Psalm 27

[0:00] Well, good morning and welcome to this pre-recorded service for 27th September 2020 for Calvary Church here in Brighton. And a very warm welcome to you if you are regular or if you're just dropping in.

[0:16] And for those dropping in, I just say the usual brief word of introduction that we're a church based in the UK in the seaside town of Brighton, where the sun always shines, directly south of London.

[0:30] We're a Bible-believing church with an attendance of 70 to 80 people on a Sunday morning in what used to be normal times. We're people from many nations and many backgrounds brought together by the grace of God, the blood of Jesus Christ and the inner working of the Holy Spirit.

[0:49] And we found that God has been faithful to us over many, many years through good times and through difficult times. And we believe that God is the same, always the same, and Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.

[1:05] Notices and updates are circulated by email, so do check those emails. We try to keep everybody updated as much as we possibly can. My name is Philip Wells. I'm one of a team of elders and I'm introducing this morning.

[1:19] But our speaker is Elder David Skull from Grace Church Guildford. As you may know, he's planning to come to Brighton as a missionary, so we look forward to hearing from him.

[1:33] He's prepared a message specially for us. So the things that are going to happen are up on the screen behind me. Welcome an introduction and so on. We'll do the things we usually do.

[1:46] We've got some songs to sing and times to pray and to hear God's word. And there it is on the screen. So let us pray at the beginning now.

[2:00] Living God, we approach you together this morning. And even though we are separated physically, we ask that together we might genuinely meet with you. You say, draw near to God and he will draw near to you.

[2:13] And may we find that this is especially true today. As we need your presence and pray that you will not leave us nor forsake us. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

[2:25] I'm going to read Psalm 23, which is a psalm of great comfort in all situations of life.

[2:37] And particularly those situations of distress, uncertainty and so on. Psalm 23, let me read. The Lord is my shepherd.

[2:51] I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul.

[3:04] He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.

[3:16] For you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

[3:27] You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.

[3:41] Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.

[3:53] The word goodness just meaning goodness and the word mercy there. The one we usually or often talk about is steadfast love. The steadfast love of the Lord will follow me all the days of my life.

[4:06] So we're going to sing number 280. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.

[4:41] His blessings never come to Him. We are new every morning, new every morning.

[4:57] Great is your faithfulness, O God. Great is your faithfulness.

[5:07] The strength of love that the Lord ever ceases. His blessings never come to Him.

[5:25] We are new every morning, new every morning. Great is your faithfulness, O God.

[5:38] Great is your faithfulness. Now I'm going to lead us in a prayer.

[5:51] O Lord God, you are the creator of the ends of the earth. You do not grow weary.

[6:02] You do not fail. You are not taken by surprise. But from everlasting to everlasting, you are God. We thank you for your greatness.

[6:14] We thank you for your nearness. That you are not a God who is absent, but one who promises never to leave us nor forsake us. Please be close to us at this time, particularly those who have a special need of a knowledge of the presence of God.

[6:33] We come to you confessing our sins, that we every day, whether we are aware of it or not, have need of nothing less than the atoning blood of Jesus Christ.

[6:50] Please apply that blood, as it were, to our hearts and minds and lives and consciences, that as we confess our sins and turn from sin, we may know the forgiveness of sin and the joy and the wonder of being accepted in your presence, just as we are.

[7:11] We thank you for your love.

[7:41] Please grant all of us who are your people to fix our hope in that place, to look forward to being not just at home here, but at home with the Lord, which is far better.

[7:56] And grant that those who are not yet your people might turn from the fear of death to the hope of Jesus Christ and the world to come.

[8:09] May people be brought to you. We pray in this world, Lord, for all its needs, both far away and close to home.

[8:23] Particularly, Lord, be with those who feel the uncertainty and the transience of this world. May they know that you are the rock, the eternal God, and our home is in you.

[8:37] So hear our prayers, O Lord, and forgive our sins. Show us your mercy and bless this time for Jesus' sake. Amen.

[8:51] And as we continue to pray, let's say the Lord's Prayer. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.

[9:02] Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

[9:13] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever.

[9:25] Amen. Our faith in this life and in the life to come is in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again for our salvation and future resurrection.

