Be still, and know that I am God

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Good morning church so good to see you all here this morning and what a blessing it is to be able to celebrate 56 years of Kucha Baptist Church hasn't God been faithful it's so good to be able to celebrate Milestones like this and quite often because Milestones aren't just church anniversaries we've got them in our personal lives birthdays anniversaries quite often when it comes to celebrating things like this quite rightly it's good and proper for us to enter a time of reflection to pause momentarily to look back to consider where it is that we've come from and how it is that we are here now we've done that this morning morning but so too as we go through that process is it natural to begin looking forwards Dave mentioned that as well it's good for us to be thankful for God's provision for the way in which he's blessed us as a church up until this point but as we do that naturally we're spurred to look ahead to seek God and His will for us as a church moving forward it's fitting then that this morning is also our vision Sunday and so as Dave mentioned we're going to be pausing our Series in the gospel of Mark to focus in on a key verse that over the last couple of months the church Council has sensed God give to us as Kucha Baptist for 2025 that verse has already been read it's Psalms 46:10 it says be still and know that I am God I will be exalted among the nation Nations I will be exalted in all the Earth before we dive into this would you join me in prayer Heavenly Father we do thank you for your provision for your blessing here at Kucha Baptist Lord thank you for the way in which you've been at work within your people within your church here in this area and Lord as we come now to read from your word to look at the verse that you've laid upon the hearts of the church Council for us as a church Lord would you give us wisdom and guidance Lord by your Holy Spirit would you be revealing to us your direction for your church here at Kucha Baptist for 2025 we pray in the name of Jesus Christ amen Church what has your year looked like how are you feeling as 2024 draws to a close I've made an observation because it's part of my job now but in any given week I would dare say that everyone in this room would ask this question and answer this question multiple times the question is how is your week okay how is your week but I want to ask you as we reflect on the year that's been if you if you were to summarize what your most common response over 2024 has been to that question how is your week what would your answer be see for a very long time the uncontested champion the answer to that question undeniably as the most common response was good right whether or not the week actually was good how is your week yet good let me move move on but I've made an observation over the last couple years and especially this year as we ask and answer this question how is your we that there's been a second answer which has been rising it's been gaining momentum and I would dare say that this year as I've asked this question of people it's about a 50/50 split I now expect one of two answers the answer to how is your week is always either good or busy sometimes there's an ODB where someone's actually honest with you and they're like hey my week's been really terrible but generally it's good or busy and that kind of makes sense right because the tempo of life is speeding up everyone seems to want something done there always seems to be something to do or somewhere to be there's not enough hours in the day let alone days in the week to keep keep up with what's going on and if we're being honest more often than not our life can be governed by an agenda by our calendars by Diaries by watches and by time sorry I can't talk to you I've got a meeting I've got to run off maybe as we reflect on 2024 as you think back through your own Reflections you've had a growing sense of disc Comfort by the state of the world you look around and everything seems messy it seems as though things are falling apart there's Wars and conflict there's hunger and homelessness the cost of living just keeps going up and it seems as though this tempo of life it's it's a necessity because if I don't burn the Midnight Oil if I don't keep going if I don't keep rushing and getting things done then I won't stay AF FL as a church it's been a big year for us as well on top of our standard Sunday services and Ministries we've been in the process of searching for a senior pastor we've been in the process knowing that there's going to be thousands of people coming into the area tens of thousands of people in the near future of setting aside time and resources to do some future planning so that as a church we can best cater we can best ensure that the gospel is shared that we are prepared for when these extra people come into the area and so in the midst of all this busyness in the craziness of life where is God leading us as Kucha Baptist in 2025 Psalm 46 is an amazing Psalm and to be honest it doesn't really need too much explanation it's powerful to read I would commend this for you to read not only this week but over the course of the rest of this year and next year let it sink deep but the psalm begins with a theological truth that highlights two things about God if you've got your Bibles there Psalm 46 verse1 says God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble what does this reveal about God two things God is a stronghold into which we can flee when things are difficult but also God is a source of inner strength by which we can face all calamities he's a very present help in trouble and so if this is true verse 2 and verse3 therefore we will not fear though the Earth gives way though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea though its Waters Roar and foam though the mountains tremble at its swelling Salah after making this theological truth so profound the writer of this Psalm then puts forward a most terrifying phenomenon a terrifying phenomenon imagine that the Earth gives way the mountains are moved into the heart of the sea its Waters Roar in foam and the mountains tremble at its swelling and yet they've already stated that God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble in other words God is in control not only is God in control God is greater than the worst scenario that we can ever imagine nothing is too big for him maybe as part of our reflection on life in 2024 as we look at the world around us there's things that bring fear or concern in our lives just going to throw out some hypotheticals