Trusting The Lord Through Fear

Psalm 27

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked advance against me to devour me,

it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.

3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear;

though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.

4 One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,

to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.

5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.

6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me;

at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make music to the LORD.

7 Hear my voice when I call, LORD; be merciful to me and answer me.

8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek.

9 Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger;

you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior.

10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.

11 Teach me your way, LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.

12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations.

13 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Trusting The Lord Through Fear

Heavenly Father, I pray that you decrease me in this moment… And You increase in Your people’s sight… Hide me behind your veil, so that the hearers of this word do not see me… but only hear from you… May this word fall on tilled soiled and take root on fertile ground…

Let the words of my mouth… And the meditation of my heart… Be acceptable in your sight… Oh Lord, my Strength, and my Redeemer. Amen

INTRO/Chapter 1

The past eighteen months have been nothing short of extraordinary. Here we are nearing the end of June 2021 and we are still dealing with many of the ramifications of January 2020. For those that remember, we experienced heighten tension when relations between America and a nearby country seemed to spiral out of control. Soon there after, we were all reminded of the fragility of life when Ara Zobayan, Christina Mauser, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Allyssa Altobelli, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, Gigi Bryant, and Kobe Bryant passed away in an unfortunate helicopter accident. The world shut down due to the 2019 strand of Coronavirus in March 2020. COVID-19 ruled media outlets from March 2020 to December 2020 as more and more people got sick and the world waited for a vaccine to help curb the disease. May 2020 saw the untimely passing of George Floyd which sparked worldwide protest of police brutality - particularly on marginalized Black and Brown people. Locust swarmed Dehli, India in June 2020 sparking the worst invasion in 26 years. July and August saw the first non-wartime canceling of the Summer Olympics - and the second time the games affected in Tokyo. The accidental explosion in Beirut, wildfires in California, a monsoon in Kerala, India, and flash floods destroyed 500 homes in Afghanistan in August. Health concerns continue to rise as the 1,000,000 person died to the COVID crisis in September. The US Capitol Building was invaded for the first time ever in January of this year. A cargo ship blocked the Suez Canal for six day in March 2021 costing billions of dollars in lost revenue. On May 29th, 215 remains of children buried in unmarked graves were discovered at a Canadian school that has not been in operation in since 1978. If we are honest with ourselves, we know that these are just a few of the atrocities that marred the world during this time. With media coverage and social media posts dominating the negatives in the world, it is quite easy to find yourself grappled with constant fear. Fear of catching COVID. Fear of losing our jobs. Fear of not meeting expectations. Fear of dying. Fear of fear itself. I am reminded of a quote my grandfather would often say when standing in the pulpit, “We are in the land of the dying trying to reach the land of the living.”

As we navigate the pericope, we will find that we are not along in our fears. Fear is a natural emotion caused by an appeared or existing reality. If I were to tell you a car was on fire outside, many of you would immediately fear that it was your car. If a wild bear walked into this room right now, fear would overcome us because we are aware of its ferocious capabilities. If I may tell you a secret, and it’s okay if you share it with the world, The Lord is still present when we are afraid. Our text teaches us that we are able to Trust The Lord Through our Fear.

Overview of the Story/Chapter2

Our biblical figure and author of this text, David, grapples with the very present reality of fear. I must admit, I like David. David reminds me no matter the pedestal we place the figures in the Bible, they are still human. There is only one human in the Bible that is 100% human AND 100% God - and that is Jesus. For every other hero in the Bible, they are ordinary people experiencing God’s extraordinary power. King David is no different. I like King David because one minute he’s, “I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever” (Psalm 145). And then he’s like, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (Psalm 22)? Listen, David reminds me of me. I say all the time that the Bible is the one book that you will read and it will read you back. In this prayer or poem, David’s tone drastically changes from a song of lament to a song of thanksgiving. Some scholars believe this to be two of David’s psalms stitched together. But I take the notion of other scholars that believe this is simply one of David’s songs illustrating how our emotions change throughout the day. This text illustrates the emotional and physical toll fear places on one’s body, but ends with a reminder to Trust God Through the Fears. Verse one says, “The Lord is my Light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?” Think about it, when is the last time you said you were not afraid? Probably as you were about to do something that frightened you. Oh, King David says “whom shall I fear” and “whom shall I be afraid” but it is quite obvious that David is dealing with some real fear right now. David eventually parallel parks the text in the final four verses with praise and encouragement for the reader, “wait for the Lord.”

