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It's definitely good to be here this morning by God's arrangement as I was coming in this way. I noticed many, many churches were closed. I'm supposing they're live streaming. We may work something out with that, Lord willing, in the past, just depending.
I did see some congregations meeting together though, so we're not the only ones. There's some that's deciding to do different things. There's no one set thing to do and instruction here, but I thank you for your attendance.
Some I know wish they could be here this morning, but they could not. I believe Christy had a cough. She didn't want to take the chance to come. Teresa is still under the weather with some allergies and so forth.
Miss Lillian, being in the airport, did not want to take any chances being here, which is very understandable. It is good to be here and it's good to know that we as God's people are not without hope, are we?
We know the living hope in these times we're living in and troubled times. They are troubled times as the sparks fly upward. So as man's days full of trouble, that's scripture, that's reality. Death is a reality and I believe people are more so fearing that more than hoarding up for food because really, if you look at it, the pagan world lives for pleasure, for food and for those things.
We don't live for those reasons. We live for God and for one another. And I really believe that's the reason that's behind the panic. And now I'm not saying that we should not prepare. If you look in scripture, Joseph was a very wise man and he prepared for a famine coming and he knew the famine was coming and he stored up grain in Egypt for many, many years, didn't he?
So God expects us to use our good common sense but also to use the wisdom that he's given us to prepare. So I'm by no means or is against preparing. Hey, if you like, prepare for a whole month. That's a good thing.
You might be able to bless yourself and bless others that might need it. This is exciting times, I believe, for the children of God because this is a time that as lights of the world and salt of the earth, salt's a preservative, light is seen in darkness, that the darker it gets and the more troublesome times are, the brighter the light is.
And in faith and by faith, we can rise to the occasion and show our faith and demonstrate our faith among people that are unbelievers, that are tortured and tormented by fear. And by the way, rightly so, they got something to fear about.
If you don't have Christ in your heart and you're not living for God and for that sole purpose, they have a reason to fear. And I see people panicking out in the grocery stores and believe me, I took first hand on it.
I'm a milkman and I have put up more milk within this past week than I have probably put up in the past three weeks. And that's saying something. Every time I put it to the shelf, it's just gone. Same with the bread.
Bread guys are shaking their head. They said, I've talked to many vendors and some veteran vendors that's been doing this for over 20 something years. I've been in retail since 1983. And I promise you this, I've never seen anything like this.
And the reason so is because people are in panic and fear. And with saying that, I'm going to start off with somewhat of a negative note. But trust me, I'm going to lead to something very positive. Let me begin, first of all, by saying this with a question.
What do we do when we're faced with a national crisis? What do we do when we're faced with a national crisis? How do we respond amid the panic and the fear of millions facing this national and worldwide virus right now that is called COVID -19, as known as coronavirus?
This has become a reality now in the United States that was just heard of over months ago. And from China, which it originally started from, very death-threatening and very contagious. And we know also as bad as it is, the media has not helped things.
They poured gasoline on fire and it's really ignited it where people's fear level has really risen. But it is the virus. It isn't the virus necessarily, like I said, that people are fearing, I believe, and as sober as the reality of it is, but it's really the death.
The threat of the reality of death, because death is certain. People fear death, I believe, more than anything else. I've got another question here. And this question was sent to me, by the way, it was sent to me late last night by a dear brother, I'll keep his name anonymous right now.
But after I answered this, he gave me a thumbs down, and I've never heard him do this. He's always, I'm friends with him on Facebook, and he's always asking me questions, and he knows me very well. And most of you would know him in here as a friend and a brother in Christ, and he's a friend of mine.
And it's okay for him to disagree with me. I'm not saying that's a problem, because I'm doing my best to discern by God's help of the times that we're living in and what's going on. And he asked me a very good question personally, I thought was very good.
And I did my best by the scriptures and by what I know of to answer his question. It's a thought provoking question, I thought was very good. And I thought I'm going to just add this right into the message this morning, I thought would be a very good starting point.
I commended him for his question. He's very scripture conscious. He asked questions like this in the light of a few scriptures, and I believe it hits home right with what is going on in our nation. And this is what he said, knowing God is sovereign.
And by the way, our brother is a conservative, very reformed in faith. Okay, so there's nothing wrong with that. And he's a gracious brother. So I'm not saying anything against him. But I actually commend him for this question.
And this is what he said, knowing God is sovereign, is the plague that is hit in the United States from the Lord that's upon this world at this moment? Very good question. Is this plague from the Lord that's come upon this world, just not the United States, but it's really world global.
He gave some scriptures I thought was very interesting. He gave three scriptures, two from Deuteronomy and one from Psalms. Let me give them to you. Deuteronomy 7 .15, and the Lord would take away from you all sickness and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you knew will He inflict on you, but He will lay them on all who hate you.
It's Deuteronomy 7 .15. Then he put another verse of scripture here, and in Deuteronomy 28 .61 says this, every sickness, every sickness also and every affliction that is not recorded in the book of this law, the Lord will bring upon you until you are destroyed.
Last, Psalm 106 .14 and 15. But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness. And speaking about the children of Israel that disobeyed, that were stiff necked, and they saw many miracles of God. And then the verse goes on and says, and put God to the test in the desert.
He gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them. A wasting disease. I'll stop right there. These are the scriptures. There's many more other, many more scriptures, many others. But let me give the best answer to this.