what if World War 3 does begin what if Christian persecution increases not only if it increases but what if it starts to be prevalent in Australia what if the cost of living actually doesn't go down we've got a members meeting in the near future but maybe earlier in the year you were going what if we can't find a senior pastor what does that mean for us as a church in these opening verses of Psalm 4 six we see that God is greater than all the fears and concerns that we can have in this world God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble and so the psalm goes on what we see next in the next couple of verses is the psalmist highlights the safety of God's people Verses 4 to7 there is a river whose streams make glad the city of God the holy habitation of the most high God is in the midst of her she will not be moved God will help her when morning Dawns the Nations rage the kingdoms totter he utters his voice the Earth melts the Lord of hosts is with us the god of Jacob is our Fortress Salah now it's important for us to recognize that this Psalm was written in a time and place in history and so very truly the psalmist uses imagery that would have related with the people who would have first heard it the river that he refers to is the stream of soam and it's the only natural supply of fresh water in Jerusalem it had significance the holy place that he references is the Temple mount in Jerusalem and so we can see the psalmist say hey God's people are provided for they are safe God is in the midst of them and yet one of the commentators I was reading throughout the week makes this Keen observation he says no one can read this Psalm perceptively without sensing that this Earthly reference fails to exhaust its meaning the city of God concerns not only the security of Earthly Jerusalem but also the nature and safety of the people of God throughout history see this phrase the city of God is a major theme throughout all of scripture and so it's not just limited to here the god God who made sure that Jerusalem was safe and secure is the same God that we as Christians we as Kucha Baptists can find safety security and gladness and then we have verse 7 it's repeated in verse 11 as well so it's repeated there must be something to it it says the Lord of hosts is with us the god of Jacob is our Fortress why the god of Jacob see Jacob is the third of three Jewish Patriarchs Abraham Isaac and Jacob and to be quite honest he's probably the least outstanding of the three Jacob was known as a schemer he schemed his twin brother out of his Birthright he's not necessarily known for his Holiness so why is it that here we have the Lord of hostes with us the god of Jacob is our Fortress the thing about Jacob is it took him a LIF time to learn to trust God he wrestled but throughout his life he leared to trust God and God was and is gracious and merciful he is an open refuge for his people and so too for us this morning as Christians as Kucha Baptists we have a lifetime of learning to trust God in all things I hope that's given us a little bit of context we're now going to dive in and spend a little bit more time unpacking verses 8 to 11 and more accurately verse 10 verse 8- 11 says come Behold The Works of the Lord how he has brought desolations on the earth he makes Wars cease to the end of the the Earth he breaks the bow and shatters the spear he burns the Chariots with fire be still and know that I am God I will be exalted among the Nations I will be exalted in all the Earth the Lord of hosts is with us the god of Jacob is our Fortress so the s calls us to remember what God has done he set this theological truth that God is greater than anything we can experience he highlights that God's people can be safe and secure in God's presence and he calls the reader to remember what God has done see God has proven time and again that he is in fact our refuge and strength he is a very present help in trouble it was not only true for those reading it back then but as we think back on the last 56 years of Kucha Baptist history we can see that God very truly has been our refuge and strength God has been a very present help in times of trouble and yet Within all of this we have verse 10 and verse 10 is unique because it is the one verse where God himself not the psalmist is the one Speaking God declares be still and know that I am God I will be exalted among the Nations I will be exalted in the Earth this is our key verse moving into 2025 this is the vision that we have just strive towards and so what exactly does it mean how does it impact us moving forward I need to be very very clear here so that there's no miscommunication this verse is not advis to lead a contemplative life life however important that may be this is not what God is saying here rather God is commanding he says stop what you are doing lay down your arms surrender and acknowledge that I am the one and only Victorious God see at the heart of busyness tends to be concern or fear if I don't keep up then I'll fall behind if I don't work those extra hours I'll miss that promotion which has all these good benefits I might lose my job I'm scared that the cost of livings going to go up I've just got to keep grinding away what if what if what if but in the midst of everything while we're so busy trying to make sure these things don't happen God says stop what you are doing lay down your arms surrender and acknowledge that I am the one and only Victorious God that concern that you have I already am all over I'm already at work this thing that seems to be consuming your life that you don't have the answer to I am bigger than that surrender know that I am God and that I will be exalted among the Nations I will be exalted in all the earth I am your refuge and strength a very present help in trouble see Church Our Lives should not be set by an agenda or a schedule we shouldn't be so busy running from one thing to the other just to get things done our agenda our life should be set he's already over everything he is greater than any problem that we will encounter and so as Christians as Kucha Baptists it's not good enough it's not right for us just to do God work there's little to no benefit for us to do church or Ministry if we're so busy doing the Practical things that we forget about God first and foremost we need to be his children we need to stop be still and know that he is God and then as he leads us to do services and Ministry and all the other things in life to go in his strength and so if God is our refuge and strength then his command to be still in him is not a call to inactivity or laziness rather it's an invitation