God Our Refuge

Well, good morning, church. Our sermon text this morning is Psalm 46. Let me encourage you to grab

a Bible and go there with me. This is a psalm that Old and New Testament believers have turned

to in times of trouble again and again. In fact, the first hymn that we sang this morning,

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, was based on this very psalm. So let's turn to Psalm 46 together,

and as we do that, let me pray, and then I'll read it for us.

Oh, Father, we've just sung an old hymn of the church, praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Lord, we do praise you this morning, and we ask that you would send your Spirit

to use your word in our hearts. Lord, help us above all to see you more clearly

as a result of coming to your word. Open up our eyes to see your greatness, God,

and your goodness, your faithfulness, your power, your mercy. Lord, in our own hearts,

in our own eyes, we can't do this. We need you. But God, you are faithful, and you promise to do so.

So we pray with confidence, and we come to your word with expectation that you will do a work this

morning. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Psalm 46. God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth gives way,

though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble at its swelling. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her. She shall not be moved.

God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter. He utters his voice,

the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth.

He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He 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.

So, here we are. We're sitting in our living rooms, watching on our laptops or our phones.

Someone just texted me, showing me how they're watching on their TV screen.

Well done in New London. Glad you guys are with us.

Maybe you're by yourself. Maybe you're gathered with your immediate family or a few friends.

I'm standing here preaching basically to an empty sanctuary.

What a week it has been, right?

Schools have been canceled. Events have been indefinitely postponed.

And the news reports keep coming in about the spread of the virus.

The last I checked the statistics, there had been over 132,000 confirmed cases and almost 5,000 deaths worldwide.

And I'm sure those numbers are already out of date.

What does God's word have to say to us at a moment like this?

How are we as a church to respond?

What does being a follower of Jesus mean in these tumultuous times?

Well, Psalm 46 was written for a context just like ours.

When the world seems to be turning upside down, when there's uncertainty and confusion,

when we're not sure what the future holds,

this psalm points us to God and speaks directly to our hearts.

You see, the message of Psalm 46 is this.

Because God is our refuge, we need not fear.

The first stanza, the first part of the psalm, tells us that because God is our refuge,

we need not fear even when nature comes apart.

Look again at verses 2 and 3.

Listen to the natural chaos that's described there.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives way,

though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble at its swelling,

waters foaming, mountains trembling.

It's a picture of natural upheaval, of chaos.

A picture where no place is safe.

As we follow the news reports, as we watch the maps showing us where the virus spreads day by day,

perhaps we can share some of that unsettled feeling spoken of here in Psalm 46.

That the earth seems to be giving way.

That is, that there are fewer and fewer places that are safe, that are secure.

We can start to feel vulnerable on the outside and weak on the inside.

And fear starts to creep in.

What if I get sick?

What if my children get sick?

What if my parents or my grandparents get sick?

Now, maybe you're not experiencing this sort of fear at this moment.

That's a good thing.

However, this is still a message we need to hear.

I read a quote recently that said,

We do theology in the light so that we can stand on it in the dark.

We do theology in the light so we can stand on it in the dark.

If you're not afraid at just this moment,

well then this is the right time to consider the real reasons why you shouldn't be terrified.

Because sooner or later, hard times will come.

The earth may at one point feel like it's giving away.

The mountain of all that's certain in our lives may feel like it's being thrown into the sea.

We do theology in the light so we can stand on it in the dark.

So why shouldn't the church be afraid?

Why should we be able to face these tumultuous times with wisdom, courage, and love?

Not because of anything in us.

You know, it's easy not to be afraid when I'm feeling secure and strong.

But what about when I'm feeling vulnerable and weak?

Can I be unafraid even then?

And this is what Psalm 46 tells us.

When we are vulnerable, we still have a shelter against every storm.

When we are weak, we still have a power that cannot fail.

Because God is our refuge and strength.

And note the second half of verse 2.

