Someone to See

Psalm 46:4-5 | June 14, 2020

Are you drinking enough water?

Some people think drinking 8 cups of water a day is impossible and some of those same people have 8 cups of coffee before their alarm goes off. 

According to one report, some people don’t drink water because:

• They don’t like paying for bottled water
• They don’t trust tap water
• They don’t like the taste of water

Maybe you can improve your water intake with tips like these:

• Get an app to help you track how much water you are drinking
• Get a water bottle with time markers and motivational quotes
• Eat foods that contain significant amounts of water

What kinds of food?

• Cucumber (96% water)
• Zucchini (95% water)
• Grapefruit (91% water)

I think I’m just going to drink the water – but if bacon or honey buns become 90% water, sign me up twice.

The Mayo Clinic notes these important contributions that water makes to your body:

• Regulates body temperature
• Protects body organs and tissues
• Carries nutrients and oxygen to cells
• Lubricates the joints
• Lessens the burden on the kidneys and the liver

One study found that people who drank more than 10 glasses of water a day considered themselves to be:

• Very happy
• Very energetic
• Very successful

And people who drank 4 or less glasses of water a day were:

• Very likely to have an Eeyore coffee mug
• Very likely to have a Squidward t-shirt
• Very likely to have an Incredible Hulk pillowcase

Someone once said that if you drank a gallon of water a day you wouldn’t be worried or stressed or frustrated with anything going on in the world because you would be in the bathroom all day and you would miss everything.

But technically the science is true – there is a way for water to make you happy. 

How?

Let’s see if we can find out – listen to Psalm 46, beginning with verse 4:

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

About 700 years before Jesus was born there was a man named Sennacherib and he was the king of Assyria and he led his people to attack Jerusalem.

It is very odd among ancient cities, but Jerusalem was not built on a major river.

I was reading the other day about how Sennacherib thought that Jerusalem would fold without much trouble because they would need water.

But what Sennacherib didn’t know was that King Hezekiah had built an underground tunnel that secretly brought water about 6 football fields long through solid rock up from a spring right into the city.

That underground river provided them all the water they needed during the assault on their city. 

If you are a Christian, you have a river running about 6 gazillion infinity fields long through solid space and time and eternity right up into your heart and mind and soul. 

And that “river” can provide you all the living water you need especially when you feel like the world is caving in around you.

• That river is good for your fear about the economy
• That river is good for your anger over the economy
• That river is good for your fear about the virus
• That river is good for your anger over the virus
• That river is good for your fear about school and work
• That river is good for your anger over school and work

Some of you are hearing that and you are channeling your best Big Mouth Billy Bass right now thinking, “Take me to the river!”

And some of you just rolled the eyes of your mind because you just can’t believe there’s a river.

You are so overwhelmed with the reality of what you are seeing on the news and what you are hearing on talk radio and what you are reading on social media that you are actually pushing God away from own your heart at the same time that you might be saying our country needs God.

This is what Jesus said about our hearts…

Luke 6:45

…his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

Jesus is saying that what we think or say or text or post are messages that are typed out in our hearts first.

According to Jesus, this is how the math works…

• Bitter words come from a bitter heart
• Angry words come from an angry heart
• Impatient words come from an impatient heart
• Arrogant words come from an arrogant heart
• Complaining words come from a complaining heart

But then flip that around:

• Kind words come from a kind heart
• Encouraging words come from an encouraging heart
• Joyful words come from a joyful heart
• Thankful words come from a thankful heart

So, where is your heart today?

Is your heart feeling overwhelmed with fear or anger or aggravation?

Maybe your heart has become more comfortable with being afraid or angry or aggravated because following Jesus would just take more courage and more strength and more patience and more hope and more humility then you’re willing to give right now.

The great news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is not hot pocket faith – it is more like crock-pot faith.

You can’t nuke the gospel in hard times for a quick fix – you have to keep the truth of the gospel simmering in your heart so that all of the flavor and all the juice of salvation will soak into your heart. 

And what’s the best way to pursue that kind of faith?

You gotta drop that crock-pot in the river. 

So, let’s Big Mouth Billy Bass it for a moment. 

