Triumphing In Troubling Times

his name a man a man this morning I want to share word with you from the psalm psalm 46 is where we're going on today psalm 46 verse 1 says god is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble a man a very present help in trouble I want to talk about triumphing in troubling times how do we triumph even in the times of triumph that's what psalm 46 is sharing with us and we need to look at this because these are indeed some troubling times these are troubling times in the midst of a global crisis a global catastrophe these are some troubling times when we look at virus and disease and death and sickness these are indeed some troubling times when we are looking at a global economic downturn when we see companies that are not just closing for a short while but a closing period and job losses and unemployment and those who have already been underemployed now they are unemployed the people are worrying about how they're gonna get their next meal and how are they gonna pay their bills these are some troubling times that we're living in when the stock market has fallen apart and people are worried about their 401 KS and 403 B's and their retirements these are some troubling times when the first responders our health care providers don't have the necessary safety protection that they need to address the sick these are some troubling times when firefighters and police officers and EMTs don't have what is necessary to address with the public protection that they need to address and to keep the public safe these are some troubling times when millions of children are out of school and not only were they going to school to learn but they were going to school to have a place just to be safe and have a place to get at least two good meals of a free breakfast at a free lunch and then a place where even their health care would take place in school but now the schools are closed these are some troubling times in which we live in that there are so many people who are operating in fear and inner anxiety and in depression these are some troubling times but I have some good news for you today the god I serve is able to help us to get the victory to triumph even in times of trouble that's what the sons of korah who wrote Psalm 56 and they wrote Psalm 56 as a song to be sung in the context of worship and of course by the power of God's Holy Spirit he became a part of our kin and a part of the holy scriptures of God and listen to what the sons of korah say in psalm 46 god is our refuge and strength a very present help in the times we live in right now in the time of trouble some zakora's start off with God they say God is our refuge and strength and when you start with God just know everything is gonna be alright verse 1 starts with God and then verse 1 ends with trouble but if you start with God it doesn't matter how much trouble shows up everything is going to be all right the sons of Korah says God is I almost just preach those two those first two words of psalm 46 almost just wanted to talk about God is cuz I know somebody is concerned who's gonna see us through this God is who's gonna hold me in the midnight hour God is who's gonna give me peace that surpasses all human understanding God is who's going to keep me safe God is who's to heal me in my sickness God is who's going to answer my prayer God is who's going to take care of my family God is who's gonna help me pay these bills God is almost just reached the first two words of psalm 46 because know what no matter what trouble you face in your life those first two words will get you through anything God is psalm 46 starts with god when you start with god you know everything is going to be alright and this word god that is mentioned here is really the most ancient name for god it's the oldest name for god when the Bible Old Testament was written in Hebrew we translated it into English that where God is Elohim we just translated it God but it's really a name of God Elohim it's the most ancient name of God it's the oldest name of God before Jehovah Jireh before Jehovah Nissi before Jehovah Shalom before L shadi hi before L is the oldest name of God you find it in Genesis chapter 1 verse 1 in the beginning L ahem created the heavens and the earth because that's who God is as Elohim he is the creator he is the creative God he's a God that creates a way out of no way he's a God that makes a way out of no way in the beginning L ahem created the heavens and the earth and the earth was without form and void and darkness covered the face of the deep in the beginning it was chaos it was confusion it was a big mess and then L ahem spoke and said let there be and when Allah hems were went forth that creative God was able to create order out of chaos he's still saying God he's the same yesterday today and forever he is l know him he is the create of God and even in our chaos right now I still believe that L ahem can bring order out of chaos he is his God God is our refuge our safe haven God is that safe place for us to go when all hell is breaking loose when troubles are everywhere that we don't have to pull our hair out we don't have to jump off a bridge we don't have to slit our wrists we have a place we can go we have a refuge God is our refuge that safe haven that safe place that God watches over us even in the midst of trials trouble and tribulation where you start with God everything's gonna be all right my friend dr. Theron Williams he tells this well he reminds us of what happened in New York some years ago it was a bank in New York that caught on fire and when the bank caught on fire the fire just swept through the bank very swiftly burning up chairs and desk and office furniture and counters and withdrawal slips and deposit slips the fire was moving through the bank the firefighters show up they get the fire under control the bank president's been standing out front and so now that the fires under control the firefighters allowed the bank president to come in and check on his bank and as he came in the bank president walked past the scorched chairs and he walked past the burn up deposit slips and withdrawal slips he walked past the the burn of office furniture and desk and he walked straight back to the vote and