WEBVTT

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 If there are any other children zero to three who'd like to take advantage of the nursery,

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! You're certainly welcome to do that. And they're welcome to stay in here as well. We love having them

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! In here as we worship together and hear the word. Our passage this morning is Psalm chapter 27.

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 Let's turn in God's word to Psalm chapter 27. We've been walking through the Psalms this summer,

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 as we tend to do in the summer months, and we've come to Psalm chapter 27. So when you've found

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 that in your copy of God's word, let's stand in honor of the reading of the word of the Lord.

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 David says, the Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my

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 life. Of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries,

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 and my foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear.

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 Though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. One thing I have asked of the Lord

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 that I will seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

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 to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in

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 the day of trouble. He will conceal me under the cover of his tent. He will lift me high upon a rock,

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 and now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent

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 sacrifices with shouts of joy. I will sing and make melody to the Lord. Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud.

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 Be gracious to me and answer me. You have said, seek my face. My heart says to you, your face, Lord,

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 do I seek. Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help.

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 Cast me not off. Forsake me not, O God of my salvation. For my father and my mother have

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 forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in. Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path

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 because of my enemies. Give me not up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen

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 against me, and they breathe out violence. I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the

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 land of the living. Wait for the Lord. Be strong and let your heart take courage. Wait for the Lord.

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 Grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of the Lord endures forever. Father, we praise you

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 for this passage, the psalm of confidence, confidence in you, and we pray that as we open it up together,

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 Father, Father, that you would give us that same confidence that David has here in these words.

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 We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. You may be seated.

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 What is the secret of Christian confidence?

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 King David, here again, as he's done so many times before in so many psalms, he's facing terrible

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 enemies, and yet here again, as we've seen over and over and over again,

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 he's facing his enemies with unmistakable confidence. Do you ever wonder what is his secret?

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 How can someone like David, even as a young boy, go and stand in front of the giant Goliath

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 and go into battle with a man trained for war with just a sling and a few stones? How can he be so

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 confident? And it's not just David, is it? The entire history of the church is filled with example

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 after example after example after example of this bold, fearless, seemingly unreasonable confidence

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 of God's people. What compels the Apostle Paul to go from city to city, town to town, facing hardship

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 and beatings and imprisonment and rejection and harassment over and over and over again,

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 and yet continue on going and preaching the gospel? What is his secret?

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 And maybe you think of the reformers. What compels the reformers? Men like Latimer and Ridley. I've

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 shared their story before. Latimer and Ridley, who were burned at the stake for preaching the gospel of

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 Jesus Christ in Oxford, England. Tied up and ready to die. At this point, a normal response would be panic,

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 right? It would be fear. It would be anxiety. But history tells us Ridley turns to Latimer and says,

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 be of good heart, brother, for God will either assuage the fury of the flame or else strengthen us to

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 abide it. As the fires rise up, Latimer turns to Ridley and says, be of good comfort, Master Ridley,

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 and play the man. We shall this day light such a candle by God's grace in England as I trust shall

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 never be put out. What's the secret of their confidence? Maybe you think of missionaries,

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 men like Adoniram Judson to the Burmese or Hudson Taylor to the Chinese or women like Amy Carmichael to

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 India. What compels Christians to go out and be so bold and face uncharted territories, dangerous

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 territories in the face of danger for the sake of Christ. Let's bring it a little bit closer to home.

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 How in the world can an aging saint face death with confidence? How can a Christian husband or a

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 Christian wife walk alongside their spouse through a diagnosis like cancer or dementia and yet do so with

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 confidence in the Lord? You know, this is strange behavior, isn't it? In a world that's so marked by

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 anxiety and worry and panic, how can God's people remain rooted in confidence?

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 What is the secret to the confidence of God's people? I want us to see three answers to that

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 question this morning. This will be our outline if you're taking notes. Three answers to the question,

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 what is the confidence of God's people? What's the secret of their confidence? First,

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 our confidence is in God. David makes this plain right at the beginning of the psalm, doesn't he? His

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 confidence is a God-centered, God-anchored, God-rooted confidence. Look there to verse one.

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 He says, the Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life.

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 Of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries, and my foes,

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 it is they who stumble and fall. And though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear.

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 Though war rise against me, yet I will be confident. This is fearless confidence in the face of great

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 danger, isn't it? Now, look what David's up against here. He says that evildoers, he's facing

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 evildoers who want to eat him up. And we've seen before, haven't we? Countless times throughout the

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 Psalms, David uses animalistic language to describe his enemies. You remember from Psalm 22, how he

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 compares them to dogs and bulls and lions. They're vicious, dangerous, bloodthirsty enemies.

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 And he knows that he faces the possibility, even the probability, of looming war. There's this

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 looming threat of armies rising up against him, of war coming against King David. And again, it's not

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 just physical attacks. See, either, is it? He's just like he was in Psalm 26. We see here he's also

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 facing false accusations. His enemies want to discredit him. They want to question his integrity. They want

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 to tear down his influence by questioning his integrity. Verse 12 says, false witnesses have risen up

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 against me. David's facing enemies that want to discredit him, defeat him, destroy him, and devour him.

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 None of this is very good, is it? And yet, he says, even in light of all of this, I am not afraid.

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 Why? And what's his secret? Well, you think about maybe what the natural answer to that question might be.

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 The natural, fleshly answer might be, well, I have an army too. Sure, they have an army. The army's coming

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 against me, but we have an army. Their army's strong, but maybe our army's stronger. I like my chances.

