Sermon

Be Still and Know that I am God - Terry Osburn

Church of Christ - Bakersfield, Ca

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  1. I was reading the other day and just happen to run across Psalm

  2. 46. And reading through that chapter

  3. it really kind of hit home with things that are going on in the

  4. world today. And you know, I think we just

  5. sometimes need to be comforted in some ways and be assured and

  6. be strengthened in our faith. And this chapter, I believe does

  7. that And so this is really just a chapter study, a word study if

  8. you want of several verses. So it's kind of dry in a sense,

  9. but I hope that you get out of it.

  10. What what I did we're going to start off.

  11. In the first verse of chapter 46, 46 of the, Psalms of David.

  12. Says to the chief musician, a Psalm of the sons of Korah a

  13. song for a lamothe. God is our refuge and strength.

  14. A very present help in trouble. He talks about this God of our

  15. refuge. It says, in other words, God is

  16. a place where we can go, where we can Flee for safety and he's

  17. a source of strength in times of danger, the word refuge means to

  18. flee and and then to flee, to order to take shelter in and

  19. denotes a place to, which one would flee into.

  20. Times of danger as a lofty wall. A Hightower a fort or a

  21. fortress. The idea is that the people of

  22. God, in times of danger, can find God to be that place of

  23. Refuge the word strength, implies that God is the source

  24. of strength, to those who are weak and defenseless, and that

  25. need help and need to some place to go and to be comforted.

  26. He talks about a very present help in trouble.

  27. The word trouble would help here means, excuse me to give Aid to

  28. give assistance to and the word trouble would cover.

  29. All those all that can come upon us, which would give us anxiety

  30. and sorrow. The word present means basically

  31. near to Us close to us. So we look at such things that

  32. are going on in the world and in all the distress and trouble and

  33. things that are going on around us, we see it.

  34. We had maybe have an experience, some of those but we see these

  35. things going on and we worry about the economy, we worry

  36. about jobs, we worry about maybe paying our bill, we worry bills,

  37. we worry about all different kinds of things.

  38. The unrest that is going on in the world today and how that's

  39. going to maybe affect us and all that.

  40. We put too much important sometimes on the things that are

  41. going on in the world. And the writer says here that

  42. God is one that we can always turn to.

  43. We can always trust him, he was always near.

  44. He is always powerful. He is a place of Refuge to help

  45. in times of trouble for us. He is nearby and Hebrews 13 and

  46. verse 5. Therefore, excuse me, got to go

  47. one more. I went too far.

  48. Did I miss that one? I guess I missed that one.

  49. Sorry folks and Hebrews 13, Verse 5 lecture conduct be

    Hebrews 13:5

  50. without covetousness. Be content with such things as

  51. you have for. He himself has said, I will

  52. never leave you nor forsake you You know, it's a terrible thing.

  53. If someone leaves us in times of trouble, someone that when we're

  54. looking for help, when we're in time of need, someone would turn

  55. their back on us and walk away. Well, he says, God is not that

  56. kind of person. He says, I will never leave you,

  57. and I will never take forsake you True Refuge is only found in

  58. God. So, verse 2.

  59. He says, therefore we will not fear even though the Earth shall

  60. be moved removed and though the mountains be carried into the

  61. midst of the sea. So, the psalmist, David here is

  62. really talking figuratively because I believe as has been

  63. said time and time again, that man will not destroy this Earth.

  64. God will be the one that destroys this Earth we worry

  65. about and people worry about nuclear disasters and nuclear

  66. attacks and all these kinds of things that we have this war

  67. that that would just wipe man off the face of the Earth that

  68. will not happen because God will be the one that destroys this

  69. Earth. So David is talking from

  70. figuratively here and he says if the the Earth should be

  71. dissolved and fall in pieces around him, in other words, I

  72. think I kind of messed up here. I'm sorry.

  73. There we go. Now I'm in the right place and

  74. this Earth represents the human things.

  75. The things that we see the things that we enjoy in this

  76. life, the things of this world The tangible things.

  77. And his meaning is though there should be some kind of

  78. earthquakes or, or commotions or problems in this world around

  79. us. Even though the countries and

  80. states would would be in Mass confusion and possibly even Wars

  81. rebellions and tumults. And their gum and some

  82. governments might even be overturned by rebellions and

  83. Revolt of people. Even though the leaders and

  84. Powers turn against the church. And the people of God, though,

  85. they would even want to ruin the church and destroy the very

  86. things that we consider sacred and holy such as our worship to

  87. God. And at some point, maybe income

  88. and stop us from worshipping. Yet, we will not fear. knowing

  89. that all these troubles will end well for the Christian and for

  90. the church in the body of Christ, if you're worth were to

  91. being removed, those that have reason to fear that have laid up

  92. all their trust in the treasures and things of this Earth, And

  93. have set their hearts on those things, but not for those who

  94. have laid up for themselves, Treasures in Heaven.

