Hey, good morning, church.
Thanks for being with us again for our second virtual live stream.
It's good to be with you all, even if it's over the Internet.
Before we get started, I just want to highlight a couple announcements, since we're not able
to have announcements timed together like we would in a normal service.
First of all, we're going to have another church town hall this Wednesday, April the
first at 7 p.m. And so if you're finding it here, you can find it in the same place.
It's going to be on Facebook Live.
And just like we're doing for this message and our other videos, you can also find it
embedded on our website because we know that not everyone has Facebook.
So one thing that you all can help me with is spreading the word that you don't actually
have to have a Facebook account to be able to access our videos.
The other announcement I want to highlight is that Chris Bradley is starting a Sunday
school today at 4 p.m.
And if you want more details about that, you can email Chris with your church directory
that I'm sure you have.
Or you can also find all the details in our Friday email.
If you are not on the Friday email, that's one of our most important communication tools.
And it's very simple to be added.
You just need to go to our website and scroll down to the bottom right of any page.
And on the bottom right of any page, there will be a place where you can enter your email
address to sign up.
So I want to highlight that as we're beginning.
This morning, we are gathering together like we always do, no matter what, because we believe
that there's no one so good that they don't need God's grace and no one so bad that they
can't have it, which means it's important, whether we're in person or at home, to return
again and again to God and his word.
Last week, we finished our series on 1 Peter, and we're going to return for this Sunday to
the book of Psalms.
If you've been with us for a while, you know that we've been in Psalms multiple times.
We were there for Advent in December of 2018, and then we were also there this past summer
in 2019.
So you'll remember that the Psalms are a book in the Old Testament, and they're the prayer
book and the hymn book of God's people.
It's a guide for us of how we speak to God in various situations.
It's our guide for worshiping him.
And the Psalms continue to be used, not just by God's people in the Old Testament, but
also by the church in the New Testament.
It's an incredible resource for Christians, no matter what they face in life.
This Sunday, we're going to be talking or looking at Psalm 46.
And as we look at Psalm 46, it's going to address the topic of fear.
In fact, that's something that I've been thinking a lot about over the last couple weeks.
It's certainly our experience, right, during these times that we have the emotion of fear.
And yet we're going to see in this passage that God's going to tell us not to fear, which
can be confusing at times for us as Christians.
So we're going to look at what that actually means.
Just like I'm concerned at times when people say, have faith, depending on what they mean
by that.
I'm also concerned sometimes when people say, don't fear.
Do they mean that this is a license for foolishness, for example?
Does not having fear mean we can do whatever we want without fear of consequence?
Perhaps telling someone not to fear is a tool of shame, right?
They're sharing with you some of their frustrations and what they think might happen in the future,
and you'd rather not listen to it.
And so you just tell them not to be afraid.
There are certainly appropriate ways to use fear and inappropriate, and so we're going
to look at that this morning from Psalm 46.
What does it mean not to have a fear?
It's with that question, we're going to turn to God's Word.
You can turn with me in your Bible as I'm turning in mine.
You can turn on your phone, or you can also find it on the internet.
Just search Psalm 46.
And as we come to this Psalm, remember that this is God's Word.
And God tells us that His Word is more precious than gold, even the finest gold.
And it's sweeter than honey, even honey that comes straight from the honeycomb.
And so that's why we're going to read it now, starting at verse 1.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea.
Though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
Verse 4.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her.
She shall not be moved.
God will help her when morning dawns.
Verse 6.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter.
He utters His voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us.
The God of Jacob is our fortress.
Verse 8.
Come, behold the works of the Lord, how He has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear.
He burns the chariots with fire.
Be still and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations.
I will be exalted in the earth.
The Lord of hosts is with us.
The God of Jacob is our fortress.
I invite you to pray with me this morning as we come to this portion of God's word.
Our Father in heaven, we thank you that you are our refuge and our strength.
A very present help in trouble.
And we thank you that one of the ways that you are a present help to us is through your word.
And so we thank you for Psalm 46 and we ask that you would use it this morning.