[9:38] Jesus is indescribably precious to each believing Christian. So we're going to sing 299. How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer's ear.

[9:51] Soothes our sorrows, heals our wounds, and drives away our fear. So we're going to sing 299. How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer's ear.

[10:28] Jesus sounds in a believer's ear. It soothes our sorrows, heals our wounds, and drives away our fear.

[10:50] It makes the wounded spirit whole, and calms each heart oppressed.

[11:05] It's manner to the hungry soul, and to the weary rest.

[11:20] And to the weary rest. Dear name the rock on which I built my shield and hiding place.

[11:45] My never-failing treasury filled with boundless stores of grace.

[11:59] By you my prayers acceptance gain. Although with sin defiled, Satan accuses me in vain.

[12:23] Since I am God's own child. Since I am God's own child.

[12:37] Jesus my shepherd, brother, friend. My prophet, priest, and king.

[12:51] My Lord, my life, my way, my end. My Lord, my life, my way, my end. Accept the praise I bring.

[13:06] Weak is the effort of my heart. And cold my warmest doors.

[13:21] But when I see you as you are. I'll praise you as I ought.

[13:37] I'll praise you as I ought. Till then I would your love proclaim.

[13:55] With every fleeting breath. And may the music of your name.

[14:09] Refresh my soul in death. Refresh my soul in death.

[14:25] And now before we hear God's word, let's ask God to speak to us.

[14:39] Lord, may we hear without distraction and with full concentration and spiritual enabling. May we hear your word together and have great comfort in hearing what the Lord says to us.

[14:54] May the words of the speaker's mouth and the meditation of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight. Oh, Lord, my rock and my redeemer. So I hand over to David Skull.

[15:06] David, thank you so much for preparing this for us. And now let's listen to God's word together. Good morning, Calvary. It's David here, one of the pastors of Grace Church Guildford.

[15:17] Thank you so much for inviting me along again to share God's word with you. It's a great privilege to do so. I bring you greetings from our church, Grace Church in Guildford.

[15:29] And to let you know that we continue to pray for you. That the Lord will sustain you and help you through these challenging days. Our God is faithful. Let's begin, shall we, by reading the Bible together.

[15:40] So we're going to read Psalm 27. Psalm 27. David the Psalmist says this. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

[15:52] Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, my enemies and my foes attack me.

[16:07] They will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear. Though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.

[16:19] One thing I ask of the Lord. This is what I seek. That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. And to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord.

[16:30] And to 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 tabernacle.

[16:41] And set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me. At his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy.

[16:52] I will sing and make music to the Lord. Hear my voice when I call, O Lord. Be merciful to me. And answer me.

[17:03] My heart says of you, seek his face. Your face, Lord, I will seek. Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger.

[17:15] You have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me. O God, my savior. Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. Teach me your way, O Lord.

[17:26] Lead me in a straight path. Because of my enemies. Do not hand me over to the desire of my foes. For false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.

[17:38] I am still confident of this. I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord. Be strong and take heart.

[17:51] And wait for the Lord. Let's turn to God, our Heavenly Father, in prayer. Let's pray. Father in heaven, we come before you in the name of your son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

[18:06] We don't come because of our own goodness or our own righteousness. But we come through his finished work and the gracious work of your Holy Spirit.

[18:18] To bring us into your family. Thank you that we can call you Father. Thank you that we can seek and ask and knock. And thank you that through Christ you've promised to hear us.

[18:32] Thank you that you know what is best for us, for our church and for our nation. Thank you that you use our prayers to bring about your purposes.

[18:44] Lord, we want to humble ourselves before you and say sorry, Lord, for the times in which we have lent more on our own strength. Being confident in ourselves rather than in you and in your character and in your promises.

[18:59] Lord, we know that ultimately it is you and you alone that we must seek. That you are our light and our salvation. And that your promises will never let us down and your goodness will never fail us.

[19:14] So please forgive us, Lord, for those idols in our hearts that we constantly lean to for security. And they constantly fall down underneath us. Please forgive us.

[19:25] Thank you that Christ died to cleanse us from our idols. Thank you that he died once and for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to you. And pray, Father, that we would learn to flee from idols and lean on you more and more and more.

