God our Refuge

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Pulling up there, there we go. If you would take your Bible, if you have them or your mobile app, whatever you would like to use, there's a few Bible there if you if you need one turn to the 16th psalm.

Psalm 16 written by David.

So I'm 16 is it a mixed time of David? It's called We're not exactly sure what the word miktam means. If you have a footnote in your Bible, it might say that it's a little literary or a musical term. So it might have been a a song that David song, we're not quite sure, but I'm only going to read the first two verses of that song and it says this

Does keep me safe. Oh God. for, in you I take refuge

I said to the Lord, you are my Lord. Apart from you, I have no good thing.

Let's pray again.

that God would open up our first, what he wants to have us here this morning.

Heavenly father again as we come before you.

pray God, that you would open up our hearts, this morning to what your scripture, you what you want to have us here from from your word this morning. I I pray God that it would not be me speaking. But that it will be you speaking through me. And that all of us here, myself included that our hearts will be prepared to hear from you.

But our ears will be unblocked. And our minds will be open and the Lord that you would speak to us.

That is our prayer in Jesus name, amen.

now, as I was preparing for this morning, I been reflecting on this these verses For quite a while actually. So I've kind of had this sermon idea message notes in my mind. So to be able to share them this morning is again, as I said a privilege and really, what brings me to talk on these versus this morning at as the covid-19 pandemic was unfolding at the beginning of 2020, I found myself coming back to these two versus quite often and I'll get to a little bit of reason why in a few minutes but Especially reflecting on. First one said, keep me safe. Which said keep me safe. Oh, God. And as the coronavirus as we know, it was first identified during an outbreak in Wuhan China. In December of 2019, coming up to three years ago in this message. Is not about covid 2. It don't think that it's going to be about that. but, As it was starting to unfold in December of 2019 and then in March of 11th of 2020. We had the World Health Organization, declared the covid. Pandemic we saw, what happened in response to that governments around the world. We're pretty much choosing to close down society-at-large. Non-essential shopping and shops and services were shuttered. And resulted in a lot of things like Panic. Buying is people rush for supplies. You remember that? The rush for toilet paper? I know it makes everybody laugh kind of now, but I remember that quite well people rushing to the shops to buy essential supplies and people were being forced to stay at home from their workplaces. Everyone was working from home, worldwide travel was brought to a standstill. Major airlines, canceling flights around the world. Major sporting leagues, brought to a halt. Competition with stopped. And yeah, you see some photos there. Empty store aisles warning signs on overhead signs. On the highway is to stay at home. We were encouraged at that for the most part. All of us to to stay home or worship Services were we're encouraged to go online which we did. We really only were supposed to go outside if you wanted to get some exercise or go to the grocery store, to get those goods that we needed or pharmacies, We were encouraged by our governments to stay home. Stay safe, keep safe.

In other words, I think really what was being said, was that try not to get covid and not to pass it on to other people, which I can understand because we didn't want our Healthcare System be overloaded which, which, which made complete sense but As I was thinking on that over the last number of years and this constant encouragement from our governments and from our leaders to stay home, stay safe. Keep you and your family safe. I wondered how safe where we really anyway? Yes, I think for the most part at the at least in those early days the the the healthcare system was able to at least Coke in the at the beginning of the pandemic, which is what I think with them about the real goal was but in the SD ependyma continue to evolve and I don't really think it mattered all that much because I think most of us ended up getting he'll eventually over time as the as the virus, he fall. But again as I said, it caused me to reflect and say how safe. Where we really anyway? And what is this? Issue with safety when we really need to be safe. Where do we go? And as a believer in Jesus Christ as a Christian I believe that that answer to that question is is that we go to God. He is our place of Refuge.

And scripture makes it abundantly clear and particular in the Psalms are a lots of cases. Lots of examples where we are told to go to God for strength for each and every day and Security in life. Psalm 7 verse 1 and this is just a small sample said, oh, Lord my God, I take refuge in you. Again refuge in God, Psalm 11 verse 1. I in the Lord, I take refuge Psalm 18 verse to. The Lord is my rock, my Fortress, and my deliverer, my God Is My Rock in whom I take refuge. Psalm 27 verse 1. The Lord is the stronghold.

Of my life.

And that verse goes on to say, in Whom, Shall I be afraid? Psalm 31 verse 1 in you. Oh Lord, I have taken Refuge.

