1. Summer in the Psalms Psalm 34 A Fearful Approach

2. Fear “A distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc.; whether the threat is real or imagined.”

3. When is fear good? When it preserves our lives! When is fear bad? When it erodes our lives! The Balance of Fear

4. Psalm 34:0 Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he left. (1 Samuel 21:10-15)

5. Hymn (vs. 1-11) –God is Big (vs. 1-3) –God is Personal (vs. 4-7) –God is Approachable (vs. 8-11) Sermon (vs. 12-22) –Godly Fear Defined (vs. 11-14) –Godly Fear Rewarded (vs. 15- 18) –Godly Fear Completed (vs. 19- 22) How Did David Approach Fear?

6. God Is Big “ I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. ” (Psalms 34:1-3 NIV) act of adoration Yhwh; (the) self-Existent; the God who “IS”, and therefore keeps His covenant with His people. act of the will Specifically a hymn Lit.: to show true colors recognize size and detail show His eternal position

7. How Did David Approach Fear? Hymn (vs. 1-11) –God is Big (vs. 1-3) –God is Personal (vs. 4-7) –God is Approachable (vs. 8-11) Sermon (vs. 12-22) –Godly Fear Defined (vs. 11-14) –Godly Fear Rewarded (vs. 15- 18) –Godly Fear Completed (vs. 19- 22)

8. “ I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. ” (Psalms 34:4-7 NIV) God Is Personal Diligently study deliverance came from focus on Jehovah “sparkle” Knowing what the LORD commands and doing it diligently “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV) “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,” (Philippians 3:10 NIV)

9. Hymn (vs. 1-11) –God is Big (vs. 1-3) –God is Personal (vs. 4-7) –God is Approachable (vs. 8-11) Sermon (vs. 12-22) –Godly Fear Defined (vs. 11-14) –Godly Fear Rewarded (vs. 15- 18) –Godly Fear Completed (vs. 19- 22) How Did David Approach Fear?

10. God Is Approachable “ Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. ” (Psalms 34:8-10 NIV) Approach and experience for ourselves Jehovah becomes all sufficient!

11. Hymn (vs. 1-11) –God is Big (vs. 1-3) –God is Personal (vs. 4-7) –God is Approachable (vs. 8-11) Sermon (vs. 12-22) –Godly Fear Defined (vs. 11-14) –Godly Fear Rewarded (vs. 15- 18) –Godly Fear Completed (vs. 19- 22) How Did David Approach Fear?

12. Godly Fear Defined “ Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. ” (Psalms 34:11-14 NIV) David defines the fear of the LORD with commands to activity. control the tongue turn from evil pursue peace “We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.” (James 3:2 NIV) “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” (Romans 12:9 NIV) “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18 NIV)

13. Hymn (vs. 1-11) –God is Big (vs. 1-3) –God is Personal (vs. 4-7) –God is Approachable (vs. 8-11) Sermon (vs. 12-22) –Godly Fear Defined (vs. 11-14) –Godly Fear Rewarded (vs. 15- 18) –Godly Fear Completed (vs. 19- 22) How Did David Approach Fear?

14. “ The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. ” (Psalms 34:15-18 NIV) Godly Fear Rewarded David explains the rewards of godly fear by attributing to the LORD a number of anthropomorphic (human-like characteristics) attributes. David says that the LORD has eyes to see His righteous, ears to hear their cry, a face turned against evil. Fearing the Lord assures that He is fully engaged in our lives

15. Hymn (vs. 1-11) –God is Big (vs. 1-3) –God is Personal (vs. 4-7) –God is Approachable (vs. 8-11) Sermon (vs. 12-22) –Godly Fear Defined (vs. 11-14) –Godly Fear Rewarded (vs. 15- 18) –Godly Fear Completed (vs. 19- 22) How Did David Approach Fear?

16. Godly Fear Completed “ A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned. The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him. ” (Psalms 34:19-22 NIV) “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1Peter 1:6-7 NIV) As broken bones debilitate a person so that movement and activity is hampered, so David confidently states that Jehovah will keep us from anything that will render us inactive. “Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.” (Romans 1:28 NIV) In the end, those who fear Him will find Jehovah sufficient for their lives, and His kingdom their priority! Those who do not fear the LORD, will be destroyed by their own evil, and face final condemnation. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” (Romans 8:1 NIV) “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1Corinthians 10:13 NIV)

17. One Final Word… “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39 NIV)