That you'd speak to us through it.
You'd comfort us in our fears.
And you'd encourage us in our trials.
We ask all of these things knowing that you are with us.
And you're with us not because of what we've done.
But because of what Jesus has done.
And so we ask it in his name.
Amen.
In December of 2018, when we were looking at the Psalms, when we came to Psalm 13, I shared with you the idea of the open when letter.
If you've been in a long distance relationship or you just have someone that you care about, a friend who's gone for a long time, maybe this is something on a deployment.
You might set together a list of letters, make a stack of letters, and you'd say you open this letter when a certain situation happens.
Open this letter when you're sad.
Open this letter when you've had a bad day.
Open this letter when you're missing home.
And as I told you then, the Psalms are God's open when letters.
He gives us different Psalms for different circumstances, knowing that we'll face all kinds of trials and struggles in this life.
This Psalm, Psalm 46, is an open when Psalm for times of crisis.
God knows that there will be times when we feel like the world is falling apart.
And he cares so much that he's given us a Psalm for moments like that.
And that Psalm, one of them, is Psalm 46.
It's a Psalm for when the world is falling apart.
And here, what's described is the world is actually literally falling apart.
Verses 2 and 3.
We will not fear, though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea.
Though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
In other words, things are so bad that the very mountains are falling.
I wonder if you've felt like the mountains are falling the last couple weeks.
And maybe, like, the world is literally falling apart.
Maybe it's something in your personal life.
Maybe you've lost a job.
Maybe you have fewer hours.
You have less income.
Maybe the world's falling apart because you're an extrovert.
And you're not just a normal extrovert.
You're a super extrovert.
And suddenly, you find yourself in your worst nightmare.
Having to stay at home.
Maybe your world's falling apart because you relied on the schools and what they provided.
The structure.
And then suddenly, all your children are at home.
And you have to figure out what's next.
All sorts of things are collapsing.
Maybe it's a bigger picture.
Maybe it's not something in your personal life.
But you look at the world around us.
And you think, there are things that seem so secure.
In fact, that's part of the point of this psalm.
The mountains, right?
What could be more secure than the mountains?
What could be more secure than our healthcare system?
What could be more secure than our economic system?
What could be more secure than our government?
Times of crisis highlight that there are many things that are not as strong or reliable or secure as we once thought they were.
It can feel like the mountains are falling into the sea.
It was all a facade or an illusion, right?
An illusion of security or control.
That's what the psalmist is speaking to in this passage.
And he tells us in the middle what we can do.
In verse 2, he says,
Therefore, we will not fear.
In the midst of this trial, in the midst of this trouble, in the midst of a situation where it feels like the world is literally falling apart,
the psalmist comes and says, God's people won't fear.
Which raises the question, what exactly does he mean by fear in that moment?
What's being described here?
There's different types of fear, different kinds of fear.
And it's important for us not to confuse them.
I've been asking this question the last couple weeks.
What is good fear and wrong fear?
What's appropriate and inappropriate fear?
And there's one man, a pastor named Michael Coggin, who's really helpful.
And he's given some categories for fear to help us think through these things.
He gives four types of fear.
I'm just going to highlight two of them.
The first type is this, a God-given emotional response for our benefit.
A God-given emotional response for our benefit.
In other words, there's actually types of fear that are good.
There's types of fear that are helpful for us that are gifts from God.
I'll give you an example.
Some of you may remember in September of 2018, I was gone for a couple Sundays,
and I was in Breckenridge taking some time away.
And while I was there, I took a hike on the Peaks Trail,
which is in the White River National Forest.
It's right by Peak 7, if you're a skier.
And while I was hiking on that trail all by myself,
enjoying some good introvert time, I came across a moose.
Now, if you're familiar with the moose,
you know that it's not a safe or tame animal.
And in that moment, when I saw this moose coming towards me,
I'm walking along the trail.
It's coming from my right side towards me.
There's a sense of fear that I felt, right?
And in that fear, what I didn't do was I didn't say,
well, I have faith.