Key Biblical Principles/Chapter 3

Psalm 27 provides the instructions for Trusting The Lord Through Fear. This passage of David is a stark remind that we have power over fear; not by our might, but by the Spirit of the Lord who is an ever-present help in the time of trouble (Psalm 46:1). The first thing we learn from this prayer of David is to ...

Make YHWH your Lord and Savior(vv 1-3)…

The text says “The Lord is my Light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?” This passage was written while David was experiencing a dark period in his life. We don’t know what David was going through at this time. He could have written this after the battle with Goliath. He might have written this after the death of his child with Bathsheba. It is possible he wrote this after his son, Absalom, attempts to overthrow David’s kingship after murdering his own brother in revenge. We don’t know what happened, but we know something happened. While lamenting of the terrible situation, the psalmist makes another declaration. “Whom shall I fear? Of whom shall I be afraid?” In a true poetic nature, the psalmist emphasizes this statement through repetition. Although darkness maybe around, the psalmist places faith in the Light and Salvation. This term salvation in Hebrew is יֵ֫שַׁע (yesha). This יֵ֫שַׁע literally means deliverance. The Lord is my light in darkness and my deliverance from trouble. You may not have experienced what David experienced. You may not have dealt with the tragedy of losing a child - and for anyone that has, I pray the peace of God to continue to surround you. You may not have dealt with depression and what appeared to be endless days and nights of darkness. But you have experienced something. We all have a testimony of walking through the valley of the shadow of death, but you were able to fear no evil because the Lord was with you. The wicked will try to come against you. The Bible says, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Satan will bring his army against you when you walk in purpose for the Lord.

I heard a preacher say: “If everything is going smooth, that’s when you need to worry. Because either the enemy is preparing to attack, or you’re not walking in purpose so the enemy has no need to attack.”

When you make YHWH your Lord and Savior, you have faith that He provides the light to dispel the darkness and deliverance from the valley seasons of life. Joshua 1:9 says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Maybe you need to hear it from the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” And if that is not enough, maybe you need to hear from Jesus in John 15:15-16, “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever - the Spirit of truth.

Make YHWH your LORD and Savior and Trust the Lord through your fear.

Dwell in the Presence of your Lord and Savior (vv 4-6)…

This season of pandemic has made it easy to spend time away from church. Staying home each week and having an endless buffet of services to attend on Facebook or YouTube made people think that going to physical church building was or is unnecessary. Well let me tell it to you plainly: We need to be in the house of the Lord. There is something supernatural that happens when you are in worship with your brothers and sisters. The psalmist makes it perfectly clear… If there is nothing else that he desires, if there is nothing else that he will persistently seek after - that one thing will be to Dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life. Why is it important to dwell in the house of the Lord? Sure we are the church and they church is wherever we go, but there is something about getting plugged in to the presence of God in His Holy Place. We find peace in his Holy Place. We find love in his Holy Place. We find joy in his Holy Place. and most importantly we find God in His Holy Place. David says he will “gaze on the beauty of the LORD and seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.” David uses this imagery to personify the great God that has the power to protect His most precious creations. Of all of God’s creations, mankind is the only said to be made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Dwelling in the presence of the Lord is returning to the place that created you.

When a car needs a tuneup, you take it to a mechanic. When a person is sick, you take them to the doctor. When a person needs deliverance… When a person needs salvation… When a person needs true protection… you take them back to the dwelling place of the Most High

It’s interesting he says “My Head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me.” Fear and shame causes our heads to be lowered. In the previous verse, the psalmist is hidden by the LORD. But here he is exalted above the enemies for them to see. My brothers and sisters, the favor we find in our Savior will have your enemies wondering how you made it where you are in life. How did you get the job without the education? Dwelling in the Presence of the Lord. How did you beat the cancer diagnosis? Dwelling in the Presence of the Lord. When you dwell in the presence of the LORD, the Bible says God will prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies (Psalm 23:5). Your enemies, the same enemies that tried to attack you, will have to witness the glory of God in your life. But you have to dwell in His presence.