  95. And who then can expect to be certainly happy when all the

  96. things of this Earth are dissolved and done away with.

  97. You know, I reminded of that song, the rocket Rock of Ages

  98. Rock of Ages cleft for me. Let me hide myself in thee.

  99. A cleft is a little niche or a little place that a person could

  100. get into or slide into or be covered over when the storm

  101. would come and be able to find a place of refuge.

  102. And God is that refuge for us, in times of trouble, in times of

  103. fear and Times of distress and things of that nature.

  104. ER, he says, therefore we will not fear.

  105. Our confidence in God shall be in shaken.

  106. Having him for our refuge and strength and we can have nothing

  107. to fear. Notice First, Timothy 1:7 For

  108. God, has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of

  109. love, and of a sound mind, you know, we will never know what

  110. true strength and peace is, until we believe in and trust

  111. that God oversees everything. And and can do anything.

  112. And we're going to notice a little bit more about that.

  113. Satan is the one that's behind all the confusion.

  114. Satan is the one that's behind all the uneasiness and the

  115. trouble, notice Matthew 8 + 44, you are of the, your father, the

  116. devil, and the desires of your father, you want to do, he was a

  117. murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth

  118. because there is no truth in him.

  119. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources.

  120. For, he is a liar and the father of it.

  121. Also notice second Corinthians 4 and verse 4, whose mind the God

  122. talking about a small G, not a big G.

  123. The God of this age has blinded Who do not believe less the

  124. light of the Gospel, the glory of Christ, who is the image of

  125. God, should shine on them. So the devil is the one that is

  126. trying to control your thoughts, your mind your processes and

  127. your mind to distress, you to trouble, you to have, you have

  128. fear He is the one that is the the author of confusion and and

  129. the one that causes the troubles God is our refuge from that God

  130. is the place that we can go to for Comfort.

  131. Certainly God is the one that is in control.

  132. So it's a waste of time and it's really unreasonable for the

  133. child of God to fear the things that are happening around us.

  134. It's a waste of energy, it's a waste of resources.

  135. It's a waste of our time. Notice Philippians, 4:6-7, be

  136. anxious for nothing. But in everything by prayer and

  137. supplication with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known

  138. to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all

  139. understanding will guard your hearts and Minds through Jesus

  140. Christ through Christ. Jesus.

  141. God is the author of comfort. God is the author of hope.

  142. God is the author of things that would calm us, and settle us

  143. down. Notice now, as we continue on in

  144. our, in our study here, I'm just going to read through these

  145. verses He says though, though, its Waters Roar and be troubled.

  146. We know how a stormy sea is, how how thing it can cause

  147. destruction and tear ships apart, and things of that

  148. nature. It's as though its Waters Roar

  149. and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its

  150. swelling seal up. There is a river, whose streams

  151. shall make glad the city of God. The holy place of the Tabernacle

  152. of the most high God is in the midst of her.

  153. She shall not be moved. God shall help her just as the

  154. break of dawn. The nation's rage, the kingdoms

  155. were moved. He uttered his voice.

  156. And the Earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us.

  157. The god of Jacob is our refuge see law.

  158. Excuse me. Forgot to do that.

  159. Come Behold, The Works of the Lord who has made desolations in

  160. the earth. He makes Wars cease to the end

  161. of the Earth. He breaks the bow and cuts the

  162. spear into. He burns the Chariots and Fire.

  163. All This calamity. All these things that go on all

  164. this God is still the one that's in control.

  165. We think things are getting out of control.

  166. We just have to remember that the things that are going on.

  167. God is controlling. It's God's will or he wouldn't

  168. allow it to happen. We think wonder what is the

  169. world coming to? How much longer is God?

  170. Going to put up with this earth and the things that are going on

  171. in there? So I don't know but God is the

  172. one that's controlling it. Man is not in control.

  173. God is hopefully maybe trying to get our attention with the

  174. things that are going on in the world and help us to realize and

  175. look to him. So he says, in verse 10, be

  176. still. And know that I am, God.

  177. I will be exalted among the Nations.

  178. I will be exalted in the Earth. Be still, he talks about the

  179. word used here means properly to cast down to let fall to let

  180. hang down, then then to be relaxed slacking, especially the

  181. hands. It is also employed in the sense

  182. of not making an effort, not putting forth eggs or exertion,

  183. and then would express the idea of leaving matters with God or

  184. of being without anxiety. About the issue.

