Here Am I, Lord. Send Someone Else.

Here Am I, Lord. Send Someone Else.

Exodus 3: 1 – 15.

Introduction

I have been wanting to preach on the Book of Exodus for the past several months. Earlier in the Summer, I started thinking about what this Old Testament book has to say to us as a church at this time in our history.

The Book of Exodus tells the story of how the Hebrew people went from slaves in Egypt to becoming a nation in their own right. They were a people with no national identity. They become the Nation of Israel. They were slaves to Pharaoh, but became the People of God. This was not something they could achieve on their own. It took a mighty act of God to rescue them and to establish them as God’s people.

However, their identity did not change as soon as they left Egypt. No. God led them through the wilderness for forty years before they entered into the Promised Land. God was with them in the wilderness. God gave them his Law while they were in the wilderness. God gave them his presence while they were in the wilderness. God provided for all their needs in the wilderness. And, when they finally entered into the Promised Land, Israel was able to look back and realize that God used their wilderness years to form them into the people God wanted them to become.

I think there is a lesson in this for us as a church. For the past couple of years, we have been engaged in a long range planning process. We are dreaming about the kind of church we can become…the kind of church God wants us to be. But, we find ourselves in a wilderness. We have experienced numerous setbacks in the past fifteen years.

During this time, there have been numerous times when it seemed like things were about to turn around for our church. And just as things were improving, something happened. The paper mill closed down. Temple-Inland restructured their business. Citation Corporation closed their Lufkin foundry. Our nation entered into an economic recession. We find ourselves in a wilderness.

In Exodus, we read about how God uses wilderness experiences to grow his people. God does not abandon us in the wilderness. God is with us. AND…God will not leave us in the wilderness forever. He is using this wilderness experience to prepare us for something new. We see this in the story of Israel. And we see this in the story of Moses.

Exodus 3: 1 – 15.

1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.

3 So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight-- why the bush does not burn up."

4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am."

5 "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."

6 Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

7 The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.

8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey-- the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.

9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.

10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."

11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"

12 And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain."

13 Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?"

14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

15 God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers-- the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob-- has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.

(NIV)

At this point in Moses’ life, he was feeling like a failure. Moses’ life started out with a miracle. He was born at a time when the Egyptians were trying to kill the Hebrew people. The king commanded that all Hebrew baby boys should be thrown into the Nile River to be killed. But, Moses’ mother did not want to kill him. She made a basket-boat, placed three-month-old Moses in the basket-boat and floated it in the Nile.

Ironically, the king who wanted to kill all the Hebrew boys had a daughter. She discovered Moses in the basket-boat and had compassion for this baby he father wanted to kill. She saved Moses’ life and hired Moses’ own mother to nurse him. When Moses was weaned, Pharaoh’s daughter took him into the royal palace and reared him as the Prince of Egypt.

When Moses was about 40 years old, he first noticed the suffering of the Hebrew people. He saw an Egyptian slave master beating a Hebrew slave. He stepped in and actually killed the Egyptian. He did everything in his own power to bring justice to the Hebrew slaves. But, Moses’ efforts were not enough. His murder was discovered, and the king—his own grandfather—vowed to kill Moses for what he had done. Moses fled into the wilderness to save his own life.

In the wilderness, he met and married a woman named Zipporah. He worked as a shepherd for her father, Jethro. Moses and Zipporah had a child and began to settle down in the wilderness. We know they were settling down, because Moses named his first son Gershom, which means “an alien here.” Moses had resigned himself to a life of living as a stranger in a strange land.

Imagine how Moses must have felt like a failure. He had been the prince of the most powerful nation in the ancient world. But he had lost all the privileges of being the king’s grandson. He was no longer living in the bountiful land of Egypt. Now, he was living in the wilderness—the desert. There was no rain, no trees, no food…He was living in a barren and lifeless place. And, to top it all off…He now had to work for a living. Princes don’t have to work. The nation takes care of them as long as the king is in power. But, Moses had to work as a shepherd in the desert.

