Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, located at 2709 Rock Springs Road in Kingsport, Tennessee, would like to invite you to listen to a message of sovereign grace by their pastor, Gabe Stoniker. For information and service times, visit www.ksgc.church. And now, Gabe Stoniker.

We are going to focus today on one verse of Scripture from Psalm 46. If you would like to follow along, we will be in Psalm 46. And as it is with most of the Psalms, the writer of this Psalm is speaking concerning our God. The writer is speaking of God. This is a Psalm concerning God. Verse 1 says, God is our refuge. Speaking of God. the Lord God, speaking on behalf of God's people. God is our refuge. Verse 7 says, The Lord of hosts is with us. Again, speaking of God and speaking of God's people. Verse 8 says, Come behold the works of the Lord. speaking of him, talking about him. Verse 11 says again, the Lord of hosts is with us. So the writer is speaking of our Lord. The writer of this psalm is talking about our Lord, but in one verse of scripture, in one verse here in this psalm, the Lord speaks. The Lord himself speaks. In one verse, which will be our text, the Lord himself is speaking. And this is what he has to say. It's verse 10, Psalm 46, verse 10. It says, be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen. I will be exalted in the earth. Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I'm God.

I want to speak to those of us who need salvation. That's who I'm talking to today. Those who need the God of salvation. I'm searching for God's sheep. Our Lord has declared in this word that he has a people that he calls his sheep. He is the shepherd of the sheep. And he says that his preachers are going to go out with his word and they're going to find these sheep through this preaching of the gospel. This gospel is going to tune the ear of the sheep and they're going to hear the voice of the Lord and they're going to come into his fold. And that's who I'm talking to. That's who I'm searching for in this message. God's sheep. The Lord, our God's sheep. I have a message for God's sheep. And here is the message. He says, be still. and know that I am God. Be still and know that I'm God.

Now, quite often in false religion, I want to expose this and very much point this out. Quite often in false religion, it tries to get men and women worked up. If you really think about it, you'll see this is so. It tries to get men and women stirred up, pumped up, on fire, okay?

But God says, this is what God's Word says to God's people, be still. There's a big difference there. Be still. Do you need salvation? As you sit and listen to this, Do you need salvation? If you're one who hears this and says, yes, I do, then listen to the Lord, our God, be still, be still.

While false religion cries, get up and come down here. You know, they're always wanting people to get up out of their pew and you come down to the front. You, you know, come shake the preacher's hand and you repeat this prayer and you got to do this and do that. You got to run over there and, While false religion cries, work, work, do, you wanna be saved, don't you? You gotta do, you gotta go, you gotta work, you gotta...

While that's what false religion is crying to men and women, the truth of God's spirit, the true word of God Almighty to the hearts of God's people says, be still. Be still. Just be still. The lie and error of man cries, work, work. The truth of the gospel of God cries, be still. This is so, this is so.

He said, be still and know. No, that means trust. That means rest in the fact that I am God. Be still and know that I'm God. Doesn't that sound so nice? Doesn't that sound so relaxing? You know, Psalm 23 says, He leads me beside still waters, waters of quietness. False religion is so loud. There's just so much noise in it.

God says to the hearts of his people, be still. And that's a savor of life to them. They hear life in that. Yes. Be still and know that he's God. He's God.

Do you need salvation? Be still. Do you need deliverance? Be still. Do you need forgiveness? Are you someone who knows in your heart that you need forgiveness? You need God to forgive you? Be still. Do you need redemption? Do you need to be redeemed? Have you fallen and need to be redeemed and replaced? Be still. Just be still.

You say, Gabe, are you talking about in body or in heart? I'm talking about both. In being still, we acknowledge that the work is not ours. It's the Lord's. That's what is taking place when God's people are still. They are acknowledging the work is not ours. It's the Lord's. The work is the Lord's. When we, and spiritually speaking, when we are working and running and doing, spiritually speaking, trying to earn, what we're doing is we're acknowledging that the work is ours. We're trying to earn a work that we believe is ours, that we have to do. When we, from a spiritual point of view, for salvation and for deliverance and forgiveness and redemption, when we feel that we need to run over here and run over there and do this and do that in order for God to be happy with us, we are acknowledging in our hearts before God that the work is ours. That's what we're saying to Him. Lord, we acknowledge the work is ours, but the work is not ours. The work is not ours. The work is the Lord's. That's what he's telling us in this. The work is the Lord's. And if the work is the Lord's, it is a finished work. I hope we really hear that. If the work is the Lord's, it is a finished work. And the only thing that there is left for us to do is be still.

