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good evening to everybody and welcome to Free Grace Baptist Church it's a joy to be back in the house of the Lord just one announcement this evening the new newsletter for August is available I believe it's been sent digitally but we also have some print copies at the back of the church on the uh the middle desk there so um please feel free to to take one of the number of Articles and updates as well as a new crossword puzzle for everybody to enjoy there so please take one before you leave if you feel uh if you feel free to do so um moving on then let's move to worship as we open up our call to worship this evening with a reading of Psalm 15. can turn in your Bibles with me to Psalm 15 for our call to worship we'll read the entirety of the song a Psalm of David Lord who may abide in your Tabernacle whom may dwell in your Holy Hill He Who Walks uprightly and works righteousness and speaks the truth in his heart he who does not backbite with his tongue nor does evil to his neighbor nor does he take up a reproach against his friend in whose eyes a vile person is despised but he honors those who fear the lord he who swears to his own hurt and does not change he who does not put out his money at usury nor does he take a bribe against the innocent He Who does these things shall never be moved amen well let's stand as a church and sing you can turn in your hymn books with me to 145 D 145 D let's stand and sing together [Music] daylight [Music] rest [Music] rictions [Music] almighty God every transfer Ence [Music] where some of username [Music] happy birthday to you [Music] please be seated let's go to our God In Prayer let's pray the heavenly father we rejoice in this opportunity on a second time to gather together in this place on your Lord's day for the worship of our great god father Son and Holy Spirit once again Lord God we would call your blessing upon this gathering for worship we pray that you would help us to honor you to hallow your name we pray that you would help us to have Minds focused the hearts focused upon the worship of our God that as we sing as we pray as we read the scriptures as we engage in that Central act of worship the preaching of your holy word we do pray that you would be with us that by your spirit you would Rouse us to a focus and an attentiveness during worship and as we take in the preaching of your word help us to cast off any thoughts outside of these uh these four doors and outside of the god of Heaven and Earth and the Christ whom he sent and help us Lord God to be focused solely and alone upon your worship for truly it is your due to receive honor and pray praise from your creatures and we do just pray Lord that you would cause us to have a renewed joy in the things of the Gospel of our savior the Lord Jesus Christ we thank you for his perfect life of righteousness for his perfect substitute substitutionary death upon calvary's cross for the glory of that resurrection and the blessedness of his ascending glory and we thank you Lord God that through Jesus Christ through the Perfection of his work we have salvation and we have that salvation solely and alone by virtue of amazing and Victorious Grace and by of course the Perfection of the work of our mediator Jesus Christ we do pray that you'd help us to bless your name to rejoice in Father Son and Holy Spirit in the face of so great a gospel we do pray Lord God that you would help us again as we worship we pray for pastor Butler when he comes up here to preach your word we pray once again you would give him great strength in this Pulpit help him from on high to open up his Bible and to Pro to Proclaim rich and truly and with great confidence the things of your holy word and we do for pray for that self-same Spirit to attend his preaching that by the preaching of the word and the power of your Holy Spirit each and every tongue would leave this place singing the Praises of our blessed God we do pray God that you would be with Pastor Butler and with Rebecca as they travel as it was prayed this morning Lord God we pray that this would be a time of refreshment a time of recreation a time of great rest and enjoyment as they visit family as they visit friends we pray that this would be a blessed time for them both and we pray for pastor Horace as he comes up here to preach in Jim's absence we do pray that you would give him the strength to do so that it would be a blessed time for for him and for Karen and that he would by your by your Holy Spirit be able to preach well the things of your holy word to us while he's here we do pray Lord God for the the church at large throughout the world churches in in our own nation in the United States and throughout the world that presently proclaim the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ we pray that you would be near to them that you would strengthen them as they go about that purpose that cause in this lower world of uh preaching so great at Christ and So Glorious to God and the Blessed gospel we pray that you would protect your churches that you would grow your churches by the preaching of the word and the power of the spirit and that you would keep the enemy and the enemy is away from the Church of Christ and we do know though that there is much persecution much opposition throughout the world Lord and we do pray that you would cause this opposition and this persecution to end we know that power is with you that dominion and Authority is with you and we pray that you would bring it into the persecution of the church as such persecution may endure Lord God we pray that you would be near to your people we know that it is even in times of persecution that the church grows that the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is spread near and far and so we do pray that you would use these uh providential things to bring about the growth of your church to bring many more Sinners to life and light in Jesus Christ and we pray in the midst of opposition and persecution throughout the world that you would strengthen your people that you would cause them to lay lay hold of the Gospel with great strength that they would be steadfast in the face of opposition owning the Lord Jesus Christ even unto death we do pray Lord God that you would deal with those who do persecute your people we pray that you would take them out of the way we pray Lord God that you would cause them no longer to bring violence against the people uh against the church and Lord we do pray that you would for for many of them even that you would cause them by the gospel and by the power of the Holy Spirit to be saved from The Madness of their opposition to the living and true God and that they would by grace through faith own Jesus Christ as Savior we do pray also for the governments of the world Lord God as we're called to pray for kings and those who are in Authority we do pray for those in in positions of power that you would cause those who are in rebellion in opposition to you we pray that they would be saved by the preaching of the gospel and by the power of the spirit for those who would remain obstinate in Rebellion against you we pray that you would take them out of the way as they that they might no longer Lord God be those who rule the Nations and who Lord themselves over the people we do pray Lord God again that you would be now with us we pray that you would help us to worship you a right we long to be those Saints Lord God who truly do from Christian Hearts cheerfully hallow your name and engage in worship uh with uh cheerful and joy joyful Christian hearts and we know we we require Lord God the power of the holy spirit for this and so we pray for that again now help us to worship you are right we pray that our God would be exalted upon the Praises of this gathered congregation and that you