What is this river the psalmist is referring to?

Let me pull in the last part of verse 4 to help us.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High.

 

So, this river makes glad the city of God and the city of God is described as the holy dwelling places of the Most High.

Where’s the city of God?

Well, using the language of the psalmist here, the city of God  could refer to the ancient city of Jerusalem or John’s vision of the new Jerusalem in Revelation or it could be the city you are in right now. 

How could it be one or all of those?

Verse 5 will help us answer that in just a moment, but first what is this river doing to the city of God?

It is making the city glad. 

Even if the city was under attack from disease or unrest or conflict or war, the river brings good tidings of great joy for all the people in the city. 

The river was bringing happiness.

So, what is this river?

Well, a physical river is super nice, but the vibe here is something bigger than just water.

Jesus was talking to a woman at a well one day.

She had lived a hard life and had been in and out of a number of failed relationships.

Jesus looked over the well and said to her:

John 4:13-14

Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst;

 

John 4:14

but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.

It’s as if Jesus was saying to her…

“You can get a bottle of water here and the water from this well has fantastic pH-levels and natural alkaline, but eventually you are going to get thirsty again and you will have to come back out here to get some more – but the water I have is like a never-ending river running to your soul and that water has the power to save and no matter what situation you may find yourself in the salvation my water brings has the power to make you glad.”

And how did the woman respond to Jesus?

John 4:15

“Sir, give me this water…”

• “I’ve been through 6 men now looking for love!”
• “But I’m still longing to be happy!”
• “I’m still longing to be satisfied!”
• “Please, give me this water!”
• “Please, give me this life!”

Take a second and ask your heart this very simple question – are you thirsty today?

Like that woman, are you screaming from the inside?

• “I’ve been through 6 pairs of pajamas since March!
• “But I’m still longing for everything to open back up!”
• “Please, give me this water!”
• “Please, give me this life!”

It is not hard to connect these dots – the well of water springing up to eternal life and the river that brings gladness have the same source.

How do we know that?

Listen to what the psalmist says next:

5 God is in the midst of her,

• God is in the midst of the city
• God is in the midst of the river
• God is in the midst of the holy dwelling place

Dr. Anthony Bradley is a professor of religious studies at The King’s College in New York City.

He has written on issues of race, overcriminalization, welfare, education, ethics and more – he often appears on broadcast TV networks to speak to those topics.

Anthony was at Clemson University the same time I was, and I had a few opportunities to listen in on conversations with him before and after Bible studies and Christian gatherings.

And the reason I say “listen in” is because when Anthony was talking, I was just there being a sponge – it only took a few seconds of being around him to hear the unique wisdom and insight God has given him.

I was recently watching a YouTube video of Anthony speaking at a conference called “Race and the Christian” and he quoted Abraham Kuyper.

Abraham Kuyper was Prime Minister of the Netherlands between 1901 and 1905.

This was the quote Anthony used…

Abraham Kuyper

There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, “Mine!”

• Every inch of your home
• Every inch of your neighborhood
• Every inch of this church
• Every inch of this state
• Every inch of this country
• Every inch of this world

You can’t compartmentalize God in your life.

I mean we think we can, but we can’t.

We can’t hide from him and we can’t act like God is hiding from us or hiding from this world. 

That truth is both comforting and scary.

Scary in that we might think that evil is winning. 

Scary in that we might think since we aren’t violent protesters or looters that somehow our sin toward other people isn’t that bad. 

But we should remember that there nothing new under the sun and it would be extremely helpful to memorize the words of the wise man of the Old Testament…

Ecclesiastes 12:13

The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.

Ecclesiastes 12:14

For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

God is in the midst of the world – that should stir us with a measure of holy fear and awe.

However, if you are a believer, then it should also stir you with some deep comfort. 

Why?

Because God is in the midst of the world!

You know why the river was making the city glad?

It was helping them remember God.

It was bringing water to people who were under attack and would be in desperate need of water.

Do you feel like our world is under attack right now?

Take me to the river.

The only river that can bring your heart any real, lasting hope and help and encouragement is the river springing up with eternal life.

So, how are you and the gospel today?

