He Is More Than Able
Who Are You? • Sermon • Submitted
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· 16 viewsThis Song of Zion calls for the listener to see God's special relationship with Zion. And if we are of sons and daughters of zion, how special and beneficial is the relationship we have with God, the Great I Am!
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Intro
Intro
Some of the tree’s branches were pruned and you wild olive shoots were grafted in. Yet the fact that you are now fed by that rich and holy root gives you no cause to crow over the pruned branches. Remember, you aren’t feeding the root; the root is feeding you.
It’s certainly possible to say, “Other branches were pruned so that I could be grafted in!” Well and good. But they were pruned because they were deadwood, no longer connected by belief and commitment to the root. The only reason you’re on the tree is because your graft “took” when you believed, and because you’re connected to that belief-nurturing root. So don’t get cocky and strut your branch. Be humbly mindful of the root that keeps you lithe and green.
If God didn’t think twice about taking pruning shears to the natural branches, why would he hesitate over you? He wouldn’t give it a second thought. Make sure you stay alert to these qualities of gentle kindness and ruthless severity that exist side by side in God—ruthless with the deadwood, gentle with the grafted shoot. But don’t presume on this gentleness. The moment you become deadwood, you’re out of there.
And don’t get to feeling superior to those pruned branches down on the ground. If they don’t persist in remaining deadwood, they could very well get grafted back in. God can do that. He can perform miracle grafts. Why, if he could graft you—branches cut from a tree out in the wild—into an orchard tree, he certainly isn’t going to have any trouble grafting branches back into the tree they grew from in the first place. Just be glad you’re in the tree, and hope for the best for the others.
God in his blessed mercy and grace saw fit for US (liars, gossips, fornicators, addicts, murderers, adulterers, brawlers,, etc) to be a part of His Holy family. He allowed us who were not of Him to be a part of His great people, who once were people of zion and are now the Church! The Psalm we read today celebrates the relationship that God has with his people/inhabitants of His city. He Is More Than Able
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved;
God will help it when the morning dawns.
6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord;
see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
God Is Able To Do Anything!
God Is Able To Do Anything!
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
“God is our refuge”- God is a place on high that is safe for us to dwell in.
When you come home you take off your shoes, you let out a deep sigh of relief, and you unwind. Being outside did not afford you those advantages. When we choose to make God our home we can do the same in Him when faced with the world. We can call God home because there is no danger when we dwell in him.
God is our strength
Many years ago man walked to get where he needed to go. If a group of people needed to travel across country it was done on foot. As time progressed man used horses, chariots, cars, and eventually airplanes to make long travels because our mode of transportation (feet) were not enough to make long travels. In the same way our strength alone is not enough. We can continue to ask for strength but until we depend on the strength of God change will not be seen in our lives.
God is helpful when trouble comes
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah
Because of the fact that He is our refuge, strength, and helpful in times of trouble: WE WILL NOT FEAR WHEN...
“…though the earth should change...”
World changes: When things that have always been are no more, with God we will not fear.
Loss of loved ones, loss of long time jobs, and loss of marriages
“…though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea”
When stability looks like it’s ending
more monthly bills than monthly income, rumors of job layoffs, and when parents argue more than what they used to.
“…though its waters roar and foam...”
Loud noises and distracting circumstance
Government issues, racial injustice, school shootings
“…though the mountains tremble with its tumult.”
ups and downs consistent
unemployment is consistently inconsistent, health is consistently inconsistent, inner feelings are consistently inconsistent...
When all of that is going on within our lives we must remember that WE CAN because GOD CAN! He protects us and is our strength!
God Is Able To Protect His City
God Is Able To Protect His City
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
When studying this I could not pinpoint exactly what the meaning of this river is. On one hand I am looking at the comparison of the turbulent waters in the preceding verses and on the other hand I am looking at a description of water which represented chaos and death (as it does in many ancient texts.
If it’s a comparison then the waters of a river usually are not foaming, roaring, or loud. It differs from the description above.
Meaning that God offers peace
If it’s the description of chaos and death going into the city of God then what we will learn within these next couple of verses is that God destroys chaos to make peace.
Chaos and death are welcome where God dwells because God turns them into peace
Either way God seems to be offering peace in the place where he dwells.
5 God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved;
God will help it when the morning dawns.
ps 46 5
“God is in the midst of the city...”
God is among the people, he is not on the outside looking in.
God is not on the outside looking in. He knows and through His son Jesus he knows how we feel as humans. Now we can choose to live in a lot of places.
