Week Beginning:
9th October 2016
Worship Series:
Theme Verse
One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
Psalm 27:4
Remember This Week
You'll experience all kinds of ugly situations in this fallen world.
But the more you learn to trust that God is in ultimate control of what
you're going through and is with you through it all, the more you'll see
beauty emerge from the ugliness. For your God specialises in making
beautiful things out of dust!
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:24-26
Thank you, Jesus,for coming as the light for the world.
Shine into the ugliness of the darkness, so that we may see the beauty of your love, and follow in
the way you show us. We ask this in your precious name. Amen. Jesus, in whose name we pray.
Amen.
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Highs and Lows for the week.
Accountability time. How did you go with your living purposefully from last time?
What is the most beautiful thing in creation that you have witnessed personally?
What's the worst trouble you ever got into as a child?
Where have you seen beauty shine out in the midst of an ugly situation?
In those moments, when suffering enters your door, when unexpected trouble comes your way,
when you turn a corner in life and face something you never thought you would face, what do you
do and where do you turn? For it is at these times when life gets messy, that we have a theological
discussion with ourself. It's what we say to ourselves about ourself and about God, that will
determine how we are going to respond - whether we sink into a mire of depression or step forward
with a quiet strength. David shows us in Psalm 27 what makes that difference in finding beauty in
the midst of the ugliness of life.
Read Psalm 27
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What phrases or words from this Psalm stick out in your mind?
What other passages of Scripture come to mind that help inform that word or phrase?
In what situations do you find it difficult to wait?
What are some of the things you do when you are waiting for circumstances to change in
your life?
Psalm 27 is a Psalm of trust in the midst of trouble. When the Psalms speak of waiting, they do
not mean the tedious waiting we often associate with waiting in lines or waiting in “waiting rooms”.
This waiting is not the spiritual equivalent of “twiddling our thumbs”. Rather, waiting for God is an
active process where we wait with “tip-toe expectancy”, expecting God to act at any moment.
David knew from experience what it meant to wait for the Lord. He was anointed king at age
sixteen, but didn’t become king until he was thirty. Not only did he wait to become king, but he spent
him time of waiting running for his life from King Saul. During this time, David learned confident
dependency on God. He learned first-hand that God could be trusted! Psalm 27 was written after
David became king and even in the midst of new battles, he is confident that he will see the goodness
of the Lord.
10. What are the three reasons that David gives as to why he doesn't need to be afraid in any
situation?
11. How does the fact that the Lord is your “light”, “salvation” and “stronghold” help you respond
to your fears?
12. In what ways has the Lord been light and safety for you recently?
13. What do you learn about God as light in each of the following verses?
Psalm 43:3
Psalm 119:130
John 8:12 and 12:46
John 3:19,20
1 John 1:5
14. If you could shine the spotlight on one area of your life right now that is causing you concern
or worry, what would it be?
15. Is God as light always welcome in your life? When might he not be?
16. Read verse 4 again. In the midst of his trials, what is the one thing that David asks for?
17. In this psalm David expresses a singleness of focus and purpose. Paul expresses the same
in Philippians 3:10-11. How would you describe your focus and purpose at this point in your
life?
18. What do you find beautiful about God?
In effect, what David is saying in this Psalm, is that when he is under pressure, when he feels afraid,
that the place he most longs to be is in Church. For it is in Church that we experience the full beauty
of God, the beauty of his forgiving love, the beauty of his gracious Word, the beauty of his real
presence in the Lord's Supper. It is in Church, we are reminded of God's beautiful plan to bring all
things under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It is in worship that the face of God shines on us again,
giving us the confidence to trust in God's good timing and live boldly even when we are confronted
with the ugliness of sin in our own lives and that of the wrold.
19. How does worshipping and seeking God's face give you confidence in an uncertain world?
20. How have you experienced the beauty of God in worship?
Read 1 Chonicles 22:19; Colossians 3:1-2
Both the Old and New Testaments tell us that seeking the Lord is a “setting of the mind and heart”
on God. It is the conscious fixing or focusing of our mind’s attention and our heart’s affection on
God.
21. How might you more intentionally seek God's face this week and discover a beauty in his
presence that enables you to trust him when the ugliness of the world fills you with fear or
uncertainty?
• Praise God for the beauty of his presence which shines in our lives. Thank Jesus that out of
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the ashes of sin, his grace makes something new and beautiful of our lives. Ask the Holy
Spirit to let the beauty of the Lord radiate out and shine forth from our lives.
Pray for those who are afraid or despairing of life because of the darkness that is surrounding
them, that they may find hope in the face of Jesus.
Pray for perspective and a focus that comes from spending time with God in worship.
Pray for those on the land as they prepare for harvest.
Pray for all those preparing for HSC exams that God would calm their hearts and their fears
as they seek his face and his presence.
Turn to the person next to you and make the sign of the cross on the palm of their hand or forehead as you say:
Name, may God's beauty shine through you. Amen.