Sunday Sermon Outline and Illustrations

Series: What If His People Prayed
Sermon Title: Be Still and Know That I am God

Let’s start today’s sermon with a little humor.

A mousy little fellow was waiting on a corner when a car stopped and a huge man got out. "Excuse me, please," the big guy said, "but I'm a stwanger in town and I'm lost. Can you diwect me to Wolling Woad?"

The mousey fellow looked at the big guy nervously and said nothing."Are you deaf?" the big man wanted to know. "Can't you speak Engwish?"

Still getting no answer, the big man walked over to a police officer. "Excuse me, please, officer, but can you tell me how to get to Wolling Woad?""Rolling Road? Why sure -- you go down this street and turn right."

"Thank you vewy much," replied the muscleman as he went his way.

The officer watched him leave, and then went over to the little fellow. "What's the matter with you?" he asked. "Couldn't you tell him how to get to Rolling Road?"

"Howy smoke, officer, are you cwazy? The minute I twied to tell that big wascal how to get to Wolling Woad, he'd have town me wimb from wimb."

Quoted by James Dent of Charleston, W.Va., Gazette, Reader's Digest, March, 1980

Psalm 46: 7 - 11

7 The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
8 Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire.
10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
11 The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Matthew Henry in his commentary says, “Come and see the effects of desolating judgments, and stand in awe of God. This shows the perfect security of the church, and is an assurance of lasting peace. Let us pray for the speedy approach of these glorious days, and in silent submission let us worship and trust in our almighty Sovereign.”

Three reasons why we should pray and then be silent and spend quiet time in prayer:

1. Do you want God’s answer or your answer?

a. How are you going to know God’s answer if you don’t listen?

William Wilberforce, Christian statesman of Great Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, once said, "I must secure more time for private devotions. I have been living far too public for me. The shortening of private devotions starves the soul. It grows lean and faint."
Following a failure in Parliament, he remarked that his problems may have been due to the fact that he spent less and less time in his private devotions in which he could earnestly seek the will of God. He concluded, "God allowed me to stumble."

2. You might just be amazed at what God has to say when you listen.

a. Maybe we keep talking because we don’t think God will answer.
b. Maybe we keep talking because we won’t like God’s answer.

3. When you listen instead of doing all the talking, there is closeness with God.

a. You show your trust in Him
b. You show your confidence in Him
c. You show your reverence to Him

When Calvin Coolidge was President he saw dozens of people every day. Most had complaints of one kind or another. A visiting Governor once told Coolidge he didn't understand how he could see so many people. "Why, you finish with them by dinner time," the Governor remarked, "while I'm often at my desk till midnight." "Yes," said Coolidge, "But you talk back."

Repeat vs. 10: "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."