when the print Bank Bank president opened that vault all the money was still intact all the money was still there all the money was still fine that's because even though chairs and desks were lost even though withdrawal slips and deposit slips were lost and encounters were lost the most important thing the thing with the most value had been Kate kept safe it was in a refuge it was somewhere that the fire couldn't get to it here's what I wanted to bring that up because if a bank president has enough wherewithal to keep that with is most valuable safe even in difficult times how much more shall I Heavenly Father God is our refuge yes we might a loss a job we might have lost some money I know I lost in the stock market I know there are some things that have been lost but my soul was intact my soul was still saved I still have a right relationship with God the most important thing is fine yo my our souls are okay you may have lost a few things in the chaos but thank God that the Lord has kept you because God is our refuge and our strength he's a very present help in the time of trouble let me read what it says starting with verse 2 in psalm 46 psalm 46 and verse 2 therefore will not we fear even though the earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea though the waters roar and be troubled though the mountains shake with the swelling listen to what God's Word says he says even though you start with God it doesn't mean trouble will not come you started with God you've given your faith to Jesus you invited him into your heart for salvation you say but just because you run into trouble doesn't mean you didn't start with God we started with God as son psalm 46 verse 1 by the time you get to verse 2 all hell is breaking loose this is what it talks about it says the earth is moved the mountains are carried into the sea that the wars or the waters are roaring and troubling that the mountains are shaking all hell is breaking loose but it doesn't mean you miss God if you believe Jesus died on the cross God raised him from the dead you have it right with God by your faith but trouble still came but listen to what the psalmist says in that second verse therefore will not we fear you can almost understand why somebody would fear I mean you look at it the earth is removed that mountains are in the sea that the waters are roaring and troubled that the mountains are shaking with the swelling thereof you can almost understand why somebody would be in fear I mean it's it's one piece of bad news after another bad news bad news bad news bad news and one of the things I discovered about bad news is bad news if you're not careful we'll develop fear bad news the earth is remove bad news the mountains are carried it to the sea bad news or the waters are roaring bad news the mountains are shaky one piece of bad news after another and if we're not careful it will develop fear but wait a minute if if bad news develops fear then good news must develop faith the Apostle Paul says faith comes by hearing hearing by the Word of God so the more bad news I hear if I'm not careful I'm gonna develop fear in me but the more good news I hear then I know it'll develop the faith in me and as I hear the Word of God and I read God's Word and submit to that word it deals my faith and it begins to push out my fear despite my troubles therefore will not we fear and I gotta admit in this global crisis I've watched a whole lot of news and that news was messing with me and trying to develop fear in me but I got in God's Word I didn't stop listening to the news I want to be relevant I want to know what's going on I want to stick my head in the sand and then act like nothing is happening I didn't stop listening to bad news when I had it I had some more good news so I can build my faith to push out the fear coming from the bad news so when CNN was telling me that how bad things are and how messed up things are I went to the good news to tell me no weapon that is formed against you shall be able to prosper that that when when Fox News was telling me how jacked up life is I went to the good news and we know all things work together for good to them that love God when Bloomberg was telling me the stock market has fallen and how messed up the economy is I went to the word for some good news despite that bad news my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory when CNN and CBS and my local news was telling me how everything is all messed up I went to the good news I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me the love of that nothing shall separate you from the love of God y'all add some good news to all of that bad news and let it build your faith so you can stand with confidence in God so all hell is breaking loose therefore will not we fear well wait a minute why in the context of psalm 46 where people not fear it's a lot going on well I read to you the first three verses let me get down to verse four verse one guys I refuse shrimp very present help in trouble verse two therefore we will not fear even though the earth be removed and the mountains be care into the midst of the sea verse three though if waters roar and be troubled though the mountains shake with its swelling there is a river whose streams shall make glad the City of God wait a minute let me slow it down and read it the way the sons of korah gave it to us therefore will not we fear though the earth is removed mountains in the sea waters are rolling and the earth is shaking there is a river whose streams shall make glad the city at that what pushes our fear out there is a river let me explain it like this when you get to verse three the end of verse three there's a word say la SEL aah say la and when you're reading Psalm you can read that if you want to but you really don't have to read that that's a that's a musical term for the musicians and the praise team and the choir so that they'll know you're supposed to pause that's what c'est la is therefore for the music people to know you're supposed to pause here so Sayla is when you pause and you think about what you just sang about and then it says there is a river and watch this you have you have the earth remove the mountains in the sea the waters are roaring the earth is shaped that the