And God tells me not to fear.
So I'm going to look this moose in the eyes,
and I'm going to let him know that I'm not afraid.
No, that wouldn't be faith, right?
That wouldn't be faith.
That would be foolishness.
The last thing I want is an encounter with this moose.
This moose does not have good things in mind for me,
and so I used my God-given Lamberfittis,
and I got out of there.
In that moment, fear was a gift from God to me.
It was a gift to help me take the right and appropriate action
in that situation.
I mention that because sometimes I've heard,
even in this crisis,
people misusing this idea of not having fear.
They might say, well, we have faith, right?
God is going to take care of us,
and so we don't need to worry about the virus.
We're going to go out into wherever we want,
whatever group we want to,
and we're not going to be scared or afraid
because God is so great,
and yet that's not faith.
That's foolishness.
There is a right and good fear
of things that are threatening in this world.
God gives us fear to help us.
It's an emotional response
that's meant to propel us to action,
often the right action,
and so that's a category one of fear.
It's not always wrong to feel afraid.
Sometimes, in fact, it's a gift from God.
Imagine, for example, if I had decided
I was not going to do anything about this moose.
I was just going to stand there on the trail.
That might not have ended very well.
The next category that I'm going to highlight
is a different one,
fear as a sinful response
to God's providential care.
Fear as a sinful response
to God's providential care.
This is the kind of fear
that's being talked about in this psalm.
And this man, Michael Coggin,
defines it this way,
our default mode is to doubt God's goodness.
We know that we've slipped into that kind of fear
when our default mode is to doubt God's goodness.
He also describes it this way,
the belief, I have to do this on my own.
God isn't good,
and it's up to me to make it happen.
I actually don't believe
that God's a good and loving father.
Instead, I believe that he has left me alone as an orphan.
That's the type of fear
that's being talked about in this psalm.
And so that's what we are talking about in verse two
when we say,
therefore we will not fear,
though the earth gives way.
We continue to believe that God's a good father.
And we know that we're not alone,
and we don't have to do it all by ourselves.
We know, as the psalmist is going to highlight later,
that God is with us.
He says that in verses seven and 11.
But before we get there,
it's easy on the one hand to say,
don't fear.
It's a much harder thing to do.
So what is it that helps us not to fear?
What are the tools that we have
when the mountains are moved into the heart of the sea?
Well, the psalmist goes on to tell us,
and he's telling us in verses four through seven
about God's city.
And there's a contrast here being drawn
between what's happening in the world
and what's happening in God's place.
In the world,
the mountains are moved into the heart of the sea.
There's these threatening waters, right,
that are roaring and foaming, verse three.
In God's city,
things are different.
There's a river,
not an ocean,
and it's not roaring.
This river has streams
that make glad the city of God.
So rather than being a place of chaos,
it's a place of peace and blessing.
It's not waters that destroy,
but a river that gives life.
We see the same thing
in verses two and three in verse five.
Verse two,
the mountains are moved.
God's city, verse five, is not.
God is in the midst of her.
She shall not be moved.
God will help her
when morning dawns.
The mountains are moved.
God and his city
and his people are not.
Waters of chaos and destruction,
river of life.
Things that are moved,
things that are not moved.
Then in verses four and five,
we learn why it is
that these things don't move.
Verse four,
this is the holy habitation
of the Most High.
This is where God lives.
God lives in his city.
Verse five,
God is in the midst of her.
She shall not be moved.
The mountains may move.
God and his people will not
because he is with them.
And it tells us in verse five
that he's going to help them.
So why is it that these people
don't fear?
It's because of this.
God is more powerful
than the other forces
in the world.
Verses five and six,
especially verse six.
The nations rage,
the kingdoms totter.
He uttered his voice,
the earth melts.
Again, a contrast.
The mountains may fall
into the sea.
God is so powerful
that he can make
the entire earth melt.
And so the world
around us may collapse.
God and his people
will not.
The world around us
may collapse.
God and his people
will not.
They will stand firm
because God is with them.
Now this does not mean
there isn't a real suffering.