Can you imagine a more difficult job than being a shepherd in the desert? A shepherd has to provide food and water for sheep. Sheep eat grass and drink water. Grass and water are the two most difficult things to find in a desert. So, Moses had to keep moving around from one oasis to the next oasis.

One day while Moses was leading the sheep to find food and water, God showed up in the form of a burning bush. Moses approached the bush and heard the voice of God.

God told Moses that he had a plan for Moses’ life. God wanted to use Moses to lead the Hebrew people out of slavery in Egypt. This was the very thing Moses wanted to see happen. So, it comes as somewhat of a surprise how Moses answered God’s call. Moses did not immediately say Yes to God’s call. Instead, Moses argued with God.

Look at the first and last words Moses said to God at the burning bush.

Exodus 3: 4, “Here I am.”

Exodus 4: 13, “O Lord, please send someone else.”

Know Your Past.

The mistake we usually make in trying to determine God’s will for our lives is that we try to look forward into the future. We forget that this is humanly impossible and that God doesn’t want us to even try. And we forget that it is only in hindsight that we have 20/20 vision.

We can learn this from Moses’ call by reflecting back on Moses’ life and the way God prepared him for a specific task, or calling.

It was by God’s Providence that the Hebrew people were in Egypt. They came through Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers, and God used this to save their lives. After Joseph died, the Hebrews stayed in Egypt and multiplied in number. This was because of God’s promise to Abraham.

Egyptians began to fear the Hebrews because of their number. The Hebrews were kept as slaves so that they would not overthrow government. Then Pharaoh ordered that all Hebrew baby boys to be thrown into Nile.

Moses was born at this time, and his mother saved his life. She put him in a basket boat and floated him in Nile. His sister Miriam watched him from the bushes. Pharaoh’s daughter found the basket boat while she was bathing. Miriam offered to get a Heb nurse for the baby & brought own mother. Moses was nursed by his own mother and returned to the Princess when he grew older.

First, we see that Moses was fully Hebrew, but reared in the palace of the Pharaoh.

He knew both languages and was accepted in the palace.

Second, we see that Moses had a strong desire that the Hebrew people receive Justice.

He identified with the Hebrews more than his Egyptian upbringing. This became apparent when Moses saw the Hebrew slave being beaten by the Egyptian. Moses came to the rescue of the Hebrew and killed the Egyptian.

Third, we see that Moses knew how to be a shepherd.

This is important for at least a couple of reasons.

On one hand, Moses was the shepherd for someone else’s sheep. Moses had all the responsibility for providing for the sheep…But they weren’t Moses’ sheep. They belonged to his father-in-law. When Moses became the shepherd of God’s people, he found himself in the same situation. Moses had all the responsibility, but the people belonged to God.

On the other hand, Moses learned survival skills while he was in the wilderness. He learned how to deal with the heat; where to find food and water; and how to navigated the barren land. Interestingly, this is the same wilderness where God led the Hebrew people during the forty years after they left Egypt and before they entered into the Promised Land.

God equipped Moses for this specific task. Moses was the best choice for the job. God knew what he was doing when he called Moses, because God had been at work in Moses’ life to prepare him for leading God’s people.

Trust God’s Future.

Moses’ call experience is actually a struggle between Moses and God. God is trying to assure Moses about the future, but Moses can only think about the past. And when Moses thinks about the past, he can only remember the places where he has failed.

Exodus 3: 10 – 12.

10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."

11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"

12 And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain."

(NIV)

Moses asked who am I? I’ve never amounted to much. God said, “Forget about your past, and trust me with your future.”

Exodus 3: 13 – 14.

13 Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?"

14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

(NIV)

Moses asked, who is this God of the past and my ancestors? God said, “I am who I always will be. I will always be in the future what I am right now.”

God is faithful and unchanging in the past and future.

If we want to do God’s will in the future, we have to let go of our past failures and trust God with the future. After all, only God is present in the past and the future. We have never lived the future.

Live the Present.