Psalm 46 verse 10, God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. Psalm 57 verse 1, I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings

Psalm 118 Verse 8, it is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust. In man. So here is just a small number of of Psalms, and there are many other scriptures that you could refer, to throughout the whole Bible where God is given as our place of Refuge, our place of strength. So is it any wonder why David here, as he was making this reflection and usually when we see in the Psalms in a lot of cases, David before he gives his his song, there's some kind of Contacts for which he has given that. That's awesome. But in this case, there isn't any It's just his declaration that he is praying to God to keep him safe. For it is in God that he has taken and will take his Refuge.

There's a story told. By a man named John Gibson patent. For those of you who don't know, there's a little history lesson about John Patton. John Patton was a Scottish missionary and he lived in the 1800s. He was born in 1824 and at a young age, he felt the call of God. To become a missionary particularly overseas. And this call on John Patton would lead him to head to the new Hebrides islands where he landed in the year 1858. Now for those of you who aren't aware of what, or where the new hybrid is islands, are there in the South Pacific?

Next slide there are you can see it kind of on the north northeastern side of of the continent of Australia.

So, John Patton and his wife headed to the new Hebrides islands in the mid-1800s to become missionaries. And the inhabitants of these islands. They were not very receptive to Outsiders. Actually, they were steeped in the vilest of paganism. They had superstitious beliefs belief systems, and they also practiced cannibalism. and meetings with the native inhabitants of these Island often ended in violence,

In fact, before John Patton and his wife landed there to earlier missionaries to the islands by the name of John Williams, and James Harris who are from the London missionary Society.

They had decided that they were going to go to this place to these islands to do missionary work. But both of these missionaries were murdered. And cannibalized by the natives within minutes of going on, shore on the one of the islands in 1839.

Do they were murdered?

Who wanted to take the gospel to this place? Now, if there was ever a situation where a man would want to seek refuge in God, I think it would be John Patton. Going to this hotspot, Ohio place, knowing that he was putting his wife and himself in this kind of an environment. And there's an amazing story told by John Patton, one night where he was at his headquarters on the new hybrid. He's Island so he had made it there.

And the story goes, there's something like this and maybe some of you have already read it. And in some other books, but him and his wife, they were at their headquarters at night. And all of the hot did habitants of the Island head gather around their headquarters is small place where him and his wife were and they were seeking that night to drag them out and to murder them.

But something held them back.

An amazingly none of that happened. All of the Native inhabitants left that night. I did not attack and John Patton, and his wife were spared

a year later. So after John Patton had converted, the leader of that group. To Christianity and converted him. They had a conversation apparently.

And it came back to that night. When they were all gathered around. I want to murder John and his wife and John ask them, what stopped you from.

Murdering us that night. And the leader of the group spoke up. And he said, well, We were afraid.

Who are all those men with you? That were there that night.

And John Patton looked at him and said it was no one there. It was just my wife, and I don't know, but later said there were men there with you. Lots of men.

In shining armor with weapons. That's why we didn't attack. John said, no. only my wife and I

The Story Goes On to say that it can only be accredited that God. Send his angels to protect John Patton and his wife at night. Now that story is often told. Because it's told about the power of the Angels but I don't say the power of the angels. I say that's the power of God. Who gave the Angels the authority to come and protect his wife. We don't John and his wife but we don't know what John had in his wife. Were praying in their hot that night. That's not part of the story. But I would venture to say, That I would say that John and his wife were probably play praying. Something along, psalm 16 verse 1, we said keep me safe o God for in you. I take refuge.

The power is in God. Who is the one who gives us refuge in times of trouble? Why do we need to take refuge in God?

we've looked at the first verse,

I would say we have to turn to the second verse here, that I've read this morning, where David said, I said to the Lord. You are my Lord apart from you? I have no good thing. I believe that the answer lies in this second verse, Where we hear from David that we're he said apart from you, Lord, I have no good thing when we, when we are not resting in The Refuge of God. We are really empty. We have no good thing as a scripture said. Now, I know that that verse might be a little bit troubling. Because thought maybe to us, would we say what, what do we mean we have no good thing? We might have a tendency to get caught up on the word thing. Maybe we get chopped ripped up by thinking of others who are outside of the faith, maybe those who are far from God and we see that they have many good things.

