God is Our Refuge

The point: Do not lose spiritual bearings in troublous times, but glorify God and serve your generation.

Martin Luther would encourage timid Melanchthon to sing Psalm 46 when overwhelmed by the upheavals of the Reformation, illustrating the psalm's power to instill holy confidence.

It was Luther's psalm. In fact, some have even given that as the legitimate title. So precious was this psalm to Martin Luther in the period of the Reformation, with its great upheavals on every hand. And when timid Melanchthon would sometimes bear his heart to bold Luther and say to him that he felt it was more than he could bear, Luther would say to him, Now, Philip, let us sing the 46th Psalm.

2:58 - 3:25 Read in full sermon

The point: Learn to sing this song of faith with the Spirit and with understanding to come through troublous times triumphant in God.

Luther's hymn, 'A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,' is presented as an example of how the thoughts of Psalm 46 inspired profound expressions of faith.

And out of that, in heart, I meant to get to you before, to find the proper pronunciation of that first phrase, Ein feste Burg, how do we pronounce it, you know what I mean, yes. I'll get it later so I can say it correctly. But this great hymn of Luther's, A Mighty Fortress, is our God. He took his thoughts from the 46th Psalm, this psalm of holy confidence, this song of faith.

3:25 - 3:53 Read in full sermon

The point: Learn to sing this song of faith with the Spirit and with understanding to come through troublous times triumphant in God.

The phrase 'Come and dine, the Master calleth' from a song sung at street meetings is used to invite the congregation to feast on the spiritual substance of Psalm 46.

In troubleless times, and here before us is spread a feast of blessed spiritual substance for all the saints. And at this point, I think of that little song that we used to sing as young Christians when after being in a street meeting and worshiping, we would come and feast together. And we used to sing, Come and dine, the Master calleth, come and dine. Well that phrase went through my mind in preparation for the sermon.

3:53 - 4:19 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Before delving into the psalm's substance, Martin outlines three introductory points: the psalm's historical setting (troublous times, opposition to Zion), its three-stanza…

The mysterious word 'Selah' is explained as a probable call to pause after a significant truth, allowing the congregation to meditate and let the words sink in, perhaps with instrumental music.

Now you notice what I'm saying? In all probability. Not assertion, but it is the statement of strong probability that it was a call to pause. Usually it comes after a very significant and vital statement, calling the congregation of God, having sung that truth, to stop and let it sink in. To use the words of Jesus, let these words sink down into your ears. And perhaps at that point the instruments would come in. You can play a little bit while the people thought and meditated upon it. I don't know.

10:45 - 11:24 Read in full sermon

The point: Listen to the voice of God the Holy Ghost, stand with Him, lay to heart His words, and learn to sing this song of faith in troublous times.

The introductory matters of the sermon (setting, structure, assumption) are likened to spreading the table and serving an appetizer, preparing the congregation for the 'meat and taters' of the psalm's exposition.

And we've got both screaming out their gospel of humanistic optimism and humanistic pessimism. Listen. to the voice of God the Holy Ghost stand with him lay to heart his words and learn to sing as the new year comes and the old passes this song of faith in troublous times having looked at the setting of the psalms said a word about the structure of the psalm now consider in the third place and we're just spreading the table and I hope this is acting like the appetizer getting all your spiritual juices flowing so that you want to dig into the meat and taters the fundamental assumption of the ps...

15:40 - 17:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Fill your vision and contemplations with the declaration of the reality of the being of God: God is.

The Israelites' unbelief in the wilderness is used as an example of having a 'past God' (He brought us out of Egypt) and a 'future God' (He can fulfill promises) but lacking a 'present God' for immediate needs, contrasting with faith's confession of 'He is'.

when little puny man rages against him and says we'll tear him from his throne and the psalmist says he that sits in the heavens will chuckle he that sitteth in the heavens will laugh now that's the God who is now you see the problem with unbelief is that it may have a past God and a future God but it always lacks a present God you remember when Israel was brought out of Egypt they didn't deny that God brought them out they said would that God had not brought us out they didn't deny that he was the great I was he was the great I was nor is there any indication that they doubted his ability to ...

