Our refuge from fear is in Christ alone. God’s kingdom is eternal, and He alone will be exalted above all the nations.
Our refuge from fear is in Christ alone. God’s kingdom is eternal, and He alone will be exalted above all the nations.
– SERMON TRANSCRIPT –
Perhaps the greatest of all the puritan pastors was Richard Baxter. When someone asked him the secret behind the power of his preaching, and he said, “I preached as a dying man to dying men.” So, I stand before you today as a dying man preaching to dying people. Now, I don’t have any threat on my life that I know of. I don’t have any terminal illness that I know of. There’s no news that’s come to me specifically of my immediate death, but I am dying, and so are you. The Scripture says, “It is appointed unto men to die once and after that to face the judgement.” I think all of us were stunned on Tuesday by the events, September 11, 2001, perhaps a new date, which will live in infamy, and those images are burning in our minds, even now, I don’t know how we’ll ever get them out. Symbols of America’s financial and military power attacked, destroyed in an instant. Lasting images of terrorists, some things that you know what I’m talking about, I’m not going to recount them here, but they caused people to writhe on the ground and turn away in horror, and they’re in our minds.
What are the lessons that we are to draw out of this tragedy? What are we to think about the destruction of the World Trade Center and the attack on the Pentagon? What are we to think of the fact that it wasn’t an accident, it wasn’t an earthquake, it wasn’t something random, but it was the deliberate attack of human beings who sought the lies for a political purpose? What are we to think about this? What lessons do we take out of the fact that these buildings, which filled the skyline, at one point, the tallest buildings in the world were just erased in a matter of seconds, just gone? For me, I think it’s that everything physical is temporary, the only things that last are spiritual, the kingdom of Jesus Christ, the word of God. Jesus said “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” So, also the souls of any who trust in Jesus Christ, they are eternal, and they live with Him forever, and nothing else matters. That’s what I take out of this.
So, as we’re looking at this and asking ultimate questions, where is God in all of this? Are we going to be from this time forward, forever vulnerable, we can’t go to a ball game, we can’t step on an airplane, we can’t walk in any crowded urban area without wondering if there’s somebody secretly next to us with a bomb strapped on their body, willing to lay down their life? Are we going to live in that kind of terror? How can we as Christians advance the kingdom of Jesus Christ even in times like this? What should we think of the people who did these terrible things? How should we as Christians think of them? How should we as Christians think of Islam, the religion? And what about our feelings? We have feelings about this. There’s passions involved here, aren’t there? You feel them inside, don’t you? As you were watching the television all week long, you felt the passions well up inside you, grief, horror, fear, terror, perhaps as the week wore on, may be national pride, other feelings would come upon us.
My questions are this, can fear give way to courage? Can apathy, the way we usually live our lives, give way to concerted action? Can pride of any sort be forever replaced by repentance and humility before an Almighty God? Can human anger be replaced by a yearning for God’s glory in human salvation? Can that thirst for revenge be replaced by a desire for the glory of God and the salvation of human beings? Can despair yield to unshakable hope? If the Lord gives us time and gives us opportunity, the rubble will be removed from the streets of New York, and my guess is that new towers, perhaps even taller than before will replace them. I think there are different ways to look at that, life must go on, and that’s a good thing. We sit in a comfortable building today, and that’s a good thing. These are gifts from God. But if it’s motivated by a national pride and an arrogance separated from God, maybe we missed the point. Could it be instead that we’re being called to repent and to come to Christ and no longer ignore the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ?
I think all of these questions, all of these issues are addressed in a remarkable way in Psalm 46. We had a prayer meeting on Tuesday, and the Lord led me to this passage just to read it, but the more I read it and meditated on it, the more perfect it seemed for the thing that we’re facing today. It was written by the Sons of Korah. The sons of Korah were the descendants of a man who led a rebellion against Moses. Korah and Dathan, Abiram led a rebellion against the man of God, and God told Moses to get away from them and said basically… “Moses said, ‘If these men die in a normal way, then God has not spoken, but if something unusual happens to them, then you will know that God has spoken.’” And what happened? The ground gave way beneath their feet and they sank down into the ground. It says in Verse 2, “We will not fear though the earth give way,” that means something more to the survivors of Korah. They remember their ancestor, they remember his rebellion, they remember that the Earth did in fact give way and he was swallowed alive.
The Sons of Korah, therefore always realized that their salvation came from God, and this wasn’t just theoretical, the Earth did in fact give way that day. So, we have in the words of Psalm 46, I think, the thoughts of truly grateful people who are looking to God to be their eternal fortress, their eternal sanctuary. I think it also speaks a word of warning to warring nations, to empire builders, “Come and see the desolations of God. He makes the earth melt with just a word.” It’s a warning, isn’t it? In effect, he says the same thing in Verse 10, “Cease striving, cease all your empire building, cease your fighting against me and against one another. Be still, cease striving and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations, I’ll be exalted among the peoples.” That is in effect a word of invitation to the Gospel, that we might know him, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.
I. God’s Might is Our Refuge
I have three points this morning. The first is this, that God’s might is our refuge, therefore, we will be courageous. Secondly, God’s City is eternal, therefore, we will be gladly humble. Thirdly, God’s name will be exalted, therefore, we will be still. First, God’s might is our refuge, therefore, we will be courageous. Look at verse 1, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” He repeats the theme in verse 7, “The Lord Almighty is with us, the God of Jacob is our fortress.” He says the same thing in verse 11, “The Lord Almighty is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress.” It was from this Psalm that Martin Luther took the ideas that he turned into the hymn we sang earlier, “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing. Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills, prevailing.” We have a foe, don’t we? Who restlessly stalks us, and it’s not flesh and blood, it’s the devil and all of his minions. And Martin Luther, as he was on his way to the Diet of Worms, literally on trial for his life, recited the words of Psalm 46, and it was a number of years later that he wrote the hymn.