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 I have trained men around me that are trained to protect me. I can trust in my army. He could look to

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 his surroundings and place his confidence there. Or maybe he could say, well, I evaded Saul.

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 I conquered Goliath. I'm smarter than them. I'm stronger than them. What can they do to me? He could

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 look to his own skill and place his confidence there in his own ability. Or he could look at his

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 track record of success up to this point. I mean, just think about all the enemies that have stood in

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 his way to get there. It's where he is now, but here he is. And now they think that they'll be the

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 ones to strike me down. Come on. You know what all of this sounds like? All of this is self-confidence.

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 You know, some people think that that's what they need in order to face their problems. You just need

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 a little bit more self-confidence. And then you can conquer whatever enemy it is that stands in your way.

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 If you just maybe believe a little bit more in yourself and have a higher view of yourself,

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 if you just try harder and reach higher and dig deeper, you can do anything you put your mind to,

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 right? David doesn't talk that way, does he? What does he say? He says, the Lord is my strength.

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 The Lord is my confidence. Not my army, not my strength, not my wit, not my success. The Lord

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 is my confidence. Therefore, I will not fear. His secret isn't self-confidence. It's confidence in

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 the Lord. Look how he describes the Lord here. He says, the Lord is my light in the darkness.

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 I used to watch a show as a kid called, Are You Afraid of the Dark? Anybody ever

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 seen that show? Familiar with that? Might be past your time. Are you afraid of the dark? The answer

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 for me was yes. Okay, I was afraid of the dark. Why? Well, one, after I watched the show, it's creepy,

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 so that puts some ideas in my head. But the darkness, you can't see what enemies are out there.

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 The enemies that are there, you don't know what they're doing, where they're moving, how they're

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 approaching. But then there's also imagined enemies that you come up with in your own mind.

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 Sometimes that's even worse. David says, the Lord is the light who illuminates my path, who reveals the

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 dangers and the threats, who causes those enemies in the dark to scatter, who calms all my fears. The

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 Lord is the light in the darkness. He says, the Lord is my salvation, not my strength, not my skill,

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 not my track record of success, not my army, not my surroundings. The Lord is all my hope. If I'm going

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 to be saved from this situation, the Lord has to be my salvation. He says, the Lord is my stronghold.

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 Where will I turn when my enemies come? When those armies come and approach, what will protect me?

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 Where will I take refuge? David says, I take refuge in him. You all know right down the road here is Fort

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 Sumter, where the first shots were fired in the Civil War. The Confederates attacked the Union. It

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 continued for about 34 hours there as they barraged the fort. And yet there were no casualties that day.

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 Why? Because they were sheltered in the stronghold. David doesn't have the luxury of taking refuge in

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 Fort Sumter, but it doesn't matter. He says, I have something even better. The Lord himself is my

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 stronghold. Do you hear his confidence? His dependence? It's not in himself. It's entirely in the Lord.

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 You know, this is meant to be the posture of every redeemed heart.

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 But God's people place all their confidence, not in self, but in the Lord.

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 You know, we may not face a physical army, but you realize, don't you, that our enemies, our true enemies are

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 far greater and far more numerous and far more vicious than any physical army that David ever faced.

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 Paul tells us, we don't wrestle against flesh and blood, brothers and sisters, but against the rulers, against the

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 authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the

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 heavenly places. What's our confidence in that battle?

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 On top of that, all of us are guilty of sin. We stand guilty before a holy God. We are sinners and we face an

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 accuser who accuser who accuses us day and night, who wants us to be declared guilty.

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 What's our confidence in the courtroom of God?

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 God's people don't place confidence in themselves, in their track record, in their upbringing, in their

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 skill, in their goodness, in their ability, in their surroundings. The confidence of God's people

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 then and now is the Lord. Ultimately, we know on this side of the cross, it is the Lord Jesus Christ.

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 As God's people walk in the midst of darkness, our confidence is in Christ, who is the light of the world.

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 As we face our enemies of sin and death and the accusations of the devil, the Christ Jesus is the

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 salvation of all God's people, all who cry out to him in faith and in confidence.

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 Who do we lean on? Who do we depend on to protect us in this battle? Who will guard us?

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 Who will shelter us? In whom do we take refuge? It is Christ the King, who is the stronghold of our life.

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 The Lord Jesus himself is the confidence of God's people. That's the first secret.

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 You know what happens when you begin to understand the Lord in this way and to view the Lord in this way?

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 When you understand that God himself is the light, your salvation, your stronghold, you know what happens

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 inside of you? You want to be where he is. Look there to verses 4 through 8. Here's the second secret.

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 Verses 4 through 8. Second, it's that our desire is for God. Our desire is for God.

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 David shows us starting here in verse 4. God has given him a singular desire for one thing above all else.

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 What is it? Verse 4.

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 One thing I have asked the Lord, that I will seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

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 to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.

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 More than anything else, David wants to be where God is.

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 More than anything else, David wants to live in God's presence.

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 He wants to gaze at his beauty. He wants to seek him. He wants to inquire of him.

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 He wants to worship him. He wants to ask questions of him.

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 He wants to seek his wisdom. He wants to be with the Lord.

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 This is the desire of his heart. Why?

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 Again, it's because he is confident in who God is.

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 He says, I want to be with the Lord. Why? Verse 5.

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 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble.

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 He's my stronghold.

