Pastor Grant Brown's sermon titled 'Our Mighty Fortress' focuses on Psalm 46, a passage that emphasizes God's unwavering presence and strength in times of trouble. He recounts how Martin Luther, during the Reformation, found solace in this psalm, often turning to it in times of distress. Pastor Brown explains that the psalm is divided into three parts, each marked by the term Selah, encouraging meditation on God's power as a refuge and fortress. He highlights the psalm's assurance that God is always present, using biblical examples such as Noah's ark and Jesus calming the storm to illustrate God's supremacy over natural and spiritual adversities. The sermon concludes with an invitation to trust Jesus as the ultimate protector and savior, reinforcing the notion that believers are secure in Christ, the mighty fortress.

And I'll ask the congregation to stand as we now read God's word. We are hearing directly from the Lord God Almighty as we read from His perfect and sufficient word. Word. Psalm 46. For the choir director, a psalm of the sons of Korah, set to al-amad, a psalm.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore 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 foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Say look. 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 hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Saba. Come, behold the works of the Lord, 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. See striving and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations.

I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Salem. May God bless the reading of his word.

Amen. You may be seated. Do you know which reformer had Psalm 46 as his favorite song? Martin Luther. The wonderful late theologian James Montgomery Voice wrote, and I quote, that almost everyone associates Martin Luther with the book of Romans, particularly Romans 1.17, The just shall live by faith.

But we tend to forget that Luther was converted not only by his study of Romans, but also by his study of the Psalms. Luther taught the Psalms for years and loved them very much, even late in life. And his favorite was Psalm 46. It is said of Luther that there were times during the dark and dangerous periods of the Reformation when he was terribly discouraged and terribly depressed. But at such times he would turn to his friend and co-worker, Philip Melanchthon, and he would say to Philip, come, come Philip, let's sing the forty-sixth song.

And then they would sing it in Luther's own strong version a sure stronghold our God is he a timely shield and weapon our help you'll be and set us free from every ill can happen We know that today as a mighty fortress is our God. Beloved this morning you're going to study Martin Luther's favorite song, Psalm 46. Our mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark, a fortress, a refuge, never failing, ever present in times of trouble. And by the grace of God, We're going to study it, and then we're going to sing it, and we're going to walk out of here with triumph in our hearts, knowing that no matter what comes our way, no matter what circumstance we find ourselves to be in, that we would know, and we would sing, that all of it comes from the perfect and sovereign hand of Almighty God. And that no matter what enemy rises up against you, Christian, that you can sing this psalm in your heart, and in your home, and in our church, and at the side of a hospital bed and with your children after a nightmare that you can sing this Psalm at the funeral and at the graveside because no matter what enemy rises up against you, In Christ Jesus there is triumph.

In Christ Jesus you are secure. You are safe in His hands because He is a mighty fortress. I need you to hear that plainly as we dive into this psalm. If you are in Jesus Christ, no matter what enemy rises up against you, the Lord of hosts is with you, and He has triumphed, he is triumphing, and he will triumph until every last enemy has been put underneath his feet for his eternal glory and your everlasting and eternal good. That's the kind of song that you and I need to be singing, isn't it?

That's the kind of song that you and I need to be singing, isn't it? That's the kind of song that you so desperately need in your hearts as you go out from here and you take a stand for Jesus in the midst of enemies that will surely rise up against you. Enemies like the world, the flesh, the devil. You need Psalm 46. You need this Psalm.

You need the truths of this Psalm banging around in your heart and banging around in your mind and coming out through your fingertips and coming out through your mouth. So that's why I'm preaching this Psalm to you this morning. Because you really need it. And so do I. You really need it.

And you would sing after this morning, with every ounce of your heart, with all of your affection, my mighty fortress is the Lord Jesus Christ, my refuge, my strength, never failing. Come what may, though all around my soul might give way. He then is all, my hope and state. Though my heart and my flesh may fail, though difficulty assail me, this my God, He's unchanging. And He's a fortress that can't be moved, and wonder of wonders, I belong to Him.

