"Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" - Psalm 125

Pastor Brian leads us through Psalm 125.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Pastor Brian will be preaching this morning from the Psalms. He'll be preaching from Psalm number 125. If you would please turn there in your Bibles to Psalm 125, it's going to be on the screen behind me as well. Would you please stand out of reverence and honor for the Word of God? And remember that this is the revealed Word of God to us, to his people. Hear it. Take it in. If you have ever, and if you ever find yourself dull to the Word, pray to God that He would make your hearts alive once again. Hear now, Psalm 125. Those who trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time forth and forever. For the scepter of the of wickedness shall not rest upon the land of the righteous, so that the righteous will not put forth their hands to do wrong. Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts. But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways, the Lord will lead them away with the doers of iniquity. Peace be upon Israel. You may be seated. Brian, would you please come and lead us?

SPEAKER_00 1:54

So good to be back in the Psalms with you this morning as we continue on in our short stint in the Psalms of Ascent, these beautiful Psalms that pilgrims would sing. Father, we ask you to lead and guide us. You would transform our lives through your word this morning. That you would be exalted and glorified and honored. And that we would be corrected, encouraged, strengthened, and overwhelmed with joy because of our King. The one who surrounds us. We pray this in Christ's name. Amen. I want to start by asking you a question or two. Have you ever in your life struggled with insecurity? Probably a resounding yes. Do you struggle with some continual form of insecurity in your life? I think if we're honest, again, as so many people have already resounded, we all struggle with it from time to time. And it shows itself in numerous ways, doesn't it? It can show up in our lack of ability to speak in front of a crowd only by God's grace after many years am I doing this without crying and without vomiting and all the things that come with getting in front of people. Was that too descriptive? I'm sorry. But it shows itself. I mean, how many of you have had that fear of getting up in front of people and saying something? It shows itself in how we speak about our own appearance. It shows in how we dress. I mean, we see the man or woman who dresses only to impress or maybe dresses provocatively as revealing some insecurity in their appearance. There's insecurity in relationships, insecurity in public settings where there's too many people, so to speak. Insecurity in intelligence. On and on it goes. We're pretty good at being insecure. Well, insecurity also shows itself in general in how we approach life. And so maybe I'll just say this. What's a good definition of insecurity? I would say, especially for us as Christians, it could simply be said like this. Anything that we're anxious about other than our sanctification. So anything we're anxious about other than our desire to grow in godliness. There is a good and righteous kind of anxiety, not a sinful one, but it comes in our desire to be more and more conformed to the image of Christ and in our ability to live a righteous and godly life that represents or emulates Christ's life through us. On the other hand, what we find is when you examine the insecurity that's familiar to the world, it is an insecurity that comes from a position of fear. But not to belabor the point, there's also another kind of insecurity in life. There's an insecurity that plagues the Christian. It's an insecurity that I would say is unique to the mind and life of the Christian man or woman. Now, unless you're superhuman in your Christianity, you've undoubtedly struggled with fear in regards to your own faith and maybe more specifically your eternal security. Who here hasn't asked themselves a question like this and asked God, are you sure I'm saved? What if I miss the boat? Will I ever fall away from God by my life of sin? Or it could be that maybe you say, I failed in that trial or in that opportunity the Lord gave me. Just not sure I'm His. I'm just not sure I'm good enough or that I'm qualified. I have just fallen into that temptation again. You ever been there? Now I know that He will say that I am totally depraved and unworthy when I meet Him on that day. You ever thought there may be a chance that on that day you're not going to be saved? When you think of death, when you have doubts? What if? I know I've always been taught once saved, always saved. I know that's in the Bible. I know that there is eternal security for the believer, but I'm really struggling to believe that right now. I'm really struggling to believe God. You ever been there? Struggling with eternal insecurity? I have. If you haven't ever had a thought like that, then you're a very unique Christian and go ahead and take a nap. It's okay. Maybe you could come preach the song. Because I'm gonna preach it from a position of total weakness. One who is vulnerable to doubt and insecurity. But I will preach it. Mainly because I need