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 He will conceal me under the cover of his tent.

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 He will lift me high on the rock. He's my salvation.

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 That's why I want to be with him.

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 And now my head shall be lifted up above all my enemies around me,

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 and I will respond to the Lord.

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 I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy.

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 I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

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 If you have seen him for who he is,

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 you will want to be with him where he is.

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 Think about this image of David sitting there.

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 Armies are approaching. His enemies are attacking.

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 The opposition is out there falsely accusing him of wrongdoing.

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 Everything that could go wrong is going wrong.

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 And what is David doing?

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 He's not scribbling out some battle plans.

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 We're sharpening up his sword.

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 He's not packing up his belongings.

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 He's not locking away his treasures.

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 He's not out there doing damage control against these false allegations.

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 What is he doing?

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 He is daydreaming about being with the Lord.

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 It's almost like he's saying,

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 God's going to figure all this other stuff out.

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 He'll deal with the enemies.

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 He'll lift me up.

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 He'll take care of that.

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 I'm not concerned about that.

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 All I want is to be with him.

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 That type of heart desire for the Lord

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 gives the believer a sort of confidence,

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 a sort of steadiness that nothing in this world can shake.

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 You want to know why believers can face death with confidence?

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 It's because we know that if we are in Christ by faith,

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 all death can do is give us what we already want.

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 All death can do is bring us into the presence of the Lord,

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 which is the greatest, deepest desire of our heart already.

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 So Paul says to live is Christ, to die is gain.

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 It says elsewhere in Corinthians,

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 the sting of death has been removed.

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 It's gone for those who are in Christ.

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 We have this deep heart desire to be with the Lord

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 that anchors us in times of trouble.

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 To know who God is is to desire him.

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 And to want more of him, to know him is to want more of him.

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 I wonder, does your heart cry out for more of the Lord?

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 Is that the desire of your heart?

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 Amanda made a mistake the other day,

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 and that's rare, so I get to talk about it.

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 We were on the way home from Trader Joe's,

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 and we were on the way home and we stopped at Trader Joe's.

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 And when we go there, she always wanted these gummies.

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 And so I went in, I got what was on the list,

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 and then I also picked up the gummies,

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 and came back to the car,

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 and of course the boys saw that we had the gummies.

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 And so the boys wanted some,

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 and Amanda being generous, opened it up

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 and distributed a few to each kid.

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 But as she did that, the baby saw that the boys had the gummies,

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 and now the baby wants some gummies, right?

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 And she was kind enough to tear off just a little piece

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 and just give him just a little taste.

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 And it was great.

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 He was satisfied.

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 He was happy.

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 He loved it until it was gone.

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 And then on the way home,

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 we got to listen to him cry the whole way home

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 because he wanted more.

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 He had tasted something good,

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 and he wasn't getting enough.

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 You know, one evidence of God's grace in your life

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 is a desire for more of the Lord.

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 That your heart has tasted that the Lord is good,

00:20:42.880 --> 00:20:47.060
 and that it cries out for more and more and more.

00:20:47.160 --> 00:20:48.920
 We are satisfied in him,

00:20:49.020 --> 00:20:52.120
 and yet it's a dissatisfied satisfaction in the Lord

00:20:52.120 --> 00:20:53.160
 that we have in this life.

00:20:53.940 --> 00:20:56.760
 We are fully satisfied in the Lord,

00:20:56.840 --> 00:20:58.020
 and yet our heart cries out,

00:20:58.080 --> 00:20:59.860
 God, I need more of that.

00:21:00.520 --> 00:21:02.040
 I need more of you.

00:21:02.680 --> 00:21:04.400
 I want to be where you are.

00:21:04.520 --> 00:21:06.340
 I want to gaze upon your beauty.

00:21:06.480 --> 00:21:07.800
 I want to inquire of you.

00:21:07.860 --> 00:21:08.920
 I want to worship you.

00:21:09.000 --> 00:21:11.100
 I need more of you.

00:21:11.099 --> 00:21:13.699
 Do you desire the Lord like this?

00:21:15.279 --> 00:21:17.439
 And if it is the desire of your heart,

00:21:17.899 --> 00:21:21.859
 are you actively seeking him?

00:21:23.319 --> 00:21:24.559
 Look there to verse 7.

00:21:24.859 --> 00:21:27.039
 David turns again to pray.

00:21:27.199 --> 00:21:27.459
 He says,

00:21:27.839 --> 00:21:29.379
 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud,

00:21:29.480 --> 00:21:31.819
 be gracious to me and answer me.

00:21:32.179 --> 00:21:34.159
 You have said, seek my face.

00:21:34.259 --> 00:21:35.339
 My heart says to you,

00:21:35.439 --> 00:21:37.799
 your face, Lord, do I seek.

00:21:37.799 --> 00:21:40.359
 To know God is to desire him.

00:21:41.139 --> 00:21:44.299
 To desire him is to seek him.

00:21:45.940 --> 00:21:48.099
 Maybe you're not sure really what that looks like

00:21:48.099 --> 00:21:49.819
 or how to do that.

00:21:49.899 --> 00:21:50.819
 I'm glad that you asked,

00:21:50.919 --> 00:21:54.200
 because I have 11 ways to seek the Lord this morning.

00:21:54.759 --> 00:21:54.919
 Okay?

00:21:55.899 --> 00:21:57.740
 I dug into the word this week.