If you belong to the Lord Jesus this morning, you have every reason to have confidence and hope and to walk out of here with a little whistle and a little oomph in your step. Because in Christ Jesus you are more than conquerors. I hope to show you that this morning. Don't you think this psalm is worth spending a Lord's Day on? I think so.

Our psalm this morning is divided into three very clear parts. You can see the divisions in your Bible. It's very clear. They're separated by the words, Selah. Selah is a musical phrase, and it tells you when you're supposed to pause, or perhaps when you're supposed to entertain an interlude.

Meditate. Take a moment and meditate. Take a moment and pray on what you've just received, on what you've just heard. So there are three interludes, three salas in Psalm 46. And so three times, think on that, meditate on it, pray, and then move on.

Think on that, meditate on that, pray on that, then move on. So here are the three salas, three divisions of thought for you, and they all clearly flowed together. Thought number one, within the first sala. You need not fear God. You need not fear when God is your refuge.

You do need to fear God. You need not fear anything else though when God is your refuge. For even when everything else around you in your life is giving way, He stands firm. Meditate and think on that. Number two.

The one who has a mighty fortress, the Lord of hosts, he's with you, and he is none other than the Word become flesh, Jesus the Christ. That's number two. This psalm is about the Lord Jesus. I'll unpack that in just a moment. Think on that.

Meditate on that. And then number three is an invitation to look and an invitation to see and to believe the works of the Lord Jesus Christ and to see that He is the Prince of Peace and Lord of Lords that will put all enemies under His feet as He makes wars cease. Behold His works, behold the Prince of Peace and sing about it. That's number three. So number one, God is a mighty fortress.

Verse one sums up the psalm as a whole. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help and trouble. God is our mighty fortress. I want you to notice friends that it is God who is to be your refuge. It is God Almighty, Jehovah Himself, that must be your fortress.

It is not a refuge of your own making. It is not a self-manufactured fortress consisting of feeble fig leaves of your own construction that you try to provide strength and help you in needs of times of trouble. It's not that. It didn't work for Adam and Eve, did it? They tried to manufacture a covering.

They tried to shield themselves in the garden, a refuge of leaves. It blows away. It didn't work for Adam and Eve and It sure won't work for you either. Our text tells us that this mighty fortress is not a tower that even the wisest and most learned men throughout human history have been able to construct. It is not even, it's not like that tower of Babel that sought to reach towards the heavens but it ended in confusion.

It's not that. No. Those types of bulwarks, man-made bulwarks, they fail. Like the walls of Jericho fail. The trumpet's blowing.

No, your refuge, if it's to be never failing it cannot be man-made it cannot be a self-made refuge Because man-made self-made self-constructed fortresses, you know what they do. They rust they decay and they give way They cave in on themselves when the going gets tough. Instead, Psalm 46 says to you this morning, You need a refuge that is not man-made. So how about a refuge that made man? Your refuge must be God.

And if God is your refuge, just think on this, then your refuge, your fortress, is the omnipresent one. A very present help in times of trouble. Your refuge is Almighty God, the Lord of hosts, He is your refuge and He is your strength, which is astoundingly amazing because there is no one stronger than God. I mean, He created muscles. Hebrews 1 chapter, or Hebrews chapter 1 verse 3 says, he upholds the universe with a word Colossians 1 verse 17 he holds all things together that strength That's a might that's a power on a level that you and I really, we have a category for it, but we can't quite understand.

Can't quite comprehend it. That's a good refuge. That is a refuge for a people that are glad. God is a refuge for his people and it says at the end of verse 1, a very present help, a very present help in times of trouble for you, For you. Children, I want to talk to you for just a moment.

Children, have you been noticing something in the skies lately? You've gone outside. If you haven't gone outside, appearance, take them outside. Have you been looking up? Have you heard anything, seen anything flapping?

Heard anything honking? Honk, honk, honk. You seen that, children? What do you call that go ahead and say it? Geese goose is yeah geese Geese very good What are those geese doing They're coming back from their vacation where it was warm.

It was really cold here, so what did they do? They got too cold, so they said, I've got to get out of here. I'm going to go somewhere warm. And now that it's warming up here, they're coming back. Right?

They escaped the biting cold, and now that the biting cold's gone, they'll come back. Right? Children, You've seen the geese. You've seen them come. You've seen them go.