We have to remember that we all live under the common grace of God. we're his goodness Falls, not only on the just and put on the unjust as well.

Jesus said on The Sermon on the Mount, God sends his rain on the just and the unjust. So we can't get caught up on seeing those maybe who are outside of the Christian faith or outside of belief in God and they have many good things and we might say to ourselves will I see those who have things? Which I consider good but I don't have those things. We have to remember that we as human beings. We are only temporal We can see things which we might think are good, but they have no real lasting Eternal value. And Jesus said that we are to set our thoughts on the treasures of Heaven. Not on the treasures of Earth. And I really think that the answer to understanding this verse would be better if we rephrase that a little bit. And what instead, what if we said instead of saying apart from you, I have no good thing which is true. We also looked at it. And we said I say to the Lord My well-being. Depends entirely on you.

that totally changes the perspective for me, And I hope it does for you. Goodness and our well-being depends entirely on God.

I want to go to three quick stories. Who from the Old Testament? and one from the New Testament, it's not a story but a verse Which I think will help us realize that our well-being and our goodness is entirely dependent on God. And I think there's really three things in these stories that we need to make sure that we understand that our our well-being is dependent on God and the first comes from Deuteronomy chapter number 9,

In Deuteronomy chapter 9. We hear Moses speaking. Inverse number one. And he's on the edge of allowing the Israelites. To make their way into the Promised Land.

They spent forty years in the desert. All the older Generations have passed on, they've died and it's only Joshua, and Caleb of that generation. That you're going to go to the promised land. Not even Moses is going to make it into the Promised Land. And this is what Moses said to the Israelites as they were about to make that Crossing, he said in beginning and verse 1 of chapter 9 hear o Israel. You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess Nations greater and stronger than you with large cities of walls up to the sky. The people are strong and tall anakites. You know, about them, and I've heard it said, who can stand up against the Anna kites, but be assured today that the Lord, your God is the one who goes across ahead of you, like a devouring fire. He will destroy them. He will subdue them before you, and you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly as the Lord has promised you. After the Lord, your God has driven them out. Before you do not say to yourself, This is key. Listen close. The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness. No. It is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is going to dry them out before you, it is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you were going to go in to take possession of their land bought on account of the wickedness of these nations. The Lord, your God will drive them out before you to accomplish, what he swore to your father to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Understand then that it is not because of your righteousness. But the Lord, your God is giving you this good land to possess for you are a stiff neck people.

We depend on the goodness of God, because we are a stiff-necked people. Even today. We are a stiff-necked people. We are prideful. We are selfish. We like to try to depend on her own self. Sufficiency, are we take refuge in God and understand that? Our total well-being depends on him? Not on our pride, not on our own abilities. Just like the Israelites God said you're not going in because of your righteousness or your integrity. Are you are stiff neck?

May we listen to these words and realize that we have to depend on God for all things and our own well-being to save us from our own Pride.

The next story comes from Coronavirus.

This one's a little bit. longer, I'm going to read quickly, but I'm reading from 2nd, Chronicles chapter 20,

Beginning first one.

After this, the moabites and ammonites with, some of the mega Knights came to make war on Jehoshaphat.

This is the time of the Kings. Israel and Judah is quite often at war with their neighbors and the moabites, and the ammonites were long-standing enemies of the Israelites. And it come with the me tonight to make war. The nation of Judah.

And some men came and told you how she felt a bass Army is coming against you from Edom. On the other side of the sea, it is already at hasn't on Kmart, that is in Getty alarms, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord and He proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord indeed, they came from every town in Judah to see Kim. Then joshafat stood up in the Assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the Temple of the Lord, in the front of the new Courtyard and said, O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not The God Who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nation's power and might are in your hand and no one can withstand you. Or god did. Did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your People Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham? Your friend? Built-in are the sanctuary for your name saying is Calamity comes upon us. Whether the sword or judgment or plague or famine. We will stand in your presence before this Temple. That there's your name. I will call you up to you and our distress. And you will hear us and save us. But now you're the men of aim on Moab in Mount seir whose territory. You would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt. So they turned away from them and did not destroy them, see how they are repaying Us by coming to drive, drive us out of The Possession you gave us as an inheritance. Oh my God. Will you not judge them for? We have no power to face this vast Army. That is attacking us. We do not know what to do. But our eyes are upon you. All the men of Judah with their wives and children and little one stood there before the Lord. In the spirit of the Lord Came Upon that has e o, son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of jail, the son of messing Aya. A levite a descendant of ASAP as he stood in the assembly. He said, listen King Jehoshaphat and all you who lived in Judah and Jerusalem. This is what the Lord says to. You do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast Army for the battle is not yours but God's Tomorrow match down against them. They will be climbing up by the past past of Zeus and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the desert of drool. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm and see the Deliverance. The Lord will give you old Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. Go up to face them tomorrow and the Lord will be with you. In this story, if we were to continue, you would read that God, provided an amazing Deliverance. The next morning they did go out, they sang praises to the Lord, in the Splendor of his Holiness. If you would have read on, And God sent an ambush. Among the invading armies and they destroyed themselves.