[19:40] Trusting in your promises, we pray. Father, we thank you so much for the evidences of your love and your kindness to us. Your patience with us. Your desire to teach us and grow us.

[19:53] Thank you for providing all that we've needed in the past week. Thank you that your sovereign path for each one of us, your will for our lives, is a secure path to walk in.

[20:06] And we look back and see all the ways that you have blessed us and loved us and cared for us. How we thank you, Father. Thank you for the food that we eat, for the homes and houses that we live in.

[20:18] Thank you for the friends and church family around us to strengthen us and help us and keep us going. Lord, we pray and seek you over our nation.

[20:30] Lord, we pray, particularly for our governments, that you give them wisdom and understanding to know how to lead us through this pandemic. Lord, we pray that you would please provide a way for us to be safely steered through these times in your mercy.

[20:48] Lord, we pray that you would please, Father, as you humble our nation and the nations of the world so you would lift up your Son, that many would see in him the salvation that they need.

[20:59] Lord, we pray for a turning of the tide in the hearts and souls of men and women and boys and girls today. We pray for your churches up and down the land where the light is shining, that it shine ever so brightly.

[21:13] Lord, we pray that in your mercy you would add to our numbers daily those who are being saved. We pray particularly for the city of Brighton, Lord, and pray that you'd have mercy upon that city.

[21:25] They will be a turning to you, that you'd strengthen them and build up your churches. I pray particularly for my friends at Calvary, Lord, that you would knit them together in love and in faith, that they will be seeking you in prayer and knowing that how you answer these prayers, it will be for your glory and for their good.

[21:47] We pray, Father, that you would particularly watch over the leaders of the church. You'd give them wisdom to know how to steer the church in these days and pastor. We pray for those who are sick amongst them.

[21:59] Lord, please let your promises be such a security and your presence such a joy. And Father, we pray that you would help the church to love and care for each other in prayer and practical ways during these days.

[22:18] Father, we pray now as we come to your word. We pray that the scriptures will be our help and our strength as they point us to Christ and point us to your promises. Please grow faith in us, even as we hear your word preached from Psalm 27, we pray.

[22:33] In Jesus' name, amen. Please do have Psalm 27 open in front of you so you can follow what I have to say to you this morning.

[22:45] The psalm really breaks into two, although we've got three points to share today. The first half of the psalm speaks about the foundation of David's confidence as he heads into a day of trouble.

[22:57] We see here that the Lord is the one that he trusts in and that his single-minded desire, both past, present and future, is to seek the Lord, to know him, his presence as he has promised.

[23:09] But then the second half of the psalm, from verse 7 onwards, speaks of that scary thing we have to do, which is not just to declare what we believe about the Lord and our confidence in him, but actually put it into practice when the day of trouble comes.

[23:24] So it's about acting upon our declared confidence in the Lord. And David here puts his money where his mouth is, and when he faces the day of trouble, he turns to the Lord, who he claims to have confidence in, and he seeks the Lord in prayer for his help in that situation, and he waits for the Lord to answer.

[23:47] So I want to encourage you this morning through this, as it applies to Christ, to the church. Calvary, first of all, have confidence in the Lord.

[23:57] Be confident in the Lord as a church. Secondly, when the day of trouble comes, and it may be upon you now, learn to call out to the Lord in your trouble.

[24:11] And thirdly, as you call out upon the Lord, learn to courageously wait for the Lord. Have confidence in the Lord, call upon the Lord in the day of your trouble, then courageously wait for the Lord.

[24:30] First of all, let's think about the need to have confidence in the Lord in these days, Calvary. You can see in verses 1 to 3 how David claims that the place of his confidence, the secret of his confidence, is not in himself, but it's in the Lord himself.

[24:51] The Lord, verse 1, is my light and my salvation. The Lord is the stronghold of my life. And if these things are true of the Lord, objectively, like salvation, stronghold, then whom shall I fear, he says, as I face my day of trouble.

[25:13] Many of these verses can be translated in the past tense as well as in the present. And so David, I think in verse 2, describes how he has had personal experience of the Lord as his light and salvation and stronghold in the past.

[25:30] Verse 2, he says, Evil doers approached me, and like wild animals, they wanted to tear up my flesh. But it was they who stumbled and fell.

