Welcome to the preaching ministry of Tri-City Baptist Church in Chandler, Arizona. Our desire is that God would be magnified through the preaching of His word, and that Christians would be challenged, strengthened, and edified in their personal walk with Christ. I want to invite you to take your Bibles and turn with me to Psalm 27, 27th Psalm. If you're using the Bibles there in the chairs, we're on page 383. tremendously encouraging psalm, and yet it's written in a time of trouble. And to realize the confidence that we can have in the Lord. For many years, I have attended the American Association of Christian Schools Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. I was there a couple of weeks ago. Our academy, Tri-City Christian Academy, is a member of the AACS, that's our accrediting agency, and our college is part of the American Association of Christian Colleges and Seminaries that also meets in conjunction with the AACS meeting. And every year, they're seeking to protect schools from governmental entanglement, to promote family values. When we go to the conference, when I'm there, there are key issues that they're trying to target. And one of the things they encourage us to do is to set up meetings with our representatives. And they do a good job of preparing you for what the issues are. They'll have handouts, say, here are the bullet points, here are the keys. And then they'll tell you, one of the things they say over and over, if you have an opportunity to talk with a senator or representative, whatever, really deal with one issue and one ask. And they hammer that down, that if there's whatever the issue, you have one ask. The point is, there's gonna be a limited opportunity, and don't come in with, I want this, this, and this, but it may be asking, will you support this bill, or will you oppose this bill? Or if they're very much in favor, will you co-sponsor it? But they say, one ask. The point is that you don't want to get lost in too many details. Well, suppose this morning you could ask God anything, for anything. What would be your one ask? In Psalm 27 verse 4, we're gonna find David's one ask. And while that verse is going to be our text, I want us to see the totality of this psalm. It's a short psalm, but what is interesting is that it's really an encouraging and frankly convicting psalm. David is in the midst of trouble. There are problems taking place. We really don't know when in his life he wrote this. It could be when Saul is after him. If he wrote it then, early in his life, and really when he's been ordained or anointed to be the king, it shows a real level of maturity. Maybe it's later in his life, when he's seen God's way is perfect. But whatever it is, his response is one to trust in the Lord in the midst of trials. And when troubles come, and I think it's helpful because there are people sitting here this morning who are facing troubles. It may be you, or it might be the person next to you. But we all go through those difficult times, and what we want to see in this passage is that when you have a heartfelt commitment to the Lord, you will enjoy the satisfaction and security in your life because of that relationship. If you have your Bibles open to Psalm 27, follow with me as I begin reading in verse 1. Psalm 27, a Psalm of David, the Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and my foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army may camp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war may arise against me, in this I will be confident. One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek. That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble, He shall hide me in His pavilion. In the secret place of His tabernacle, He shall hide me. He shall set me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me. Therefore, I will offer sacrifices of joy in his tabernacle. I will sing praise. Yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice. Have mercy upon me and answer me. When you said, seek my face, my heart said to you, your face, Lord, I will seek. Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger. You have been my help. Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me. Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence, I would have lost heart, unless I believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord." These verses are speaking of David's hope, trust, confidence in the Lord. Verse 4 is that one ask that David has, that one thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek. That verse was impactful in my life many years ago. I was a sophomore in college when I memorized that. And it's been a challenge and a comfort at many times. And I trust that it will be for us this morning as well. You know, someone has said that the Christian life is a life of unending joy and unceasing trials. And those come together. You know, if you have the idea that once you're saved, everything is wonderful and there's never a problem again, you don't understand the Bible. And you don't understand life. But there's an ongoing joy that in his presence is fullness of joy. And when you have that commitment to the Lord, you enjoy that satisfaction, and you have that security when those trials come. The first thing I want us to see from this passage is that you will choose what you expect to provide fulfillment in life. that we pursue what we think will give satisfaction. So David is saying, one thing have I desired and that will I seek. You know, we're created to worship. We are made to be amazed. It's part of the image of God in humans that we are created with that capacity