Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church,
located at 905 Yadkin Street in Kingsport, Tennessee, would
like to invite you to listen to a message of sovereign grace
by their pastor, Gabe Stoniker. And now, Pastor Gabe Stoniker. I invite you to turn with me
this morning to Psalm chapter 46. One phrase is going to be our
text here in Psalm 46. It's in verse 10. It says, be
still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am God. If the Lord will enable us to
do that, what a wonderful thing to do. Be still and know that
I am God. That's what God commands us to
do. Be still in heart. Be still in mind, in spirit. Oh, the quietness of being still. The peace of being still. the
rest of being still. Moses said, stand still and see
the salvation of the Lord, the Lord our God. Moses, they're
going to get us. Moses, we're going to die. What
are we going to do? Be still. David wrote, the Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green
pastures. He leadeth me beside the still
waters. Be still and know, know that
I am God. Paul said to the Philippians,
oh, that I may know him. Our Lord said, this is life eternal,
that they might know thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ
whom thou hast sent. Be still and know. Lord, I want to know. I don't
want to think. Those men thought the Lord was
going to be well pleased with them when they stood before him
saying, we've prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast
out devils and done many wonderful works. Oh, the horror of the
fact that they thought wrong. They thought wrong. The Lord
said in Psalm 50 verse 21, thou thoughtest, you thought that I was altogether such in
one as thyself. You thought I was just like you,
but you thought wrong. He says, be still and know that
I am God. God. How can I know? That's the title of this message
this morning. How can I know? Is the sun shining right now? How do you know? Is my microphone on right now? How do you know? Did you eat breakfast this morning? How do you know? Do you love your wife or your
husband or your children or your parents? How do you know? Is God really God? I mean really God. Will God provide everything you
need spiritually and physically? Will God provide everything that
is required to pay the debt of your sin and make you acceptable
in His presence? Is the God your God? How do you know? How can I know
anything? Well, here's one way. Is the sun shining today? Yes,
it is. How do you know? I can see it. I can see it. Turn with me over
to Luke 24. Luke chapter 24. Verse 13 says, And behold, two
of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which
was from Jerusalem about three score furlongs. And they talked
together of all these things which had happened. And it came
to pass that while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus
himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were holden
that they should not know him. They couldn't see him for who
he was. And he said unto them, What manner
of communications are these, that you have one to another
as you walk, and are sad? And the one of them, whose name
was Cleopas, answering, said unto him, Art thou only a stranger
in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to
pass there in these days? And he said unto them, What things?
And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was
a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,
and how the chief priest and our rulers delivered him to be
condemned to death and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had
been he which should have redeemed Israel. And beside all this,
today is the third day since these things were done. Yea,
and certain women also of our company made us astonished which
were early at the sepulchre. And when they found not his body,
they came saying they had also seen a vision of angels which
said that he was alive. And certain of them which were
with us went to the sepulchre and found it even so as the women
had said. But him they saw not. Then he
said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all
that the prophets have spoken, ought not Christ to have suffered
these things and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses
and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures
the things concerning himself. And they drew nigh unto the village,
whither they went. And he made as though he would
have gone further. But they constrained him, saying,
Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with
them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he
took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and
they knew Him. I can know something if I've
seen it. Our Lord said in Matthew 11,
no man knoweth the Son but the Father, neither knoweth any man
the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will
reveal Him. I can know that He is God if
the Son has revealed Himself to me." Revealed Himself to me. That's the only hope I have of
knowing Him and seeing Him, is if He has revealed Himself to
me. But here's another way I can know. Is my microphone on right
now? Yes, it is. How do you know? I can hear it. I can hear it. 2 Corinthians
chapter 12, verse 2 says, Paul wrote, I knew a man in Christ
above fourteen years ago, whether in the body I cannot tell, or
whether out of the body I cannot tell, God knoweth. Such in one
called up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, whether
in the body or out of the body, I cannot tell, God knoweth. how
that he was caught up into paradise and heard unspeakable words,
which it is not lawful or possible for a man to utter." Paul said,
I knew a man who was caught up to the third heaven and I heard
things. Oh, did I hear things! John wrote
in 1 John chapter 1, that which was from the beginning, which
we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we
have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life.