But many times when he and Philip Melanchthon were dealing with the issue of reformation, and it seemed like things were hanging in the balance, he’d say, “Come Philip, let’s sing Psalm 46,” and they sang “A mighty fortress is our God.” They’d remind themselves of who God is. What is a refuge? God is our refuge. I think of a bird, a small bird fluttering in a storm looking for a place of refuge and finds it in a crack and is able to pull in and be safe and ride out that hurricane. It’s a place of safety, a place of sanctuary, a place of deliverance from a trial and from a storm. God is our refuge, He’s our place of deliverance, our place of safety. He is also our fortress. When I think of a fortress, I think of it a little bit differently than a refuge. A fortress is a place of military deliverance. You’ve got an army ready to sweep you away, and so you go to a safe place, a fortress, a castle, a bulwark.
I think the events of this past week, if not warfare in the 20th century, has shown us that fortresses are a thing of the past, are they not? There is nothing that human beings can build, that human beings cannot destroy. How much more so than the eternal God? Is there a safe place where you can go where no one can destroy you? The answer is no. Those towers melted in the heat, they disappeared in an instant. But back in Martin Luther’s day, as through most of history, there were these safe places, until explosives and airplanes and all that got just too strong and mighty, that you could be safe in, such as a castle, as long as there were enough men to walk the walls and the walls were strong enough, you were safe there. Ancient Israel had no safety from marauding tribes like the Midianites would come sweeping through, killing man, woman and child, burning farm houses and crops, and looting possessions, until David conquered the City of David, Jerusalem, and made it a fortress, and said, “The city of Zion is safe as long as God is in her.” That’s what the Sons of Korah are talking about here, as long as God is within the walls of this earthly city they were safe, and so, they were. At one point, the Assyrian army surrounded Jerusalem, and God sent out one angel, and in one night, 185,000 Assyrian troops died. If God is within her, she’s safe, but if He’s not, she’s not. When they abandoned God, when they turned their back on Him, when they turned their back on God’s power, He turned his back on Zion and gave her over to her enemies. So, Jerusalem was destroyed, many times has Jerusalem been destroyed. But still God is our fortress, and God also is our strength. God’s invincible power gives us a renewing strength, a renewing sense of energy to meet the trials of the day. “Even youth grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength.” He is a fountain of strength for us.
Have you heard the story about the firefighters that were working amidst the rubble trying to search for and rescue any who had survived. Perhaps through smoke inhalation or through other things, they were overcome, brought to area hospitals, hooked up to IVs, and nurses would get information, then would leave, and the doctors would get around to seeing them. By the time the doctor would come, the IV is just hanging there. Where are the firefighters? They’ve gone back into the fray. They’ve been refreshed, they’ve been renewed, and they’re back in there doing their duty. God is our strength. He gives us a renewing sense of strength for the time of trial, and the Bible says, “He is our ever-present help.” He is immediately present. It’s stressed in the Hebrew, He is right there when we need him, immediately present. He says, “Call on me and I’ll be with you.”
Psalm 145:18-19 says, “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. The Lord watches over all who love Him, but the wicked He will destroy.” So this help isn’t just for anybody, but it’s for those who call on Him in truth, for those who call on Him in the name of His son, Jesus Christ, He is for them, an ever-present help. In Psalm 50:15, “Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver you and you will honor me.” Isn’t that incredible? Spurgeon commenting on that verse said, “God and man take shares in a time of trouble. God commands us to call on Him, we respond to His command and call upon Him in faith in truth. He thereupon responds to our cry and delivers us from the trouble, we therefore respond to His deliverance and give Him the honor and the glory for it.” Psalm 50:15, “He is an ever-present help in time of trouble.” Hebrews 37 says, “God has said, Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you.”
So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Everything you truly, truly value is eternal or should be, and cannot be touched. Your treasure is hidden where moth and rust cannot destroy, and where thieves cannot break in and steal, nor terrorists for that matter, kept safe in heaven for you. So God is our present refuge and our help.
Alright, that’s the truth, but then the scripture goes on from there and says, “Therefore, we will be courageous, therefore, we will not be afraid.” I love the word, “therefore”, our courage is reasoned out by faith. There’s a reason for our courage. It’s not just foolishness. We don’t know what the threats are. We face the threats, we understand what’s going on in Israel and Palestine about these suicide bombers. We know that there’s really no defense against them. We face these things, and yet we’re unafraid. Why? Because God is our refuge and our fortress, our ever-present help in time of trouble, and the things which he has given to us cannot be taken away. They are safe. They cannot be stolen. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
In the early days of his administration, during the early days also of the Depression, President Roosevelt had fireside chats with the people by radio. He said something famous, “We have nothing to fear, but fear itself.” Is that true here? Now, it’s true of economic times, when you have fear like that, it produces runs on banks, doesn’t it? When you have that instability, then it leads you right into a depression. Roosevelt was combating there. Is it true that we have nothing to fear, but fear itself? In a physical sense, it’s utterly false. We’ve seen that today. Would you not be afraid to face the kind of things that those people faced? Those are genuine fears. At an earthly level, I think it’s reasonable to be afraid of those things. I think there’d be something wrong with you if you didn’t have that. But we conquer our fear with this word, “therefore”, because of who God is, therefore we will not be afraid, because we renew our minds and understand what truly matters. Even though the earth give way under our feet. I was in an earthquake in 1995 in Kobe, there was an earthquake and I lived nearby in Japan. For 45 seconds our house shook and moved, there’s nowhere you can go. Where are you going to go? The ground beneath your feet is moving, where are you going to go? Where is the safe place and refuge at that time, except in the hand of God? 5000 people died in that earthquake, it’s comparable to the tragedy we faced this week. But we’re not going to be afraid even if the earth gives way beneath our feet, even if something unheard of happens. Mountains, thrown into the depths of the sea, things over which we have no control, we will not fear. Why? Because God is with us.
The greatest trials are yet to come, are they not? Do you realize that the earth will be removed out from under our feet? As a matter of fact, heaven and earth itself will disappear. Heaven and earth itself will melt. In 2 Peter 3 says, speaking of the end of the world, “The present heaven and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” It also says, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, the heavens will disappear with a roar. The elements will melt in the heat, and the Earth and everything in it will be laid bare.” 2 Peter 3:12 says that day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. Elements, the basic building blocks of the universe, will melt in the heat. What kind of heat is that going to take? Jet fuel burns at 1700 degrees Fahrenheit, I’ve been told. That’s what melted those buildings, but that is nothing compared to the judgment that is coming on the physical universe. Where are you going to hide? Is there a refuge from that? Yes, there is, God Himself. He is the only refuge. God and God alone. Therefore, God’s might is our refuge, and we will be courageous.
