Hey, church. Good morning. It's 1028, but I decided to go ahead and get this started, and I'll wait until 1030 before we actually get things rolling.
I was thinking about, man, all the things with COVID and what got us onto live streaming in the first place years and years ago.
So if you had been at our church in 2018 or 2019 and there was a snow day or a cold day, we just wouldn't have a sermon, and we didn't do any live streaming.
And then COVID came along, and we had to learn so many things so quickly.
And now we have the equipment, we have the setup, and I think at least once a year, we are here in my living room.
And so I was just reflecting on all those things this morning and how many years it's been since COVID and the world of live streaming.
And, you know, there was a time when we didn't have a live stream for our church.
We didn't have a live stream camera.
You know, if you missed the worship service, you just have to, the sermon audio recording was all there was.
So it's just funny to think about everything that's changed in the world the last five or six years or so.
And what I've learned, too, I remember back in COVID, just the learning curve of trying to figure out how to use the cameras and how to use Facebook Live and all those things.
And now it's just something we do and we have to.
So, okay, we're right at 1030.
So I'm going to go ahead and officially get us started.
As you join on, I would ask that if you're willing to make a comment and just where you are watching from, you can greet one another.
That does a couple of things for us.
First of all, it helps us understand who's actually with us.
It gives us a sense of being together, even as we are actually separated physically.
And it also helps me not feel quite so crazy.
So I'm not just here looking into a camera.
Even now I can see folks commenting.
So that's helpful for me, if for no one else.
We were supposed to have a congregational meeting today after church.
Obviously, we're not going to do that.
So that will be moved to next Sunday, January the 26th.
I also do want to give you guys a reminder that my sabbatical is coming up very soon.
February the 2nd will be my last Sunday with you all.
So I have two more Sundays.
After this morning, I have one more sermon.
This coming week, I'll be traveling for our regional church meetings three times a year.
The churches in Wyoming and Montana and Colorado get together.
So I'll be in Summit County for some of the week and up in the Denver area for part of it.
So Andy Perch will preach next Sunday.
Then I'll preach on the 2nd.
Then I'll be out.
I also want to remind you that starting February 9th,
Jonathan Clark is going to do a four-week series on evangelism that I'm really excited about.
And I hope you all are as well.
I think those are our announcements.
We've been in a very short series in the Book of Psalms.
The last couple weeks, the Book of Psalms is the songbook for God's people in the Old Testament.
It is the prayer book, the hymn book, the guide for worshiping God.
It's quoted all throughout the New Testament.
There's sort of a competition between the Book of Psalms and the Book of Isaiah
as to which is quoted more in the New Testament.
Depends on who you ask and how you add up the numbers.
This week, we're going to be in Psalm 46.
And for the sake of time, I'm actually going to hone in on verses 1 through 7.
And we're going to leave off verses 8 through 11,
just because this is such a rich passage with so much going on.
And Psalm 46 really asks one question.
What do we do when life falls apart?
It's with that I invite you to turn with me now.
You can turn on your phone or in your Bible or in your computer,
wherever you get access to the scriptures.
Wherever you turn, remember that this is God's word.
He tells us that it is more precious than gold, even the finest gold,
and sweeter than honey, even honey that comes straight from the honeycomb.
And so that's why we read now from Psalm 46.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea.
Though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her.
She shall not be moved.
God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations rage.
The kingdoms totter.
He utters his voice.
The earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us.
The God of Jacob is our fortress.
I invite you to pray with me as we come to this portion of God's word.
Our Father in heaven, we do thank you for your word.
We thank you for the gift of technology that allows us to connect,
even as we're at a distance.
And we ask that you'd help us.
You'd help us to focus for a few minutes this morning on your word,
that we would worship you,
that we would see you clearly,
and that you would remove the many distractions that come with this sort of technology.
Instead, you'd help us.
You'd help us to see you in your word.
And we ask these things in Jesus' name.
Amen.
One of my very best friends in the whole world
grew up in Asheville, North Carolina,
which is in western North Carolina.
And he had a very hard childhood with a lot of significant trauma.
And so home was not always a safe place for him.
But if you're familiar with western North Carolina,
you know that that's the mountains of North Carolina.
And while home was not safe, the mountains were.
He looked to the mountains as a place of comfort and solace and safety.
He eventually became an outdoorsman.
He worked in the outdoors industry for a while and I think directly connected to those experiences.
And you probably already know where I'm going with this.
In September of last year, Hurricane Helene came in.