God's people here
aren't pretending
that something isn't wrong.
In fact, they acknowledge it.
The mountains are falling
into the seas.
They're not putting their hands
over their ears
and closing their eyes.
They recognize
the real trouble
that's going on in the world.
That's why this psalm is here
because there's real problems.
And yet,
it's not that they
don't recognize that.
It's that they have security.
It's not that they
don't recognize
that the world around them
is frightening
and unpredictable.
It's that they also
recognize that God
is fixed
and secure.
And so it's not that
one is true
and the other isn't
but that the two truths
are put together.
The world may be
falling apart.
God is not.
Many things
of great value
will be lost
during this time.
What we have
that is of ultimate value
will not be lost.
Many things
of great value
will be lost
during this time.
What we have
that is of ultimate value
will not be lost.
when this passage is talking about the city of God
the people in the Old Testament would have understood it as the city of Jerusalem
now we know that we don't look to the city of Jerusalem
specifically for God's presence as we're the church
but we look to him as he's in the middle of his people
in the same way he dwelled in the middle of his people in the tabernacle
when they moved in the desert
and so our hope is in what we can't lose
not in what we can
I had a friend remind me this week that if we have faith in God
there's always a future for us
if we have faith in God there's always a future for us
and so that's what causes us not to fear the knowledge
that because of our faith and trust in God
we don't have to be afraid of this being the end
I'll put it a different way
and I'm not going to say this in any way to be morbid
but to bring clarity to this situation
what our hope looks like
because of the coronavirus
there will be Christians that die
and they have a future
and so in that sense
they don't need to fear
you can imagine this
what if a dear brother or sister in the Lord became infected
and it came to a point where because of that infection
God brought them home to be with himself
they died
we can say
they don't need to fear in the midst of that
in the sense that they know
that their relationship with God
is not threatened by that
and we don't need to fear
in the sense that we know
the same thing
and so what does it mean
that we will not fear
well there's a healthy sense of fear
right
we actually fear
what's going on right now
in the sense that it could hurt our ability to care
for others and ourselves
and so that sense of fear
propels us to the appropriate actions
it propels us to be careful in certain situations
it propels us to take precautions that are appropriate
that's a right sense of fear
we don't have fear
in the sense that we know it can't threaten
what's of ultimate value
and so there's a right fear
and a wrong fear
God's people have the kind of fear
not that allows them to escape this world
but to have hope beyond this world
they know
there's a river who makes glad
streams make glad the city of God
and this city of God
cannot be moved
no matter what happens in the world
and so that is the kind of fear
that we refuse to have
about a year and a half ago
almost two years ago
I had a phone call with a friend of mine
that helped me clarify
what good and wrong fear looked like
he was in between jobs at the time
he was moving from one part of the country
to the other
and he wasn't sure what his future held for him
in fact he shared with me
that he had about a hundred dollars
left to his name at that point
and he wasn't sure
where his next paycheck
was going to come from
but he was also someone
who has faith
in Jesus Christ
and as he described to me
the way that he was thinking through this
and working through it
as he had his own fears and anxieties
I found it so helpful
that actually at the time
I sat down and I wrote it down
I asked his permission yesterday
to share this
this is essentially what he said to me
he said something like this
when our body and mind
in a fallen state are going crazy
we remember God's truth and love for us
my body and mind are going crazy on me
I know that God will provide for me
and I have to trust him
this is an opportunity for me to seek him
and to exercise faith
I know that God is not going to leave me
I don't know the future
and I'm really anxious about it
but I'm choosing to believe in that
that God loves me
he is for me
he is with me
and it's going to be okay
it might look like I'm failing
but God is with me
brothers and sisters
that is what faith rather than fear looks like
it's not a denial of the reality around us
it's not a denial of the facts