You've seen them come again. I need you to know something children. I need you to know that Almighty God, the one true living God, is not like those geese. He's not like those geese you've seen flying over your heads recently. God is not like those geese that are returning from their long vacation and migration leaving when the bitter frost comes and then coming back when the biting frost is no longer here.

No. A thousand times no. Children hear this. Parents hear this. Young and old hear this.

Understand that the subject of this song, God, a mighty fortress for His people, He does not come, He does not go. He doesn't just come along for a few days of warmth and sunshine, but then leave when the bitterness rolls in. No, he is not here today, but gone tomorrow. It's quite the opposite. It's what we tell our students at Christ's Word Academy every time we have school.

Every school day we start with the truth. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. God Almighty is unchanging. He is all powerful. He's always present, rain and sunshine, cloudy and clear.

He's always present, yesterday, today, tomorrow. He was, He is, and he always will be. So far from the flying geese overhead coming and going as circumstances dictate, far from the goose, God is here in the coldest and bitterest and darkest days of your life. A very present help in times of trouble. God is present in each and every circumstance and wonder of wonder, he rules over it all.

A mighty fortress is our God. A bulwark never failing. Our helper he emits the flood of mortal ills prevailing. A very present help in trouble. Verse 2.

Therefore, we will not fear. Fear what? Fear what? Well, the Psalmist tells you that you need not fear God. Though the earth should change, though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride, you need not fear these things if God is your refuge.

Say hello. Wait a minute, wait a minute. Though the earth should change, the mountains are slipping into the heart of the sea, water is roaring and foaming, mountains quaking. You need not fear if God is your refuge. Pause and meditate on that.

Maybe that's not jarring to you. It's jarring to me when I read it. How's that possible? How's it possible to not fear when upheaval and calamity is all that you seek? How on earth is it possible to do that?

Well the psalmist tells you how to do it in verses 4 through 7. The psalmist tells you how it's possible in verses 4 through 7. Look at verse 4. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy dwelling place 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 hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our stronghold, Salem. In the midst of the calamity, in verses 2 and 3, verse 4 tells you, God is in the midst of that calamity.

You see that? In the midst of the calamity, verse 2 and 3, God is in the midst of that calamity. You see that? In the midst of the calamity, verse 2 and 3, God is in the midst of it. In the midst of the storm, God's there.

If you're there and you're in Him, by definition, He's there. He was there before you. God is there. So why does that help you? How does that help you?

Everything is moving and changing, everything is falling apart, and the psalmist says, But in the midst of all the moving in the midst of all the changing there is God There is the one who is immutable who is unchanging and he will not be moved Though everything else around him will be. That's amazing! That's really good news if all the world and all of its man-made fortresses and all of its man-made stuff are collapsing but you find yourself in the one refuge that won't. What's the language used in verses 2 and 3? What's that language?

What would you call that? I call it earth collapsing language. Earth changing. Mountains moving into the sea. Waters roaring and foaming.

Kind of a language that makes you think like a category 50 hurricane. I know it's not a thing. But it might be if this happened. It's a category 50 kind of hurricane. Mountains quaking in the midst of a terrible storm.

This is a furious and apocalyptic event and I can think of at least two events that fit the language that I think the psalmist has in mind here as he's writing this song. I think you should ask that question sometimes. What would the psalmist be referring to? I can think of two events that the psalmist has in mind as he's writing this song. Can you think of one?

Can you think of a time when the waters covered up the mountains? Mountains moving into the sea? How about Genesis chapter 7? Noah and the flood. Don't you think, perhaps, that the psalmist had Noah in mind as he's writing I very much think he did So put it put it together if that's true When the world has been turned inside out and upside down and you you You live in that world that gets turned inside out and upside down.

When you yourself are thrust into a terrible storm in your life, and you get that awful diagnosis from the doctor, you get the phone call late at night with news that there's been an accident, you find that a loved one has betrayed you, you lose a loved one. Whatever mountains tumbling into the sea moment is happening in your life, when you're thruffed into that terrible flood, how can you and how can Noah, when gloom and doom like a flood surround you, how can you still say, therefore, I will not fear? I will not fear. How can you say that? How can you say that and mean it all around your soul's giving way?

