Shelter in a Time of Storm - Psalm 46

Shelter in a Time of Storm

Psalm 46

Introduction: Day by day the situation is changing, and a lot of uncertainty still exists about how current events are going to unfold.  I am looking forward to when we get back together, I miss the fellowship! I am also looking forward to getting back to our series in I Thessalonians, and I do believe that that passage will speak to our current situation. That letter is about encouragement and hope, and I would encourage you to read through it this week if you can. However, I’ll wait at least another week before resuming that study. I got an email from a friend this week that made reference to remembering Psalm 46. As I looked back at that passage, I found comfort welling up in my own heart, and so I thought it good to share that passage with you.

      Last week we looked at Psalm 3, a lament psalm, a prayer of David in the midst of crisis. The focus of the laments is the transition from confusion and pain, to confidence and hope. Psalm 46, is a psalm of confidence. In this psalm, and those of this genre, the writer is expressing his assurance, his confident hope, in the face of uncertainty and tribulation. We need that! The confidence he expresses is rooted in trust in God, and in the assurance that God always acts consistently with His character. So, it is not mere wishful thinking, confidence that is rooted in truth, grounded in good theology. We don’t know what tomorrow may bring, “BUT GOD…” That changes everything! Right doctrine has a way of calming our fears and giving us hope. Do you remember this exchange between that famous theologian, Linus, and his friend, Lucy, in a Peanuts cartoon? They were looking out the window at a driving rainstorm…

Lucy: “Boy, look at that rain! What if it floods the whole world?”

Linus: “It will never do that… In the ninth chapter of Genesis, God promised Noah that would never happen again, and the sign of his promise is the rainbow.”

Lucy: [Smiling] “You’ve taken a great load off my mind…”

Linus: “Sound theology has a way of doing that!”

The Psalms reflect sound theology, right doctrine, in the prayers and songs of Israel. Psalm 46 is a song that speaks to us in a time of storm and invites us to find comfort in God. Let’s read the psalm and then pray for God’s help in hearing its message…

TO THE CHOIRMASTER. OF THE SONS OF KORAH. ACCORDING TO ALAMOTH. A SONG. ¹ God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  ² Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,  ³ though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah  ⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.  ⁵ God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.  ⁶ The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.  ⁷ The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah  ⁸ Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth.  ⁹ He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire.  ¹⁰ "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"  ¹¹ The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah  

      Psalm 46 reminds us that assurance of God’s presence brings peace in the midst of crises, in those moments when we are prone to discouragement or even tempted to despair. You might feel that right now.  Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation…” (John 16:33). This virus has circled the globe, and is effecting more than health concerns. Some may feel isolated, alone. Now the “pause button” is suddenly pushed on our economy, with some saying unemployment may surge to 20-30 percent, there are many suddenly out of work, and apparently more to come. There is much uncertainly surrounding the spread of COVID-19, and much concern for loved ones who would be most vulnerable to this disease… We can have confidence in the midst of all of it, and this psalm can help steady our hearts and minds in the storm… This Psalm will affirm that God understands, he can sympathize with us, he cares about our struggle. That points to…

The Maine* Idea: His presence can bring peace in the crises that come with life in this fallen world.

I. The presence of God is the answer to fear: We can be assured that we are not alone in our trials (1-3).  Because God is with us, we needn’t be afraid when crises come.

¹ God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  ² Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,  ³ though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah 

       The Psalm begins with a very positive affirmation: In times of trouble and crisis, God is our refuge and our strength. I don’t need to ask how many of you have gone through or are now going through times of trouble. We’re together in this, right? What is it that brings fear to your heart? Is it the virus reaching you, or maybe worse, someone you love? Losing work, being unable to make rent or mortgage payments?  The social disruption and uncertainty? Whatever we are facing, we are not alone! Yes, we are together in this, but most importantly, God is our...

       “Refuge” implies a place of security, a place we can go when danger threatens, and find security.  In the Ancient Near-East the cities were generally constructed with high, thick walls around them.  The people could withdraw to within the city gates in times of crisis or danger and know that they were in a place of relative safety, a refuge. Many of us are spending more time at home these days, hoping to help stop the spread of this virus. Home is safe, a place of refuge. The psalmist is saying that for the believer in Jesus, God is our refuge and strength. He is our shelter, our place of security. I’ve quoted Peanuts, let me quote Martin Luther who was reflecting on this psalm when he wrote the famous hymn, A Mighty Fortress is our God… Let me read a couple of lines to you…

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; Our helper He amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing; For still our ancient foe, doth seek to work us woe; His craft and power are great and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing; were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing; Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus it is He; Lord Sabaoth His name, from age to age the same, and He must win the battle.