to hear it and because I believe it wholeheartedly, even if I fall into the snare of various doubts on occasion. All that being said this morning, I want to ask you now. Do you trust God? Do you believe him? Do you trust him in his word? Ponder that. It's easy to go, oh yeah. So, in light of the reason for this current series, in light of the fact that there's been a lot of suffering in the body of Christ lately, I want us to study the beauty of the security we have in Christ, no matter what this life holds out to us, because He is sufficient and trustworthy. This psalm is a glorious psalm of encouragement for the one who believes and not just believes, but trusts in God, believes God at His word. There's a difference, you know. The Bible says that even the demons believe and shudder at the thought of God, since the demons believe wholeheartedly in God's existence and rule. But the one who trusts in him is not just a believer, but is his very child, his heir, his treasured and chosen possession, his follower in all of life. That's the Christian. We also got to remember as we dive into this that this psalm was sung by the pilgrims. We've talked about this on their way to Jerusalem for the celebration or the feast, and they would have sung this song on that difficult journey, since it's a song of security. Even when wickedness comes, there's security in the Lord, and they knew it. There's security in the one who trusts in him. Even when death or pain are knocking at the door. There is security for the one who trusts in the Lord. Look at verse 3 with me. Look at verse 3. Even when the scepter of wickedness comes, what this is pointing to is the wickedness that is brought from people in high places or leadership. Okay? The scepter was held by the one in power. When the leaders of rulers are leading in wickedness, the one who trusts in the Lord will not be swayed. Praise God. If I were to ask you right now if wickedness has entered our land by the hands of rulers, what would you say? I think all of our answers are going to be pretty close, no matter our political affiliations. I mean, many of the laws coming down to us, not all, I'm not saying that, but numerous laws, I could say that, coming down to us come from a position of the wicked scepter. In many states, there is still the legal killing of innocent babies, including ours. Same-sex marriage. You ever think about this? Legal pornography? Legal? Divorce on demand. Our religious liberties feel like they're just being trampled on in so many ways. The moral code that once existed in our country seems to be eroding into thin air oftentimes, doesn't it? So what do we do? Do we go rally in the street and for our favorite political leader? When the scepter of ruling authority dictates and leads with wickedness, when laws or legislation come down that support wicked ways and ostracize anybody who opposes on religious grounds, what do we do? What does the psalmist say? Trust the Lord. Trust the Lord. It's kind of simple, right? But not easy. When it says here in verse 3 that there's the land of the righteous, who's that? Where's that? Is that America? No. The answer's no. When verse 4 says that there are those who are good and those who are upright, who are they? Where is that righteous person? We see oftentimes the wicked rules coming down are laws? Not all, but some. And we say, oh man. And then it goes on to say, the righteous? Who's that? In the midst of this. Now you and I may be looking over our shoulder right now and be like, oh, it's them. Where is that person? I can't find him. But really, in the Bible, it teaches us to look at self. If you're in Christ. Remember what Genesis or Romans tell us that Abraham was reckoned righteous by faith. Faith. His faith. His trust in the Lord. So who are the righteous? It is the one who trusts in the Lord. Now they're not righteous in and of themselves, of course. They're righteous because of Christ in them. And so it's the one who prays with the psalmist in verse 4 Do good to us, O Lord. It reminds us of this eternally surrounding presence we have because of him. And so he prays in verse 4 because he knows that a people who are led in wickedness from high places of authority are a people who will be tainted by that wickedness if they're not trusting in the Lord. And they'll go after all kinds of other things to make themselves feel better and to feel like they're protected. Do you want to know what to do when you see immoral, unjust, or wicked laws being handed down to the people? Again, your answer is to do as a psalmist says in verse 1: Trust God. He is your surrounding protection. Doesn't mean you don't do anything, but you begin with trust in his sovereign, gracious rule. And I want you to hear this. I would say the psalmist is calling each of us out today. Okay? He is saying, you, yes, you, are you trusting in the Lord? That's the implication of those who trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion. Is that you, we could say? Because those who trust in the Lord, what he's saying is we cannot be moved? We cannot be swayed off of the sure foundation of Christ and his gospel, no matter what this life is currently bringing to you, no matter what the ruling scepter of America or Oregon is