would now through the worship of your Saints receive all praise and honor we pray in the name of Jesus Christ Our Savior amen well let's stand again and sing this time it will be him 253 that's 253 in your hymnals let's stand and sing as a church can turn in your Bibles with me for our Old Testament scripture reading to Deuteronomy chapter 2. we'll read the entirety of Deuteronomy chapter 2 this is our Old Testament scripture reading as we read consecutive consecutively through the Old Testament each and every Lord's Day evening Deuteronomy 2 beginning at verse 1 once again the word of the Triune God then we turned and journeyed Into the Wilderness of the way of the Red Sea as the Lord spoke to me and we skirted Mount sire for many days and the Lord spoke to me saying you have skirted the mountains long enough turn northward and command the people saying you are about to pass through the territory of your brethren the descendants of Esau who live in Sarah and will and they will be afraid of you therefore watch yourselves carefully do not meddle with your do not meddle with them for I will not give you any of their land no not so much as one footstep because I have given Mount Sarah to Esau as a possession you shall buy food from them with money that you may eat and you shall also buy water from them with money that you may drink for the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand he knows you're trudging through this Great Wilderness these 40 years the Lord your God has been with you you have lacked nothing and when we pass beyond our Brethren the descendants of Esau who dwell in Sarah away from the road of the plane away from elath and ezeon gibber we turned and passed by way of the Wilderness of Moab then the Lord said to me do not harass Moab nor contend with them in battle for I will not give you any of their land as a possession because I have given R to the descendants of lot as a possession the emim had dwelt there in times past a people is great and numerous and as tall as the Anakin they were also regarded as giants like the anakim but the moabites call them amim the horites formerly dwelt in Ser but the descendants of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them and dwelt in their place just as Israel did to the land of their possession which the lord gave them now rise and cross over the valley of the zarad so we crossed over the valley of the zarad and the time we took to come from Kadesh barnya until we crossed over the valley of the zarad was 38 years until all the generation of the men of war was consumed from the midst of the camp just as the Lord had sworn to them for indeed the hand of the Lord was against them to destroy them from the midst of the camp until they were consumed so it was when all of the men of War had finally perished from among the people that the Lord spoke to me saying this day you are to cross over at our the boundary of Moab and when you come near the people of Ammon do not harass them or meddle with them for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession because I have given it to the descendants of lot as a possession that was also regarded as a land of giants Giants formerly dwelt there but the ammonites call them zamzamim a people as great and numerous and tall as the anakim but the Lord destroyed them before them and they dispossessed them and dwelt in their place just as he had done for the descendants of Esau who dwelt in Sarah when he destroyed the horites from before them they dispossessed them and dwelt in their place even to this day and the avim who dwell in villages as far as Gaza The kaftarim Who Came From kaftor destroyed them and dwelt in their place rise take your journey and cross over the river Arnon look I have given into your hand saihan the Amorite king of heshbon and his land begin to possess it and engage him in battle this day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the Nations under the whole Heaven who shall hear the report of you and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you and I sent messages from the Wilderness of ketamoth to saihan King of heshbon with words of Peace saying let me pass through your land I will keep strictly to the road and I will turn neither to the right nor to the left you shall sell me food for money that I may eat and give me water for money that I may drink only let me pass through on foot just as the descendants of Esau who dwell in Sarah and the moabites who dwell in R did for me until I crossed the Jordan to the land which the Lord our God is giving us but saihan king of heshbon would not let us pass through for the Lord your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate that he might deliver him into your hand as it is this day and the Lord said to me see I have begun to give Saiyan and his land over to you be begin to possess it that you may inherit this land his land then saihan and all his people came out against us to fight at jahaz and the Lord Our God delivered him over to us so we defeated him his sons and all his people we took all his cities at that time and we utterly destroyed the men women and little ones of every city we left none remaining we took only the livestock as plunder for ourselves with the spoil of the Cities which we took from error which is on the bank of the river Arnon and from the city that is in the Ravine as far as Gilead there was not one city too strong for us the Lord Our God delivered All To Us only you did only you did not go near the land of the people of Ammon anywhere along the river jabok or to the cities of the mountains or wherever the Lord Our God had forbidden us amen well let's go to our God In Prayer again Heavenly Father we thank you for this the reading of your holy scriptures we thank you that you Lord God are the god of the the armies of Israel the god that led your people and we thank you that this same God is our God who guides Us in this new covenant era who even many thousands of years removed from this particular event uh is ever with his people and blesses his people through the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ we thank you that we can come to you and worship we acknowledge Lord God Of Heaven and Earth that you are infinite Eternal and unchangeable and all of your glorious Perfections and that you bless your people by amazing and Victorious Grace by virtue of the finished work of Our Savior Jesus Christ we pray that you would help us to reflect upon the glory of our Triune God as we engage in worship to reflect upon the Blessed work of Jesus Christ Our Savior and to reflect upon the Perfection of his gospel we do just pray that you'd bless us now Lord God and help us to be attuned in worship arouse our Christian Hearts to a blessed Focus as we engage in the worship of father son and Holy Spirit and we pray in the name of Jesus Christ Our Savior amen we'll stand and sing our final hymn before the preaching this is going to be him 403 so he can stand with me and sing four zero three thank you sorry [Music] he is [Music] this is [Music] and don't hear of rosary foreign [Music] [Music] let's go [Music] [Music] crazy foreign [Music] with me in your Bibles to the psalm 46. Psalm 46 . Psalm 46 I'll read beginning in verse 1 and then we'll pray and then we'll look at this Psalm in some detail so beginning in verse 1 to the chief musician the psalm of the sons of Korah a song for alamoth God is our refuge and strength a very present help and trouble therefore we will not fear even though the Earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea though its Waters Roar and be troubled though the mountains shake with its swelling say law there is a river whose strains shall make glad the city of God the holy place of the Tabernacle of the most high God is in the midst of Earth she shall not be moved God shall help