What does the psalmist say there?

God is not just a present help in times of trouble, but a very present help.

Ever present is how some translations put it.

When trouble comes, God is very present.

Ready to be found.

Sufficient for the need.

Very present.

The phrase can even mean well-proved.

One who has shown himself faithful, reliable, again and again.

Brothers and sisters, have you found God to be very present?

To be well-proved in times of trouble.

For many of us, the pandemic that we're facing today is unprecedented in our lifetime.

But you know, this isn't the first time that the church has faced such a crisis.

In the second century, the church lived through a 15-year epidemic

that claimed anywhere from a third to a quarter of the Roman Empire.

In the middle of the third century, another epidemic struck,

hitting the rural areas as hard as the cities.

In the 14th and the 16th centuries, plagues ravaged Europe.

And in the early 20th century, the Spanish flu took millions of lives.

The church has lived through tumultuous times before.

And in those tumultuous times, God has shown himself very present in times of trouble.

God, as Psalm 46 tells us, and as church history shows us,

is with us in our sorrows, in our fears, in our suffering.

But the ultimate display of God being with us in our trouble

is seen above all in our Lord Jesus Christ,

who is called Emmanuel, God with us.

At the center of the Bible is the message that God became a human being.

He entered into our fallen world that we might never be alone,

that we might never be forsaken, that we might never be truly afraid.

Even if the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the sea,

God in Christ is with us.

He gave up heaven's glory.

He took up our infirmities and our sickness and our sin

to bring us back to the Father to ensure us that he would never leave us or forsake us.

And so because God is with us, the psalmist says,

we need not be afraid.

How much more can we say that today as New Testament believers,

knowing what we know of God and Jesus Christ?

And so rather than being afraid,

we have a call to love.

If God is very present to us in our time of trouble,

how can we be very present to one another in Christ's name?

Even when it's not wise to be physically near to one another,

we can still be relationally near.

A phone call, a text, an email,

letting someone know that you're thinking of them,

praying with them, just talking with them.

We don't have to go through all of this alone.

We can be with one another.

Now, of course, we should all be following the healthy guidelines

for mitigating the spread of the virus.

Even Martin Luther, who encouraged Christians not to flee the plague,

recommended that people still fumigate their homes.

To refuse to take such healthy measures, Luther said,

isn't trusting God, it's tempting God.

And so we should love our neighbors

by following the safe guidelines that are being recommended.

But we should also be actively seeking out

how to use all the lawful means we have

to connect with one another,

to encourage one another,

to serve and be generous with one another.

They'll know we are Christians by our love, Jesus said.

This is the time when the church must not be afraid,

but heed the call of proactive love.

Let's go on and look at the second stanza of this psalm.

Verses 4 through 7 tell us that because God is our refuge,

we need not fear,

even when society is in upheaval.

If the first stanza is about nature going crazy,

the second stanza is about

how we cannot be afraid when the nations are in upheaval.

Verse 6 says,

The nation's rage,

the kingdom's totter.

The picture is one of political and economic turmoil.

And you know,

if we're honest,

many of us aren't primarily afraid of the virus itself.

We're afraid of the impact it will have

on other areas of our life.

Our jobs will suffer.

Our workplaces will shut down.

Our savings will dwindle.

What will happen if we can't go to work for a week

or two or three or four?

What will happen if the stock market continues to fall?

The nation's rage.

The kingdom's totter.

But listen to verses 4 and 5.

Verse 4,

For there is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy habitation of the Most High.

In the Old Testament,

the city of God was Jerusalem,

the earthly capital of the kingdom of Israel.

But the city of God was also a metaphor for the people of God,

God's church in the Old Testament and in the New.

Now, there was no actual river in the ancient city of Jerusalem.

So the reference here to a river must be symbolic.

In contrast to the raging waters of verse 3,

here we're told there is a river with streams

that will sustain the people of God.

What is this river?

Look at verse 5.

God is in the midst of her.