00:21:57.819 --> 00:21:59.480
 I wanted to understand what that phrase,

00:21:59.659 --> 00:22:00.319
 seek the Lord,

00:22:00.680 --> 00:22:02.419
 meant in the rest of Scripture.

00:22:02.619 --> 00:22:03.619
 And so here's 11 ways.

00:22:03.700 --> 00:22:04.500
 Y'all try to keep up.

00:22:04.500 --> 00:22:08.140
 The Bible says we are called to seek him totally.

00:22:09.759 --> 00:22:11.779
 Seek the Lord with all your heart

00:22:11.779 --> 00:22:13.880
 and all your soul.

00:22:14.680 --> 00:22:15.779
 Deuteronomy 4.29.

00:22:16.000 --> 00:22:17.880
 Seek the Lord your God and you will find him

00:22:17.880 --> 00:22:19.960
 if you search after him with all your heart

00:22:19.960 --> 00:22:21.279
 and with all your soul.

00:22:21.380 --> 00:22:24.180
 This is total, all-encompassing.

00:22:24.259 --> 00:22:25.599
 No part-time Christians.

00:22:26.240 --> 00:22:28.180
 No lukewarm, half-committed,

00:22:28.460 --> 00:22:30.500
 on-again, off-again Christians.

00:22:30.500 --> 00:22:34.279
 This is totally devoted to seeking the Lord.

00:22:35.400 --> 00:22:36.980
 We're called to seek him continually.

00:22:37.279 --> 00:22:38.640
 1 Chronicles 16.11.

00:22:38.839 --> 00:22:40.319
 Seek the Lord in his strength.

00:22:40.839 --> 00:22:42.680
 Seek his presence continually.

00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:45.420
 You could add joyfully.

00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:46.559
 The verse right before it,

00:22:46.599 --> 00:22:47.920
 1 Chronicles 16.10.

00:22:48.059 --> 00:22:49.599
 Glory in his holy name.

00:22:49.940 --> 00:22:53.019
 Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

00:22:54.720 --> 00:22:56.299
 Here's one we don't think about often.

00:22:56.299 --> 00:22:59.659
 We must seek him urgently.

00:23:01.379 --> 00:23:03.579
 Seek the Lord while he may be found.

00:23:04.619 --> 00:23:07.059
 Call upon him while he is near.

00:23:07.259 --> 00:23:09.139
 Isaiah 55, verse 6.

00:23:09.240 --> 00:23:09.799
 Non-believer.

00:23:11.019 --> 00:23:13.799
 You may think that you have all the time in the world

00:23:13.799 --> 00:23:15.220
 to think things through.

00:23:15.399 --> 00:23:17.279
 That may or may not be true.

00:23:18.559 --> 00:23:20.059
 The call to seek the Lord,

00:23:20.159 --> 00:23:21.500
 to turn from your sin,

00:23:21.720 --> 00:23:23.799
 to repent and put all your faith,

00:23:23.919 --> 00:23:25.480
 all your confidence in the Lord,

00:23:25.480 --> 00:23:28.480
 that call is urgent for you.

00:23:30.480 --> 00:23:34.240
 You might say you could seek him observantly in nature.

00:23:34.420 --> 00:23:36.779
 All creation bears witness to the glory of God.

00:23:36.880 --> 00:23:38.880
 The heavens declare the glory of God.

00:23:39.000 --> 00:23:41.539
 There is baked into every square inch of creation

00:23:41.539 --> 00:23:44.039
 a witness to the glory of our God.

00:23:44.120 --> 00:23:45.960
 But of course that witness only goes so far,

00:23:46.079 --> 00:23:49.599
 so we must seek him prayerfully and biblically.

00:23:49.599 --> 00:23:54.240
 The good news is God has given clear ways for us to seek him

00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:55.879
 and communicate with him.

00:23:55.939 --> 00:23:58.599
 These are called ordinary means of grace

00:23:58.599 --> 00:24:01.599
 by which Christians grow and commune with the Lord.

00:24:02.839 --> 00:24:06.599
 We must seek him both privately as well as corporately,

00:24:08.019 --> 00:24:10.619
 in your prayer closet and with the church.

00:24:10.619 --> 00:24:14.619
 Ultimately, we must seek him Christianly,

00:24:14.619 --> 00:24:16.500
 for lack of a better word.

00:24:17.979 --> 00:24:19.559
 If you would seek him, friend,

00:24:19.679 --> 00:24:22.739
 you must seek him in Christ.

00:24:23.000 --> 00:24:24.039
 Where else can we look?

00:24:25.779 --> 00:24:27.219
 Jesus himself has said,

00:24:27.699 --> 00:24:29.019
 if anyone has seen me,

00:24:29.159 --> 00:24:30.959
 he has seen the Father.

00:24:32.099 --> 00:24:34.619
 Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God,

00:24:34.619 --> 00:24:35.799
 Paul says in Colossians.

00:24:36.059 --> 00:24:39.379
 We seek God by seeking him in Jesus.

00:24:39.699 --> 00:24:40.139
 One more.

00:24:40.459 --> 00:24:40.919
 You keeping up?

00:24:41.279 --> 00:24:41.779
 We're at 11.

00:24:42.979 --> 00:24:45.879
 Friend, we must seek him confidently.

00:24:47.739 --> 00:24:48.299
 Confidently.

00:24:49.259 --> 00:24:51.139
 As God told the exiles in Jeremiah,

00:24:51.459 --> 00:24:55.259
 he said, you will seek me and you will find me.