Is the gospel something that only works when the church is meeting in the sanctuary?

Is the gospel something that only works when there is no virus and no protesting?

Is the gospel something that only works when the government does everything right?

Or does the gospel work all the time?

This is what Jesus said…

John 12:46

I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.

That doesn’t mean that dark things will not happen.

It doesn’t mean that you will always:

• Escape the darkness of disease
• Escape the darkness of crime
• Escape the darkness of depression
• Escape the darkness of tragedy

It does mean that salvation calls us to no longer live in the dark ways of our sin.

And it does mean that salvation has changed the darkness of our status. 

How?

The Scriptures tell us that we have been transferred out of the kingdom of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of light. 

But can’t poor health and a poor economy and a pandemic and violent protests transfer me back?

Listen to what the psalmist says next:

5 God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;

Everything on the earth can change and the mountains might slip into the heart of the sea, but the status of a child of God will not change. 

One commentator said that you could translate the first part of verse 4 like this, “Lo! A river!”

It has the feel of someone who is beat down and worn down and worn out and they get just a shred of strength to lift their weary or angry head and they catch a glimpse of something real and true and whisper to themselves:

• “Oh yeah! There’s a river!”
• “Oh yeah! I’m a child of God!”
• “Oh yeah! I’m in the city of God!”
• “Oh yeah! God is here!”
• “Oh yeah! No power of Hell and no scheme of man can ever pluck me from his hand!”

Somebody said it’s like when Rocky Balboa was fighting Clubber Lang in the movie Rocky III.

Clubber is pounding Rocky and Rocky just keeps popping back up hit after hit saying, “You ain’t so bad, you ain’t so bad! You ain’t nothing!”

Well, the pain and the hurt and the sin and the evil that we inflict on other people and that other people inflict on us ain’t nothing – it’s something.

Life is hard and difficult and throughout history there have been wars and pandemics and protests and injustice and fear and anger and everything else under the sun. 

But no matter how many times we get knocked down by everything under the sun we can keep getting back up.

How?

Listen t o the last thing the psalmist says here:

5 God will help her when morning dawns.

Somebody’s sitting in their pajamas at home and just started belting out, “The sun will come out tomorrow!”

Well, for the Christian, no matter what the weather is tomorrow the sun will come out. 

If you can’t see the s-u-n tomorrow the S-o-n will be at full beam.

Someone might say:

“It says God will help when the morning dawns, but when I got up this morning God didn’t help me.”

“The same problems I went to bed with I woke up with again this morning.”

“The same hurt and pain and grief I had last night was still there this morning.”

“The same craziness in the world was still crazy today.”

Some mornings we wake up:

• Anxious
• Stressed
• Frustrated
• Afraid

Other mornings we wake up:

• Downtrodden
• Depressed

What can we do?

C.H. Spurgeon

How greatly I prize a portion of Scripture which is filled with God’s shalls and wills!

So, dear Christian, what will God do tomorrow at dawn?

He will help.

He may not help in the exact way you want him to help.

• He may not correct everything the way you want
• He may not keep things the same the way you want
• He may not change things the way you want
• He may not restore things back the way you want

But if you are in Christ, he will help.

How will he help?

By the time she was 18, Eliza was a full-time schoolteacher.

Not too long into her teaching career some kind of altercation happened, and she was possibly struck in the back by a student.

Whatever the circumstances, she was severely crippled for an extended period of time and disabled for the rest of her life.  

During her early days of being severely crippled, rather than get overwhelmed with fear or anger or discouragement, Eliza turned to the Bible for help. 

And she started writing poems and some of those poems have become spiritual anthems of the church. 

She was about 46 when she wrote these words while attending an outdoor church service near Ocean Grove, New Jersey:

Eliza Hewitt

Let us then be true and faithful,

Trusting, serving every day;

Just one glimpse of Him in glory

Will the toils of life repay.

I can’t make you believe that. 

If you are not a Christian, I can’t make you believe that one glimpse of Jesus after you die will repay all the toils of this life – but I can graciously say that’s his offer. 

• Salvation from sin
• Safety from spiritual death
• Satisfaction in the city of God forever

Dear listener, repent and turn to Christ today. 

