I WILL NOT FEAR!

When Martin Luther was surrounded by enemies he read this Psalm & then wrote
the great hymn, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." He saw the tremendous power
of God as "a bulwark never failing." Regardless of what happens in the world
there is still the strength & power & might of God.

PROP. Let me give you a brief overview of this Psalm & then we’ll look at it in a
little more detail. There are 3 Sections.

Vs’s 1-3 deal with changes in nature, & the Psalmist says, "I will not fear! God is
my refuge & my strength, & even though the world around me may be shaking,
I will not fear!"

Vs’s 4-7 speak of changes taking place in society. The Psalmist says, "I will not
be moved! Even though nations are falling apart, & even though society is
deteriorating, because God is my refuge & strength I will not be moved!"

Finally, in the last few verses, 8-11, its almost as if the Psalmist sits back after
everything he has seen in society & in nature & says, "I will not let stress ruin
my life anymore! I’m going to relax, transform my life, change gears, & get on
with it in keeping with God’s Will."

I. I WILL NOT FEAR!

So let’s look at vs’s 1-3. "God is our refuge & strength, an ever?present help in
trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way, & the mountains
fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar & foam, & the mountains
quake with their surging."

It almost sounds as if the psalmist was familiar with the headlines in our
modern?day scientific journals, doesn’t it? Worrisome things are happening in
our world today. During the past 20 years, earthquakes have increased at a
phenomenal rate. Geologists point to the San Andreas fault, & predict that one
day a large chunk of western California will fall off into the Pacific Ocean. They
say that the Pacific?rim volcanoes are ripe for a major eruption.

And what about the hurricanes that lash our coasts, the tornadoes that sweep
across our states, the blizzards that paralyze our cities, the drought that shrivels
up & cracks our farm land, & the floods that wash away bridges & homes? Some
are beginning to cry out, "What is happening in our world today?"

But as Christians, how are we to react to all this? The Psalmist says, "I will not
be afraid. My Lord is still in command of the winds & the waves & the sea, & all
of the elements of nature. Therefore I will not fear. God is my refuge & my
strength."










































 II. I WILL NOT BE MOVED!

Now look at vs’s 4-7. "There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; He lifts
His voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our
fortress."

Here he pictures nations in an uproar, kingdoms falling, of great changes taking

place. It sounds like today, doesn’t it?

ILL. For some of us who are a bit older, it is hard to read this passage without
thinking of Elvis Presley. He started out making $14 a day as a truck driver. On a
fluke he made a recording that caught the ear of a promoter. The next thing you
know he was the highest paid male entertainer in the world.

When Elvis Presley died, the airlines were clogged with people trying to get to
Memphis, TN. Five tons of flowers were sent to his funeral. People lined the
streets just to catch a glimpse of his coffin.

Elvis Presley once said, "I would give a million dollars for one week of peace." He
recorded a song that probably described his life, & maybe ours, "All Shook Up."
"I am all shook up."

So is our world. Nations are in an uproar. Mankind seems to be falling apart. But
we, as Christians, don’t have to be. We can stand steadfast because God is our
refuge & our strength, & because Jesus is King of Kings & Lord of Lords. He is
the same yesterday, today, & forever. And as Christians we stand strong in the
faith & commitment that we have in Jesus, who is our Lord.

III. I WILL NOT BE FILLED WITH STRESS ANYMORE!

Then it seems that the Psalmist sits back & looks at all the changes that have
taken place & he reflects on them with these words in vs’s 8 & 9, "Come & see
the works of the Lord, the desolations He has brought on the earth. He makes
wars cease to the ends of the earth; He breaks the bow & shatters the spear; He
burns the shields with fire."

Then in vs. 10 he says, "`Be still, & know that I am God; I will be exalted
among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress."

Do you realize what he is saying? He is saying, "In the midst of it all I have
decided that I will no longer let my life be filled with stress & anxiety." Why?
Because "God is my refuge & my strength."












































 I wonder if we have forgotten how to relax? How long has it been since you sat
down with your family & ate a meal together, & then after the meal just talked
and visited & had fun? How long has it been since you took off your shoes &
walked barefoot & felt the blades of grass beneath your feet?

How long has it been since you took a long walk in the evening, & watched the
sun set? Or sat in a hot tub of water & read a whole chapter of a book without
interruption? How long has it been since you just leaned back & relaxed &
listened to some good, wholesome music? How long has it been?

How long has it been since you just spent a day & got away from it all? You took
your wristwatch off & forgot what time it was & did what you wanted to do,
when you wanted to do it?

Someone said that 3 words can summarize how most of us spend our lives -
hurrying, worrying, & scurrying. It’s time for us to take the Psalmist to heart, to
"Be still, & know that I am God."

IV. THREE GREAT TRUTHS WE CAN DRAW FROM THIS PSALM:

Now let me close by pointing out 3 great truths that we can draw from this
Psalm:

A. #1, God is always near & available to us. God never puts us on hold. We may
be on hold on the telephone, on hold at the red light, on hold at the bank as we
deposit our money, on hold in the post office line, & on hold at the supermarket.

But God is always available & anxious to hear us whenever we want to speak to
Him. Some of our problems may be superficial, but others are deep, & God can
help us. So talk to Him!

B. Secondly, God’s power is greater than anything in all this world. Greater than
winds or storms, or earthquakes, or volcanoes. There is no greater power. God’s
power is sufficient to win the victory over all the enemies that come our way.
The Psalmist tells us again that "God is our refuge, our strength in times of
trouble." So don’t be afraid to ask for His help.

C. Finally, God’s help works even when we can’t help ourselves. Have you felt
weak lately? Have you felt like there are too many stresses, too many LCUs in
your life, & that you’re about ready to explode? God’s help is available, & all you
have to do is reach out for it, & grab hold.
CONCL. If you’re here this morning without Him as your Lord & Savior, please
realize that He wants you to come to Him, accepting His love, receiving His
forgiveness, & becoming a part of His family. Will you come as we stand & as we
sing?