[25:41] So even if an army encamps around me and a battle arises against me, says David, I'm not going to fear. Rather, I'm going to remain confident in the Lord.

[25:55] That's the great mark of the local church. Whatever happens around us, we trust in the character and the promises and the presence of the living God, the Lord himself.

[26:08] And you can see in verse 4 that David has already, before the day of trouble comes, decided to single-mindedly seek the Lord.

[26:21] Verse 4, Of course, we know, and David knew, that David, that David was with the Lord.

[26:52] That God is everywhere. God is spirit and has not a body like man. That's a great comfort, isn't it? But David knew there was a place that he wanted to go to in his day of trouble, where he could learn the safety and security, not just in theory, but in practice, of God's presence.

[27:16] Where he'd love to be. He calls it here the Lord's house, the Lord's temple. Verse 5, verse 6, it's the Lord's tent. It's the tabernacle, the temple that will be built.

[27:28] The place where the Lord dwells. We all have that place where we want to turn to for security and refuge, don't we?

[27:39] Maybe before the pandemic and maybe after the pandemic, you'll be able to go away on a lovely holiday, even go abroad, imagine that. And although you've had a lovely time and really been refreshed, there's a part of you that just wants to go home.

[27:55] There's no place like home. Or maybe remember those days when you used to go to work, to the office, and you've had a tough day at the office.

[28:05] It's been stressful. There's been trouble. But then you can turn your computer off, and you know you're heading back to that place of safety and security and joy, where you can recharge your batteries.

[28:19] There's no place like home. Or maybe you're a student at university, and you're there in your first term, and you're enjoying your independence.

[28:31] But you know, secretly when it comes to December, you're longing to be back to get a bit of that TLC and home cooking. There's no place like home where you are loved and known.

[28:44] I don't know where that place is for you, that place that you long to be, where you can be recharged and renewed. For David, as the Lord's anointed, that place was the Lord's house, the place of God's special, promised love and presence and commitment and beauty.

[29:11] David says he longs to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord. That word beauty means the Lord's pleasantness, his favour.

[29:24] For David, that's the home he wants to flee to as the day of trouble comes. And he prizes meeting with the Lord over everything else. Calvary, as those who are in Christ, David's greatest son, there should be something within us, shouldn't there, that echoes David's confidence and David's passion here, his single-minded desire to seek the Lord in the intimacy of his house.

[29:59] Of course, the Lord, that house of the Lord is fulfilled by Christ, who tabernacled amongst us, brought God's presence to us. And as Christ ascended, so that intimacy is given to us in the church, even now by the gift of the Holy Spirit, who brings the presence of Christ, the presence of the Lord to us.

[30:21] Jesus said in John 14, anyone who loves me will obey my teaching, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them, and make our home with them.

[30:38] So he's speaking about the presence of the Holy Spirit indwelling us individually and corporately as a church. God coming to us.

[30:49] Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3, don't you know, Corinthian church, that you yourselves are God's temple, and that God's spirit dwells in your midst.

[31:02] So at one level, David's confidence in the Lord and the place he needs to go to, to seek the Lord, is right amongst us through Christ, the presence of the spirit in the life of the church.

[31:16] Of course, that seeking the Lord, finding safety and refuge in him, is ultimately about us being brought to the Lord, where Christ is ascended and seated at the Father's right hands.

[31:30] Remember these wonderful words in John 14. Disciples, do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me, says Jesus.

[31:41] My Father's house has many rooms. If that were not so, would I have told you that I'm going there to prepare a place for you?

[31:52] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, that you also may be where I am.

[32:02] So we've seen David's longing for intimacy with the Lord and ultimately, what is experienced now personally and in the church points us to the ultimate experience that the Lord will bring us home to be with Christ forever.

[32:20] That's the desire of our hearts echoing David's. And the reason David is so passionate here about intimacy with the Lord is that he knows that there is the place of safety and therefore that's where his confidence is.

[32:36] Look at verse five. For in the day of trouble, the Lord will keep me safe in his dwelling. He will hide me in the shelter of his tent and set me high upon a rock.

[32:52] 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.

[33:03] There, as he gazes upon the beauty of the Lord, in the presence of the Lord, in the tent, the house of the Lord, there is his security, his refuge.

