Psalm 46: Be still and know (May 2nd, 2021)

Well, good morning, and so nice to be with you. I'm looking forward to when we compete together a little more closely, but I do enjoy these times. Even get to get in getting together virtually. I will live in times of trouble and so this morning, I was selected the song Especially built for times of trouble. As matter fact, the Somme that we're going to read and study and pray through this morning, is a song that has comforted a troubled life, a very famous, troubled life. Psalm 46 was the song that Martin Luther went back to over and over and over again when he was in the travails and Trevor and stresses of the Reformation Martin Luther struggled with dark thoughts and depression and constantly, he went back to Psalm 46. It's not a factor. When, when, when Martin Luther was, in hiding for fear of his life, he was translating the Bible into German and he had a co-worker named Philip and every time life, look dark, every time things weren't going, right? Every time they were depressed, Martin Luther would say, come on, fill up, let's sing the 46th, and so they would do that and it's a matter fact. When they were singing, the 46th Psalm a a final version of the tune started to evolve. And, you know, that tune as one of my favorite hymns, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. Well today we're going to learn what Luther saw in the song, how it brought, peace to a troubled heart just before we look at these. So am I just wanted to let you know, if you're looking for a movie night, this is a good movie. This is this can really let you see the the difficulties Luther had in the Reformation. There's lots of movies on the life of Luther. So this is the one that I found to be the best of this is looking for the one that came out in 2003, it is beautifully written, very lovely music in the background. Well, acted and historically accurate. Let's take a look at Psalm 46. God is our refuge and strength. There's two words here and they do not mean the same thing, refuge and strength God is our refuge. God is this strong tower that we run into he's the house that we run into when the hell is pelting down in the wind is out of control. God is the shelter from the afflictions and some guys sometimes God chooses to do that. Sometimes God chooses to shelter us from the Affliction. You don't have to go through that son, you don't have to go through that daughter. I am your Refuge. I will be the roof over your head. I will be the protection from the elements sometimes. God protects us from the Affliction, but God is Not only our refuge. He is our strength. And strength is different strength is not protection, from the Affliction. Strength is strength in the Affliction. This word strength is the same idea that we were talking about. In our three-week series, the comfort of the Gospel, not the freedom to

Avoid Affliction but the strength to go through our Affliction. What God has both sometimes he chooses to sparrows from a flex Affliction and he is our refuge, sometimes he ordained us to go strozzi Affliction and he is our strength but in either case, he is a very present help in times of trouble.

This has consequences because God is our refuge because he is our strength. He can be a very present help in trouble. And that changes are out like a light.

It frees us from Fear.

You may say I don't experience this. I still live a life of fear. Why isn't God my refuge? Why isn't God my strength? I've trusted the Lord Jesus. And here I am. I'm in fear all the time. may I say, That the answer you're looking for. Is faithfulness.

The answer you're looking for is faithfulness, not God's faithfulness. He's faithful your faithfulness. Living faithful lives day after day, week after week, month after month, quarter after quarter, year after year, decade after decade allows us to know, more of who God is. God, could not be more of a refuge for you than he already is. God could not be more of a strength for you than he already is. But we don't necessarily understand that until we know him on a deeper level.

I know I've used to sell the stration before, but it makes the point so well, I thought I'd use it again today. Imagine two people walking onto an airplane. One has flown many times business person. They fly all the time. They've fly across. Oceans, they cry fly across continents. And they have been on airplanes more time than they can remember and are perfectly comfortable on the airplane. Imagine the person next to him first flight not sure about all this very nervous thinks the plane's going down. Every time they hit turbulence, they are in a tizzy. Let me ask you a question. Who is the plane more safe for the man whose calm or the more man who's fearful

The answer of course is the airplane is equally Seas safe for both of them, but only one of them knows that. The plane is completely safe but only count one can rest in that fact. Friends. God is all right. If you have accepted Jesus Christ, as your personal Lord and Savior, God is already your Refuge. He is already your strength. I call you to a life of faithfulness and as you just as we discovered together on a deeper and deeper and deeper level, who got already, is we will be able to rest in the thigh. The God is our refuge and our strength. And we actually face life. Without fear.