She shall not be moved.

God will help her when morning dawns.

God.

God is the river whose streams make glad the city of God.

Even when the kingdom's totter.

Even when the nations rage.

You see what the psalmist is saying here

is that God isn't just with his people.

God resides within his people.

In our very midst.

God is the river whose streams make the city of Jerusalem.

And on the day of Pentecost,

when the ascended Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to live in the midst of his church,

this promise was fulfilled in a way the psalmist could have never dreamed.

God, not just with us, but within us by his Holy Spirit,

giving us joy, gladness, refreshment,

like an aqueduct bringing fresh water to a besieged city.

Jesus said that one day living waters would well up from within us.

Jesus said that one day living waters would well up from within us.

Talking about the Holy Spirit.

And this means even in times of trial,

even in times of loss,

we cannot lose the most important thing.

Even if the water runs dry,

we have a river whose streams make us glad.

Even in times of sorrow,

we have a joy that cannot be taken away.

That is our communion with God as the people of God.

The Holy Spirit assuring us of the forgiveness of sins,

of our adoption as sons and daughters of God,

of our hope of eternal life,

that we are heirs of the new creation.

Assuring us that even sorrow and loss will be used for our good

to make us more like the image of Jesus our Lord.

The application then to us is this.

Rather than being afraid,

we are being called here to saving faith.

God is in the midst of his city.

God is in his church.

Are you?

Are you a part of this city,

this people of God,

where the river of God's presence doesn't run dry?

And how do we enter into this people?

How do we get into this city?

The Bible is very clear.

The only way into the people of God

is through Jesus,

the son of God.

Because only in Jesus is the holiness of God

and the mercy of God

fully satisfied.

God is the Lord of hosts,

verse 7 says.

That is,

he is the God of countless hosts,

of armies,

of all that is seen and unseen,

sun, moon, and stars,

angels, and archangels.

God is the holy,

sovereign creator,

and ruler of all.

He is the Lord of hosts.

But God is also the God of Jacob,

verse 7 says.

Jacob,

the patriarch,

whose twelve sons

became the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jacob, the trickster,

who wrestled with God.

In calling God,

the God of Jacob,

the psalmist is reminding us

that God is a God who is merciful.

A God who chooses imperfect people.

A God who makes his covenant,

his binding promise

with the undeserving and the lowly.

And so,

verse 7 tells us that God is both

holy and sovereign,

but also merciful and kind.

But can God be both at the same time?

Holy and merciful?

This is one of the great questions

that runs throughout the whole Old Testament.

How will God be both holy

and merciful

toward his fallen,

sinful creation?

And that question finds its resolution

in one place.

The cross of Jesus Christ.

At the cross,

the holiness of God against sin

and the mercy of God for sinners

are both expressed in perfect measure.

Jesus,

fully God

and fully human,

takes the penalty

our sins deserve.

You see,

in God's utter holiness at the cross,

the penalty for sin is paid.

But in God's utter mercy at the cross,

the penalty for sin is paid

by God in our place.

Through the cross,

our sins can be forgiven

and we can enter

the city of God

as the children of God.

God's utter holiness.

And so,

are you a part of this city,

this people?

Have you placed your trust

in Christ alone

as your Savior?

What's offered to us in Christ

is a river whose streams

never run dry,

a river of grace,

a river of mercy,

a river of God's own spirit.

A pastor in Italy

recently wrote an article

called

Eight Things the Coronavirus

Should Teach Us.

The first thing he mentioned

was that it should teach us

our frailty.

As human beings,

we are weak and frail

and the days that we have

on this earth are limited.

And so much of our time

is spent in pursuits

that don't last.

So here we are

at a moment

where we are being

prompted to consider

what really matters.

Where do we stand spiritually?

Rather than living in fear,

Psalm 46 calls us

to saving faith,

to enter the city of God

through the Son of God

that we might enjoy

the eternal river

of the Spirit of God.

