Sermon Tone Analysis
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Emotion Tone
Anger
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Disgust
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Fear
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Analytical
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Conscientiousness
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Psalm
Introduction:
Fear is a powerful emotion and it affects people in different ways.
Fear can cause you to lock up and do nothing.
It can also cause you to abandon everything you are doing and run.
If we live our lives in fear, we will not accomplish much.
Afraid you will be sued.
Afraid you might get hurt.
Afraid you might not be successful.
Fear is paralyzing.
We watch acts of terrorism around the world, and now in our country.
This terrorism is meant to cause fear.
They hope you will be so afraid you will not go out in public.
Or that you will be so afraid you will not voice what you know to be correct.
They want you to be so afraid that you will give in to them and what they want.
Fear is powerful.
David is writing this psalm because of his constant harassment.
He is being chased, his enemies are trying to kill him, but David knows something they don’t.
We need to know it too.
What David knew almost 3,000 years ago can help us overcome fear today.
I. Trust in God Drives Out Fear
Perfect love casts out fear
a. Fear is a lack of trust
(1-2, 5-7) That may sound pretty simple but that is the root of the problem.
Fear comes from a lack of trust.
I have watched my grandchildren stand on the side of the swimming pool, afraid to jump in.
They were afraid of the water.
I’ll catch you.
No! Come on, I’ll catch you.
No! It is not until they trust me that they are able to overcome their fear.
I understand it is scary, that is what fear is.
But when they finally do trust, and they make that jump, they smile and realize they had nothing to fear.
i.
For David - David loves God, but right now he has a problem, a scary problem, a big one that is right in his face.
1.
His enemy pants after him constantly, like a dog (1, 5)
1.
His enemy pants after him constantly, like a dog (1, 5) Like a dog who continually follows you and pursues you.
2. All day long - David says it is non stop.
Like a hound dog pursues an escaped prisoner.
You can’t slow down, it might catch you.
3. The enemy takes great pleasure in causing fear (2, 6)
If you are running from your enemy, you don’t have time to do much else, except worry about survival.
David was constantly looking over his shoulder and the only thing on his mind is who is pursuing him.
4. It hurts (5-6)
David felt wherever he turned, he was being pursued.
It hurts and it wears you out.
It was physically and mentally exhausting.
ii.
For us
What does fear do to us?
1. Attacks our relationships
When we are afraid we cannot love properly.
It is hard for me to love you if I am constantly afraid you are going to hurt me.
It is hard to have an intimate conversation if I am afraid of you.
Like David you will focus on surviving and not on anything else.
2. Attacks our thoughts
Fear causes us to
3. Attacks our thoughts
When you are afraid, your thoughts are consumed by that fear.
When you hear a noise in the house in the middle and you think somebody is in your house, that is all you think about.
When the bad guy is breaking in you don’t think, “Did I put down hamburger for dinner tomorrow?”
“Did I buy potato salad?”
No, you are focused on what is scaring you.
Nothing else matters.
iii.
When we focus on fear, we cannot focus on God
We need to know this is one of the greatest tools the enemy will use against us.
If Satan can keep us in a state of fear, all we will do is continually look over our shoulder, just like David.
If Satan can keep you worrying about your relationships, your finances, your work, how you look, afraid people won’t like or love you, you will be so distracted you won’t have time to focus on God and his love.
1. Fear is payment on debt we don’t owe
b.
Trust drives out fear
(4)
i.
David had confidence in God’s word (4a)
1. God had proven Himself time and again.
God had made a covenant with His people and He always kept His end of the bargain, even when the people didn’t.
2. God promised David he would be king
And God was faithful to His word.
3. Gave him the ability to kill lions and giants
God protected David in the past and would be true to his word and protect him in the future.
ii.
For us
1. God was faithful to save me
2. God has changed lives
3. God has protected and provided for my family
(Only last part of the verse)
iii.
What can flesh do to me?
1.
If you trust in God, what can anyone do to you?
II.
Trust in God Builds Confidence
(8-11)
a.
We have confidence because He knows our wanderings
Ps
i.
He has been with us everywhere we have gone
This verse may also be translated, “You have kept track of my wanderings.”
God knows everywhere you have been.
There isn’t anywhere you go he doesn’t know about.
What if we stopped and asked a simple question before we went anywhere, “Would God be pleased with me being here?”
Is there any chance God would find out?
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