mountains are shaken stop pause think about it there is a river that's the way that is reading we don't have to fear because there is a river despite all hell breaking loose let me explain the river to you this is a time that King Hezekiah was the king of Israel and as the king of Israel he was under attack by King Sennacherib and the Syrian army and the Syrian army was like a military world power and they had come in to Israel and seized Jerusalem the Syrian army was all around Jerusalem and Jerusalem had a wall around the city and the wall around the city of Jerusalem it was there for fortitude and protection so here's this enemy arming a world military power that has them surrounded but the walls are protecting Jerusalem during the time of unrest people from little villages and cities would make their way to Jerusalem to get the protection of the wall King Hezekiah at this time is the king so King Sennacherib said we'll just wait him out because King Sennacherib and the Syrian army they knew that there was no natural water source inside of the walls of Jerusalem we'll wait a mountain they got to come out they're gonna need water to drink they're gonna need water to cook they're gonna need water to clean we'll just wait him out and they waited weeks and they waited all these days and they wouldn't come out in the Syrian army so how can they make it they need to drink they need something to eat they they need to clean why won't they come out to get some water because they didn't know that during the time of peace when there was no unrest King Hezekiah had his people to go to the Kieron Valley and to dig a conduit a chant that ran from the guy on spring underground subterraneous lee a conduit from the spring outside the walls one thousand seven hundred and seventy seven feet away under the wall of jerusalem into the city of jerusalem so that opposition wouldn't be able to see it so now here they're under siege they're being attacked they're waiting for them to come out because there's no natural sport know what natural water inside of jerusalem but the guy on spring there's a channel that that water is flowing underground out of sight hitting from my position under the wall into the city to give them what they need and y'all that's what the Israelite people called a river so now you understand what's happening the earth is removed that the mountains are in the sea all hell is breaking loose the water is roiling the mountains are shaken Paul stop think about it there is a river the the word that God is getting across to us is that God gives us hidden strength to sustain us in the time of trouble you know the enemy couldn't see that source of water that was flowing right to where they me it was an unseen reality the hidden strength they needed to sustain them in the time of crisis that's what the Lord has done for us when you accept Jesus as your personal Savior by faith his Holy Spirit moves inside of you and that's the strength you need that hidden strength you need even in the time of catastrophe again that's why your your friends your gonna do the same thing they're going through and they're losing their minds and they're in depression and they're in fear but here you stand with the confidence of God they wonder how in the world can that because God has given you an unseen reality the power of its Holy Spirit that River to help you to deal with the tragedies you have to face in your life at the University of Michigan they've been studying gene the variation the neural doctors these doctors are study medicine they've been studying gene variation and they come to this conclusion that there is one gene in every human being that dictates and determines our tolerance for pain that all of us have that one gene and that gene produces these endorphins that produces enzymes that metabolize as chemicals and those chemicals bounce around in your brain and those chemicals tell your brain each of us have this that gene and that builds those chemicals they tell us in our brain this is how much pain you can tolerate so for some of us it's a it's a high tolerance level for pay for others is a low level time and for others is all in between each of us have that gene that tells us how much pain we can take so when you're born naturally that gene tells your brain here's how much pain you can tolerate but when you were born again when you were saying you become a Christian one of the words the Bible uses for salvation is regeneration the base word is Jean Marie Jean oration the Apostle John says the seed of God is in us and God places his seed in us God places a gene in us that in the physical when you're born you have this natural gene to tell you what you can tolerate but when you're born again the Holy Spirit moves in now supernaturally you are able to tolerate pain based on the power of God's Holy Spirit it doesn't prevent pain from coming but it helps us endure the pain helps us to take the pain it helps us to tolerate the pain y'all the Holy Spirit he's a painkiller he helps us to make it through what we need to make it through even in difficult time all hell is breaking loose but I'm not gonna fear Paul's think about it there is a river an unseen reality on the inside of us giving us all the strength that we me listen to what verse says verse 5 says that God is in the midst of her she shall not be moved God shall help her it's in times of trouble when all hell is breaking loose that a whole lot of us start struggling with our theology our understanding of God the enemy starts attacking our faith in theology what is God all about does God really exist does God really care does God really have power it's got really working for me and a lot of people right now are struggling with their understanding of God so in psalm 46 when all this mess is going on the sons of Korah help us to understand that God is not forsaken you God has not left you God it's in the midst of her she shall not be moved God shall help her and King James Version and that writerly or the New King James Version version at dawn it's when they help is going to come what this is showing us is God is both available and helpful I know he's available because all hell's breaking loose but God is in the midst of her even in all the mess