And I want to give you partially the part of the answer. I'm not going to give all of it, but because of the time. But this is how I answered. I said, in light of what our dear brother asked, and is basically here a good question, the first question.
But we must be taken, you must be taken to, to and by the context of the scriptures that are given. And notice when God sends plagues in the scriptures and diseases and sickness, it's always because of sin.
It's always because of disobedience. It's always to discipline and to humble. I promise you that you can check that out anytime in scripture when God sent these things is because of the children of Israel's sins.
Again, he didn't like the answer I gave because it has a negative note, but it's a truthful note. God always deals with sin. Always. Whether it is with a sinful nation, such as the children of Israel and the scriptures in the Old Testament, or a sin that is against the Lord of turning to idols, disobedience, not obeying the commandments of the Lord.
You see this all the way through the Old Testament. And, and this generation that these diseases and sickness came upon was the generation that we're reading through in Exodus. They, they were stiff necked.
They, they witnessed the miracles of God more than any other generation. Think of that. The children of Israel. They sinned against the Lord, even witnessing many, many miracles. Now, my personal response to this brother was this, which is in the light of the lessons, and I brought a little bit of that out, what I mentioned to you.
But in the light of the lessons of history and history of how horribly sinful America has become over the years. I'm shocked that some people don't see this. Amen. Amen. I am absolutely appalled and amazed that God has not burned us up yet.
Now, that may sound negative, and people don't like to hear this, but I'm going to speak the truth and love this morning, and then I'm going to go into something very encouraging, mainly Psalm 91. But listen to this.
This is what I said, and I texted this early, early this morning. Take a look at the horrific sins, my brother, of this nation. Let's just look at a few. There's many, many more. Under God, which our coins say we trust, we have committed by the, by murdering of untold millions of innocent unborn babies in the womb.
And by the way, this heinous sin before God, in which God hates, was legalized in 1973 by the Supreme Court in our land, is no doubt one of the most heinous of all sins since the days of the Nazi leader, Adolf Hitler, who rose to power and who desired to completely annihilate millions of Jews.
America has known these lessons supposedly by head knowledge and history, but has failed to learn them in reality and taken heed to them. Romans chapter one, as we say, knowing the judgment of God, knowing the judgment of God, and verse 28, and just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind to do those things which are not proper.
Then Paul gives a list of all the sins that describes the downward spiral of the wrath of God of abandonment upon a nation. The prophet Jeremiah says this, the heart is desperately wicked, who can know it?
And yet we have defied the living God by shedding the blood of the innocent unborn millions of babies in the womb, which God hates, and it's very clear in scripture that God hates the shedding of innocent blood.
It is an abomination to him. And on top of that heinous sin, we have legalized the terrible, here more recently, the terrible sin of sodomy. Now, as I speak this right now, I could be categorized as a bigot and a respecter of persons, but that's not the case, because we love these people and we desire them to come to repentance and we're going to love them in the Lord and show respect in a sense, and I say in a sense that we will not respect the sins in which they enjoy, but we respect them because they're made in the image of God, as we do all people, even though they're deceived in darkness.
But they play the card of discrimination, unfortunately, and now this whole thing has turned into a very strong point of persecution that's coming to the church. I assure you that. It's already started.
There's legal situations now that's taking place because of this. And yes, if there's a homosexual couple that were to come visit us, we would love them in the Lord, even though they are not saved or born again, we welcome them to hear the word of God.
No, we would not, by no means, allow them to join because because joining into the church of God and being in darkness is against scripture. Darkness and light have nothing in common. God said to the children of Israel, so it is with America, they have corrupted themselves.
God said that. Yet, America continues to rebel with a fist against God and live in idolatry before God and people. The love of money and the continually breaking of the commandments of God, thousands of times over and thousands and thousands and thousands of times.
And yet God, amazingly, is patient toward us and allowed us to see another day. Another great example, as you see, these are just a few examples I pointed out to this dear brother, and I'm giving this to you, there are the atheists by the scores that are growing more and more by the numbers that's teaching their damnable doctrines of evolution in universities that have and are brainwashing college young adults, the ridiculous lie that something is made out of nothing, the theory of evolution that is now more than taught than the truth of creation in our schools before our youth, brainwashing our children, damnable lies, deception.
The list goes on. Now, I was mentioning this to this brother and then again thousands of blessings God's goodness has given us and he has blessed us and blessed us and we trample them underfoot and we take the blessings and we blaspheme God, we curse God, we are in disobedience against God, we're never content, we're the nation of plenty, God has blessed us and yet people are continually unthankful and ungodly and disobedient.
Warning after warning God has spoken with his truth from the Bible and one of the wake-up calls I recall of and you as well is the tragedy of 9 -11. You would have think that right then that okay, God has your attention.
It's time to repent people. No, but after two or three months people continue to do the same old thing. You saw it in about two or three months people were waving flags and trying to look out for their neighbors and but there was really no change of heart, right?
Oh, actually only the gospel changes the heart. Another tragedy, well that tragedy comes to mind. But in the Old Testament God will allow and this is I believe what happened in 9 -11. God does allow and when judgment comes upon a nation foreigners to come in to invade and take over.
This is what happened to Israel because of their disobedience against God and against his commandments and never mind the terrible and horrendous sins of the nation. What about the sins of the church?
What about the sins of the church? George Whitefield the great evangelist says are far more far worse before God than the sins of the nation. With all the truth that is on every corner and every block and the church is so few are the ones of the remnants with the truth in the heart.
