Inquiring of the Lord
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
Intentionally develop the practice of inquiring of God (v4).
1. Questions
v7 “be gracious… answer me!”
v11 “teach me your way”
v14 “wait for the Lord”
2. Reflection
v4 “one thing I have asked”
v6 “and now my head shall be lifted up”
v13 “I believe that I shall…”
v1 “whom shall I fear?
Prayer of Confession
Our wise and loving God, we are assembled this day to seek you. We confess our negligence, our laziness, our foolishness. We have made choices without having inquired. We have done what we know is contrary to your ways. We have acted out of fear and anger, and have failed to act out of love, truth and mercy. Forgive every sin. Renew our hearts. Grant us mercy. Teach us your way. We believe we shall see your goodness because you have revealed it in Jesus Christ. Help us to see your grace more this day. Amen.
Questions for Reflection
How do you discern God’s will? How do you approach decisions to make good choices?
What do you find hardest about inquiring of God?
What questions do you have for God right now? How will you work out these questions with God?
What are some reasons you are not asking God about certain things?
What next steps do you need to take to form better prayer habits?
Why is it important to reflect on God’s character, the big picture of His redemptive plan, His specific kindness to you, etc.? How can meditating on these things frame your life and give a foundation for moving forward in it?
Do you believe you will see the goodness of the Lord? Where are you currently seeing it, or where have you seen it in the past?