handing down, we will not be moved one inch off of the foundation of Christ in his word. So what does that mean? For the I know it's easy to say, but what does that mean for the person who isn't trusting in the Lord? You'll be tossed, the Bible says, like wind and waves. You'll be like a pine tree sapling when the winds come, instead of like a mountain that is just unmoved when that same wind comes your way. The mountain may lose a little rock, lose a little snow, maybe even some trees, but the integrity of the mountain is not affected. And you and I will therefore be wholly unmoved by the forces of the world as they come bombarding against us for trusting in Christ. So what does it look like to trust in the Lord? We hear that all the time, right? Just trust God, and somebody will quote Proverbs to us. You'll be fine. Of course, that's right to say, but what does that look like on a daily basis? How do we live out what the psalmist says here? Those who trust in the Lord, how do we do that? I want to start by saying something incredibly obvious. And that's that it does matter whether or not you trust in the Lord. I know that sounds like, well, really? How'd your sermon prep go this week? Seriously, though, it does matter whether or not we trust in the Lord. Life or death. And the reason I say that is because I would say in our modern evangelical culture, we are led to think that as long as there's grace, right? You've heard that? As long as there's grace, I'm good. I don't really have to worry about anything. The end of that line of thinking is called relativism. And you see what happens is we we neglect the rest of the Bible. When we teach that as long as you have grace, you just kick back your good. Don't really worry about it. The go-to passage, it speaks of the wonders and the beauty of grace of God is Ephesians 2. And we just looked at that not long ago. We'll get back to Ephesians soon, and it points us to what grace accomplishes, right? Meaning eternal life in Christ and the forgiveness of sins. But it also tells us what grace does. Grace gets us to work for the Lord, and that's trust. Remember the passage: By grace you have been saved. And not by works, so that nobody can boast or brag. But we sometimes forget the very next verse. We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. That demands trust. You see, grace provides a motivation for a daily, moment-by-moment trust in the Lord. Grace produces the ability for faith, not apathy. We are called to have an active and daily trust in the Lord. And that's not something that just automatically comes to us. I don't wake up in the morning thinking that. It is something that is to be grown in, sharpened, practiced, used daily. To walk in those good works reveals trust. And so be warned. If that's not you, and you're just living on what you consider to be grace, doubt and apathy can creep in, and those are grace thieves. Okay, so back to the question. How do we do this? What are the tools we have at our disposal to grow in our trust in God? Which, by the way, helps us in our condition of insecurity. That's why I started with that. How do we align ourselves with what the psalmist is saying here and grow in our ability to trust? Do you always feel as though you're an absolute rock, a mountain when the trials of life come your way? Every time? Of course, not that one that's napping right now because they're still good. Do you always feel as though you're just constantly surrounded by those walls of the Lord's grace when tragedy strikes? Do you always feel as your trust in the Lord is just magnified when the government does something that's in direct opposition to his word and affects you? If you're like me, you need to be continually reminded to daily trust in the Lord. So how do you grow in these things? How do we be like Mount Zion, just immovable? How do we live constantly assured of the Lord's surrounding protection, no matter what comes, just trusting in his sovereignty? I'm going to mention four to you. There's, of course, many more, but I want to focus on four ways that we can show trust in God. The first one, you could probably guess, reading, memorizing, studying, and applying scripture. That's the first way that we trust the Lord. Because as we read the Bible, it will grow our trust in Him because it teaches us about His authority. Or her authority in our God's authority in his or her life, is what I'm trying to say. So when the Lord tells us not to worry, when he shows us what he's done, again, all through his word, when he promises us that he's never going to leave us or forsake us, when he says he's going to return for his bride, when he says, don't fear what they can do because uh to the body because after that they can't do anything else, we believe him when he says those things. So what I'm saying is that when we read the Bible, we see Christ and His promises. Therefore, when we read the Bible, we grow in our ability to trust because ultimately we're magnifying our view of Jesus. Okay? When we read the Bible, we're to read it, and I'm going to use a theological word here, okay? And that is we're to read it Christocentric. What that means is Christ-centered. When we read it, we see Christ everywhere. We see him in the