But, God’s will requires one last thing. Simply knowing the past and trusting the future are never enough. God wants us to act on these two things. If we want to do God’s will, we must actively live the present.

We cannot Re-Live the Past. . .

Although there are many people who try… Hanging on to their younger years…Trying to pretend they are still an 18 – 20 year old.

Some even try to live as if the church were the same today as it was 15 – 20 years ago. I hate to admit this, but church is no longer the most important thing in people’s lives as it was 15 – 20 years ago. The culture we live in has changed. The churches which are most effective today recognize that we have to change our methods to reach a changed culture. If we want to be effective in reaching people for Christ in the 21^st Century, we will have to accept that, let go of the Past and live in the Present.

We cannot Pre-Live the Future. . .

Any time we engage in long range planning for our church there is a temptation to skip over the present in order to live in the future. But we must be honest with ourselves and admit that we do not know what the future hold.

The only thing we know with certainty about the future is what God told Moses at the burning bush. God is already there. God is in the future, and God in the future is the same as God in the past or God in the present. God in the future drawing us into the future to join him. If God had a plan for us in the past, and if God has a plan for us in the present, then God has a plan for us in the future.

We can Live the Present. . .

The past is not better than the present. The future is not better than the present. In fact, if you really think about it…the present is really all we have. The past has come and gone never to be recovered. There is no guarantee that any of us will live to see the future. God has given us the Here and Now. We must be faithful with the Present God has given us.

If we cannot be trusted with the Present, How can we expect God to give us a Future?

Conclusion

Today, God is speaking to each of us. He is speaking to us individually about his plans for your present and your future. Like the story of Moses, God has been using your past and your present to prepare you for something. How will you answer? Will you say, “Here I am, Lord. Use me?” Or will you say, “Here I am, Lord. Use someone else?”

God is also speaking to our church. God has been using our past experiences and our present wilderness to prepare us for something. How will we answer? Do we want to be the church God uses? Or do we want God to find another church?

Surprised By God.

Luke 7: 18 – 23.

Introduction.

Have you ever known someone so well that you could predict how they would respond in any given situation? You know their responses so well that you can even manipulate them into doing exactly what you want?

One of my favorite stories to tell from my childhood happened when my brother and I were fighting over a baseball our grandfather had given us. Our grandfather ate Kellogg’s Corn Flakes for breakfast every morning and saved the box tops to send in for whatever they were offering as the special offer. Once the special offer was for a Kellogg’s Baseball, so my grandfather saved enough box tops to send off for six baseballs—one for each grandson.

My brother and I had our very own baseball, but you know how brothers are…I lost mine and was trying to convince John that his baseball was lost…After all, what are older brothers for?

We obviously made too much noise, because my Mother caught us and asked, “What is going on in here?”

John said, “Andy is trying to take my baseball.”

I said, “No, I’m not. John is trying to take my baseball.”

Mother said, “Whose baseball is it?”

John said, “Mine!” I said, “Mine!”

Mother said, I can solve this. I will go get the hoe and cut the baseball in half. That way Andy can have half, and John can have half.”

Well, I was the older and the much wiser son, and I knew what she was doing. I recognized immediately that she was trying to follow the biblical story of Solomon and the two women arguing over the baby…And I knew how that story turned out.

John couldn’t help himself…He said, “Cool! I have always wanted to know what was inside a baseball.”

I said, “No! Don’t cut it in half! I don’t want to ruin the baseball. Just give it to John. Maybe he will let me play with it too.”

Mother said, “I think I know whose baseball it is now. Andy, you can have you ball back.”

My Mother has always been real proud of herself and the way she solved that brotherly spat…That is until just recently, when I confessed to her that I had tricked her…

Since I knew the biblical story of Solomon and the two women, I knew that I had to act quickly if I wanted to get that baseball. I knew how my Mother would respond if I acted a certain way. And I was able to control the situation by predicting her response.

