Sermon Tone Analysis

Distress and God

It is a misconception to think that Just because we follow Christ that we wont have troubles in our lives:

Tribulation- Suffering:

trouble involving direct suffering

We are promised troubles, But we are also promised that we can have hope

Peaces- It isn’t the absent of Troubles

In the midst of Hardship and suffering all believers can have “peace” in fellowship with Christ

The word peace mean:

a set of favorable circumstances involving peace and tranquility

The expression peace (Hb.

shalom) had a much richer connotation than the English word does since it conveyed not merely the absence of conflict and turmoil but also the notion of positive blessing, especially in terms of a right relationship with God (e.g., Num.

6:24–26; cf.

Ps. 29:11; Hag.

2:9, and also, as a result, the idea that “all is well” in one’s life).

This may be manifested most clearly amid persecution and tribulation; see also John 15:18–19; 16:33.

Peace is seen most clearly in tribulation and persecution

Think of the stories we read in the bible of persecution-

Daniel and the Lions den: you have to have peace with God in order to do what he did

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego- They had to have peace with their relationship with God in order to say “God can rescue us from the fire, but even if he doesn’t we wont bow”

Think of where their Hope was.

It is to have no Worries- Tranquility

Jesus tells the disciples to be courageous

Why?

Because Jesus has overcome.

Our hope isn’t in anything or anyone this side of heaven

Our Hope is in the one who has overcome

The one who is returning as the conquering King who says “take heart I have overcome.”

When I think of Peace and tranquility I think of Jesus calming the storm in Mark 4

Still Have no Faith

to believe to the extent of complete trust and reliance—‘to believe in, to have confidence in, to have faith in, to trust, faith, trust.’

The problem is that when we go through the hard times in life we forget the promises of God:

When things don’t go the way we want them to

when home life is hard

when depression starts to creep in

when doubt who we are in Christ

when we loose sight of what God has done for us

Trial put muscle on our Faith

Job- went through many trial the worst anyone could imagine- He loses all of His possessions and while Hi servant is still telling Him about all of the loss, another servant comes running over to tell Him a house fell on his Children.

What does he say?

“Naked I came in this world and naked I will Leave, the Lod gives and He takes away.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Next Job is stuck with boils and he scrapped them off with a piece of broken potery

Then His wife tells Him to curse God and Die

And if you Look at Jobs life what you find is Job was a man of complete integrity that turned away from evil and feared God.

God even brags about His servant- “There is no one like him”

But yet calamity struck, and Job never blamed it on anything.

There is an entire book of the bible called Lamentations-

Two types of Psalms:

Lament and Praise:

Psalms 142 in a lament:

Song expressing anguish to God for trouble caused by God, external forces, or personal weaknesses.

It is a complaint of cry

Is there more lament (or crying Psalms) or more Psalms of Praise?

A Maskil - a contemplative poem

David is reflecting on His life and the situation he is going through

Can you relate to any of this Psalm?

I would guarantee that at some point we have all felt like the begin of this Psalm

Context could be 1 Sam 22:1

What is happening in David’s life?

3 things to do when in distress:

Cry-

David says “ I Pour out my Complaint before the Lord”

“I cry out plead for mercy”

“tell my trouble”

Each of these terms are given to the Lord, showing who David depends on.

He has no one else.

“I have none to trust but you.”

His only Hope is God

God is big enough for us to unload everything to Him

When we are Helplessness: we hope in the One who able to do all that He has promised:

We can cry out to God:

We are called to live by faith:

Faith is helplessness reaching out in to dependence upon God

We are called to Trust in God

God hears our cries and says

Cling-

“you know my way”

Getting back to the truth-

Cling to the promises of God

dependance on God

Get back to the word

No one left

Verse 4- military term: the person to my right, his shield is a protective interment for me- soldiers would line up and in your right hand you would hold your weapon and the person to the right would be your defense

“I’m all by myself”

No one cares for my life

Continue to praise

CSB “Even if he kills me, I will hope in Him.”

Sounds similar to three Hebrew boys when they faced certain death for not bowing to a Golden image

Verses 5-7 “Deliver Me from MY Persecutors”

You are my refuge- He has come to his senses

Verse four he said “I have no refuge”

Trust that God will deliver you

“The lord is my portion , therefore I will hope”

“Great is your faithfulness!”

When we return to our senses we cant help but Praise God for all he done

He is faithful

He is our help

He is our strength

He is our salvation!

Just like the writer of Psalms 142- we need to recognize how we should respond when we see the answers, “Blessed be the name of the Lord forever?”