I will not fear, and I mean it. The only way, listen to this, the only way that you and Noah And anyone in this church can say verse 2, in the midst of great calamity, in the midst of a great flood, the only way you can say verse 2 and mean it, is if God is in the midst of that flood. If God is in the midst of that calamity, the only way that you can say, I will not fear in the midst of a great flood, is if God is there and you are in the boat with Him. The only way that verse 2 is possible is if God is in the midst of the calamity and He's immovable and you find yourself in His boat. Because that's what happened to Noah, isn't it?

Everything gave way. And the only reason Noah could have hope and gladness and not fear the rising flood waters was why he was in the ark. I know it's simple. That's true. With God, Noah was with God in the midst of the most terrible storm that has ever washed over our planet.

And isn't that actually what's happened to the disciples in a smaller way in Mark chapter 4? Do you remember Mark chapter 4? We've been in Mark for 60 sermons now. I understand if you haven't. If you can't recollect that.

I think you will though in a moment. Jesus is with his disciples. He tells them, go over to the Gadarenes, go over to the land of the Gentiles, go to the nations, and on the way over the sea a fierce gale erupts. A terrible storm seizes them and the disciples looking at their circumstances, looking at the flood, they're thrown into a great terror. Do you remember this?

I mean, these are fishermen. These guys have seen a thing or two. And the fact that they are so terrified tells you this is a very terrifying storm. But finally, these disciples, they look away from their circumstances. And what do they do?

They look to the one who's in the boat with them. He's in the boat with them, in the midst of the storm. You see the same language? Psalm 46, God in the midst of them. They look to Jesus, they cry out to him and Jesus stands up and with three words in the English, and with three words, Jesus rebukes the storm, peace, be, still, and what happens?

Does the storm kind of grumble and say, well, maybe I will? Does the storm kind of say, oh, give me some time? No, the text says in Mark chapter 4, and immediately it was calm. That's power. It obeys the Lord Jesus.

Listen to the way that this psalm describes God in this passage. God is in the midst of her. He raises His voice and the earth melts. Picture waves and they're cresting about to envelop a boat and He says a word. It's called melting.

Have you seen a candle? It's taller than the sun, it's gone. The earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us, Psalm 46 says. The God of Jacob.

I'm going to repeat that. Here's how the Psalm describes God. God is in the midst of earth, he raises his voice, The earth melts, the Lord of hosts is with us, Psalm 46 says. The God of Jacob. I'm going to repeat that.

Here's how the Psalm describes God. God is in the midst of earth, he raises his voice, the earth melts, the Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob. Who took on flesh and dwelt among us and was in the midst of his people? Who is called Emmanuel, God with us? Who is the one by whom all things were created and raised his voice in Genesis chapter 1 as the creator and sustainer of the whole universe is spoken into existence and then in Mark chapter 4 said peace be still and it melted.

Who is that? Jesus the Christ. It's none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. John chapter 1, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us in our midst. He is Emmanuel, God with us and His name is Jesus the Christ.

Colossians chapter 1 tells us, for by Him all things were created, referring to the Lord Jesus Christ. Who is this Psalm ultimately about? This Psalm is about God being your mighty fortress, and therefore this Psalm is about Jesus being your mighty fortress, because Jesus is God. This Psalm finds its perfect fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed, this song finds its yes and amen in Jesus.

And so if you're in Jesus Christ just as Noah was in the ark, let me say that again, if you are in Jesus Christ just as Noah was in the ark, guess what happens to you? Though everything around you moves, everything around you is drowned, you won't be. Because you are in the fortress that itself cannot be drowned. You are in the fortress that itself cannot be moved because the mighty fortress is God the Son and He reigns over all things and He is immovable. Just as Jesus the Christ created all things with a word and stilled the sea with a word and can melt the earth with a word as sure as he makes the sun come up each morning and each night set As sure as the dawn is the promise, yes and amen, that Jesus is with you Christian.

When you wake up and you see a sunrise, it declares the glory of God, yes. And in that glory, you're supposed to remember, As sure as that comes up every single day, and as sure as it sets, even more sure than that setting, rising sun, is the truth that God is with me. And I am in Him. You're supposed to get that in the morning. You know what I think would happen if you really got that in the morning?