account of Joseph. We see him in the account of Abraham and Isaac on Mount Moriah. We see him in the sacrificial system, in the tabernacle. We see him everywhere. There's a reason for that. Brothers and sisters, do you want to have a greater ability to trust or greater faith? Do you want to be able to trust him and increase that trust? Then increase your understanding of God by reading, studying, memorizing, and applying his word. Increase your view of God, is what I'm telling you. That's how you trust. Increase your view of the object of your faith and trust, and you will increase your ability to have greater faith and trust. How do you trust somebody you don't know? Remember, trust brings security in life. You feel his surrounding presence. How do you know this great and mighty God? Through his word. You and I would not know who Jesus is if it wasn't for the Bible. If your trust seems to be waning right now because of things going on in your life, it could be because you've closed your ears to him. What I mean is that you've closed your Bible. It's dusty. Again, you want a greater trust in the Lord? You want to be immovable in your life as a Christian? Open your Bible and read it. Trust Him. Believe it. That's the Spirit in you working. Many people say that it's okay, if I heard from God, then I will have more trust in Him. I just need to hear from Him. I tell you that trust comes by hearing from Him through His Word. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. And as is said, if you want to hear God speak to you, read the Word. And as other pastors have said down through the ears, if you need, you feel like you need to hear from God in an audible way, in an audible voice, then read your Bible out loud. Another way, okay, so that's one. Another way to increase your trust is to be a person of prayer. Prayer is alignment with God. You'll be able to trust him in greater ways if you're calling out to him on a regular basis. When Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians we're to pray continually, it's not primarily for God's benefit, but ours. We talked about that to some extent in Sunday school today. In fact, Paul says in that passage, it's God's will for you to pray and to pray continually. We're to pray to him, and this humbly reveals what in whom we trust. Think about it this way: if you and I spend all our time plotting how to get something done, how to get out of a trial, how to defend against wickedness, how to respond to this person or that circumstance, how to feel secure in life, and we're not giving ourselves to prayer in that, then all we have done is tell ourselves and the others around us, I trust in me. Prayer is dependent humility, and it forces us to have greater trust, since through prayer we are then led to do the Lord's will. Isn't that a great thing that transpires? As we pray over the scriptures in our lives, even in times of peril or difficulty, we're leaning heavily on the Lord and his abilities. And do you realize that in this, God has never forgotten nor neglected to answer one single prayer of his saints? Not one. God gives his full and undivided attention to each one of our requests, even if it isn't the answer that we want. He's always attentive, always responsive. So go to him in prayer. It's commanded. And that shows that we trust him. And it will breed trust within you. He's the God who surrounds you. What else do you need? Okay, so that's two. Another way that we show that we're trusting in the Lord is by how we make decisions. What does your decision making look like in life? Do you make decisions without prayer? Do we make decisions without the counsel of his word? Do we make decisions without the counsel of his people, his church? Of course, I'm not talking about what we're gonna have for dinner. I'm talking about life decisions. Do we trust God with those decisions? Are those decisions made because we are completely sold out for his glory in every way? It's all about him. Do the decisions we make in trust have as their intent the honor of God's name in our lives? Think about it. When a job opportunity comes up, when considering buying a house or moving away, when considering marriage or college, when we're considering how to handle difficult things in life, do we consult the Lord in prayer? Do we go to his word? And do we go to his people? Do we make decisions based on what's good for our growth in Christ, the benefit of the church, and the glory of God? Do we trust that his glory is for our good, even if it may not be what we want in that moment? When the world is telling us one thing? When the scepter of wickedness is telling us that, again, back to this, the abortion's okay. It's totally fine. Do we bend our thoughts to the world's view and give that inch and say, well, if it's unwanted? Or if it was rape or if the baby has Down syndrome, does a difficulty that may come to us then decide who gets to live and die? Or do we consult the Lord and his word and his people? Again, in the abortion example, do we make a decision whether or not to terminate a life based on what the world says or what his word says, like in Jeremiah 1.5, where he says, Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. That's every human. Do we trust