Our Strength And Help

LaRue Baptist Church, OH

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Old Testament Scripture reading this morning will be found in Isaiah 57 verses 14 through 21.

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Old Testament Scripture reading this morning will be found in Isaiah 57 verses 14 through 21.

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Old Testament Scripture reading this morning will be found in Isaiah 57 verses 14 through 21.

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Old Testament Scripture reading this morning will be found in Isaiah 57 verses 14 through 21.

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Christ Jesus is the one who died, more than that, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

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Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

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As it is written, for your sake we are being killed all the day long. We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

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No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

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For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our

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Lord. Good morning.

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Happy Independence Day. Psalm 46.

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Why did I pick this psalm? Ask God for wisdom.

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Lord, what do we need to hear in our day and our hour? When our world seems to be turned upside down, maybe we'll lose our freedoms.

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How are we to stand against the foes of this world?

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Martin Luther penned that song from Psalm 46.

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It gives us stability because we know whatever freedom is taken from us, that we are in Christ, and we are a free people indeed.

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We are a nation within a nation. We have to be reminded of those things. So follow along as I read through Psalm 46.

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God is our refuge and strength, our very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear.

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Though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though the waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at swelling, there is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy inhabitation of the

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Most High. God is in the midst of her, and she shall not be moved. God will help her when morning dawns.

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The nations rage, the kingdoms totter. He utters his voice, the earth melts.

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The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress. Come, behold the works of the

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Lord, how he has brought desolation on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth.

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He breaks the bow and shatters the spear. He burns the chariots with fire.

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Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations.

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I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress.

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Let's pray. This is your word,

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Father, your powerful word, your instruction to empower us to live a life worthy of the calling of Christ.

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There's a song sung in the glory place in Jerusalem, and a song given to us.

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We know you have put a new song on our heart. And we delight in seeing your praises.

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We delight in lifting your name on high. It shows the glory of your character, which we need to see.

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So help me express that, Father, today in Christ's name. Amen.

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Worry, anxiety, I was going to preach on that, but I was worrying too much about it.

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It's a daunting thing to take the word of God and to bring it to bear, but I don't do the work.

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I am just expressing what I see in the scriptures and the comfort it is.

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I think of the heritage in our country, and we can't ignore it.

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I'm from a military family. My dad was in the Marines. My uncle was a captain in the

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Navy. I love this country. But we have to think of it.

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Forgive me for weeping because it's just we see things deteriorating, but we don't see

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God's purpose in it all. God has purpose in everything, even the disturbances in what's going on right now.

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We are proud to be Americans, but are we proud to be Christians in this land that he is so richly blessed

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This word of God, as we think back in history, was probably read by,

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I think of the pilgrims who landed on the land and lost many loved ones that year.

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I think of the civil wars. I think of the nurse in the house that was made up as a hospital, and blood is just everywhere, who came to this psalm to find comfort and strength.

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I think of the guy in the foxhole in Normandy. He's lost his best friend.

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See, that's the good fight. But how will we fight in our day and age?

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We will fight as soldiers of Christ who is bound by him. Our fight is different.

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Our fight comes with fervent prayer and understanding Christ for who he is, that he is our sovereign.

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In the first part of this glorious book, he says, God is our refuge and strength, our very present help in trouble.

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Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth gives way. He gives us hope in the midst of that, because God always contently instructs us to these reminders when we're at our weakest.

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He is doing his work. When things are burdening us about their surroundings and how there's so much hate and so much disunity, we have to remind that the gospel, the power of the gospel, is what is going to unite, that the church of Jesus Christ that stands firm in this country will be a resounding love sound to our neighborhoods, to our families.

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John Calvin says this, that our faith may rest truly and firmly in God.

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We must take in consideration that these two parts of his character, his immeasurable power by which he is able to subdue the whole world under him and his fatherly love which he has manifested in his word.

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When these two things are joined together, there's nothing for which we can hinder our faith from defying all the enemies that may rise up against us.

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We're not in conflicts like other countries, but we know there's opposition to the gospel.

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The gospel brings people to bear of their own sin.

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When we see the magnitude, what he's saying in this first verse is the immeasurable wisdom of God and His power.

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Edwards, I read through his sermon, which is just a beautiful display, he says,

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To think of God's immeasurable wisdom is like putting the ocean in a nutshell. It's immeasurable.