II. God’s City is Eternal
Point two, God’s City is eternal, therefore we will be gladly humble. It says in Verse 4, “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God. The Holy Place were the most high dwells. God is within her, she will not fall, God will help her at the break of day.” I’ve told you that the writer of this Psalm is thinking about earthly Jerusalem, but we know that earthly Jerusalem is really just a reflection of the heavenly Jerusalem. It’s a type of the heavenly Jerusalem and the fulfillment, it’s a shadow, heavenly Jerusalem, the reality. There is a heavenly city, and it is unshakable. It is unshakable, because God is within her. Is there any foe in heaven or on earth or under the earth that can scale the heights of heaven and bring God down from his throne? Is there any group of plotting terrorists somewhere that can accomplish the fact? Can anyone do it? Is there any power? What if all nations together massed their power against him? There is no power, not all of Satan and his minions, not all of human rebellion against Him, that can bring God down from his heavenly city. God’s heavenly city is eternal. There are no cracks in the foundation, there are not even attacks on it, it is a safe place.
Earthly empires rise and fall. We saw that in the Book of Daniel, verse 6 says, “Nations are in an uproar. Kingdoms fall, he lifts his voice, the earth melts.” The tumult of the nations is well known. We read about it all the time. But isn’t that what’s caused this? Aren’t there political reasons behind this attack? I don’t know if Osama bin Laden did this or not. Maybe he did. But the reason for it has got to be the establishment of some kind of political regime that they want. Nations rise and fall. Jesus said it will continue right to the end of the age. Matthew 24:7, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.” Why do these empires rise and fall? Not just political ones, but economic ones. Was not the World Trade Center a symbol of American economic empire-building? Powerful. Do you remember seeing Diane Sawyer holding a ream of papers that had fluttered down from there, and she was reading it through, the financial planning of small companies or of individuals? Maybe yours was there, I don’t know. But she was reading over and saying, “It’s all down on the ground now, we’ve collected and there’s thousands of other sheets besides.”
Why do people build earthly empires? Think about it. Through pride, through a desire for a certain kind of life, desire for control and power. But God lifts his voice and the ground beneath our feet melts. It’s all gone. God dwells in a city that is unapproachable, but he also dwells there with spiritual beggars. He says in 1 Timothy 6, “God the Blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light.” You can’t even get close to him. The light gets denser and denser, if you can speak that way about light. You just can’t get close. He lives in unapproachable light., that’s the nature of his city. You can’t get there unless he brings you, but he wants to bring you. Isaiah 57:15, “This is what the high and lofty one says, He who lives forever and whose name is Holy, ‘I live in a high and lofty place. But also with he who is humble and contrite in spirit.’” I live in a high place, but I also live there with spiritual beggars. Any who come and call on me in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who humble themselves as simple sinners, I’ll take them into my unshakable city and they can live there forever.”
If that’s true, therefore, we will be gladly humble. It says there is a stream that makes that city glad. Is it possible to find any joy this week? Is it possible to find any gladness in that rubble? Yes, there is. It is possible. It’s possible to find joy and gladness in a city whose foundations can never be shaken, where we will live forever and ever. That’s where the joy is, that’s where the gladness is, but it’s a humble gladness beause we didn’t build that city, whose builder and maker is God, it says in the Book of Hebrews. We had nothing to do with it. We didn’t construct a single brick of it, it’s all God’s, and He’s giving it to us as a gift. Gladness, not sadness, through the salvation that Jesus Christ alone can give.
III. God’s Name WILL be Exalted
Thirdly, God’s name will be exalted, therefore, we will be still. The foundation of all of this is a victory that God has promised. Look at verse 8, “Come and see the works of the Lord, the desolations he has brought on the earth.” What desolation is it referring to? Look at verse 9, “He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear. He burns the shields with fire.” Do you realize how sweet that is? He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. Do you know what’s about to face us if we wage war on terrorism, do you think it’s over? Do you realize where we’re heading? President Bush said the other day, “This conflict was begun on the timing in terms of others, it will end in a way and in an hour of our choosing.” That’s quite a statement, isn’t it? I hope it’s true. I really think only God can make that kind of a statement, ultimately. I think we’re in for a very difficult road ahead, and I long for the fulfillment of Psalm 46:9, “He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth.”
Can any human power, can any United Nations or diplomats make wars cease to the ends of the earth? No way. God does it in two ways, he does it individually, and He does it worldwide. How does He do it individually? There could be somebody right now who hates America or who hates Christianity, whose hand is clenched around a sword of terrorism, who will at some point hear the gospel and release that sword and burn his own bow and spear and shield. He will come to personal faith in Jesus Christ, the only God, and the only salvation there is. He will realize that Allah is a false god. By the way, last night, I heard an expert in Islam say that Christians and Jews and Muslims worship the same God. Can we please be clear about this? The attacking of mosques is evil and wrong. Unkindness to our neighbors is un-Christian, but we do not worship the same God. I worship a triune God: Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. If you go up to a Muslim and say, Is Jesus Allah? He will accuse you of blasphemy. But they are the blasphemers because Jesus is the God who created heaven and earth. We worship Him, and it’s through that deity and through the fact that he laid down his life on the cross and rose again, that we have eternal life. We do not worship the same god. Let’s be clear about this. The only thing that’s going to unclench that Muslim terrorist hands from the sword of terrorism is the gospel of Jesus Christ, or a power greater than he’s ever seen before. That power is not American cruise missiles, it’s the power of God, of Jesus Christ when he comes again to reign in glory on this earth. So individually, he will make wars cease when people come to Christ. Our job, preach the gospel. Preach the gospel to Muslims. It’s the big block that’s un-evangelized. Are you willing to lay down your life the way that these fanatics were willing to lay down theirs? Look at what can be accomplished by people who aren’t afraid to die. God is calling us, I think, to missions. “Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations. I’ll be exalted on the earth, I’ll be exalted by all peoples.” Are we willing to have that same level of dedication so that we can unclench that man or that woman’s fist from the sword of terrorism and bring them into eternal life in Jesus Christ? Wouldn’t you like a bunch of them standing next to you on judgment day? Jewels in your crown as you preach the gospel to them?