Nowadays the church becomes more and more worldly. Sound teaching is looked down upon and despised, looked down at and categorized as boring. Repentance and holiness if you preach repentance and holiness and the full gospel and the whole gospel of God you look down as a legalist.
We see false teachers by the thousands that are actually scratching ears of people who desire to hear what they want to hear. Because of the love of money and the love of pleasure. Now I know this sounds negative, but it's truthful isn't it?
God's holy names being blasphemed by these unholy teachers I should say. False teachers, wolves in sheep's clothing teaching people to covet in the name of God. That's what they're doing. These are just a few of the sins of the churches of our nation.
I can go on and on. Now we have churches that are even homosexual in the name of God. Justifying it in the name of love, in the name of God. And my question and I mentioned this to this brother is will God, will holy God in heaven, the creator of the ends of the earth whose eyes are so pure who cannot even look at sin, will he overlook this?
Will he not deal with this? Is it any surprise to us in the church that sees the handwriting on the wall that a virus has broke loose and God has allowed it? Now in the light of the coronavirus epidemic outbreak that God has allowed in his providence, and by the way, God has allowed.
He is in control. Can I say this that the world's gods have been silenced? The idols and all major sports are canceled now.
Bars are closed.
Live entertainment is postponed. Markets have fallen.
Just as the.
When 9 -11 took place that was kind of the heart of the market and the economy of this nation. And then when we set money and the love of money up as an idol before God, God will bring it down. Markets have fallen.
Get this, Mecca is empty. Mormon gatherings are now canceled as I'm speaking to you. Big-time cult personality, mega churches gatherings that worship these great preachers are canceled. And all that you see that's going on in little religious activity that remains is Christian fellowship and small gatherings like we're doing this morning and live streaming and house church gatherings and small groups and praise God redeeming grace is right there with them.
Even travel is restricted. Hundreds of millions are quarantined in their houses at the moment and more may get quarantined later on as time goes by. The coronavirus now is in 155 countries, so that number is bound to even grow.
No reason to panic children of God because our trust is in the living God. Whether the virus is actually as dangerous as some claim and not or is not irrelevant to the fact that the whole world is coming to a complete standstill at this at this unique time in history in which God has arranged and you and I are living to witness it.
This is a moment of worldwide significance for you and me. To rise to the occasion and show our faith and glorify God. The world will never be the same beloved. And I and the one of the first scriptures that came to mind is one of my favorite chapters is psalm 46 10.
Be still cease from striving. And know that i'm God. Because God is God. God alone will be exalted in this day. And he is exalted. Think of it he's silenced. All the idols and and gods of this world now and will continue to do so and now.
And as I I responded to this brother you asked me is God overall. He's reformed in faith he should know. When it looks like the world is out of control there's a God who has not surrendered his authority as aw tozer said Yes, God is in.
In his providence has allowed this coronavirus. He is sovereign but amid all the fear and all the panic. The question that comes to my mind is what are we to do as children of God? I think that's a good question.
And there are things we do have to do as a duty. As the church. Well always and first and foremost is go to the word of God. Because this is where God speaks to us. Because this is how God speaks to us.
This is where he speaks to us. And this is how he speaks to us. Good time to spend some time in God's word. I was listening to a message by pastor. John. MacArthur good chance if you can go to the.
Youtube.
I'm sure we're going to have plenty of time later on so you can go to it. He speaks about trusting God in a worried world. This is what he said quote. This is a time. I think for all of us who are believers to rise above the fray in the panic.
This is a time for all of us believers to demonstrate our trust in the lord in quote so true.
And.
And the very first psalms that came to mind. What. And as soon as this coronavirus came to the united states, I couldn't help but think. And years ago It was one of my and it still is. When I was newly converted to the lord.
I love this psalm because this psalm is one of the most wonderful psalms describes. Of the sovereign protection Of God for his people who put their trust in God. From the ever-present dangers and terrors which surrounds humanity.
And that's psalm 91. So please go with me to psalm 91. Now that I finished my introduction I can get on with the chapter Praise God. Well the original setting here of the psalms, uh, maybe that the uh of an army about to go to battle.
So most of the terrors here mentioned in the chapter Are left really undefined for us. No doubt intentionally I believe so that no kind of danger is omitted from this application of this chapter. Believers In every age can read this wonderful chapter and learn that nothing can amid.
Us.
As children of the living god, nothing can harm us. Because we're in the hands of god and under the shadow of his wings Unless god ordains it. Now notice what I said. If god ordains us to get the coronavirus then god ordains it.
But still we have nothing to fear. Now hear the word of god to the one who puts their trust in the living god. Psalm 91. I'm just going to read these verse verse 1 through 16. I'm going to try to just unpack a little at a time As we look into it.
He who dwells in the shelter of the most high will abide in the shadow of the almighty. I will say to the lord. Or of the lord depends on your translation there. He is my refuge and my fortress my god in whom I trust.
For it is he who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions. And under his wings you may seek refuge. His faithfulness is a shield and a boar.
You will not be afraid of the terror by night. Or of the arrow that flies by day. Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not approach you.
You will only look on what your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. For you have made the lord my refuge even the most high your dwelling place. No evil will befall you. Nor will any plague come near your tent.
For he will give his angels charge concerning you to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in the hand in their hands That you do not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra.
The young lion and the serpent you will trample down. Because he has loved me this is god speaking directly to his people. Therefore I will deliver him. I will set him securely on high because he has known my name.