And what did it do?
It wiped out western North Carolina.
Destroyed that part of the state with floods.
And the mountains themselves were covered in water.
Of course, not up to their topstrap, but they're flooded.
Inaccessible.
And so we find here, verse 2.
Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea.
And to be honest with you,
I've always thought of that verse in Psalm 46
as sort of being this exaggeration, this hyperbole.
You know, of course, the mountains will never fall into the sea.
It's just using this image to help us understand,
well, the worst thing that you can imagine happening,
which of course won't happen,
God is stronger still.
I'm going to have to eat my words on that
because what is Hurricane Helene but water from the sea
in a hurricane that comes in and floods the mountains?
So my image, my idea, my thoughts about Psalm 46 have changed
because of that, because of my conversations with my friend.
The point is this.
Sometimes the most stable things in the world
are shaken, are removed, are destroyed.
Sometimes the most stable things in the world
are shaken and removed and destroyed.
And if you've lived long enough,
you have probably experienced that,
something that you thought was the bedrock
of your life disappeared.
Maybe your spouse told you
that he or she wanted out of the marriage.
Maybe the stock market crashed
and along with it disappeared your wealth.
And with your wealth, your chance of retiring.
We could think of another natural disaster,
the wildfires that are going on in Los Angeles.
There was an article in the Wall Street Journal
that came out recently and the title was this.
Their wealth is in their homes.
Their homes are now ash.
And it featured folks who are in their 60s and their 70s
in their home.
Their house was a large portion
of their retirement plan, of their wealth.
In addition to that, before the fires,
insurance companies had stopped supporting,
had dropped, I think State Farm especially,
their coverage for wildfires.
And so you have people who are in this double bind.
On the one hand, they've lost their insurance.
Then the fire comes in and takes out their wealth.
Maybe the stable thing for you is your job that you lost.
Maybe it's that your mind and your body
slowly start to fail and betray you.
This psalm reminds us that we can't leave this life unscathed.
And so it's about this.
It's about the question that I mentioned to you earlier.
What do we do when life falls apart?
What do we do when the earth gives way?
Well, it tells us in that very same verse, verse 2,
we will not fear.
Now notice what it doesn't say.
It doesn't say we won't grieve.
It doesn't say we won't be sad.
It says we will not fear.
Why?
Well, look one verse earlier, verse 1.
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
The psalm goes on immediately,
verses 4 through 7,
to give us a picture of what that means.
There's this contrast.
So you're going to want to look at your Bible now with me.
We're going to be moving around quickly on different verses.
There's this contrast between what happens in verses 1 through 3,
and then what we see in verses 4 through 7.
So in verses 2 and 3,
we have these threatening waters that destroy.
That's what's happening in the world.
Verse 4,
we have a river that brings life.
There is a river whose streams may clad the city of God.
Verses 2 and 3,
what do we see?
The mountains are moved into the heart of the sea.
Okay, so the mountains,
the stable things in life,
they can be destroyed.
They can be upset.
Verse 5,
talking about God's city,
Jerusalem,
God is in the midst of her same word,
she shall not be moved.
So I want you to see the contrast.
Waters that destroy,
waters that give life.
Things that are stable,
seemingly,
but can be moved,
God's city cannot be moved.
Then we're told,
verses 4 and 5,
this is the habitation of God.
This is where he dwells.
He's in the midst of her.
God's presence is there.
Verse 5,
we're told that God is going to help.
God will help her when morning dawns.
And then verses 5 through 6,
God is actually more powerful
than all these other forces.
Verse 6,
the nations rage,
the kingdoms totter,
he utters his voice,
the earth melts.
Whatever power there is in this world,
God is more powerful.
Whatever power there is in this world,
God is more powerful.
The world,
the things that we see
as most reliable
and most stable,
may collapse.
And at some point,
they will.
God's city
will not.
Things that are most stable
in this world,
seemingly,
can,
and it sometimes will,
collapse.
God's people
will not.
The world
may be falling apart.
God's church
stands firm.
The waters are roaring
and chaotic
out there.
The waters are nurturing
and safe
and life-giving
in here.
So I want you to see
there's this kind of
black and white distinction.
There's
this contrast
that's being drawn.
Here's the world,
unstable,
unsteady,
always full of risk,
volatile.
Here's God's city,
here's his church,
unshakable.
Why don't we fear?
Because there's a place
where the waters are calm.
Why don't we fear?
Because Jerusalem,
verse 5,
shall not
be moved.