How many of us are guilty of doing the same thing in our relationship with God? We think that if we act a certain way, then God will be obligated to bless us—this is the basic belief behind the book The Prayer of Jabez. If we act a certain way and pray a certain prayer, then God will have to bless us or respond in predictable ways.

But this raises an interesting set of questions for us to consider…If God is obligated to respond certain ways to our prayers and actions, then who is really in control?

As we read Scripture, we discover that God is the one who is ALWAYS in control. And no matter how hard we might try to capture God and contain him and limit his activity to certain responses or even manipulate him into doing our will, we are often Surprised By God and the way he works in the world.

One example of someone being Surprised By God comes from the story of Jesus and John the Baptist…

Read Luke 7: 18 – 23.

18 John's disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them,

19 he sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?"

20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?'"

21 At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind.

22 So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

23 Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."

(NIV)

To me, the key to this passage is the very last verse I read…Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of Jesus…

John the Baptist Was Surprised By God.

Jesus and John the Baptist have been intertwined since before either one of them was born and throughout their lives and ministries…The Gospel of John teaches us that John the Baptist’s ministry actually centered on pointing others toward following Jesus as the Promised Messiah, or the Christ…

At this point in John’s ministry, however, he was beginning to have questions…Matthew tells us that John is right now in prison, facing the death penalty for preaching against Herod’s incestuous relationship with his step-daughter…

Several of John’s disciples came to John’s jail cell and reported what Jesus had done in the past few days…Jesus had healed the son of a Roman soldier…And Jesus had raised a widow’s son to life…

These two miracles don’t seem very strange to you and me…We expect Jesus to heal the sick and raise the dead. But a good Jewish person like John the Baptist found these two miracles very confusing.

When Jesus healed the Roman soldier’s son, he had moved his ministry outside the Jewish people and was ministering to Gentiles. When Jesus healed the widow’s son, he had moved his ministry beyond a male oriented society and showed concern for the needs of women…Jesus was ministering to people who would have been overlooked by typical Jewish Rabbis of that day…

John was Surprised to see Jesus working among the outcasts and forgotten people of society, so he sent his disciples with a question for Jesus to answer…Are you the One who is to come, or should we look for another? This is the same thing as asking, Are you the Promised Messiah?

I think there are two ways we can interpret John’s question:

If you are the Messiah, then you need to start acting like it…

When John preached about the coming Messiah, he preached about Judgment:

“Repent, for the Kingdom of God is coming.”

“I baptize you with water, but the coming Messiah will baptize with FIRE.”

Many people expected the coming Messiah to judge the wicked and vindicate the righteous…Messiah would prove once and for all that the Jewish people were God’s chosen people to the exclusion of all other people…We are right and everyone else is wrong…

If you are the Messiah, then I will have to change my view of the Messiah…

John heard the reports from his disciples about the ways Jesus is reaching out to non-Jewish people and giving full rights to women and is beginning to wonder, “Are these the kinds of things the Messiah is supposed to do?”

Can someone who gives attention to dead people, the poorest people of society, the outcasts and sinners truly be the Promised Messiah?

This is an important question…Because if Jesus really is the Messiah, then what Jesus does is what God is doing…AND…This is what God expects his followers to do in the world…

I want you to look at how Jesus answered John’s question…

Read Luke 7: 20 – 22

20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?'"

21 At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind.

22 So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

(NIV)

Does that sound familiar? It would have sounded familiar to John and his disciples. It reminded them of the day when Jesus launched his public ministry. He attended synagogue at his home synagogue and was asked to read the Scripture reading from Isaiah 61: 1 – 2…

Read Luke 4: 14 – 21

14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.

15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read.

17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,

19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him,

21 and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

(NIV)

No matter what the Jewish people might expect out of the Messiah, THIS is what the Messiah is supposed to do…Evangelize the Poor…Proclaim freedom to the captives…Sight for the Blind…Release the Oppressed…Proclaim the Year of the Lord’s Favor…

Others Who Were Surprised By God.