to be astonished at accomplishments, to be awed at athleticism, to be inspired by the intricate, to be impressed with artistry. Animals don't have that. No, they don't have that innate desire or longing. They don't organize the animal Olympics to see who can run the fastest. Normally their races are for survival. You know, they don't stand in awe at the Grand Canyon. They don't admire a starry sky, but we as individuals made in the image of God should. We're created for that. And what we see is that your pursuit will be personal. David is speaking very personally. It begins, the Lord is my light and my salvation. You know, David may not have had the theological understanding that the Messiah would come from the royal lineage of him and die on the cross to pay the penalty for sin and exchange his robes for mine and then rise again that third day in victory, but he trusted God to provide and protect. The Lord is my salvation, he said. This was a personal relationship. There was a confidence, and so he asked a rhetorical question that if the Lord is my light and my salvation, who shall I fear? And the answer is obvious. No one. He says, but even if an army comes against me. Now, we might say, okay, if the Lord's my salvation and a foe comes against me, but David says if an entire army rises against me, I'm not gonna be afraid. I mean, this is his present relationship. You know, while verse 2 speaks in past tense, when the wicked came up against me and they stumbled, he also anticipates going forward. It's almost like he's anticipating what might happen. What if an entire army comes? Well, what are the uncertainties that you're facing this morning? What is the army that you think might be rising up in your life? Does your personal relationship with the Lord give that confidence and fulfillment and security? You know, in the first part of verse 4, David is speaking of his desire. It's a personal thing, but we also see that his pursuit is focused. It's not just a desire, it's what he's seeking. And that's the second thing, that your pursuit will be focused. He says, this is what I desire, and now I'm going to put it into action. You know, everyone is passionate about something. You know, sometimes we can say, well, those people are apathetic. No, they're passionate about something. You know, it could be a career, it might be a promotion, it may be a hobby, a sport, a GPA, it might be about a person. Is there something that has replaced our passion for the Lord? We talk about the idols of the heart, the potential idols, and we concluded our study of 1 John, keep yourselves from idols. in the Tripp's book, in Ted Marjorie Tripp's book on Instructing the Child's Heart, they give a list of various aspects that can be idols, and I've adapted that, I've added some of what could be our adult idols, but just want to very quickly give you some of those that we need to look for in our lives and in our children's lives. You know, one might be power or control. The desire to be in charge, that, you know, we want to control others. You know, you see kids like that, they're bossing everybody around. You know, parents can have that same desire. We expect our children to obey, not because it's the right thing to do, but we demand to be right. Well, should they obey? Yes. Children, obey your parents in the Lord. That's a parental responsibility as well. Are you under God's authority or do you act like God? You know, it's the obedience you expect based on biblical principles and values or selfish whims. There can be that idol of power. It could be for attention or respect. That craving to be seen, to be noticed, to always have to have a better story. To get the attention if people are talking to you, to bring it to yourself. You know, some kids are even willing to have negative attention. and get into trouble as long as they can have attention. Years ago we were visiting a relative and one of our children was very young and came over and wanted to get my attention. We were in a conversation and they stood there and they waited and when there was a break I turned to them and asked what they wanted and my niece had a friend there and this friend said, I wish I knew how to get my dad's attention without getting into trouble. That desire for attention. Or for an adult it might be respect. And again, respect is a good thing. It's sadly lacking in our culture. But, just because it's a good thing doesn't mean it should be our God. And we have to have the right focus. Maybe it's performance. The need to excel. This could be for personal pride or for recognition of others. You know, sometimes a perfectionistic tendency can be, I have to have the highest score, the best paper, always first, not simply to do our best, but to be in front of others. And so they're God of performance, maybe it's success. Sometimes parents want their kids to succeed because they want to vicariously enjoy that. Do we, it's not wrong to want our kids to succeed, but do we see success as doing God's will? Finding it and doing God's will? You know, it might be that we just, we're wanting to live vicariously, maybe it's possessions. Seek satisfaction in things, you know, don't touch my stuff. And the worship of stuff, and we want to be good stewards, and we ought to take care of what God has given us, but we need to understand that that's not our God. Luke 12, 15 says, take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist of the abundance of things he possesses. Now, that doesn't even sound American, that life doesn't consist of what we possess. It can be a God. Pleasure is another one. To enjoy the things that really