Now you might be thinking,
man,
that sounds like a real
pie-in-the-sky
sort of hope.
How does that help me now?
How does that help
people in Los Angeles
whose houses have been
destroyed?
What does it mean
on Monday
or Tuesday
that God is my refuge
and strength,
that he's a very present help?
Well,
to get at that,
we have to remember
that when we look
at the Old Testament
and we see references
to Zion or Jerusalem,
a place where God dwells,
the center,
the capital of his people,
we now think of where
God's people are now,
which is not in Jerusalem,
but is in the church.
God is here
in the midst
of his people,
his church,
he's very present,
and he's very present
in a variety of ways,
a variety of practical ways.
Remember that God's church
is where he's given us
to each other,
and so God gives
his people
to his people.
One of the ways
that God is
very present with you
is the other people
who worship with you
at Cheyenne Mountain
Presbyterian Church.
That is a piece,
a part
of God's presence.
God does not merely
call us as sons
and daughters,
but when he does,
what does that mean?
We also have brothers
and sisters.
And I think
when we've been
in the church
for a long time,
it's easy to forget
how isolated
the world out there is.
how hard it is
to make real,
true,
deep friendships
outside of the community
that God's given us.
I'm not saying
it's impossible,
but in our current age
in 2025,
an age of isolation
and individualism,
it is hard.
It is uphill.
If you're in the church,
God is present with you.
If we were here together,
I'd say the people
next to you.
We're not next to each other,
but you know what I mean.
God's also very present
to us in his word.
He's given us his word
to guide us
and to instruct us.
We could even say
that this psalm,
Psalm 46,
is one of the ways
that God is very present
with us in trouble.
God's given us strength
in the sense that
he's given us this psalm.
So it's not just
that he's a refuge,
right?
Verse 1,
he's also our strength.
And he's our strength
in a variety of ways.
One of the ways
is he reminds us
of what's true.
We're told in this psalm
we don't fear.
Well, what is fear
but a belief
about the future?
And what does God
tell us in his word?
He tells us
what the future looks like.
He tells us
what we need to know
to not fear.
We could also say
that God
is a very present help
in trouble
because he is
immediately accessible
to us in prayer.
I told you
a few weeks ago
that you
are in fact
more powerful
than Elon Musk.
And you're more powerful
than him
in this particular sense
that you
have access
to the living God.
You can pray to him
whenever you want.
And God himself
is more powerful
than Elon Musk.
Verse 5,
verse 6,
the nations rage,
the kingdoms totter.
He utters his voice,
the earth
holds.
James chapter 1,
verse 5,
tells us
God gives wisdom
wisdom
to those who ask
for it.
That's a promise.
He's saying,
look,
if you believe
and you pray to God
and you say,
I need wisdom,
this is a promise.
There's no qualifications.
It says God
will give you wisdom.
He gives wisdom
to those who ask.
Actually,
I think there is
a qualification
that we ask in faith,
right?
James chapter 5,
verse 17,
tells us
God really does
answer prayer,
right?
Elijah prayed
and God answered.
Do we believe that?
Do we believe
God's promises
about the power
of prayer?
Do we believe
that he is
more powerful
than the other forces
in this world?
Do we believe
that he answers,
that he hears
when we cry out?
Do we believe
that he's our refuge
and strength,
a very present help
in trouble?
God's also
very present
with us
by his Holy Spirit.
Jesus makes promises
in both John chapter 14
and John chapter 16
that he's going to
send the Spirit
to his people.
In John 14,
he refers to the Spirit
as a helper,
the one who's going
to be with us.
John 16,
Jesus says,
hey,
the Spirit's actually
so powerful
that it's better
that I leave you
because then I can
send the Spirit.
And that's mind-blowing.
I've talked about that
a number of times
in sermons
that Jesus would say,
actually,
it's better that I go
because the Holy Spirit
is so valuable.
You know,
our instinct is to think,
man,
if Jesus were just here,
and Jesus says,
no,
actually,
there's something
better than me.
There is my Spirit.
Verse 2,
again,
tells us,
sorry,
verse 1 tells us
that he's our strength.
It's our strength
in a variety of ways.
The Spirit is one of them.
The Spirit gives us
what we need
to obey God.
It's also a strength
in that he gives us
truths that we need.
Truths that anchor us,
allow us to move forward.
God's our strength
and our refuge
because he's promised us
things that we can't lose.
Every once in a while,
I try to remind you all
of 1 Peter 1,
verse 3,
verse 4,
excuse me,
which tells us
that because of the resurrection,
we have an inheritance
in heaven.