her just at the break of dawn the Nations raged the kingdoms were moved he uttered his voice the Earth melted the Lord of hosts is with us the god of Jacob is our refuge Selah come Behold The Works of the Lord who has made desolations in the earth he makes Wars cease to the end of the Earth he breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two he burns The Chariot in the 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 refuge Ceylon well let us pray our gracious God and Holy Father we thank you for your word we thank you for the Psalms and the the beautiful things that they express concerning our great God we pray now for the ministry of the Holy Spirit who gave us this word that he would guide us and direct our minds now as we contemplate the Majesty of God most high over all things in the midst of the good and in the midst of the difficult and the hardships that the people of God undergo in this present evil age we pray that you would forgive us for all of our sins and unrighteousness that you would help us to take the lesson from this Psalm that we would focus upon Our God that we would find that to be stabilizing and studying in the midst of Chaos in this present world we ask that you would be glorified that you would be praised that you would look with favor upon this your church you would bless all of the people of God and cause them to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and does well God we pray for any and all that are dead in their trespasses and sins that you would awaken them she would make them alive by the power of your holy spirit that you would bring them forth out of Darkness into Marvelous Light to confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and we pray in his Most Blessed name amen well this is a very familiar Psalm I know that I've preached on it a few times in the life of our church it's difficult to know with any certainty when David or when the sons of Korah composed this particular song There are some that give us some indication of the historical circumstances but ultimately we know that whether they are historically applied they all find their Terminus in our Lord Jesus Christ the lord Jesus is the subject matter of the entirety of the book of Psalms the Lord Jesus is the focus but with reference to this one John Gill makes this observation he surveys several options in terms of the historical occurrence and then he says but it seems rather to be a prophecy of the church in gospel times and is applicable to any time of confusion and distress the nations of the world may be in through any kind of Calamity when those that trust in the Lord have no reason in the least to be afraid so the psalm speaks Comfort to God's people in discomfort comfortable times the psalm speaks encouragement to those who are perhaps discouraged and distressed by the circumstances that they face in this present evil age Matthew Henry comments concerning Martin Luther he said it is said of Luther that when he heard any discouraging news he would say let us sing the 46th Psalm I think that is Good Counsel on the part of that German reformer this is a passage that you you would do well to hide in your heart so that when those difficulties come you have the fortification that God's word affords well I want to look first at the Assurance of God's presence you see that in verses 1 7 and 11. secondly the demonstration of God's power in verses 2 to 6 third the invitation to consider God's Works in verses 8 and 9 and then finally the command to rest in God's sovereignty in verse 10. but let's look first at the Assurance of God's presence you see it Thrice notice in verse verse 1 God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble verse 7 the Lord of hosts is with us the god of Jacob is our refuge and then again in verse 11 the Lord of hosts is with us the god of Jacob is our refuge and one of the things to observe is that the conditions or the circumstances that the people of God face do not determine whether or not God is present in other words I think for us or for the most of us we think that as long as things are going well as long as work is fine as long as family has some degree of stability as long as my sort of external relations are all in place it's very easy to judge that God is with us it's when the opposite occurs that we then might conclude or infer that God is not with us when things are troubled a Troublesome at work or in-home or in society we might be uh uh inclined to conclude that God is not there among us and as the psalmist that's this truth forth he highlights a few things concerning the Assurance of God's presence notice in the first place the nature of Our Lord verse 1 God is our refuge and strength this is sort of a maxim or and Axia the passage begins or the psalm begins with this this is a settled reality in the hearts of God's people whatever this external world may indicate this cannot change the Lord is our refuge and our strength he is an impenetrable refuge and he possesses omnipotent strength for his people and as we see this particular statement God is our refuge and strength this ought not to shock us who are in a confessional church we make much of confessing confessing our faith with reference to God and this is something of a confession here in Psalm 46 he begins with the doctrine of theology proper your life can have difficulties your life can have afflictions your life can be marked by suffering but this thing cannot change the reality that God is our refuge and that God is our strength the Proverbs tell us that the name of the Lord is a strong tower the right uh the righteous run to it and are safe so he is the Refuge for his people and he possesses omnipotent strength in order to defend them and in order to watch over that so after this statement concerning the nature of Our Lord God is our refuge and strength notice he then indicates the faithfulness of our lord they're in one being a very present help in trouble so I'm not just making this up tonight that there are difficulties in the Christian Life it's not just sort of a a weird bent that I have to try to communicate to people to perhaps dissuade you from following our our blessed God it's the reality and the Bible sets forth that reality the Bible does not say well you know come to Jesus and everything will only ever be great it'll only ever be great in terms of the spiritual but with reference to the service of Christ sometimes difficulties ensue remember King David of Israel while he was a Shepherd yeah he had to fight lions and and bears not to sort of minimize that but it wasn't until the spirit of God Came Upon him that he was then hunted by Saul and then he was hunted or or opposed by the Philistines so the presence of the spirit of God in the life of God's people does not mean the absence of any Affleck picture it does not mean the absence of any hardship the same with our Lord Jesus Christ remember after he goes into the Waters of baptism John the Baptist tries to forbid it Jesus says permit it we need to fulfill all righteousness Christ goes into the Waters of baptism the voice of the father cries this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased the spirit in the form of a dove descends upon the blessed savior what then happens after that glorious scene the spirit drives Our Savior out into the Wilderness so that he might be tapped tempted by the devil for the period of 40 days so it is a mistake it is a problematic view with reference to God and his word and his salvation that would seek to minimize the difficulty of the Christian life so the psalmist presupposes that the psalmist assumes that the psalmist knows this to be the case so God is our refuge and strength a very present help and trouble and isn't that a wonderful sort of a statement to put together once again we don't need to be