Even when there's lots to fear. even when the earth is giving away, even when the mountains are moved into the heart of the sea, This is this verse 2 is a picture of natural chaos. Where natural boundaries are being violated the boundary between dry ground and water is being violated.

The firmness of the earth under our feet is being violated. The natural laws that we have come to depend on that. We just take as a given are failing and yours is giving away and mountains, that should be Majestic on the ground of being thrown into the sea. This is a picture of natural chaos. This is a violation of the natural order of things. And by the way, if you're a perceptive Bible reader, you will know why the Somas picked these two examples. This verse 2 Is a reversal. Of the third day of creation.

In the third day of creation, God brought order out of chaos, he brings the mountains out of the water, he separates the land and the sea. Bringing order from chaos. In this verse to Psalm 46 verse 2, we don't see order coming out of chaos. We see chaos emerging in the midst of order, we don't see the dry land in the sea being separated. We see them being merged This is a fearful thing and yet, we will not fear because God is our refuge. He will shelter us from Affliction or are so he doesn't shelter, he will strengthen Us in the Affliction and therefore we can live without fear even though the waters Roar and foam. Even though the mountains tremble, the mountains. Tremble, but we don't,

It's not depending on the mountains we're depending on him who made the mountains.

First floor is a very abrupt change. In mood verse 1. God is our refuge and strength verse two buttons being thrown into Seas on my goodness. And now we're back to peace and tranquility Now we see a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the most high versus 2 and 3 is chaos, but it becomes a piece in versus four and five, natural boundaries between dry land and sea, are being violated in versus two and three, but they're being restored and verses 5 and 6. There's the stream exactly where we thought it would be. Not flooding, not damaging, just a pure Crystal stream. in the city of God, is a place where God lives Let me ask you a question.

Where is the city of God? What is that referring to?

Well, actually in this song, The Phrase, the city of God has a double meaning. The first meeting is the city of God, is the Earthly Old Testament city of Jerusalem.

In Genesis 10, the table of Nations, all the nations are set up in Genesis 12, God calls a nation to himself is real, throat is history, David overtakes Jerusalem, and not becomes its capital. And that becomes the city of God, the capital city of the people of God. And God protected, the city, you know the song was, we don't know exactly when this song was written, but he may have been thinking about the time and 2nd Kings 18 and 19 where God protected the city of God. You may remember a king sennacherib. Is it talking to Ruslan? He is sent his best field Marshal. And the field Marshal arrives in Jerusalem and yells, I owe you guys need to surrender. It's all over to the Army. I got your goose is cooked. You better give up. And the people say we're going to rely on God, he'll save us. And the field Marshal says 1 minute problem with that plan, we just conquered a bunch of other cities and they said the same thing. Their God is going to save them? Yeah it didn't work didn't work for them. We overcame their gods were going to overcome your God and he's taunting them at the wall of Jerusalem. As a matter of fact, the field Marshal puts it in writing, I'm going to take you over, you had better surrender. And like I mean now hands in the letter. They had a Godly leader. King Hezekiah, King Hezekiah. Took that letter, and he ran to the temple, and he laid the letter out before God. You see what's going on here. You're sitting on my sit at your city. Your city is being threatened by the heathen. Save us, savior City.

Is the word came to Hezekiah through Isaiah? Yeah. That Isaiah the big famous. Isaiah 66 chapters Isaiah and he said, God has spoken to me. He is going to save because of your prayers. He is going to save your city and that very night, the angel of the Lord went out and killed 185000 opposing soldiers. They woke up one morning and saw the disaster that had been falling on them. Tuck their tail between their legs and left. There is a city of God and he protects it. And the first meaning for that phrase, the city of God is the Earthly Old Testament city of Jerusalem.