God is in the mister he's available but he's not just available he shall help her God is also helpful and I wanted to bring that up because there are plenty of people who are available when you're going through trouble plenty of people will show up they're available they're present and there is something to being president I call it a power present there's something to being available but they're not helpful they're available but they have no resources no influence and a wisdom they have no power so say they are available but they're not helpful then you got other people they're helpful they got influence they got power they got wisdom they have resources they are helpful they just not available but when it comes to God God is both available and He is God is with her and God shall help her well preacher if God is still with us and God will still help us I already know your question I know you working through your theology your question is when is he going to do it King James Version five and he'll help her writerly and then in the New King James Version says dawn is going to take place no dawn happens at the darkest moment right after that darkest period then we call it sunrise is really not a sunrise because the Sun doesn't set or rise Sun doesn't move it's a Sun sight at that darkest moment when people think everything is over and everything is finished and nothing had happened God shall help her and that at dawn right early right at the darkest moment there is the Sun sight not s you end of God but the S oh end of God no wonder in verse 10 it says verse 10 psalm 46 be steal no I'm God all hell's breaking loose virus social distancing sickness disease people are dying political chaos those who are seeking to protect us don't even have the protection they need to protect themselves from us that go through and here's God says to you and me Jeffrey Johnson be still and know that I am God I've been trying to get across our congregation for a long time that when you and I don't have enough sense to be steel on our own then God will allow certain things to happen so we'll be steel the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want he makes me to lie down in green you know why the Lord has to make me lie down the green pass because I don't have enough sense to remember his Sabbath day and to keep it holy I don't have enough sense to be still and know he's God and when when I don't God says okay Jeffrey Johnson I'm gonna make you lie down maybe what God is doing in your life and mind is trying to get us to be steel and not just to be steel to watch TV and play games but to be still and know I am God he says and there's no not intellectual but Noah's intimacy to know to know God is not this is not talking about in your head is talking about in your heart in the book of Genesis it says an Adam knew Eve it didn't mean Adam did a Google search of Eve it meant he knew her he was intimate with her not intellect it was not in his head it was in his heart in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 1 it says that Joseph did not when he married Mary he did not know her until after Jesus was born what it didn't mean know her intellectually it meant intimacy that it was until Jesus was born he didn't just know her in his head but in his heart that's what God is looking for he wants you to be still and get intimate with him to know him not just in your hair to know God exists but in your heart to believe Jesus died on the cross believe God raised from the dead to receive him by faith whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be intimate with them shall be saved maybe that's what God has you and I to be still so that you'll know I'm God let me give you one more and I'm done and the one more I want to give you is actually in verse 7 and 11 I'm gonna read it from verse 11 psalm 46 verse 11 the Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge this here's what I want us to understand that the Lord Jesus Christ is with us in our crisis I know this is a time of trouble I know all hell has broken loose I know that this is catastrophe this is this is really messed up it's calamity but I want you to know the Lord Jesus Christ is with us in our calamity and I already hear I hear what you're asking preacher where is Jesus it's on 46 yeah I know some of y'all think I'm pressing it I'm trying to force Jesus in this takes know Jesus is I know some of us think Jesus only shows up in the New Testament I believe he's also in the Old Testament Jesus Christ is in the crisis yours and mine and in slam 46 well preach he helped me see it I am gonna help see it cuz almost missed it myself Bishop Kenneth old my my friend in Los Angeles he actually showed me this as he was reading that 11th verse and he he knows Hebrew and the Hebrew for with us is Manu so in the Hebrew Manu is translated with us God in Hebrew in verse 11 is ale that the Lord is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge with us that's Manu God is that of Jacob as I read that's a oh god is ale so with us that's manu god that's ale with us manu god is ale mine new el here's what it says when that angel showed up in matthew chapter 1 to talk to Joseph about Mary he says that Mary is going to bring birth to the Son of God and you ought to call his name Eamon new el that is being interpreted God with us I'm just letting you know that Jesus Christ himself has shown up in my crisis in your calamity in my catastrophe and in your situation Jesus is present with us so be still and intimately in your heart get to know she is God I'll close it like this and a lot of people may not be able to identify with this but in in in a time of our our history as as African those of African descent living in America there was a time that our we didn't always take our daughters to the hair salon and hair stylist and a beautician and and all of that that that was a actually a cultural time were mothers and daughters and grandmothers and hot teas would sit on the front porch and plant hair and braid hair and that would be a time a pass and wisdom down from one generation to another working on hair or they were not on the front porch splatting hair they be in the kitchen pressing hair taking that hot comb and sticking it into fire and