But that’s not going to end it, is it? He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. Only one thing’s going to do that, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and at that point all the rebellious kings and nations, they’ll be gathered in one place. All the kings gathered [Revelation 16:16,] Armageddon, gathered in one place, and the Lord will return from heaven riding before a huge army. He came in peace the first time, the Prince of Peace, not the second time, He’s got a sword coming out of his mouth, and He will strike down all of his enemies. Our God is a gentle, loving, patient God, but He’s a terrifying enemy, and He will return and He will make wars cease to the ends of the earth. Then He’s going to collect all the weapons of war, and burn them, they’ll be gone forever, and then we will live in a kingdom where there is nothing but peace, where Jesus rules forever and ever.
I’m yearning for that day. We’re in for a difficult road. The wars haven’t ceased yet to the ends of the earth, but it’s coming because He promised that it would. God’s glory in the nations is guaranteed. Look at precious verse 10, “Cease striving or be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The word “cease striving”, it’s a better translation in the NIV means stop fighting against me. It doesn’t just mean be quiet and have a quiet time, that’s what be still seems to be. I think it’s good to have quiet times, but that’s not what this verse is about. It means stop fighting me, stop rebelling against me, cease striving against me because I’m going to rule the earth in the end. I’m going to rule and if you gladly humbly submit yourself to me, you will be part of my kingdom. Cease striving against me and know that I am God.
He says the same thing in Habakkuk 2:13 and 14, “Has not the Lord Almighty determined that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing? For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” It’s the same idea. Why build your temporary empires? I’m going to bring them down, because the world’s going to be filled with my glory and my glory alone. And all Christian people will rejoice in that, we’ll be glad to see his glory filling the earth. Won’t you be delighted to see it? So stop building your earthly empires. Therefore as a result of that, we will be still, we will stop fighting against God. We as a nation must stop fighting against God. We must repent. We must turn our hearts back to him. We must cease striving with God. We must yield to his kingdom. We must follow his ways. We must find our peace in his power and in his love, and in the blood of his Son, Jesus Christ. We will find our comfort in his salvation alone. We will cease striving and know that he is God. Do you realize how significant that is? Knowing that he is God. What is eternal life? “That they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” I want to know God. I want to know him in his power. I want to know him in his humility. I want to know him in his suffering and in his death. I want to know him in his resurrection power. I want to know him in his eternal kingdom. I want to know him in his past actions. I want to know him in his present promises and safety. I want to know him in his future glory. I want to know God. “Be still and know that I am God.”
IV. Application
What applications can we take from this? First, concerning fear. Find present refuge in Christ alone. Not in America’s military response, not in stepped up security procedures at the airports, not even if Osama bin Laden is captured, brought to trial, convicted and judged for what he did. Not in any of those things, but find your peace in the promises and the power of God. God is our refuge and strength. Concerning life, realize that life is short and could instantly end. Do you realize that any of those people who got on that plane, do you think they realized that was their last hour on earth? Life is short. Concerning the physical world, there is nothing you can see, nothing you can touch or handle or taste that is permanent; it can melt in a second, 30 seconds, 45 seconds, and it’s gone. I’ve been saying this since I’ve been here, and now we have a vivid demonstration of the truth. But God’s word is eternal and will never fade away. Concerning our enemies, can we pray for their salvation? Can we realize that nothing compares to the pain of being sent to hell forever and ever, that they might have eternal life? Concerning our leaders, can we pray for their wisdom that they would know what to do to protect our nation from future attacks, but also to act as Christians, since that’s what we claim to be. That takes the wisdom of Solomon, let God give it to them. Pray for our leaders for their wisdom.
Concerning our nation, pray for our repentance and our humbling. There is a story in the Bible similar to what we faced in New York City, it’s in Luke 13: a big tower, Tower of Siloam, stood up strong and tall, and one day it fell down and killed 18 Jews. They came to Jesus to get his take on it, it was a current event. In the Jewish way of thinking back then, if something like that happened to you, you are a terrible sinner. Nowadays, we have 180 degrees opposite way, everybody who died in the World Trade Center’s in heaven now, I don’t think so. Those who have trusted in Christ, who have repented and trusted in Christ are in heaven, and those alone. But what did Jesus say about those 18 that died, these proud people who are standing up and saying, “What about them?” Jesus said, “Do you think that they were worse sinners than any of the others? I tell you, unless you all repent, you will all likewise perish.” Repent or perish, came from Jesus. If this offends you, don’t let it offend you because basically, we are as Christians to be constantly repenting, not just one time, years and years ago when we gave our life to Christ, but day after day repenting and walking in repentance. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Let us renounce our sins and turn back again to God.
Finally, concerning judgment day, I want to say one thing. Have you heard about the voids in the buildings? Do you know what I’m talking about? Voids? They’re little pockets where when that tower came down, it just formed this little pocket and then everything went and smashed on top of the void, but the void held and the people survived that were inside there. Have you heard about them? They’ve been rescued out of those voids. When I watched that tower came down, I said, It is impossible for anyone to survive that. Did you see that? How it came straight down, all the weight of those towers, straight down, right on that same foundation, imploded, sucked in. I thought it’s impossible for anyone to survive, but people survived that. How? They were in those voids, in those places of safety, in those little refuges. Is there a refuge for judgment day when everything comes down? Yes, there is. His name is Jesus Christ. Are you inside one of those voids? Are you inside Christ the way that Noah was inside the ark? Are you in Him today? Because it’s going to come down sooner or later, whether on your own personal death and you face judgment or the end of the world. Come to Christ, trust in his death and in his resurrection for your salvation. That’s the eternal issue facing us today.
I like to ask that you just take a few moments and just compose yourself as we begin to pray to God. “God, you are our refuge and our strength. Therefore, we will be courageous. God, your city is eternal. Therefore, we will be humbly glad within it. God, I pray for those that are suffering now that those that don’t know you, those that are asking anguish questions about eternal meaning, I pray that they would come to faith in Christ, those perhaps even in our congregation today who knew people that died or who are just simply grieving and asking questions, Father, that they might come to personal faith in Christ and find in your Word a comfort that only you can give. God, you will be exalted on the earth, therefore, we want to be still, we want to cease striving and know that you are God. God, work a revival in our land that we might humble ourselves before you, in due time, you will lift us up. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.
