Sermon Central
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What To Do In The Day Of Trouble Series
Contributed by Kevin Broyhill on Sep 26, 2024 (message contributor)
Summary: Psalm 41 describes a "time of trouble". Like David and Jesus, we all face our own evil days. Ephesians 6:13 reminds us to put on the whole armor of God to stand firm in these times of spiritual warfare. No one is immune, but God equips us to endure.
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What to Do in The Evil Day!
Psalm 41
Introduction:
Look: v.1 – Underline: 4 words: “in time of trouble.”
“Time” = a season – season of trouble
“Trouble” = more than a trial or difficulty – (lit) day of evil or evil day.
“Evil Day” = when the enemy comes in like flood – seeks to overwhelm and overpower us… swallow us up.
Psalm 41 = David facing an evil day.
- Fearful for his life (2)
- Weak & helpless (3,4)
- Conspired against (5-8) – story behind Psalm – rebellion of Absalom. 2 Sam. 15-19
- Betrayed (9) – Ahithophel
Lord Jesus = had His evil day.
Psalm 41 – Messianic in nature – reached beyond David to the Lord Jesus.
Lord = quoted (v.9) – to Judas the night he betrayed Him… handed the Lord over to His enemies… condemn and crucify Him!
Times = we face our evil day.
Eph. 6:13 – “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Christian = warfare – forces of evil.
Truth = none of us are immune from facing an evil day – man after God’s own heart faced them… God’s own Son faced more than one evil day.
- Internal foe = flesh.
- External foe = world.
- Infernal foe = Devil – destroyer! Bent on your destruction.
1Pet. 5.8 – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
“Devour” = to swallow up – devour our testimony, marriage, family, future, this church.
Good News = David survived his evil day; the Lord Jesus survived His and Christian you and I can survive ours.
Preach: “What to Do in The Evil Day!”
1. Determine to Be a Blessing to Others!
Look: v.1
First word in the Psalm is not trouble or evil, but blessed.
We can have God’s blessing in times of trouble.
God’s blessing is greater than our burdens, brokenness.
God = blesses us when we become a blessing to others.
“Poor” = not materially, poverty – (lit) weak ones… hurting, struggling emotionally and spiritually.
Connection = bet Psalm 40 & 41 – look back Ps.40:17 – David = “poor & needy” – the LORD helped him. Now he is to help others who are poor and needy.
Enemy = wants us to become self-absorbed… focus on how we feel, our problems, struggles, weakness… paralyzes and neutralizes us… keep us from functioning spiritually… keep us from being a force for God.
Best way to overcome the enemy is to take the fight, battle to the enemy. Make it your business to be blessing!
Lord, make me a blessing!
Phil. 2:4 – “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
David = fled from Absalom – host of people that fled with him… wilderness of Judea… King - cared for them.
Lord Jesus = looked away from Himself to Others.
• Women weeping = weep not for me but for yourselves and for your children …
• Mother = Woman behold thy son. Son, behold thy mother.
• Thief = Today shalt thou be with me in paradise
It’s when we look away from ourselves to others that the blessing comes! It’s the person who becomes a blessing that gets the blessing!
Jesus = blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.
2. Depend on The Lord to Help You!
Look: v.10 – “But Thou, O Lord”
All these things might be against us… but God is for us! If God be for us… who can be against us!
Neh. 4:20 – “in what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.”
“Battle is the Lord’s!”
A. Preserve You (2)
“Preserve” = to watch over, guard, protect.
Psalm 34:7 – “The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.”
Same God that preserved…
~ Noah through the flood.
~ Children of Israel through the Wilderness
~ Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego through the fiery furnace
~ Jonah through the belly of the whale
~ Disciples through the storm
~ You and me through the tough times of life… see us to glory!
Psalm 97:10 – “Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.”
B. Strengthen You (3)
v.3 – “bed of languishing” = weak or feeble; to droop or fade away… David’s sickness not just physical but emotional and spiritual…
Languishing = he is struggling with his emotions
Fighting demons of his past failures (v.4)
