Psalm 27 Expecting Our God to be the Living God

Several years ago an eastern paper reported this story: One evening a woman was driving home when she noticed a huge truck behind her that was driving uncomfortably close. She stepped on the gas to gain some distance from the truck, but when she sped up, the truck did too. The faster she drive, the faster the truck did. Now scared, she exited the freeway. But the truck stayed with her. The woman then turned up a main street, hoping to lose her pursuer in traffic. But the truck ran a red light and continued the chase. Reaching the point of panic, the woman whipped her car into a service station and bolted out of her auto screaming for help.

The truck driver sprang from his truck and ran toward her car. Yanking the back door open, the driver pulled out a man hidden in the back seat. The woman was running from the wrong person.

From his high vantage point, the truck driver had spotted a would-be rapist in the woman’s car. The chase was not his effort to harm her but to save her even at the cost of his own safety.

Likewise, many people run from God, fearing what he might do to them. But His plans are for good not evil—to rescue us from the hidden sins that endanger our lives. An awareness of His presence can reorient out lives. What if we had an expectation that He is there and that He is desiring to work in the here and now?

Some of the psalms display this sense of expectation. The psalmist displays trusting confidence. So this psalm may be called a psalm of trust

a psalm of David before he was anointed king (LXX) – written before it all worked out

David as he faced the giant, as he was rejected by those he loved, as he sat in the cave abandoned by everyone, as he faced problems beyond his ability – He believed that God would demonstrate his goodness in this world in which he lived. And God did.

(NKJV) Psalms 27 13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.

I. Expecting our God: Believing God is at work

(NKJV) Psalms 27 13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.

A. Not believing = Hopelessness

(NKJV) Psalms 27 13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.

B. Believe He will demonstrate His goodness

(NKJV) Psalms 27 13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.

C. Believe He will be at work now

II. Expecting Our God: In areas of need

(NKJV) Psalms 27 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength (stronghold) of my life; …

A. To give life / salvation

1. Source of life and vitality

ILLUS: all good sci-fi movies illustrate this. Terminator as he dies – the light goes out. Godzilla with sadness in his eyes looks at those that he had been chasing and his light goes out. ET finger goes out as everyone weeps.

2. Salvation now and eternally

(NKJV) Psalms 27 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength (stronghold) of my life; …

B. To be a fortress

1. Fortress

(NKJV) Psalms 27 1 … Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life;

… Of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. 3 Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident.

C. To be the solution to fear

1. Not be afraid/be terrified / Even when outnumbered

2. I will be confident (trust) in God

III. Expecting Our God: To Make known His presence

ILLUS: typical western – trouble sets in – waiting for the hero to show up.

(NKJV) Psalms 27 4 One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, …

A. Focusing on His presence

(NKJV) Psalms 27 4 One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple. …. 6 … Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

B. Living worshipful in His presence

1. To seek and find Him / Be at home with Him

2. Experience His magnificent presence / Interact with Him

3. Worshiping in His presence – public credit

(NKJV) Psalms 27 5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.

C. Being Protected by His presence

1. In the midst of chaos / Secure

(NKJV) Psalms 27 6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;

D. Ultimately Exalted in His presence

IV. Expecting Our God: To hear and help

ILLUS: If you really expect His presence – ought to be interacting with Him

(NKJV) Psalms 27 7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”

A. A plea directly to God

1. Plead insistently for His continued presence and help his face

(NKJV) Psalms 27 9 Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take care of me.

B. A plea based on His mercy

1. Listen with kindness / mercy

2. You will hear when even my family won’t

a) You will never desert me – adopt me

(NKJV) Psalms 27 11 Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.

C. A plea to walk in His ways

1. I desire to walk in Your way – help me

(NKJV) Psalms 27 12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence.

D. A plea for deliverance

1. Others against me

2. Words as well as violence

V. Expecting Our God: So wait expectantly

ILLUS: If you really expect His presence you can wait without anxiety

(NKJV) Psalms 27 14 Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!

A. Wait with expectation

(NKJV) Psalms 27 14 Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!

B. Wait with encouragement

1. Be courageous in the face of danger

(NKJV) Psalms 27 14 Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!

C. Wait and find strength

1. Don’t lose hope