But the other meeting is there is a coming city of God. not the Earthly Old Testament city of Jerusalem, but the New Jerusalem described in Revelation, 21 and 22.

And this is our hope. We are living in verses 1, 2 and 3. God is our refuge and strength but the mountains are still being thrown into the Seas. We still live in natural chaos. Natural boundaries are still being violated. Chaos is emerging out of order. That's where we live one. God is our refuge and strength but the mountains are still being thrown into the sea, but we look forward to the city of God. And it is coming. And if you've accepted the Lord Jesus, you'll be there. And I'll be there. And that means you can buy me a coffee. There is coming a beautiful city of God and we're going to live there. We can look At the chaos around us. And we don't have to fear because God is our refuge and strength are very present help. He is our present help in times of trouble, we're in times of trouble. Have you noticed But these times of trouble won't last forever verse for there is coming a day where the city of God will descend and we will live in it. But that day is not today. Today is the day where the nation's rage.

Nations list up their heels, shake their fists at God Almighty and rather than being thankful for his provision. Float his laws mock his holiness. Which of course, is why. The Kingdom's, totter.

The history of the world, the entire history of the world is the story of it Nations, Emergen, strengthening Gathering walking, God for one, that's what happens.

The nation's rage in the Kingdom's totter now. But even in this time of uncertainty, the Lords of hosts is with us The god of Jacob is our Fortress. Notice. This isn't talking with the promise of Heaven. These are all present, tense. The Lord of hosts won't be with us, he's with us now. And the god of Jacob will not be our Fortress. He is our Fortress. Now God does not promise to right every wrong. He does not promise to stop the wickedness. He does not promise to stop the mountains from falling into the sea. Nor does he promised to stop the nation's, from raging what? He promises to be with us in it.

And to be our Fortress.

And in this state of rebellion where the nation's rage and Kingdom's, totter in this rage of, in this age of chaos or mountains are being thrown into the sea. we're encouraged not to look at the chaos but to Behold The Works of the Lord, Do you see his power? He's not being caught, unawares. He is not powerless, he has brought desolations on the earth, he is completely in control. And he is going to bring a day where he brings peace. Mary, just make up a political Point here. If you look at the history of the world, there are actually two kinds of peace, that a Sovereign Nation can bring with another Sovereign Nation. One is called a negotiated peace. I'll give up this land and you give me that and we'll agree to disagree here, but we will agree to negotiate there. That's a negotiated peace. There's some sort of conflict and we just sit down around a table and we work it out, a negotiated peace.

There was something else called a conquering piece. We're not sitting down on the table, I'm taking you over.

What are going to talk about whose land is whose it's all mine. This is not a negotiated peace. This is a Conquering peace. If you look at the presidential seal, when President Biden gave his state of the union he was behind the seal every time a president of the United States speak publicly he's behind the seal, by the way, they're very careful with the sealed. I generally put it up just before he speaks and they take it down just after he's done. Even if other people are speaking from the podium. But if you look at the presidential seal, You noticed that there's an American Eagle here and he has something in his talons. What is that?

Those are Olive branches.

And what this means is the United States when necessary will enter into a negotiated peace. Perfectly willing to do that. What's in the other Talent?

Eros. Is a negotiated peace is not possible. We will create a conquering piece. We have four so we're not afraid to use it.

So when you look at these verses 8 and 9 Behold The Works of the Lord how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes Wars to cease. He makes Wars cease to the end of the Earth. Yes, he brings peace. How does he do that?