which requires work see God's instruction is for us to know him and to do so we must engage Pastor Dave is going to come up and touch on this shortly to highlight what it looks like practically for us moving forward into 2025 what it means for us to be still and know God but quite simply we've highlighted three things which are essential for us moving forward into 2025 number one we have to engage with God through his word number two we have to engage with God in prayer and number three we have to engage with our call to be Disciples of Jesus who make disciples and don't get me wrong I'm conscious that some of us in the room might be sitting there rightly thinking all the pastors ever tell me to do when I come to church is to read my Bible and to pray that's all I ever hear come out of their mouth I'd like to share some eye openening research with you now I want to highlight This research is a little bit dated but in my opinion that makes the urgency all the more s to summarize the research there's a statement that says most people who claim to follow Christ do not read or listen to the Bible on most days of the week what I'm going to read now is an overview of the study written by Jeff Martin just a small excerpt he says in the study they pulled 40,000 people aged 8 to 80 they wanted to see how many people were engaging in scripture as they compiled the results they made a profound Discovery they were not even looking for when they originally planned the survey the study indicated that when people engaged in the scripture one time a week which could include a pastor instructing the congregation to open up your Bibles as we have this morning there was a negligible effect on some key factors of their life the same result was true if people engaged in the scripture two times a week the result equaled little to no effect three times a week saw a small indication of Life there was a slight pulse a faint heartbeat something moved in the behavior of the person engaging in script the eye opener happened when Bible engagement reached at least four times a week church that's still only 4 days of seven a steady climb of impact would have been expected but that was not the case the level was basically stagnant over days one and two with a small bump on day three but when day four was reached the effects spiked in an astounding way the stunning finding included the following feeling lonely dropped by 30% anger issues dropped by 32% bitterness in relationships dropped by 40% alcoholism dropped by 57% sex outside of marriage drops by 68% feeling spiritually stagnant drops 60% viewing pornography drops 61% sharing your faith jumps 200% and discipling others jumps 230% the research literally leaps off the charts the findings Hammer home the truth that there are profound differences between people who engage the scripture at least four times a week and those who engage with scripture left less often this data is extremely revealing there is a full-blown effort to keep followers of Christ from consistently reading the Bible on a daily basis integral to these findings is that people who Engage The Bible one to 3 days a week indicate basically the same effect on their personal lives is those who do not engage it at all the deceptive reality is that they can feel good about their activities without any substantial results they think they're being good Christians but their lives are no different than people who aren't Christians at all church we need to engage with God's word edman Chan puts it this way he says Jesus's disciples must remain in him intimately connected by responsive obedience to his commands abiding thus means to keep in a fellowship with Christ so that his life can work in and through us to produce good fruit this certainly involves reading the word of God and applying it in faith speaks of spiritual intimacy with him God initiates this intimacy but leaves the choice to us but it must be cultivated in the Christian Life it is not automatic it is a matter of choice one of the greatest privileges we have is the privilege of intimacy as Oswald Sanders said each of us is as close to God as we choose CH to be we are his friends and we are lovingly invited to be near the throne to listen to his word to enjoy his intimacy and thus walk in the newness of Life Church there's a lot happening in our world and in our area we've got a heap of people who are moving in over the next couple of years and our prayer is that God will be at work within ass kabus to work mightily to partner in the work that he will be doing in this area but to do so we can't just do work we need to make sure that we have the f Foundation set we need to make sure we are engaging with God through his word we need to make sure as we do that we are engaging with God In Prayer that's the natural reaction as we hear from God we respond to him and as we do this God will lead us in the Ministries in our services in new things that he has for us to do and we will be able to walk obediently as Disciples of Jesus who make disciples the reality is that everything we should do should be in direct obedience to God's lead Our Lives should be orientated by God and not a time or agenda items and so as we approach 2025 we want to heed God's Comm command in Psalm 46:10 be still and know that I am God I will be exalted among the Nations I will be exalted in the earth Church let's make sure we know God that we are walking closely in our relationship with him so that when he calls us to do new things as he calls us to continue the work that we are doing we do so in his strength and not our own each of us is as close to God as we choose to be his offer of intimacy and relationship is open for everyone our prayer for 2025 is that as a church we will dig in and seek God together would you pray with me Heavenly Father we thank you for your word we thank you that you are God and that you are over everything that happens on this Earth Lord God there is nothing that takes you by surprise there is nothing bigger than you there is nothing too difficult for you to handle Lord thank you for your invitation for intimate relationship with you Lord as we step into the new year would you help each of us personally but also together as part of your church to be intentional in drawing close to you to be intentional not to waste your offer of intimacy Lord help us to grow in relationship with you and as we do lead us in your work for your world father God we pray that you would grow in US hearts that are obedient to you that we might hear what you say and respond without hesitation we pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.