Little Hills - Steadfast - Week 5

Good evening, and welcome to steadfast. Once again. It's so good to have you here on this Easter Monday to be taking into the second part of Psalm 46 tonight whether you were able to join us last week or not. I think we're going to get a ton out of this passage because it gives us the exact open with prayer to our God.

Father. Thank you for your goodness. Thank you for sending your son to die for us not just to die. But the triumph over does the offer eternal life to us Lord. Would you give us hope all the more tonight as we dig into your word that we would see the promises that come from your love and your kindness? Your steadfast love for us. We pray in Jesus name.

We're going to go into some 46, but we're actually going to stop over at 1st Corinthians chapter 15 first. Mabel to this passage in a service yesterday for Easter. We read these words if you think about these words for a moment 1st Corinthians, 15:20 the 21, they're giving us a hint. in the present they can give us confidence about what we're going to read and Psalm 46 take a look with me at first 20. In fact Christ has been raised from the dead the first fruits. All those who fall asleep for ass by Man Came Death by man has come also the resurrection.

You can think about versus wheat me hear about the promise when we celebrate Easter. Jesus has accomplished what we're going to experience for every person who trust in him the first taste of resurrection of the defeat of death and yet it doesn't stop with Jesus.

And it's so much more than simply coming back to life. If you think about the lifer in many of us have plenty of reasons to be happy and yet it's also a lot of Brokenness in this world and this starts to pull back the veiled seeing Jesus resurrected and then digging into God's promise to start to pull back on Vale that shows weight much much more. It's not merely that we're going to see God overcome death fully in the future to see him as the true and complete Triumph tonight if you look better with me starting at verse first eight

come Behold The Works of the Lord how he has brought desolations on the Earth. Who makes Wars cease to the ends of the Earth? You breaks the bow and shatters the spear he burns the Chariots with fire. Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the Nations. I will be exalted in the Earth. The Lord of hosts is with us. The god of Jacob is our Fortress. These words contain promises that relate in fact to the promise of Easter.

And yet how often do we miss that if we celebrate Easter?

We miss pushing us forward to causes.

I think maybe we've had to think about that little bit more this year as we reflect on the Eastern. It was probably different than any of us have experienced in the past. I asked last night on Facebook what some of your favorite Easter Traditions were in and there were all kinds of wonderful things from wonderful beloved family gatherings to Easter egg hunts. My family always love to have Easter egg fights where we see who's

Just can't beat that dressing up a new clothes as little kids or even just going in in recent times and seen the joy in the Wonder. We celebrate the Risen Lord. I always look forward to seeing all the wonderful. He's gifted musicians ready to play brass and strings and and and simply make it feel like that morning was alive just as Jesus is net-debt yesterday, brother We didn't quite have that. Amazing. We got to watch so many people around the world streaming Easter services, and it was really neat how that worked yet. It wasn't the family gatherings that that you share. Those weren't necessarily the things we were experiencing either.

It's different. We can see the hope. We were still thinking about the hope that comes from Jesus's resurrection. And yes, we are also forced to look straight ahead at the Brokenness the remains in the world. Is yours the hope of future and everyday mess that hope will triumph over broken. It's the Jesus has already defeated it and that while we're still in the midst of this broken this right now this passage told us of what is the comfort. And first off with that is that Jesus is the king who triumphed completely to see that verse 9 take a look there with you says he makes the wars cease to the ends of the Earth. He breaks the bow Chatters the sphere he burns the Chariots of Fire.

imagery, we normally think of Easter is it Think about how wonderful it is. If you were with me last week, we would we dug into the first part of Psalm 46 and in that we saw how the nation's rage against our God. In fact, we see that how much of the world seems to be consoling raging against God how much?

The sea wars in the first receive disease. We see natural disasters even over this past week and we see all these things that can be raging against the goodness of God's plan for us. You see these things and in this we see a promise and 46 starting with verse 8 that God is going to defeat all those things that everything's not going to break. The laws of fire deadly arrows will shatter the Spears. This is a taste but I'm in which war is a thing of the past.

The truly it says at the beginning were cease to the ends of the Earth. We have never known a time since you didn't like that.

Wetumpka bring desolation City Earth this destruction. We normally think that's a bad thing. But here it's a good thing cuz God is going to destroy everything that in itself is destructive.

Wonderful news that In that we see reminder that the things as we talked about last week those fortresses those areas that we run to for protection themselves will be away for they they they distract us. We talked last week about thinking what are my Fortress has those things that I trust in the cause me to miss the truth of the gospel and the truth of where my true strength is. And that's the first step to realize the weaknesses of everything. We turn to that is not God.

Somehow even though we know that even though we're off to reminded that it seems like we just run from one week thing is our refuge to another week thing as a refuge. Because it's really scary to think that all of them will fail. Scary when we read about desolation destruction coming from a guy who is taking military forces far greater than anything that we have it scary. What if we end up on the wrong side?

But you don't seem like you stir joint seems like Easter fear and yet it need not be because the goal here is simple to understand.

white woman the second step is to our God. It's because once we know who our God is we can Rejoice rather than fear is is Victorious Jesus the king who never fails the people of this Kingdom. Never known a king like that any part of Earthly history the kings of the Earth the leaders of the earth inevitably always fail and we think will I were that King.