       Luther reflects the hope of the Psalmist: God is our refuge, He is our hiding place, in Him we are secure no matter what the world may be saying to the contrary, our refuge, “…and our strength…”  You remember Paul’s experience with a “thorn in the flesh.”  God showed him his need, and Paul learned that when he was weak, then he was strong, because then he trusted in God’s power and presence. We like to be self-reliant, independent. But when we see our weakness, we look up, we let God work, we entrust ourselves to Him, we see his power and presence. 

       “…a very present help in trouble…” Whatever the storm might be that we are facing, we are not alone. We don’t have to wonder if God knows what is going on, we don’t need to wonder if he cares. Jesus promised, “I am with you always…” and, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” He is present, a “very present help,” he cares, he is alert and aware, a very present help in time of trouble.  

       “…though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” V.3 describes the crisis in the poetic language of storm and sea, stability disrupted, chaos threatening to undo creation, life and limb in jeopardy!  Out of what was formless and void, God brought ordered creation. In the ancient world, many pagan nations feared and worshipped the storm god… It seems to some scholars that some of the poems of the Old Testament use this language polemically, to show that only Yahweh, the one true God, is really sovereign over storm and sea. You remember when in the midst of the storm the pagan sailors on the boat with Jonah asked him about who he was and from whence he came. He answered in Jonah 1:9,  "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land." God is sovereign over His creation. In the NT we have this image applied to Jesus himself (Matt 8:23s; 14:22f).  As the disciples struggled in the stormy sea Jesus but speaks and the waves are stilled.  What manner of man is this? Only God can rule over creation!

       Wherever we are, the promise still holds: He is with us always, even to the end of the age. And all authority has been given to Him in heaven on earth. C. Swindoll, “Nothing touches us that has not first passed through the hands of our loving heavenly Father. Nothing.”  Assurance of God’s presence brings peace in our crises… The “selah” here is like a sigh, a deep breath, and a transition. We rest in His presence and trust in…

II. The Provision of God: We can be encouraged because God is the source of our life and blessing and security (46:4-7).  Though everything else around us may seem unstable, God is our rock, our anchor, he never changes.

 ⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.  ⁵ God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.  ⁶ The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.  ⁷ The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah 

      “There is a river…”  We see another very different application of the image of water.  In the stormy sea it symbolizes chaos and disorder. Here we see a gently flowing river that irrigates the land and brings life-giving water.  It is the source of life and blessing.  In an agrarian society, in a rather arid part of the world, the arrival of rain in the right season, the streams that supplied water for daily living were essential.  It really can be a matter of life and death. Remember the “blessed man” of Psalm 1 – he is like a “tree planted by the river…”? Water brings life, fruitfulness. Charles Spurgeon put this beautifully in The Treasury of David…

Divine grace, like a smoothly flowing, fertilizing, full, and never-failing river, yields refreshment and consolation for believers. This is the river of the water of life, of which the church above as well as the church below partakes evermore. It is no boisterous ocean, but a placid stream, it is not stayed in its course by earthquakes or crumbling mountains, it follows its serene course without disturbance. Happy are they who know from their own experience that there is such a river of God…

       We read in Genesis 2:8-14 – the description of Eden, before the fall. In Gen 2:10 it says that , “A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers.” Abundant, life-giving water. The way life should be!  That life was disrupted by the Fall. But finally, at the end of the Bible we read in Revelation 22:1-3,

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb  ² through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  ³ No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.

Abundant life restored! But that is not all future. Look again at Psalm 46:4,5,

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.  ⁵ God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.

       There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God… Historically we know that Jerusalem is the chosen City, the place where God chose that His name would dwell, where He ordained the temple to be built, where God would be present in the midst of His people.  We have seen this theme of the “House of God” in the Bible. In the Tabernacle and then later the Temple God was present among His people. When Jesus came, God incarnate, John tells us he “tabernacled” for a while among us… He spoke of His own body as the Temple: Tear down this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up… Later Paul speaks of the church corporately as the Body of Christ, and as the Temple of God. “Do you not know that you are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (I Cor 3,6).  In an eschatological sense it takes us to the end of Revelation and the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven. God’s people in God’s presence! Until that day, “…you are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you…”!  The psalmist says in v.5, “God is in the midst of her…”  In the context of the great commission Jesus promised, “Lo, I am with you always…” If GOD is with us, who can stand against us? If you know Him, you can trust Him, rest in Him, walk with Him.  

       God will help, just at the right time (5b). “When the morning dawns…” Or as another psalm says, “Weeping lasts for a night, but joy comes in the morning!”