He will call upon me and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will rescue him and honor him with long life. I will satisfy him and let him see my salvation. Let's pray father. We thank you so much for your word May these promises be so real to us.
As we're your children. Thank you father for your word that is eternal. Speak oh god for your servant hears. May you be glorified in all things in jesus name.
Amen.
Wonderful psalm, isn't it? So so many promises are here. I cannot Unpack all this in one sermon by no means, but I want to try to give a quick overview so now here what the Word of the lord says here.
G. Campbell morgan said this psalm. This psalm is one of the greatest possessions of the saints. Ch spurgeon said of this psalm 91 beautiful psalm. Quote in the whole collection. There is not A more cheering psalm.
Its tone is Elevated and sustained and sustained throughout. Faith is at its best and speaks nobly. The psalm could be neatly divided into two parts. The parts we see is. We see the lord's protection in verse 1 through 13.
Then we see the lord's pledge in 14 through 16. Praise god, it's. And that's all we need. Isn't it god's protection? And god's pledge if you have god. You have everything.
Now, let's look at.
Pretty much 1 through 13 and i'm going to go through this as fast as I possibly can. The confidence In verse 1 and 2 is not in of ourselves. Our confidence is in the lord.
It there is security.
Of the one who trusts or puts his trust in the lord. Verse 1 he who dwells in the shelter of the most high will abide in the shadow of the almighty. He who dwells in the secret place the shelter the most high god has a secret place for his very own people.
This is beautiful because what I see here is a direct reference to psalm 27 5 for the day of trouble He will conceal me In his tabernacle. That means shelter in his shelter and in the secret place of his tent.
He will hide me. Psalm 31 20 the word of god says this you hide them in the secret place of your presence from the conspiracies of men. You keep them secretly in a shelter a pavilion. From the strife of tongues God is a protector to his own children.
We have nothing to worry because our heavenly father watches over his own. It's a place to live in it's a place to abide in. I asked brother keith. I said give me a good definition Of what it means to abide and he says where do you live?
And that was an excellent response brother keith. That's where I live that's where I abide that's my home. Is god your home. We have god's our home this morning. We got nothing to worry about. God dwells within us and this is where it's not necessarily.
A church when we speak of church people say this is where god is. Well, sure they're in the sense God is manifest in here. And he's omnipresent everywhere, but where the holy spirit really is is within our hearts.
Because you and I are the church. Take away the people of god. You don't have a church. You got a structure. So the real church is just not the organization. It's the living organism. But god here is talking about he is the place.
He is the shelter. He is the most high. Let's look at some of these words. It's a place to live in and those who dwell there abide under the shadow of the almighty knowing that his protection His comfort and his care is there.
There is a complete security for the children of god. The shelter Of the most high god is the safest place that we can be when the onslaughts of the enemy is coming on us. It is it is an intimate place a divine dwelling.
A divine protection divine shelter and you notice I said divine. It's eternal. It does not pass away. God keeps his own. The shelter the protection of the most high that's divine. For god emphasizes that no threat can ever come to overpower the children of god.
He mentions the shadow of the almighty notice. I like what spurgeon says in the treasury of david here. Spurgeon says this is an expression which implies great nearness.
Nearness.
And he goes on to say we walk very close to a companion. And if we would have his shadow following us. And you know, he said this and and um in a in a sermon and he borrowed from um, the hymn writer francis havergaw.
Which wrote many good hymns. And he suggested four ways from the scriptures that speak of the shadow of the almighty. You're going to love this. If you can jot this down, please do so. It speaks of the shadow of the almighty number one the shadow of the rock.
There's the shadow of the rock. Isaiah 32 2 Says each will be like a refuge from the wind and a shelter from the storm. Like streams of water in a dry country like a shade of a huge rock in a parched land.
Isn't that great? There's a shadow from the rock and i'd like to look at it. That rock is jesus christ.
Secondly.
There's the shadow of the tree the shadow of the tree. From the song of solomon chapter 2 verse 3. Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest so is my beloved among the young men In his shade. I took great delight and sat down And his fruit was sweet to my taste.
The delight Of being in the shadow of the tree. That's the way the shadow of the almighty is number three The shadow of his wings the shadow of his wings. Psalm 63 7. For you have been my help and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.
We have a reason to sing for joy because we're in the shadow of his wings. And number four Is the shadow of his hand?
Don't you love this?
The shadow of his rock the shadow of the tree. The shadow of his wings the shadow of his hand. Isaiah 49 2. He has made my mouth like a sharp sword and in the shadow of his hand. He has concealed me. And he has also made me a select arrow.
And he has hidden me In the in his quiver Is the secret place of the most. I notice All the names of god that's given here. He is the most high elohan. He is the almighty Sade. He is the lord. Yahweh.
He is my god Elohim. Let's look at verse 2. The one who lives intimately with god knows the greatness. The greatness of his protection. Verse 2. I will say of the lord. He is my refuge and my fortress.
He's the refuge and fortress for the believer and that's exactly what psalm 46 is all about. If you look at this wonderful psalm and i've preached on this psalm because it's one of my favorite psalms.
But this is a good psalm to think of during these troubled times. When this virus is outbreaking God is a refuge for his people. God is a refuge and strength a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear.
We will not fear. Though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea though its waters roar and form foam. Uh, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride sela.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of god. The holy dwelling places of the most high. God is in the midst of her. She will not be moved. God will help her when morning dawns. The nations made an uproar the kingdoms tottered.