As I read this story of John the Baptist and how he was Surprised By God, I remember two other men in the Bible who were Surprised By God:

Jonah was Surprised By God’s Grace…

Jonah reluctantly went to Ninevah to preach a message of doom and judgment to the Gentile sinners of that wicked city…Jonah had no idea that the people of Ninevah would repent as they did…But they did, and God chose to save them from the destruction that Jonah had prophesied…

Jonah came to the city preaching, “Forty days and Ninevah will be destroyed”…Yet, in forty days the people repented and they received the Grace of God…

Jonah was upset that God had not destroyed the city…He thought he knew better than God…He was Surprised by the Grace of God…

Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever been Surprised By God’s Grace, when you have witnessed the changed life of a sinner whom you thought did not deserve to be saved…Of course, none of us DESERVE to be saved…

Rich Young Ruler was Surprised By God’s Demands…

In Luke 18, we read a story about a Rich Young Man who ran up to Jesus and said, “Quick! I’m looking for the shortcut to Heaven.”

Jesus told the man to keep the commandments and to give up the one thing that stood between him and God—to give all his money to the poor.

Then, Luke finished the story by saying the young man walked away sad, because he was unwilling to give up money as his idol…

The Rich Young Ruler was Surprised By God’s Demands…God demands that he should be the most important priority in our lives…And that we have no other gods before him…And the Rich Young Ruler walked away sad…Looking for a shortcut to Heaven and thinking that he knew better than Jesus…

Conclusion: Jesus’ Challenge to His Followers.

Look with me one more time at the last verse of our passage…

Read Luke 7: 23

23 Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."

(NIV)

Does that sound like the Rich Young Ruler? He was Surprised By God and walked away sad, because he was not willing to let God be in control of his life…He had hoped that he could hang on to control and Lordship of his own life…

“Blessed are the ones who are Surprised and do not fall away. Blessed are the ones who are Surprised and continue to give themselves over to God’s Lordship and control.”

Today, there are many of us who have tried to place our expectations and restrictions on God…Trying to tell him how he can and cannot act in any given situation…But, again, if we have God figured out and if we can obligate God to act certain ways in certain situations…Who is really in charge?

God is Sovereign and a Mystery that we cannot control…Anything less would be idolatry!

If we are truly led by God—or controlled by the Holy Spirit—we can’t know what the outcome will be. All we can really know is the next step. We will not know where the next step will lead us. We cannot know what the final outcome will be…Because we are not in control…God is in control.

Good News in the Midst of Tragedy

Good News in the Midst of Tragedy

Psalm 46: 1 – 11

Introduction

Certain tragedies have defined generations of Americans. These tragedies are memorable events in our lives…even to the point that we discuss these tragedies by asking, “Where were you when you heard _____?

The GI Generation was defined by the events of December 7, 1941. They form community around the question, “Where were you when you heard that the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor?

The Baby Boomers are defined by November 22, 1963. They form community around the question, “Where were you when you heard that John F. Kennedy was shot?”

My generation, Generation X, is defined by January 28, 1986. Our question is, “Where were you when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded on takeoff?”

The Millennial Generation is defined by September 11, 2001. They ask each other, “Where were you when terrorists hijacked four airplanes and used them as weapons against our nation?”

You can sort of determine how old a person is based on how many of those questions they can answer. I can only answer two. I was in ninth grade and at home sick when I watched the Space Shuttle Challenger explode on takeoff. The television station cut away from The Price Is Right to show the launch live, because Christa McAuliffe was to be the first teacher in space. On September 11, 2001, I was pastor of FBC Canton, Mississippi. I heard about the first plane on the radio after I took Collin to school. Then, I watched the second plane and the rest of the events in the church office—unable to do anything but watch the news on TV.

For some reason, we feel compelled to talk about where we were when we experienced these tragedies. Perhaps it would be better for us to ask and answer a different question. For example, we could ask, “Where was God on September 11?”

There are a couple of ways we could answer this question biblically. We could answer it by recalling the stories of the Bible.