You would wake up differently. You would like pull open the curtains. The blind, I do that thing in the movies where they're like, look up the blind. And you see the sun and you say, he did it again. Can you wake up your spouse, you wake up your, Abigail, can you, look.

He did it again. The sun came up. You just marvel at that. His faithfulness. You say, and even more so, I belong to him who is faithful.

I belong to him who does that every single day. I think that's encouraging. Sorry, I'm not in here. I scared her. You just think about that now.

Jesus is with you Christian. He's an ever present help in times of trouble and as feeble and as frail as you might be you never look up at the sun and say that's feeble, that's frail no, it's supposed to point to something even more mighty, more strong the son of God, He holds you in His almighty and ever faithful hands nobody's gonna pluck that sun from the sky are they? Then how on earth are you going to think that someone's going to pluck you from his hands? These verses, verses 4 through 7, they detail nations in an uproar. You'll notice the language, right?

Kingdoms tawdering, nations are in uproar. In the midst of the flood, in the midst of earth collapsing, in the midst of nations being in an uproar, in the midst of kingdoms setting themselves up against God, the Lord Jesus raises a voice and he sets it all right He raises his voice and the earth melts Well, just think about that. What did he do in Noah's day? He brought the flood upon evil nations and evil kingdoms in Noah's day. And beloved, he will bring judgment upon any nation and any kingdom that sets itself up against his lordship in our day, unless they repent and kiss the sun.

That's why I want with all my heart for Erlem to repent and kiss the Sun for Iowa and the United States and all the world To kiss the Sun lest they perish Beloved you need to recognize that in the garden when Adam fell What happened The world was plunged into sin and death and corruption. That was with the first Adam. We've been talking a lot about the first and second Adam here in our congregation. Listen to this. In the garden, the first Adam sinned, death, corruption, But the second Adam, Jesus the Christ, He came to undo that which the first Adam had done.

He came to win the world back to Himself. To reconcile all things to Himself as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. And so, just put these pieces together. At the start of the Bible, in a garden, there was a river and a tree of life. But Genesis 3 happened, and Adam plunged the world into death and iniquity, and he tried to cover his shame and his guilt with fig leaves, a fortress of his own making, but it didn't work.

But at the end of the Bible, that was the beginning of the Bible, at the end of the Bible, in Revelation 22, there's a promise that there will be a river of the water of life coming from the throne room of the Lamb, and that river, like Eden long ago, will supply water to the tree of life whose leaves are given for the healing of the nations, for the healing of the world. You see any parallels? The first Adam, death and corruption in his leaves were insufficient And they only condemned him in the world more second Adam brings about life and newness and His leaves heal. They heal the nations. And friend, they may heal you too.

Genesis 3, Revelation 22, that's quite the reversal. What was lost has now been restored. That's a radical change. Something had to happen somewhere there in the middle of history for Genesis 3 to be upended and for Genesis 3 to be thrown into the sea. I was thinking about this as I was preparing the sermon, like Jesus is so triumphant that the curse, Genesis 3, was one of the things that slipped into the heart of the sea.

It's a fun thing to think about. That's how mighty he is. Something had to happen in the middle of history for Genesis 3 to be upended, thrown into the sea, washed away so that Revelation 22 would be secured. Something had to happen in the midst of history. Do you know what happened in the middle?

This Jesus portrayed in verses 4 through 7, he came in the midst of his people. The God of Jacob took on flesh and dwelt among us and in his living And in his suffering and in his dying and rising again, you know what he did? He won the world that was lost, he won it back to himself. He secured the promise of Revelation 22 so that right now he rules over the world in heaven and on earth. All authority is given to him so that right now the nations are his they belong to him and that's why he's told you and the great commission to go and get them because he bought the nations with his blood so go get what's mine what happened in the middle Genesis Revelation what happened in the middle?

What reversed the curse? Jesus came and Jesus conquered and Jesus triumphed. So that right now for the power of his gospel, he really is putting every enemy under his feet. Until even that last enemy, death itself, is forever destroyed. I just need you to think on this, the darkness, the Calamity of Genesis 3, it didn't have the final word, did it?