00:24:55.819 --> 00:24:58.500
 When you seek me with all your heart.

00:24:59.239 --> 00:25:00.879
 Here's some really good news.

00:25:01.899 --> 00:25:04.439
 We don't believe that David's desire,

00:25:04.619 --> 00:25:06.299
 is just wishful thinking.

00:25:07.919 --> 00:25:10.879
 We believe that a genuine desire for the Lord

00:25:10.879 --> 00:25:13.959
 will one day be satisfied.

00:25:15.319 --> 00:25:16.579
 Now in part,

00:25:17.159 --> 00:25:18.919
 but then in full.

00:25:20.239 --> 00:25:22.579
 To know him is to desire him.

00:25:22.899 --> 00:25:25.119
 To desire him is to seek him.

00:25:25.119 --> 00:25:27.359
 And to seek him with all your heart

00:25:27.359 --> 00:25:29.579
 is to one day see him.

00:25:30.459 --> 00:25:33.000
 And be satisfied in him for the rest of eternity.

00:25:33.000 --> 00:25:37.519
 This is the third key to our confidence, church.

00:25:37.640 --> 00:25:39.579
 The third key to the Christian's confidence

00:25:39.579 --> 00:25:42.920
 is that our hope is from God.

00:25:44.059 --> 00:25:46.900
 Our hope is from God.

00:25:46.960 --> 00:25:49.119
 You want to know what lies beneath the believer's confidence?

00:25:49.119 --> 00:25:55.379
 It's that we have a certain hope that is from God himself.

00:25:55.379 --> 00:25:57.539
 It is God guaranteed.

00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:00.759
 First Peter tells us,

00:26:00.919 --> 00:26:02.559
 according to his great mercy,

00:26:03.079 --> 00:26:06.339
 he has caused us to be born again

00:26:06.339 --> 00:26:11.659
 to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

00:26:11.660 --> 00:26:15.340
 To an inheritance that is imperishable,

00:26:15.820 --> 00:26:16.680
 undefiled,

00:26:17.019 --> 00:26:17.920
 and unfading,

00:26:18.300 --> 00:26:20.000
 kept in heaven for you,

00:26:20.200 --> 00:26:23.240
 who by God's power are being guarded through faith

00:26:23.240 --> 00:26:26.640
 for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

00:26:27.700 --> 00:26:28.960
 In this you rejoice,

00:26:29.800 --> 00:26:31.259
 though now for a little while,

00:26:31.380 --> 00:26:32.200
 if necessary,

00:26:32.620 --> 00:26:34.900
 you've been grieved by various trials,

00:26:35.400 --> 00:26:37.900
 so that the tested genuineness of your faith,

00:26:38.000 --> 00:26:40.080
 more precious than gold that perishes,

00:26:40.079 --> 00:26:41.460
 though it is tested by fire,

00:26:42.139 --> 00:26:44.119
 may be found to result in praise,

00:26:44.119 --> 00:26:45.259
 and glory,

00:26:45.720 --> 00:26:49.439
 and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

00:26:51.059 --> 00:26:53.500
 This glorious,

00:26:54.139 --> 00:26:55.839
 certain hope

00:26:55.839 --> 00:26:58.299
 is the confidence of God's people.

00:26:59.859 --> 00:27:02.899
 Nothing on earth can take this away from us.

00:27:04.720 --> 00:27:05.480
 Imperishable,

00:27:05.899 --> 00:27:06.740
 undefiled,

00:27:07.139 --> 00:27:07.859
 unfading,

00:27:08.199 --> 00:27:09.399
 kept in heaven for you,

00:27:09.400 --> 00:27:11.600
 what God has given to us in Christ.

00:27:11.820 --> 00:27:12.720
 No man,

00:27:12.980 --> 00:27:13.860
 no danger,

00:27:14.240 --> 00:27:15.019
 no threat,

00:27:15.300 --> 00:27:16.060
 no sickness,

00:27:16.460 --> 00:27:17.280
 no disease,

00:27:17.600 --> 00:27:19.140
 no enemy can take it away.

00:27:19.900 --> 00:27:23.220
 If God has given you a desire for Him,

00:27:23.380 --> 00:27:25.600
 that's a work of His grace,

00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:29.240
 and if He's put that desire in your heart to seek Him,

00:27:29.280 --> 00:27:30.880
 and to seek Him in Christ,

00:27:31.380 --> 00:27:34.560
 you can be certain that He Himself will make sure

00:27:34.559 --> 00:27:37.879
 that that desire is met for the rest of eternity.

00:27:40.379 --> 00:27:41.700
 It is our hope

00:27:41.700 --> 00:27:46.299
 that leads us to cry out to Him in faith in times of trouble.

00:27:47.359 --> 00:27:49.399
 As David does here in verse 9,

00:27:49.400 --> 00:27:50.920
 Hide not your face from me,

00:27:50.920 --> 00:27:53.220
 turn not your servant away in anger,

00:27:53.360 --> 00:27:54.620
 O you who have been my help.

00:27:55.600 --> 00:27:56.720
 Cast me not off,

00:27:56.860 --> 00:27:57.759
 forsake me not,

00:27:57.820 --> 00:27:59.000
 O God of my salvation,

00:27:59.180 --> 00:28:01.560
 for my father and my mother have forsaken me,

00:28:01.640 --> 00:28:03.640
 but the Lord will take me in.