       ⁶ “The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.” It seems to me v.6 looks backward, and draws comfort from God’s mighty acts in history, while anticipating the victory He will ultimately bring. Remember what God has done in the past, trust in the present crisis, hope in the future. Then in v.7 we see a kind of summary statement: “The Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge…”  God is pictured like a warrior who defeats the enemy, and also like a fortress that preserves the faithful. No matter what is happening around us, know this: you are not alone! GOD is with you! He is present, He is the source of our life and blessing, therefore we find comfort in…

III. The Plan of God: We can be encouraged because ultimate victory is assured: the same God who has proven himself in the past, will save in the present crisis.  We have victory in Jesus! That’s the two-word summary of the book of Revelation: “Jesus wins!” The Psalmist says…

⁸ Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth.  ⁹ He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire.  ¹⁰ "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"  ¹¹ The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

       Although v.8 is translated in the present tense, in view of the context, it seems to me in the context to be an invitation, to remind the reader of what God has done in ages past, and then to encourage them to trust in Him, and to see what God can do in the present situation, and will ultimately do, as He works out His plan in history of our good and for His glory. V. 9 anticipates another, future day when we will really experience eschatological peace.  When Satan will be judged and peace will finally reign.  Isaiah (11) uses the image, of the wolf laying down with the lamb, the leopard with the kid, the lion and the young fatling together. The Psalm uses the image of God himself destroying the instruments of war.

       V.10 is an oracle, God himself speaking: “Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations…” Reminiscent of the Jews at the Red Sea (Exod 14:13). The God who was there, who saved Israel, is with us. Comfort for us, but a warning to those who don’t know God.

       V.11 repeats word for word v.7.  The assurance of God’s presence, the promise of His protection can bring peace in uncertain times.

What is God saying to me in this passage?  The presence of God, the provision of God, the plan of God… Though change can be disorienting and confusing, though trials can tempt us to be discouraged or even to despair, we can know that the God of the universe is the source of our life and blessing and he has promised to be with us, and to bring us through the present crisis.  Though everything else may change, he is constant, he is in control, and he loves us so much that He gave His Son.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? This moment is unprecedented in many ways. I won’t minimize it, I know it is difficult, but look up, be still and know that He is God, the Lord of hosts is with you, the God of Jacob is your refuge.  We don’t know how things will develop in the coming days.  We can’t control the situation… But God… Jesus, the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is the great I AM, the God of Israel, the Lord of Creation. And He knows your name. We can trust Him. The suffering in this world reminds us why He came. Jesus was forsaken on the cross, He endured the punishment we deserved, so that we would never be forsaken. He is with you always, if you know him, He is your refuge and strength (Mt 28:20). Rev 21:1, says in that day, “…the sea will be no more…” The day will come when chaos and terror, weeping and death, will be no more…

     I’ve already quoted Peanuts… and Martin Luther… let me quote here from the Heidelberg Cathecism, Question and answer 1,

Question: What is your only comfort in life and in death? 
Answer: That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.

He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.  He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.

Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

That is the perspective of Psalm 46… that was Martin Luther’s perspective, and it expresses sound theology.

       Though the oceans foam and the mountains quake, though the virus sweep through the land, God is still on the throne, let’s trust Him, “Be still, and know that He is God…” Let’s take the proper precautions, let’s seize opportunities to love our neighbors, to help where we can, and let us stay faithful, trusting God to accomplish His purpose during these uncertain days. He is Lord, and He will work all things together for our good, and for His glory.  AMEN.

Crisis, Christ, and Confidence - Psalm 3

[Boothbay Baptist Church, like many other churches around the country, has temporarily suspended public service in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. For the next couple of weeks, I will be doing my messages as an informal Bible lesson from the church office, streamed live on FaceBook. If you look me up on facebook, or go to the church's facebook page, you will be able to follow the recordings. I will have an audio recording of the message posted to the church website as well. The study below is the basis of the teaching, but not a transcript]. 

Crisis, Christ, and Confidence

Psalm 3

       For our first remote message during this challenging moment, I decided to step away from our current series in I Thessalonians for a week, and to look together at a passage I recently preached while visiting our daughter and her family down in NJ, Psalm 3. I decided to turn to this text this week, because it seems to speak to faithful living in a time of crisis. I’ve borrowed the title from the posting from Westminster Seminary on my Facebook page, “Crisis, Christ, and Confidence,” as it states well the reality of our situation, and our sure hope in Christ. The psalms are the prayers of Israel in the face of the challenges of living in a fallen world. The consequences of the Fall are all around us – God created a world that was “good,” but human sin brought death and the curse. Plagues and pandemics have hit the world in times past. The question is, how do we respond? Psalm 3 gives us a model of faith in a time of crisis.

       Psalm 3 is the first of the the biggest category of psalms in the Psalter, the laments – the songs in which the psalmist is crying out in a situation where it seems they are alone, when it may appear that the promises of God are failing. Whether it is natural disasters like a pandemic, or a personal trial that strikes us or our family, believers are not exempt from suffering…  Through the years I’ve had many people ask me, “What did I do to deserve this?” In many cases the best I can do is quote Romans 5:12… and say you were born into this fallen world. Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation…” The question is, how do we respond when trials come? Our prayer list tells the story, we have people who are sick, a couple who is having to transition to assisted living, all of us facing the uncertainty of how this virus is going to impact our family and our community and our world. We are reminded that we live as pilgrims in a fallen world.

