Sermon Tone Analysis
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Tone of specific sentences
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*“WHERE TO GO WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT”*
*Psalm 46:1-11*
*David Riley*
*FBC New Church*
*February 12, 2006*
* *
/Psalm 46:1-11/
/46:1 For the choir director.
A Psalm of the sons of Korah, set to Alamoth./
/A Song./
/ God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
/
/2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; /
/3 Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.
Selah.
/
/4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
/
/5 God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.
/
/6 The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He raised His voice, the earth melted.
/
/7 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Selah.
/
/8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has wrought desolations in the earth.
/
/9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire.
/
/10 "Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
/
/11 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Selah.
/
/NASB/
/ /
/ /
/ /
/ /
*INTRODUCTION*
* *
Please turn to Psalm 46, then note the page number.
Turn to a blank page in the front or back of your Bible and write this phrase, “For the worse day of my life turn to page # 802’
On thing I like to do is discover the historical event which leads to the writing of the Psalms.
For Psalm 46 we find the historical background in Isaiah 36-37.
It was the year 701 B.C. The Assyrian monolith was plowing its way toward the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
It was tearing up, and killing, and raping as it went.
When they came to that little Northern Kingdom that stood in its way between them and Egypt, the prophet Micah came to King Hezekiah, and he helped Hezekiah get his priorities right in this crisis in the nation of Israel.
As the crisis got closer and closer to them and the Assyrians took the city of Lachish and pillaged it, they sent a message to Jerusalem and said, "You're next on the list.
We're getting you next."
This was a time of disaster, but Hezekiah took the message, and laid it before the Lord and he prayed.
He prayed!
And God said "They'll not take you.
You are going to see My hand at work."
Then Sennacherib and his mighty army came and besieged Jerusalem and shouted out their taunts at God's people.
But they just waited on God, and God sent one angel!
One angel!
Before the next day, 185,000 Assyrian soldiers lay dead around Jerusalem.
Those who were left, turned and headed home.
Out of this experience, Psalm 46 was written.
The psalmist tells us what to do when the lights have gone out – that happens to us.
It seems like the stars have fallen from the sky.
The lights of your life have gone out and you don’t know what to do.
This Psalm tells us what to do when the lights go out.
Notice the word – /Selah /– It occurs three times in this Psalm – Verse 3, 7, and 11.
Most Hebrew scholars believe this indicates a musical interlude for reflection.
One commentator says it is something like.
“There, what do you think of that?”
Therefore, around these the occurrences of the word “/Selah/” we find God’s direction about what we are to do when the lights go out.
*When the lights go out in your life:*
*I.**
GO TO YOUR SHELTER – Psalm 46:1-3*
/Psalm 46:1/
/1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
/
/NASB/
God is our /refuge/ – our shelter -- a fortress.
Peterson in the Message says, “God is a safe place to hide.”
God is our refuge, God is our shelter, God is our strength.
The Bible teaches us we have someone we can turn to—
Someone in whom we can rest.
Someone in whom we can find safety in times of
danger and disaster in our life.
Martin Luther was studying some sermon notes.
He was grieving and depressed.
His wife came out dressed in mourning clothes.
Luther asked, “Who died?”
His wife answered, “God died.”
Luther replied, “God can’t die, He is eternal and immutable!”
His wife’s sharp reply was, “Then why are you acting like God is dead?”
Have you found that God is a shelter?
The Psalmist said,
/Psalm 61:2b/
/2b Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. /
/NASB/
/Psalm 46:1b/
/46:1b A very present help in trouble.
/
/NASB/
/ /
That Rock is an immediately at hand to help – a soon found help in a time of trouble – a tested help in trouble.
“/Trouble/” means distressed or in a tight place.
Have you ever been in a tight place?
Illustration of a tight place.
God promises that He is our present help in a time of distress.
So you see when things are tight – when things are pressing upon us – when the lights go out – our God is a very present help.
You see God is a present tense God; He is not a God who can handle all these wonderful things in the *past*, but can’t do anything now.
Not talking about a God who is going to do all these wonderful things in the *future*, but can’t do anything now.
I’m talking about a God who can walk on the sea in your life this very day.
He can help you and give you strength, and He can give you victory, and He can give you relief.
Sometimes you call on people to help and they say call me later.
I’ve got good news, when you call on Him – the line is never busy!
When you call on God, He never puts you off, and says, “Check with Me later.”
God is always present in times of trouble.
And because of that he says in verse 2,
/Psalm 46:2a/
/2a Therefore we will not fear,/
/NASB/
Over and over in the Bible, God says, “Fear not!”
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