00:28:05.380 --> 00:28:07.040
 It's our future hope

00:28:07.040 --> 00:28:10.060
 that fuels our present obedience.

00:28:10.059 --> 00:28:13.519
 Our future hope shapes our present paths.

00:28:14.299 --> 00:28:16.700
 And because we have this promise from God Himself,

00:28:17.079 --> 00:28:19.899
 we want to follow Him and walk in His ways.

00:28:20.019 --> 00:28:21.299
 And so we pray like David.

00:28:21.619 --> 00:28:22.159
 Verse 11,

00:28:22.319 --> 00:28:23.980
 Teach me your way, O Lord.

00:28:24.919 --> 00:28:27.919
 Lead me on a level path because of my enemies.

00:28:28.779 --> 00:28:31.139
 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries,

00:28:31.700 --> 00:28:34.500
 for false witnesses have risen against me

00:28:34.500 --> 00:28:36.440
 and they breathe out violence.

00:28:36.440 --> 00:28:39.399
 Our hope is what gives us confidence.

00:28:40.059 --> 00:28:41.579
 In all circumstances.

00:28:43.419 --> 00:28:44.960
 So what is our hope?

00:28:46.460 --> 00:28:47.940
 Look with me to verse 13.

00:28:48.579 --> 00:28:49.319
 Here's the key.

00:28:50.779 --> 00:28:53.619
 David shares with us a picture,

00:28:53.779 --> 00:28:54.720
 just a small picture,

00:28:55.159 --> 00:28:57.039
 of the believer's hope in verse 13.

00:28:57.279 --> 00:28:57.659
 Look there.

00:28:59.220 --> 00:28:59.759
 He says,

00:29:00.179 --> 00:29:05.200
 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord

00:29:05.200 --> 00:29:07.419
 in the land of the living.

00:29:08.899 --> 00:29:09.480
 You see that?

00:29:11.019 --> 00:29:12.500
 Even if armies come,

00:29:12.619 --> 00:29:14.559
 even if my accusers prevail,

00:29:15.000 --> 00:29:17.519
 even if my father and my mother forsake me,

00:29:17.619 --> 00:29:21.200
 even if everything else around me falls apart,

00:29:21.419 --> 00:29:24.519
 yet this one thing will come to pass.

00:29:24.619 --> 00:29:26.599
 And it's the only thing that matters in the end.

00:29:26.599 --> 00:29:33.059
 I believe that I will look upon the goodness of the Lord

00:29:33.059 --> 00:29:35.559
 in the land of the living.

00:29:38.559 --> 00:29:44.399
 I know that each and every one of us faces all sorts of troubles in this world.

00:29:44.400 --> 00:29:46.960
 God never promised to keep you from trouble.

00:29:46.960 --> 00:29:50.080
 But if you are in Christ,

00:29:50.860 --> 00:29:53.180
 you can say with confidence,

00:29:53.560 --> 00:29:57.920
 I believe that I will look upon the goodness of the Lord

00:29:57.920 --> 00:29:59.680
 in the land of the living.

00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:05.140
 God has given me a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy

00:30:05.140 --> 00:30:08.600
 and nothing in this world can take away.

00:30:08.820 --> 00:30:10.560
 Because Christ has come for me.

00:30:10.559 --> 00:30:13.559
 Christ has suffered for me.

00:30:14.220 --> 00:30:18.019
 Christ has died in my place and risen in my place

00:30:18.019 --> 00:30:21.319
 because all my faith and all my confidence is in Him.

00:30:21.319 --> 00:30:25.019
 I believe one day I will go to be where He is.

00:30:25.899 --> 00:30:29.279
 And I will look upon the goodness of the Lord

00:30:29.279 --> 00:30:32.019
 in the new heavens, in the new earth,

00:30:32.119 --> 00:30:33.559
 the land of the living,

00:30:33.700 --> 00:30:35.839
 those who live in resurrection glory

00:30:35.839 --> 00:30:37.099
 in the presence of their King.

00:30:37.399 --> 00:30:38.519
 That's our hope.

00:30:40.579 --> 00:30:41.899
 And friend, please don't misunderstand me

00:30:41.899 --> 00:30:43.839
 when I say that's our hope

00:30:43.839 --> 00:30:45.740
 as if I'm talking about just wishful thinking.

00:30:46.480 --> 00:30:49.059
 Like we're hopeful, maybe that'll come to pass,

00:30:49.119 --> 00:30:49.799
 maybe it won't.

00:30:49.799 --> 00:30:52.319
 The Christian's hope is not wishful thinking.

00:30:52.480 --> 00:30:55.619
 The Christian hope is absolutely certain

00:30:55.619 --> 00:30:58.659
 because it's guaranteed and given by God Himself.

00:31:01.139 --> 00:31:03.119
 J.I. Packer says,

00:31:03.960 --> 00:31:06.599
 optimism is a wish without warrant,

00:31:07.240 --> 00:31:09.319
 but the Christian hope is a certainty

00:31:09.319 --> 00:31:11.740
 guaranteed by God Himself.

00:31:13.019 --> 00:31:14.899
 Optimism reflects ignorance

00:31:14.899 --> 00:31:17.740
 as to whether good things will actually ever come,

00:31:17.740 --> 00:31:20.480
 but Christian hope expresses knowledge

00:31:20.480 --> 00:31:22.819
 that every day of His life

00:31:22.819 --> 00:31:24.680
 and every moment beyond it,

00:31:25.200 --> 00:31:26.920
 the believer can say with truth

00:31:26.920 --> 00:31:29.019
 on the basis of God's own commitment

00:31:29.019 --> 00:31:32.480
 that the best is yet to come.

