OUR GOD IS GREAT
Psalms 33:18-22
Psalms 33 seems to have been written in time of a national crisis.
These Scriptures shows us in the midst of the crisis that God is still in control . He controls the destinies of nations and men.
When Robert Morrison, the first missionary to go to China, disembarked from his ship in a Chinese port, the captain sneeringly said, “So you think you are going to make an impression upon China.” Morrison quietly replied, “No, sir, but I believe God will.”
I believe in our day of moral crisis, we have a Great God who will make an impact in our lives and our nation and hold us up if we will trust in Him.
Notice six things we should do.
I-WE SHOULD REJOICE IN GOD’S WORD: 1, 4
1 Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. 4 For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.
The word “rejoice” simply means to be made happy or glad.
I see people rejoicing at many things. They rejoice at ball games, catching fish, eating a good meal, getting a promotion on the job, and going on a vacation.
But there is one place we don’t see it very often and that is at God’s house, when God’s Word is taught and preached
Why do we rejoice at God’s Word? Because according to verse four, it right.
It gives you the right words to build our Churches, our homes, our life, and our nation.
We should be rejoicing over God’s Word and getting it out the people in our nation.
ILLUSTRATION: It is said that when the Moravians began their mission in Greenland, they found the natives so ignorant that they decided to begin by educating them. The results were so utterly disappointing that they decided to leave. While waiting for a vessel, one of the missionaries began translating a portion of the Gospels, and thought he would test his translation by reading it. After he had read of the sufferings and death of Jesus, there was a period of silence. Then the chief rose and asked the missionary to read it again. When he had finished, the chief said: “What you read—is it true? You say, ‘It is true!’ Then why did you not tell us that at first? You must not leave us now. We will listen to the words of the Man who suffered for us.” So the Cross conquered where education failed. The missionaries remained to see much fruit from their labors.
—Evangelical Christian
II-WE SHOULD REMEMBER GOD’S POWER: 5, 9
5By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. 9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.
ILLUSTRATION: A Sunday school teacher was examining her pupils after a series of lessons on God’s omnipotence. She asked, “Is there anything God can’t do?” There was silence. Finally, one lad held up his hand. The teacher, disappointed that the lesson’s point had been missed, asked resignedly, “Well, just what is it that God can’t do?” “Well,” replied the boy, “He can’t please everybody.”
We need to remember our God is the God of great power. We see it manifested in the creation.
Scientist now have discovered three are galaxies that are 15 billion light years from earth. If and we do have a God with that kind of power, we can be assured He has the power to keep us in any situation,
Remember back in the Old Testament, we see the power of God was upon David and he overcame the giant.
If we are to experience God’s power on our nation, our nation will have to come to Him in repentance.
ILLUSTRATION: Napoleon said, “God is on the side of the heaviest artillery.” At Waterloo, he was proved wrong, for the 160 guns of the English overcame the 250 guns of the French. God and one make a majority.
III-WE SHOULD RECOGNIZE GOD’S JUDGEMENT: 8
8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
10 The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.
ILLUSTRATION: Here’s something that sounds like a joke, but it’s a tragedy. It happened in Spain. In Barcelona a truck was rolling along carrying an empty coffin. A farmer who was hitch-hiking thumbed a ride. He was bouncing along in the rear of the truck, which was open, when it started to rain. He examined the coffin, found it empty, and crawled inside to keep dry. There he fell asleep.Further on, two other hitch-hikers got a ride on the truck. They were going along at a lively clip when the farmer inside the coffin pushed open the lid, stuck his head out, and observed: “Oh, it has stopped raining.” The two other hitch-hikers were so terrified that they leaped from the speeding truck. One was killed.
It is not people we are to fear, but God. We need to recognize that his eyes are upon our actions, our attitudes, and our works.
Sir Henry Havelock, the hero of the Indian Mutiny, has these words inscribed on his tomb: “He feared man so little, because he feared God so much.”
