Fortress: With God as our fortress, Next week (how you can make your God your fortress) 2-4 others passages in Scripture that speak of God as a fortress – Repetitive Reinforcement
I. With God as your fortress, you have help when trouble comes!
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16
Refuge – Does anyone here need God to be a refuge?
Strength – Does anyone here need God to be their strength?
Help – Does anyone here need God to be their help?
Trouble – God does not promise that life will be trouble free. He promises He will be our help if we make Him our fortress.
Very Present – there when we need Him. Well Proven – He has proven He is a help to His people and will continue to be so!
II. With God as your fortress, you can face crisis with faith instead of fear!
And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” Matthew 14:28–33
· Not a bad day (Not a bad hair day)
· Not a difficult day – Not even a big tragedy
· This is a major catastrophe. This earth just exploded. His world blew up. Earthquake. Tsunami.
Not fear – Faith. Look to the One who is unseen. TO the one who sets the boundaries for the waters!
III. With God as your fortress, you can trust that joy will emerge again!
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37–39
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22:1–2
· SA river walk – place to relax. Happy, Cheerful, enjoyment
· HS is a river in the life of His people.
o Fruit of the Spirit
o Is something stopping the river from flowing through your life?
§ Doubt, Sun, Disobedience, unwillingness to surrender.
§ Be fill with the Spirit
§ Give God time to work – When morning Dawns
· A picture of our ultimate hope – Heaven
o The years of our life – 100 years max does not begin to compare to the 54 trillion plus that will only be the beginning of our time in heaven!
IV. With God as your fortress, you can experience true peace!
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6–7
· Peace with God – Objective (His peace is real whether we feel it or not.)
· The Peace of God – Subjective (We feel His peace.)
· Peace in your relationships – Peace among the nations
· God is at work to bring peace to your life, peace with Him and peace with others!
V. With God as your fortress, you can rest knowing He will be exalted!
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Be still. Be faithful to do what God has called you to do but stop doping that which only God can do. Let God be God. He is at work and He will glorify Himself. He will make His name great in all the earth. Througout the nations. In our community. In our church. In our families. In our lives