You did not have to fight that battle. In the rest of the story. There's not one word where an issue, a lot of Judah or an Israelite Soldier had to raise a sword. God. Fought the Battle. We need to take refuge in God. Because he has unlimited power to help us. This was a desperate situation. For the nation of Judah. And he provided an amazing Deliverance. Maybe there's something you're facing in your own life where you don't know what to do, or maybe you felt the hand of God. In your own life where he has provided an amazing Deliverance for you. I know I felt that before in my own life.

We need to take refuge in God and understand that our again, our well-being and goodness depends entirely on him because he is the one who has unlimited power to help us. In our greatest time of need.

And the last one comes from the New Testament. Not a story this time but a scripture verse Ephesians chapter 2

and this disease versus Ephesians 2. Helps us to understand our ultimate predicament

Ephesians chapter 2. Verse 4. Paul said. Because of his great love for us. That is God's great love for us. God, who is rich in Mercy made us alive with Christ even when we were dead And transgressions. It Is by Grace, you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated seated us with him in the Heavenly Realms in Christ Jesus.

God is able to do what we cannot do. We cannot save ourselves. We are spiritually dead. And we need to be made alive. This is our ultimate predicament as human beings. We need life, infused into us. And Only God through Jesus Christ can make that happen. We have no ability to save ourselves. We have no goodness. God said to the Israelites, it is not because of your righteousness. We have no righteousness to offer before. God. It is all dependent on him and our well-being depends entirely. Entirely on God.

So to recap, 3 things.

God Saves us. From our pride.

God Saves us with can save us with unlimited power.

And God is the only one who can save us from our ultimate predicament.

Jesus Christ is our real life.

in Colossians 3, Paul is talking about, I realize. and I realize, I realize that we have. It's not our lives. I realize our hidden. It's in Jesus Christ. That's the only way that we can have real life that we can have real well being real refuge in God. at the end of this bird, at the end of this chapter,

I didn't read it. But there is a verse, which I will read now.

David said at the end, he said in verse 11, You said you have made known to me the path of life.

Jesus Christ is the path of life. And God has made that known to us. I read at the very beginning that Jesus is the bread of life. He's the one who came down from heaven so that we can have real life in God. This is the message that I want to leave with you this morning. It has nothing to do with what I started with about finding Refuge from covid. Finding real refuges found only in God, it's found only in Jesus Christ. And if you haven't found that real refuge in Jesus Christ,

Then your well-being. Is not very nice to be. All the things that we look at in life, will eventually pass away. The world is passing away.

the things that we focus on a lot in life are passing away,

if we're focusing on Jesus Christ, that is real life, that is real. Meaning that has Eternal value. and if you're not in that place, will you need to be to have your well-being Independence? Totally on. God, that I would encourage you this morning. Dusita with all earnestness. Because this is the most important question that you can ever face.

I'm going to ask the worship team to come on up and prepare to close Us in song and I'm going to close this message with a word of Prayer.

What spray?

Heavenly Father.

We take refuge in you. You were the only one who can provide true and real Refuge, God. forgive us, Lord when we looked at other things to take to try to find Refuge

when we look to our own Pride or our own self-sufficiency Lord forgive us. When we try to do things on our own power. Lord, forgive us. when we seek Lord, To try to do things in our own to try to bring to you or own. Good works. You're trying to find Salvation doesn't work. Lord, forgive us. We are totally and completely dependent on you. This day every day. and Lord as we walk through this life, Maybe our greatest desire. To always and only find refuge in you and to know Lord that apart from you. We really have no good thing. Is there a prayer in Jesus name? Amen.

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