He raised his voice the earth melted. The lord of host is with us. The god of jacob is our stronghold sela. And notice what he says is an invitation. Come behold the works of the lord. All those are the works of the lord.
He's sovereign. Notice what he says who has wrought desolations in the earth. He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth. He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two. He burns the chariots with fire.
And then he says this be still cease striving. And know that i'm god. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth. The lord of host is with us. The god of jacob is our stronghold sela.
He is a refuge and strength a very present help in trouble. Trouble times are here. So we're in the very palm of god's hand and nothing can touch you but god. And I don't know about you that's who I long.
To be touched by is god. I long for his touch like isaiah long to be touched and sometimes that touch can be a purging touch. But it's all for our good, isn't it? Let's look at the next portion of verses in verses three.
Through six we see how god brings his protection. We see how god brings his comfort in his care. Spurgeon says of this text here. We are foolish and weak as poor little birds. Are very apt to be lured to our destruction by cunning foes.
But if we dwell near to god He will see to it that the most skillful deceiver shall not entrap us.
Now.
Notice what it says for In verses three through six for it is he who delivers you from the snare of the trapper it's god.
From the snare.
This is a snare that's set.
For the birds.
The fowler. The trapper. These are metaphors. These are metaphors from the deadly pestilence. He and then it says he will. God will cover you with his pinions. Under his wings you may seek refuge. His faithfulness or truth is a shield in a bulwark.
You will not be afraid Of the terror by night or the arrow that flies by day or the pestilence that stalks in darkness. Or the destruction that lays waste at noon. So these are metaphors. The devil and his agents often work as a fowler.
That's what the devil does. He comes about he seeks about. As a roy he roams about as a roaring line seeking whom he may devour. But the great shepherd of the sheep knows how to protect his own sheep.
Now we're sheep. And sheep are weak and defenseless, but here the text is pictures us like birds.
Let's look at this.
Let's look first of all at the enemy the fowler. Fowlers prey on birds. They work in secret They change traps and methods. They're they're cunning They entice with play with pleasure and profit. A fowler often uses a bad example a decoy to trap their prey.
The most striking feature of this Section is the the the one following is the use of the singular. You notice that you Will not be afraid of the terror by night you.
Throughout.
We see which is a way of saying that these truths for each person is individually.
You.
He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper he will cover you with his pinions. And under his wings you may seek refuge. Don't you love that. How personal god gets. They are for you they are for you.
If we would trust and abide under the shadow of the almighty and trust god. And he will deliver us from the deadly pestilence. Now. Let's look. What's what does this mean here that? To deliver us God is a god of deliverance.
Yes, he is. There is a deadly pestilence from the deadly Pestilence. Jane's boy says this in his commentary. This does not mean that those who trust god never die from infections infectious diseases or suffer from enemies.
Plot.
Of course.
It meant that those who trust god are habitually delivered from such dangers. But what christians cannot testify? To many such deliverances question what what it's basically saying is what is to come about?
Because if you read in hebrews chapter 11 and you can go there very quickly. Turned out i've used this Text quite a bit. I like what ravenhill says about this. He said these people here did not have the revelation of god like we did and yet They did marvelous things in faith.
Notice notice what it says in hebrews chapter 11 look at verse 30. By faith the walls of jericho fell down after they had been enriched for seven days by faith. Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient after she had welcomed the spies and peace.
And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of gideon barack and samson jeffeth and david and samson and the prophets who by faith Conquered kingdoms performed acts of righteousness obtained promises shut the mouths of lions makes you think of daniel quenched the power of fire.
Escaped the edge of the sword from weakness were made strong became mighty in war put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their Their dead for by the resurrection speaks of elisha. And others were tortured not accepting their release so that they might obtained a better resurrection.
But notice what it says in verse 36, but others experienced mockings and scourgings yes also chains and imprisonments. He was suffering. They were stoned. They were sewn in two they died. They were tempted.
They were put to death with the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins being destitute afflicted ill-treated. Men of whom the worlds were not worthy wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the grounds.
And all of these notice what he says. All these having gained approval through faith. Did not receive what was promised god. But because god had provided something better for us so that apart from us they would be made perfect.
But can you say the martyrs of old and all the apostles? Later on. Did you know they were tortured to death and died? Many martyrs have burned to the state and how dare we say they did not have faith.
The apostle paul Had a thorn in the flesh and how dare and today the prosperity teachers would say paul you don't have any faith. But yet paul was beheaded. James was beheaded. Many of the apostles and most of them and died horrible deaths all of them except for the apostle john.
Who was exiled on the isle of patmas? And there and there they tried to kill him and he was an elderly man at the time and they dipped him in hot boiling oil. And i'm sure it wasn't warm oil. To take a bath in.
It was to burn him alive and he he actually survived it. We're talking about suffering. But yet did not god deliver them? Well, of course god delivered them a lot of times we look at deliverance here on this earth.
But deliverance can be going to one state to this earth and to the eternal state. That is a divine deliverance. So many people take these scriptures out of context. Now sometimes physically god does choose to deliver.
It's like healing. Why? This changes your life, doesn't it when we understand the sovereignty of god? That god has a right to do whatever he desires for his glory. Because we're nothing but flesh. Will so little we're nothing but his servants and slaves to do his bidding.
Because he's the master and the king. And whatever he desires and whatever his will is if it's his will to suffer then we will suffer. And a lot of times that's the case. Well G. Campbell morgan says this children of god are not always immune from physical plagues.