And that inheritance
is described
with three words.
It is imperishable,
undefiled,
and unfading.
Which is another way
of saying,
whatever happens
out there,
it can't touch,
it can't damage
what's in here.
It cannot damage
what God has prepared
for his people.
There are some things
in life
that will not fall
into the sea.
There are some things
in life
that cannot be shaken.
Those are the things
and only the things
that God gives
to us.
I said this already,
fear
is based on
what we believe
about what is going
to happen in the future.
God's saying,
don't fear.
I've already told you
the future.
It's secure.
It's secure
and cannot be lost.
We're not looking
at verses 8-11
this morning,
but verses 8-11
give us another glimpse
of the future.
And they're saying,
look,
God wins.
God wins
and he is going
to fully
and finally
be seen
for who he is.
He's going to bring
full and final justice
to this earth.
Hebrews chapter 13
gives us
a reminder of this,
speaking specifically
about wealth.
It says,
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?
Why is it
that we don't fear
when the earth
gives way
and the mountains
fall into the heart
of the sea?
We don't fear
because God has told us
I will never leave you
nor forsake you.
We don't fear
because we can confidently
say,
the Lord is my helper.
What can man
do to me?
Remember,
Jesus says,
don't fear
those who can
kill the body.
Fear God,
the one
who has power
over the soul.
You will lose
things
of great value
in this life.
there's no way
around that.
There's no amount
of money
you can pile up
to keep you safe.
There's no friend
with enough influence
to keep you
from harm.
You will lose
things of great value.
There is something,
though,
of ultimate value
that we cannot
lose.
There are things
of ultimate value
that will not
be lost.
Those are the things
that God gives to us.
And they cannot
be lost
because of
Jesus' resurrection.
Peter tells us,
1 Peter 1,
verse 4,
I already quoted it to you.
There's an inheritance.
It's imperishable,
unfading,
undefiled.
The verse before that,
verse 3,
tells us why we have
this inheritance.
We have this inheritance
because of the resurrection.
That it's Jesus' death
and his resurrection
that makes those things
unlosable
and unshakable.
Because he's promised
them to us.
He's given them to us,
those who believe
in Christ
and follow him
by faith.
And he's able
to do that
because of Jesus'
life and death
and resurrection.
Because just Jesus died
and took the punishment
that we deserve.
and he lived
and lived the life
that we should have lived
so that we can have life
with him.
So there's many things
that can happen to you
in this life
that are terrible
and tragic.
None of them
can take that away.
I've told you before,
you may end up
in prison, right,
for the rest of your life.
You may end up
because of something
you actually did
or something you're
falsely accused of.
and in a sense
that might feel
like the end
of your existence
in this world.
But it can't touch
your future.
Can't touch the future
promise to those
who are in Christ.
My friend,
who I mentioned
at the beginning,
told me this.
He said,
I've always looked
to the mountains
as a stable thing,
found comfort
and solace
in the mountains.
But the flood,
that is the floods
of Western North Carolina,
showed me
even the mountains
are not unshakable.
The mountains
aren't my refuge.
Ultimately,
the Lord
is my refuge.
That's one of the ways,
by the way,
that God uses
tragedies like that.
He uses them
to shake us up
and remind us
of what is secure
and what isn't secure.
That's why we see
after tragedy,
often there's sort of
this mini revival.
Some of you will remember
after 9-11,
there was this
mass return to church.
Because people
were shaken up,
they realized,
hey, the things
that I place security in,
those things are not
as steady
or as stable
as I thought.
Catastrophes clarify
how stable
the world is.
They remind us
that it isn't.
And there is,
though,
that one thing
that is stable.
What's stable
is the things
that we have
in God,
with God,
because of Jesus'
resurrection.
Jesus himself
makes us a promise
about that stable future.
We'll end with this,
Jesus' words
in John 14.
Let not your hearts
be troubled.
Man,
that sounds a lot
like Psalm 46.
Let not your hearts
be troubled.
Believe in God,
believe also in me.
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 will take you
to myself,
that where I am,
you may be also.
Let's pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
we do thank you
and praise you
for your word.
We thank you
for this psalm,
Psalm 46.
We ask that you
would use it
as one of your tools
to be very present
with us
in our troubles.
That while we may grieve
and we may be sad,
we would not fear
because we know
that what we have
in you
cannot be lost.
And we ask these things
in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Thanks, church.
Look forward to seeing
you all again
very soon.