Our refuge from fear is in Christ alone. God’s kingdom is eternal, and He alone will be exalted above all the nations.
– SERMON TRANSCRIPT –
Perhaps the greatest of all the puritan pastors was Richard Baxter. When someone asked him the secret behind the power of his preaching, and he said, “I preached as a dying man to dying men.” So, I stand before you today as a dying man preaching to dying people. Now, I don’t have any threat on my life that I know of. I don’t have any terminal illness that I know of. There’s no news that’s come to me specifically of my immediate death, but I am dying, and so are you. The Scripture says, “It is appointed unto men to die once and after that to face the judgement.” I think all of us were stunned on Tuesday by the events, September 11, 2001, perhaps a new date, which will live in infamy, and those images are burning in our minds, even now, I don’t know how we’ll ever get them out. Symbols of America’s financial and military power attacked, destroyed in an instant. Lasting images of terrorists, some things that you know what I’m talking about, I’m not going to recount them here, but they caused people to writhe on the ground and turn away in horror, and they’re in our minds.
What are the lessons that we are to draw out of this tragedy? What are we to think about the destruction of the World Trade Center and the attack on the Pentagon? What are we to think of the fact that it wasn’t an accident, it wasn’t an earthquake, it wasn’t something random, but it was the deliberate attack of human beings who sought the lies for a political purpose? What are we to think about this? What lessons do we take out of the fact that these buildings, which filled the skyline, at one point, the tallest buildings in the world were just erased in a matter of seconds, just gone? For me, I think it’s that everything physical is temporary, the only things that last are spiritual, the kingdom of Jesus Christ, the word of God. Jesus said “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” So, also the souls of any who trust in Jesus Christ, they are eternal, and they live with Him forever, and nothing else matters. That’s what I take out of this.
So, as we’re looking at this and asking ultimate questions, where is God in all of this? Are we going to be from this time forward, forever vulnerable, we can’t go to a ball game, we can’t step on an airplane, we can’t walk in any crowded urban area without wondering if there’s somebody secretly next to us with a bomb strapped on their body, willing to lay down their life? Are we going to live in that kind of terror? How can we as Christians advance the kingdom of Jesus Christ even in times like this? What should we think of the people who did these terrible things? How should we as Christians think of them? How should we as Christians think of Islam, the religion? And what about our feelings? We have feelings about this. There’s passions involved here, aren’t there? You feel them inside, don’t you? As you were watching the television all week long, you felt the passions well up inside you, grief, horror, fear, terror, perhaps as the week wore on, may be national pride, other feelings would come upon us.
My questions are this, can fear give way to courage? Can apathy, the way we usually live our lives, give way to concerted action? Can pride of any sort be forever replaced by repentance and humility before an Almighty God? Can human anger be replaced by a yearning for God’s glory in human salvation? Can that thirst for revenge be replaced by a desire for the glory of God and the salvation of human beings? Can despair yield to unshakable hope? If the Lord gives us time and gives us opportunity, the rubble will be removed from the streets of New York, and my guess is that new towers, perhaps even taller than before will replace them. I think there are different ways to look at that, life must go on, and that’s a good thing. We sit in a comfortable building today, and that’s a good thing. These are gifts from God. But if it’s motivated by a national pride and an arrogance separated from God, maybe we missed the point. Could it be instead that we’re being called to repent and to come to Christ and no longer ignore the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ?
I think all of these questions, all of these issues are addressed in a remarkable way in Psalm 46. We had a prayer meeting on Tuesday, and the Lord led me to this passage just to read it, but the more I read it and meditated on it, the more perfect it seemed for the thing that we’re facing today. It was written by the Sons of Korah. The sons of Korah were the descendants of a man who led a rebellion against Moses. Korah and Dathan, Abiram led a rebellion against the man of God, and God told Moses to get away from them and said basically… “Moses said, ‘If these men die in a normal way, then God has not spoken, but if something unusual happens to them, then you will know that God has spoken.’” And what happened? The ground gave way beneath their feet and they sank down into the ground. It says in Verse 2, “We will not fear though the earth give way,” that means something more to the survivors of Korah. They remember their ancestor, they remember his rebellion, they remember that the Earth did in fact give way and he was swallowed alive.
The Sons of Korah, therefore always realized that their salvation came from God, and this wasn’t just theoretical, the Earth did in fact give way that day. So, we have in the words of Psalm 46, I think, the thoughts of truly grateful people who are looking to God to be their eternal fortress, their eternal sanctuary. I think it also speaks a word of warning to warring nations, to empire builders, “Come and see the desolations of God. He makes the earth melt with just a word.” It’s a warning, isn’t it? In effect, he says the same thing in Verse 10, “Cease striving, cease all your empire building, cease your fighting against me and against one another. Be still, cease striving and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations, I’ll be exalted among the peoples.” That is in effect a word of invitation to the Gospel, that we might know him, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.
I. God’s Might is Our Refuge
I have three points this morning. The first is this, that God’s might is our refuge, therefore, we will be courageous. Secondly, God’s City is eternal, therefore, we will be gladly humble. Thirdly, God’s name will be exalted, therefore, we will be still. First, God’s might is our refuge, therefore, we will be courageous. Look at verse 1, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” He repeats the theme in verse 7, “The Lord Almighty is with us, the God of Jacob is our fortress.” He says the same thing in verse 11, “The Lord Almighty is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress.” It was from this Psalm that Martin Luther took the ideas that he turned into the hymn we sang earlier, “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing. Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills, prevailing.” We have a foe, don’t we? Who restlessly stalks us, and it’s not flesh and blood, it’s the devil and all of his minions. And Martin Luther, as he was on his way to the Diet of Worms, literally on trial for his life, recited the words of Psalm 46, and it was a number of years later that he wrote the hymn.
But many times when he and Philip Melanchthon were dealing with the issue of reformation, and it seemed like things were hanging in the balance, he’d say, “Come Philip, let’s sing Psalm 46,” and they sang “A mighty fortress is our God.” They’d remind themselves of who God is. What is a refuge? God is our refuge. I think of a bird, a small bird fluttering in a storm looking for a place of refuge and finds it in a crack and is able to pull in and be safe and ride out that hurricane. It’s a place of safety, a place of sanctuary, a place of deliverance from a trial and from a storm. God is our refuge, He’s our place of deliverance, our place of safety. He is also our fortress. When I think of a fortress, I think of it a little bit differently than a refuge. A fortress is a place of military deliverance. You’ve got an army ready to sweep you away, and so you go to a safe place, a fortress, a castle, a bulwark.