but it's a recognition
that we can still believe
and have faith
as he says here
this is an opportunity for me to seek him
and exercise faith
I know that God is not going to leave me
the same is true for us
if we have faith in Jesus
we know no matter what happens
he is not going to leave us
now this passage tells us
verse 1
God's our refuge and strength
a very present help in trouble
I've given you some sense at this point
of what it means for him to be
that refuge and strength
there's a refuge there right
in the sense that
what's most valuable can't be taken away from us
but it also tells us that he's very present
and he's a help
what does that mean in practical terms
what does that mean in everyday terms
what does that mean this afternoon
as we think about what's going on in our world
and we're tempted
with fear and anxiety
I've made a list
of a few things here
that I believe are true
from the Bible
and true for us
first of all
God provides real help
for his people
verse 5
God will help her
when morning dawns
that doesn't mean
we won't suffer
it does mean
God will never leave us
nor forsake us
second
God provides
his people
for his people
God provides
his people
for his people
we should take these references
to Zion now
and we can apply them
to the church
there's a talk of a city
well what is in a city
there's people
you're not alone
not only in the sense
that God hasn't left you
but he's also provided
a community for you
he's provided other people
to come alongside you
and walk with you
no matter what you suffer
he is present
in the sense
that he's given us
each other
and so God's a help
because he provides real help
he's a help
because he's given us each other
he's also a very present help
because he's given us
his word
to guide us
and instruct us
the fact that Psalm 46
is in the Bible
and it's designed as a psalm
for times of crisis
when it feels like
the world is falling apart
is a very present help to us
this psalm
that we're looking at right now
is part of God's
very present help
God's also very present to us
in the sense that
he's immediately available to us
through prayer
and we have promises
about that
in the Bible
in James chapter 1 verse 5
he promises to give wisdom
to people who ask for wisdom
in James chapter 5 verse 17
he promises us
that prayer really does change things
and so I said earlier
God's presence
his help doesn't mean
that we're going to escape suffering
that's true on the one hand
on the other hand
we believe that God
really does provide help
to people who pray to him for it
both of those things are true
they are part of God's help for us
his very present help
finally God gives us
not just a very present help
it tells us he's our strength
part of that means
he's given us his spirit
to live in us
it also means he's given us
the truths and the story
that we need to move forward
it's that strength
that my friend drew upon
when he was in
a moment of uncertainty
with almost no financial resources
and unsure of what the future held for him
he drew strength
from the knowledge
of what we're reminded here
in this psalm
knowing that God
was going to provide for him
and God was not going to leave him
Hebrews chapter 13 verses 5 and 6
tell us this
keep your life free
from the love of money
and be content with what you have
for he has said
I will never leave you
nor forsake you
so we can confidently say
the Lord is my helper
I will not fear
what can man do to me
finally
God tells us
not just that we have a future
but we see in verses 8 through 11
that he tells us the future
that is part of our strength
and help
we see in verses 8 and 9
that one day
God is going to bring
wars to cease
to the end of the earth
there's going to come a time
when there will be
no more war in this world
we could adapt this
if we wanted to
and we could say
he makes pandemics
to cease
to the end of the earth
there will come a time
when we don't fear
sickness or disease
anymore
and nothing that happens
in this world
can threaten that
we're told
at the very end
of the book of Revelation
that God's going to
wipe every tear
away from
from our eyes
and so we see
a vision here
of what's coming
one day
God will bring
wickedness and evil
to an end
we see that here
in verse 9
bringing wars to an end
and his name
is going to be exalted
among all the nations
and all the earth
the mountains may fall
into the sea
and we may tremble
verse 6
the nations may rage
and the kingdoms totter
but verse 10
God will be exalted
among the nations
God will one day
be recognized
for what he already is
which is the one
who is in control
of all things
and the one
who's more powerful
than any other force
in the world
and so we can say
as it said here
