Sure Steps for Uncertain Times - Part B

Start over in a week is not over influence may not be over in a month, perseverance and prayer is better than panic. This will not last forever, when it's all done to look back and sort of figure out why God can answer those questions later, but while we were going through it be a Christian be self-service, you know, raised up the supernatural and natural to fear what you are called a supernatural.

The soulless David talk about walking through the valley of the shadow of death, not living there indefinitely today on connect with skip-Scripture some encouragement to get you through this crisis, letting you know how God is with you, especially in times like Skip wants to share her divorce can keep encouraging messages like the one you here today coming to well there's no doubt that these are interesting times that we live in, but they can become unnerving and unsettling, especially as we become more and more isolated from one another more than ever we need the truth, and encouragement of God's word to help give us God's perspective when the temptation can be to embrace fear and anxiety more aggressively here at connect with skip. I take we believe that God has called us to help encourage and equip you in such a time as this. We have messages and resources on our website@connectwithskip.com and on our mobile app and as we continue to send out teaching of God's word around the world. It's more important than ever that we don't have to pull back on our ministry because of finance your gift today will help us continue to deliver God's word to you and others in this new remote environment that we find ourselves. You can call 800-922-1888 four. You can visit us@connectwith.com to give your gift today.

Thank you for standing with us this time they can skip. We're in Psalm 27 as we get into the message with Skip Heitzig since the Lord is my light and since the Lord is my salvation. That's why I not get a fear in other words, if there is a God. And if that God is as the Bible declares him to be. I need to be more afraid of him than what's going on around me, and it is not exactly what Jesus said. He said do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul but rather fear him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell. So if there's any fear here. It should be what is God going to do with my life and what am I gonna do with this God. That's what we need to be thinking.

See, I don't have to be afraid of of an enemy that is unseen. I have a friend that is unseen. The Lord he is my light and my salvation. I love the fact the Davis of the Lord is my light because one thing we all know about darkness when when it gets dark when the shadows come at night. We have to turn on the little lights in our house.

Darkness usually accentuates people's fear. That's when our imaginations come out of the closet and get all wonky and weird on us. We start imagining weird things of the what if's come out at night.

What if this happens, what if that happens you know were always dealing with those scenarios so the Lord is my light now in the Bible. Light physically speaks of the glory of God light is always pure and brilliant inequality so it speaks of of God's glory morally light speaks of the holiness of God. He's always sure Morley has a spotless character intellectually light speaks of the knowledge of God's will. Think of all those implications.

The Lord is my light I think of it, physically, morally, intellectually, God knows everything right so he is omniscient, my love. In Exodus chapter 3 the children of Israel are facing an affliction. And God said, I have seen the affliction of my people I ever heard their groans and I am come down to deliver them. Thus the light of God.

That's that's the likely speaking of so so you can't see God but God can see you.

God sees right where you're at because he can see you. You can live confidently. I was reading about the Impala. The African probably go to the zoo. Probably just about any zoo in Siena.

Paula, a what you may not know is you're looking over the little fence and looking at the Impala. The little 3 foot high fence to keep the Nepal and did you know and Paula can jump 10 feet high and when he jumps 10 feet high. He can cover ground about 30 feet in a 10 foot jump yet a 3 foot fence keeps them contained want to know why it's because in Apollo will not jump if he can't see where his feet are going to land. That means this creature lives completely by site and not by faith. What is the Bible say about us creatures we live by faith and not by sight. We can jump in the dark because God is light that that's where we can trust because of who he is.

So the first step is vigilance were where we gotta know it's going on with the precautions, but confidence the Lord is my light, whom shall I fear the third sure staff in uncertain times is the step of reverence, worship, we need to pause after realizing who God is, to worship in verse four he says one thing I have desired of the Lord and that will I seek that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.