[33:16] Now, if you've ever been camping, you might be scratching your head at this point because everybody knows that a tent by itself doesn't offer much protection, does it?

[33:29] Growing up, we camped a lot. It seemed that every holiday we had was under canvas of some sort. But I'll never forget the day that we were camping on the Isle of Wight one year as a child.

[33:42] And as we camped by the coast, we experienced what I can only describe as the mother of all storms hitting the campsite. I remember us in that tent holding on for dear life as the storm came, the thunder and the lightning, the rain and the wind.

[34:01] And I remember waking up the next morning and peering out of our trailer tent. We have a strong tent. But peering out the next day only to see the camping carnage everywhere because of the storm on the Isle of Wight.

[34:14] Tents blown down all over the place by the wind. So you know that tents by themselves are not generally known as high security solutions, are they? They don't come with the day of trouble guarantees.

[34:28] But this tent that David sought the Lord in does. It was a safe place, a hiding place, even against these devouring enemies and surrounding armies.

[34:40] Well, why was this tent so special? It was just material. Well, the answer is because the Lord was there. David says, He, the Lord, will hide me in his shelter like a lion protecting his den.

[34:58] He, the Lord, will hide me in the hiding place of his tent. There I am safe because the Lord is there in his promises, his favour, his beauty, his presence.

[35:16] And so in verse 6, he talks about the Lord lifting him up on a rock. He changes the picture from the tent to safety in a big outcrop. He's out of the way of trouble like a father lifting a child to safety out of the hands of trouble.

[35:33] You see, when the day of trouble comes, there is no better place to be than hidden in the hiding place of the Lord's tent because that's the Lord's tent. He's hiding himself in the Lord.

[35:47] Now this is what God the Father did with his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember that David, the anointed one, points us first to Christ and in Christ those promises come to us.

[35:59] Isn't this what the Father and the Spirit did to the Son after his substitutionary death upon the cross as he was laid in the grave so he was raised from the dead out of the trouble and he's gone into the great tabernacle, the ultimate tent, the temple, the very throne room of God himself seated high at the right hand of God far out of the grip of his enemies into that place of joy and priestly ministry now and there is Christ seated and there are we Calvary those who are in Christ spiritually by faith we've been raised up into that place of safety too spiritually we're with Christ and that's where we are heading body and soul to be with Christ forever.

[36:54] So if David had this confidence in the Lord that he was his light and salvation that he sought the Lord in the old covenant tabernacle how much more should we be confident in the Lord because of his finished work in Jesus?

[37:08] how much should we therefore be confident and seek safety in his presence now in the church through the promises of scripture for the presence of the spirit and ultimately with Christ forever?

[37:24] The book of Hebrews says that because Christ because we have confidence to enter the most holy place by the blood of Christ because we have a great priest over the house of God so we as a church can draw near to God with a sincere heart and a full assurance of faith.

[37:46] So with David we can say the Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? It doesn't stop the day of trouble coming or the trouble arising but we have the same confidence in the Lord as he had only clearer because of Christ.

[38:08] So Calvary at this time as you are facing a day of trouble maybe personally or as a church verses 1 to 6 tells you to have confidence in the Lord.

[38:22] Have confidence in the Lord. Gaze upon his beauty through the gospel. Know his presence in the church. Know that that is the place your place of home and safety and security.

[38:38] But secondly it's one thing to declare that confidence in the Lord as David does in the first few verses but then it's another thing to act upon that confidence when that day of trouble comes.

[38:53] So verses 7 to 12 tells us Calvary if the Lord is your confidence then call out to the Lord in the day of your trouble.

[39:05] The Lord is your confidence so call out to the Lord in the day of your trouble. You can see the trouble that David is in again in verse 11 and 12 can't you?

[39:20] He speaks of his oppressors verse 11 verse 12 he speaks of his foes false witnesses rising up against him breathing out violence the day of trouble has come again.

[39:33] So what does he do? I guess how we respond when that day of trouble comes shows where we really are functionally seeking to find our light and our salvation and our stronghold.