the Lord with our decisions, even the really, really hard ones? Fourth thing I want to bring out this morning in regards to trusting in the Lord is trusting Him in those trials. Dovetailing on that. Does a difficulty in this life push us closer to the only hope, or does it lead us some other place? It's easy to turn to something other than God when things aren't going our way, right? Or the way that we would like. When things aren't easy or when things are just downright awful or life-threatening. But this is a place in life where the saints of old show us that this trust is most needed. It's a place where trust grows the strongest. Think about when Moses was told to go back to Egypt. Ooh. I don't know about that. How about when Isaac is told by his dad, Isaac's an adult, and he's told by his dad, hey, climb up on that altar and lay down. Okay. How'd that have to go? How about when Christ was in the Garden of Gethsemane? Did he trust the Father? When those reformers in the 1500s or so were burned at the stake? How about when Pastor Steve Mail was arrested just a couple months ago in England for preaching Christ in public? England! We're not talking about the Congo like on our prayer email this week. We kind of expect that in those places that are Muslim-controlled or whatever, right? But how about England? He's arrested for proclaiming Christ. If there was a lack of trust, would they have been able to endure on those trials? We need to be able to say to ourselves, the Lord has this. Even if it means that my life is on the line, it is best to live as Christ, to die as gain. We've all heard it said before, trial is an opportunity for us, right? Even our secular culture will tell you that. That a trial only makes us stronger. Well, guess who authored those statements? That would be God. Trials are for our growth, and he carries us through, won't give us more than we can handle. So trust him in the trial. Look to him who is our help, as we know from Psalm 121. Don't look to something else. Don't go to the addiction. Don't go to that person you know you shouldn't be with. Don't go to the friend or whatever, doesn't matter. Don't go to the counselor online. That is the YouTuber guy that you don't even know about. And he tells you something. Okay, don't go to those places. Go to the Lord. Go to his word. Go to his people. Therefore, how do you cultivate trust in the Lord? You read and study his word. You spend time with him in prayer, in prayer over that word. You make decisions based on your time with him, his word, and his people, and even when a trial comes, you allow it to only bolster your trust in the one who is sovereign over each and every circumstance that can come your way. Pray and ask for this kind of heart, and he will give it. Again, the implication of a passage like this is to challenge us all to trust in him. To challenge us pilgrims everywhere to trust in him. And by the way, have you ever thought about the fact that you are a pilgrim if you're in Christ? And don't, don't, don't get the weird black and white hat funny thing in your mind. I think if we do see ourselves as pilgrims in this way, I think it becomes easier to trust him. You ever thought about that? Because if if we do see that this right now, this earth and this place is it, and this is our home, and this is where we put all our stake into, then yeah, trusting in him and his provision pretty much becomes impossible. But when we view our lives as just a pilgrimage and ourselves as pilgrims, then our only hope for a real and lasting home is where? A sure and steadfast and immovable place to call our own. You see, it allows us and frees us to trust Him in greater ways when we see that we're just pilgrims in a foreign land. Aliens and strangers, 1 Peter 1 says. So, what does this trust produce? What does a trust in the Lord result in? What is the privilege for the believer? Go to verse 1. Those who trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved. It abides forever as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people. Wow. I don't know about you, but that I just read that. Every time I read that, I just like, ah. I don't deserve this. I'm so sinful. I'm so insecure. Those who are upright, it says, those who are righteous, those who are good, those who trust in him by faith cannot be moved. They're surrounded by the Lord. Notice it doesn't say they may not, or that most likely says they cannot be moved. For the duration of all time, throughout the lifespan of the galaxies, as sure as the Lord is eternal. Those who trust in him cannot and will not be moved. All the way into eternity, those who trust in him cannot be moved off the sure and steadfast foundation of Christ. And so the psalmist, in the eternal sense of things, ultimately speaking, is pointing us to eternal security. We are surrounded by God. We cannot be moved, swayed, nothing as we trust in Him. Again, as the pilgrims would travel along the road to Jerusalem, they would be going through sometimes difficulties for many, many miles on foot with so many things, dangerous coming at them. But think about it this way on that journey, as they're traveling, they begin to see some familiar landmarks. You ever done that on your way home? I love when