I think the events of this past week, if not warfare in the 20th century, has shown us that fortresses are a thing of the past, are they not? There is nothing that human beings can build, that human beings cannot destroy. How much more so than the eternal God? Is there a safe place where you can go where no one can destroy you? The answer is no. Those towers melted in the heat, they disappeared in an instant. But back in Martin Luther’s day, as through most of history, there were these safe places, until explosives and airplanes and all that got just too strong and mighty, that you could be safe in, such as a castle, as long as there were enough men to walk the walls and the walls were strong enough, you were safe there. Ancient Israel had no safety from marauding tribes like the Midianites would come sweeping through, killing man, woman and child, burning farm houses and crops, and looting possessions, until David conquered the City of David, Jerusalem, and made it a fortress, and said, “The city of Zion is safe as long as God is in her.” That’s what the Sons of Korah are talking about here, as long as God is within the walls of this earthly city they were safe, and so, they were. At one point, the Assyrian army surrounded Jerusalem, and God sent out one angel, and in one night, 185,000 Assyrian troops died. If God is within her, she’s safe, but if He’s not, she’s not. When they abandoned God, when they turned their back on Him, when they turned their back on God’s power, He turned his back on Zion and gave her over to her enemies. So, Jerusalem was destroyed, many times has Jerusalem been destroyed. But still God is our fortress, and God also is our strength. God’s invincible power gives us a renewing strength, a renewing sense of energy to meet the trials of the day. “Even youth grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength.” He is a fountain of strength for us.
Have you heard the story about the firefighters that were working amidst the rubble trying to search for and rescue any who had survived. Perhaps through smoke inhalation or through other things, they were overcome, brought to area hospitals, hooked up to IVs, and nurses would get information, then would leave, and the doctors would get around to seeing them. By the time the doctor would come, the IV is just hanging there. Where are the firefighters? They’ve gone back into the fray. They’ve been refreshed, they’ve been renewed, and they’re back in there doing their duty. God is our strength. He gives us a renewing sense of strength for the time of trial, and the Bible says, “He is our ever-present help.” He is immediately present. It’s stressed in the Hebrew, He is right there when we need him, immediately present. He says, “Call on me and I’ll be with you.”
Psalm 145:18-19 says, “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. The Lord watches over all who love Him, but the wicked He will destroy.” So this help isn’t just for anybody, but it’s for those who call on Him in truth, for those who call on Him in the name of His son, Jesus Christ, He is for them, an ever-present help. In Psalm 50:15, “Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver you and you will honor me.” Isn’t that incredible? Spurgeon commenting on that verse said, “God and man take shares in a time of trouble. God commands us to call on Him, we respond to His command and call upon Him in faith in truth. He thereupon responds to our cry and delivers us from the trouble, we therefore respond to His deliverance and give Him the honor and the glory for it.” Psalm 50:15, “He is an ever-present help in time of trouble.” Hebrews 37 says, “God has said, Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you.”
So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Everything you truly, truly value is eternal or should be, and cannot be touched. Your treasure is hidden where moth and rust cannot destroy, and where thieves cannot break in and steal, nor terrorists for that matter, kept safe in heaven for you. So God is our present refuge and our help.
Alright, that’s the truth, but then the scripture goes on from there and says, “Therefore, we will be courageous, therefore, we will not be afraid.” I love the word, “therefore”, our courage is reasoned out by faith. There’s a reason for our courage. It’s not just foolishness. We don’t know what the threats are. We face the threats, we understand what’s going on in Israel and Palestine about these suicide bombers. We know that there’s really no defense against them. We face these things, and yet we’re unafraid. Why? Because God is our refuge and our fortress, our ever-present help in time of trouble, and the things which he has given to us cannot be taken away. They are safe. They cannot be stolen. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
In the early days of his administration, during the early days also of the Depression, President Roosevelt had fireside chats with the people by radio. He said something famous, “We have nothing to fear, but fear itself.” Is that true here? Now, it’s true of economic times, when you have fear like that, it produces runs on banks, doesn’t it? When you have that instability, then it leads you right into a depression. Roosevelt was combating there. Is it true that we have nothing to fear, but fear itself? In a physical sense, it’s utterly false. We’ve seen that today. Would you not be afraid to face the kind of things that those people faced? Those are genuine fears. At an earthly level, I think it’s reasonable to be afraid of those things. I think there’d be something wrong with you if you didn’t have that. But we conquer our fear with this word, “therefore”, because of who God is, therefore we will not be afraid, because we renew our minds and understand what truly matters. Even though the earth give way under our feet. I was in an earthquake in 1995 in Kobe, there was an earthquake and I lived nearby in Japan. For 45 seconds our house shook and moved, there’s nowhere you can go. Where are you going to go? The ground beneath your feet is moving, where are you going to go? Where is the safe place and refuge at that time, except in the hand of God? 5000 people died in that earthquake, it’s comparable to the tragedy we faced this week. But we’re not going to be afraid even if the earth gives way beneath our feet, even if something unheard of happens. Mountains, thrown into the depths of the sea, things over which we have no control, we will not fear. Why? Because God is with us.
The greatest trials are yet to come, are they not? Do you realize that the earth will be removed out from under our feet? As a matter of fact, heaven and earth itself will disappear. Heaven and earth itself will melt. In 2 Peter 3 says, speaking of the end of the world, “The present heaven and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” It also says, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, the heavens will disappear with a roar. The elements will melt in the heat, and the Earth and everything in it will be laid bare.” 2 Peter 3:12 says that day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. Elements, the basic building blocks of the universe, will melt in the heat. What kind of heat is that going to take? Jet fuel burns at 1700 degrees Fahrenheit, I’ve been told. That’s what melted those buildings, but that is nothing compared to the judgment that is coming on the physical universe. Where are you going to hide? Is there a refuge from that? Yes, there is, God Himself. He is the only refuge. God and God alone. Therefore, God’s might is our refuge, and we will be courageous.