The Book of Exodus tells the miraculous story of how God used Moses to lead God’s people out of slavery in Egypt. It all began when God spoke to Moses from a burning bush, while he was shepherding his father-in-law’s sheep in the desert. At the burning bush, God promised that he would be with Moses. And God proved his ongoing presence by giving Moses a miraculous stick—a staff which represented God and reminded Moses of God’s power every time it turned into a snake.

When Moses led God’s people out of Egyptian slavery, God again promised that he would be present with them. And God proved his presence by providing a visual reminder. While they were travelling through the desert for 40 years, every day and every night they remembered God’s presence. It was right there in front of them—a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. No matter how difficult their lives were in the desert, they knew God was present with them. When they were hungry, God was there. When they were thirsty, God was there. When they were tired, weary and lonely, God was there. God is present when God’s people suffer.

We can see the same point illustrated in the New Testament in the crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus was not an ordinary man. Jesus is the unique, virgin-born Son of God. Jesus set an example for us in the way he lived his life. Even though Jesus was a human, just like you and me…Even though Jesus faced temptations, just like you and me…Jesus lived a sinless life. Jesus upheld and fulfilled the Law in all of its fullness. However, even Jesus experienced suffering. Jesus was betrayed by one of his own disciples. Jesus was abandoned by all of his disciples. Jesus was falsely accused by the religious leaders. Jesus was beaten and crucified by the Romans. Jesus experienced all of the pain we face as humans.

God has one child without sin, but none of God’s children escape suffering.

For this reason, I think it is safe to say that the crucifixion of Jesus, the Son of God, demonstrates how God is present when God’s people suffer.

Where was God on September 11? God was in the same place where he was when the Hebrew people were travelling in the desert for 40 years. God was present with his suffering people. Where was God on September 11? God was in the same place where he was when Jesus was on the cross. God was present in the suffering of his people.

On one hand, we can answer the question “Where was God?” by looking at the stories of the Bible. On the other hand, we can read Scriptures like Psalm 46.

Read Psalm 46: 1 – 11.

1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.

5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.

6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

8 Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire.

10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

11 The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

(NIV)

There is a recurring theme in this Psalm. Simply stated, it affirms the presence of God. Psalm 46 tells us that God is present four times—verse 1, “ever-present help;” verse 5, “God is within her (the city of God);” verse 7, “The LORD Almighty is with us;” and verse 11, “The LORD Almighty is with us.” God is present in all circumstances…including the times when we are facing tragedies.

God Is Our Shelter

One type of trouble we face comes in the form of natural disaster. Psalm 46 describes natural disaster as those times when the earth gives way under our feet, the mountains fall into the sea, the sea churns chaotically, and the mountains rise and fall on the horizon. This sounds like an earthquake.

Many of us have never lived through an earthquake…But we face our own kinds of natural disasters here in East Texas. We have tornadoes and hurricanes. No matter where we live, we have to live with natural disaster of one kind or another.

No matter what kind of natural disaster we face, we experience fear and uncertainty. In an earthquake, the ground moves beneath our feet. In a tornado or hurricane, it seems like the sky is falling down on top of us. We watch the storms on television and wit until the weatherman tells us to “seek shelter immediately.”

That is what Psalm 46 is telling us about God. God is our refuge…Our shelter. He is the only one who can protect us when the ground and the sky are not stable. God remains stable and unchanging in all circumstances.

Of course, earthquakes and tornadoes are not the only kinds of natural disaster we face. Cancer and other life-threatening illnesses are natural disasters. A diagnosis can shake us to our foundations and send us seeking shelter.

We can usually pick out the false teachers and preachers when they tell us that bad things don’t happen to good people. We recognize this as a perversion of Christian faith. But, deep down we believe it. We can deal with the sufferings of other people. We just can’t deal with our own sufferings. When a fine Christian person loses their house to a wildfire or a hurricane, we affirm that sometimes bad things happen to good people. But when we are facing disaster, we become just like the false teachers and ask, “Why me? Why is this happening to me?”