The distance between your next miracle, your next breakthrough, is the distance between your knees and the ground.

Dwell in the Presence of Your Lord and Savior

Considering the distance between our knees and the ground brings us to what we must do to Trust the Lord through your Fear.

Develop on an Active Prayer Life (vv. 7-10)…

I told you I love David’s humanistic qualities in the Bible. David went from trying to face his fears by reminding himself who the LORD is to him. He goes into a seeking protecting in the Presence of the Lord. But most important, David understood the way to communicate directly to God. Prayer. Prayer is the direct line of communicating with the LORD. David did not pray a safe prayer. David prayed a prayer of desperation. The type of prayer that comes from knowing there is a Higher Power in control of all things. I know Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook would like for us to believe that communication is a one way street with people casually jumping in. But real communication is an active task that requires speaking and listening. And David did not want to miss this opportunity to communicate with the LORD. I can homiletically imagine David screaming out with a loud voice saying, “HEAR MY VOICE WHEN I CALL, LORD; BE MERCIFUL TO ME AND ANSWER ME”(Psalm 27:7)! David understood this might be my last chance to get the LORD’s attention, because no man knows the hour we will be called home to glory. But when that moment come, I want my lasting memory to be HE communed with the LORD.

As I am trying to set a standard in my home of daily prayer with the little ones, we make sure to say our prayers over each meal and our prayers before we put the kids to bed. Each night after we brush the kids teeth. We place them on the bed and we say “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. But if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” And in the cutest response you will ever hear, the worshipper of the family, Charleigh says “OKAY!” Like that’s not what we practiced. But each night without fail she says, “OKAY.”

It wasn’t until I started preparing for this sermon, that I realized her response wasn’t a response of her acceptance of the prayer. She doesn’t understand what we the literal words of the prayer mean. Her response is God speaking through her back to us letting us know the prayer went through.

We expect God’s voice to be this booming voice coming from the heavens sounding like Morgan Freeman. But those that invoke an ACTIVE prayer life understand that God’s voice can come through in the soft sweet tone of a little child.

And when you pray, request of the Lord to teach you His ways and teach you His standards so that you can make it through the trials of this world.

Common Human Problem/Chapter 4

We struggle daily with not fulling Trusting The Lord Through our Fears because we desperately want things to go our way. We vision how our life should be: healthy children, plenty of money, big house with the white picket fence. And too often we view the lack of these things as a failure of God keeping His promises. Might I ask you a question: Are you sure God promised those things to you?

Solution/Chapter 5

My brothers and sisters, everything you need resides in trusting in the Lord. Too often, we seek God last. But the Bible says in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Seek first. It doesn’t say consult your horoscopes or social media or any other outlets. It simply says Seek God first. Today I ask you to Make YHWH your LORD and Savior, Dwell in the Presence of the Lord and Savior and, Develop an Active Prayer Life

When we do these things, we can be like David. We can remain confident that we will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Just Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord (Psalm 27:13-14).

God is always with you. I love when the Bible quotes the Bible. It is a reminder that God’s word lasts forever. The author of Hebrews quotes Deuteronomy when the author says, “God will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Isn’t that good news for us today? No matter where we are in life. Suffering with addictions? God will never leave you nor forsake you. Going through a financial hardship? God will never leave you nor forsake you. Going through a serious heartbreak? God will never leave you nor forsake you. And maybe I didn’t mention your valley, but I come to tell you this truth: God will never leave you nor forsake you.

Our heavenly father wants to invite you into his family to care for you. He has already provided His Son to be the ultimate sacrifice. Follow these three simple steps: (1) Accept the Lord as your Savior; (2) Believe in your heart that Jesus was raised from the dead; and (3) Confess with your mouth that Jesus is your Lord and Savior.

It is our faith that pleases God… Right now… I come before you… wherever you if you follow the instructions in Romans 10:9 “declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

This isn’t about adding members to Loving Grace… This is about adding souls to the Kingdom… Say this prayer with me…

(Short prayer… Alter call… Then membership…)

Sinner’s Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name. Amen

Communion

Luke 22:15-20

And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

Benediction

May the Lord Bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face Shine upon you and be gracious to you… May the Lord turn His face towards you and give you peace. Amen.