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What do we find comfort in in this refuge? That God is all wise and He keeps us.

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He holds us. He holds us in the shadow of His wing and nothing will harm us.

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Oh, is there trouble and discord and disease and all the plagues of the world?

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Yes, it doesn't make us immune from it, but we're able to withstand, and the glory of God is as we persevere and we hold to these truths that are so empowering to hearts that are not hearts of stone anymore.

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They're hearts of flesh, and they take the Word of God and it rests in it. Do we weep for our neighbors?

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Yeah, we should. But again, the character of God. Here's the character of God. In Psalm 91, just turn there, just remind, because the

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Word of God has to fulfill this, describe it to us, because God is so immeasurable that we'll never fathom

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His full greatness. It will always be a consuming thing in our life and in all eternity to understand who

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God is. We understand from Isaiah that His thoughts are above our thoughts.

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Whenever we get to thinking that, what are you doing, Lord? No, His wisdom is beyond ours.

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His comprehension is to think of God as so, we can't get

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Him in a box. He is the Almighty, He is our Creator. Listen to how the psalmist speaks of Him in 91.

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He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the

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Lord, My refuge and My fortress, My God in whom I trust. For He would deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.

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He will cover you with pinions, and under the wings you will find refuge. His faithfulness is a shield and a buckler.

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You will not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

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Can we not use that to instruct us, to comfort us, to build us up so that we have this promise that ensures us that He's going to protect us?

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We've read in Romans 8 this beautiful display of God working all things to the good and we don't understand the good because we can't comprehend

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God enough. Those who seek God will be fulfilled.

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There's always a seeking God in the midst of trial to be comforted by who

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He is. As we celebrate the

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Lord's table today, the most ugly display of mankind of crucifying a man on the cross,

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God used it for His glory. The cross always brings to bear as we think of our turmoils and our troubles and you think of the departure that the

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Father had with the Son. We will never fathom that. They had perfect harmony.

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From eternity past to this place where He walked the land, there was a separation at that moment.

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And He did that for our behalf. He grants us wisdom in His Word. Look how the

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Proverbs speaks in Proverbs 2. Again, there's a seeking and finding.

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I'm going the wrong way. Do you ever go the wrong way, Tim? Oh, yeah. Okay, good. I'm good. Instruction and warning.

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We always must receive warnings. Chapter 2,

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My Son, if you receive My words and treasure the commandments in you, making your ear attentive to wisdom, inclining in your heart to understanding, yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice from understanding, if you seek it like silver and search it for our hidden treasures, you will understand the fear of the

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Lord and find the knowledge of God. Lord, grant us wisdom as we walk this land where we still experience freedom.

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Let us not take it for granted. Let us use it for the Kingdom of Christ.

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As I think back in history, I think, this is just my opinion, that God's answer in the prayer of the early

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Puritans. They established schools and seminaries that are all liberal now, but they came to make a city on the hill.

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They were under control of the government and their religion, and they came here and they faithfully did the work that was established.

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Did they do it perfectly? No. But they had a goal in mind, and God's blessed that.

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We've experienced a blessing of peace in our country because of the answered prayers that the

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Lord sees fit to answer. Would we be a praying church that would put hard things and difficult things before the throne of God?

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It's what He asks us to do. The things that burden us and weigh us down,

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Lord, change the heart of my enemies. Instruct them. Help me have the grace to forbear, to be long -suffering for the lost.

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I don't know about your heart, but my heart needs to be changed more and more in the likeness of Christ, because I can walk away from an unbeliever and give up too easily, whether it's our family member or friend.

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So back to the psalm. We find more instruction in preparedness and more promises.

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Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives way. Verse 2, Though the mountains be moved in the heart of the sea, and though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling,

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He gives a depiction of things that are immovable, that God Himself tells us if it moves, do not fear.

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And He gives us this promise, and we see a foreshadowed promise of the dwelling place with God that's in the church.

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And there's a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the

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Most High. God is in the midst of her. She shall not be moved. God will help her when morning dawns.

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Just take that glimpse there. We see a foreshadowing of the dwelling of God. As John wrote,

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He came and He tabernacled amongst us. But now, you know, as a reminder of the communion table that Christ Himself comes and intercedes on our behalf.

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He is the faithful high priest who sits at the right hand, and nothing will move us.

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The river. You have a river in Genesis and a river in Revelation. And we're reminded that water, we come to Christ and it will well up in Him, this wellspring of life.