appeal to our flesh, and not necessarily sin. You know, it might be the best clothes, the best food, just to be comfortable. We don't want to be bothered. We don't want to be bothered by ministry. And if we're seeking pleasure rather than seeking to glorify God, there are a lot of ministries we're not going to be part of. You know, maybe it's excitement. The desire for thrill. So we have the extreme sports and adrenaline junkies and have to go faster and higher because that's the excitement. To live on the edge. The God of excitement. Maybe it's seeking appreciation or approval. Really, the fear of people. The Bible says the fear of man brings a snare. But concerned about what people think. And sometimes young people will ignore their parents or siblings in public because of what their peers might think. But we as adults can have the same fear. What do other people think? Maybe it's friendship. More concerned about relationships than righteousness. And we're made as social beings. It's not wrong to have friends. In fact, we should. But the person who's best equipped for friendship is the one who's best able to stand alone. Because the Bible tells us bad company corrupts good morals. And sometimes parents feed this idol by being unwilling to evaluate and intervene in their children's friendships. Maybe it's just for relevancy, the desire to be in the know, the need to be current, to know the current entertainment, the fashions, the music, the video games, to be trendy. And this passion for the world that is passing away and the desires of it. And there are many good things in this world that we can enjoy, but we shouldn't be dedicated to those. First Corinthians 7.31 says, those who use the things of the world but are not engrossed or consumed by them for this present world is passing away. You know, there are multiple idols that can draw our attention away from the Lord. Has something replaced your passion for him this morning? You defeat the idols with having a greater desire. And that's really the second thing I want us to see, that you must develop an appreciation for God's excellence. That how do I turn away from all these things that grab for our attention in the world? Well, it's having that which is more desirable. David said, I want to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. That desire to be dazzled by that which is truly eternal. And we're moving beyond right belief and even right behavior from orthodoxy and orthopraxy to the right affection. Do we truly delight in the Lord? Philippians 1.10 says we're to approve the things that are excellent. Well, this takes spiritual maturity and that maturity requires a commitment. that we have to have a spiritual commitment. Beauty is objective, it's determined by God. We often hear the statement, David says, I wanna behold the beauty of the Lord. We hear beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Is that really true? Would we say that about truth? Truth is in the mind of the thinker. Well, in a post-modern relativistic culture, we hear that. Or when we say good and right are determined, they're at the discretion of the doer. That's pragmatism. That's antinomianism. The Bible tells us otherwise. Philippians 4, 8 tells us what we're to think about, and it gives us objective truth. Finally, think upon whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest. There's objective truth. There's objective goodness. Whatsoever things are just or right. Whatsoever things are pure. And there's objective beauty. Whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, or admirable, virtuous, and praiseworthy, meditate upon these things. And God is beautiful. Behold the beauty of the Lord. Well, if God is beautiful and His creation is beautiful, then there is objective beauty. And God is the source of that beauty. His laws are an expression of His nature. You know, I think we have to understand beauty includes unity, harmony, and splendor. These coming together. That recognition, that beauty and the unity and integrity. The completeness that there is. The wholeness, that there's proportion and harmony, the orderliness. Because it's determined by God. The splendor. of who God is, and recognizing this. Beauty involves unity without monotony. It involves the variety, but there's not chaos, because this is the nature of God. And bringing these together, there's an appreciation for colors, for intricacy, the study, the complexity. Again, this is part of the image of God in us. When David is saying he's gonna behold the beauty of the Lord, he's meditating upon who God is. And it ought to bring a response of joy, of adoration, of awe, of wonder. Do we have an appreciation for beauty? You know, this is part of how we have to grow. When our kids were young, and I went to many, many recitals for beginning musicians, beginning violin lessons, and I have heard Mississippi Hot Dog played many, many times, more times than I want to remember. You know, and there's a joy in hearing a beginning violin student play that, but it's much different than the beauty of Vivaldi's Four Seasons. You say, well, I'm like Mississippi hot dog better. Well, that's fine, but just because your taste is personal doesn't mean they're equally good. You know, that's why we don't let our Time for Tots kids choose the nursery decor. There's a maturity and aesthetic that is lacking. Well, folks, do we have an appreciation and an understanding of the beauty of the Lord? You know, if you have a Mississippi hot dog theology, you're going to miss the complexity and majesty of who God is. And that's what we have to understand. Psalm 29, verse 2 