Psalm 55 (NKJV)

NOTES FROM A SERMON PRESENTED BY DR. GREG SLOOP AT THE KANNAPOLIS CHURCH OF GOD. FOR VIDEO OF SERVICES, GO TO THE CHURCH WEBSITE, HTTP://WWW.KCOG.ORG, AND CLICK ON THE LIVESTREAM LINK TO VIEW LIVE OR FOR A REPLAY OF THE SERVICES. YOU MAY ALSO WATCH LIVE OR A REPLAY ON the DR. Greg SLOOP FACEBOOK PAGE. FOR AUDIO OF THE SERVICES, GO To THE WEBSITE, kcog.org, AND CLICK ON THE MEDIA PAGE.

February 26, 2023

April 25, 2021

1 Give ear to my prayer, O God, and do not hide Yourself from my supplication.
2 Attend to me, and hear me; I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily,
3 Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked; For they bring down trouble upon me, and in wrath they hate me.

• A prayer of desperation
  • Crying out to God
  • Emotional anguish
  • The Source of the Anguish
  • Enemy’s Threats
  • The Wicked’s Oppression
  • Trouble and Wrath from Others

4 My heart is severely pained within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5 Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me.
Psalm 55 (NKJV)
6 So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.
7 Indeed, I would wander far off, and remain in the wilderness.
Selah

• The Result of Trouble
  • Heartache
  • Terror
  • Fearfulness and Trembling
  • Overwhelming Horror

• Fight or Flight Response
  • I Want to Fly Away
  • I Want to Wander to the Wilderness

8 I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.”
9 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues, for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go around it on its walls; Iniquity and trouble are also in the midst of it.
11 Destruction is in its midst; Oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets.

• I Would Escape From the Storm
• Stop the Voice of My Enemy
  • They bring violence to the city
  • They pursue evil around the clock
  • They spread iniquity throughout the city
  • They cause destruction
  • They oppress and lie in every street

12 For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; Then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; Then I could hide from him.
13 But it was you, a man my equal, my companion and my acquaintance.
14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in the throng.

• Sometimes the enemy is not an enemy at all, but a friend or relative
• This is harder. You can identify and set yourself against an enemy. Your companions and friends, however, are not readily identifiable.
• The toughest hurt, the deepest wounds, come from those you know the best.

15 Let death seize them; Let them go down alive into hell, for wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.
16 As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me.
17 Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice.

• Emotions can rule one’s thinking and life.
• Revenge can overcome one’s logic and thought processes, even eliciting a desire for harm to the enemy.
• But the believer must turn their attention to the only true source of help:
  • I will call on God, Who can save me,
  • I will pray all the day,
  • I will cry aloud, and God will hear my voice.

18 He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, for there were many against me.
19 God will hear, and afflict them, even He who abides from of old.
Selah

• The Lord is my redeemer
• The Lord is my peace
• The Lord is my defender
• The Lord is my equalizer
• The Lord hears
• The Lord will fight for me
• The Eternal Lord is always there for me

Because they do not change, therefore they do not fear God.
20 He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him; He has broken his covenant.
21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart; His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.

• The enemy:
  • Stubborn Heart
  • Instigator of Conflict
  • Covenant Breaker
  • Smooth Talker
  • Warmonger
  • Destroyer

22 Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
23 But You, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction; Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days;
But I will trust in You.

• Cast your burden on the Lord
• God will sustain you
• God will keep your position stable
• God will handle your enemies

“But I will trust in You.”

• Takeaway Thoughts
  • Your enemy can bring great stress
  • Betrayal is heartbreaking
  • Two things can alleviate your hurt
    • Prayer
    • Trust in God

Artwork from https://blendtilsmooth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/psalm-55-23-1080×675.jpg AND https://alittleperspective.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/psa-55-22-ww-denise-9x-SP.jpg