II. God’s City is Eternal
Point two, God’s City is eternal, therefore we will be gladly humble. It says in Verse 4, “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God. The Holy Place were the most high dwells. God is within her, she will not fall, God will help her at the break of day.” I’ve told you that the writer of this Psalm is thinking about earthly Jerusalem, but we know that earthly Jerusalem is really just a reflection of the heavenly Jerusalem. It’s a type of the heavenly Jerusalem and the fulfillment, it’s a shadow, heavenly Jerusalem, the reality. There is a heavenly city, and it is unshakable. It is unshakable, because God is within her. Is there any foe in heaven or on earth or under the earth that can scale the heights of heaven and bring God down from his throne? Is there any group of plotting terrorists somewhere that can accomplish the fact? Can anyone do it? Is there any power? What if all nations together massed their power against him? There is no power, not all of Satan and his minions, not all of human rebellion against Him, that can bring God down from his heavenly city. God’s heavenly city is eternal. There are no cracks in the foundation, there are not even attacks on it, it is a safe place.
Earthly empires rise and fall. We saw that in the Book of Daniel, verse 6 says, “Nations are in an uproar. Kingdoms fall, he lifts his voice, the earth melts.” The tumult of the nations is well known. We read about it all the time. But isn’t that what’s caused this? Aren’t there political reasons behind this attack? I don’t know if Osama bin Laden did this or not. Maybe he did. But the reason for it has got to be the establishment of some kind of political regime that they want. Nations rise and fall. Jesus said it will continue right to the end of the age. Matthew 24:7, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.” Why do these empires rise and fall? Not just political ones, but economic ones. Was not the World Trade Center a symbol of American economic empire-building? Powerful. Do you remember seeing Diane Sawyer holding a ream of papers that had fluttered down from there, and she was reading it through, the financial planning of small companies or of individuals? Maybe yours was there, I don’t know. But she was reading over and saying, “It’s all down on the ground now, we’ve collected and there’s thousands of other sheets besides.”
Why do people build earthly empires? Think about it. Through pride, through a desire for a certain kind of life, desire for control and power. But God lifts his voice and the ground beneath our feet melts. It’s all gone. God dwells in a city that is unapproachable, but he also dwells there with spiritual beggars. He says in 1 Timothy 6, “God the Blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light.” You can’t even get close to him. The light gets denser and denser, if you can speak that way about light. You just can’t get close. He lives in unapproachable light., that’s the nature of his city. You can’t get there unless he brings you, but he wants to bring you. Isaiah 57:15, “This is what the high and lofty one says, He who lives forever and whose name is Holy, ‘I live in a high and lofty place. But also with he who is humble and contrite in spirit.’” I live in a high place, but I also live there with spiritual beggars. Any who come and call on me in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who humble themselves as simple sinners, I’ll take them into my unshakable city and they can live there forever.”
If that’s true, therefore, we will be gladly humble. It says there is a stream that makes that city glad. Is it possible to find any joy this week? Is it possible to find any gladness in that rubble? Yes, there is. It is possible. It’s possible to find joy and gladness in a city whose foundations can never be shaken, where we will live forever and ever. That’s where the joy is, that’s where the gladness is, but it’s a humble gladness beause we didn’t build that city, whose builder and maker is God, it says in the Book of Hebrews. We had nothing to do with it. We didn’t construct a single brick of it, it’s all God’s, and He’s giving it to us as a gift. Gladness, not sadness, through the salvation that Jesus Christ alone can give.
III. God’s Name WILL be Exalted
Thirdly, God’s name will be exalted, therefore, we will be still. The foundation of all of this is a victory that God has promised. Look at verse 8, “Come and see the works of the Lord, the desolations he has brought on the earth.” What desolation is it referring to? Look at verse 9, “He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear. He burns the shields with fire.” Do you realize how sweet that is? He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. Do you know what’s about to face us if we wage war on terrorism, do you think it’s over? Do you realize where we’re heading? President Bush said the other day, “This conflict was begun on the timing in terms of others, it will end in a way and in an hour of our choosing.” That’s quite a statement, isn’t it? I hope it’s true. I really think only God can make that kind of a statement, ultimately. I think we’re in for a very difficult road ahead, and I long for the fulfillment of Psalm 46:9, “He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth.”
Can any human power, can any United Nations or diplomats make wars cease to the ends of the earth? No way. God does it in two ways, he does it individually, and He does it worldwide. How does He do it individually? There could be somebody right now who hates America or who hates Christianity, whose hand is clenched around a sword of terrorism, who will at some point hear the gospel and release that sword and burn his own bow and spear and shield. He will come to personal faith in Jesus Christ, the only God, and the only salvation there is. He will realize that Allah is a false god. By the way, last night, I heard an expert in Islam say that Christians and Jews and Muslims worship the same God. Can we please be clear about this? The attacking of mosques is evil and wrong. Unkindness to our neighbors is un-Christian, but we do not worship the same God. I worship a triune God: Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. If you go up to a Muslim and say, Is Jesus Allah? He will accuse you of blasphemy. But they are the blasphemers because Jesus is the God who created heaven and earth. We worship Him, and it’s through that deity and through the fact that he laid down his life on the cross and rose again, that we have eternal life. We do not worship the same god. Let’s be clear about this. The only thing that’s going to unclench that Muslim terrorist hands from the sword of terrorism is the gospel of Jesus Christ, or a power greater than he’s ever seen before. That power is not American cruise missiles, it’s the power of God, of Jesus Christ when he comes again to reign in glory on this earth. So individually, he will make wars cease when people come to Christ. Our job, preach the gospel. Preach the gospel to Muslims. It’s the big block that’s un-evangelized. Are you willing to lay down your life the way that these fanatics were willing to lay down theirs? Look at what can be accomplished by people who aren’t afraid to die. God is calling us, I think, to missions. “Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations. I’ll be exalted on the earth, I’ll be exalted by all peoples.” Are we willing to have that same level of dedication so that we can unclench that man or that woman’s fist from the sword of terrorism and bring them into eternal life in Jesus Christ? Wouldn’t you like a bunch of them standing next to you on judgment day? Jewels in your crown as you preach the gospel to them?