00:31:35.480 --> 00:31:37.819
 Friend, if you are in Christ,

00:31:39.140 --> 00:31:41.319
 whatever trial you endure,

00:31:41.319 --> 00:31:45.000
 whatever enemies come against you,

00:31:45.000 --> 00:31:46.000
 whatever opposition,

00:31:46.279 --> 00:31:47.379
 whatever sickness,

00:31:47.579 --> 00:31:48.480
 whatever temptation,

00:31:48.779 --> 00:31:51.119
 if you are in Christ,

00:31:52.059 --> 00:31:53.960
 glory is ahead.

00:31:55.319 --> 00:31:56.599
 No pain,

00:31:57.279 --> 00:31:58.720
 no sadness,

00:31:59.720 --> 00:32:00.659
 no death,

00:32:00.759 --> 00:32:01.639
 no tears,

00:32:01.759 --> 00:32:02.439
 no sin,

00:32:02.559 --> 00:32:03.339
 no darkness,

00:32:03.579 --> 00:32:04.200
 no enemies,

00:32:04.339 --> 00:32:05.339
 no accusations.

00:32:05.339 --> 00:32:08.740
 We will see Him face to face

00:32:08.740 --> 00:32:11.439
 and gaze upon the glory of the Lord

00:32:11.439 --> 00:32:13.139
 together in the land of the living.

00:32:13.259 --> 00:32:14.619
 That's our hope in Christ.

00:32:18.439 --> 00:32:21.119
 Nothing can take that away from us.

00:32:22.699 --> 00:32:24.039
 So Paul says in Romans 8,

00:32:24.119 --> 00:32:25.399
 if God is for us,

00:32:25.480 --> 00:32:26.899
 who can be against us?

00:32:26.900 --> 00:32:30.440
 He who did not spare His own Son,

00:32:30.500 --> 00:32:32.140
 but gave Him up for us all,

00:32:32.400 --> 00:32:34.120
 how will He not also with Him

00:32:34.120 --> 00:32:36.220
 graciously give us all things?

00:32:37.340 --> 00:32:38.900
 Who shall bring any charge

00:32:38.900 --> 00:32:40.040
 against God's elect?

00:32:41.259 --> 00:32:42.940
 It is God who justifies.

00:32:43.960 --> 00:32:45.100
 Who is to condemn?

00:32:45.440 --> 00:32:47.620
 Christ Jesus is the one who died.

00:32:47.740 --> 00:32:48.360
 More than that,

00:32:48.400 --> 00:32:48.900
 who was raised,

00:32:49.840 --> 00:32:51.620
 who is at the right hand of God,

00:32:51.780 --> 00:32:53.740
 who indeed is interceding for us.

00:32:53.920 --> 00:32:55.240
 Who shall separate us

00:32:55.240 --> 00:32:56.420
 from the love of Christ?

00:32:56.420 --> 00:32:57.560
 Shall tribulation,

00:32:58.240 --> 00:32:59.640
 or distress,

00:33:00.600 --> 00:33:01.779
 or persecution,

00:33:02.460 --> 00:33:03.519
 or famine,

00:33:03.779 --> 00:33:04.920
 or nakedness,

00:33:04.960 --> 00:33:05.560
 or danger,

00:33:05.720 --> 00:33:06.300
 or sword?

00:33:07.259 --> 00:33:08.000
 As it is written,

00:33:08.120 --> 00:33:08.700
 for your sake,

00:33:08.800 --> 00:33:10.560
 we are being killed all the day long.

00:33:10.660 --> 00:33:12.420
 We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

00:33:13.220 --> 00:33:13.759
 No.

00:33:14.720 --> 00:33:16.019
 In all these things,

00:33:16.100 --> 00:33:17.420
 we are more than conquerors

00:33:17.960 --> 00:33:19.440
 through Him who loved us.

00:33:19.740 --> 00:33:21.340
 For I am sure,

00:33:21.640 --> 00:33:22.259
 Paul says,

00:33:22.940 --> 00:33:23.980
 that neither death,

00:33:24.120 --> 00:33:24.720
 nor life,

00:33:24.860 --> 00:33:25.560
 nor angels,

00:33:25.559 --> 00:33:26.440
 nor rulers,

00:33:26.440 --> 00:33:27.899
 nor things present,

00:33:28.200 --> 00:33:29.259
 nor things to come,

00:33:29.500 --> 00:33:30.319
 nor powers,

00:33:30.500 --> 00:33:31.019
 nor height,

00:33:31.159 --> 00:33:31.740
 nor depth,

00:33:32.019 --> 00:33:33.460
 nor anything else

00:33:33.460 --> 00:33:34.759
 in all creation

00:33:34.759 --> 00:33:37.319
 will be able to separate us

00:33:37.319 --> 00:33:38.879
 from the love of God

00:33:38.879 --> 00:33:40.519
 in Christ Jesus,

00:33:40.779 --> 00:33:41.399
 our Lord.

00:33:41.400 --> 00:33:41.460
 Lord,

00:33:42.060 --> 00:33:46.519
 is that your confidence?

00:33:49.080 --> 00:33:50.160
 Is that your hope?

00:33:52.000 --> 00:33:54.560
 Or do you share David's desire?