And if you are a Christian, I can’t make you believe that either.

I can’t make you believe that one glimpse of Jesus after you die will repay all the fear and anger and aggravation and hurt and pain you are experiencing today, but I can graciously say that’s his promise. 

And tomorrow morning at dawn he will promise it again. 

And you might experience that promise tomorrow morning in person with Jesus – your faith might become sight. 

But if not, please know there is a river whose streams will bring that promise to you again – and if you will dip your cup in and take a drink, our good and gracious God will help and in him you can be glad. 

 

Message by Dow Welsh |

June 14, 2020 © Holland Avenue Baptist Church

 

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Above are pre-sermon manuscript notes, not sermon transcript

Sermon scriptures NASB unless otherwise noted

Lots of help from many pastors and theologians

Weekly help from Bruce Hurt at www.preceptaustin.org

https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/race-and-the-christian

How are you doing with drinking water? Are you drinking water the way you're supposed to? You know, some people will say that drinking eight cups of water today is a day is impossible. Some of those same people have eight cups of coffee before their alarm goes off. It happens a lot of reports out there about drinking water. One said that some of the reasons that people use for not drinking water is they don't like pain for bottled water is too expensive. They don't trust tap water or they just don't like the taste of water. Just just don't like it. Some of those may may describe where your thoughts are. If if you're somebody that wants to increase your intake of water, there's some tips out there some some things that will help you, things that will get you on track. One thing that you can do is maybe get a nap. You get an app, and you can track how much water you're drinking every day. I got a nap. I do this every day. It's helpful. Helps you see what you're doing helps you reach your goal. Or maybe you could get a water bottle that has measurements on there. And it's got times that you're supposed to drink a little motivational speeches on there for you to help you get to your place. Or maybe you can start eating foods that are significantly full of water. What kind of foods? Well, cucumbers have 96% water in a serving. Zucchini is 95% water and grapefruit is 91% water. Cucumbers, zucchini and great free. I think I'm just going to drink the water. I'm good. I'm fine. I think I think I'm just going to go there. Just go that now. If bacon or honey buns ever get to 90% water, Man, I am all in three times over mall About that. The Mayo Clinic has some important contributions that they note that water gives to the body. It says that water regulates body temperature. It protects body organs and tissues. It carries nutrients and oxygen to cells. It lubricates the joints in the body and it lessens the burden on the kidneys and on deliver those air some good things. One study noted that people who drank at least 10 glasses of order a day, They say that They are very happy that they're very energetic and they feel very successful. Tener Mauritz That's what the survey said. Also, it noted that people who drank four or less glasses of water a day are very likely toe own an your coffee mug, very likely tohave a squid word T shirt or very likely to have an incredible Hulk pillowcase. I mean, that's not really what it said, but you get the somebody once said that if you drank a gallon of water a day, you would never have any stress or worry or anxiety or frustration about anything going on in the world. Could you be in the bathroom all day long? You miss everything, you know. You just miss it. But the science and the reports that the research is technically true. There is a way for water to make you happy. How Let's see if we can find out. We turn our attention to some 46 beginning with verse four, the Psalmist writes. There is a river who streams make glad the city of God. About 700 years before Jesus was born, there was a man named Cenac Arab. He was the king of Syria and he led his people in an attack against Jerusalem. Now, this was odd for ancient cities, but Jerusalem was not built on a major river. So it's an accurate thought. Men, they'll cave pretty quick, you know, Fold when I attacked them because they're going to run out of order pretty quick and they'll be desperate for water. What he didn't realize was the king has a Kaya had built this kind of little underground river. It went about six football fields long through solid rock from a spring and took water right up into the middle of the city. So they had all the water that they needed. When it came time for the attack, the water they needed was right there for them. If you're a Christian, there is a river that's running about six gazillion infinity fields for solid space, time and eternity right up into your heart and your mind and your soul. And that river, according to the scriptures, gives you all the living water that you need for life gives you all the living water that you need, especially when you feel like life is caving in around you. This river gives you everything you need for your fear over the virus that this river gives everything you need for your anger over the virus. This river gives you everything