The Bible does not tell us that we will never face natural disaster. The Bible never says that God sends hurricanes to punish sinful people living on the Gulf Coast. The Bible teaches us that we will all face disasters. BUT, Christian people are the only ones who have a refuge and shelter in the presence of God.

The only true refuge and shelter is God himself. And Psalm 46 affirms that God is with us no matter the circumstances. He is with us in the good times and in the bad times.

God Is Our Security

Another type of trouble we face is political turmoil. When nations can’t get along with each other and when diplomacy fails, there is war. Psalm 46 mentions war by referring to the implements of war in the ancient world—bows, spears and shields. If Psalm 46 were written today, it would refer to machine guns, bombs and airplanes.

Verses 4 – 6 describe the “city of God.” There is no mention of the name of this city, but it seems likely to be a reference to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the city of God, because it was home to the Temple and the religious leaders. It was also the home to the political leaders of Israel—the people of God.

Since Jerusalem was such an important city to Israel, it was a fortified city. It was built on a hill, so there were clear sight-lines to give the citizens plenty of warning if an enemy army was approaching. It was built inside a strong wall, so when the enemies came the people could feel safe and secure behind locked gates. It was protected by armed soldiers to fight and defend the religious and political valuables. This kind of security was human-created. Yet, the Psalmist makes no mention of the human-created securities around the city.

Instead, the Psalmist says that the city is safe, because God is within the city. All other security can fail when we are confronted by our enemies.

We can make the same mistake in the Twenty-First Century. The United States Military is the best military on the face of the earth. They protect us and defend our freedoms. However, they are not our ultimate security.

The economy of the United States of America is the best economy on the face of the earth. It provides us with economic opportunity, food, basic human needs, access to consumer goods which we want (not need), and services that are not available anywhere else in the world. But, our economy is not really doing very well right now. Perhaps this is a good time for us to realize where we can find true security. After all, it is printed right there on all of our money… “In God we trust.” Money can’t protect us. It is a false sense of security. It can even be a false god.

The only true security in life comes from God himself. God is our security, because God is the source of our salvation. Security comes by knowing we are loved by the God who created the universe. This same God went to great lengths to know you and to be known by you. God wants to be in relationship with you. God pursued Israel as his people. He gave them his Law and made a covenant with them, asking them to become a banner and a light for all nations of the earth. God sent his only Son, Jesus, to live as our example, to die as our sacrifice, and to rise again as our only hope for eternal salvation. Nothing else on earth can provide you with that kind of security.

God Is Our Strength

Psalm 46 reminds us that God is present with us regardless of our circumstances. God’s presence in our lives serves two distinct roles.

On one hand, God serves as our passive strength—a shelter to run to when everything is falling apart. Think of a tornado shelter or a safe room in your house. When the weather is bad, we run to the shelter. When life is uncertain, we run to God as our shelter.

On the other hand, God serves as our active strength. He strengthens us in our weaknesses. We are not strong enough to stand up to temptation. We are not strong enough to face the evil in our world—like the terrorists who want to destroy us simply because we are American citizens

The Apostle Paul teaches us about the active strength on God when he teaches us about the Full Armor of God in Ephesians 6: 10 – 13, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the Full Armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the Full Armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

Notice that the only power we have in the face of evil is the power God gives us. He strengthens us. We cannot face evil in our own strength.

Also notice that Paul doesn’t say anything about fighting. God gives us the strength. God gives us the Armor. God gives this to us so that we can STAND.

When your world is falling apart and even the ground you are standing on seems unsure, God will be your shelter and give you the strength to STAND.

When everything you have done to make your own life secure has been taken away from you, God will be your security and give you the strength to STAND.

Conclusion

September 11 was one of those moments for us as Americans. Everything was taken away from us. No one had ever attacked us within our own borders—at least not within the Continental 48 states.

On September 11, our lives were changed. Everything changed. Our politics changed. Our feelings of safety changed. Our economy changed.

But there is something that has not changed. Rather there is someone who has not changed. God has NOT changed. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.

Do you find your security and strength in the presence of God? Or do you look for something else?