I go to when we go to Redmond or Bend and we're coming back and we come through Picture, you know, when it's open, and we come through, and we come through Picture Gorge, and you just kind of enter in, you know, on the outskirts of Daville, and you're just like, almost home. That's a good feeling. I like that. But think about them on foot, hot, dusty, robbers, dangerous. And then as they're getting closer on the horizon, it begins to take shape. This small range of hills or mountains begin to take this form in their eyes, and they would know, they would know that they're close to safety. They would look up and they begin to see the walls. The city on a hill. And this fortress was not an easy one to overtake. You've got to remember that. They knew that there is safety if they could just get there. Listen to what the former occupants of the area before the Jews took over the area of Jerusalem and the city there. Listen to 2 Samuel 5.6. It says, Now the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites. That's talking about David, the inhabitants of the land, and they said to David, You shall not come in here. They say, But the blind and lame will turn you away, thinking David cannot come in there. Jebusites knew that they had a seemingly impenetrable forces, a fortress by human standards. Of course, David captured the city, showing us there's only one thing that cannot be moved. That's the Lord and his people. Think about it, a piece of equipment can move a mountain piece by piece. Nothing can move or remove the Lord and his people. He surrounds his people. Isn't that a comforting thought? Those that trust in him are surrounded on all sides by none other than God Himself. We humans love to think that we can protect ourselves from calamities, right? In in parts of the country we build levees and we think that we're saved from the floods. We've seen in the recent past that didn't go well. Sometimes we may think that if we build fire lines, then we're good. Again, recent past changes things. In the Midwest, they build houses with tornadoes in mind. And if they are protected from these elements, from these forces of nature, from God's sovereign hand, it's only because he allows for it. Or not. It's up to him. We build seemingly impenetrable fortresses that stretch for miles and we think we're secure. One of the prime examples of this that's not funny, but interesting, very interesting to think about, is after World War I, the French created what they called the Maginot Line. They wanted to make sure the Germans would never again come in and conquer their land from their border. They had so much confidence in this line of concrete guns and forts, they thought that its mere presence would deter any future German aggression. But as with most of our assumed safety in this life, the Germans just went around it, went through the Ardenne Forest and quickly captured France near the very beginning of the war. Those are our attempts at surrounding ourselves with protection. But when this says the Lord surrounds his people, that's a whole nother kind of thing. This is literally a supernatural protection. In the comic books that are so popular today, made into movies. You're never going to find this unflinching superhero to stand firm and without fail, not only fight back all and any attacks, but easily defend people without ever getting hit. Why is that? You would think somebody supernatural would be able to just, you know, fend off no problem. But we make it that way because we've made the supernatural into our image. And what human ever has the outcome in hand until the end. But with the Lord? The real supernatural hero, if you will, there is no question as to whether or not his line is going to hold. Whether or not he will be able to hold back the forces of evil. He's already won the battle. The victory is his already. You see, Jerusalem is up on the hill. The Temple Mount itself is actually an outcropping of the rock that is a part of what we call Mount Zion. And so the psalmist is just using whatever familiar word pictures he can to show us how utterly secure we are. The Lord, the immovable and impenetrable fortress, surrounds his own. He surrounds our souls. Do you live this way? It would be more likely that the entire universe and all that is in it should pass away than one single hair of your head would fall to the ground if the Lord didn't allow it. Even if the mountains, it just seem immovable to us, should fall into the sea. Even if the mountains depart completely, the hills are removed, our God is still surrounding his people. Even if the mountains should roll up as a scroll, the kindness of God toward his people will never depart. I mean, you and I look at the Strawberry Range and we see grandeur and splendor. We see how magnificent it is that God created that, and we we sit to some extent in the shadow of Strawberry Mountain, and we gaze at its beauty and magnitude. But what are mountains to our God? There's something He created in a day with a word. Mount Everest would crumble to nothing under the weight of the glory of God if subjected to it. And yet the psalmist says, this God surrounds us like the mountains. To me, to us mere humans, mountains are kind of larger than life. And yet