you need for your fear over the economy or your anger over the economy. This river gives you everything that you need for your fear of her school or work your fear over unrest in our society. Your fear over natural disasters, your fear over health issues, your fear over social issues or racial issues. This river gives you everything you need for your fear and your anger and your aggravation and your apathy over anything and everything that you're dealing with in life. Yeah, some people here that go, man, they're putting on their best very best they can of their big mouth. Billy Bass face. Right, you know. Hey, hey, man, Take me to the river, man. Get me there. I want to get there. Other people in their hearts and their minds that kind of just roll their eyes because they just can't believe that a river like that Israel they're so overwhelmed by the reality of what they're seeing on the news, what they're hearing on talk radio. What what they're seeing on social media there, so overwhelmed with those things that they're just not convinced that this river Israel, they just can't get it in their minds. That they should make that shift, in fact was really happening is they're actually pushing God away from their hearts while at the very same time they might be staying. Our country needs God. The country needs God. I'm going to push him away from my heart is what Jesus said about our hearts. Luke, Chapter six, Verse 45. His mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. This is a real simple way that Jesus is describing humanity. He's saying that what comes out is a reflection of the heart that that what we think or what we say or what we text or what we post that message actually was typed out first in our hearts. So if you do the math on this, the math is not difficult. Bitter words come from a bitter heart. Angry words come from a angry heart. Impatient words come from an impatient heart. Arrogant words come from an arrogant heart. Complaining words come from a complaining heart. But the flip side is also true kind words come from a kind heart Encouraging words come from an encouraging heart. Joyful words come from a joy fart. Thankful words come from a thankful heart. So where's your heart today? Where is your heart like right now? Is it feeling overwhelmed with frustration, overwhelmed with anger, overwhelmed with aggravation? Listen, the truth for a lot of us right now is that we have grown comfortable with our anger. We're comfortable with our fear. We're comfortable with our aggravation, where we're comfortable being mad and being angry and being snippy are being afraid we're comfortable. And the truth iss that to follow Jesus requires more courage, more strength, more humility, more hope. Then we're willing to give right now. And yet the gospel still calls us to see the great news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not hot pocket faith. Okay, it's more like a crock pot faith, meaning that the gospel is not some quick fix that you can nuke a little bit for hard times. No, for hard times, we need to be the kind of people that already had the gospel in our spiritual crockpot. And if you didn't, then we need to put it in their day because we need the gospel inside of us simmering around so that all the flavor and all the juice of our salvation stoke into our parts. So how we get there, how do we get face like that? We got to throw that crock pot in the river. Okay, You gotta put on your big mouth, Billy Bass for a little bit. Okay, so let's do that. We're going to look at this river, but let's bring in the last part of verse four. As we think through it. This again, Verse four. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God the holy dwelling places of the most high. So this river makes glad the city of God and the City of God is described as the the holy dwelling places of the most high. So where is the city of God? Well, the language, the psalm issues gives us some some leeway here. A little bit. It could be referring to the ancient city of Jerusalem. It it could be referring to John's revelation of of the new Jerusalem. Or it could be referring to the city that you're in right now. How could all this be true? Well, 1st 5 is going to help us with that. But But first, let's let's just kind of look at what the rivers doing. Okay. What is the river doing to the city? The river is making the city glad. Even under attack or unrest or disease or conflict or war or social unrest. Anything that might be happening to the city. The river makes glad the people in the city the river is bringing happiness. So what's this river? Well, a physical river. Super nice. You know, some of you may be out on the river somewhere where you are today. But again, the language of the psalm seems to give a viable more than just water. One day Jesus was out by will. He was talking to a woman. This woman. I had a hard life, a really tough life. She had been in and out of a lot of failed relationships. And so they're out by this well, and Jesus turns to her. And this is what he says to the woman John. Chapter four, verse 13. Everyone who drinks of this water well, thirst again. But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst. And he said this. But the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. It's as if Jesus was saying to this woman, Hey, look, this water, it's great. Fantastic. I mean, the