Psalm 46

Summer Playlist

TLK 5

Bottom Line: Stop striving and take refuge in the God who sustains you

Intro

Final two week of our series→ looking at Psalms (prayers in song form)

Today Psalm speaks to a season that very rarely ceases and exposes so often where our trust actually lies

That season is the season of chaos… no not the chaos you find at a child’s birthday party with pinata’s, inflatables, and sugar… or at a youth lock-in with middle and high school students…. Or even thanksgiving dinner with your entire family→ while those are chaotic, what Psalms 46 speaks to is much more chaotic… it begs the question… in seasons of chaos, where do I turn for protection?

Truth

Psalm 46→ written by a group of Levitical musicians appointed by David by the name of the Sons of Korah→ descendants of the Korah in Numbers 16 who rebelled against God… yet God makes his descendants some of Israel’s greatest worship leaders.

Most likely written after God delivered Israel from the Assyrians (2 Kings 18-19 and Isaiah 36-37)

Psalm 46:1-3→ God is our refuge in cosmic chaos

Refuge→ a place where you run when completely helpless in battle… this is not relaxing on vacation… this is sprinting from an oncoming attack… Refuges were usually in elevated places where you would have to climb to get to and had strong/fortified walls

Notice it is God who is the refuge→ His presence is what sustains, not an architecture built→ a relationship with God means the presence of God is there

Natural chaos surrounds them→ speaks to natural disasters, yes… but even more than that… waters always represent chaos of life as well… the chaos caused by sin is cosmic (both nature and humanity are affected)… Sin not only caused chaos in life of humanity but also in all the rest of creation too

Romans 8:19-22→ sin caused all of creation to need restored

We won't be afraid→ God is present… in natural chaos, He is the place of refuge… in chaos of life, He is the place of refuge

Psalm 46:4-7→ God is our refuge in political chaos

Shift from nature to nations→ God’s kingdom is the only kingdom that withstand the test of time and chaos… political chaos in not a new thing in human history… our history is littered with political chaos practically from the beginning of time… and it will not stop until Jesus returns→ Revelation 22 talks about this

Right now we find ourselves in the throes of political chaos→ the point is not to stay out of politics→ we are called to promote the welfare of the nation God has placed us in in our day… we should do our best to see our nation flourish under the reign of our King, Jesus… we aren't just to lay down and let the nation make decisions that are biblical but rather use the outlets given to us to advocate for a God-honoring society… the call is to make sure in the midst of the chaos, God is the place you run for salvation… not a nation, government, or party

Psalm 46:8-9→ God is our refuge in worldwide chaos

Here God is pictured in complete control→ we call this His sovereign rule→ again painting this reality that even until Christ’s return, God is reigning and ruling throughout the world throughout human history→ Matthew 24:3-8

We should not be surprised by the chaos that surrounds us…

Season of chaos are a reality because of the reality of sin… personal, natural, political, and worldwide are all a part of this reality… so what are we to do?

A natural response to pick up the torch and fight for control until we are overwhelmed and then retreat for reprieve and then go back out and fight again… is that the response of God’s people?

Psalm 46:10-11→ What we are to do with the chaos around us

Stop fighting→ ceasefire, stop striving to control the outcome… stop fighting to conquer the chaos by your own strength… stop striving for security by your own will power

Know→ yada→ to know/recognize/submit to through experience

God is saying in the midst of the chaos… stop→ no more striving for control, no more fighting for security, no more charging into battle with your own will power to rule over the chaos… Instead, take refuge… run to me for reprieve… strive to know me as your refuge, security, as the only one who can sustain you

It is not your building designs, political party, or military strategy that sustains you… it is my presence

Psalm 46 teaches us this… Stop striving and take refuge in the God who sustains you… in this truth there is a call and a warning

Application

The call is not a call to stop doing everything…Its to stop striving in the way the world strives… in the midst of chaos the world wants you to strive to gain refuge→ to find what sustains you, holds you together, what allows you to survive the chaos

Only God can sustain you through Christ… we already know who sustains us… Jesus

Cosmically→ Colossians 1:16-17, and Personally→ John 15:4-5

Psalm 46 calls us to continue to strive to experience the reality of the presence of God→ who is our refuge because of the work of Christ

How do we strive to experience the reality of the presence of God? By abiding in the grace given to us in Christ

Blood of Christ→ Ephesians 2:13→ God is our refuge because of Jesus’ work, not your striving… admit you need refuge… you can’t fight on your own strength.. Apart from God we are defenseless… like sheep

The Word of God→ 2 Timothy 3:16-17→ striving to know God as our refuge is not focusing on what keeps us from experiencing Him as such (aka sin)... it is about getting to intimately know our God…

Story about fighting addiction→ i stopped striving to avoid my sin and started focusing on getting to know God more deeply→ Get into His word until His word gets into you

The promise of a new covenant→ Hebrews 9:15→ remind yourself of the reality you live in… you are a new creation, held together by the grace of God through the work of Christ because of the new covenant

Story of taking this new job→ thought “you cant bear this weight. Remember what you have done. You don't deserve this.” I had to remind myself of my new reality… “I am a new creation. The old has passed away because of Jesus’ work”

When we strive to abide in the grace given to us through Christ, we run to the only refuge who can sustain us… this is important because Psalm 46 also gives us a warning

Don’t take shelter in a false refuge→ "We never know what strength is till our own weakness drives us to trust omnipotence; never understand how safe our refuge is till all other refuges fail us." — Charles Spurgeon… Charles beautifully exposes what seasons of chaos can lead us to understand… we seek refuge in things that fail

False refuges→ substances, porn, financial security, control, earthly relationships, entertainment, social justice movement, political party… just to name a few

All of these will crumble in the chaos… so the questions we must wrestle with today are

What is our refuge?

How can I abide even more in the grace that is given?

Stop striving and take refuge in the God who sustains you