(News: April 14, 2020)
Long before the current Coronavirus crisis, I knew that we’d have a short preaching series between the end of Luke and the beginning of the summer series. I knew, after preaching all these long passages in Luke, that I wanted to preach something with only a few verses each week. God led me to Psalm 143, and as I read it I thought of the many people I know who’ve struggled with depression and darkness. It seemed good to focus for a few weeks on a Psalm of lament, and on the responses we can embrace when depression or darkness overtake us.
Then came the Coronavirus, which has given all of us a chance to taste some of that anxiety.
So for five weeks, from April 26, 2020 to May 24, we’ll be looking at Psalm 143 a few verses at a time. My key sentence for the series is “Coronavirus is a good time to learn to lament and respond.”
We have a simple study guide for this series here: Psalm 143 – Lament and Response
So here’s the plan:
Psalm 143: Coronavirus is a good time to learn to lament and respond
Psalm 143:1-12 (DSV) (The ‘DeGray Standard Version,’ which is Bob’s way of saying he’s combined words and phrases from several other versions, while still basing most of the translation on the English Standard Version)
1Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness and in your righteousness, answer me! 2Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. 3For the enemy has pursued my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me dwell in darkness like those long dead. 4Therefore my spirit is weak within me; my heart within me is desolate.
5I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands. 6I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah
7Answer me quickly, O Lord! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. 8Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for I put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
9Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord! I flee to you for cover. 10Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!
11For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life! In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble! 12In your steadfast love vanquish my enemies and destroy all those hostile to my soul, for I am your servant.
Date: April 26, 2020
Title: Lament
Text: Psalm 143:1-4
Worship: Hear My Cry
Key Sentence: We lament when our selves and our circumstances weigh us down
Outline:
I. The cry of lament
II. The crisis within: my unrighteousness
III. The crisis without: my circumstances
IV. The consequence: my depression
Psalm 143:1-4 Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness and in your righteousness, answer me! 2Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. 3For the enemy has pursued my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me dwell in darkness like those long dead. 4Therefore my spirit is weak within me; my heart within me is desolate.
Date: May 3, 2020
Title: Remember and Thirst
Text: Psalm 143:5-6
Worship: Remember and Proclaim
Key Sentence: The first response to despair is to remember God and thirst for him
Outline:
I. Remembering
II. Thirsting
Psalm 143:5-6 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands. 6I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah
Date: May 10, 2020
Title: Seek and Trust
Text: Psalm 143:7-8
Worship: Your Steadfast Love
Key Sentence: Despair is the right time to seek God’s face and trust his chesed
Outline:
I. Seeking God (Psalm 143:7)
II. Trusting God (Psalm 143:8)
Psalm 143:7-8 Answer me quickly, O Lord! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. 8Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for I put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
Date: May 17, 2020
Title: Pursue and Follow
Text: Psalm 143:9-10
Worship: My Refuge
Key Sentence: In times of distress flee to God and follow his Spirit into his will.
Outline:
I. Flee to His refuge
II. Seek His will
III. Follow His Spirit
Psalm 143:9-10 Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord! I flee to you for cover. 10Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!
Date: May 24, 2020
Title: Submit
Text: Psalm 143:11-12
Worship: I am Your Servant
Key Sentence: As we submit to God his perfect character is revealed in our lives
Outline:
I. We live for his name’s sake
Ia. He acts in righteousness toward us
IIa. His steadfast love acts on our behalf
II. We are his servants
Psalm 143:11-12 For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life! In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble! 12In your steadfast love vanquish my enemies and destroy all those hostile to my soul, for I am your servant.