       Psalm 3 addresses the question of how to find confidence in God in the midst of a life-shaking, faith-testing crisis.  Are we there yet? This Psalm will show us that abundant life doesn’t mean life without problems – rather it is a life that rises above the chaos and finds hope. Because of our position in Christ, because of the promise of victory in Jesus, we can stand firm through it all. Psalm 3 is the first psalm with a heading…

A PSALM OF DAVID, WHEN HE FLED FROM ABSALOM HIS SON.

That ancient heading gives us the Historical Context: David’s world was falling apart around him and it was no doubt one of the most painful, heart-wrenching times of his life.  The heading alludes to the story we have in 2 Samuel 15:13-16…

¹³ And a messenger came to David, saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom."  ¹⁴ Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, "Arise, and let us flee, or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go quickly, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down ruin on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword."  ¹⁵ And the king's servants said to the king, "Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king decides."  ¹⁶ So the king went out, and all his household after him...

To be betrayed by one of your own people would have been difficult enough, but this rebellion was fomented by David’s own son, his own flesh and blood. This is the son who, when he was finally killed at the end of this rebellion, David mourned so intensely, “Absalom, Absalom, my son, my son, would that I had died instead of you…”  What parent would not willingly lay down their life for their child? And then to be betrayed by one that you so loved, what could be worse?

       As we watch the news reports, whether it is storms, like the tornadoes that devastated some areas in Tennessee, wild fires last year in CA, or this virus that is sweeping around the planet, we see Christians suffering as well as unbelievers…  Believers are not exempt from pain and trials in this life.  What do we do when the bottom drops out?  Do we respond to disaster and suffering, to trials in life, or to our lives and our livelihood being disrupted by a spreading virus, differently than those who don’t know God?  We take the prescribed precautions, but our trust is in God.

       David is an example of a biblical character who experienced blessing, but also trials, and heart-wrenching pain. Psalm 3 is written during a such a time of crisis, and in his response, we can see a model for dealing with crises in our life of faith. The Maine* idea: When trials come, don’t despair, rather, look to the Lord, remember His faithfulness, trust in His goodness. We’ll see that David looks up to God, looks back, remembering His faithfulness, and then looks ahead with hope. First, we see David…

 I. LOOK UP! Look to God, prayer is our response to crises (Psalm 3:1,2). 

O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me;  ² many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. Selah   

       David could perhaps imagine what his enemies were saying, maybe the reports had gotten to his ears: “Where is you God now?”  Let’s understand that David struggled against physical enemies, his own son leading an insurrection. It is important to know the enemy: our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against “principalities, against powers… against the spiritual forces of wickedness in high places…” We are in the world, on a mission. And people are not our enemies. They are our mission field!  We are in a spiritual battle. Satan is liar, in times of trial he’ll tempt us to doubt either God’s goodness, or to question God’s power, his ability to help us in our time of need… Since Genesis 3 we can see the pattern established – the enemy knows us, he knows our weaknesses, and he will use his lies to cause us to begin to doubt God. It is nothing new, it started in the Garden, putting questions in Eve’s ear… “Did God really say…” 

       And if it isn’t what God’s Word that he questions, it will be to cause us to have doubts about God’s goodness. Many times I have heard people ask, “Don’t I have a right to be happy?  Or, “I know that is a general principle, but this situation is different…” Different? Really? No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man… God’s word is truth, and it is best, always. Will we take Him at His word?

        Not only in the process of temptation, but it’s sometimes when we stumble that the enemy talks the loudest… “look at what you’ve done, how could God forgive someone like you, how could he love you?” Look to the Lord, don’t listen to the enemy! Our sin is why Jesus came, and his mercies are new every morning… If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

         That is where David starts in Psalm 3, he cries out to God in the midst of his crisis, he looks in the right direction, he looks up to the Lord. N.B. the word “LORD” that begins this psalm, the very first word, “Yahweh,” Jehovah God, the Great I AM.  In fact six times in eight verses David uses the divine name to speak of God. He is the God who created us and who chose to enter into a covenant relationship with us. The God who spoke to Moses from the burning bush. The God who has spoken through the prophets and revealed himself in history. The God who keeps his promises.  In another psalm we read; Psalm 121:1-2, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills -- From whence comes my help?  ² My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.” When crises come, and they will, believers can look up, and know that God is there, He never changes, He is faithful!  When trials come, don’t despair, rather, look to the Lord, remember His faithfulness, trust in His goodness.. We look up, and then we can…

II. Look back, and Remember all He has done (Psalm 3:3-5)!

³ But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.  ⁴ I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah  ⁵ I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.