And if you haven't yet,

now is the time

to enter in.

But there's one last stanza

of Psalm 46.

We've seen that God

is our refuge

and that means

that we don't need

to live in fear

of natural calamities

and we don't need

to live in fear

of societal upheaval.

Now verses 8 through 11

show us that we don't need

to live in fear

of future uncertainty.

Verse 8 invites us

to behold the works

of the Lord.

Desolations they're called.

But what are

these desolations?

And then in verse 9

we are shown

a battlefield.

But the battle

is over.

The bow

is broken.

The spear

is shattered.

The chariots

are burned.

God

has won

the great victory

and the call

goes out

be still

and know

that I

am God.

God

exalted

among the nations.

God

exalted

in the earth.

What the psalmist

is showing us here

with this gripping

imagery

is that we know

how the story

ultimately

ends.

God

will defeat

the foes

of sin

and death

and evil

that have corrupted

his good world.

The warfare

of this fallen

world

will one day

cease

and God

will be all

in all.

And that

means no matter

what the

uncertainty

the future

may hold

because we

know how

the story

will end

we need

not be

afraid.

As Paul

says in

Romans 8

creation

will one

day be

set free

from its

bondage

to corruption.

God's

glory will

cover the

earth like

the waters

cover the

sea.

God

will judge

his world

he will

judge

sin and

death

and make

all things

new and

that day

will be so

good that

Paul can

say I

consider

that the

sufferings

of this

present

time

are not

worth

comparing

with the

glory

that is

to be

revealed

to us.

And if

we know

as Christians

that we

can stand

confident

before God

in the

judgment

if we

know that

we can

stand

confident

before God

when he

comes

because of

the finished

work of

Christ

if that

is our

confidence

then we

will be

able to

stand

confidently

no matter

what

the near

future

might hold.

We need

not fear

sickness

pain

poverty

even death

because none

of these

things can

separate us

from the

love of

God

in Christ

Jesus

our Lord.

And

throughout

history

this is

what has

always made

the church

stand apart

in times

of crisis.

our hope

in Christ

that sickness

and death

is not

the last

word

that what

God has

in store

for his

children

is resurrection

life.

This is

always given

the church

wisdom

and courage

in the face

of fear

whether in

the second

century

or in

the 16th

century

or today

in the

21st

century.

And that

means we

are called

not just

to love

not just

to faith

but finally

to testify

to our

hope.

to tell

others

that we

have a

hope

that reaches

beyond the

grave

beyond death

and ends

in newness

of life.

What gives

us that

hope?

Nothing

about

ourselves

everything

about

Jesus

Jesus

who said

I am

the resurrection

and the life

and then

who died

and rose

again to

prove that

his words

were true.

in the

days and

weeks to

come

brothers and

sisters

may God

give us

the wisdom

and the

courage

to bear

witness to

this great

hope that

we have

in Jesus

to our

family

to our

neighbors

to our

co-workers

may we

pray for

opportunities

to speak

about this

hope with

confidence

and with

love

and may

our

neighbors

see in

us a

living

example

of what

Psalm 46

is all

about

that because

God is

our refuge

we need

not fear

because God

is our

refuge we

can live

with love

and faith

and hope

even in

the midst

of tumultuous

times

and through

it all

may God

be exalted

as verse 10

says

may God

be exalted

through his

church among

all nations

exalted in

all the

earth

may God's

name be

known as

good and

great

let's pray

together

oh God

we pray

that you

would continue

to grant

your church

not just

here in

New Haven

not just

here in

the United

States

but all

across this

world

that you

have made

would you

continue to

grant your

church

a deep

sense

of confidence

and faith

in the

midst

of tumultuous

times

Lord help

us to be

a people

of faith

and hope

and love

father

father we

ask all

this

in the

strong

name

of

Jesus

and in

the

power

of your

Holy

Spirit

amen

and

love

and

love

for

and

how

they

can

for

so