reminded that God is our refuge and strength when everything's going well we need to be reminded that God is our refuge and strength when everything's not going well we need to be reminded that he's a very present help in trouble as we survey the scriptures will notice again that suffering and affliction and hardship and difficulty is not unique to one particular era of the Christian Church remember job job essentially lost everything and job makes this statement he says it says in Job 1 20 then Joba Rose tore his robe and shaved his head and he fell to the ground and worshiped and he said naked I came from my mother's womb and naked shall I return there the lord gave and the Lord has taken away blessed be the name of the Lord in all this job did not sin nor charge god with wrong notice that job doesn't whine he doesn't Rumble he doesn't complain he doesn't say how in the world could such bad and horrific things happen to the child of a king no job accepts God's absolute sovereignty job accepts that God's absolute sovereignty in the good times but he accepts it in the hard times as well and the psalmist reminds us of this God is our refuge and our strength of very present help in troubles and that does infer or rather indicate for the people of God that we're supposed to lean on him in those times of trouble we know the psalmist Psalm 23 yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death he doesn't say I have faith in Jesus I I have Yahweh as my shepherd so so there'll be no valley of the shadow of death in my life it's clear sailing it's blue skies it's a light breeze it's not you know 90 degrees or 100 degrees in the inside it's just going to be this this wonderful climate and wonderful thing no he knows he's going to walk through the valley of the shadow of death how does Jesus end the upper room discourse with reference to his disciples John 16 he speaks to that in John 14 to 16 and in John 16 33 the very end of The Upper Room discourse where he's preparing in a special way his disciples for the work that he has for them now John 14 to 16 is written for our benefit but it was spoken specifically to these Apostles spoken specifically to these men that would be the foundation of the church that would go out and preach the gospel in a very very contrary Society see we think this is the only age when people hated Christians you think they loved them in the Roman Empire do you think they adored them in the Roman Empire do you think they adored them throughout the history of the world no they've they've always hated God so they hate God's people so in John 16 33 these things I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace in the world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world in other words rest in the fact that God is our refuge and our strength he's a very present help in time of trouble notice as well acts 14 the book of Acts chapter 14 a splendid demonstration of the enmity of the world against God's people I mean what kind of a ratch what kind of a monster what kind of a Creighton would ever want to hurt the Apostle Paul well a lot of them the unconverted ones the persons that don't want to hear about Christ and him crucified those driven by Madness and by a frenzy to exterminate that Voice of Truth in the early church notice in Acts chapter 14 specifically at verse 19 then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there and having persuaded the multitudes now now you need to understand a little bit about what's happening here they are in presidian Antioch at this particular point or or rather pacity and Antioch rather was about 80 miles from Iconium and Iconium was about 18 miles from lystra in other words there was a lot of distance that Jews covered in order to get at Paul there was a lot of miles that they traversed in order to get at Paul I sort of made that observation this morning with the Heathen the the the the false prophets of Baal they stand there from morning until noon soon and then from noon until evening crying out to bail cutting themselves bleeding on themselves dancing around their altar trying to get bail to perform sometimes the irreligious sometimes the ungodly sometimes the idolater shows a lot more commitment to his false god than the true people of God due to the true and living God and so this is an occasion of that so then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there this is a a derby and having persuaded the multitudes they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city supposing him to be dead however when the disciples gathered around him he rose up and went into the City and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derby there's some Zeal there's some earnestness there's some fervor on the part of the righteous he's been stoned and left for dead the next morning he gets up and he's ready to go again this is a man that is empowered by the Holy Spirit now notice in verse 21 and when they had preached the gospel to that City and made many disciples they returned to lystra Iconium Antioch strengthening The Souls of the disciples exhorting them to continue in the faith and saying we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God if there was q a after this session I guarantee you what one of the cues was not what do you mean Paul well they would have known what Paul meant because he had previously been stoned and left for dead he says in Galatians chapter 6 no longer let anyone trouble me for I bear in my body the brand marks of Jesus second Timothy chapter 3 at verse 12 he says all those who desire to live and God live uh Godly uh in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution so when we go back to the sons of Korah and Psalm 46 and their composition there pointing us to our refuge and our strength and then they remind us that he's a very present help in trouble they are on to something they know this this is axiomatic this is foundational this is what the people of God are to appropriate and then that emphasis on his presence in verses 1 7 and 11. notice how the psalmist ascribes ascribes his name notice in verse one God is our refuge and strength a very present help and trouble and then notice in verses 7 and 11 the Lord of hosts is with us the Lord of hosts Covenant God lord Yahweh and he's the Lord of hosts often times the the Old Testament we see this Lord of hosts Motif to to to explain to us the Divine Warrior The God Who destroys the enemies of God who destroys the enemies of God's people Spurgeon says this is the reason for all Zion's security and for the overthrow of her foes the Lord rules the Angels the Stars the elements and all the hosts of heaven and Heaven of Heavens are under his sway this is why the psalmist can say the Lord of hosts is with us the god of Jacob is our refuge rest in this delight in this and understand he's a very present help in whatever troubles you may face so he is the Lord of hosts or Divine Warrior he is the one who Vindicated Joshua and the children of Israel in Joshua 10. he is the one who Vindicated the judges at the time of the oppressors he is the one who was uh the champion there at Mount Carmel it wasn't Elijah it wasn't his prayer it wasn't his doings it wasn't his Zeal but it was God most high who came to vindicate his name and his cause and it's God God on the in the valley of Ayla that brings Deliverance to David with reference to that Philistine giant it is that God that Paul celebrates in Romans chapter 8 verses 1 31 to 39 who shall bring a charge against God's elect it is Christ who died it is in that passage when he says if God is for us who can be against us see I want to encourage all of us to think in terms of God's love Mercy Grace but as well as Justice and his righteousness there is nothing wrong with crying out to God for Vindication there's nothing wrong with