For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion in the secret place of his tabernacle, he shall hide me, he shall set me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me. Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in his tabernacle. I will sing yes I will sing praises to the Lord, hero, Lord, when I cry with my voice, have mercy upon me and answer me. Here's what I love about the way David crafts the song. It's as if he saying when trouble overwhelms me. I'm going to let God overwhelm my trouble, to bring God so near and in my worship that I'm I'm to be overwhelmed by him and let God overwhelm my trouble. Think of Job, you know, we talked about a Mart in the study will know about them, but we also know about Joe's wife and a sheet she was overwhelmed by the sorrow happening to her husband and in her own family, the loss of her children and she was so overwhelmed by it. You know what she said curse God and die hundred dollars, which he said her husband curse God dude and just die but fake news, I like that. What I love is how Job was so overwhelmed by God because he said it says he fell to his knees and he worshiped God. We have the same choice and I'm noticing how people are making choices is fine. If I look at Twitter and I'm looking at the feeds of my I get prominent Christian leaders.

I watch the hundreds of people to respond.

Many of them respond to this by cursing God, while others respond by calling on God just to, you can see, and in the reading of the emotions that are behind so trials have a tendency to move us toward God or move us away from God. I was making phone calls this week to people in our church. Some poor, elderly, some who are sick and just to hear the words of faith, not fear was so encouraging. Some of you that I talk to, you know, you're such a love for God and trust in him, and you're not.

You're not fearful of this, you gonna go into the future and some are facing terminal illness. I spoke to a young lady was a few weeks to live.

But she had such a joy in her heart surrounded by her family filled with faith. It's so encourage me that you can let God overwhelm your problems is with David us. He assesses the danger he he expresses confidence and he worships God many years ago when there was another crisis in the world called world war two, and London was being bombed by the Nazis.

One church on the sign out front that said, if your knees are knocking Neil on them. I love that D moved in the right direction be moved in prayer and that's where David's at here. He says there's one thing I have desired of the Lord and that I will seek to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

Notice how emphatic David is you know he is so focused.

He has a single-minded passion of pursuing God.

It's like it's like he's looking for God in the scope of his rifle and is in a hone in and zero in on him alone in pursuing him alone, we've learned one overarching truth in this trial called coronavirus that his life is unpredictable. It's unpredictable. No one saw this coming. If you few people predicted, it is an outside chance but no one saw this coming. Like it came which means long before the crisis happens you and I need to be prepared for it. David was prepared before the battle actually hit by his time of prayer with the Lord. Whether you're prepared or not you. You can prepare quickly. Right now Cliff notes preparation by letting your life daily.

Be filled with worship and prayer. Jesus said this man ought always to pray and not to faint. So ask yourself, and then move on from this, but ask yourself a typical in my life is per been a first response or a last resort, but it was his last resort honestly and maybe you're praying now like you've never prayed before.

Good and let that continue after the crisis ends but I want you to notice him before we move on to the next point that is in verse four he talks about beholding the beauty of the Lord.

One thing I desired of the Lord, that will I seek that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.

I know a lot of us are beholding a lot of ugly things happening are beholding the news as the death toll rises were beholding Netflix.

Some of us are binge watching like never before, or Amazon prime movie channel you need to take time. Honestly, to behold the beauty of the Lord go outside on these beautiful spring days and look at the leaves turning green again in life, coming back into our environment.

The birds that are singing somebody sent me a tweet today of the birds outside singing and are not worrying in a base on our last lesson do that behold the beauty of the Lord. So vigilance confidence reverence. The next step is obedience. Obedience yup, there's no excuse for not obeying God.

Verse eight tells us when you said seek my face, my heart said to you, your face, Lord, I will seek look at what he prays in verse 11, teach me your way. It's an obedient heart teach me your way. Oh Lord and leave me in a smooth path because of my enemies. Notice how quick David's responses soon as you said seek my face. I said okay, to seek your face now is a question. How did the Lord say to David seek my face could be that he just audibly set a David seek my face or in this what I think, probably through the present distress he was experiencing the enemies the war of the vitriolic language that he heard being surrounded in whatever situation he was, he probably heard the Lord nudging him through the experience to seek his face so it's as if David and this is what I believe is the heart here. It's as if David is saying this crisis has amplified God's voice better than ever before. Nothing about that because trouble amplifies both the reality that we are in a fallen world, but also amplifies our need to keep our priorities.