The morning dawned like Psalm 46 says it does. The morning dawned and Jesus came, a very present help in times of trouble, and his was the victory. And That's what the psalmist wants you to end with. You are told to behold the triumph of the Lord Jesus Christ. You need to behold the triumph of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Look in verse 8. Come, behold the works of the Lord, 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.

Cease striving and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our stronghold.

This almost invites you at the beginning of this section to come behold the works of the Lord and at the end of this section God himself speaks to you directly. Cease striving. Know that I'm God. You need to behold me and you need to stop your silliness. Know that I am God and I will be exalted in the nations that my Son has bought.

Come behold the works of the Lord Jesus. So what are the works that we're supposed to behold? Well I already mentioned Mark chapter 4. The storm rose up against the disciples. What happened?

He melted it with a voice. He raised his voice. The earth melted. An enemy rose up in Mark chapter 4 and Jesus, the mighty fortress, put it under his feet. I don't push it too far, but literally under his feet.

They're in a boat and the water is underneath him. I think it's cool. He stills the storm in Mark chapter 4, puts an enemy under his feet, Jesus isn't done. In Mark chapter 5, he got off a boat into Gentile land. This is pagan territory.

This is the land of Satan. The land of the Gadarenes, a stronghold of the devil. He enters into pagan land, enemy territory, and immediately what is the Lord Jesus confronted with a legion of Satan's minions and man possessed by a legion of demons you know what you could call that a host of demons What is the Lord referred to here as? The Lord of hosts. Which host is going to win, baby?

Which one's going to come out on top? It's a big deal. It's a showdown. An army of Satan greets the Lord Jesus and with a word, the Lord of hosts, the God of Jacob in the flesh, what does he do? He melts the legion of Satan's army like wax.

And in Mark chapter 5, he destroys These demons in the same sea that he had just conquered in Mark chapter 4. I Don't know if you remember that but I made a big deal about that a year ago He just conquered the sea and Or add injury to insult He throws the demons into the sea and just conquered that I conquered you all in one big jar Look at the works of the Lord The Lord of Hosts triumph over the host of Satan's army the Lord of Hosts triumphed over the host of demons greater is the one who is with you beloved than he who is in the world but the Lord Jesus is still not done it's conquered the seas conquered the legion of demons You remember that again in Mark chapter 5, he comes to the house of a little girl. And the little girl's what? She's dead. She comes to the house of a little girl who's just died, and that great enemy death has reared its ugly head, what will the Lord Jesus do to this enemy?

He puts even that enemy, even death itself in Mark chapter 5, under his feet. He raises that little girl up from the dead, and he makes a big deal about it. He raises her up so she's on her feet. I don't think that's a mistake. She raises her up on her feet and restores this little child to her parents from gloom to gladness.

The holy dwelling places of the Most High. Just think about this. Happy is the people whose God is the Lord. Psalm 46 says, There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy dwelling place of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved.

Gladness. When God's in the midst of you, gladness happens. Look at Mark 4 and Mark 5. In Mark 4, see you still, the disciples are glad. That Gadarene, that man indwelt by a legion of demons, there stood the God-man, there stood the one prophesied in Psalm 46, and the one who raised his voice and melts worlds.

The God man spoke, and a river of life sprang forth, and this man went from utter misery, having a legion of demons in him, to gladness. The text says in Mark 5, clothed and in his right mind, yearning to go with Jesus. It's a radical shift. Happy Is the people whose God is the Lord Happy is the people who have drinking deeply from the river of life Clothed and in their right mind Think about the parents and the little girl the god man spoke God was in the midst of her and She and they went from darkness to light, from gloom to gladness. He calms the sea, he beats the demons, he conquers death, but this Lord Jesus is not dead.

As wonderful as those works are to behold and they're wonderful aren't they? I found great delight in reviewing Mark's gospel thinking what are the works of the Lord that we should be beholding? This Lord Jesus goes to a cross he suffers in the place of sinners he's condemned as a substitute for lawbreakers God the Father pours out his righteous wrath upon God the Son so that whoever repents and believes on this Savior will not perish but have everlasting life. Just like in Psalm 46 verse 6, The Lord Jesus raised His voice and He cried out, it's finished. And the sins of the elect were propitiated.