says, The orchestra, the strings played, holy, holy, holy. The perfection, the majesty of that. Well, what we call beautiful speaks volumes to the world around us of the one who is beautiful. So we have to develop in these areas. That there needs to be that commitment. But it also, spiritual maturity requires contemplation. You know, David is saying, I want to dwell in the house of the Lord. I want to behold the beauty of the Lord. I want to stay there. In fact, this psalm ends with, wait on the Lord. Wait, I say, on the Lord. We have a hard time waiting. I have a hard time waiting. If our internet isn't loading fast enough, we're gonna reboot something because we don't wanna wait. David is asking to dwell in the house of the Lord. Now, some of us feel like we live at church, but in David's day, the house of the Lord, the Ark of the Covenant, was kept in the tabernacle, a tent. And they only went at certain times. And David didn't, there wasn't even a permanent structure. In fact, David wanted to do that. And God told him no. And David is saying, I want to remain in the presence of God. So he says in Psalm 122, verse one, I was glad when they said to me, let us go into the house of the Lord. There is a corporate aspect of that. But more than this, David says, I want to remain in God's presence all the time. That was his one ask. He loved to praise God with God's people in God's house, but he said, I wanna dwell there. Our struggle is, and maybe it's just me, but I tend to plow through. We get busy doing things for the Lord, but we're not delighting in the Lord. And it's easy to say, but look what all I've done. Do you remember when Jesus came to the home of Martha and Mary in Luke chapter 10, and Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus as he's teaching, and Martha is trying to get the refreshments together, and she said, I need more help. You know, this isn't going, and finally she gets so frustrated that she goes to Jesus. In Luke 10, 40, she goes to Jesus, and it says that she was distracted with much serving, and she complains. but she's actually complaining and blaming Jesus. It says in verse 40, she approached him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me alone to serve? Don't you care that I'm the only one doing the work around this place? She said, therefore, tell her to help me. Isn't it interesting that Martha's trying to guilt Jesus to motivate her sister? Jesus, you need to say something. Maybe you're missing this, but look at all that I'm doing. It's a fascinating passage because my sympathies are toward Martha. Martha's the kind of person who gets stuff done, and there's a lot to do. But we can be so busy doing that we miss the delight. And in Luke 10 41 it says, and Jesus answered and said to her, Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, but this one thing is needed. And Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken from her. What was Mary's one ask? To sit at the feet of Jesus. Martha, Martha, this one thing is more needed. You know, we have to be careful, and I appreciate, there are so many people who do so much around here. And they do it with a great attitude, but we always have to guard our attitude. Because a lousy attitude can spoil loving ministry. I mean, that's what we see in Luke 10. We have to strive to see the beauty of the Lord. That intimacy. And if there isn't that intimacy, it creates a strain in the relationship, because as we read through this, the psalmist is saying, don't hide your face from me. He's talking face-to-face fellowship. You know, when there's a problem in a relationship, what happens? We tend to not make eye contact. We look away, we try to avoid. Well, David wants that close relationship. The third thing that we see is that you'll experience a security then. in God's presence. This is what he's saying. I want to dwell in the house of the Lord. I want that. Folks, when we have the smile of God on what we're doing and on our lives, the frown of other people doesn't discourage us. If God approves, the disapproval of others really doesn't hold sway when our one ask is that I want to seek Him. I want to hear, well done. And God's beauty is seen in His holiness, His justice, His justice that He will set things right. You know, there's a beauty, there's a satisfaction, there's a delight in what is good and just and right. And God's holiness speaks of everything that is right and pure. That thrice stated, holy, holy, holy. The beauty that is there. We don't normally associate beauty with that which is dirty and defiled. We put it with that which is clean, what is pure. The perfect purity of our Holy Father is beautiful. And that's what we should strive for. Too many people want pleasure rather than beauty. So we see it in His justice, His holiness. We see it in Christ's humility and sacrifice. You know, there's a beauty in the humility of Christ. Sam Storm noted the various paradoxes that God became human. The invisible became visible. The untouchable became touchable. The unbreakable became fragile. The exalted became humbled. Fame turned to obscurity and power to weakness. And there's a beauty in that because it's for our salvation. And Christ's horrible death In that death on the cross, we see a beauty in His sacrifice. So we sing of an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame. That really should not be beautiful. But it's dear to us because the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain. So that old rugged cross so despised by the world has a wondrous attraction to me. Why? Because we see the beauty of God in the humility and sacrifice of Christ. And