crying out to God that he visits his enemies with punishment second Thessalonians chapter one The Apostle says it is appropriate it is right that God afflicts those who've Afflicted you The Souls of the martyrs in heaven in Revelation chapter six you know what they're crying out to God how long until you avenge our blood that was shot on the Earth again Brethren don't go buy a bullhorn off amazon.ca and run around your neighbors and tell them how you're praying in procatory Psalms against them because they didn't water their grass or they or they moved your wagon but Brethren there is a reckoning coming there is a Divine judgment there is the tribunal that no man can escape now we Revel in that not because we're able to stand up to it but because God most high sent the son of his love who lived for us who died for us and was raised again for us and we bid others to look to him to understand the cleansing through his blood and the clothing with his righteousness we press upon them the claims of Christ such that they will run and find refuge in that strong tower but with reference to the retribution of God much of the Bible is taken up with that reality he's a righteous God he's a just God and he will ultimately bring vengeance upon those who despise him and those who disdain him so the psalmist prays preaches or points to the Divine Warrior but then notice the god of Jacob the god of Jacob that underscores Covenant Abraham Isaac and Jacob now brethren we don't prefer covenant theology in this church because it's you know just a superior way to sort of look at the Bible I mean it is a superior way to sort of look at the Bible but it affords great comfort it affords the peace of God that surpasses all understanding it's the reality that our God has covenanted to save us that our God has sent the son of his love in order to save us that he won't reneg that he won't fail that he will not lose that he will bring to completion all that he has purposed to do so Covenant affords for the people of God great relief great encouragement great help and benefit in the times of distress now notice secondly the demonstration of God's power the demonstration of God's power as you might imagine after the statement in verse one again it's axiomatic it's foundational it's a truth claim that you accept and you live in light of so when he says God is our refuge and strength the very present help and Trouble the therefore in verse 2 necessarily follows right it's a logical implication well well of course right it's like Paul in Romans chapter 12 therefore by the mercies of God God I beseech you Brethren present your bodies as a Living Sacrifice which is your your reasonable service in other words what has been said in Romans 1 to 11 in terms of God justifying you freely by his grace through faith in Jesus leads to the implication that did you present yourself holy to him of course you give him your body of course you give them your soul of course you give him your mind that's your reasonable service the same sort of an implication here is in verse two so God is our refuge and strength the very present help in trouble therefore we will not fear do you know how many times we're told in the Bible not to fear why do you think that is because we have a predilection to fear and so what does God want or what does God call us to or what does God call us to contemplate he calls us to contemplate who he is so that we will not be riddled by fear what happens when we're riddled with fear we don't leave our houses we don't go shine his lights in a crooked and perverse generation if we're riddled with fear we don't hold forth the word of truth if we're riddled with fear we don't condemn abortion or or sodomy or or all the other sorts of things that are that are rampant in this present evil age if we are riddled with fear we are going to be sidelined and so the psalmist points us to our God who is our refuge and our strength and when we don't have that strength in ourselves we rest upon him so that we are then able to not fear we have God on our side we have the God who sent hailstones down to destroy and Vanquish the enemies of Joshua and the Israel Israelites we have the god of David who caused that one small Stone to find its Mark in Goliath's giant head we have God most high who sends fire down to consume Elijah's sacrifice that's our God and that's why the psalmist calls on us to reflect upon this therefore we will not fear this is The Logical implication of confessing the god of verse 1. so if we have a robust understanding of God's sovereignty which we're supposed to as reformed Believers which we're supposed to not just as reformed Believers but as Believers because the Bible doesn't present to us an impotent God the Bible doesn't present to us sort of a hobbling god it doesn't present to a sort of a crippling crippled God it presents to us the god of absolute Glory majesty and power and if we are his and he by Grace is ours then what should it be relative to fear we're not supposed to fear now notice what the psalmist does he gives a contrast a series of contrasts to demonstrate God's power and glory in the midst of the confusion notice he shows the disturbances in the natural order look at verse 2. so verse 2A therefore we will not fear so what does that mean we we we're not supposed to fear at church yeah you're not supposed to fear at church we're not supposed to fear when the mountains crumble well you can go ahead and fear there because you know that's bad that that that's tough not sure that God can handle that one now somebody does Brethren remember he's already told us he's a very present help in trouble he has no you know dog in the fight to to keep you from understanding that the world is a mess and that really bad things happen really horrific things happen at times so notice in verse two therefore we will not fear even though the Earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea so you get up in the morning you make your coffee you look out your window and you see beyond belief that mount sham is moving toward the Pacific Ocean rapidly what are you supposed to do lose your mind no you probably will much against my counsel here I sure I will but do you see what the psalmist is saying God's got that even a mount sham moves from its you know position of stability and ends up in the Pacific Ocean you're to realize that God is our refuge and our strength so the disturbances in the natural order therefore we will not fear even though the Earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea though its Waters Roar and be troubled though the mountains shake with its swelling Selah you're to be still and know that God is God you're to not fear trusting in the fact that he is our refuge and our strength but it's not just the the natural phenomena notice that it's the Rage of the Nations as well drop down to verse six so I think at times the people of God can make peace with volcanoes the people of God not happily not not in near proximity but we understand volcanoes blow up we understand that you know rain floods we understand that hailstones if they're big enough can can kill we we understand that that fire is devastating there's something about what we term and at least in the insurance world the the acts of God that at some level we make peace with right there's you know weird things that happen in the world it's not climate change but what is today climate change used to be called Seasons but but but there is that natural phenomena that we that we willingly accept it's the sin of man that's a bit challenging at times it's the the The Rage of the Nations it's War for no good reason what's happening in Ukraine what's what's happening in Myanmar what's happening there are they defending their borders and their sovereignty against all yeah I don't know but it