00:33:54.780 --> 00:33:55.360
 If not,

00:33:55.580 --> 00:33:55.840
 friend,

00:33:55.940 --> 00:33:57.259
 your response this morning is,

00:33:57.560 --> 00:33:59.259
 come to Christ in faith.

00:33:59.920 --> 00:34:01.519
 Seek Him now,

00:34:01.920 --> 00:34:02.519
 urgently,

00:34:02.800 --> 00:34:04.340
 by repenting of your sin,

00:34:04.500 --> 00:34:06.360
 and putting your faith in Him,

00:34:06.460 --> 00:34:08.360
 crying out to Him for salvation,

00:34:08.360 --> 00:34:10.059
 seeking Him as your light,

00:34:10.380 --> 00:34:11.120
 your salvation,

00:34:11.579 --> 00:34:12.480
 your stronghold,

00:34:12.700 --> 00:34:13.960
 your only hope

00:34:13.960 --> 00:34:15.200
 in the face of your opposition.

00:34:16.820 --> 00:34:19.039
 If this is your confidence,

00:34:19.160 --> 00:34:19.820
 what do we do?

00:34:21.400 --> 00:34:22.840
 David closes out this psalm

00:34:22.840 --> 00:34:24.320
 with a call to God's people.

00:34:24.440 --> 00:34:25.880
 Here's our application,

00:34:26.260 --> 00:34:26.500
 friend.

00:34:26.820 --> 00:34:27.480
 Verse 14.

00:34:29.099 --> 00:34:30.240
 Wait for the Lord.

00:34:30.239 --> 00:34:33.179
 Be strong

00:34:33.179 --> 00:34:33.979
 and let your heart

00:34:33.979 --> 00:34:35.079
 take courage.

00:34:35.459 --> 00:34:35.879
 Wait

00:34:35.879 --> 00:34:37.500
 for the Lord.

00:34:37.639 --> 00:34:38.899
 You want something to go do

00:34:38.899 --> 00:34:39.699
 this afternoon?

00:34:40.419 --> 00:34:40.879
 Wait

00:34:40.879 --> 00:34:42.239
 for the Lord.

00:34:43.799 --> 00:34:44.319
 Wait

00:34:44.319 --> 00:34:46.039
 for the Lord.

00:34:46.139 --> 00:34:47.019
 And as you wait,

00:34:47.779 --> 00:34:47.959
 friend,

00:34:48.019 --> 00:34:48.839
 remind yourself often

00:34:48.839 --> 00:34:49.299
 of the truth

00:34:49.299 --> 00:34:50.459
 that we just sang together.

00:34:51.059 --> 00:34:52.019
 What is our hope

00:34:52.019 --> 00:34:53.219
 in life and death?

00:34:53.559 --> 00:34:54.359
 Christ alone.

00:34:55.399 --> 00:34:56.559
 Christ alone.

00:34:57.419 --> 00:34:59.139
 What is our only confidence?

00:35:00.239 --> 00:35:01.199
 That our souls

00:35:01.199 --> 00:35:02.599
 to Him belong.

00:35:03.000 --> 00:35:04.139
 Who holds our days

00:35:04.139 --> 00:35:05.000
 within His hand?

00:35:05.099 --> 00:35:06.039
 What comes apart

00:35:06.039 --> 00:35:06.919
 from His command?

00:35:07.219 --> 00:35:08.399
 What will keep us

00:35:08.399 --> 00:35:09.179
 to the end?

00:35:09.419 --> 00:35:10.619
 The love of Christ

00:35:10.619 --> 00:35:12.500
 in which we stand.

00:35:12.719 --> 00:35:13.039
 Father,

00:35:13.159 --> 00:35:14.579
 we praise You

00:35:14.579 --> 00:35:15.399
 for the confidence

00:35:15.399 --> 00:35:16.919
 that You've given

00:35:16.919 --> 00:35:18.319
 Your people in Christ.

00:35:18.459 --> 00:35:19.339
 Not in ourselves,

00:35:19.539 --> 00:35:20.279
 but in You,

00:35:20.599 --> 00:35:20.779
 Lord.

00:35:22.239 --> 00:35:23.039
 Our salvation

00:35:23.039 --> 00:35:24.519
 is Your doing.

00:35:25.519 --> 00:35:26.719
 It is from You

00:35:26.719 --> 00:35:28.079
 and it is for You.

00:35:28.079 --> 00:35:29.619
 Lord,

00:35:29.679 --> 00:35:30.239
 I pray that You

00:35:30.239 --> 00:35:31.079
 would give every heart

00:35:31.079 --> 00:35:31.579
 in this room

00:35:31.579 --> 00:35:32.519
 a deep desire

00:35:32.519 --> 00:35:33.279
 to know You

00:35:33.279 --> 00:35:34.139
 and to seek You.

00:35:34.619 --> 00:35:34.920
 Father,

00:35:35.000 --> 00:35:36.239
 that we would find You

00:35:36.239 --> 00:35:36.860
 in Christ.

00:35:38.179 --> 00:35:38.980
 We love You, Lord.

00:35:39.039 --> 00:35:40.079
 We pray this in Jesus' name.

00:35:41.179 --> 00:35:41.400
 Amen.

00:35:41.400 --> 00:35:41.519
 Amen.

00:35:41.519 --> 00:35:41.559
 Amen.

00:35:41.559 --> 00:35:41.559


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00:35:41.559 --> 00:35:41.559