Sermon Tone Analysis

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A Friend Indeed
*Text: Psalm 46:1-11*
*INTRODUCTION:* From childhood, I’ve heard the old saying, "*A friend in need is a friend in deed*."
Friendship is one of the greatest blessings of this life.
Today I want to talk to you about the greatest friend anyone could ever have.
He is a "friend in deed" not because He is in need but because we are.
Solomon, one of the wisest men to ever live penned these words, "*A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother*" (Proverbs 18:24).
Of course Solomon was speaking of God.
He is the greatest friend.
Jesus said, "*Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends*" (John 15:13).
Jesus said to His disciples, "*No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends*" (John 15:15).
The Bible says that Abraham was called "*the friend of God*" (James 2:23).
The Bible says of Moses, "*So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend*" (Exodus 33:11).
We must conclude that not only is God the greatest friend anyone could have but that He wants to be our friend too.
If there was ever a time we needed God’s friendship, it is now.
We live in a catastrophic time.
When those hijacked jetliners crashed into the towers of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, our lives changed forever.
The worst part is that we do not know what will happen next.
We don’t know what tomorrow will bring.
Will the terrorists strike again?
Will we end up fighting all the Arab nations?
Will our economy rebound or will it plunge even lower?
A recent America Online poll showed that 50% of those surveyed said they didn’t feel safe in the United States anymore.
Aside from our national crisis, many are working through personal crisis.
Some of you are in the midst of marital difficulties; some may be considering divorce.
Others are facing severe problems with your children.
Still others are wondering how they will ever get out of their financial mess.
All of us have dilemmas we must face, whether they are at home, at work or at church.
Interestingly, Psalm 46 was written at a time of national crisis in Israel.
Martin Luther, the great reformer wrote the hymn /A Mighty Fortress is our God/ based upon his study of this psalm.
Listen to this stanza: *And though this world, with devils filled, Should threaten to undo us We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us.
*
        As you look at your Bible, you may notice that the psalm is somewhat divided into three parts.
Verses 1-3 are about God’s presence as our "*refuge and strength*."
At the end of verse three is the Hebrew word "*Selah*," which means "pause, consider, meditate, reflect."
Verses 4-7 tell us about God’s peace, which is like a "*river*" that "*shall make glad the city of God*."
God’s peace brings us refreshment in days of trouble.
Again we see "*Selah*" at the end of 7 and in 11.
Verses 8-11 are about God’s power, that we can trust Him to bring us through anything.
!
I.          God’s Presence is our Refuge (vv.1-3).
!! A.        "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble."
(v.1)
!!! 1.
The Hebrew word for "*trouble*" refers to a tight place.
We speak of being in trouble as being "between a rock and a hard place."
!!! 2.      That is exactly the idea represented in the word.
It means when the world is pressing in on you, when circumstances are strangling you, when you feel helpless and alone.
!! B.       When we are "in trouble" we are to remember then two truths about God.
!!! 1.      First, He is "*our refuge and strength*."
!!!! a)      "*Refuge*" carries the idea of shelter.
Have you ever been caught outside in a storm?
What do you want?
Shelter! (Hail storm in Tyler)
!!!! b)      In a much greater sense, when the storms of life descend, God is our "*refuge*."
He shelters us from "*trouble*."
!!!! c)      Psalm 61:4 says, "*I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings*."
It doesn’t mean God has big wings.
It does mean that God is our "*shelter*" our "*refuge*: to strengthen us when "*trouble*" comes.
!!! 2.      Second God is "*a very present help*" when we are in the midst of troubling times.
!!!! a)      "*Present help*" literally translates "speedy aide."
!!!! b)      God is always present and quick to come to our aide when things get rough.
!! C.       God is not only a "refuge" and a "very present help."
The Bible also says that He is our "shield."
!!! 1.      Psalm 3:3 says, "*But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head*."
/God sometimes shields His people from trouble and sometimes He delivers His people from trouble/.
!!! 2.      Sometimes He sends our troubles away before we even know them.
He refuses to let troubles enter our life.
!!! 3.      It would stagger us to know how much trouble God has shielded and protected us from!
On the other hand, sometimes God will allow us to face struggles, trials and tight places so He can teach us to rely on Him for deliverance, so we can learn that He indeed is our only "*refuge*."
*Someone said it this way, "Sometimes God calms the storm for His people, other times He calms His people in the storm."
*
!!! 4.      In verses 2-3 we see that because God’s continual presence is our refuge, "Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling."
!!!! a)      "*The earth*" and "*the mountains*" are symbols of stability.
What is more stable than the "*earth*" below our feet?
!!!! b)      We always take it for granted.
What is more solid than "*mountains*?"
We don’t ever expect the "*earth*" to move.
It is solid and permanent.
!!!! c)      We can’t in our wildest imagination dream of the Great Rocky Mountains crumbling to dust and rolling down to the Pacific Ocean! Yet, we’ve seen many things in our lives that seemed so stable become suddenly unstable.
!!!! d)      We saw the twin towers of the World Trade Center, symbols of our economic prosperity crash before our eyes in real time.
We saw the symbol of our military might, the Pentagon in ruins and aflame.
Two years ago who could have dreamed this would happen?
!!!! e)      We have seen our personal stability shattered too.
Sickness, Finance, Homes.
!!!! f)       What do we do when our stability is shattered?
The common response is panic, crimson red fear!
The biblical response is found at the beginning of verse 2. Because God is our "*refuge*," because He is our ever "*present help*," "*therefore we will not fear*."
!!!! g)      In *Mark 6:45-52*.
we find the account of Jesus sending the disciples out in the midst of a storm on the Sea of Galilee while He goes to the mountain to be alone with His Father.
Of course, in a small boat in the middle of a great storm, the disciples are panicking.
Jesus comes to them, walking on the waves.
At first, they fear even more because they think He is a ghost.
He comforts them by saying, "*Be of good cheer!
It is I; do not be afraid*."
He goes up into the boat with them and then calms the storm.
Verse 51 concludes by saying, "*They were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure and marveled*."
!! D.       How is Jesus our friend in times of trouble?
Let me show you three ways from this story.
!!! 1.      /First, He intercedes for us/.
In verse 46, while the disciples were in the storm, Jesus was on the mountain praying. 1 Timothy 2:5 says, "*For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus*."
Hebrews 7:25 says*, "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them*."
!!! 2.      /Second, He sees us/.
Verse 48 says, "*He saw them straining at rowing*."
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