In the previous verses we find that judgment had begun to fall upon the enemies of God.
(1) The Cities Had Lost Their Rulers
(2) The Cities Had Lost Their Population
(3) The Cities Had Lost Their Practice of Religion
(4) The Cities Had Become Desolate
(5) They Had Lost Their Hope
(6) Their Fortifications Were Cut-Off
While all the neighboring nations are being destroyed, God makes a promise of divine protection.
(A)We as the Church of God in these last days are also surrounded by enemies.
(1) We are in a battlefield: At war with ungodliness
(read 2Cor. 10:4)
(ILL.) Edward Gibbons author of The Rise And Fall Of The Roman Empire said about that great nation," It was not an invasion from some foreign land but decadence from within that contributed to the fall of Rome."
(Ill.) Several years ago in St. Louis Mo. 8 protestant and 1 catholic group got together and supported a conference that attacked Christian values.
(a) Among the things they supported were the ordination of Sodomites.
(b)They also introduced "Sophia" A feminine expression of God.
(c) The Founder of this movement called the "Volunteer Missionary Movement" said, "If we are in touch with our god seed, god moves us along the journey. We need to be in touch with the "God of the Belly Button."
Now if their god is the belly button, some have a bigger god than others, many have not seen their feet in years but they see their god quite often.
(2) Read (Matthew 11:12)
(B) Notice the Enemies Pass By and Return
(1) Not content to knock you down but they are bent on destruction.
(a) satan seeks to kill, steal, and destroy
(2) We must fight the good fight of faith!
(C) The Christian Church Is Defended By God
(1) "I Will Encamp About Mine House"
(a) Not just a visit but an encampment, a dwelling.
"The Angel of the Lord encampeth about them that fear Him, and delivereth them."
(Ill.) I recently read of a man holding up a gun shop in a small town. What he didn’t know was that while he was holding a 38 special on the store owner, there were several off duty police officers with weapons of their own trained on the would be robber. You have to wonder what was going through his mind when he saw all this heavy artillery trained on him. Well that is the way I see the devil he has his weapons, but God says no weapon fomed against me shall prosper.
(2) God Watches Over Her: "For Now Have I Seen With Mine Eyes"
(a) You’ve got a divine protector
(Ill)When Stonewall Jackson entered camp during the civil war the troops stood to their feet. When Alexander the Great came to camp, the forces rallied to war. Solomon in all his splendor: His reign ended.
Alexander’s empire was divided
But the throne of Christ shall endure forever.
Suns will set, moons will fade but His name endureth forever
(D) God Watches Over Us
(1) (Read Zechariah 2:5 & 2:8)
(2) Not only did God watch over her, but He deliverd her.
(3) Look at (2Kings chapter 6) In the city of Dothan, Elisha’s servant saw the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
There is no back door for the devil to come through, God has got our back covered. Praise God!!
(E) The Church Can Rejoice with This Defence
(1) (v9) Zion is called upon to rejoice: "greatly because thy King cometh."
(Psalm 91:10) There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling."
(Ill.) During the civil war, a small fort in the Kinnesaw mtns. of Georgia was being attacked by Gen. Hood. One half of the men defending this post were either killed or wounded. With their supplies of food and water nearly gone, they were in the process of running up the white flag of surrender. It was at this time that the message came from across the mountains of the Kennesaw, "Hold the fort, for I am coming.
W T Sherman"
Ho My Comrads, See the signal
Waving In the sky
Reinforcements now appearing
Victory is nigh!!
We as the Church of the Living God cannot give up, Give in, or Give out, We’ve got a divine encampment around us.