        Again, notice how it is that David addresses God in these verses… “But you O LORD.” written in all capital letters, “YHWH”. 6 times in 8 verses he specifically uses this name that is connected with God’s covenant promises in the OT.   One other time, when he uses “Elohim”, he specifically says “my God” and it is parallel with “LORD” (v.7).   David is addressing the God he knows, with whom he has a relationship.  The God who speaks and who acts in human history.  In the midst of his crisis David cries out to the true God in his pain.  I really believe that God wants that kind of honesty…

        “But you o Lord…” This is what the world is saying, these are the charges of the enemy, this is the pain I am feeling and the questions that burden me, BUT YOU, YAHWEH…” There is already hope in David’s words as he looks back and begins to reflect on who God is and what he has done in his life…

        You are “My shield, my Glory, the Lifter of my head…” David had a history with God, he could look back and remember how God had protected him and given him victories in impossible situations.  He could remember his encounter with the Giant Goliath, “The battle is the Lord’s and he will deliver you into our hands…” That was an impossible, almost ludicrous mismatch from a human perspective… David could recall how God had preserved him from the evil intentions of Saul… How could he possibly hope to escape the king’s wrath? Yet David trusted God, and even when opportunities came, he refused to lift his hand against the Lord’s anointed king. David knew the truth the apostle Paul would later express: “If God is for us, who can stand against us?  He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom 8:32).

       “With my voice I call to the Lord, and He answers me…”  David knew the reality of answered prayer.  The connection between the verbs is emphatic, in the Hebrew text they are together: “I call, and he answers me…” Our God is a God who hears and answers the prayers of His people. David in his present crisis could look back and remember how God had heard and answered his prayers. Have you experienced answered prayers?  Notice the psalm tells us God answered, “…from his holy hill…” David wasn’t writing this in Jerusalem.  Every indication is that this was his prayer in the midst of the crisis: in the wilderness, far from Jerusalem, the “city of peace,” the place that God had chosen for his name to dwell, the place where one day the temple would be built.  David knew it was not only on the holy hill that God could hear, but even in the deepest of the valleys, God is present, and He hears. And friends, we can know that it is not only in those moments of blessing and smooth sailing, even in the storms, in the deepest valleys of life, God is there, and He is good, we can trust Him.

       And so, David could say, “I lay down and sleep, I awake, for the Lord sustains me…” David knew that Yahweh was his protector, even when he was asleep, even when he was most vulnerable.  Kings were considered to be mighty men, powerful warriors, but even warriors were completely vulnerable as they slept. We see that in the story of Sisera, in Judges 4:15-21…

¹⁵ And the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army before Barak by the edge of the sword. And Sisera got down from his chariot and fled away on foot.  ¹⁶ And Barak pursued the chariots and the army… and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not a man was left.  ¹⁷ But Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite...  ¹⁸ And Jael came out to meet Sisera and said to him, "Turn aside, my lord; turn aside to me; do not be afraid." So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.  ¹⁹ And he said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty." So she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him.  ²⁰ And he said to her, "Stand at the opening of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, 'Is anyone here?' say, 'No.'"  ²¹ But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. Then she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep... So he died.

A mighty man of war, slain by a woman as he lay sleeping, completely vulnerable. We know that King Saul was head and shoulders over the men of Israel… Likewise a mighty leader and warrior, but look at the scene in 1 Samuel 26:6-12,

Then David said… "Who will go down with me into the camp to Saul?" And Abishai said, "I will go down with you."  ⁷ So David and Abishai went to the army by night. And there lay Saul sleeping within the encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Abner and the army lay around him.  ⁸ Then said Abishai to David, "God has given your enemy into your hand this day. Now please let me pin him to the earth with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice."  ⁹ But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand against the LORD's anointed and be guiltless?"  ¹⁰ And David said, "As the LORD lives, the LORD will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish.  ¹¹ The LORD forbid that I should put out my hand against the LORD's anointed..." 

Even a King as mighty as Saul, was completely vulnerable. *A child asked: Mommy, are you sure God never sleeps? That’s right dear…” Listen, When trials come, don’t despair, rather, look to the Lord, remember His faithfulness, trust in His goodness… These are uncertain times, but whatever we’re facing, God has got this!

III. LOOK AHEAD, Rest in the Promise of his Coming (3:6-8). David recognized the enemy’s lies, and he remembered how God had saved him and always been with him.  He then looks ahead in faith. Our series in 1 Thessalonians will pick up on this idea!

