Be still and know...
Be still and know…
STILL STANDING
A couple of weeks ago we started a new series called Be still and know… today I want to continue that series….of course our main scripture is found in
Psalm 46: 10 a NKJV
Be still, and know that I am God;…
BE STILL
I was preparing for this sermon my mind went all over the place on what God would want me to share…and some of those thoughts will be shared in this series. But I earnestly sought the LORD to find out exactly what HE wanted to say to you on today…
Be still…when we think of this word we often think of a quiet place, an alone time and yes that is very true because without that quiet place, that prayer closet, that intimate relationship with the Master the next definition of STILL that I would like to point out would not be readily available.
Be still and know that I am God…
Be still….
How do I be still? In the midst of a problem? In the midst of chaos? In the midst of finding out a diagnosis? In the midst of an eroding relationship? In the midst of bad new? In the midst of a rebellious child? In the midst of bankruptcy? In the midst of persecution?
How do I be still?
After you have had your quiet prayer time…and you STILL don’t know what to do? You STAND STILL….You stand…
Be still and know that I am God…
Stand still and know that I am God…
That takes trust…that takes knowing who God is…that you are not alone.
The WORD says in
1 Corinthians 16:13 Christian Standard Bible
13 Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong.
Notice what it doesn’t say…it doesn’t say stand firm in your opinion. It doesn’t say to stand firm in your desires, your wants, your agenda, your anger, your emotions, your revenge, your judgements, your ways, your thoughts….it says to STAND FIRM IN THE FAITH….
Proverbs 3:5 Christian Standard Bible
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding;
A lot of times we as Christians become so rigid because we are standing in our opinions, our denominations belief, when God says to stand firm in HIM…our faith in HIM…our TRUST in HIM…
Look what it says as we continue in the passage…
6 in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.
7 Don’t be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
And now look at the result of STILL STANDING God will do for you…
8 This will be healing for your body and strengthening for your bones.
See what happens is when troubles come, we stress…we begin to be bothered. Some of us try and fix it in our time and in our own ways. God says to Be still and know that I am God.
While others of us become emotional wrecks in our minds, in our emotions. We lose sleep, we lose our joy, we lose our peace, but God says to BE STILL and know that I am God.
We all the know the story of the Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The government sent out a decree that all the people of the land will bow down to the idol of the government or there would be consequences.
These Hebrew boys decided to be still and know that He is God. We pick up the story after they were caught doing the Godly thing…not the right thing.
When the sound of the band began and all the people began to bow and worship the idol, these boys were found STILL STANDING…
Daniel 3:13-18 CSB
13 Then in a furious rage Nebuchadnezzar gave orders to bring in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar asked them, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is it true that you don’t serve my gods or worship the gold statue I have set up? 15 Now if you’re ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, drum, and every kind of music, fall down and worship the statue I made. But if you don’t worship it, you will immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire—and who is the god who can rescue you from my power?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question. 17 If the God we serve exists, then he can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he can rescue us from the power of you, the king. 18 But even if he does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”
Notice what they were standing on. It wasn’t on their opinions, it wasn’t even on the fact that God could save them. They were STILL STANDING when the crowds chose to bow because of their Faith in the ONE TRUE GOD.
You don’t have to bow down to your emotions, You don’t have to bow down to the diagnosis. You don’t have to bow to the stress. You don’t have to bow down to the chaos. You don’t have to bow down to the culture that says this or that. You can be found STILL STANDING in that you know GOD.
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders to heat the furnace seven times more than was customary, 20 and he commanded some of the best soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. 21 So these men, in their trousers, robes, head coverings, and other clothes, were tied up and thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. 22 Since the king’s command was so urgent and the furnace extremely hot, the raging flames killed those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fell, bound, into the furnace of blazing fire.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm. He said to his advisers, “Didn’t we throw three men, bound, into the fire?”
“Yes, of course, Your Majesty,” they replied to the king.
25 He exclaimed, “Look! I see four men, not tied, walking around in the fire unharmed; and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
Hallelujah!!! Even through the fire, they were STILL STANDING…
When the crowds bowed….THEY WERE STILL STANDING…and now when persecution came…THEY WERE STILL STANDING…
God wants me to tell you today that if you will BE Still and know that He is GOD…that no matter what is going on in your life….no matter what is going on in your family…no matter what is going on in your finances, your work, your schooling, your emotions….
KNOW THAT HE IS GOD AND YOU WILL BE FOUND that you are STILL STANDING….
Many of you here today have been through some things…if the enemy would have had his way you would have bowed….you would not even be alive much less a Christian….thank God today that you are STILL STANDING!!!!
Transition:
How do you BE STILL and Know that He is God?
I would be amiss if I didn’t let you know that today is Pentecost Sunday…now why is that important to you? Why does that matter in this subject because this is what the WORD says in how to STAND STILL….
Ephesians 6:10-18 CSB
10 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.
See, this is how you can resist your emotions of anger and disdain for people or circumstances because you see that the battle is not with that person…your battle is in the spirit…and look what Jesus says about giving us the Holy Spirit.
John 14:16-17 NKJV
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you will know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
Now I don’t know if you have thought about this but Jesus was full of wisdom and grace…he knows that our battles are spiritual. Therefore he sends the HOLY SPIRIT to Help us in our battles…to show up to be our Comforter when we find ourselves uncomfortable. HE is our guide when we have no direction. He is our strength when we are weak. He is our intercessor when we are speechless…The Holy Spirit has been sent to be our General on the spiritual battlefield.
I believe that is why the enemy fights so hard for Christ’s church to be confused about the Holy Spirit…to reject the Holy Spirit…
13 For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. 14 Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, 15 and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. 16 In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. 18 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.
CLOSING
Now I know that this sermon is for someone here, if not everyone of us here. SO what how do we be still and know that He is God?
BE STILL IN GOD’S PRESENCE
Now let me say this…
Praying while you are driving, praying while you are at the gym, praying while you are at work…praying while you are hunting…
Those are all great!
But those are INCLUSIVE MOMENTS…not EXCLUSIVE MOMENTS.
So much our interactions with God is us making inclusive moments…In other words, we include God in my day, in my plans, in my wants, in my desires, in my relationships…
And we haven’t taken the time to make exclusive moments…to where its just YOU AND GOD…
HE is Your priority not your accessory.
You don’t just use Him when you need Him…
You need Him every moment of the day
Psalm 16:5-11 Good News Translation
5 You, Lord, are all I have, and you give me all I need;
my future is in your hands.
6 How wonderful are your gifts to me; how good they are!
7 I praise the Lord, because he guides me, and in the night my conscience warns me.
8 I am always aware of the Lord's presence; he is near, and nothing can shake me.
9 And so I am thankful and glad, and I feel completely secure,
10 because you protect me from the power of death. I have served you faithfully, and you will not abandon me to the world of the dead.
11 You will show me the path that leads to life; your presence fills me with joy and brings me pleasure forever.
STAND STILL IN FAITH
When that time alone with God, you begin to know Him intimately, its then you can STAND STILL IN FAITH….look at what Joshua said before he makes the statement that we all like to quote…
Joshua 24:14-15 King James Version
14 Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.
15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
When we choose God…we will become immovable…
1 Corinthians 15:58 Christian Standard Bible
58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
When know that our labor in the LORD is not in vain…because when it is all said and done….in GOD we will be found
STILL STANDING!!!!