith to taste and see.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Author; King David
Let’s step back | Quite a process for David get here | to Cry out | not out of thought, feeling - Deep exp.
What Experience? What can we learn through experience, maybe you’re there.
Let’s dive in.
Who David? Described as man after God’s own heart | Quite a journey | mistakes | Annointed as boy to King | Killed Goliath | instead of being welcomed by Saul - was met by Jealousy from King - Saul.
This story characterised by David embracing Fear not God.
This was right after defeated Goliath;
And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?” And Saul eyed David from that day on.
Eyed him | Had it in for Him | something of flesh getting attacked
What Saul do?
Panicked he was about to lose his platform
What does Saul do? Only logical thing - Try kill David - Multiple times.
David, Fearful = Runs | Leaves Jerusulum - Stops by Nob, Grabs sword of Goliath since unarmed, and flees…where? Enemy Territory.
And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath.
David’s Plan? Maybe Blend in |
Isn’t this us? We become fearful, so instead of running to God - We run to world | Maybe blend in…
For David - This didn’t work…
And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?”
And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
Can you imagin? Own king wants to kill you | Enemy territory with victory weapon | Right now, david is finding himself alone and afraid - and one thing left to do…panic…
So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard.
Pretened = Insane = at this point - Complete chaos
David escapes…
1 Samuel 22:1 (ESV)
David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam…
David, Fleeing from Saul, now fleeing from an enemy King, finds himself all alone.
I wonder | How many of you - Facing a fear/battle? Feeling alone?
Instead of Fear driving you into God’s Arms | Drives you into Enemy Territory.
What is Enemy Territory for you?
Drinking | Arrogance | Pride filled Jelousy - pulling back from committing | Blending in with World…
God doesn’t want you there | But Satan Does…He is waiting to drag you out of presence of God & into enemy territory.
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
He is using your desires to lure you away
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
What David’s desire? Not getting killed - Let’s not play this down.
Listen - Through a Storm with God is better than Sunshin without Him.
Sunshine without God is called a Desert - and It’s Dry.
Don’t let enemy lie to you that anywhere outside presence of God and your CALLING is where you should be; Rather;
Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
If you feel far from God - Remember He is not the one that moved.
What do you do if you find yourself here?
This is how David Felt | Far from God | Afraid.
and it was in this place, he wrote Psalm 56.
Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly.
What are we learning?
It doesn’t matter how far you think you’re away from God - You can always cry out to Him.
During this cry = David has this shift when He realises he walks with the ALMIGHTY.
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?
For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.
And it is in this place - that Psalm 34. is born.
I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
then almost out of nowhere - Based on this Experience | Based on this deliverance | He was deep in Enemy Territory- Yet the LORD DID NOT LEAVE;
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
TASTE and SEE. The hebrew word here for Taste is; Ta’UM
means = when you have CHANGED YOUR TASTE.
Man - How many of you, sick of tasting dissapointment | Let down | Fear | Loneliness | Depression
Time to change your taste and Embrace
only then- you will SEE that the LORD is GOOD.
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Who are the righteous?
David Defeated Goliath while Isreal stood behind.
but David, Scared of Death - Ran in Fear.
David foreshadowed Jesus - but couldn’t do what Jesus did - Who didn’t run from Death, but defeated Death.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Who are the rightous? allthose that believe in jesus - not from what you have done, but because Jesus has slain the giant of Death and because of that - You don’t need to fear no more.
cry from fear, or cry out to almighty
when you cry out - Almighty Hears.
So what do we do? to move from fear, far from God, to an embrace with God.
1. We Fear Not
fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Why don’t we give God everything? Fear of losing something, reality=
we gain everything.
The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
2. Stand Firm, Patiently
Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
3. We put God into Perspective
Sun - From Earth | When Big - Issue, we see things a certain way.
Actual size.
Eta Carinae.
640 light years= Betelgeuse.
VY Cani Majoris
Who is God to you?
one of the words in bible = El Shaddai = God All Powerful | Shake some peoples hands, so surprised at grip strength - You might be surprised what God can do with your embrace.
Want to see something more powerful
Antitode for fear is not faith, it is to EMBRACE.
End and Inspo
End and Inspo
Today = Those being Baptised = Choosing to embrace Jesus in public way | Following Footsteps of the Lord
Jesus, Sinless, Perfect Lamb - was baptised, the heavens opened, Holy Spirit decended on him and
and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
When is God pleased with you? As soon as you Choose Him.
God is here, waiting, for you, to embrace Him.
*pray*