A Mighty Fortress! THE GOSPEL IN SONG

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God…  In God we find support.  In God we find solace.  In God we find safety.  In God we find security.  In God we find salvation.

1. A mighty fortress is our God, A bulwark never failing; Our helper He, amid the flood Of mortal ills prevailing. For still our ancient foe Doth seek to work us woe; His craft and power are great, And, armed with cruel hate, On earth is not his equal. 1 - A Mighty Fortress Words and Music by: Martin Luther © 2001 The Paperless Hymnal™

1 - A Mighty Fortress © 2001 The Paperless Hymnal™

1 - A Mighty Fortress © 2001 The Paperless Hymnal™

1 - A Mighty Fortress © 2001 The Paperless Hymnal™

2. Did we in our own strength confide Our striving would be losing; Were not the right One on our side The Man of God's own choosing. Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He; Lord Sabaoth is His name, From age to age the same, And He must win the battle. 2 - A Mighty Fortress Words and Music by: Martin Luther © 2001 The Paperless Hymnal™

2 - A Mighty Fortress © 2001 The Paperless Hymnal™

2 - A Mighty Fortress © 2001 The Paperless Hymnal™

2 - A Mighty Fortress © 2001 The Paperless Hymnal™

4. That word above all earthly powers - No thanks to them - abideth; The Spirit and the gifts are ours Through Him who with us sideth. Let goods and kindred go, This mortal life also; The body they may kill: God's truth abideth still, His kingdom is forever. 4 - A Mighty Fortress © 2001 The Paperless Hymnal™

4 - A Mighty Fortress © 2001 The Paperless Hymnal™

4 - A Mighty Fortress © 2001 The Paperless Hymnal™

4 - A Mighty Fortress © 2001 The Paperless Hymnal™

A Tale Of Three Houses  One built of the finest materials on earth.  One built with the greatest wisdom on earth.  One built with the word and faith in God.

We are at war with Satan  Our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe  His craft and power are great  Armed with cruel hate  His equal is not found on earth

1 Peter 5:8  Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

2 Corinthians 11:14  “No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

Satan entices us with sin  James 1:13-15 – ” Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”

Only Christ Can Defeat Him  1 John 3:8 – “…the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.”

God Is Our Fortress In This World  A never failing bulwark  A defensive wall. Rampart. Fortification. Barricade. Stockade.

Our Rock! Our God!  Psalm 18:2 – The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

A Visit From A Funeral Director  Lamenting the loss of respect and reverence for such entities as churches and funeral homes.  Lamenting the necessity to lock up everything.  Do locks keep us safe?

Psalm 91:1-2, 14  “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge, my fortress, My God, in whom I trust’….’Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known my name.’”

The Lord Sabaoth  Romans 9:29 – “And just as Isaiah foretold, ‘Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left to us a posterity, we would have become like Sodom, and would have resembled Gomorrah.’”

In Him We Live  Acts 17: God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

In God We Trust!  Deuteronomy 20:1 – “When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you.”  Psalm 20:7 – “Some boast in chariots and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of the Lord, our God.”

So we spread His truth  “We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph thru us.”  2 Timothy 4:2 – “…preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”

Leaving behind the world…  “Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also….”  Romans 8:13 – “…for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

God’s Eternal Kingdom  “His kingdom is forever.”  2 Timothy 1:12 – “For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.”