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The Proverbs says, Above all else guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life. It's this grace multiplied in our life.

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Let's then take away from the text that this river is supplying what God has in store for His people.

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It's a habitation of the Most High that we come and meet with God Himself as we meet with one another.

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The dwelling with God, as we long anticipate the final restoration, we will be with Him and we will be

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His people. There's a time where we aren't with Him completely.

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But the Spirit intercedes and we commune and we fellowship with one another.

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And this is where we find our strength. We find that God is here.

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If you go across the country and you meet a brother in Christ and you're like, Man, it's like I've known him for 50 years.

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There's a connection. That God is here. This water of substance help in time of trouble.

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God grants us hope in the midst of turmoil, judgment. He supplies us with all we need in life and godliness.

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As Peter wrote in 2 Peter, His divine power has given us all we need.

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We need be remembered that because our days are tough.

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Our days are troubling. Works hard. Our hearts are prone to wander.

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Lord, I fear it. I need your steadfast love.

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We come and anticipate meeting with God here. And He promises that He is here.

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He is here. And He strengthens us. And we go out.

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And we continue in this song and the nations rage and the kingdoms totter. He utters His voice and the earth melts.

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The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress. He's our stronghold.

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He's our protection. He knows us. He's created us. He's created us for His own glory for those who have received and receive the benefits of this precious covenant that will not be separated.

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As Levi read in, Nothing will separate us from the love of God that's in Christ Jesus.

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I need to hear that when I'm struggling in the fight of my own flesh or the enemies around me.

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And quite frankly, I can become very passive and comfortable in my American life. Uncomfortable.

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And God says, Wake up, old Christian. Get to work.

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Be faithful. He says, Come behold, verse 8.

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Come behold the works of the Lord. He has brought desolation on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth.

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He breaks the bow and shatters the spear. He burns the chariots with fire.

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It's an awesome display of past and present.

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God had displayed His power and His might against the enemies of the

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Lord. He faithfully fulfilled all His promises. In the latter part,

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He says, Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations.

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I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us.

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The God of Jacob is our fortress. Be still. Be still you who know

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Him. Be still and understand that He will accomplish what He's told us here.

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Be still. Know that as we seek

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Him, as we quietly walk this life.

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I don't know about you, but I can be not quiet in my own murmurings. Edward says,

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You must be still as to the actions and outward behavior, so as to the inward frame of our hearts, cultivating a calm and quiet submission of soul to the sovereign pleasure of God, whatever it be.

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Be still, my soul, waiting that someday every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is

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Lord. What a glorious promise that will be. What a glorious promise.

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To you who have tasted the goodness of God, this is the God you stand against.

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We know our sin is forgiven in Christ. I want the unbeliever in this room to know that that promise of you being broken and lowly at heart, it goes especially to us, but to the brokenness, the one in the world who has not received the glory and goodness of Jesus Christ.

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He says, Come to Me, you who are heavy laden, wearied down with life.

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Come. This gracious King of ours, creator of all the universe, who holds the islands in His hands, says,

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Come. Come as a shepherd who's gentle. He's gentle and lowly in heart and learn from Me.

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Learn how to love your family, love your neighbor, but most important, love

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Me. Because I am the one who has created you and know you.

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Those same truths, we have to remind ourselves as we go through difficult times that God is a

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God that He knows us intimately. And as we walk in this land in freedoms, we never take for granted what

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God has established by breaking the bow and the wickedness of the world.

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As we're burdened for those who are the child in the womb, injustices, let it burden our hearts to a place of prayer and be the people

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God's called us to be. He says in Thessalonians, to live a quiet life, a peaceable life.

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That our war for our freedom, which is in Christ, is gonna be from kindness, gentle answers with the truth of God.

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Here, let me show you this. Let me show you what my Redeemer's done. Let me tell you that He knows you more than you know yourself.

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We won't win battles with riots by shaking fists, by giving somebody a glass of water at spring.

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Father, we thank you for this table that we're about to have that reminds us of this covenant of grace and love that's bound by the blood of Christ Help us take this psalm and find comfort for who you are, that you are

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God, this immeasurable in wisdom. We thank you for the freedoms we do have,

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Father. And if we are locked up for the gospel, we know we will be free in Christ.

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We will always be free from the tyranny of sin and the comfort that comes from knowing you.