Next we know our own Hearts. We know that we were too and in fact in the areas that God gives us the ability to Lead watch over things what to do. BL2 just like everyone else. Jesus is the king who never fails his people. People as Kingdom and he invites us to be a part of that Kingdom.

Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the Nations. I will be exalted in the Earth. UC What time is calling us to do what God is calling us to do here is not to fear but to be stilled actually stop and see what is ahead. We sort of do that. We're so excited about everything going on even at church all the festivities. Do we really stop and think about that you stir hope and it's

Maybe we do for a moment. Then we go back to regular life and start it again.

Be still and know I am God and when we do that, what do we see two things that is already exalted. Yes. God is already the king of all the universe so often we look in our own lives as we look into this world of everything broken being exalted.

God reigns mistake every knee will bow every knee will know who our Lord is. Why it's important to return to him now we trust in him if he offers his gospel to us, if he offers his love to focus on more pressing in the moment. We would have focused on thinking that something else is really where we need to have our focus and we certainly wouldn't allow herself to think that we are unworthy because it's not about our worthiness about the God who is exalted now saying come into my kingdom. You know what happens when we do we find that out and verse 11. star Fortress waffle listen again to these words.

The Lord of hosts is with us the god of Jacob.

How can you make stop and really think about that? I love using Psalms as part of the working through reading through the Bible coming back to them on a regular basis. And how many times have I read this song and I'm just reading through it. Those words God of Jacob.

Return to God's word and we meditate but I'm taking pictures really intense. You probably noticed the same thing as you do you start to stop and look more closely just start going around the yard and I took some pictures and there were things that you were pretty and yet just stopped for a moment. You can see the beautiful flowering trees beautiful flowering shrub look around. I also noticed some of the flowers that I'd virtually ignored and overlooked this song Glorious and wonderful and beautiful taking pictures focusing on that little screen on my camera when I could pose a picture of a thing. I was too busy to see.

This word is a camera for a lives houses to focus on what true. Wasn't changing causes take all those things that pull us away from who Jesus is the cause that truth to be lost in the noise of life. It says for a moment just focus on these promises. Focus on the God who is our Fortress rather than all the things that we normally trust as we do that more and more it helps to our fears. God uses us to do the things he has to do. If you haven't started the Bible reading plan ever or you haven't in a while now might be a really good time as we find ourselves Sheltering in home apps like the YouVersion app. I'd highly recommend it's free you download it. You can pick out a plan. I really like the Bible gives you an Old Testament New Testament psalms and Proverbs every single day.

You know what happens when we do that is forcing us everyday to pull up that camera to focus on all the problems in the world are all the false. Hope.

I know I struggle to do that. I think all of us struggle to do that because in life.

Yes, we find ourselves during the Easter week. That's what we're called to do focus on God's promises.

So easy to get focused on other things the fact that we're going to start a new series. I'll talk about themselves.

Let's not do that. Let's turn every day to God's promises. Are you with that today? You find the Bible is something that you're usually too busy to look at and you happen to watch this last night.

That's okay. They knew that you could start a new day.

Maybe you already know you're a member of God's kingdom. You're still too busy happens to all of us all of us get too busy to focus on God's promises. Don't we need more of that don't we need more reminders that God is our Fortress. We only dwell in these promises that we hear what God is saying here. He said it for all of his people because what do we find throughout history? We always These are fortune that we are safe. promises and so it is that reflect on that passage from the very beginning that passage promising that Jesus is the first fruits of the Resurrection so much more than simply coming back to life someday. That's a wonderful thing.

Matching right now, but he's truly inviting us into home. We trust me we say it's about who is already Majestic and wonderful.

Find that he's inviting us to come into a kingdom. steadfast because the king that Kingdom The king who never fails the people of this Kingdom. You never had. defrosting the night never will

Father we thank you for your goodness. Thank you that you are The God Who Never Fails? Lord tonight would you help us that we might trust you all the more knowing that you are The God Who is with us through everything we Face Tomorrow this week this month this year and for us to pray in Jesus name?

Think about what we missed on Easter.

Well, what's even more delicious God's kingdom that he invites sent. Read explore that more starting next week. It to the page one interesting thing. We're not the only ones who is right after the resurrection disciples locked and route. scared turn closed doors, but Jesus wasn't going to let that stop him from sending. Appropriate as many of us for other reasons are behind closed doors right now for a good reason, but nonetheless it reminds us that wherever we are God is with us and sending us out electronically and in the future back into the normal regular whatever it is.

Nothing else Works plans for next week starting next week 7 p.m. Monday night. I hope you'll be there and I hope you'll think of someone else who could use that encouragement. I know it's going to be a great time for us to share together. Also our men's bible study is back this week that we're doing jointly with Bible Baptist and Faith tree. And if you're looking for a way to connect with Believers and to dig into God's promises more as we continue to shelter at home. You think I just really want to hear more about God's word and encourage you please come and join us for our Defender Thursday night 7 p.m. To the Facebook event. You can you can take part in and when you do that 42 and 50 this week, I really hope you'll join us there. Well for all this and more we have more things wonderful things planned. I hope that you will like us on Facebook Twitter and Instagram where we keep you up-to-date. And in the meantime is before next week comes up and you need a prayer surround. You may be apart physically, but we're not

Once again be back next week at 7 p.m. For closed doors. I can't wait to see you again then. Thank you for joining tonight. Have a wonderful and blessed Easter be