certainly doesn't seem that way so it's the Rage of the Nations it's the machinations of Godless men it's the kingdoms and their movement see the psalmist says don't just fret don't just not fret because the natural phenomena because of the the the disorder in terms of the the created order but don't fret because the nation's rage the kingdoms were moved do not fret in light of those things because God is Sovereign in the midst of it now in terms of the contrast notice he mentions the disturbance of the natural order the Rage of the Nations but he gives that contrast in terms of Zion look at verse 4. now Zion in the Old Testament is the city of David Zion in the New Testament is a church of the Lord Jesus Christ that's why I think John Gill applies it to the church in gospel times we've come to Zion according to Hebrews chapter 12. it's the Church of the firstborn it's the Blessed people of God who have been saved by grace so this contrast between the natural phenomena and the disorder in the world and the Rage of the Nations is set side by side with reference to the Peace of Zion so notice in verse 4 in the midst of the chaos in the midst of the upheaval in the midst of the difficulty Zion's not shaken Zion's not put off you know on on edge there is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God the holy place of the Tabernacle of the most high God is in the midst of her she shall not be moved God shall help her just at the break of dawn the Nations raged the kingdoms were moved he uttered his voice the Earth melted turn to the Book of Revelation Revelation you see a similar scene in a very real world context in terms of the suffering of God's people so Revelation chapters two and three these are letters to the seven churches in Asia Minor and some of the letters have condemnation for things the church is doing wrong or poorly or not at all the the letters have Commendation common you know commanding them for the things that they're getting right and they're they're doing but as you read through these letters you see sort of behind the scenes that that the church on Earth is is plagued the church on Earth is Afflicted the church on Earth has some challenges in terms of external problems there's internal problems and of course Jesus is dealing with that in these letters but but there's the external threat posed against the Church of the Lord Jesus so let's just survey a few of those notice in Revelation 2 specifically at verse six but you have this you have that you hate the Deeds of the Nicolaitans which I also hate we're not going to get into their identification not going to get into anything other than there was a group of people called the Nicolaitans and their deeds were so bad that the church itself hated that hated them and Christ says he hates them too now notice down into 10 do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer indeed the devil is about to throw some of you into prison that you may be tested and you will have tribulation 10 days notice down in verse 13. I know your works and where you dwell where where Satan's Throne is a pretty strong statement you dwell where Satan's Throne is I think what he means it's the seed of the evil empire the Roman Empire specifically and they're sort of programmed to to get rid of Christians to get rid of this threat to get rid of these malcontents that are now in the Empire look over at chapter uh two specifically at verse 20. nevertheless I have a few things against you because you allow that woman Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess to teach and seduce my servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to Idols an internal threat but a threat nonetheless so you've got internal you've got external you've got problems you've got challenges you've got hardships you've got woe notice in chapter 3 verse 9 indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews and are not but lie indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet and to know that I have loved you now the point is when you look at Chapters two and three you see what you see there in Psalm 46 2 and 3 and 6. you you see chaos you see hardship you see difficulty you see challenges you see that the Christian Life is punctuated very often by hardships both internal and external so then after chapters two and three you move to Chapters four and five this is the scene change this is the contrast we go from the muck of life in this present evil age to the throne room of God most high why do you think John under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit does that it's the same reason the sons of Korah do it in Psalm 46 whatever misery whatever hardship whatever reflection whatever difficulty you've got going on in this present evil age guess where they've not affected Heaven God is for you God is not changed God will not change he is a very present help in trouble so from the mock of life in Revelation two to three to the to the calm Dignity of the throne room on high in chapters four and five look at Revelation 13. Revelation 13 again we're not going to spend time going through all identification and what's what and what about this and what about that but simply note the contrast between chapters 13 and 14. chapter 13 you have two beasts one from the sea and one from the land and there's lots of sort of you know efforts to explain what these are the significance of it I think we can conclude at least at least uh one uh two things here one's a political power and one's a religious power that's the extent of the exegesis we're going to get into there in Revelation 13. but this much you can see as well they're trying to get God's people right that that that comes out loud and clear whatever your eschatology is whatever you think in terms of the specific identity of the beast from the scene the beast from the land you have to get this right the beasts want to destroy God's people that's just their nature that's what they do that's what makes them Tech they want to exterminate the people of God Almighty or enslave them or subjugate them in some nasty and nefarious way so what happens in chapter 14 same Motif Chaos on Earth calm Dignity of the throne room look at verse four verse one in chapter 14 then I looked and behold a lamb standing on mountain Zion and with him 144 000 having his father's name written on their foreheads and I Heard a Voice from heaven like the voice of many Waters and like the voice of loud thunder and I heard the sound of harpist playing their Harps they sang as it were a new song Before the Throne before the four living creatures and the elders and no one could learn that song except 144 000 who were redeemed from the earth these are the ones who were not defiled with women for their virgins these are the ones who follow the lamb wherever he goes these were redeemed from among men being first fruits to God and to the lamp and in their mouth was found no deceit for they are without fault Before the Throne of God there's a contrast the chaos on earth and the calm Dignity of God's Throne Rome and a very helpful little commentary on the Book of Revelation by Vern poithras he makes the observation when God's people are beset by Temptation or persecution a revelation of God's nature and glory is the best remedy Amen in case I I think I neglected to say that in the outset today or tonight of the sermon that that's the point right get a glimpse of God's glory to steady you in the face of difficulty that's the thesis just make sure we all are and I didn't steal it from him I actually had that in my head it's in my notes probably stole it from him at one point but but at least not tonight he goes on to say his power guarantees the final Victory his Justice guarantees Vindication of the right see Brethren I'm not picking on us I think to some degree we have a a developed