they are subject to the word of God. Brothers and sisters, I just can't repeat enough. We are protected if you're in Christ. Hemmed in, safe, secure, stable through Christ and Him alone. And he is more steadfast than even the tallest mountain. There is no need in our lives for insecurity, for fear. You're his. You will not be moved. But please notice the author's intent in this. Please don't make the mistake of taking any of the glory for yourself through trust, but of him who you trust in. Notice it doesn't say those who trust in Mount Zion, or those who trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion, they're great. You're wonderful. Just be you. That you're now steadfast or removable, that now you're an overcomer. If you're any of those things, it's because of Christ in you. It doesn't say that we are now like a solid rock. It says that through our trust in him, we're as Mount Zion. We cannot be moved because of his strength and power in us. He's surrounding us. He is our ring of mountains that surrounds our souls. He's the mighty fortress. He is our eternal and all-encompassing protector, our strong tower. Only by trusting in him can we be like that immovable rock. Do you want to be that way? How many times do we wake up and we think about what's coming for that day or that week and we just, we're brought low. What if we remembered this passage? What is there to be insecure about if you have Christ as your protector? He's come to the earth on your behalf and lived the sinless life. He's gone to the cross in your place and absorbed the wrath meant for you. He has been resurrected, therefore he has defeated sin and death for you. He's shed his blood for you. He has ascended into heaven and is right now interceding, surrounding, protecting, shielding, securing, and bringing you safely home. You may have wicked rulers come against you. You may be persecuted for the faith. You may be beaten. You will have to take up your cross daily. But just know that you will be brought safely home. Your eternal soul will always endure. He is there for you. He is always loving. He is always compassionate. He's always providing for you. He's always full of grace. He is always abounding in steadfast kindness. Sing it out, brothers and sisters, in your life. Sing of the Lord's provision and protection every day. Sing of the freedom that you have from fear and insecurity. Sing of the freedom you have from the tyranny of wickedness yourself. Sing of your trust in the one who holds your soul in the eternal places. Sing on this journey that we call the Christian walk, our own pilgrimage. Sing as you journey on this path that is headed for an eternal city that is set high above that new Jerusalem. That celestial city, Bunyan put, shining on a hill. Let your life sing of it. Oh, the relief. Oh, there's such relief that is found in complete. Completely trusting him. Your previously guarded fortress of self-protection that looks like a wall of Swiss cheese is traded for an impenetrable fortress that is surrounded on all sides without the smallest of gaps. And that, my friends, is forever. Not for one second from now on and through eternity will God ever cease to be that surrounding protection for you if you're in Christ. You cannot be moved, you will not be moved, and you cannot be taken. Why? Because you trust in him, and not just that, but that you actually trust him. You trust what he has to say and what he's going to do and what he's already accomplished. He is the firm foundation, the solid rock. He is the Lord of hosts, the Lord of angel armies. Psalm 84, 12, O Lord of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in you. Is that you today? Do you trust him? When these difficulties, when these trials are just crushing you? Do you trust him with it? Do you go to him? Do you read this psalm? Those who trust in you are like Mount Zion, God, I want to be that. I don't want all that other stuff. I don't want to trust in self. I don't want to rely on somebody else. I want Christ in me. If that's you, you will not be moved, but you will abide forever in him. Eternally in heaven. The place of eternal bliss and eternal happiness. Why? Because the rock is there. And there's a fountain flowing from where he's at. Toward you. Let's pray. Do good, O Lord. We pray. Father, do good to those who are good and those who are upright in their hearts. We pray with the psalmist, but as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways, lead them away with the doers of iniquity. Peace be upon Israel. Peace be upon your bride, your church. Peace be upon Prairie Baptist Church right now. Surround us, O Lord. Guard us, O King. Cause your peace to be upon your bride right now. In our hearts, in our lives. Control our actions, we pray, in such a way that we come to cling to your sovereign kindness and protection in every way and everything. Oh Father, you are worthy of praise and adoration. What do we think? Who do we think we are? To not trust you, to see that you gift us with such amazing grace, even trust, that you develop within us. Father, let us be a trusting people. You surround us. Surround us now as we continue in worship, as we think of the table, and be glorified in it. We pray in Christ's name. Amen.