And pestilences, but they are ever guarded from the destructive spiritual forces as they dwell in the secret place of the most high. Well put look at verse four. He will cover you with the pinions and under his wings.
You may seek refuge in his faithfulness as a shield and a bulwark. Another metaphor here God's representing as is a representative of a mother bird sheltering his young chicks.
Under his wings. Under his wings psalm 61 4. Let me dwell in your tent forever Let me take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
Sela.
In other words ponder that meditate on it. Chew it up. What about what jesus said in matthew 23 37. Doesn't that come to mind what jesus said to jerusalem. He laments over jerusalem and he says jerusalem jerusalem.
And when jesus says a name twice, it's very serious. Jerusalem jerusalem who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together. The way a hand gathers her chicks under her wings.
A loving god that would be willing to gather her chicks under her wings. That's the metaphor.
What does he say? And you were unwilling. You were unwilling. Why. Because they would not they would not dwell in the shelter of the most high. What did they do. They cried out for jesus's crucifixion instead because of their depraved hearts.
Well, you have here the faithfulness and truth. That's a shield and a bulwark a buckler pictures god's protection. And it continues with this truth and faithfulness of bulwark. That is a double armor.
Think of that. There's there's a double armor here a divine protection. You will not be afraid of the terror by night or the arrow that flies by day. Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness or the destruction that lays waste at noon.
And you know what I love about this. In these verses here. He says. In verse 5 he begins. You will not be afraid. Now that's the thing we must keep before us. We are not to be afraid because we have god.
It's our divine protector. What do we have to be afraid of. How many times in scripture that god says? Fear not fear not fear not if i'm not mistaken. Is it 365 times and someone says that it's like one day out of the whole year?
Having god as a shelter and a refuge gives strength and courage to the people of god. And when god's people are Struck with fear and fear can grip your heart if we're not careful. It is indication that we do fall short of the proper trust that we have in god as a protector and comforter.
So what's the opposite of fear. Fear faith. We must feed our faith beloved if we are quarantined feed your faith. Hear the word of god. Go to the word of god. Be encouraged. Have a brother and sister to talk to to stir up one another encourage one another for the days approaching.
Encourage yourself in the lord. I got an example of this and everybody knows this wonderful story, but turn with me very quickly to matthew chapter 8. It's in many of the gospel. Other gospel writers here, but i've chosen matthew 8.
Wonderful story to remind us, isn't it? Well, what does he say? In matthew 8. Look at verse 23 and 27, you know the story. It's also told in mark's gospel in chapter 4 and luke chapter 8. Matthew chapter 8 verse 23 and he got into the boat speaking of jesus and his disciples followed him.
And behold there arose a great storm on the sea so that the boat was being covered with the waves. But jesus himself was asleep. And they came to him and woke him. What did they say? What were they doing?
They were fearful, right? They were fearing for their lives. Save us lord. We are perishing. He said to them why are you afraid. Why are you afraid you men of little faith? Because they were fearful. That's why he rebukes them.
But hey, jesus is on the boat. Why do we got to worry if jesus is on the boat? Let the storms come. He's the master of the sea. He ordained it. And then what did he do? He got up and he rebuked the winds and the sea.
And and it became perfectly calm. There was a great still. And the men were amazed. And then they were really fearful right. What kind of man is this that even the winds and the sea obey him? He's the master.
He's the one that's got it under control. That's who we have faith in is the one that's on the ship. He's on the boat he's with us.
Praise god.
That's just an example. We're not to be fearful, right? Back to psalm 91 verse 5. We will not be afraid of the terror by night. Multiple ways the psalmist speaks of terror by night. Or the arrow that flies by day.
Verse 6 the pestilence that stalks in the darkness. Wherever however comes god is able to defend his people. God's people overcome by faith in god. And they're not to be fearful but fearless. Look at joshua and caleb.
Look at that story. Did the two in the minority. By the way most of the time it's always the case in the minority. That these two men of god had faith. Why? Their eyes were on god not the giants. Everybody else Saw themselves like grasshoppers against the giants.
But you know something I see that caleb and joshua saw these giants like grasshoppers before god. They didn't you know why. Because they didn't fear the giants. They were not looking at the giants they were looking at god.
And if we see how big our god is and how great our god is. Everything else pales in comparison. Everybody is like grasshoppers. Isaiah said even the nations are like a drop in the bucket of the greatness of god.
And isaiah 40. Isn't that great? Let us be like joshua and caleb. We got our giants too, don't we? But god's greater than the giants. They had their eyes fixed on god. And everyone else why everyone else was looking at the giants.
The majority by the way, the majority was looking at the giants. But not caleb and joshua. They were looking at god their eyes were upon thee upon god. Psalm 91 7 through 8 gives us the assurance for the believer.
Let's go through this very quickly. A thousand may fall at your side. Ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not approach you. Spurgeon says of this text it it is impossible that any ill should happen to those.
To the man i'm sorry who is beloved of the lord. The most crushing calamities can only shorten his journey and hasten him to the reward. Isn't that great? Ill to him is no ill. Only good in a mysterious form.
Note notice what spurgeon says. Losses enrich him. Sickness is his medicine. Everything is reverse of what people think. Reproaches his honor. Death is his gain. No evil in in the strict sense of the word can happen to him.
For everything is overruled for the good end quote. That's some courage in words.
Nothing.
Nothing that happens anything that happens nothing that happens to us as children of the living god.