This is not a negotiated peace. God does not negotiate. A bilateral reduction of bows and arrows. He breaks the bows of his enemy. He does not negotiate, a bilateral reduction, in Spears, he shatters the Spear of the enemy. This is not a bilateral reduction. In the number of cherry is used for Warfare. He burns the Chariots with fire. God has offered all of Branch. After all of branch, and we, as a human society, have proven all over many times throughout history, we will not accept his Olive Branch. The ultimate Olive, Branch is his son. Whom you may remember, we mocked and crucified, and now, most of the world's still rebelled against will God will bring peace. But it won't be a negotiated priests. It will be a conquering piece. Which really changes the frame. For this very famous verse be still and know I am God. When this is written on coffee mugs, when this is embroidered on backgrounds, it is not connected to versus eight or nine. And so when we just read the words be still and know that I am God we think that this is a call for contemplation. Just slow life down and be still. And just know God is God. We think this is a call for contemplation.

A contemplative peace and that is good. We should be still and know that God is God, but that's not what this versus a This force is not a call to contemplation. This is a this versus a call to surrender. God is going to break those arrows. He is going to smash those Spears. He is going to burn those chariots, accept his peace now and stop fighting. Just know he's got. He is going to set the tone for the battle. The only person is going to come hurt out of this. As you be still lay down your arms. Be still listen to be thoughtful. Be still as stop fighting. Lay down your arms, know that he is gone and he's marked now, but there's going to be a time or he's exalted and exalted over all the Earth.

So often. We angle for a negotiated peace with God. I will do this, if you will do that. I'll tell you what. God, I'll start praying if you heal her. I'll tell you what. I'll give more money to the church if you do that in it and negotiated peace there is no negotiated peace.

There's only a conquering, peace. When he conquers our heart, be still lay down. Your arms surrender today. Give yourself to him today and no. Does he is God?

There is a day where the world's Rebellion, the Nations will stop raging and teetering and falling. There is a day where he will be exalted and not mocked obey and not disobeyed, and we will be in that number.

The day that I wonder if you could just take your place. Here, we are David and I are going to pray back, Psalm 46, and we written out our prayer. I think you'll see that as we are praying on your screens. You know, I started the sermon by saying that in the song, 46 is a song that many people have found comfort in, and I gave a famous example, from the 1500 Martin Luther, but I want you to know that people still find comfort in verse in Psalm 46, some of you may know the story of Elisabeth, Elliot, a famous missionary married to Jim You know, the story, you know, that Jim was killed by Natives and Ecuador. The very people that he was trying to bring the gospel to which you may not, know, is Elizabeth after gym was murdered, Elizabeth married, Addison.

And Addison was slowly consumed by cancer. Why does God do this to his choicest servants? Elisabeth, Elliot found peace. In Psalm 46, she said quote Everything that has seemed most Dependable has given way. Mountains are falling. Earth is reeling. And in her life, they really were. In such a time, it is a profound Comfort to know that, although all things seem to be shaking, one thing is not God is Not shaken. Friend Saints throughout the ages have found comfort in this song. Let's find Comfort today by praying, this song, 46 back to himself and just before we start to pray, as I mention the words will be on your screen. If you want to pray with your eyes open, that is totally acceptable. Let's just before I start to pray, do you have control of the slides back? Their thumbs up, thumbs down. Thumbs up. Good. Okay, let's pray. Psalm 46 back to God. God is our refuge and strength. God, you are not some temporary political power. Not some transient King. but God, himself the creator of all that is God is our even though you are a creator of all that is you are not a far-off, but close. You are not a distant power but our God. And you are not ours because we have secured, you not ours because we have recruited you, but you are ours because you have given yourself to be hours. God is our refuge and strength. When the storm winds blow, when the rain pelts down, we need shelter, We crave protection. And didn't you? We find it. You are God. Are the Refuge and strength for our lives.