ILLUSTRATION: Charles Colson’s remarks to a prison fellowship: “The day of a causal Christian is over. No longer is it possible to drift along hoping that no choice will have to be made. For If we fear God, we’ll gave to take a stand for Him.
IV-WE SHOULD REFLECT ON GOD’S WISDOM: 11
11 The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
God is saying, don’t look to a leader to save a nation, don’t look to military might, but look to His counsel, His wisdom.
ILLUSTRATION: While I was in the Air Force, I had to fly from Ohio to Maine on a trip. We were in a small Air Force Plane. It scared me to death when we took off for we couldn’t see a thing outside the windows. I wished took a train or bus. But as I looked into the cockpit when the door was opened, I noticed the two plots weren’t scared. They wasn’t looking at fog but at the instruments. They weren’t flying by sight, but by faith in the instruments.
It is the same with Christians, we have to live by faith , and not by sight. We have to have faith and let God’s and His wisdom lead and guide us.
V-WE SHOULD REQUEST GOD’S HELP: 20
20 Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.
I am glad no matter what the situation might be, fear problems, family problems, health problems. job problems, temptation problems, God is our help.
ILLUSTRATION: At the close of World War II, the Russians held a reception for Field Marshall Sir Bernard L. Montgomery. At the reception, he was awarded the Soviet Union’s Order of Victory. Vodka flowed freely at the function. Montgomery was surrounded by a score of imbibing, high-ranking Russian officers. Being a total abstainer, he was “on the spot.” He was embarrassed. Just then, General Dwight D. Eisenhower came near. In an undertone, Montgomery said: “Ike, get me out of this!” Ike came promptly to his aid. He explained that the British Marshall did not drink.
Just as Ike helped Sir Montgomery, God is anxious to help you and I in our time of need.
ILLUSTRATION: Tomahawks in hand, the Indians crept toward the strange tent. As they cautiously peered under the flap, their intention to kill was forgotten. There, in the center of the tent was a man on his knees. As he prayed, a rattlesnake crossed his feet and paused in position to strike. But the snake did not strike. It lowered its head again and glided out of the tent.
It was a long time later when David Brainerd, the man in the tent, found out why the Indians at the village received him with such honor as they did. He had expected that they would want to kill him. The reason for their change of heart was the report their comrades had brought of the marvelous thing they had seen. The Indians looked upon David Brainerd as a messenger from the Great Spirit, which indeed he was. In all good work the protection of God is with the worker.
Sometime we think God will never show up. But it is like watching the old cowboy movies, sometime the hero waited until the last moment to rescue the one in danger.
Jesus came at the darkest hour of the night n the storm when the disciples were on the sea, but the main thing is that He came.
VI-WE SHOULD RELY ON GOD’S PLAN: 21-22
21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
22: Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.
The word trust, means to rely on ,confident expectation, a firm belief.
ILLUSTRATION: Livingstone, in Africa, came to the Zambezi, and wanted to cross. The chief had been worsted by some treacherous trader, and had vowed to kill the next white man who came across. Livingstone, by his fluttering candle, turned to the Bible and read, as always, his evening passage, coming to the promise, “Lo! I am with you always, even to the ends of the world” (Matthew 28:20).
Closing the Book, he said, “It is the word of a gentleman of the strictest and most sacred honor; I will not flee.” He did not flee and was used mightily by God in Central Africa.
I do not always know what lies before me,
Or what of trial or test may be in store;
My steps are ordered, God will do the choosing,
He knows the way I take—need I know more?
GOD IS GREAT, HE IS FAITHFUL TO US, WILL WE BE FAITHFUL TO HIM?
CONCLUSION:
The Assyrians, Babylonians, Phoenicians, Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans had their many gods—gods of war, gods of industry, gods of agriculture, gods of cities, gods of towns, and various others. But in all of paganism’s galaxy of gods, there never was one called “god of hope.” That is scarcely surprising. For in that ancient world, hope had become a despised delusion, long before our Lord was born in Bethlehem. The fact is, there is no hope for this sin-cursed world apart from the true God, the God of Christians. “Now the God of hope....” (Romans 15:13)