We might be able to use the phrase, they were melted like wax because they had been dealt with by the Son of God. The wrath of God satisfied. Jesus stands in the place of sinners so that those once dead in their sin will be made alive. So that those who were once belonging to the kingdom of darkness, enslaved to sin, and locked away in the dungeon of gloom would be transferred to the kingdom of light and Set free and made glad and happy forever and the only reason that any of this is true is because this Lord Jesus, this mighty fortress, this Lord of hosts, the one who melts the earth like wax, the only reason that everything I'm saying is true is because after all these things, He knew his way out of the grave. Three days after his crucifixion, this mighty fortress came out of the tomb resurrected.

What does that tell you? Think about the language. Think about the imagery there. What's a tomb? It's a fortress.

Who wins? The mightier fortress. So that the power of that tomb, the strength of that tomb, is now been conquered. It is being even now put under the feet of the mightier fortress God. That tomb was empty, and the tomb's power just the same, now empty of its power for all who find themselves in Christ Jesus, who is the victor.

So put all these things together, I hope you see it. The earth, literally the earth, it's the sea. It rose up against the Lord Jesus and He put that enemy under His feet. The kingdoms of the world, the kingdom of Satan, rose up against Jesus, He put those enemies under his feet. Death reared its ugly head and the Lord Jesus put that enemy under his feet too.

I need you to hear this Christian. If you have zoned out, zoned back in right now, your sin, your condemnation, Your iniquity, that enemy that damns you, it rose up its ugly head 2, 000 years ago and Jesus took it. He took it with Him to a cross and there it was judged and there it was dealt with and for three days we wondered, was even your sin, was even your sin put under his feet? Was that great enemy of yours, condemnation, was it ever to be conquered by the, was it ever to be conquered for the elect? And on the third day, there was no more wondering.

Yes, it was. So what more can be said? Come behold the works of the Lord, 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. You know, that's the language, that kind of language, it can only be used when you win a war. People that get defeated, they don't get to be the ones burning the chariots. People that get defeated, they don't get to be, you know what, I'm going to cut that bow and spear in half. It's the conqueror who gets to do that stuff.

It's the conqueror who says the war is over. Only the victor gets to do these things. So then why is the psalmist saying that God breaks the bows and cuts spears in two and burns chariots with fire. Why is the psalmist saying that? It's obvious, isn't it?

Because there is the God man who has won the war. It was settled in that day again when Jesus raised up His voice and says, it is finished. It was settled then. And then it was proclaimed in victory on that day when Jesus rose up from the grave. Settled at Calvary, proclaimed in triumph as He rose up.

So you need to be about verse 10. You need to cease striving. Give up all your self-righteousness. Give up all your pride. Give up all your boasting.

Put it down. And know that He is God. Put away man-fearing. Put away fearing circumstances. Be like the disciples, not in the first instance, but in the second instance.

In the first instance, they looked around them, and they said, yikes! Yikes! And then, by God's grace, they looked to Jesus, and they feared Him who calmed the storm and they looked at Him and said, who is this that even the wind and the seas obey Him? Be like that. Be like that.

Cease striving to know that he is God, that he will be exalted among the nations, that he, the Lord Jesus, will be exalted in the earth. I want to just have two brief thoughts, two more brief thoughts, and then we're through. So two applications, okay? We've worked our way through the Psalm. Two brief final thoughts and then we're done.

Number one. For just a moment as we end, I want you to go back to the earlier example I gave of Jesus calming the storm in Mark chapter 4. I want you to answer this question. This might be hard for some people to hear, but it's so true. And I need you to, I really need you to believe it.

I need you to. One of the most difficult things I have to do is sometimes when I'm praying for you, I have to deal with the fact that I will have to stand beside some of you, some of your bed sides. And I will have to try to help you die. So I need you to answer this question. Where was the safest place for these disciples to be when that storm came upon the Sea of Galilee.

Where was the absolute best and safest place to be when that fierce storm rose up? Where was it? In the boat. It was not on the shore. It was not under locking key at home.