A very present help in trouble. Because you were close. You are not a help in the future, but in the present and not in good times, but in trouble. Oh Lord, we are in trouble. there is chaos in our natural world, as we fail in our mandate, to be a steward of your creation, We are buffeted by storms, shaken by earthquakes, destroyed by floods and starved by famine. And not just in our natural world but our political world is also in chaos. As we punish righteousness, celebrate iniquity and allow great transgressions In the chaos of our world, both natural, and political we turn to you, our very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, we will not fear, we will not fear though. The Earth gives way though. The mountains be moved, though, the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, Therefore, we will not fear though, the Earth gives way though, the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, do its Waters Roar, the witch Waters, Roar and foam. Do its Waters Roar and foam, do the mountains tremble tremble. Tremble, at its swelling Salem. There is a river. There is a river, the trembling mountains are real. The swelling seas are real. But they are not all. There is there is a river, a calm, clear nourishing, pure River. A river whose streams make glad the city of God, make glad make glad make glad the city of God. This city is the holy habitation of the most high. And God is in the midst of her. Heavenly Father, none of this surprises us that you are God. You should have a city and it should have a clear, beautiful stream. You should be in the midst of her. You are the most high What surprises us is not that you have a city but that you want us to live in it with you. What a gracious God, you are our refuge, our strength, our very present help in trouble and you have a city, a holy habitation. Yes. And God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved. Our world can be moved. Yes, Lord, our world gives way and the mountains are moved. The mountains are moved into the heart of the sea, but your city shall not be moved. It is strong because you are strong. It is at peace because you are peace. The nation's rage, the nation's rage. Why did the nation's rage against you? Oh, Lord. Why do they inject to your kind goodness? Why did they rebelled against your law? Why do they say that? Fair is foul and foul is fair. Why do they call wickedness righteousness and righteousness Wicked? we know that they pose no threat to your Reign o Sovereign one because Psalm 2 verses 4 through 6. He who sits in the heavens. Laughs the Lord holds them in derision. He will speak to them in his wrath and terrify them in his Fury saying. As for me, I have set my king on the Scion, my Holy Hill. Psalm 2 verses 4 through 6. Yes. Oh Lord, you say in Psalm to that the day will come when you will conquer the Raging Nations and terrify them with your Fury. But that day has not come yet. We still live in a world where the Earth gives way the mountains are moved and the nation's rage, the nation's rage, the Kingdom's totter Of course, they do. Oh God. when nation's rage against you their maker, they must eventually taught her Philistia Assyria, Egypt Babylon, Greece, Rome, all Empires that have formed prospered extended, their strength, rage the game stew, tottered and Fallen. And there will soon be one more Kingdom to a door. Lord. Our own. Our own Western Powers have formed prospered extended their strength. And now they rage, and soon, they will Potter taught her and fall. But we will not fall. Because the Lord of hosts is with us. The god of Jacob is our Fortress. Sayla. Father. We come before you this morning and behold your works. We see how you have brought desolation on the Earth. Yes, we have seen how you make Wars to cease by breaking the bows and shattering the Spears and burning the Chariots of those who love wickedness. Be still. Lord, we are still we surrender. received the nation's rage, but part of us rage is to We see them lift up their heels against you but part of us lives, stop our heels against you too. In our sinful Madness. We sometimes join our world in Rebellion against you. Today, we repent, today we are still We lay down our own bows. We shatter our own Spears. We burn our own chariots and we are still still because we know We know, we know that you are God. You will be exalted. Yes. Lord the Raging will end and be replaced with exulting glory. Be to your name, our church waits for the day, our church hastens the day. Our church prays for the day, our church rejoices for the day. When you are exalted among the Nations and exalted in the Earth because you the Lord of hosts are with us because you the god of Jacob is our Fortress. C'est la vie. We thank you for the gift of song 46 this morning Lord. And today at the church, we offer it back to you in Christ's name. Amen.

Wonderful prayer. Thank you. You let us know when we should start.

Ready.