24:20 - 25:48 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not allow any man to rob you of the spiritual joy of facing the coming year with the declaration 'God is'.

Unbelief is described as a form of 'deicide,' metaphorically killing the present reality of God, asserting that He 'was alive then and shall be alive there, but he's dead now'.

is a form of deicide it says that he who is the eternally existent never changing great I am is dead in the present he was alive then and shall be alive there but he's dead now whereas faith looks out at all of the forms of present upheaval all of the possible national personal and calamities and says yesterday today today and forever Jesus is the same all may change but Jesus never glory to his name glory to his name glory to his name all may change but Jesus never glory to his name you see the doctrine of the immutability of God is no theological abstraction it is a most practical necessity ...

25:48 - 27:16 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not allow any man to rob you of the spiritual joy of facing the coming year with the declaration 'God is'.

A ditty is quoted, 'All may change but Jesus never, glory to his name,' to emphasize the immutability of God in contrast to changing circumstances.

is a form of deicide it says that he who is the eternally existent never changing great I am is dead in the present he was alive then and shall be alive there but he's dead now whereas faith looks out at all of the forms of present upheaval all of the possible national personal and calamities and says yesterday today today and forever Jesus is the same all may change but Jesus never glory to his name glory to his name glory to his name all may change but Jesus never glory to his name you see the doctrine of the immutability of God is no theological abstraction it is a most practical necessity ...

25:48 - 27:16 Read in full sermon

Driving home: This description in Psalm 46 is a description of those particular relationships of God to his people that are only precious in the midst of trouble and if God is going to show to us certain facets of his character and hi…

A.W. Tozer's statement about God not taking us to heaven 'all wrapped up like a neat Christmas package' is quoted to counter the unscriptural idea of exemption from trouble.

he shall call upon me and I will answer him now notice I will be with him in trouble assuming that those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High are not going to be exempt from trouble this idea as A.W. Tozer once said that God's going to take us all wrapped up like a neat Christmas package and send us off to heaven that way is entirely unscriptural he's going to drag us through the fire he's going to bring us through the flood and here he assumes that the child of God will come into periods of intense distress called a circumstance of trouble the prophet Isaiah gives the same perspecti...

31:41 - 33:09 Read in full sermon

Driving home: This description in Psalm 46 is a description of those particular relationships of God to his people that are only precious in the midst of trouble and if God is going to show to us certain facets of his character and hi…

The imagery of a gathering storm is used to illustrate the concept of God as a refuge, a quiet, safe, dry place to hide from impending danger.

you and I will learn therefore we can face every possible contingency with great confidence not only because we believe that God is but because we believe he is these particular things to us in our particular times of distress now what are those things look at them three things he says God is first of all our refuge now what is a refuge well it's a quiet protective retreat from a pursuing enemy or an impending danger and again and again in the Psalms and particularly in the prophet Isaiah we have this concept of God as the refuge of his people Psalm 14 6 62 7 and 8 91 2 Isaiah 25 4 and in ever...

34:38 - 36:06 Read in full sermon

Driving home: This description in Psalm 46 is a description of those particular relationships of God to his people that are only precious in the midst of trouble and if God is going to show to us certain facets of his character and hi…

Examples of children asking a parent for help with math or lifting a heavy object are used to illustrate that 'help' means lending necessary assistance commensurate with the need.

found exceedingly or as a help in the distresses He is thoroughly proved as a help in distresses He is thoroughly proved in other words the psalmist looks back upon past situations of intensified distress of concentrated trial and testing and He declares that God was present with special aid and assistance that's the sense of the word help when you're in the midst of something you can't handle you say will you please help me what do you say you're not saying just look at me and sympathize and nod your head and say you really got a problem on your hands fellow help me means lend the necessary a...

