God With Us, Now and Then, Until We Meet Again! Ps 27, 2 Cor 4:16-5:10
Notes
Transcript
Dear Peter, Jennifer, John, Freda, Grand Children, congregation of our Lord jesus Christ,
You want to see light in the darkness and death of this world? Let Peter describe some of his last words with Evelyn. God be with you… she lifts her hand and point up until we meet again! Many here at Covenant stand amazed at how lived life with so so little complaint and so much confident contentment! Ask how? Tell you that Evelyn and Peter dwell with the Lord in this life now in the next. Peter you’ve testified even in the midst of watching the pain and the suffering, the Lord has given and has taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord - divine plan. Death , cancer rotten enemies though they are, they didn’t rob and steal Evelyn away, Lord delivered her - gave us for a time in this veil of tears, this broken world so fleeting - But God working something so beautiful touching others so beautifully. Ask how is it - this Psalm tells us how to have that confidence and courage face the worst this world, and the Devil can throw at us.
Key Truth: Solid confidence & courage to face the dangers and death of this world, can only be found as you dwell with the Lord!
Psalm begins with that confidence and then the method of prayer and faith for facing the troubles. But surprising that the first half about the confidence and courage, it so full of the trouble, the enemy, the evil that arrayed against us and this world and humanity, and ultimately against the prototype the Mediator of humanity. That’s who David was, that who ultimately David represents, not just any individual, but a picture pointing to the Messiah the Christ.
Its not wrong to see the enemies of death and even cancer in this passage. But more specifically its the prophetic suffering of the King, greater Son of David, .Of Jesus Christ. Just read Psalm 22 description f hosts around the pierced Jesus, army encamped around the Christ on the Cross, as even his friends desert him. In his humanity, as he took upon himself our suffering, sin even the wrath of God, - feels forsaken. Feels a little like Evelyn did 1 1/2 ago - its back I’ve got to deal with this again. Is this the end, God in the silence where are you? Not just physical pain, the evil doers assail me, not just cancer r traitors and armies in David’s case, but word also used of one - slandering you. What good is God and your faith - go through this. Ought to acknowledge the grief and awesome power of death and the devil in this world and in our lives. Broken world, Satan holds us who live so short try to squeeze so much life - Heb 2:13 holds whole world in bondage to fear of death! Like Bertrand Russel atheist, - the longer I live the more worried I get! Acknowledge that reality of death disease, evil and pain - but what allowed Evelyn and the Psalmist to face it all with such confidence and courage?
Motto of Oxford Universe v.1 God’s Word His Revelation necessary for the quest of real knowledge. In the face of the darkness , LORD doesn’t just give light, light in His word, but look at ti yes truth of his word, principles here, but the Lord close to you, believe He becomes My Light. God described with Light, when appears in people lives. But here is the only place in the OT when God is My Light. But when Son of God came - 2 Cor 4:6
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
You know Evelyn
s love of the Word that is light to our feet. Remarkable after 30 years, those ladies community of that light bible study in St Catherine's stand around that grave. But more than light - ingredient for life. Confidence is there because experience deliverance in his life. Yes, of course look back and see particular little deliverances God caring and guiding, but remember what I said about the Davidic King’s enemies - this isn’t about little skirmishes of evil in our lives. Ultimately its about the biggest battle of Evil. As your Dad likes to quote so often, the sermon that changed his life on Eph 6 - our battle is not against flesh and blood but with power the principalities powers of darkness - And there =against the source of sin in our flesh, there against the Devi and there against hell itself - there Christ has worked a deliverance, break the bondage of your sin, your destiny of just death , life without God’s smiling presence in your life, Hell of suffering with no purpose The psalmist - says THE LORD isn’t just salvation, he is my salvation. Evelyn faced down cancer and death and sin and the devil with that confidence!
Evelyn experienced in this life not only that Lord was her light and her salvation, but that in the midst of the battle in all the changes of this this life - the Lord is our stronghold. High Tower - Think of those movies The Lord of the Rings - worst evil smashing down on the few warriors of truth and light and what was still good in the world. What’s the greatest seen - all hope almost gone - but there they all are in Helm’s Deep - this ancient fortress - and then at the moment dawn breaks - they’ve been kept safe - they’ve been protected from the onslaught - God will be that - the Rock that is Higher than I . The Name of the Lord is strong tower, the righteousness by faith run into it they are saved!