Let's pray. Psalm 46 back to God. God is our refuge and strength. God, you are not some temporary political power, not some transient King, but God himself the creator of all that is God is our and even though you were creator of all there is you are not a far-off but close you are not a distant power but our God And you are not ours because we secured you, not ours, because we have recruited you, but ours because you have given yourself to be hours. God is our refuge and strength. When the storm winds blow, when the Rings helps down. We need shelter. We crave protection, and didn't you? We find it. You are God. Are the Refuge and strength of Our Lives. A very present help in trouble. Because you were close. You are not a helping the future, but a helping, the present, and not in, good times but in trouble. Oh Lord, we are in trouble. there is chaos in our natural world, as we fail in our mandate, to be Steward of your creation, We are buffeted by storm, shaken by earthquakes, destroyed by flood and starve by famine. And not just our natural world but our political world is also when chaos. As we punished righteousness, celebrate iniquity and allow great transgressions. In the chaos of our world, both natural, and political we turn to you, our very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, we will not fear, we will not fear though. The Earth gives way though, the mountains be moved to the mountains, be moved into the heart of the sea. Therefore, we will not fear though, the Earth gives way though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, do its Waters Roar, the witch Waters Roar and foam though its Waters Roar and foam though. The mountains tremble. Tremble. Tremble at its swelling, say law.

There is a river. Oh Lord, there is a river. The trembling mountains are real. The swelling, seas are real, but they are not all. There is, there is a river calm, clear nourishing pure River. A river whose streams make glad the city of God, make glad glad make glad the city of God. This city is the holy habitation of the most high. And God is in the midst of her. Heavenly Father. None of the surprises us. You are God. You should have a city. And it should have a cleaner beautiful stream and you should be in the midst of or you are the most high. What surprises us is not that you have a city but that you want us to live in it with you. What a gracious God you are. God, you are our refuge our strength. Our very present help in trouble and you have a city, a holy habitation. Yes! And God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved. Our world can be moved. Yes, Lord, our world gives way and the mountains are move. The mountains are moved into the heart of the sea, but your city shall not be moved. It is strong because you are strong. It is at peace because you are peace. The nation's rage the nation's rage. Why do the nation's rage against you or Lord? Why do they object to your kind goodness? Why did they rebelled against your law? Why do they say that? Fair is foul and foul is fair. Why do they call righteousness? Wicked and wickedness righteous? We know that they pose no threat to your Reino Sovereign one because Psalm 2 verses 4 through 6. He who sits in the heavens, laughs the Lord holds them in derision, he will speak to them in his wrath and terrify them in his Fury saying. As for me, I have set my king on, Zion my Holy Hill, Psalm 2 verses 4 through 6. Yes. Oh Lord, you say in Psalm to that the day will come when you will conquer the Raging Nations and terrify them with your Fury. But that day has not come yet. We still live in a world where the Earth gives way the mountains are moved and the nation's rage. The nation's rage the Kingdom's totter, of course, they do. Oh God, when nation's rage against you their maker, they must eventually taught her philistia, Assyria Egypt, Babylon, Greece Rome, All Empires that have formed prospered extended their strength raged against you and Fallen. And they will soon be another. There. Will soon be one more Kingdom to a door. Lord, our own. Our own Western Powers have formed prospered extended their strength. And now they rage and soon they will totter totter and fall but we will not fall. Because the Lord of hosts is with us. The god of Jacob is our Fortress. Sayla. Father. We come before you this morning and behold your works. We see how you have brought desolations on the Earth. Yes, we have seen how you make Wars to cease by breaking the bows and shattering the Spears and burning the Chariots of those who love wickedness, be still Lord. We are still we surrender. We see the nation's rage, but part of us rage is to We see them lift up their heels against you but part of us lifts up our heels against you too. In our sinful Madness. We sometimes join our world in Rebellion against you. Today, we repent, today we are still We lay down our own those. We shatter our own Spears, we burn our own chariots and we are still still because we know, we know, we know that you are God. You will be exalted? Yes. Lord. The Raging will end and be replaced with exulting glory. Be to your name, our church Waits the day, our church hastens the day. Our church prays for the day, our church rejoices for the day. When you are exalted among the Nations and exalted in the Earth because you the Lord of hosts are with us because you the god of Jacob is our Fortress sale off.

We thank you for the gift of Psalm 46 this morning. Lord. And today is a church. We offer it back to you in Christ's name. Amen.