Salvation songs - Easter Sunday - Psalm 16 (esv) - Pastor Tim Kroeker

Romans 8:11:

“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”

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Confidence is an inner feeling or attitude of certainty. It’s an important quality that we seek to nurture in our children, a quality that we expect in professionals, like an attorney or a heart surgeon. A lack of confidence can be debilitating. No confidence will keep you from initiating conversation with that guy or girl you’re interested in. If you walk into a job interview shaking and stammering you don’t inspire much confidence. Of course, overconfidence is perhaps even more dangerous. Or, putting your confidence in the wrong thing or person.

We read in Acts 2 that on the Day of Pentecost Peter stood up and spoke before a crowd of thousands. Something that certainly required confidence. Declaring the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, Peter said, “I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken.” And, “You will not abandon my soul to Hades or let your Holy One see decay.” These confident assertions were the words of David found in Psalm 16.

This year during Holy Week we’ve briefly stepped away from our series in Acts to examine three Psalms full of Messianic meaning. These ancient songs help us as Christians express the full range of human emotion surrounding the central events of our faith, the death and resurrection of Jesus. We’ve gone from celebratory praise to tearful lament.

In Psalm 16, David expresses confidence. David could live confidently even under the threat of death because the benefits of choosing to trust in God would be enjoyed both now and in eternity. Peter reveals in his sermon in Acts 2 that David looked beyond his own life to the coming of the Messiah. Jesus would defeat death and by His Spirit give life to our own mortal bodies as well. Because of the resurrection we can live confidently both now and forever.

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