Can harm us?
I really believe that when the martyrs were being burned to death It took courage bold courage. But the way they looked at it. He said they probably thought well, whatever pain you inflict upon me and you burn me alive to ashes.
Hey eventually I'm going to die and be with my eternal reward. And the way they looked at it death was the entrance right into the eternal glories of god.
For eternity.
But think about the eternal reverse of that and people that don't die in god. And protected by christ. There is an eternal hell. So what is a small lifetime that's like a vapor. And living for god and having across the barrier in comparison to a sea of wrath of hell.
To those who live for their pleasures now. You see the righteous are safe in the arms of god. During disasters like this and viruses that go about people are fearful for their lives, but We arise above that.
And we demonstrate our faith. They that are only spectators. They're only spectators. God has even appointed a reward for the wicked. That's what he says here. A thousand may fall at your side ten thousand at your right hand.
But it shall not approach you. You know in other words what he's saying even death. Hey jesus took the stinger out of death. You think about that makes me think about a wasp and these little bees and stuff.
Don't you hate them stinging you hornets? They've been stung by a hornet. They hurt. I'll tell you what. When I was a kid, I remember I put my head in the in a Uh a dog house and I don't know why I did that I had to be foolish and crazy.
You know when you're a kid you don't think about things and getting hurt and harmed. There's a wasp nest and they're like that were big red wasps. And I got in there in that dog house and I poked it with a stick and guess what happened?
They lit on my face and my whole i'm telling you what they they lit my face up. I couldn't my eyes were swelled. But you know what you think of it think they could not hurt me if they didn't have that stinger in that venom.
That's what jesus did. He took the hurt out of death. He took the stinger out of death. He took the venom out. So when it's our time to go it's the game Jesus took that stinger out when he died on the cross.
I'd love to be stung. So-called stung by an insect today without a stinger and venom when you.
Could do that to tell you.
Well, that's the way death is. Jesus stripped it. Well, let me go very quickly to verse 19 and i'm sorry 9 through 13. I gotta hurry along here. Very quickly, let me just read this over. I don't have time to unpack it.
For you have made the lord my uh, my refuge.
For.
You have made the lord my refuge even the most high you dwell in place. No evil will befall you nor any plague come near your tent. For he will give his angels charge concern of you to guard you in all his ways.
You will tread upon the lion and the cobra the young lion and the serpent you will trample down now I want you to notice this the assurance and the promises is repeated twice over again. This is not regarded as an absolute promise for every believer in a sense of every circumstance because god's beloved people do are Are secured.
They will suffer persecution at times and affliction, but there is a sure Deliverance for the children of god is it is the happy and joyful expectation that psalmist has and a general expression of god's protection.
The puritan thomas watson said it like this god doeth not say no affliction shall be follows but no evil. That's what he's talking about. Didn't jesus pray that in john 17 15. He says I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but keep them from the evil one keep them.
God has the keeping power. See. This is a reference to protection from satan and all the wicked forces following him. Even though satan seeks to destroy the believers in christ God is our protector. Didn't jesus say that even the gates of hades hell itself would not prevail against the church.
When we need to take him at his word don't we Verse 11. What's verse 11 remind you of? For he will give his angels charge concerning you and to guard you on his way. Didn't satan misquote that I believe.
And turn with me very quickly to matthew 4. I'm almost i'm trying to land this plane, but i'm almost there. But notice in matthew 4 during the temptation of jesus.
One of the temptations was.
What did he say?
It was the second temptation the devil took. Jesus took him into a Verse 5 into the holy city and he had him stand on a pinnacle of the temple. He's basically trying to attempt jesus to commit suicide.
To kill him. And he takes this psalm right here from psalm 91 out of context. If you are the son of god throw yourself down. For it is written he will command his angel. Angels concerning you. In other words you test god.
You presume on god. And then he says on their hands. They will bear you up so that you will not strike your foot against the stone. He totally took that out of context if you look at it closely. But you know what?
I love about that. Look at verse 11 after the temptation was over with and the devil Was gone after jesus came back with the scriptures in context. Scripture again. I don't you love that. It is written again and again.
Verse 11 then the devil left him and behold angels came and began to minister to him. Did you notice that? Satan tried to twist it but here. It was fulfilled in god's way and god's timing. The angels did come but it was the way god desired it.
Well last we have the lord's pledge 14 through 16. Let me read it. Because he has loved me therefore I would deliver him. I will set him securely on high because he has known my name. He will call upon me.
I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will rescue him and honor him with long life. I will satisfy him and let him see my salvation. You know what I love about this. God's promises to and blessings over the one who loves him.
It's only to those who love god. Romans 8 28. We know that all things work together for what the good to those who?
Love god.
Because he has loved me the promises of god are yay and amen to the ones who love god. Jesus says if you love me Then you're my disciples you will keep my commandments. He says if you love me You will keep my commandments you will obey me you will love my word.
R .c. Sproul said that there's no way you could you could love god apart from his word because when you love god you love his word. You got people out there today say they love god. They don't even read the bible.
That's oxymoron. That's a lie the deceived right.
Nah.
Well, don't you love it?
Because he has loved me therefore I would deliver him. God says. God himself speaks here and gives the promise. And he describes the blessing he gives to those who know him. Notice this those who truly love him.
Love in the hebrew, by the way, the the word love in the hebrew means in in the hebrew means a deep longing. A deep longing for god. Don't you have a deep longing for god? A clinging to god. Don't you want to cling closer to god to know god.