When Moses was leading the children of Israel out of Egypt, you probably know that story, you know, the Lord, the plagues came and finally the children of Israel get to go out and Pharaoh changed his mind and he sent soldiers to chase after him to kill him. And the children of Israel ended up getting pinned between those soldiers and the Red Sea. And there was nowhere left for them to go. And they came to Moses and they said, what are we going to do? There's no escape. There's no way of escape. And this is what Moses said to him. He said, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. He said, the Lord shall fight for you and you shall hold your peace. And I pray we might hear that spiritually speaking in our hearts and in our souls. I pray we might listen to the word of the Lord in that. That is a declaration of God's salvation to his people. That is a declaration of the only way that a man or a woman can be saved from the wrath to come.

There's only one way. We are all by nature caught. We are all naturally hemmed in. We have an ocean of sin on the one side of us. That's what that Red Sea represented. All their sin. We have an ocean of sin on the one side of us and we have the judgment of God on the other side of us. What is the only hope for a sinner in that condition? What is the only hope? Here it is. It's to stand still and look to the salvation that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. The salvation that is in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the only hope and the only salvation that there is. That's the only one.

They cried, Moses, what are we going to do? And this is what he said. Don't do anything. Don't do anything. And that's what I have to say to all of God's sheep. That's what I have to say right now to all of God's sheep who are in desperate need of the salvation and deliverance that is only found in Jesus Christ. Stand still. Stand still. Be still and look to him.

Now here's another story that's similar to the one there in Exodus where Moses led the children of Israel out. And it's also a declaration of salvation to God's people, all right? This is an illustration of salvation. If you want to turn with me to 2 Chronicles chapter 20, I love this story. I've loved this story since the first time it was read to me. And I believe you'll love this too. It's just so precious. This is such an encouragement to God's people. And that's my desire for this message. I pray this will be an encouragement to God's people, an encouragement to God's sheep. I want to, through God's own Word, I want to glorify Him and be a comfort to the hearts of His sheep.

So 2 Chronicles 20 verse 1 says, It came to pass after this also that the children of Moab and the children of Ammon, And with them other beside the Ammonites came against Jehoshaphat to battle." All these other nations decided that they were going to go to war against Israel. They were all ganging up against Israel.

Verse 2, Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria. And behold, they be in Hazazon, Tamar, which is in Gedi. And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah gathered themselves together to ask help of the Lord. Even out of all the cities of Judah, they came to seek the Lord.

" And the next few verses right here say that as they were all gathered together, Jehoshaphat, king of Israel, prayed on their behalf. They got word that all these nations were coming against them in battle. And they knew that they were not an army that could fight such a great company of soldiers and this great enemy. And so they came together and Jehoshaphat, it says in these next few verses, prayed on behalf of Israel and he begged and pleaded God to have mercy on them and to spare them and to deliver them from this great destruction that was coming to them.

Verse 12 says, he said, O our God, wilt thou not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that cometh against us. Neither know we what to do, but our eyes are on thee. Our eyes are upon thee. He said, Lord, the only thing that we can do is stand here and look to you. That's all we can do.

And I want to tell all of us concerning salvation. I mean concerning salvation. That's the only thing we can do. You know, here we are gathered together in this way. The Lord has enabled this means here of me to preach this gospel and you to hear this gospel. And in this moment, right now, we're gathered in this way. And I pray we're gathered right now begging God for mercy. That's what I need as a sinner against him. And that's what you need as a sinner against him. Mercy, Lord, please have mercy on us. I pray we are gathered begging God to spare us and deliver us from the great destruction that is coming outside of his mercy and his grace in the blood of Christ. And all we can say is, Lord, we have no might against this judgment that's coming to us. I have no might against the judgment of God on my sins, and neither do you. You have no ability to withstand the judgment of God on your sins. So all we can pray is, Lord, we look to you. We're looking to you. We're begging you. We're pleading. We're crying out for mercy. We're crying out for salvation. We're crying out for help from you.

Verse 13, that's what they did. And it says, All Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones, their wives and their children. They all stood there together, still. They were just standing there. They weren't doing anything. That's all they could do was be still.

Verse 14, Then upon Jehaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Madaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation. The Lord's Spirit moved on this man to speak and speak the word of the Lord. And verse 15, He said, Hearken ye all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou King Jehoshaphat, thus saith the Lord unto you, be not afraid, nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's."

Boy, you want to bring some good news to the heart of a sinner? in need of help, the heart of a sinner in need of deliverance. That's the best news that sinner could hear. The battle is not yours. Fear not. The battle is not yours, but God's. This is God's battle.