For the life was manifested and we have seen and bear witness
and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father
and was manifested unto us. that which we have seen and heard
declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with
us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His
Son, Jesus Christ." Somebody will say, well, you know, John
was speaking from first-hand experience, and Paul was speaking
from first-hand experience, but what about me? What about right
now? Well, turn with me over to John
chapter 10. John 10 verse 27 says, our Lord
said, my sheep hear my voice. All of my sheep hear my voice
and I know them and they follow me. Verse 3 says, "...to him
the porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth
his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out." His own sheep. He
said, all of my sheep are going to hear my voice. He said in
verse 26, you believe not because you are not of my sheep. As I said unto you, my sheep
hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. How? How
do they hear his voice? We'll turn over to Mark chapter
seven. Mark seven. Verse 31 says, And again, departing from the
coast of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the Sea of Galilee through
the midst of the coast of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that
was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech. And they beseech
him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the
multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit and
touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he
sighed and said unto him, Ephetha, that is, be opened. And straightway his ears were
opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake
plain. And he charged them that they
should tell no man, but the more he charged them, so much the
more a great deal they published it. And were beyond measure astonished,
saying, He hath done all things well, he maketh both the deaf
to hear and the dumb to speak." He maketh. He maketh. I can know that He is God if
He has opened my ears. If He has performed an operation
on me, but that's the only way I can know. He must do the work. Here's another way I can know.
Did you eat breakfast this morning? Well, yes I did. How do you know? I could taste it. I could taste
it. Look at John chapter 21 with
me. John 21 verse 11 says, Simon
Peter went up and drew the net to land full of great fishes,
and hundred and fifty and three. And for all there were so many,
yet was not the net broken. Jesus saith unto them, Come and
dine. And none of the disciples durst
ask him who art thou, knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then
cometh and taketh bread, and giveth them the fish likewise.
Now this is the third time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples,
after that he was risen from the dead. So when they had dined,
Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me
more than these? He saith unto him, yea, Lord,
thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second
time, Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, yea,
Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, feed
my sheep. He saith unto him the third time,
Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because
he said unto him the third time, lovest thou me? And he said unto
him, Lord, thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love thee.
Jesus saith unto him, feed my sheep. Feed my sheep. Our Lord said, Blessed are they
which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall
be filled. Does hearing about the Lord Jesus
Christ feed your soul? I mean really, feed your soul? Well then, taste and see that
the Lord is good. Be still and know. I can know that He is God if
He's fed me, if He's fed my soul, and if He's fed my spirit with
the bread of heaven, which is Christ. Christ is the only thing
that feeds my soul. Here's another way I can know.
Do you love your wife? or your husband, or your children,
or your parents. Do you love them? How do you
know? Well, turn back with me one more
time to Luke 24. Luke 24, verse 28 says, They
drew nigh unto the village, whether they went And he made as though
he would have gone further, but they constrained him, saying,
Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.
And he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as
he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and
break, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and
they knew him, and he vanished out of their sight. And they
said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us while
He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the
Scriptures? Does your heart burn within you
for this man, the Lord Jesus Christ? Verse 33 says, And they
rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven
gathered together, and them that were with them, saying, The Lord
is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what
things were done in the way, and how he was known of them
in the breaking of bread. And as they thus spake, Jesus
himself stood in the midst of them and said unto them, Peace
be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted,
saying, And suppose that they had seen a spirit. And he said
unto them, Why are you troubled? And why do thoughts arise in
your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet,
that it is I myself. Handle me and see, for the spirit
hath not flesh and bones, as you see me have. Is this God
the God? Is He your God? Yes. How do you know? I felt Him. He said, Handle me and see, for