when we meditate upon that, God's beauty will captivate your attention. That's what beauty has to do. It grabs us. And so that we're not quick to move on. That's why David says, I want to dwell in the house of the Lord so I can meditate on this. I can gaze on his beauty. You know, the heavens declare the glory of God. One of the things I enjoy about our men's retreat is we go up and we don't have all the city lights and to go out on the field at night and to stare up at the Milky Way and to see the stars. And I remember a couple years ago doing that, I was standing out there just looking up and I heard this noise and I turned on my flashlight and here's an elk walking across the field. Do you know what? The elk wasn't standing there gazing up at the stars. And it didn't stop and kind of stomp its hoof and say, you know, look up. No, it's just moving through. Because it doesn't gaze on that. It doesn't stop and admire what God has done. That's part of the image of God in us. But are we any different than the elk in the field? Do we go through life with our heads down looking at our phones? Instead of seeing the glory of God. You know, we need to slow down and absorb the beauty of the Lord. David wasn't satisfied with a glimpse or a glance, he wanted to behold. And the idea there is, I wanna gaze upon the beauty of the Lord. Folks, when we do that, when we have a good view of God, the troubles of this world seem small. That's why David could say, even if an army comes against me, I'm not worried, because I know my God. My heart will not fear. I will be confident. And when we focus on our fears, God seems small. When we focus on God, it gives us perspective. It captivates our attention. It provides pleasure. That's the second thing that we see, that beauty provides a pleasure. That's why we pursue it. So, Psalm 96, verse 6 says, Honor and majesty are before Him. Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. God is glorified not simply when we see His beauty, but when we rejoice in it. When it brings a delight, a satisfaction. So Psalm 145.5 says, I will meditate on glorious splendor of your majesty and your wondrous works. Have the things of this world grabbed our attention because we really aren't in awe of our God? The third thing it does, it grounds us in reality. This was David's answer to life troubles. In the time of difficulty, he said, you're going to hide me. I want to be in your presence. In a military situation in that day, the king would be in the center of camp and all the army would be around him 360 degrees. He would be protected. David said, that's where I want to be. In times of difficulty, we are often aware of God. His presence. And sometimes we wonder, well, Lord, do you understand what's going on? He does. So David could offer this fearless declaration in verse one, the Lord is my strength, my light, my salvation, the strength of my life. He said, I'm confident of this. A few Psalms over in Psalm 46, he says, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in the time of trouble. That is the reality for us as believers. There's safety in the presence of the Lord. Fourth thing, though, it generates growth in Christ-likeness. When we're looking at the Lord, we're being conformed to the image of His Son. So Psalm 17, 15 says, as for me, I will see your face in righteousness. I will be satisfied when I awake in your likeness. The Son came to reveal the Father's glory. That's John 1, 14. He was full of grace and truth. And so the beauty of God is displayed by the children of God. You know, are we beautiful? We should be as we grow in Christ-likeness. It says in Psalm 34 verse 5, they looked to Him and were radiant. Their faces were not ashamed. Or as we saw back in 1 John 3, we know that when He is revealed, we will be like Him for we shall see Him as He is. When we gaze into the face of the Lord, we're becoming like Him. That's what 2 Corinthians 3.18 says. But we, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. So David said, I want to dwell in the presence of the Lord, and I will become Christ-like. Now he didn't understand the messianic implications, but that's really what happens. See, beauty really is more than skin deep. It's that inner reflection. And which is more important, the outward beauty or inward beauty? Which do we spend more time on? Our physical exercise or our spiritual grooming? You know, and both are important, but one is priority. What's the one thing? You know, we have to spend time in God's word, in prayer, personally. And when we do that, we become like Christ. And then we can share that with others because we sing the song, May the mind of Christ my Savior. The last verse says, May his beauty rest upon me as I seek the lost to win. So we develop a desire to share with others. Because when we have the beauty of the Lord, people say, something's different about you. And in this world, as it becomes more and more hard and angry, we have wonderful opportunities. Do you not understand what it means to behold the beauty of the Lord? Do you want to? If you've never trusted Him as your personal Savior, that's where it begins. Christ died for your sin, that you can have a relationship with God the Father through Christ alone. And if you do have that relationship, then what is your one ask this morning? In the time of trouble, what's your one ask? Because when you have a heartfelt commitment to Christ, you will enjoy satisfaction and you will experience security. Is that your testimony this morning? Is Psalm 27 your testimony? If not, it can be. If David's one ask will be your one ask this morning. Let's pray together.