understanding of this or developing understanding of God's justice but much of the church is not about that it's you know we just got to watch while they plunder the gates we just got to watch while they destroy everything we we just have to watch and well again but we need to give place to wrath does it doesn't Paul give that in Revelation Romans chapter 12. he says beloved do not avenge yourselves that that's biblical I'm not suggesting you know we we go out you know with the the Commandos sort of strapped ammunition and you know do do do hardship or harsh things to to the enemies of God but but Paul does say Do not avenge yourselves but he says give place to Wrath what does that possibly mean well I would suggest one thing it possibly means is to pray the imprecatory Psalms of David do you know that the weeping prophet Jeremiah have you ever heard that that they've made his name into a sort of a verb or adverb I don't know if it's a probably a verb Jeremiah or it's a noun he's a Jeremiah you know what that means he's a melancholic person he's a sorrowful person he's a depressed person he he cries well Jeremiah Was A Jeremiah Jeremiah weeps Jeremiah has that Agony Jeremiah composed Lamentations after the fall of Jerusalem you know the whole book is about his lament before a Thrice holy God do you know that Jeremiah prays in Preparatory prayers against the enemies of Zion Jeremiah does do you know that Jesus is okay with it as well when Jesus cites Psalms that are imprecatory in nature that gives his sort of sanction to the entirety of the psalm so back to our quote by poythress his Justice guarantees Vindication of the right and his goodness and magnificence guarantee blessing and comfort the blood of the Lamb demonstrates that solid Redemption has already been accomplished even in the midst of Tri of Trials and persecution God is still the ruler he controls everything that's the point of the sons of Korah in Psalm 46 that's the point of John the Apostle on the island of Patmos as he's been exiled for the word of God and the testimony of the Lord what do they do they look at the world and they comment appropriately they don't try to hide the blemishes they don't try to hide the afflictions they don't try to hide the trouble they show it in all of its gross detail but then they contrast it with God and his absolute sovereignty and control over all things notice thirdly the invitation to consider God's Works look at what he does in verse 8. come what's the remedy when you're in times of distress when you are afflicted when you have that that trouble what do you think is going to help you reflect on how good you are reflect on how righteous you are reflect upon how great this world no it's to come and behold the works of God that's one of the things you see throughout the Psalms especially those psalms ascribed to asaph when asaph wrote Psalms there was darkness in the land it was pretty bad such that the Gentiles the the Heathen the Pagan we're in the very sanctuary of God Almighty so there's no present thing to sort of encourage him he hasn't seen you know Gentile mobs or hordes cut down by you know AK-47s by the the righteous children of Israel in any sort of recent memory so where do you think Asaf goes do you think he goes to despair do you think he goes to the Asylum do you think he goes to the kitchen he goes to to God he goes to the Exodus he goes to that great Redemptive Act of God when he liberated the children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt and he does the same thing here not ASAP but the sons of Korah Notice come Behold The Works of the Lord who has made desolations in the earth he makes War cease to the end of the Earth he breaks the bow and cuts the spear into he burns The Chariot in the fire it's very important Brethren that you be reading your Old Testament yes you have a lot of positive example in terms of Christian Life in the New Testament but you have a lot of it in the Old Testament as well you have the Elijah you have the elishas you you have the Jeremiahs you have the hosea's you have the micas you have the amethysts you have those brothers who live the Christian Life in the distress and in the hardship and in the trouble and they were always brought back to this reality that our God is a present help in trouble he is our refuge and our strength so the psalmist here call upon the people of God to survey The Works of the Lord that's what brings you up that's what's going to bring you help that's what's going to encourage you it's not your accomplishments Spurgeon says the joyful citizens of Jerusalem are invited to go forth and view the remains of their enemies that they may Mark the prowess of Jehovah and the spoil which is right hand hath one for his people it were well if we also carefully noted the providential dealings of our covenant God and were quick to perceive his hand in the battles of his church whenever we read history it should be with this verse sounding in our ears come Behold The Works of the Lord who has made desolations in the earth he makes War cease to the end of the Earth he breaks the bow and cuts the spear into he burns The Chariot in the fire you've got a record of that from Genesis to Revelation if you say well I just don't know then get your Bible out and read it get your Bible out and understand again the mighty exploits of the people of God read Hebrews chapter 11 in a brief thumbnail sketch he points to the faith of God's people in the various epochs of Redemptive uh history and in the history of redemption and he shows what they did by faith in that blessed God this is not unique Psalm 66 verse 5 come and see the works of God he is awesome in his doing toward the sons of men so when there's trouble when there's Affliction when there's distress when there's hardship the psalmist says as it were be encouraged at who God is he's a refuge and a strength and be encouraged at what God has done he's able to smash his enemies the way he did in the book of Exodus as he does in the book of numbers as he did in the the reading tonight and in Deuteronomy chapter 2. it's not the prowess of Israel that won her those victories it's the power of God Almighty and then finally probably the most familiar verse in the entirety of the psalm is verse 10. and this is the command to rest in God's sovereignty now there's some question here as to who it is addressed to I'm sure we've all appropriated it and well we should be still and know that I am God that's great counsel sons of Korah thank you I I need to be still I don't need to lose my mind I don't need to lose my composure I don't know need to turn to those things which are not God for safety and for stability and for some sort of security so some suggest that the the command to rest in God's sovereignty is first issued to the people of God for their comfort right it is comforting isn't it I mean you know I don't write Christian greeting cards but if I did Psalm 46 10 would probably be a big one because it's so wonderful right be still and know that I am God it's a great encouragement for the people of God J.A Alexander suggests it's to the enemies of God it's to the enemies of God be still and know that I am God Alexander said these words are addressed to the discomfitted foes of Jehovah and his people cease from your vain attacks upon my people learn from what you have already seen and felt that their protector is divine and that he is resolved to be acknowledged as Supreme not only by his chosen people but by all the nations and throughout the Earth so I'm going to take a sort of tactic that says it's both that might be a Weasley way out but it is both be still for the people of God for their encouragement and for their comfort and be still for the enemies of God to understand that there is a Day of Reckoning coming now with reference to