⁶ I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.  ⁷ Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.  ⁸ Salvation belongs to the LORD; your blessing be on your people! Selah

       “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me…” It is astounding to see this sudden change in attitude, yet it’s something we frequently see in the psalms of lament: confidence in God that seems to come from nowhere, a peace that passes all understanding.  What was really different? The crisis had not gone away, David was still in the wilderness, and Absalom was still leading the insurrection… What was different was David’s perspective. Look at 2 Kings 6:15-17,  

When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" He said, "Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." Then Elisha prayed and said, "O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see." So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

 “If God is for us who can stand against us?” A little perspective helps! Psalm 3:7 could be paraphrased,  Save me Lord, for you are the God who saves!  David prays to the God who had delivered him in the past to save him in this present crisis… The Big Picture…   God is in control… We have more information than even David… Jesus wins! Salvation belongs to the LORD! Your blessing be upon your people. Jesus took the curse, he drank the cup of wrath, so that we could so that we could drink the cup of blessing. So…

What is God saying to me here?  When trials come, don’t despair, rather, look to the Lord, remember His faithfulness, trust in His goodness. He is your sure hope!

What would God have me to do in response to this passage?  This COVID-19 situation has brought tension and uncertainty into our lives. Some of you may be facing other crises as well.  Be assured that God is good, he is present, and he still loves you.  God is not surprised by anything we face. This pandemic did not surprise Him. He wants us to come to Him, to express our confusion and pain, but to trust Him in the midst of it, and even grow through it. It is a chance to show our faith by our works. To love one another, and to love our neighbor. God never changes, he’s the same yesterday, today and forever.  Trust Him. He loves you, he’ll never leave you or forsake you. 

       Remember the story of Horatio Spafford, who in the face of tragedy made the ocean crossing to meet his grieving wife. He sailed near the place where his four daughters had drowned. There, in the midst of his sorrow, he wrote:

     When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll,

     Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul.

     Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blessed assurance control,

     That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

     My sin, O the bliss of this glorious thought, my sin, not in part, but the whole, Is nailed

     to the cross, and I bear it no more, praise the Lord! Praise the Lord O my soul!   

We are pilgrims in a fallen world. We don’t know what tomorrow may bring. Things may get worse before they get better. But God is still on the throne. He is bigger than COVID-19.  He is with us. And we know the end of the story: Jesus wins! And the best is yet to come! Amen.

Be encouraged… to live a life pleasing to God I - Thessalonians 4:1-12

Be encouraged… to live a life pleasing to God

I Thessalonians 4:1-12

Introduction: The government lately has been giving us a lot of admonitions to keep us safe from COVID-19. Some of the suggestions are probably good advice in flu season anyway! We’ve decided to move the service back up to our sanctuary a few weeks early, to allow for some social distancing for those who want that! Things have gone quite a bit further with travel restrictions now to Europe as well, colleges sending students home to study online until the end of the semester, airplanes cancelling flights and the like. Even our missionary visitor at the end of the month may be driving instead of flying up if his flight is canceled. How do you feel about the government imposing restrictions like that?  That’s one question, but some would ask when they see God’s “directions” in the Bible, “Don’t I have a right to be happy?” God wants us to experience true happiness (Ps 1), and his instructions are given to lead us on that path.  God’s Word teaches us about God, about how we can know God, and also shows us how we should live in the light of God’s character and His grace. Paul had only a few short weeks with the Thessalonians lay a foundation of God’s truth, and to instruct them concerning the Christian life. John Stott, of the great Pastor-theologians of recent history, said, 

Within a few weeks… he had taught the young Thessalonian converts not only the essence of the good news but also the essence of the good life, not only about faith in Jesus, but also about the necessity of good works by which saving faith is authenticated and without which it is dead…

       In the proceeding verses, Paul has spoken with the love of a parent to the Thessalonians. He has also made it clear that the word that He brought to them, the Gospel they received, was the very Word of God, and that they had received it as such.  He spoke the truth in love. Stott said on this section of First Thessalonians, 

It is by ‘speaking [or maintaining] the truth in love’ that we ‘grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ’. Yet this combination is rare in the contemporary church. Some leaders are great champions of the truth and anxious to fight for it, but display little love. Others are great advocates of love, but have no equal commitment to truth, as Jesus and his apostles had. Truth is hard if it is not softened by love, and love is soft if it is not strengthened by the truth.

Stott was speaking to leaders, to pastors and teachers in the church, but I think Paul was speaking to the church more broadly, to all of us who have believed in Jesus and been born-again by the Spirit. He says in that same context that it is the ministry of the Spirit, who is the Spirit of truth, who produces in us “the fruit of the Spirit,” which is love, that enables us to balance truth and love in the Christian life, and so to live a life that pleases God. Paul is about to transition to practical exhortations to the church based on that balanced perspective. Again, Stott writes, 

There is an abrupt change of topic between chapter 3 and chapter 4. So far… Paul has been looking back to his visit and the events which followed it, and has been defending himself against his critics’ accusations. Now… he looks to the present and future of the Thessalonian church, and addresses himself to certain practical problems of Christian conduct which were evidently troubling them. In so doing he turns from narrative to exhortation, from his apologia to his appeal, from explanations regarding his own behaviour to instructions regarding theirs.