ph numbers here off the charts that they're perfect, the natural alkaline great in this. Well, this is super water, but you're going to get thirsty again, and you got to come back out here and get some more water. But the water that I'm offer has the power to save. And in any circumstance that a person might find themselves in the water that I'm offering has the power through salvation to make that person glass any moment, any time. This water can make you glad. So how did the woman respond to Jesus? This might be one of my favorite versus at least my favorite responses in all of the Bible. John 4 15 Sir. Give me this water. But she wanted, She heard she was. She was almost screaming from the inside of Jesus. Please Look, I've been through six men trying to find love And yet I'm still miserable and broken I'm still longing for love I'm still longing for hope I'm so longing for help I'm still longing to be satisfied Please, Mr give me this water Give me this life maybe day You're you're not much different than that woman Maybe you look at everything that's happened in your life right now all the events occurring around you all the things your family's having to endure And you might be saying Look, I've been through six pairs of drama since March Okay? No, I am longing for things to get back to something longing for things to be open again. I'm longing for things to be back to normal. So so yet nothing's happening the way that I thought it would happen I'm still desperate So please, Mr Give me this water. Please give me this life. It's not hard to connect these dots the water that is springing up with eternal life, the water that Jesus is talking about and the river that makes the city glad that the psalmist is talking about Both of those sources of water have the same main source. They come from the same place. How do we know that? Listen, Verse five. God is in the midst of Yeah, God's in the midst of the city gods in the midst of the river gods in the midst of the holy dwelling place. God is there, He's there. Dr. Anthony Bradley is professor of religious studies at King's College in New York City. He has written extensively on issues like race, incarceration over criminalization, welfare, education, ethics and others. He is often asked to be on broadcast news networks to speak to some of these topics. Anthony was in college same time I was. And so there were times Clemson that I had a chance to kind of be around some conversations with Anthony after Bible studies before Bible studies and other Christian gatherings. And I was able to kind of listen in on the conversation. And the reason I say listen in is because you only had to be on Anthony for a few seconds to see the wisdom and insight, the unique wisdom and insight that God has gifted him with. Recently, I was watching a part of a preference conference that Anthony spoke at this from a few years back. It was on YouTube and and he's one of the speakers and the conference was was race and the Christian and enduring his portion, he quoted Abraham Keiper. Keiper was the prime minister of the Netherlands from 1901 to 1905 and this was the quote that Anthony used. In his message that night, Kiper said. This there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign overall, does not cry mine. That's that's a bit of a stunning thought. Right there. It is every inch of your home, every inch of your neighborhood, every inch of this church, every inch of the state, every inch of the country, every inch of the world, every inch of your attitude, every inch of your emotions, every inch of your actions, every inch of your reactions, every inch of everything, and everyone all over the universe. Jesus gets to say mine. It's it's hiss. And what that does is it reminds us that we can't compartmentalize God in our lives. Don't get me wrong. We're going to try the rest of today way all the time, but we can't actually do it. We can actually hide from God when we can't actually believe the lie, although will try. Believe the lie that goddess somehow hiding from the world. Now that truth should be scary and comforting. Scary in the sense that we would think that evil is winning because that's what some of us were thinking, right? We're thinking evil is winning and somehow God is absent that he's hiding, that he's not around. It should also be scared to us in the sense that we probably somewhere in our minds and our hearts are thinking, Well, I'm not a violent protester. I'm not looting anywhere. So my sin, it isn't that big of a deal. God's okay with myself again. That's the lie. When we said What God's not really here. He's not really paying attention. We should remember and memorize that there is nothing new under the sun. Nothing, nothing. A wise man in the Old Testament said this. Clesius Ecclesiastes, Chapter 12 or 13. The conclusion when all has been heard, is this Fear God and keep his commandments. Why? Because this applies to every person, every person, and then he goes own verse 14 for God will bring every act to judgment. Everything which is hidden whether it is good or evil. God is in the midst of the world. He's in the midst off the city. He's in the midst of your home. He's in the midst of your life. That should create a sense of holy fear and reverence and all. And if you're a Christian, it should also create a sense of comfort. Why? Because God is in the midst of the