We can live in Depressed City, Anger Metropolis, or even Fear Town! But We need to understand that in God’s city, among HIS OBEDIENT PEOPLE, HE IS THERE! And where He dwells WILL NOT be moved!
“God will help it when the morning dawns.”
Morning- The time between dawn and noon
The same point in time when we’ve given up watching for change because of the night and when we dread the upcoming heat of noon that has yet to come!
God doesn’t always save you from the dreaded darkness. Sometimes we have to go through it.
God isn’t always going to make you suffer through the heat of noon either!
He WILL come at the perfect time to help.
God understands the difference between Assistance and Handicap. One helps the person help themselves, the other helps the person develop an impediment.
3 And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
3 And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
“The nations are in an uproar”
nations with a single government
They are dealing with commotion, noise, and confusion
“…the kingdoms totter”
people ruled by kings
They are without stability, ready to fall
“he utters his voice, the earth melts.”
nations and kingdoms deal in chaos on this earth.
They are both of this world.
God speaks and the world melts
God is more powerful
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
“The Lord of hosts is with us”
Yahweh has an army! A military force and He/they are with us. There would be no need to mention an army if they were not around to fight.
“the God of Jacob is our refuge.”
Jacob wrestles for a blessing
The nation descends from Jacob after his name change to Israel
May the mention of Jacob here is to identify that this is not the God’s of any other nation but Yahweh, because that is the name used.
It does not matter where you are in your life. Going through a problem, getting over a problem, or feeling like you’re breathing your last breath! God will protect you! In this life and the next.
God Is Able To Make Peace By Destroying Chaos
God Is Able To Make Peace By Destroying Chaos
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord;
see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
“…behold the works of the Lord”
The Psalmist callas the reader to witness/look at the things that God has done. The proof is in the pudding!
See the created things, see the plan of salvation come together, see the transformation in your life and others!
The Psalmist also calls the reader to witness the desolations God has brought on this earth.
“see what desolations he has brought on the earth.”
God has brought waste to land on earth. God is not just proactive, he’s also reactive.
It is often believed that God is like the old clock maker. He created the earth wound it up and sits by and watches it tick. He sees pain, TICK! He sees sorrow, TOCK! He sees injustice, tick! He sees rage, TOCK! But God is more involved with His people than that. God does not sit by and idly watch things go on. He protects!
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
“He makes wars cease to the end of the earth”
I want us to see that God makes wars cease, but He does not always prevent them.
God allows man to make choices, sometimes terrible ones. But He WILL put an end to chaos everywhere not just among His people!
God makes peace by destroying chaos! I remember early on in my studies learning Greek and using it in my sermon preparation. While translating found that Paul when he speaks about sin he described it as that which defeats. He then goes on to use a Greek word that showed that Jesus, dying on the cross and rising, DEFEATED that which DEFEATS. And I was blown away! But that is exactly what God does! He burns fire! He gives cancer to cancer! He destroys that which defeats (sin) through his son!
“he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear”
He destroys the bow
The bow represented strength.
He cuts off or shatters the spearhead
He burns up (destroys) the shield (that which protects)
10 “Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth.”
“Be still”
10 “Step out of the traffic! Take a long,
loving look at me, your High God,
above politics, above everything.”
Stop, cease, relax, let go
Whatever ungodly tool in your life that you’re using to make it better...
Whatever unrighteous method you use to combat life’s problems...
Whatever toxic attitude you HAVE to keep to make it through the day...
STOP IT, CEASE, RELAX, LET GO! BE STILL!
“…know that I am God!”
We need to KNOW (become aquainted with) Yahweh as Elohim. As stated earlier Elohim is in the plural form and I believe that is on purpose. He is everything that we need and then some!
Illustration using Biblical text
7 Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. 10 So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.”
13 But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I Am Who I Am.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I Am has sent me to you.’ ” 15 God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’:
This is my name forever,
and this my title for all generations.
“I am exalted...”
God is above all things. He is in a position of power over all things.
That means he’s more than your problems, he’s more than your setbacks, he’s more than your disappointments, he’s more than your illness!
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
The God of angel armies is with US! The God of Jacob is our hiding place!
God will take the chaos that exists and turn it into peace (order). Just as he took a horrible and humiliating death on a cross and turned it into a symbol of beautiful and glorifying salvation.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The person who has a relationship with God through Christ is guaranteed what is offered in this Psalm. God will protect and keep you in the time of chaos, God will provide stability in unstable times, and God will turn your chaos into peace. But we must BE STILL and allow God to BE! HE IS MORE THAN ABLE!