Ira Baptist Church
Sunday, July 27

      • Deuteronomy 32.4NIV2011

  • Rock Of Ages

      • Psalms 119.17-21NIV2011

      • Psalms 119.22-24NIV2011

  • Your Words Are Wonderful (Psalm 119)
  • You Are My All In All
  • All The Way My Saviour Leads Me

      • Matthew 28.18-20NIV2011

  • "Do not be afraid.”
    We hear it all the time, the statistic that it is the most often given command in the Bible.
    The Lord said to Joshua, after Moses’ death and when he would take over command of all the people of Israel, “Be strong and courageous - do not be afraid. For the LORD your God is with you.”
    The Lord said to and through Isaiah, “Fear not; for I am with you. Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
    Jesus said to his disciples, when they were in peril but he was walking to them on the water, “Take courage - it is me! Do not be afraid.”
    The context for those commands of not being afraid are all different. For Joshua, it was fear in leadership, fear in battle. In Isaiah, it was fear of the people in a time of exile. For the disciples, it was fear of a storm.
    Yet, in all those, the answer was the same. Not merely “stop fearing.” That is the command, that is the goal. But the answer was the same - the presence of God.
    Here in Psalm 27, we find a picture of David facing his fear faithfully.
    As a king, in battle
    With enemies both personal and national
    Sometimes inner fear, sometimes with life-threatening attacks
    We find this Psalm begins and ends with the kind of confidence that Joshua, Isaiah, and the Disciples were to have at the presence of their God.
    And this Psalm goes a bit deeper into the experience of our fear - for we see fear balanced with confidence. Anxiety balanced with bravery. And we see the healthy expression of desire - a longing for the presence of God that dispels the fear.

    Every fear we may face is met squarely in the light and strength of the Lord. To the threat of every adversary or trouble, the Lord says: “Seek my face.”

    Psalm 27:1–2 ESV
    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? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall.
    Psalm 27:3–4 ESV
    Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. 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.
    Psalm 27:5–6 ESV
    For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. 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.
    Psalm 27:7–8 ESV
    Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
    Psalm 27:9–10 ESV
    Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation! For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.
    Psalm 27:11–12 ESV
    Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence.
    Psalm 27:13–14 ESV
    I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

    1. Command - “Seek My Face” - vs. 8

    Psalm 27:8 ESV
    You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”

    2. Conversation - vs. 2-7, 9-12

    The two halves of the Psalm almost find opposite tones.
    In the first half, we find confidence - speaking about God in the third person. Statements about who he is and what he has done, confidence about what he will do.
    In the second half, it is all a cry out - prayer - requests - pleading for help.
    Some have even wondered if these were two different poems put together. But really, the fact of them being one poem, beginning and ending with confidence in God in the face of fear, gives us a lot of space in our lives and within our hearts to work through fear.
    Haven’t you ever been confident and anxious all at once?
    Haven’t you ever been nervous but assured at the same time?
    Haven’t you ever vascilated back and forth from fear to faith seemingly moment by moment?
    So did David. So has every believer.
    Three things:
    What I’m dealing with
    Who you are
    What I ask

    This is what I’m dealing with

    Psalm 27:2–3 ESV
    When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.
    Psalm 27:10–12 ESV
    For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in. Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence.

    This is who you are

    Psalm 27:5 ESV
    For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.
    Psalm 27:10 ESV
    For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.
    Psalm 27:9 ESV
    Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!

    This is what I ask

    Psalm 27:9 ESV
    Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!
    Psalm 27:11 ESV
    Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.
    Psalm 27:4 ESV
    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.

    3. Confidence - vs. 1, 13-14

    Psalm 27:1 ESV
    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?
    Psalm 27:13–14 ESV
    I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
    How do we faithfully face fear?
    In the Moment, Take in the Big Picture and Trust God’s Timing.
    Waiting is hard, but we are not waiting on a maybe, but on a definitely - God will make all wrongs right.
    Be Honest - God already knows your fear, he may be teasing out your falling upon him.
    Ask good questions:
    What were the steps that brought me here?
    Did I come into this walking in faith?
    Did I come into this by my wrongdoing?
    Ask God for Guidance
    If in faith, what to learn?
    If in sin, where did I go wrong, what are my next steps?
    Dwell in God’s Presence
    Prayer
    Time in His Word
    Fellowship with Other Believers
    Anchor in His Character
    Light, Salvation, Goodness, Stronghold

      • Psalm 27:1–2NIV2011

      • Psalm 27:3–4NIV2011

      • Psalm 27:5–6NIV2011

      • Psalm 27:7–8NIV2011

      • Psalm 27:9–10NIV2011

      • Psalm 27:11–12NIV2011

      • Psalm 27:13–14NIV2011

      • Psalm 27:8NIV2011

      • Psalm 27:2–3NIV2011

      • Psalm 27:10–12NIV2011

      • Psalm 27:5NIV2011

      • Psalm 27:10NIV2011

      • Psalm 27:9NIV2011

      • Psalm 27:9NIV2011

      • Psalm 27:11NIV2011

      • Psalm 27:4NIV2011

      • Psalm 27:1NIV2011

      • Psalm 27:13–14NIV2011

Ira Baptist Church
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