city. Thank God is in the midst of the world. And God is in the midst of your home. And God is in the midst of your life. God is there. You know why the river was making the city? Glad you know why? Because the river was helping them. Remember God, the river was helping them. See that they don't forget you. You have got They were going to be desperate for water. And the river just kept bringing the hope of the gospel back to them saying Hey, you know what you have, The Lord. When attack came their way, the river brought them gladness in God. So just a curiosity question. Do you feel like our country is under attack? you feel like the world is under attack and take me to the river Take me to the river That's what the Gospels always telling us Take me to the river Take me to the river Take me to the river So the question might be this Where you with the gospel today is the gospel. Something that Onley works for you when the church's gathered in the building is the gospel something that only works for you when there's no virus and there's no pandemic and there's no protesting is the gospel something that works for you when the government is doing everything right? Yeah. Does the gospel just work? Is the gospel not just working all the time? Isn't that the nature of the gospel that no matter what's happening, the power of God is alive in and through the gospel of Jesus? Isn't that how the gospel this is? What? Jesus said John, Chapter 12 verse 46. I have come as light. I love this translation here capital L Novi. He's the light. I have come as light into the world so that everyone who believes in me will not remain in darkness. Now that doesn't mean that dark things will not happen if you come to faith in Christ. If you're a believer, it doesn't mean that you're always going to escape the darkness of disease or the darkness of crime or the darkness of depression or the darkness of tragedy. This that's not what it means. It does mean that salvation will pull you and drive you away from the darkness of your sin. But you won't love it and be okay with it anymore to pull you away from the darkness of your sin. And it also means that salvation has changed the darkness of your status. How, with scriptures say this that a believer has been transferred from the Kingdom of Darkness into the kingdom of light. This one might say, But hey, women can't can't poor health or a pandemic or violent protests or a number of other things. Can't those things actually transfer me back? Can't. There's things kind of pulled me out of the light and put me in the darkness. Listen, what Osama says, Verse five. God is in the midst of her. She will not be miffed. Back in verses one through three, we had a different picture from the Somis, he said. You know what he said. The earth might change, and by the way, the earth will change. Everything in our life will keep changing. That's that's what it means to be alive, he says. The earth can change, and the mountains they might even slip into the ocean. But nothing will happen to the status of the child of God. Like nothing, nothing. Everything between you and God will be the same. Not because you're great, because he's great, not because you're obedient because he's under pressing. He's omnipotence. He's omni everything. So your status with God will never change, no matter what happens around you. If you are in Christ because he's the keeper. One commentator said that you could translate Verse four like this low a river, Not just Oh, there's a river with their low a river. You go. There's if there's a river over there, it has this picture off someone who's so beat down, so worn out, so worn down, so weary, so frustrated, so tired, so stressed, and then they get this little shred of strength and they're able to lift their eyes just a little bit and when they do, they kind of catch a glimpse of something that's true and real. And they say, Oh, oh, yeah, There's a river Oh, yeah, I'm a child of God Oh, yeah, I'm in the city of God Oh, yeah, no power of hell and no scheme of man And nothing in my social media feed will ever plucked me from his hand. Oh yeah, the river, the river That's what the gospel does that that's That's why we keep putting our attention and our focus and our hope in the gospel Somebody said It's kind like Rocky and clubber in Rocky three. You know? I mean, Clubber is wailing on rock. I mean, just boom, boom, boom rocket pocket back up You ain't nothing. It's kind of like that. The reality is this the sin and the arrogance and the apathy and the evil that we and flicked on other people and the other people inflict on us. It ain't nothing. It's is something. It's something really listen. Life is hard and difficult, and throughout history there have been pandemics and there have been protest and there has been unrest and there has been conflict and every other thing own your news feed today has always been It's always been. It's always been. That's the promise from the beginning to the end of the Bible. God has promised us there's nothing new under the sun. This just happens to be the son we're under now. So throughout history, there's always been things like this. There's nothing new under the sun, but everything under the sun that knocks us down. We can still pop back up again. How? How is that even possible? Listen, the last thing Assam assists, God will help her. When morning dawns, God