Verse 16, He said, Tomorrow go ye down against them. Behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz. He told them exactly where they would be. And you shall find them at the end of the brook before the wilderness of Jeruel. You shall not need to fight in this battle. Set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you. O Judah and Jerusalem, fear not, nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord will be with you.

and Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshiping the Lord." That's the response to hearing this wonderful news of the salvation that's in the hands of God Almighty. They bowed themselves. They worshiped the Lord.

Verse 19 says, And the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high. They cried, Thank God. Thank God. And that's what God's people cry in hearing the glorious news of the salvation that is of the Lord. Salvation that's in the hands of the Lord. When God's children hear the battle is not mine, it's the Lord's, they cry, thank God. Thank God. Praise the Lord for his salvation.

Verse 20 says, And they rose early in the morning and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa. And as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, believe in the Lord your God. So shall you be established. Believe his prophets. So shall you profit. So shall you prosper. And that's what I have to say to all of God's sheep this morning. You believe the word of the Lord. You believe the word of the Lord and you will be established. If you believe the word of the Lord, it's because he has given you faith to believe. Faith is not of ourselves. That's the gift of God. That's His work in His people. He gets the glory for our believing on Him. But if He's given you that ability, believe on Him.

You believe the Word of the Lord that the death of the Lord Jesus Christ is all the payment that God requires for your sins. That's it. You believe the Word of the Lord that there is remission in the shedding of His blood. Remission for all that sin that you've committed. You believe the word of the Lord that there is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, in his blood, in his life, in his death, in his righteousness. You believe the word of the Lord that if God be for us, nothing can be against us. Not even our own sin. Not even our own sin. Believe the word of the Lord that it is finished. It is all finished and taken care of in him. That's what he said. It's all finished.

Fear not in Christ. In the Lord Jesus Christ, fear not. You are complete in him. What do I need to do? Stand still. Believe on Him. Believe His Word.

Verse 20, They rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa. And as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in the Lord your God, so shall you be established. Believe His prophets, so shall you prosper.

And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord, for his mercy endureth forever."

On the front line, he put musicians. IN FRONT OF THE ARMY, IN FRONT OF THE ARROWS, IN FRONT OF THE SWORDS. HE BELIEVED THE WORD OF HIS GOD SO MUCH, HE PUT MUSICIANS ON THE FRONT LINE AND SAID, THIS IS HOW WE'RE GOING OUT. THE FIRST THING THAT'S GOING TO ENTER THIS BATTLE IS SONGS OF PRAISE AND THANKS TO THE LORD.

VERSE 22, AND WHEN THEY BEGAN TO SING, ALL THEY DID WAS PRAISE THE LORD, THANK THE LORD, THANK YOU LORD. THAT'S ALL THEY DID.

AND WHEN THEY BEGAN TO SING AND TO It says the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, which were come against Judah, and they were smitten. They all ambushed each other. They didn't realize that they fought against themselves. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, uttered to slay and to destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another.

And when Judah came toward the watchtower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth and none escaped. Not one of them. That represents our sin. That great multitude is our sin. And after the work of God, in the person of Christ, they're all gone. all of them are gone.

Verse 25 says, And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them an abundance both riches with the dead bodies and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves more than they could carry away. They were three days in gathering of the spoil. It was so much.

That is the victory that is in being still. looking to Christ, trusting His Word, knowing He is God. Knowing the battle is His. It's not mine, it's His.

Back in our text, we'll close out with this. Back in our text in Psalm 46, verse 10 says, be still and know that I am God. He is God Almighty, Genesis 35 says. Be still and know that He is God Almighty. Know that in your hearts. That's the command of God. Know that in your hearts that He's God Almighty. He's the all-powerful, all-controlling, all-reigning, all-ruling God of heaven and earth. That's who God is. He doesn't need you. He doesn't need me. He doesn't need help. Know that He's God. Know that he is God who does what he wants with whom he wants.

You say, Gabe, you say that all the time. That's because he is that all the time, the sovereign God. That's who he is, the sovereign God, God almighty. Isaiah 45, he said, I'm God and there is none else. He's the only one that there is. Some people believe, well, I have my God and you can have your God. No, no, no, there's only one. And it's the God of this Bible.

Know that he's God, the only God. He is the God of the heathen. He's the God of the heathen. That's what the scripture says. I'll be exalted among the heathen. I'll be exalted in the earth. That means he's the God of me. I'm the heathen. You're the heathen. That means he's the God of you. He's our God. Know that the Lord God is our God.

And he said, I will do what I purpose to do. Know that if God said it, it shall come to pass. And he said he'll save his people from their sin. And he has, and he will. And my prayer is that God will give both of us faith to believe it. Faith to believe him. Cause us to know that. Cause us to know that, Lord, and we will know. to Him be all the glory. Amen.

Tune in at this same time next week for another message of God's free and sovereign grace.