That is in the intimate sense. Longing for intimacy closeness like mary at the feet of jesus. Martha was cumbered about. Worried and distracted. And she comes to the lord. Remember that. And she says lord.
Lord.
I'm busy cumbered about i'm doing this. Have her to help me and. The lord says martha martha. Mary's chosen. What is the good part? And when the lord says something a name twice it's a rebuke. He lovingly rebuked her and set her priorities straight says mary's priorities is mine.
That's basically what he's saying. She's at my feet. She's doing what matters the most. Praise god intimacy clinging to. Nearness god says number one. Notice the blessings here. I only got just a few minutes left.
Number one, I will deliver him because he has loved me. Number two. I will set him securely on high. Three he will call upon me and I will answer him. Four. I will be with him in trouble. Five I will rescue him and honor him.
Six with a long life I will satisfy him. Seven and let him see my salvation. Isn't that beautiful? He honors us. He satisfies us. We see his salvation. When we call upon him god answers us god is not.
Far distant because he's our heavenly father. Well, let me end with this. Go with me to matthew again. In matthew and this comes from the lord himself. Why should we not be afraid or worried and I'll tell you why because we have the lord jesus christ matthew chapter 6.
Notice what he's what he says in 25 through 34. This is the application. I'd like to have for us. And that goes right along with proverbs.
Proverbs.
I got it wrote down here, but I don't have time to turn to it. Proverbs 3 5 through 6. It's a very familiar verse. Verses scripture. Trust in the lord. With all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your path straight.
The bottom line of all this is going on. This doesn't mean we sit by idle and do nothing, right? But we trust god. We trust god. And show it by our.
Works.
What did jesus say. Verse 25. For this reason I say to you do not be worried about your life as to what you will eat. Or what you will drink. Nor for your body as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds of the air. Again, the birds notice the birds of the air and they do not sow nor reap nor gather into barns yet. Your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not? worth more than they. Look at the worth That a child of god is to god.
And and who of you are being worried can add one add a single hour to his life. Can't do that. Can we? Verse 28. Why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow. They do not toil nor do they spin.
Verse 29. Yet I say to you did not even solomon in all of his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if god so closed the grass of the field which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace Will you not much more clothe you?
You have little faith.
Notice what he talks about there. Little faith.
Do not worry.
Worry sin, you know, it is sin to worry. He says do not worry. How many times did he say in that in this verse these verses. Do not worry. Do not worry. Do not worry. Then he's saying. Then saying what we will eat.
Notice everybody right now is worried about what they're going to eat. Everything is it's isolated but the grocery stores. Am I speaking truth. Go to the grocery store right now and I guarantee it's packed.
People worrying. I'm not saying be foolish and foolhardy not to Be wise you see what i'm saying? But people are really worrying because they feel that they're going to get something they're going to die.
They're afraid of dying. I'm telling you jesus says don't worry about what you eat what you will drink. Notice what he says and what we will wear for clothing. For for the gentiles the gent we're not gentiles.
The gentiles eagerly seek all these things. And what does he say. For your heavenly father knows that you need of all these things. Here's the key right here.
But.
Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. And all these things will be added unto you and again in verse 34, so do not worry.
About tomorrow for tomorrow.
Will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. He didn't say it was without trouble. Did he? He said but each day has enough trouble of its own, but he said children of god. It's almost like jesus the master saying you got nothing to worry.
Now I want you to think of this. Didn't god give you life? Didn't god give each one of us new life. He gave us our physical life. He gave us our new life in jesus christ. Cannot god sustain us? Doesn't god have all the power To sustain us.
If he created all life He can sustain us. He could keep us. I was listening to john mcarthur about this text here and he said even the virus has a life.
It's a powerful life.
God is the one that created the life. So cannot god keep his very own praise god. Children of the living god brothers and sisters. We've got nothing to worry about. Let's pray Father, we thank you so much for this word today.
Thank you for your words eternal. Nothing can separate us from your love nothing.
Nothing Nothing.
We thank you father that now there's no condemnation to those that are in jesus christ. Father, may we rise to this Troubled times and lord be a witness for your glory. Father i'd like to read before my brothers and sisters and those who are hearing this message From the valley of vision of the refuge that you are to each and every one of us.
Oh lord Whose power is infinite and wisdom is infallible.
Order.
Order things that are That may neither hinder nor discourage me nor prove obstacles to progress of thy cause. Stand between me and all strife That no evil befall No sin corrupt my gifts zeal attainments.
May I follow duty and not foolish device of my own. Permit me not to labor at work, which thou will not bless That I may serve thee with disgrace or debt. Let me dwell in the secret place under thy shadow.
Where is safe impenetrable protection from the arrow that flyeth by day. The pestilence that walketh in darkness the strife of tongues the malice of ill will the hurt of unkind talk. The snares of the company the perils of youth the temptations of middle life The mornings of old age the fear of death.
I'm entirely dependent upon thee for support counsel and consolation. Uphold me by thy free spirit. And may I and may I not think it enough to be preserved from falling. But may I always go forward always abounding in the work thou givest me to do.
Strengthen me by thy spirit in my inner self for every purpose of my christian life. All my jewels I give to the shadow of the safety that is indeed My name anew in christ my body soul talents and character my success wife children friends and work My present my future my end.
Take them. They are done. And I am done now and forever. And I'd like to ask this in jesus name.
And amen.