So, that is The Maine* Idea: God is pleased as we live a life of holiness, love, and integrity before the world.

I. Be encouraged… to live a life pleasing to God according to His Word (1-2)!

Finally, then [oun, “therefore], brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to live and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.  ² For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.  

       Finally, then brothers… Paul is a little like a Baptist preacher, he says, “finally” but then we have two more chapters before the letter is done! It may be that the idea is that this is really the bottom line, the “big idea” that Paul wants to emphasize in this letter, as he is transitioning to some practical exhortations in this part of the letter. I had an older co-worker when I worked at the landfill who liked to talk and tell stories, and then when Archie got to point he would say, “I said all that to say this…”  Paul is going to summarize the heart of this letter, urging the Thessalonians to live a life pleasing to God, and telling them that God is pleased as we live a life of holiness, love, and integrity before the world. Finally then brothers… If you don’t get anything else get this, or, as my friend would say, “I said all that to say this…”

       “We ask and urge you…” Paul here uses two verbs to make his point even more emphatically. He is “asking” them, that is, he is making a request of them, but then also urging, them, making an appeal to them… The second verb is parakaleo, which Paul has used in this letter in the sense “to encourage” (the theme for our series!). Here we see the gentle side of his leadership. He does not make a demand based on his apostolic authority, but as the loving parent that he considered himself, talking to his beloved children in the Lord, he urges them in the Lord, to live in the light of their new life, a life that is pleasing to God.

       “We ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus” – Rather than evoking apostolic authority with this phrase, he is reminding his readers where they both live, the reality of their new position. They are indeed in the world, and at the moment separated by many miles. Yet they are together, in Christ, in a real sense in His presence and under His lordship, united with Him by faith. That is your address!

       “…that as you received from us how you ought to live and to please God…” Notice that Paul is saying that his teaching among them was not abstract or theoretical. For Paul, theology was always practical. It made a difference in His life and conduct, and so he urges them to let their position impact their practice.

       “…just as you are doing, that you do so more and more…” You are doing well, you are living out the implications of your faith, people are talking about it! Keep striving to learn and grow and to live a life that is pleasing to God! Why? Because God has shown us His love, and so we love Him, and that overflows in our love for others. And God has spoken, and we should take Him at His word…

       “For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.” The God who is, has spoken. He has given us His Word. We’ve received his Word, and we are learning the instructions He has given. If we take Him at His Word, we will want to live a life that is pleasing to Him… And God is pleased as we live a life of holiness, love, and integrity before the world.  

II. Be encouraged… to live a life of sexual purity (3-8). 

³ For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;  ⁴ that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,  ⁵ not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;  ⁶ that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.  ⁷For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.  ⁸Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

       For this is the will of God, your sanctification… This is a great statement to think about. Many times we are struggling to discern the will of God about something. A job opportunity, making a big purchase, deciding who to marry… There are many things we need to pray about and discern what God would have us to do. There are other things that we don’t have to pray about the “what,” we just need to ask God for the empowering grace to walk according to His will. He says here, “…this is the will of God, your sanctification…” God desires us to live differently than the world around us. And He has given us standards, absolutes, that can guide us in the choices we make. He gets specific in the next phrase…

       …that you abstain from sexual immorality… This is one prominent area of sanctification that Paul is emphasizing. God has a plan for human sexuality, that is, that it should be expressed in the context of marriage. Society may have different ideas, that is certainly true in our culture. Marriage is viewed as “optional,” extra-marital sex is considered the norm, homosexuality is viewed as natural… That is what our culture says, and it wasn’t too different from the Greco-Roman culture in Paul’s day. God has a word for sex outside of the marriage of a man and a woman—SIN. Paul wrote this letter to the Thessalonians from Corinth, another city not known for its morality. Later he wrote to the church that he helped plant in Corinth saying…

⁹ Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,  ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.  ¹¹ And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

Paul was speaking about how God had transformed the lives of many in the Corinthian church. And as he wrote to the Thessalonians, they were living in a cultural situation that required God’s intervention and transformation. They needed His presence and power. We are not slaves to sin. We have been set free from bondage, and with God’s help we can make choices that honor Him. And so Paul desires for the Thessalonians that “…each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor…”  Some translations imply Paul is talking about each having his own wife. Maybe, but I think the ESV has this right, let each one control his own body… And it seems to me that our motivation should be to live as we know God would want us to: “For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness…” (4:7, cf. 4:8). Chuck Swindoll addressed this text in Contagious Christianity (p.49),

Abstaining begins with “possessing” our own vessels, that is, knowing our own bodies—how our sex drives function, what weakens our self-control, and what strengthens it. Possessing our bodies involves admitting temptations we can’t handle and avoiding those enticing situations. Certain conversations with coworkers may lure us, and friendly touches may be too personal—avoid those situations. Some films, books, or magazines [or web sites!] may ignite lustful passions, and some settings may provide opportunities for compromise—stay away from them. No one remains pure by accident.