You've all heard this I know many time CS Lewis famous quote. He said God whispers to us in our pleasures. He shouts to us in our pain. Pain is God's megaphone to rouse a deaf world.

So what is God been shouting to us lately what I can think of a few things.

Number one the brevity of life. Life is short is only one thing guaranteed for all living creatures. Death were all going to die could be a traffic accident could be a heart attack and work hundred and four, it could be next week. The brevity of life and his recent see the death toll rising. I think it's a good thing to be reminded of the brevity of life. Number two it God might be shouting to us of misplaced priorities and up until this time, this country is bragged about its great economy brag about it strength, we are brought to our knees were in a place of humility. Now and another thing God may be shouting is the reality of heaven and hell and maybe you're not really right with God may view you have received Christ as your Lord and Savior.

You need to be ready. You need to be ready so because of the overwhelming nature of crisis, we usually tend to be reactive rather than obedient and and were limited into what we can do.

The Bible says we should gather together we can do that we can't sing together we we can't fellowship in close proximity and so being isolated and doing church like this you don't sorta drive some people to be paralyzed by the problem were glued to our TV were looking for information from Earth rather than transformation from heaven were just want the information in the let the Lord transform us individually and as a church. Maybe God is shouting out to you.

Hey seek my face, and your response in mind should be your face, Lord, will I seek your face with choices every day, and when there's a pandemic like this were also faced with what we do about people around us because usually in enterprise. I guess we tend to just think about ourselves and her family. John Calvin, who faced epidemics of disease as well as Martin Luther, whom I quoted last weekend. John Calvin said duty must not be neglected no more in an epidemic disease than in war or fire, so times like this demonstrate our trust in God and are promises that God is made. Really this is this is a time to enjoy the peace of God that passes all understanding that the promise. We should be enjoying that hand looking out for those most vulnerable and how we can help. I hope you join this kindness campaign, and we want to bless the city during a time when they feel blasted. We want to be a blessing. Today we want to be a blessing to you, so vigilance, confidence, reverence, obedience was a for sure steps to take when life seems uncertain. Let me give you a final one, and that is expectance expectance in verse 13 he said I would've lost heart. I would have lost heart unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. I remember reading that verse as a young believer, and that impacted me. I was driving in a car.

I shouldn't have been doing this but I have my Bible open while I was driving was on the freeway. I was going up to give a Bible study but is going through a very difficult time and I glanced down at my seat and I saw that verse and I decided since I had about 30 minutes to drive, commit that the memory such a powerful force.

I would've lost heart. Unless, and here's why won't this art I believed I expected that I would see the goodness of God in the land of the living. Now I wonder as I read Psalm 27 is is David writing this to his audience. Was he speaking this to himself. I think he might've been writing this to himself, and I member my dad used to say that he talked to himself because he like to hear a wise man speak and so that was sort of his excuse to do it. David inspired by the Lord I think is writing this to himself and is not uncommon in the book of Psalms. He does this, not infrequently. For example, in Psalm 62. David said my soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and salvation.

He is my defense, I shall not be moved so he talks to himself in both of the Psalms, and he saying that is my expectation. Not only am I noticing what's going on around me. Not only my trusting in the Lord. But I'm expecting God to do something to this.

I'm expecting good things. I have a future beyond today. So me ask you this, have you really entrusted this time to him.

This is historic man.

I'm not saying it's an awesome, wonderful thing with this is something that for generations people are than the look back on is your expectation from him.

Are you expecting him to do something you expect to see God's goodness displayed in the midst of this chaos. Here's my suggestion. Here's not the homework assignment takes Psalm 27 and II just barely touched on some of these truths are so many other ones, but use it as a prayer template. Not only this weekend, but in the coming week. Let's all decide whether to be unified by common prayer and all of us in this fellowship. Those of you who are watching in your watch parties willing to take Psalm 27 and this week willing to pray through this song pray through these five aspects in your group meetings this week, call a friend over the phone, pray through these five things in her own words and give God the glory you know nothing takes Satan off more than people who trust God and pray to God I want to tick Satan off. I really do you know the old adage that says Satan trembles when he sees of the week is saying upon his knees get on her knees this week. Let's pray Psalm 27 so let me recap me take all that we just said and give a few fine points on a number one no, there is a God and he cares for you passionately and the God who cares for you knows what suffering is like personally. He knows what it's like to sacrifice his son. His son son knows what it's like to have nails driven through them you are speaking to a suffering God hee hee relates to your suffering.

He was in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. So know there's a God and you're speaking to a God who will suffer number two perseverance. It's not over in a week is not over in two weeks may not be over in a month, perseverance and prayer is better than panic.

This will not last last forever when it's all done within the look back and so to figure out why God allowed this we can answer those questions later on. But while were going through it be a Christian through the be your best self. Through this time. You know, it raised up to supernatural living natural to fear what you are called the supernatural of third and finally, consider the claims of Christ the personal claims of crises and on the way, the truth of life.

He said I am the only way to the father. He made very exclusive claims that if you've not done it before you need to consider the claims of Christ, who not only made those claims but suffered, and rose from the dead. One of the greatest proofs of the existence of God is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We believe he is still alive. If you doubt that, I challenge you to commit your life to him and see if you won't meet you where you are and change you forever. So once again is only one thing certain about your life and that is you're going to die. Have you come to grips with your own mortality and are you ready to meet God. If you're not I want you to get ready right now, right where you are if you had a walk that sort of been in and out insert a superficially Christian, you need to come to him surrender your life to him and if you've not done that picture you're seeing this happen know that one day if it's not this one day you leave this earth are you ready to meet God.

Here's how you can get ready God gave a solution to the fall of humanity. He sent his son into a fallen world, broken by sin broken by pain broken by poverty broken by disease to take punishment and suffering and death and then conquer death so that anybody who trusts in him would be promised everlasting life life beyond this life really a great life with no pain, no suffering, no tears, but doesn't come automatically. You have to say yes to him. If you've never done that only join a prayer and I want you to pray this from your heart. It's just a simple prayer of faith to him surrender. You are to say Lord I know I'm a sinner.

Please forgive me.

I believe that you sent Jesus Christ into this broken world to die for me and to rise again from the dead. I turned from my sin, I repent. I want to leave it behind, and I turned to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. I want to follow him. I want your piece. I want to experience your love and yes, I want to experience your joy even during this time and so I give you my life. I make Jesus the King of my life and I want to know what it is to follow you today and every day in Jesus name Amen that wraps up its message sure shifts were uncertain if you prayed to invite Jesus into your love to tell you a little more about this exciting decision you made to hear from his neck with skip.com/connectwithskip.com/no go now before we go want to tell you about a special resource that will give you some helpful insight about the book of Revelation. How would you like to predict the future 100 years ago Amanda John Watkins. This facility and try predicted by the day exterminating cockroaches was kudos and we no longer use the CQ acts still at Xerox's truth beyond our ability to predict what God's word tells us everything we need to know about what's ahead. Bill is the times we want to help you understand with the future holds. I think you can understand the book of Revelation to include helpful illustrations to study the resources argued relation today of $35 or more to help keep these Bible-based teachings on the connectwithskip.com/offer today and get your copy if you can address the book of Revelation or call 800 9218 8892 1880, come back tomorrow and Skip like six years how you can build up your spiritual life.

During this global health. One meaning and social distancing finds itself in the Bible and once again underscored it is an act of loving your neighbor as yourself.

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