39:03 - 40:33 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not be swallowed up by fear, which cripples your walk, drives you into corners, makes you jump at every shadow, blinds you to God's vision, and deafens you to His promises.

Fear is described as a dread emotion that 'cripples our walk, drives us into corners, makes us jump at every shadow, blinds us to the vision of God and deafens us to the promises of God'.

faith is no mindless subjective grace it has its formulations as fixed as 2 plus 2 equal 4 when faith can say God is and affirms the reality of his being when faith can say God is and describe his relationship to me refuge strong and safe retreat and very present help in trouble then faith can make this deduction and it will never be proven false therefore will not we fear that is we will not be swallowed up by that dread emotion that cripples our walk drives us into corners makes us jump at every shadow drives us to impulsive mindless deeds blinds us to the vision of God and deafens us to the...

42:01 - 43:31 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not be swallowed up by fear, which cripples your walk, drives you into corners, makes you jump at every shadow, blinds you to God's vision, and deafens you to His promises.

A Christian gripped with fear is likened to a 'bundle of jumping nerves,' jumping at every shadow in the stock market or peace talks, discrediting God as much as if he were drunk.

faith is no mindless subjective grace it has its formulations as fixed as 2 plus 2 equal 4 when faith can say God is and affirms the reality of his being when faith can say God is and describe his relationship to me refuge strong and safe retreat and very present help in trouble then faith can make this deduction and it will never be proven false therefore will not we fear that is we will not be swallowed up by that dread emotion that cripples our walk drives us into corners makes us jump at every shadow drives us to impulsive mindless deeds blinds us to the vision of God and deafens us to the...

42:01 - 43:31 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not be swallowed up by fear, which cripples your walk, drives you into corners, makes you jump at every shadow, blinds you to God's vision, and deafens you to His promises.

Martin recounts dealing with someone gripped with unbelief who found a loophole out of every promise, illustrating how fear and unbelief blind one to God's word.

a discredit to his God as if he went out and got drunk and came staggering down the street we will not fear we'll not jump at shadows a Christian gripped with fear can look at the promises of God and find a loophole out of every single one he'll find a way way out I remember one time dealing with someone who was gripped with unbelief and every promise I turned to they found some way out and I finally said look if you want to be miserable go right ahead even God himself can help you if you're determined to find an out from every promise then your eyes are so full of unbelief you can't see the p...

43:31 - 45:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not be swallowed up by fear, which cripples your walk, drives you into corners, makes you jump at every shadow, blinds you to God's vision, and deafens you to His promises.

The permanence of the earth and mountains is contrasted with the impermanence of the stock market and American democracy, arguing that if God is steadfast amidst greater changes, He is certainly steadfast amidst lesser ones.

and has kept them in their places and when he sees fit to rumble them shake them up a bit that's fine he's still my God and he's still my refuge he's still my strength he's still my present health in trouble now follow me and here's the whole point and crunch of the application to the new year what is more permanent the surface of the earth or the stock market now think for a minute you see the earth upon which Wall Street is constructed has witnessed many arise and fall from the stock market and I don't mean to mock economic disaster any kind of disaster is a tragedy but I want you to get the...

49:26 - 50:54 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not be swallowed up by fear, which cripples your walk, drives you into corners, makes you jump at every shadow, blinds you to God's vision, and deafens you to His promises.

The analogy of not fearing a large defensive tackle but running scared from a little kid is used to illustrate the illogicality of fearing lesser calamities when God is steadfast amidst greater ones.

and has kept them in their places and when he sees fit to rumble them shake them up a bit that's fine he's still my God and he's still my refuge he's still my strength he's still my present health in trouble now follow me and here's the whole point and crunch of the application to the new year what is more permanent the surface of the earth or the stock market now think for a minute you see the earth upon which Wall Street is constructed has witnessed many arise and fall from the stock market and I don't mean to mock economic disaster any kind of disaster is a tragedy but I want you to get the...

49:26 - 50:54 Read in full sermon