in verse 11
the Lord of hosts
is with us
the God of Jacob
is our fortress
we can have hope
in that now
even when we know
it won't be fully realized
until the future
in fact
Jesus
himself
instructs us
to look to the future
when we need hope
he tells us
in John chapter 14
let not your hearts
be troubled
believe in God
believe also in me
and he tells us
how our hearts
are untroubled
is a picture
towards the future
in my father's house
are many rooms
if it were not so
would I have told you
that I go to prepare
a place for you
and if I go
and prepare a place
for you
I will come again
and I will take you
to myself
that where I am
you may be also
when we suffer
and we face
moments of crisis
it's a wonderful time
for us to look
and focus
on the glories
of heaven
to long
for the time
when Jesus
is going to make
all things right
not as a form
of escapism
and not as a way
to say that this world
doesn't matter
but as an act
of hope
and actually
to say this world
matters so much
that God's coming
back to restore
everything
one day
and so it's that
future orientation
that helps us
we're told twice
in this psalm
that God
is with us
verse 7
the Lord of hosts
is with us
verse 11
the Lord of hosts
is with us
now this would have
been a comfort
and an encouragement
towards the people
originally reading
this psalm
in the Old Testament
and yet it wasn't
fulfilled
we know
from the promise
of Isaiah chapter 7
that there was going
to be one
named Emmanuel
which means
God with us
in Matthew chapter 1
verse 23
tells us who
this person is
and it's Jesus
our ultimate hope
and confidence
comes from knowing
that God
has not just
given us words
that he's with us
but he's given us
his action as well
he's given us
his very son
who came
as a man
and walked
on this earth
living the life
that we should have
lived
and dying the death
that we should have
died
he's God's seal
and promise to us
that he truly
is with us
so much so
that he became
a man
and so all of this
hope is tied up
with our hope
and our faith
in Jesus Christ
the hope
that's offered
in this psalm
the fear
that we can avoid
is something
that it is
for Christians
and it's only
for Christians
it's only
for people
who long
and want
to be
part of that city
so if you're
someone who
is unsure
about Jesus
and Christianity
this psalm
holds out
part of the hope
that God offers
for his people
and it's for those
who have faith
in Jesus Christ
faith
has three parts
to it
according to
Charles Spurgeon
it is
belief
it's believing
the facts
about the gospel
that Jesus
came
that we deserve
God's punishment
for our sin
but he took it
on our behalf
it's not just
knowledge
but it's also
belief
actually believing
those things
are true
and then it's
not just belief
but it's also
trust
it's living
as if those
things are true
demonstrating
by our lives
that we have
hope
and faith
in Jesus Christ
that's what's
offered
to God's
people
and so
that's the
offer
for you
as well
to repent
and believe
the gospel
and to follow
after Jesus
we're told
a story
in several
of the gospels
about a time
that Jesus
is with his
disciples
in a boat
and a great
storm comes up
while they're
in the boat
and they're
very afraid
being very
afraid
they wake
up
Jesus
and ask
for his
help
they wonder
why it is
that he's
sleeping
Jesus calms
the storm
and then he
rebukes them
and says
oh ye of
little faith
because during
the storm
even before
he calmed
anything
Jesus was
with them
and so
they were
safe
and after
the storm
he was
with them
as well
it wasn't
their
circumstances
that determined
whether they
should fear
or not
but it was
Jesus presence
with them
brothers and
sisters
that's our
same
hope
as well
and so
why is it
that we
don't fear
we don't
fear because
we know
that even
if the
mountains
fall
God
and his
love for
us will
not
the mountains
can't
threaten
what's of
ultimate
value to
us
we don't
fear
because we
know that
we have
a future
and we
don't fear
because we
know that
God is a
very present
help to
us
in trouble
and so
we can
say
with the
psalmist
God
is our
refuge
and strength
a very
present
help
in
trouble
therefore
we will
not fear
though the
earth
gives way
though the
mountains be
moved
into the
heart of
the sea
please pray
with me
our father
in heaven
we thank
you
that you
give us
tremendous
strength
and encouragement
through your
word
we ask
you do
that this
morning
you remind
us of
what's
true
and you
use it
to give
us an
unshakable
confidence
even as we
see mountains
falling around
us we know
that you
will not
and so we
can trust
you and
hold on
to you
no matter
what
happens
we thank
you that
this is
not because
of anything
that we've
earned or
deserved
but it's
because of
Jesus
and so we
ask it
in his
name
amen