[39:52] Here David responds with prayer verse 7 he cries out to the Lord hear my voice he says answer me verse 8 my heart says of you seek your face and that's exactly what I'm going to do in this moment I will seek your face because I know that you are my light and my salvation and my stronghold and so these verses 7 down to 12 are full of his appeals to the Lord putting his declared confidence in the Lord into practice through prayer and that's what the church is called to do verse 7 hear me he says be merciful to me answer me verse 9 don't hide your face from me don't turn your servant away don't reject me or forsake me verse 11 teach me your way lead me in a straight path verse 12 don't hand me over to the desire of my foes remember

[40:56] David has declared that the Lord is his light and here in these verses verse 11 he says now in the day of trouble Lord you are my light so teach me your way lead me in a straight path through this declared confidence put into practice through prayer I can't see the way through this you're!

[41:17] my light lead me through it according to your goodness and your promises David has confidently declared in verse 1 that the Lord is his salvation the Lord is his stronghold well now as the day of trouble hits him he cries out don't hide your face from me don't reject me let me in let me experience the safety and security that I know to be true in you in other words David declares these things and then through prayer he shows that he acts on them he trusts in the Lord he knocks on the door it's interesting that David right in the midst of his trouble still has confidence in the Lord if you're like me I waver at this point my instinctive reaction is to forget those declared truths about the Lord as my confidence and my salvation and to seek my own solution but here

[42:20] David goes straight to the Lord it's amazing how often the Lord brings the light and brings the solution according to his goodness and timing as we seek him first David is confident in the Lord even the closest of relationship like his mother and father maybe who he may rely upon even if those close relationships are broken and lost he says Lord I know that you will receive me that you will gather me in so again let's remember that declared confidence in the Lord is not saying I don't think there will be trouble facing me or the church but it does mean that when the trouble comes I will turn to the Lord and the church that does that is the church that's following in the footsteps of David here the Lord Jesus encourages us to do the same thing doesn't he Luke chapter 11 the Lord

[43:20] Jesus says I tell you ask and it will be given to you seek and you will find knock and it will be open to you for everyone who asks receives and the one who seeks finds and to the one who knocks it will be opened we have a good heavenly father says the Lord Jesus seek him in prayer he knows what is best and so we throne of grace with confidence in our day of trouble and receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need that's not just theory it's practice so when your heart says seek his face I'm confident in the Lord do it do it first Lord I desire you above all things I know that you are my light I know that you are my stronghold

[44:21] I know that you are my salvation I seek your face we mustn't just claim to be confident in the Lord because we know the doctrine we must put that claim to the test when the day of travel comes as we call out to him in prayer we can't control the answers the Lord alone knows the sovereign path but we can trust him because he is good and that brings us to the last point verses 13 to 14 because having declared his confidence in the Lord and then put that into practice by calling out to the Lord in the day of trouble then David knows he must courageously wait for the Lord courageously wait for the Lord verse 13 even in the day of trouble as he prays I am still confident of this that I will see the goodness of the

[45:21] Lord in the land of the living it's interesting that David isn't one of those people a bit like me that sometimes prays that doesn't really expect God to answer we can all be like that at times can't we but David does expect the Lord to answer we can't control the details of how and when but we do expect the Lord to answer for his own glory so we mustn't be like the church in Jerusalem in Acts chapter 12 do you remember them so honest so like us so often Peter the apostle has been thrown into prison he's soon to be executed!

[46:00] by Herod but the church was praying earnestly for Peter so God amazingly responds and sends an angel who springs Peter out of prison and after his miraculous escape he goes and he knocks at the door of the prayer meeting and the servant girl goes back to the prayer meeting and says Peter's at the door and they say no he's not he's in prison we're praying for him it must be his angel of course then they open the door properly and it's Peter wow they were praying earnestly but they weren't expecting the Lord to answer well David in these verses prays with an expectancy that the Lord will answer I am still confident of this I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living it's really important to notice that at the end of this psalm David still hasn't received the Lord's salvation in this context the Lord hasn't answered him clearly and brought about a solution so he ends the psalm with a sense of waiting but he does so with confidence in the

