Behold God's Beauty
Audio Recording
Sermon Outline
Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Psalm 27
Psalm 27 (ESV)
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.
3 Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.
4 One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.
5 For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.
6 And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
8 You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
9 Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the Lord will take me in.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.
13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!
Sermon Outline
Seek God to behold His beauty, which will stir your soul to joyful worship.
1. Superficial
v4 “to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord”
2. Sincere
v6 “I will sing and make melody to the Lord”
3. Surprising
v5 “he will conceal me under the cover of his tent…” v6 “I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy”
v13 “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living”
Prayer of Confession
Our glorious God, who dwells in inaccessible light: you are worthy of all praise and adoration. We humble ourselves, acknowledging our need of mercy. We have failed to discern your beauty. We have pursued what appeals to our eyes but we have been fools, seeking pleasure because of selfish longings. Forgive us. Grant us your grace. Renew our spirits so that in seeking you we may find true satisfaction and joy. Fill our lives with your truth, beauty and goodness. Amen.
Questions for Reflection
What do you find beautiful? What do you see or experience that stirs delight in you?
Do you wrestle with boredom? Are you frequently needing stimulation? Why do you seek pleasure?
Which of the four components of prayer in the ACTS model do you find most difficult: adoration, confession, thanksgiving or supplication? Why?
What specific things can you do to spend time praying in adoration?
How is adoration different from thanksgiving? Why are both necessary?
How does Jesus reveal the beauty of God? What kinds of things can we discern in Jesus that connects us to something transcendent?
How can you begin each day mindful of God and how can you go through the day watchful for truth, beauty and goodness? What commitments can you make in order to be more consistent in this?