And these three pictures of our great God in Jesus Christ - Light, Deliverance, Strong Hold. lead the psalmist to ask the rhetorical question - builds up to ask - who in the world shall I fear? Cancer, death, hell, tough family situation, loneliness, spiritual deadness because we’re sated with the stuff of this world -= fear the Deceiver … no apart form God it would make sense to fear stuff in our lives - why anxious people. But when the Lord is my Light, when He is my salvation, when He is my strong hold - When I tremble not in fear of the Lord for punishment won’t accept, me; no when I fear Him with holy reverence, attracted to His greatness. - Wow take my breathe away - but come nearer my great God - that kind of fear of the Lord, is the only fear that will drive out all the fears.
Don’t you see that’s how you get the confidence and courage to face down every one of the enemies, sufferings the struggle of this life. Look at in Psalm 27:4 again:
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.
What’s your one thing? Obviously Evelyn didn more than one thing - think of her as a mom, teacher, advocate of the outcast, new comer, . And David too as King so much to do. Or even Christ as Healer, Justice Bringer, Feeder of the Hungry, had time for the outcast - so much to do. Yet Evelyn, David, and David's greater Son - Lord jesus - have a one thing!
So interesting Jim Collins, business prof - studied companies weren’t great not IBM nor Proctor and Gamble, But good, but facing real conflict - might go under, forced to sin or swim - he studied companies like Gilette for instance, and they went from good, faced a trial and then became great companies. Over 10 years studied them and what did they all have in common, stuff like getting right person on the buss, off the buss. But one of the most important factors was - the hedge hog principle - one thing and do it well, don’t try to do whole bunch of things .
Well the one thing that enabled Christ, David, and Evelyn - secret that enabled them to do all the other stuff of the ir life - was they lived in the presence, the personal and real presence of God. What Psalm 23 spoke of too - lots of trails even the valley of the shadow of death - but I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. Not just a picture of the tabernacle, or the temple - those where little OT picture s of how God;s glory really came down and dwelt among people - tabernacle kind of like Peter and Evelyn’s Camper Van - where everywhere they went - little home - centre of caring -
Well living with God where he dwells like that with us, #1 thing in there lives. That’s what the church of Jesus Christ is tin this world, moveable tabernacle - where God dwells with us in this life . Church where we gaze upon the beauty of the Lord.
Beauty changes everything doesn’t it. And in Christ’ church - gaze upon God upon His beauty - fuels everything else in our lies. Simone Weil - doing a lot - French communist, Spanish freedom fighter, writer, but on way back, ended up in monastery - beauty of psalms actually seeped into her being - experience of the LORD changed her life
David says that’s how I live, source of this confidence and courage is this vision of the beauty of the LORD - where life is heading and what we can do know in the fellowship of His church - meet Him in the Word! in Christ. And what do you do when beauty envelopes you - don’t bottle it and sell it, don’t measure it - you enjoy it, stand back and gasp - you worship! Look at Psalm 27:6
And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
Wow shouts of joy. DO you know that when Peter and Evelyn started dating they sang together. When the last time you did a duet - sang with joy - what we do here, - we’ve got shouts of joy - songs of life - of the grace of God - make melody to the Lord with voice,s but with life in response to him.
And what is it at the end of that verse. When war break out the king would ask, would with priests -on most personal and urgent way - where are the questions of my life, here’s the big decisions things that upset me - take out the Unim and Thummim - Inquire of the Lord and the Lord would guide and direct and answer. We are to do that with the God who dwells with us!
And look at the result of that there End of v.5 and there at the beginning of v.6 The LORD lifts Evelyn, lifts David, but listen the Lord God lifted up His Son Jesus head up above all the enemies of this world! That’s one of the most beautiful titles of our God in the Psalms, the Lord the Lifter of Heads. Wow - both of my last visits with Evelyn - facing death, Lord lifted up her face, and it shown with peace with joy - satisfaction. But you know why - because the one that this Psalm is about - the Lord Jesus - his head was crushed and bruised - taking our sin and shame, guilt and ultimately our punishment and the wages of our sin, death - Christ on the Cross absorbed all that for us - and God said I accept that as a sacrifice for each on eof my children. It is done and competed, paid in full. And Now dear Son, I will exalt you - lifted up not just on the Corss, but lifted up on this earth draw all people to yourself - rule in grace, until all enemies and even death itself put under your feet. And as Jesus Christ is raised up in the resurrection back to life, - says I will share this lifting this rising with You - in this life only in our Spirits, but great day of his return very bodies raised up and mad ehlike his.
