NO FEAR
PS 46
Psalm 46:1-11 (NKJV)
1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A song for Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
a8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has made desolations in the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire.
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 refuge. Selah
**The Lord not only is a refuge or fortress for us, He is our helper when we are in trouble. Have you ever been in trouble? When the Lord does help us, He doesn't help us just a little bit, but a lot. In fact, the words "very present help" in the Hebrew language indicate intensity or extremity. In other words, God's help is exceeding or abundant. That sounds familiar. Paul talked about this.
Ephesians 3:20—Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
To look around is to be distressed; to look within is to be depressed; to look up is to be blessed.
**THE ONLY WAY TO DEFEAT FEAR IS “TO TRUST”
The word "trust" comes from the Hebrew word batach {baw-takh'}. This is a great word. It not only means to trust, but has the idea of being at perfect ease or even being careless because of the implicit trust that you have in a thing or person. You have no worries at all because you have a carefree or careless confidence in the Lord.
Psalm 4:5—Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.
Psalm 37:5—Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Proverbs 3:5—Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
**BUT ONE OF THE REASONS THAT FEAR EXISTS IS BECAUSE WE ARE PLACING OUR TRUST IN SOMETHING/SOMEONE OTHER THAN THE LORD?? HERE ARE SOME THINGS WE SHOULDN’T PLACE OUR TRUST IN:
A. SACRED ARTIFICTS OR CHARMS- THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL PUT THEIR TRUST IN THE “ARK” NOT THE GOD WHO’S PRESENCE WAS SYMBOLIZED BY THE ARK:
1 Samuel 4:5-11 (NKJV)
5 And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook.
6 Now when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, "What does the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?" Then they understood that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp.
7 So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, "God has come into the camp!" And they said, "Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before.
8 Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.
9 Be strong and conduct yourselves like men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Conduct yourselves like men, and fight!"
10 So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers.
11 Also the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
(STORY OF LT. GEORGE DIXON- FIANCEE GAVE A $20 GOLD PIECE TO, HE WAS SHOT, THE BALL HIT THE GOLD PIECE AND KEPT IT FROM KILLING HIM, HE LATER TOOK IT ABOARD THE CONFEDERATE SUB- THE HENLEY—IT SANK AND TOOK HIM AND THE GOLD PIECE WITH IT)
B. NOT IN THE SWORD:
Psalm 44:6 (NKJV)
6 For I will not trust in my bow, Nor shall my sword save me.
Matthew 26:52 (NKJV)
52 But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
(SEPT 11TH 2001) OUR NATION SHOOK BECAUSE WE WERE ATTACKED ON OUR OWN SOIL, NOW THERE ARE MANY ENEMIES WITHIN OUR “GATES”—OUR SWORD(MILITARY POWER) IS NOT THE ANSWER TO THIS – ONLY GOD CAN HELP US!
C. NOT IN SELF:
Proverbs 14:16 (NKJV)
16 A wise man fears and departs from evil, But a fool rages and is self-confident.
Philippians 3:3 (NKJV)
3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,
Psalm 62:5 (NKJV)
5 My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him.
D. NOT IN SALARY OR MONEY:
Job 31:24 (NKJV)
24 "If I have made gold my hope, Or said to fine gold, 'You are my confidence';
Job 31:28 (NKJV)
28 This also would be an iniquity deserving of judgment, For I would have denied God who is above.
E. OUR OWN SCHEMES OR PLANS:
James 4:15-17—... For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. [16] But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. [17] Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
Proverbs 14:12—There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Luke 12:16-21—... And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: [17] And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? [18] And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. [19] And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. [20] But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? [21] So is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.
**BUT IF WE PLACE OUR TRUST IN GOD THEN WE WILL HAVE:
A. OUR SUPPLICATIONS ANSWERED:
1 John 5:14-15—... And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: [15] And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
B. OUR SAVIORS PRESENCE
Ephesians 3:12—In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
C. THE SALVATION OF OR SOUL IS SECURE IN JESUS:
2 Timothy 1:12—For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
D. WE WILL HAVE SERENITY IN CHRIST:
Isaiah 26:3—Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
E. WE WILL HAVE SUCCESS AND STABILITY:
1 Samuel 17:45-46—Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. [46] This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand: and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee;....
Psalm 21:7—For the king trusteth in the Lord, and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved.
F. HE SUPPLIES OUR NEEDS: (STORY OF CHARLES MURRAY A COLLEGE STUDENT IN 1967 TRAINING AS A DIVER FOR THE US OLYMPIC TEAM THAT HAD BEEN WITNESSED TO BY A FELLOW STUDENT KEVIN BURDEN)
Psalm 37:3—Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Philippians 4:13—I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me.
John 15:5—I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
G. OUR ETERNAL STOP IS WITH THE LORD IN HEAVEN:
2 Corinthians 5:6,8—Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Isaiah 40:28-31 (NKJV)
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