will help her when morning dawns. You know the danger of online churches. Some dad right now at home who is prone to tell dad jokes, sitting in his pajamas. And he just looked at his kids. And when the sun will come back tomorrow because we do that right, maybe that's just me. But you know, here's the thing. If you're a believer, the sun will come out tomorrow. No matter what the weather may say, the sun will come out tomorrow. You may not see the s U in, but if you're in Christ tomorrow, the S O in will be a full being, and nothing will change that. And nothing can hinder that. And nothing can turn that someone might say, Wait a minute. You're telling me that the Bible says God will help me when the morning dawns? But you know what, buddy? I got up this morning and God didn't help me. All the pain I went to bed with last night All the grief, all the hurt, all that stuff. It was still here when I got up. This more God didn't help me And all the chaos in our country all the chaos in our world. When I went to bed last night, it was real. And when I woke up this morning, it's still there. God didn't got in help. He and around he didn't show up this morning in my life. Listen, here's the truth. They're going to be mornings. Maybe a lot of that. We wake up anxious, stress frustrated or afraid. And there's going to be other mornings that we wake up, down, trodden and depressed. That's true. So what can we do? Charles Virgin said this. He said how greatly I prize a portion of Scripture which is filled with God's sh owls and wills. I love that. Another is what he's saying is, Man, I love when I read the Bible and I come to the I will or I shall or God Will and God shall Those air was your goodwill's and good shells. So they're Christian. What will God do? Tomorrow morning you'll help. He will help. Now. He may not help the way you want him to help, but he will. He may not correct everything that you won't correct it. He may not keep things the same way that you want them to stay. He may not bring back normal. He may not change things the way you want them change. He may not restore things the way you want them restored, but tomorrow at dawn, he'll help. If you are in Christ, he will help. How? How will he help? By the time she was 18 ELISA was already a full time school teacher. Early on and her teaching career there was some kind of altercation happened, maybe even possible that she was hit in the back by student. But whatever the circumstances were, she found herself severely crippled for an extended period of time and then really, in some way disabled for the rest of her life. During that time of severe crippling rather than overwhelmed with fear or anger or bitterness or discouragement, ELISA started spinning their time, Mawr and Mawr in God's work. She started just loving the Bible, and as she did it, she kept loving God's word more. She started writing poems that points were just pouring out of her. She reflected on the Scripture. Some of her poems have become fantastic anthems in the church. When she was about 46 she was an Ocean Grove, New Jersey, at an outdoor church service. And while she was there, she wrote a point. And and this is a few of the words from that point, let us then be true and faithful, trusting, serving every day, just one glimpse of him and glory. Will the toils of life prepay? I wish I could, but But I can't make you believe that if you're not a Christian, I wish I could, but I can't make you believe it. I can't make you believe that scene one glimpse of Jesus when you wake up on the other side of death would repay all the toil and all the trouble and all the tribulation and all the tragedy that you've experienced in life. I can't make you believe it. But I can graciously say this. That is its offer. That's just offer. Jesus loved you and gave himself up for you on the cross so that you might have salvation from sin. You might have safety from eternal death and you might be satisfied in the city of God forever. If you're not a follower of Jesus we played with you repent and come to him. And if you are a Christian, I can't make you believe that either. I wish I could. I wish there was a way that I could convince you that one glimpse of Jesus I will repay all the stress and bitterness and aggravation and anger and fear and worry an aggravation and frustration and anxiety that you have today that you are experiencing in life as you keep going to him. But I can't take this. It is his promise. It's exactly what he promised. Jesus promised that tomorrow morning all over again, the river of God's grace and mercy will be coming again. Sometimes we don't believe it. Sometimes we think it's not true. But I just want you to know that tomorrow morning, if you're a believer, you might experience that river first person. Before tomorrow morning, your faith might become site. And if so, praise the Lord for your salvation. But if not, if not tomorrow morning. According to everything that we see in the Scripture, there is a river who streams will bring that promise to you. And dear Christian, if you will take your cup and dip it in that river, pull up that cup and drink. I promise. Because God has promised that he will be your god. He will be in the midst of you. You will not be moved. And because of him he can make you glad he can make you glad. There is a river. There is a river. May the Lord take us to the river.