a spirit hath not flesh and bones. I have felt Him. Did not our
hearts burn within us? My heart burns for him. Our Lord
was walking through a crowd one time and he stopped and said,
somebody touched me. Can you say he touched me? He touched the feeling of my
infirmities. That's what he touched. How do
you know? I can smell it. The Lord Jesus Christ is a sweet-smelling
savor. A sweet-smelling savor. Go with me over to John 8. Verse
28 says, Then said Jesus unto them, When you have lifted up
the Son of Man, then shall you know that I am
He. When you see Me, as the only
thing that will appease a holy God, then shall you know." I
can know that this God is my God if He died for me. That's how I can know. Ephesians
5 verse 1 says, Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children,
and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given
himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling
savor. Be still and know. Be still and know. I want to
give you one more way that we can know. Back in the Old Testament,
the book of Joel. Joel chapter 3 verse 16 says
this, The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice
from Jerusalem. And the heavens and the earth
shall shake But the Lord will be the hope of his people and
the strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that
I am the Lord your God, dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain. Then shall Jerusalem be holy
and there shall no strangers pass through her anymore. Is
the Lord all your hope? all your hope? Is the Lord all
your strength, all of it? Are you trusting in anything
other than the Lord Jesus Christ for all your salvation? Is He
everything to you, everything? So shall you know. So shall you
know the Lord will be the hope of his people. He will be. Have
you seen his glory? The song says, mine eyes have
seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. Have you seen his
glory? Have you seen him high and lifted
up? Yes. How do you know? I can't tell you how, but I can
tell you that I once was blind, but now I see. Now I see. And I can tell you
this, I didn't open my own eyes. God opened my eyes. God gave
sight to this blind man. Our Lord healed the blind and
He said, go tell no man, keep it to yourself. But they went
out everywhere publishing it. Jesus, Christ is the one who
made me see. I didn't make myself to see.
He did it. Have you heard His voice? A person
asks, well does He speak out loud? No. Much louder than that. He speaks to the heart through
His Word. Has your soul heard His voice
through His Word? Yes. Yes, it has. How do you know? He opened my
ears. I didn't open my own ears. Christ did it. Christ caused
me to hear. Christ stuck His fingers in my
ears and stopped the sound of the world. Stopped the sound
of error. And He caused something that
came forth from His mouth to go into my ears. And He said,
be opened. And I hear. And all the glory
and all the praise goes to the Lord Jesus Christ. Has your taste been satisfied
with heavenly bread and living water? Has your taste been satisfied? Can you say, I can't hold anymore. My cup runneth over. My cup runneth over. I'm full. I'm satisfied. Have you stopped searching for
something to satisfy your soul? A thirsty and a hungry soul goes
searching. If a person is hungry for bread
and water, you know what he does? He goes searching. I've got to
find something to eat. I've got to be filled. I've got
to be satisfied. My thirst has got to be quenched. And once he finds it, he stops
looking. I found it. If a thirsty soul
finds the fountain of living water, I don't need to go searching
anymore. I found it. Has your taste been
satisfied? Are you still searching for the
truth? Are you still searching for satisfaction
and longing to find something that's going to satisfy your
soul? Have you smelled the sweetness
of His sacrifice? Everybody knows that Jesus died
on the cross, but have you smelled the sweetness of His sacrifice? That sweet-smelling savor to
God? No man can approach God. No man
can make a sacrifice to God. No man is worthy of that. Our
sacrifice is tainted. It must be without spot and it
must be without blemish. And therefore, nothing I can
offer him will be appeasing to him. Nothing. But this man, this
one man, this one sacrifice, by one sacrifice, he made an
end. to offering for sin. It satisfied
God. Have you smelled that sweet-smelling
savor? The sacrifice of the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Lamb, slang. If you have, if you have, if
you hear His voice, then be still. Be still and know
that He is God. I pray for that stillness. I pray for that settledness.
I pray for that comfort and that calmness for myself and for all
of His elect. I pray that we would receive
that stillness in Christ. I pray that we would be still
and know that He is God. Until next Sunday morning, may
the Lord bless His Word. You have been listening to a
message by Gabe Stoniker, pastor of Kingsport Sovereign Grace
Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. If you would like a copy of this
message or to hear other messages of Sovereign Grace, you can write
to our physical mailing address at 905 Yadkin Street, Kingsport,
Tennessee 37660 or log on to our website at kingsportsovereigngracechurch.com. If you would like to come and
worship with us, our service times are Sunday morning Bible
study at 10 o'clock a.m., worship at 10.45 a.m., and 6 o'clock
p.m., Wednesday evening at 7.30 p.m. Please tune in next Sunday
morning at 8.30 for another message of God's free and sovereign grace.