then that mother a Big Mama would take that tile and put it around the grandbabies neck and pin it off in the back and then put some oil on that hair and take that hot comb and begin to press that child's hair and if you're not careful because some people can identify with this you think that mothers trying to burn her child and she's not trying to burn her she's trying to better her but she needs that hot comb in order to straighten out what she's working with in order to make it not burn her but better her and then that little girl would sit holding her ear and twitching and moving while mom is trying to work on that hair and I can remember in my own context of my own family my auntie or my mom saying to a child be still you see I'm trying to straighten this mess out yo when you and I go through high predicaments and hot situations it does not mean that God has forsaken you and given up on you it doesn't mean God's trying to burn you God's trying to better you but you got to go through that hot time and here we are in one of those hot predicaments and we're twitching and moving and I hear God saying be still and know that I'm God be still you see I'm trying to straighten this mess out be still and know that He is God I'm so grateful that in all the places that you could stream you stream the eastern star church here in Indianapolis and in Fishers and and some of you who have tuned in and have never invited Jesus into your life for forgiveness of sin and I want to give you a chance to do that God has caused us to be steel he made us to lie down in green pastures [Music] but with intimacy in your heart to accept Jesus as your personal Savior all of us have sinned and come short of glory God but God has loved us so much and that while we were yet sinners he didn't wait for us to get better he sent Christ to die on the cross for us then he paid the penalty for our sins then God raised Jesus from the dead and the law says the Bible says whosoever shall call upon the name of Lord shall be saved here's what I'm getting ready to do if you've never invited Christ into your life of forgiveness of sin I'm gonna lead you in a prayer in the prayer I lead you in I'm gonna have you call on the name of the Lord and the moment you believe what you pray then you get saved that that regeneration takes place God becomes your father Jesus your big brother the Holy Spirit becomes your keeper you become saved you get to know him in your heart alright follow me in this prayer pray it out loud call them name the Lord you gonna be saved father I come right now I know I've sinned I know I've done wrong I'm sorry for my sins please forgive me of my sins I believe Jesus died on the cross god I believe you raised him from the dead I receive him by faith into my heart right now fill me with your Holy Spirit in Jesus name I pray amen if you prayed that prayer at the moment you believed it you became a child of God and I welcome you to the family of God and I want to encourage you I know if there's a it's a crisis sound but you have to find a church that believes in Jesus and believes in the Holy Spirit you have to either church where you can grow and develop as a child of God you can't connect the course with the eastern start church you can email us at membership at Eastern star church org we'll get you connected with our ministry or we'll get you connected with a ministry that is near you we will help you do that you only have to do about yourself if you can please make sure you do that if not membership at Easter star church org matter of fact email us anyway let us know you accepted Jesus Christ through this ministry and those of you who are already saved already Christian but you don't have church home you need a place where you can grow and develop as a child of God maybe God has you to be still so you can get connected to this ministry membership at Eastern Star Church not or I want to be your pastor there brothers and sisters here in this ministry that want to be your brothers and sisters in that church context so please follow through with that and again I praise God for all of you you know I just I already know God's gonna work all things together for good just go ahead and try them even in the times of trouble because there is a river and I want to encourage us to please continue to support ministries we're still you know I know that the building is closed but our servants are still working we're still meeting needs we're still coming alongside people there are people who are hurting more than ever this is not the time to not support this is the time to step up our support and of course we've told you to multiple ways that you can give towards this ministry so please support there's give on screen you can you can text to give at four five seven seven seven and then in that message field esc eastern star church so please support or just just melody and if you want to do that he's the star church's 5750 East 30th Street in Indianapolis in the for six two one eight I love y'all very much and I want to tell you this I really miss y'all I tell us about 12 of us in this big old building and we're not even in the same area we all go to the place I've missed y'all so much but remember is even though we can't be on site we are still online and I want to bless you and I want you to receive the word that God has for you so keep looking out for us and we're gonna keep doing God's will even in a time of crisis because there is a river father we bless and thank God for all you've done in our lives thank you for how you've watched over us thank you dear God for the power of your Holy Spirit living in us thank you for this time to be still and Lord we want to know you in an intimate way and thank you but Jesus showing up in our crisis it's in Jesus name we pray amen amen god bless you

Channel: Eastern Star Church

Views: 4,256

Rating: 4.9047618 out of 5

Keywords: eastern star church, 100 years celebration, pastor jeffrey a johnson sr, indianapolis, indy, indy church, indianapolis church, gospel, god, sermon, Pastor Jeffrey A. Johnson Sr, Triumphing In Troubling Times, Overcoming hard times, under dog, victory

Id: fcHlspMTBsU

Length: 37min 51sec (2271 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 22 2020