the believer's confidence Gil makes this observation with reference to the words be still he says not that they should be like sticks and stones stupid indolent and unconcerned at the commotions that were in the earth and be unaffected with the judgments of God and be holy silent and inactive but that they should not be fearful nor fretful and impatient or restless and tumultuous but be quiet and easy resign to the will of God and live in an assured expectation of the appearance of Divine Providence in their layout I think that's a good way to interpret that be still and know that I am God doesn't mean go get a get on the couch and have an extended nap and so all of your troubles will just blow past you that might be the Temptation at times that might be the tendency at times to to perhaps run and hide and I'm not suggesting it's always necessarily wrong to run and hide the the name of Yahweh is a strong tower what do the righteous do they run to it and they find Refuge they find help they find protection and strength there but this asserts or this encourages the Believers confidence in his God be still and know that I am God and then notice I will be exalted among the Nations I will be exalted in the Earth the Heathen are commanded this to instead still fear and trembling and to provoke them to seek Israel's God the Believers are told this to understand that whatever afflictions are hurting Zion Zion wins Jesus will build his church and the gates of Hades will not Prevail against it the gates of Hades is going to mount up opposition the gates of Hades isn't going to go go without some Kicking and Screaming the gates of Hades isn't rendered inactive but they will be defeated the the unrighteous will be defeated and God will be exalted among the Nations and he will be exalted in the earth in conclusion we see here the presence of trouble in the life of the believer I'm not you know trying to you know give you this in terms of now everything's going to go bad for you but to prepare you if you believe that the Christian life is without any problems or without any any hardships or any trials you've not heard the Christian Life preached you've not read the Apostle Paul you've not read the book of Job you've not read the book of Lamentations you've not read many of the Psalms the psalm 88 I think I've mentioned before Psalm 88 is the only Psalm that I know of that doesn't have a happy positive note one of the good things about the Psalms is that it can take you from Dan to Beersheba in the space of one song You're rejoicing in the glory of God you're down in the depths of Despair you're you're casting your confidence upon him Psalm 88 it's pretty much just a downer from verse one on on to the end now it feeds into Psalm 89 which is the Covenant Psalm about David's son David's greater son even our Lord Jesus Christ but if you think that the Christian life is not marked by hardships then I would encourage you to read the Bible second the knowledge of God in the experience of the believer this morning I won't read the whole thing but in our studies and in of God's decree a brother pointed us to chapter 2 in the confession so of God and of the Holy Trinity is chapter two and then chapter three is of God's decree there is a close connection they are inextricably connected and when we Ponder chapter 2 specifically paragraph two we're reminded of God's absolute sovereignty in the midst of his people and in order to get that in our veins we gotta read it in our Bibles we've got to appropriate it through sermons we have to receive that word of God for the stability and comfort that God affords thirdly the Comfort we possess on our pilgrimage as believers it's going to be tough we're going to have art yet but we can do it by the grace of God we sing that song the soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose I will not I will not desert to his foes that Soul though all hell should Endeavor to shake I'll never know never know never forsake I'll never no never no never forsake what do you think the point is well probably I'll never no never no never forsake the reading a couple of weeks ago in Deuteronomy chapter one the children of Israel looked at the Wilderness as a bad thing as far as they were concerned it was bad when they were out in the wilderness it was just you know this longing to go back to Egypt you know we had garlic we had leeks we had melons we we had meat we had all kinds of stuff you also had bondage because you were slaves well that's okay as long as we got our you know three Hots in a cot we'll be okay with the slavery you see God interprets the Wilderness in a much different way Deuteronomy 1 29-31 then I said to you do not be terrified or afraid of them the Lord your God who goes before you he will fight for you according to all he did for you in Egypt before your eyes and in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you as a man carries his son in all the way that you went until you came to this place Not only was it not a bad thing it was God the Lord carrying Israel through that Wilderness wandering so it was a great and glorious thing where the saw the hymn writer gets that no never no never I'll never forsake is Isaiah 41 10. fear not for I am with you be not dismayed for I am your God I will strengthen you yes I will help you I will uphold You by my righteous right hand so we have comfort in this Earthly pilgrimage as the suffering and Afflicted people of God and just to remind us all it's not all suffering and affliction I mean we have lots of good things and lots lots of things to be quite happy about and then I want to end here on the promise of God to encourage believers the promise of God to encourage believers so verse 10 be still know that I'm God I will be exalted among the Nations I will be exalted in the earth what does that mean in terms of our prospects with reference to evangelism and missions it means we need to be about that it means we need to be prayerful it means that we need to give it means that we need to send it means that we need to train it means that we need to support missionaries because God's purpose is exaltation in the Nations and throughout the Earth listen to Spurgeon he says I will be exalted among the Heathen they forget God they worship idols but Jehovah will yet be honored by them reader the prospects of missions are bright bright is the promises of God let no man's Faith fail him the solemn Declarations of this verse must be realized I will be exalted in the earth among all people whatever may have been their wickedness or their degradation either by love or either by Terror or love God will subdue All Hearts to himself the whole round Earth shall yet reflect the light of his majesty all the more because of the sin and obstinacy and pride of man shall God be glorified when Grace run Reigns unto eternal life in all corners of the world prayer praise God most high that in the midst of a world that is marked by sin and depravity and wretchedness and evil he's in the business of calling Sinners out of darkness in a Marvelous Light forming them together in things called churches where they can pray together where they can study together and where they can strategize together to send forth that glorious gospel conquering and to conquer well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you for your word we thank you for this Lord's day we thank you for the Church of Jesus Christ help us to appropriate this Psalm help us to hide it in our hearts that we may not fret that we might not fear but that we might have repair to that God who is our refuge and our strength a very present help and trouble I pray that you would go with us now that you would watch over us that you would be glorified in this congregation and we ask through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation