This is the manuscript for the sermon preached at Christ Church Los Angeles January 28, 2024. This is the third sermon in the series on worship based on Psalms 95:6 NKJV [6] Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
The chief end of man is to worship God and to enjoy him forever. Genuine worship is a dynamic experience that brings about dramatic changes in the life of the worshiper. We need to improve the quality of both our public worship and our private worship activities.
Scripture Reading:
Psalms 32:1-11 NIV [1] Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. [2] Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. [3] When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. [4] For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. [5] Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. [6] Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. [7] You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. [8] I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. [9] Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. [10] Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him. [11] Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Introduction
Text: Psalms 32:7 NIV [7] You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
The psalmists including David referred to God as a shelter, refuge or hiding place.
Psalms 46:1-3 NIV [1] God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. [2] Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, [3] though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
Psalms 91:1-2 NIV [1] Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. [2] I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Psalms 119:114 NIV [114] You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.
David is believed to be the author of Psalm 32 which I read and from which I took my text. David was in a lot of situations in his life which prompted his affirmation that God was his hiding place.
We did a long study of David’s life in bible study and we saw all his triumphs and his tragedies.
He found strength in God when he fought Goliath, the Philistine giant.
1 Samuel 17:45-47 NIV [45] David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. [46] This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. [47] All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
David found strength in God when he had to flee from the jealous rage of Saul.
Psalms 63:1-10 NIV [1] You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. [2] I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. [3] Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. [4] I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. [5] I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. [6] On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. [7] Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. [8] I cling to you; your right hand upholds me. [9] Those who want to kill me will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth. [10] They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals.
When he led the armies of Israel into battle, David knew the Lord to be a hiding place.
2 Samuel 5:17-25 NIV [17] When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. [18] Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; [19] so David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?” The Lord answered him, “Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.” [20] So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, the Lord has broken out against my enemies before me.” So that place was called Baal Perazim. [21] The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off. [22] Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; [23] so David inquired of the Lord, and he answered, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. [24] As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.” [25] So David did as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.
Throughout David’s life, he ran to God seeking refuge.
I. All of us need a hiding place.
A. David’s life demonstrated a definite need for a hiding place. Many good things could be said about David—he was rich, strong, famous, a man after God’s own heart, as it says in.
Acts 13:22 NIV [22] After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’
However even though God said that about David if we made a graph of his life it would show many ups and downs. He lived through a mixture of sunlight and shadows, times of laughing and crying, triumph and tragedy.
David needed a hiding place for his diversified experiences of life.
B. All of us need a hiding place at times. Life brings with it sunshine and shadows, triumphs and troubles. Our lives are filled with so many activities that we live according to a clock and calendar. The pressure of daily living drives us to a hiding place.
Sin and temptation force us to a hiding place. When David was confronted with the reality of his sin, he ran to a hiding place with God.
Our text says he wrote “You are my hiding place…..”
We are constantly assaulted by the enemy Satan. Temptation is a terror to us. During times of temptation, we need a hiding place. Jesus was tempted, and he resisted. He too had a hiding place. That hiding place was the Word of God.
In Matthew 4 1-11 we read about the temptation of Jesus by Satan and in those verses Jesus said “it is written 3 times.
When he resisted, Satan left him alone and angels ls came and ministered to him.
Matthew 4:11 NIV [11] Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Dangers face us, and we are fearful. In this world today we live with the constant reminder that nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons could be used for a global war. God can be our refuge from that fear during the threatening dangers of life. The danger is still there but we can find peace in the fact that we can run to God for refuge and find peace. The peace of God is a refuge. (Use the death of Cherice as an example).
Sorrows and sadness teach us the need for a hiding place.
Philippians 4:4-7 NIV [4] Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! [5] Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. [6] Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
The peace of God, “which transcends all understanding,” is the harmony and calmness of body, mind, and spirit trusting in the power and grace of God.
II. All of us can have a hiding place.
A. David identified his hiding place.
David’s hiding place was not in his royal standing, his knowledge, his possessions, or his friends. He identified God as his hiding place.
Psalms 61:1-3 NIV [1] Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. [2] From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. [3] For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.
B. God is an amazing hiding place.
Only God is adequate for whatever life may bring. Through the years people have found God to be a trustworthy hiding place. I have found Him to be a hiding place.
Psalms 46:1-3 NIV [1] God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. [2] Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, [3] though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
Places of refuge are sufficient only if they are stronger than the storms. You would not want to hide in a place that could be destroyed by a storm. God is sufficient. No trials or troubles are stronger than him.
Proverbs 18:10 NIV [10] The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
John 16:33 is a passage that summarizes the message that believers should remain faithful through hardship and persecution because God is our hiding place, our fortress our refuge.
John 16:33 NIV [33] “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
In other words, "You will have trouble in this world. Don't be surprised by it, but I speak peace into the middle of that, because I have overcome the world".
III. All of us can benefit from a hiding place.
A. David testified that the secret of his life was his relationship with the Lord..
B. Going to God for a hiding place will bring many benefits to our lives.
1. First, we will enjoy the blessed presence of God.
Someone greater than ourselves walks with us throughout the life. His Word is a great comfort as we face a variety of life situations.
Psalms 16:11 NIV [11] You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand
2. A second benefit of going to God for refuge is that we have his protection.
Psalms 46:1-3 NIV [1] God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. [2] Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, [3] though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
Of course God does not insulate his people against trouble, but he protects them during the trouble.
3. A third great benefit of going to God for a hiding place is that we gain God’s perspective.
Isaiah 55:8-11 NIV [8] “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. [9] “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. [10] As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, [11] so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Times of private and corporate worship give a new outlook on life, and that’s what we’ve been talking about all month. Worship.
The chief end of man is to worship God and to enjoy him forever. Genuine worship is a dynamic experience that brings about dramatic changes in the life of the worshiper. It's not where you worship, how you worship, or when you worship it’s who you worship.
Let’s pray
Lord, we feel safe with You. When the world is spinning out of control, we know we can run to You. But we keep peeking out at the Enemy’s ambush. And when we do, we feel afraid. We feel overwhelmed.
But when we fix our eyes on You, all fear is gone. Your peace overcomes us in ways that cannot be explained. You make us brave. You make us laugh with joy unspeakable. What a mighty God You are!
Truly You are our hiding place; You preserve us from trouble. Thank You for Your faithfulness to us. You, Lord, are our hiding place. There’s no other place we would rather be. We praise You, Lord.
In the Name of Jesus, we pray, Amen
Conclusion
Have you prepared for the storms of life? Or are storms battering your life right now? Are you still looking for a hiding place. You can find refuge in God. He never turns away those who repent of their sins and open their lives to him.
Do you want to know rest, joy, peace, security and affection? Do you want to know what it means to belong? Surrender and commit your life and your heart to Christ. I guarantee that you can know peace with God, peace of soul, peace of mind and joy such as you have never experienced.
Romans 10:9-10 NIV [9] If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
“Heavenly Father, I thank you for sending your only begotten Son to die for my sins. I thank you for redeeming me by His precious blood and forgiving me of my sins. I confess my sins and repent of my dead works, and I ask for a rebirth and a new beginning. I put faith in your Son, Jesus Christ, as my Lord and Savior. I know there is salvation in no other name, under heaven. I pray Lord Jesus that you will come into my life, and guide and direct me in all of your ways. I pray this prayer in Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.
When you make this decision, you can say, “I have found a hiding place in Jesus my Lord.”
Sermon Audio