Making choices that would honor God, avoiding situations that would put us at risk. We are “holy,” set apart, now we are responsible to live that out! Look again at v.8, “Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.”  This isn’t the word of an old pastor, this isn’t just the position of a stodgy old church, this is the Word of God! And don’t miss that He “…gives his Holy Spirit to you…” He gives us what we need to have victory over the flesh, to live a sanctified life. That’s the Maine* Idea: God is pleased as we live a life of holiness, love, and integrity before the world.

III. Be encouraged… to love one another more and more (9-10). There is a shift here to another way that we can live a life pleasing to God…

⁹ Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another,  ¹⁰ for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more… 

     I like the way Mark Howell outlines these two verses: 1. You love shows (9); 2. Your love goes  (10a); and 3. You love grows (10b). That would make a good sermon, but since we want to get through this book sometime this year, I guess not!  Paul uses in these verses both the noun, filadelfia = “brotherly love,” and the verb, agapao = “steadfast love,” or “sacrificial love.” 

       Your love shows (9)- What I like about these verses is that Paul acknowledges that they had received his teaching on this subject and had begun living it out in their day to day relationships. They had been taught by God, the Spirit had applied the Word to their hearts. God had loved them, and they knew it. That love over-flowed in their relationships with others. It was part of their testimony that was sounding forth throughout Macedonia and Achaia. What does filadelfia look like? (And I am not talking about the city!). It means watching out for one another, and helping one another to stand fast and so to grow in the Lord. It is to desire “good” for your neighbor, and to do what is best for them. Love like that shows! 

       Your love goes (10a)-  Paul had referred to their labor of love in chapter one, and here he says that the Thessalonians’ love went beyond their city; it extended “toward all the brothers in the entire region of Macedonia” (4:10). It is good love our local church and the people in it. But the whole world is God’s world. And Jesus is building His church with a remnant from every tribe and nation. So we need to love His church beyond our town, beyond our peninsula, beyond our state, and beyond our nation. Brazil, China, Africa, Iran… you get the idea. It means praying for the persecuted church like they are your brothers and sisters, because they are! It means supporting missions, because God has given us much more than we need. That is the kind of love Paul is describing here, love that goes…

       Your love grows (10b)- For second time in this passage Paul says you are doing well, but don’t rest on the past, keep striving to do even better! But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more… One writer said that 

When we follow Christ, we commit to pursue Him with our entire being, including our bodies. Nothing that we have truly belongs to us; and nothing should be more important to us than following Him…

Again, we a reminded that the Christian life is a “walk,” it is ongoing, and we need to be diligent in guarding our hearts, in thinking God’s thoughts after Him, walking in the Spirit, and so, in living a life that brings glory to Him. That is part of our witness, our testimony, to the world, and that points to the Maine* Idea: God is pleased as we live a life of holiness, love, and integrity before the world.

IV. Be encouraged… to live responsibly in the eyes of the world (11-12).

…and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,  ¹² so that you may live properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
       As pilgrims living in a fallen world, we know that we are here on assignment, and that God will give us work until our life is over, and life until our work is done. Therefore, we aspire to live quietly… etc. It does not mean we try not to be noticed. It does mean that since we are citizens of heaven, we don’t want to be offensive as we live and serve Christ in the world. The message will offend some, we can’t help that, but we don’t want to be a stumbling block to the message. So we “…mind our own affairs…” are not a busy body or a gossip. We should be a good worker, that is part of our testimony. Did some think Christ’s return was imminent, so they had stopped working, and were watching and waiting?  We are to work with our own hands, that is part of our testimony to the world. We were created for eternity, but until we are with Him, we have a part in God’s mission. Our lifestyle is a testimony to those in our sphere of influence.  The goal is that we might “…live properly before outsiders...” We want to live in a way that shows integrity, that glorifies God.
What is God saying to me in this passage? Be encouraged to live a life that is pleasing toward God.  We do that by living a life of sexual purity, by loving one another more and more, and by living a life of integrity before the world. God is pleased as we live a life of holiness, love, and integrity; we are His witnesses!
What would God have me to do in response to this passage? God so loved us, that He spared not the Son, but delivered Him up for us all… How then, should we live? How can we live a life that is pleasing to God? The good news is that God is at work in us in this process. Like a sculptor He chips away at the block of granite, until He uncovers us as the masterpiece He desires us to be. One writer said, “That vividly describes the process of sanctification. God’s ultimate goal for believers is that they will reflect the image and likeness of God.” Be patient, He is still working on us! AMEN.