THE GREAT AND UNSHAKABLE ASSURANCE FOR THOSE WHO TRUST IN THE LORD

IN THE DAYS OF HIS POWER SERIES.

TOPIC: THE GREAT AND UNSHAKABLE ASSURANCE FOR THOSE WHO TRUST IN THE LORD

SERMON BY-:
Rev. Innocent Chukwudi Peace-Udochukwu
President Living Fountain Ministries Int’l LIFOM

“Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved but abides forever,” Psalm 125:1.

We live in a world that in large measure disregards the things of God. So much of what God has given us in the Scriptures is regarded by many as outdated or irrelevant for life in today’s world. And so, for those who are committed to trusting God and taking Him at His word, there can be a sense in which we feel like outsiders in this world. On some issues the church is being told we are on the wrong side of history, and if we aren’t careful we can start to doubt the things we’ve believed to be true.
Of course, we aren’t the first generation of God-followers to find ourselves living in a time and place where the ways of God are disregarded. In fact, this is the story of most of history.

“But those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion – Unmovable, forever”
Mountains aren’t easily moved and throughout the Bible they are used as symbols of stability and strength. Mount Zion is the mountain where Jerusalem sits, and for the people of God this was the ultimate symbol of stability. The psalmist wants those who trust in the Lord to know that a position of trust is a position of stability. Those who trust in the Lord cannot be moved (Ps. 46:4-7; 1 Peter 2:4-10)

“Those who trust in the Lord are like Jerusalem – Fully guarded, forever” While Mount Zion is a high mountain, there are mountains around it that are taller; these mountains provided a natural barrier or guard around the city of God. The psalmist says that those who trust God are like Jerusalem, surrounded and guarded by God. He is our guard against the power of sin and Satan and the opposition of the world.
(Psalm 121:5-8; John 10:27-29).

“Those who trust in the Lord are protected – Evil will not rule forever”
The psalmist is writing for a people who are living under wicked rulers, but the promise of God is that evil won’t rule forever. Those who live under this kind of rule may be tempted to follow the ways of those in power, but God will protect His people and ensure that they are not overcome
(1 Corinthians 10:12-13).

It is important that man, who is a creature of God, should in all things trust the Lord. The trust that is required of him is that of a simple faith in the Lord. However, the Bible is unhappy with those that trust in fellowmen or in themselves. Listen to what Jeremiah says: “Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord,”
Jeremiah 17:5.

He is so condemned, because man is not his maker and cannot do much to better his condition. Indeed, man should trust in the Lord, no matter what happens or what he/she may be going through. So, the Bible admonishes: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding,” Proverbs 3:5. Remember, our God is worthy of our trust. The Psalmist beckons on us: “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good,” Psalm 38:8.
Secondly, he says: “Those who trust the Lord are compared like Mount Zion.”
One would begin to wonder how our God is compared to a thing like a mountain. The topography of a mountain near Zion suggests stability, security and protection. Impliedly, every attempt to attack Zion, the City of God, from any angle, based on this description, will be very difficult. Zion is surrounded by mountain and as the world endures, this natural endowment makes it not only difficult, but also impervious by the enemy. Therefore, the same way Zion is protected, God also becomes the believer’s stability, security and protection from would-be enemies. What a healthy comparison. Remember, God’s love surrounds His people, as “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever,”
(Hebrews 13:8). This, therefore, should re-awaken the zeal of the worshipper not to fear, as God is cannot be overrun by the enemy. Any trust in Him provides victory and this should be the portion of every child of God. Please, seek to have it.
Thirdly, “He cannot be moved or shaken.”
It is true we have storms, difficulties, challenges and hardships in life. But the believer is not to be moved or shaken in faith.

He cannot be moved or shaken.” It is true we have storms, difficulties, challenges and hardships in life. But the believer is not to be moved or shaken in faith. Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ conquered sin through His death on the Cross of Calvary and by His resurrection gave believers victory. Therefore, as we live our lives in this earthly journey, we should not be shaken or moved, because God’s agenda, even if it is tampered with by the devil, cannot ultimately be destroyed. St. Paul, aware of this, therefore, encourages the believer: “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Romans. 8:38-39). Impliedly, it is the duty of the Christian to continue to trust God and remain immoveable and unshakeable in faith. The words of the Hymn writer in Church Hymnal 770 Stanza 1 is very helpful here:
“Courage Brother do not stumble,
Though thy path be dark as night,
here’s a star to guide the humble,
Trust in God and do the right