But that’s not going to end it, is it? He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. Only one thing’s going to do that, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and at that point all the rebellious kings and nations, they’ll be gathered in one place. All the kings gathered [Revelation 16:16,] Armageddon, gathered in one place, and the Lord will return from heaven riding before a huge army. He came in peace the first time, the Prince of Peace, not the second time, He’s got a sword coming out of his mouth, and He will strike down all of his enemies. Our God is a gentle, loving, patient God, but He’s a terrifying enemy, and He will return and He will make wars cease to the ends of the earth. Then He’s going to collect all the weapons of war, and burn them, they’ll be gone forever, and then we will live in a kingdom where there is nothing but peace, where Jesus rules forever and ever.
I’m yearning for that day. We’re in for a difficult road. The wars haven’t ceased yet to the ends of the earth, but it’s coming because He promised that it would. God’s glory in the nations is guaranteed. Look at precious verse 10, “Cease striving or be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The word “cease striving”, it’s a better translation in the NIV means stop fighting against me. It doesn’t just mean be quiet and have a quiet time, that’s what be still seems to be. I think it’s good to have quiet times, but that’s not what this verse is about. It means stop fighting me, stop rebelling against me, cease striving against me because I’m going to rule the earth in the end. I’m going to rule and if you gladly humbly submit yourself to me, you will be part of my kingdom. Cease striving against me and know that I am God.
He says the same thing in Habakkuk 2:13 and 14, “Has not the Lord Almighty determined that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing? For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” It’s the same idea. Why build your temporary empires? I’m going to bring them down, because the world’s going to be filled with my glory and my glory alone. And all Christian people will rejoice in that, we’ll be glad to see his glory filling the earth. Won’t you be delighted to see it? So stop building your earthly empires. Therefore as a result of that, we will be still, we will stop fighting against God. We as a nation must stop fighting against God. We must repent. We must turn our hearts back to him. We must cease striving with God. We must yield to his kingdom. We must follow his ways. We must find our peace in his power and in his love, and in the blood of his Son, Jesus Christ. We will find our comfort in his salvation alone. We will cease striving and know that he is God. Do you realize how significant that is? Knowing that he is God. What is eternal life? “That they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” I want to know God. I want to know him in his power. I want to know him in his humility. I want to know him in his suffering and in his death. I want to know him in his resurrection power. I want to know him in his eternal kingdom. I want to know him in his past actions. I want to know him in his present promises and safety. I want to know him in his future glory. I want to know God. “Be still and know that I am God.”
IV. Application
What applications can we take from this? First, concerning fear. Find present refuge in Christ alone. Not in America’s military response, not in stepped up security procedures at the airports, not even if Osama bin Laden is captured, brought to trial, convicted and judged for what he did. Not in any of those things, but find your peace in the promises and the power of God. God is our refuge and strength. Concerning life, realize that life is short and could instantly end. Do you realize that any of those people who got on that plane, do you think they realized that was their last hour on earth? Life is short. Concerning the physical world, there is nothing you can see, nothing you can touch or handle or taste that is permanent; it can melt in a second, 30 seconds, 45 seconds, and it’s gone. I’ve been saying this since I’ve been here, and now we have a vivid demonstration of the truth. But God’s word is eternal and will never fade away. Concerning our enemies, can we pray for their salvation? Can we realize that nothing compares to the pain of being sent to hell forever and ever, that they might have eternal life? Concerning our leaders, can we pray for their wisdom that they would know what to do to protect our nation from future attacks, but also to act as Christians, since that’s what we claim to be. That takes the wisdom of Solomon, let God give it to them. Pray for our leaders for their wisdom.
Concerning our nation, pray for our repentance and our humbling. There is a story in the Bible similar to what we faced in New York City, it’s in Luke 13: a big tower, Tower of Siloam, stood up strong and tall, and one day it fell down and killed 18 Jews. They came to Jesus to get his take on it, it was a current event. In the Jewish way of thinking back then, if something like that happened to you, you are a terrible sinner. Nowadays, we have 180 degrees opposite way, everybody who died in the World Trade Center’s in heaven now, I don’t think so. Those who have trusted in Christ, who have repented and trusted in Christ are in heaven, and those alone. But what did Jesus say about those 18 that died, these proud people who are standing up and saying, “What about them?” Jesus said, “Do you think that they were worse sinners than any of the others? I tell you, unless you all repent, you will all likewise perish.” Repent or perish, came from Jesus. If this offends you, don’t let it offend you because basically, we are as Christians to be constantly repenting, not just one time, years and years ago when we gave our life to Christ, but day after day repenting and walking in repentance. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Let us renounce our sins and turn back again to God.
Finally, concerning judgment day, I want to say one thing. Have you heard about the voids in the buildings? Do you know what I’m talking about? Voids? They’re little pockets where when that tower came down, it just formed this little pocket and then everything went and smashed on top of the void, but the void held and the people survived that were inside there. Have you heard about them? They’ve been rescued out of those voids. When I watched that tower came down, I said, It is impossible for anyone to survive that. Did you see that? How it came straight down, all the weight of those towers, straight down, right on that same foundation, imploded, sucked in. I thought it’s impossible for anyone to survive, but people survived that. How? They were in those voids, in those places of safety, in those little refuges. Is there a refuge for judgment day when everything comes down? Yes, there is. His name is Jesus Christ. Are you inside one of those voids? Are you inside Christ the way that Noah was inside the ark? Are you in Him today? Because it’s going to come down sooner or later, whether on your own personal death and you face judgment or the end of the world. Come to Christ, trust in his death and in his resurrection for your salvation. That’s the eternal issue facing us today.
I like to ask that you just take a few moments and just compose yourself as we begin to pray to God. “God, you are our refuge and our strength. Therefore, we will be courageous. God, your city is eternal. Therefore, we will be humbly glad within it. God, I pray for those that are suffering now that those that don’t know you, those that are asking anguish questions about eternal meaning, I pray that they would come to faith in Christ, those perhaps even in our congregation today who knew people that died or who are just simply grieving and asking questions, Father, that they might come to personal faith in Christ and find in your Word a comfort that only you can give. God, you will be exalted on the earth, therefore, we want to be still, we want to cease striving and know that you are God. God, work a revival in our land that we might humble ourselves before you, in due time, you will lift us up. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.