B.
Well Peter, dear family, congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, that’s the source of confidence and courage in the face of death - God’s provided it for you, delivered it to Evelyn - But the Psalm ends, the last half is about how you and I must put it into practice in the face of every challenge and suffering, and death until we come into that fulness. Why the Psalm ends saying: Wait and wait - this life still has challenges and tests, and darkness - live by this courage God will work in your heart, wait on the presence of the Lord, eager, expectantly restlessly expect the Lord to come to you. Psalm 27:14
That’s why the way to start putting this into practice is what the tone of the second half of the Psalm is not the confidence and joy of the first half. But crying out prayer of 7-9
David knows he’s not perfect, he’s a sinner, David knows that all the trails ahead going to get him doubting - has God turned his face away from me, will he punishment, must I face it alone without Him. But do you see how confident and courageous faith lives.
Be gracious to me, answer me. Bold urgent, pleading on the promise of God's mercy and grace! You take your specific problem, challenge, maybe its grief, loneliness, maybe it temptation, maybe it fear. And you says, I am accepted in Christ, and I am your child, and you dwell with me, I plead your grace - I am seeking your answer Lord, Your action in my life.
This is where the Psalm moves from just a perosnal individual story. Psalm 27:8
You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
This is quite remarkable. That command seek my face is plural -its the psalmist saying God’s Word says God said to all of us, You All seek my face. This is a promise after God led Israel through the wilderness and says the promised land is before you now listen up all of you: Deut 4:29
But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.
If we want to face the challenges of life and dath itself with this kind of confidence and courage - need to not only cry out to God perosnal and specifically like that - need to be trusting the LORD like your closest friend.
O God of my salvation, Don't cast me off or forsake me. No… Psalm 27:10
For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.
It wasn’t that Davids parents abandoned him, but its like in comparison to their care with God’s care, all human care and help fades in comparison. Like that in the end, your surround your loved on with so much, but they must let go and you must let go for a time - and each one of us must appear before God on our own. And look at the wonder if you seek the Lord like this, if you trust Him as your closest friend. All earthly relationship even parent-child, husband and wife fade in comparison to this. But the Lord will take me in. How the Psalm begins - Psalm 2:7
I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.
Did you know that God adopted David, as his special child. That’s what only begotten first born means - child of my delight. God adopts His king like. God exalted Jesus Christ - eternally begotten and special one to Him, but now iwth human nature, now accomplished salvation, says I will take you in and i most special way. And Jesus says, even as Evelyn said from John 14 Jesus shares that adoption with all who trust in Him, we are co-heirs with Christ. And so Jesus died and rose, but he also ascended into heaven, What’s he doing there right now - interceding , reigning all things for His kingdom. But what else, one of the last things I heard you mother say: John 14:3
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
Evelyn said, don’t think room is quite ready yet. But it was ready sooner than she thought. What an assurance live fully serving, enjoying , not fearing, but all the time trusting we labour and toil first but then we cone to great eternal reward.
And so what must our prayer be, we who are left to face the enemies of the kingdom, you and I who must face our own deaths, you and I who going to come to all these decisions points can shift the whole course of our life? Psalm 27:11
Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.
The way the path the road.. huge word in the Bible. Stop and consider all these broad road lead a away from the Lord away from His love and service. But here is the hard way but the right way, there is the narrow path where Christ says I will walk with you. Fabvourite song at hymn request - Trust and Obey- When we Walk with the Lord. And This path - wow it will lead not only through the middle of all the enemeis - but watch what prophet Isaiah says in beautiful passages: highway for his chosen, golden road, leads through death… Isaiah 62:10-12
Go through, go through the gates; prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway; clear it of stones; lift up a signal over the peoples. Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.” And they shall be called The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.
That is the Christain hope - resurrection - that now already in htis life, lived in Christ presence with His people jourhneying to teh elternal city Psalm 27:13
I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!
Outwardly our bodies and this world wasting away but innewardly renwed day by day. Need more people like Eveyln in this world peole indwel by the God who leads. But beyond this land of the living where God meets on the path, He is calling you and He is calling me - to a palce areality that makes all the suffering and struggle of this life the cancer the heartache, - momentary and light affliction, compared to teh eternal weight of glory that’s beyondall comparion, prepared for those who love him. 2 Cor 5:1
For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
KNow that it is Evelyn desire from the other side that each one of us - would be able to say I nkwo Jesus has perpared us for this very thing! Amen.