They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion. The emphasis lies upon the object of their trust, namely, Jehovah the Lord. What a privilege to be allowed to repose in God] How condescending is Jehovah to become the confidence of his people! To trust elsewhere is vanity; and the more implicit such misplaced trust becomes the more bitter will be the ensuing disappointment; but to trust in the living God is sanctified common sense which needs no excuse, its result shall be its best vindication. There is no conceivable reason why we should not trust in Jehovah, and there is every possible argument for so doing; but, apart from all argument, the end will prove the wisdom of the confidence. The result of faith is not occasional and accidental; its blessing comes, not to some who trust, but to all who trust in the Lord. Trusters in Jehovah shall be as fixed, firm, and stable as the mount where David dwelt, and where the ark abode. To move mount Zion was impossible: the mere supposition was absurd. Which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. Zion was the image of eternal steadfastness,—this hill which, according to the Hebrew, “sits to eternity, “neither bowing down nor moving to and fro.” Thus doth the trusting worshipper of Jehovah enjoy a restfulness which is the mirror of tranquillity; and this not without cause, for his hope is sure, and of his confidence he can never be ashamed. As the Lord sitteth King for ever, so do his people sit enthroned in perfect peace when their trust in him is firm. This is, and is to be our portion; we are, we have been, we shall be as steadfast as the hill of God. Zion cannot be removed, and does not remove; so the people of God can neither be moved passively nor actively, by force from without or fickleness from within. Faith in God is a settling and establishing virtue; he who by his strength setteth fast the mountains, by that same power stays the hearts of them that trust in him. This steadfastness will endure “for ever, “and we may be assured therefore that no believer shall perish either in life or in death, in time or in eternity. We trust in an eternal God, and our
safety shall be eternal.

The place where God dwells is clearly a place of safety and security.
Psalm 16:8 says: “I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
(Psalm 16:8)
When the Lord is at your side, you are safe and secure, and you are like Mount Zion which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
1 Peter 2:6 says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
(1 Peter 2:6)
Christ is that cornerstone, and when you trust in him, you will never be put to shame. So many people drift their way through life because they have no foundation. But when you build your life on Christ and his words, you have a solid foundation, and you are like Mount Zion which cannot be shaken but endures forever.

There is an amazing story in the Bible about the prophet Elisha and his servant. They woke up one morning and found that an enemy king had surrounded the city and was preparing to capture them. Elisha told the servant, “Don’t be afraid, those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Of course the servant was confused. He counted two on their side, him and Elisha, and there was a whole army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. But then we read this in 2 Kings 6:17: “Elisha prayed, ‘O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.’ Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
(2 Kings 6:17)
God’s army was “all around” Elisha, and that phrase “all around” is the same word that we have in Psalm 125:2 where the Lord “surrounds” his people. The same word shows up again in Psalm 34:7: “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.”
(Psalm 34:7)

Evil is temporary, but good lasts forever. As Charles Spurgeon said: “The saints abide forever, but their troubles do not.” The power of the wicked will be broken, and they will no longer rule over that which God has reserved for his people. Your inheritance is kept safe from the wicked.

CONCLUSION:
If your faith is in Christ, then you are safe and secure. You are like Mount Zion which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds you on every side.
If your faith is in Christ, then your inheritance is secure. The power of the wicked will be broken on the outside, and the power of sin will be broken on the inside. Your inheritance is kept safe from the wicked, and you are kept safe to receive it.
And if your faith is in Christ, then your future is secure. You have been made good in Christ, and God will do good to those who are good.
So don’t worry. Don’t be afraid. If your faith is in Christ, then you are safe. You are secure.
But if your faith is not in Christ, then you are neither safe nor secure. In fact your life is actually the opposite of the things we have read in this psalm about believers in Christ. You are not like Mount Zion. You are not surrounded by God’s protection and care. You are excluded from the blessings of the righteous. You are in danger of being banished from God forever.
And so you need to put your trust in Christ. Jesus Christ is God’s Son who died on the cross to pay the full payment for your sins. When you put your faith in him, he gives you a new heart so that you can follow him and obey his commands. He pledges his full protection for you. He promises you a secure inheritance and offers you a secure future of perfect peace in his presence. Won’t you trust him today?

If you are already trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ,
Philippians 4:6-7
says – “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Basically – God is telling us through the Apostle Paul, Don’t fret, don’t worry, don’t get anxious, just trust God, and His peace will see you through!

SHALOM!

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