  185. You ever got into a situation before where you weren't really

  186. worried even though there is some just turmoil going on.

  187. You weren't worried because you knew what the outcome was going

  188. to be other words. You just kind of stood back and

  189. let things happen. You knew what was going to

  190. happen. That's what he's saying here.

  191. Be still and know that I am God In This Place.

  192. The word seems to be used as a meaning.

  193. That there was to be no anxiety that it was to be calm trust in

  194. God and let him show his divine power.

  195. The mind was to be calm in view of the fact that God had shown

  196. that he was able to defend his people when surrounded by

  197. dangers. You seem a little mother,

  198. keeping her little, a mother bear, keeping her Cubs close by

  199. You don't mess with. You don't mess with the Cubs

  200. from Mother. Bear is close by.

  201. She's the one that's in going to be in control and that's kind of

  202. the way that he's saying here about God, God is protecting the

  203. church. God is protecting the body of

  204. Christ. God is protecting those things

  205. that are holy and he will protect those things.

  206. It may not be what we think it ought to be or what we've been

  207. used to. What we've been accustomed to,

  208. but God is the one that is in control of all that and he will

  209. protect his church. He will protect the body of

  210. Christ. Most of us at one point, or

  211. another have had our children come and sit on our laps, maybe

  212. in the doctor's office, or at a concert, or in someone's office,

  213. a meeting or in church, you know, in some of the children

  214. just come up and sit and they just want to sit and talk.

  215. And they want to carry on a conversation or they've got this

  216. to do or that to do in there, making noise and they want to

  217. ask questions and they're they're just always kind of in a

  218. turmoil. And then you have that one

  219. child, just comes up and sit you in your lap and just sits there

  220. and they're still It's not much better than that.

  221. Your child just to sit in your lap and be still.

  222. They said that the basically are the kind of saying that I love

  223. you. I trust you, I feel safe with

  224. you. There's nothing that compares to

  225. that feeling just for them to sit there and be still.

  226. I think that's the point that the psalmist David here is

  227. saying he's stop and think about God, and recognize his power and

  228. his ability. Stop and think about it.

  229. Psalm 143 and verse 5, I remember the days of old, I

  230. meditate on all your works. I'm use on the work of your

  231. hands. Someone 45 and 5.

  232. I will meditate on the Glorious Splendor of your majesty and the

  233. on your works on on your wondrous Works.

  234. Psalm 119 and verse 27. Make me understand the way of

  235. your precepts. So shall I meditate on your

  236. wonderful works. He says stop and think about

  237. God. How powerfully is how loving he

  238. is, how he has things in control.

  239. He says and know that I am God. See what I've done.

  240. The evidence of things that you can see in the things that I've

  241. accomplished. You know, we all pray.

  242. We pray for God to do things for us to accomplish things for

  243. stop. And think about those things

  244. that God has accomplished for us.

  245. He is powerful. I know he's accomplished things

  246. in my life and I know he has in your life as well.

  247. Be still and know that I am. God.

  248. All the powers of this world. Don't stand up to God.

  249. God is the one that's in control.

  250. And he says, Goins goes on to say, I will be exalted among the

  251. heathen. That is among the nation's among

  252. all that are troubled and in despair.

  253. Those that don't worship me. The ones that worship idols.

  254. They will see that I am God. This is, I will be exalted in

  255. the earth and the, in the lands abroad.

  256. All over this world, God will be exalted.

  257. In other words, I have everything under control.

  258. God is in control of all this. We have sometimes problems with

  259. accepting that and I know we do. We complain about this.

  260. We complain about that. We worry about this.

  261. We were about all these other things that are going on around

  262. us and God says Don't Fear. Be still.

  263. And know that I am, God. And verse, 2 verse 11, the Lord

  264. of hosts is with us. The god of Jacob is our refuge.

  265. So let's find refuge in God, in times of trouble.

  266. Let's not just be in turmoil. That's not be worrying about all

  267. the things that are going on around us.

  268. God has it in control, there's nothing we can do to change it.

  269. It's his will. Let's just go on be still and

  270. look at God and what he does for us.

  271. What he has done for us, what he can do that, he is in control

  272. that we are not and let's just go on with life and accept and

  273. worship him and adore. Him, bless him, and praise him

  274. for what he is. That he is our God and don't

  275. worry about it. Let's just go on with life.

  276. Because we're not going to change things that are going on.

  277. Let's pray to God for four, things that that are happening

  278. in the world. Pray to him.

  279. For those things, that let him let him deal with it and not us.

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