It was not somewhere outside of the storm. You want to know what's wild? It doesn't make any sense to people that aren't in Christ. But the Bible's clear, the safest, most secure, the best possible place to be was in that boat, in that storm, with that Savior. And the reason is because Jesus is in the boat.

Beloved, I want you to believe that. So that when a different kind of storm erupts over your life, I need you to know this. I need you to know this, please. That when the doctor says it's terminal, or when your pastor's at your bedside, or when you get that heartbreaking news, I need you to so know that the safest place, the most secure place, is not outside of those circumstances. The safest place, the most secure place is not outside of those circumstances that God has placed you in.

But the safest, most secure, the best is in those circumstances, in that loss, in facing the end of your life, because the Lord Jesus Christ is in that boat with you. Okay? Who sent the disciples into the storm? Was it their idea? No it wasn't.

Jesus sent those disciples into the storm. Jesus knew what he was sending these men into, and they went, and he went with them. He doesn't call you to get to the end of your life and say, you know, good luck. He is right with you. And there's no better place, no safer circumstance, no steadier or more secure place to be in all the world for those disciples, in that storm, in that boat, with the Lord Jesus, an ever present help in times of trouble.

The Lord of hosts is with you. The God of Jacob and all of his promises from beginning to end. They are yes and amen in Christ Jesus who is with you. That's number one. No matter the difficulty, He goes with you.

So don't look at your circumstances like the disciples first did. Look to the Savior. If you're in the storm, even when the storm is cancer, If you're in that storm in the boat with Jesus there is absolutely no better secure firmer place to be That's number one number two final thought When you think about your sin And you think about the depths of your sin, and you wonder if there's any hope for you, anybody in here? Why am I wrestling with this sin? I know myself better than anybody else.

Is there any hope for me? I'm really far down in the pit. You know you're really bad. I want to remind you, broken, sore, wounded sinner, I want to remind you as we finish, I want to remind you how this Psalm started. How did it start?

I want you to look actually before verse 1. Look, look, before verse one, who's it written for? For the choir director, a song of the sons of Korah. Does that name ring any bells? Korah.

Many people agree, I'm one of them, that this is the same Korah that rebelled against God in Numbers chapter 16. And what happened to Korah and his followers as they rebelled against God in the world of us. You know verses 2 and 3 of Psalm 46 happened to them. Verses 2 and 3 of Psalm 46 happened to them. I think the worldwide flood in Genesis 7 and number 16 are the two events that I think the psalmist has in mind here.

The earth opened up, swallowed Korah, swallowed up his followers. That's calamity. That's a storm. Psalm 46 verse 2 and 3 language. And there's something unique in number 16.

It says, but some of his sons remain. And to them God wrote this promise. That if they but turn to the Lord, they will find refuge. That though the curse of their father was very great their power the power of their father in heaven is greater still to undo that curse and he has beloved for all who trust in him even for you God has the final word God has the final word concerning your sin and your salvation. And God says to you, it is finished.

For all who beat their breasts and cry out to the Lord Jesus for mercy He will in no way cast you out your sins will fall into the sea and You will be rescued and made in Him a part of His family and He will be your refuge. He will be your God and like the sons of Korah you may be forever forgiven. So trust Him. Cling to the Lord Jesus Christ. Truly, I hope you see, He is a mighty fortress of bulwark, never failing.

Let's pray together. Father, thank you for this, your Word. Thank you for the truth that our souls They may find rest in the Lord Jesus Christ Cause us to remember that we will soon We're gonna sing a song in just a moment. We're going to sing, A Mighty Fortress is our God in just a moment. Let us sing that with all of our hearts, O mind and strength.

Yes. We're also going to sing, Be still my soul and Lord. What we sing, make true in our hearts. Let our hope and our confidence, let nothing shake because all now mysterious will be bright at last. You would work in us that you would remind us of the truth that The winds and the waves of our lives that they might be blowing and they might be very difficult and they threaten to undo us.

Remind us that those winds and waves they still know and they still bow to Jesus who stilled them with the word 2000 years ago. They still bow, they still obey Him. As the Lord let us obey you too. Let us trust in you for Jesus' sake and for our joy in Him. And it's in His name we pray.

Amen. Thanks for watching!