[47:09] Lord he trusts in the character of the Lord that he is good he trusts in the promises of the Lord that he has made even though the Lord hasn't answered yet I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living seem a little bit presumptuous doesn't it but David is confident in the Lord not just in theory but in practice and the Lord has the day of trouble and the solution in his hands and that brings us to the last verse which is the great challenge for us as we seek the Lord in our day of trouble it might be in verse 14 that David is speaking here to himself encouraging himself wait for the Lord be strong take heart wait for the Lord I've prayed but I think he's also speaking to the people of God and he's speaking to you Calvary and to me today as we find ourselves in the same situation we're confident in the

[48:14] Lord we're crying out to the Lord in our day of trouble but we need to learn to wait for the Lord and be courageous with God's help as we wait verse 14 wait for the Lord be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord the Old Testament is full of examples of the people of God having to take courage take heart as they step out in obedience with God's promises think of Joshua leading Israel to cross the promised land think of Israel surrounded by their foes time and time again think of David surrounded by his enemies we leave the psalm in the day of trouble and yet we leave the psalm with David encouraging us to trust the Lord who we cry out to we can't arrange the timing and the answer but we can do what David has said here to cry out to the

[49:18] Lord entrust it to him to wait and to do so courageously with the faith that he gives us well we bring all these things together and this is the message the word of God to you today Calvary Church in Brighton one Calvary have confidence in the Lord seek him single mindedly seek him knowing that he is present with you through the gospel by his spirit gaze upon his beauty seek the Lord have confidence in him and with that declared confidence in the Lord when the day of trouble comes and you might be in it right now personally or as a church together be a church that calls out to the Lord in prayer seek him be a prayerful church and as you call out to the

[50:24] Lord in your day of trouble learn to courageously wait for the Lord trusting that he will answer that he will keep his promises and he will bring you through it if not in the way you want in this life then certainly he will bring you home to glory amen let me pray as we finish this part father thank you so much for this psalm thank you for the way that David took confidence not himself in his abilities or in his circumstances but he took confidence in you thank you so much that we have more intimacy than David knew through the spirit whom you have given us to point us to Christ and thank you that we will one day be with you please

[51:28] Lord help us to learn to be confident in the Lord and secondly Lord therefore in the day of trouble please give us an ability to do it to seek your face to pray and to ask for Calvary now maybe in the midst of the day of trouble!

[51:48] as they cry out to you they would know that they are doing the right thing and that you will lift them up as they are secure in Christ Lord if it's a season of waiting a season of trusting give them the courage that David called for here give them the confidence in you the humility and do great and marvellous things amongst them I pray!

[52:17] So we've heard God's word and let's close as we hear these words from Isaiah 43 but now this is what the Lord says he who created you O Jacob he who formed you O Israel fear not for I have redeemed you I have summoned you by name you are mine when you pass through the waters I will be with you when you pass through the rivers they will not sweep over you when you walk through the fire you will not be burned the flames will not set you ablaze for I am the Lord your God the Holy One of Israel your Saviour the Lord being with his people through the waters through the fire he will never leave us nor forsake us we're going to close by singing 1219 that's the website number it's not actually in our hymn book but it is praise 1219 he will hold me fast the

[53:32] Lord will hold his people fast and we look to him to do exactly that when I fear my faith will fail Christ will hold me fast so let's sing that together Christ will hold me fast when the tempter would prevail he will hold me fast I could never keep my hope through thy fearful path for my love is often cold!

[54:42] will hold me fast He will hold me fast He will hold me fast for my Savior loved me so He will hold me fast!

[55:04] He will pass in His holy sight He will be fast He'll not let my soul be lost His promises shall last Put by Him at slugger cost He will hold me fast He will hold me fast He will hold me fast For my Slaver loved me so He will hold me fast

[56:05] For my life be bread and I Christ will hold me fast Justice has been satisfied He will hold me fast Place with Him to endless light He will hold me fast Till I've played this durned to spite When He comes across He will hold me fast He will hold me fast For my Saviour loved me so He will hold me fast He will hold me fast

[57:10] He will hold me fast For my Saviour loved me so He will hold me fast And now having sung, let me read this prayer from Jude verse 24 to close.

[57:38] To Him who is able to keep you from falling And to present you before His glorious presence Without fault and with great joy To the only God our Saviour Be glory, majesty, power and authority Through Jesus Christ our Lord Before all ages Now and forevermore Amen Amen Until we meet again in this world Or in the world to come Goodbye from me Bye bye just now Bye bye just now Bye bye