Brothers and sisters - I know that times are really crazy right now. All we need to do is look around and we can see that our world is filled with so much fear, anxiety and uncertainty - some of which may be camping out in us.
I mean, every day seems to bring with it another crashing wave of disheartening news or unanswered questions.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:13, Paul encourages believers who had lost loved ones, 'not to grieve' like the rest of men who have no hope. Brothers and Sisters, I believe that in these troubled, anxious and uncertain times - that Paul would tell us who follow Jesus, 'not to live' like the rest of men who have no hope.
UNDERSTAND - this is not a time for us to live in fear, anxiety and panic - because we do have hope, a living hope through and in Christ Jesus our Lord.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity…. But of power, love and self discipline.
NOW – there are just 2 Major points in your notes today…
Remember That… and
Therefore We…
HOWEVER – before we go there I want to show what is in this treasure chest I have up here…
(It holds a roll of Toilet paper)
OKAY – and here are 7 of the funniest memes I found online about toilet paper and the corona virus…
OKAY – point #1
I. Remember That…
And before we get into these specific points I want to read the following from Isaiah 55
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth. So are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts…
(YEAH – we sure could use some ‘God thoughts’ at a time like this…. AMEN?!
UNDERSTAND – I will be sharing a lot of Scripture this morning, and the very next two verses in Isaiah 55 speak to the reason why…)
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. – Isaiah 55:10,11
Okay here's the deal Maple Grove and I am totally confident that because God's word is alive and active - it will accomplish His purpose for this day. May we all lean in and have ears to hear...
Maple Grove in times like these we need to…
A) Remember That God Is Still On His Throne
In the year that King Uzziah died,
(LISTEN – there is a lot behind those 7 words… words we tend to quickly read right over.
BUT UNDERSTAND – Uzziah had been King for 55 years and he was a pretty good king.
QUESTION – what do you think the nation was feeling at this time? They were feeling troubled and uncertain about the future. Who will be our next king? Will he be a good king?
AND LISTEN – God knew that what His people needed to see in those anxious and uncertain times… was that He was still on His throne.
The very next verses read…
I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.3 And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. – Isaiah 6:1-4
One more verse about God being on His throne from Isaiah 40:21,21
Do you not know? Have you not hear? Has it not been told to you from the beginning? Have not understood since the earth was founded? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth.
Maple Grove at times like these we must remember that God is still on His throne and that…
Okay – finish the sentence for me with power, confidence and conviction…
”Our God is…”
NEXT
B) Remember That - Our God Is In Control
Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. – Matthew 28:18
What kind of authority does God have?
Which is why He can say the following…
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
– Romans 8:28
This morning I read in Luke 2 (from our bible reading plan) about Caesar Augustus issuing a decree for a census of the Roman world.
Now, he thought he was in control of this census, however, it was God plan for Joseph to be in Bethlehem when Jesus was born as tbe prophet Micah foretold.
Maple Grove at times like these we must remember that God is in Control…
Okay – finish the sentence for me with power, confidence and conviction…
“Our God is…”
C) Remember That - Our God Can Be Trusted
Maple Grove lean into these words about how our God can be trusted…
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart rejoices, and I praise Him with my song. – Psalm 28:7
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore. – Psalm 125:1,2
Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.
– John 14:1-3
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5,6
Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagle. They will run and not grow weary They will walk and not faint. – Isaiah 40:30,31
Maple Grove at times like these we must remember that our God can be trusted…
Okay – finish the sentence for me with power, confidence and conviction…
“Our God can…”
D) Remember That - Our God Is Our Help
NOW – the Psalm I am about to read has a been a special Psalm to me since the Spring on 1996.
You see, my first wife Judy was battling cancer and was in the ICU at University Hospital in Tampa, Florida.
She was not doing well. The meds were not working.
She was uneasy, disorientated and hallucinating.
Nothing the Doctors did helped.
Finally Judy looked at me and said, “where is my Bible?”
I grabbed it off the window ledge and handed to her.
She flip feverously through the pages.
Stopped point to Psalm 121 and said read this to me.
I read it to her and instantly a supernatural peace and calmness swept over her.
Brothers and sisters let this words comfort you.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains where does my help come from?
(From the CDC?
From the new media?
From Washington?
From the Oval office?)
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. – Psalm 121
Maple Grove at times like these we must remember that our God can is our…
Okay – finish the sentence for me with power, confidence and conviction…
“Our God is…”
NOW UNDERSTAND – I could go on sharing countless things that we need to remember that Our God and what He can do at a time like this… truths that encourage us
Like…
• Our God is faithful
• Our God keeps his promises
• Our God is the alpha and omega
• The King of kings and Lord of lords
• The father of compassion and the God of all comfort
However, I will just mentioned one more thing we need to remember at such a time as this…
E) Remember That Our God Is Great and Our God Is Good
Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness. – Ps 145:3
Listen – we are talking about a God.
• who breathes our stars… (one Star Canis Majoris can sit 9.3 billions sun inside of it)
• who holds oceans in the palm of His hands
• who stretched out the heavens
Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. – Jeremiah 32:17
For nothing will be impossible with God. – Luke 1:37
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. – Ps 100:5
Maple Grove in these troubled, anxious and uncertain times, when we remember that…
Our God – is still on His throne, is in control, can be trusted, is our help and is great and good…
We will not fear, we will trust
II. Therefore…
A) We Will Not Fear, We Will Trust
Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. – Psalm 23:4
The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?... Though a mighty army surrounds me,
my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. – Psalm 27:1,3
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” - Psalm 91:1,2
Maple Grove let’s declare that last sentence out loud together
“He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. – Isaiah 43:1-3
Now let’s read Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.
(so we will not fear… when the Corona Virus spreads, when the stock market crashes… when people are all running around in a panic)
Let the oceans roar and foam.
Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!
A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High. God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed. From the very break of day, God will protect it. The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble God’s voice thunders, and the earth melts!
The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. Come, see the glorious works of the Lord: See how he brings destruction upon the world. He causes wars to end throughout the earth.
He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. – Psalm 46
Brothers and sisters Our God
is still on His throne, is in control, can be trusted, is our help and is great and good…
therefore we will not fear, we will trust and…
we will ot worry we will pray
Therefore
B) We Will Not Worry, We Will Pray
“This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?
(Said the robin to the sparrow, “I should really like to know, why these anxious human beings rush about and worry so.” Said the sparrow to the robin, “Friend I think that it must be that they have no heavenly Father such as cares for you and me.”)
Can any of you add a single cubit to his height by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these!
30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you—you of little faith? So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’
For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:25-34
Hey checkout these words Paul wrote from a Roman prison cell…
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.
Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally brothers,
(And hey, as I read this things that Paul is going to tell us should be the filter for what our minds dwell on… ask yourself if some of the news media, tweets, posts...etc right would pass through this filter)
whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things. – Philippians 4:4-8
OKAY – here’s the deal I want to challenge you in the coming weeks to spend more time dwelling on the passages I am sharing today and to other passages than you do watching the news or following all of this social media panic…
And see what happens, see of you are not experiencing more peace.
Maple Grove in these troubled, anxious and uncertain times, when we remember that…
Our God – is still on His throne, is in control, can be trusted, is our help and is great and good…
We will not fear, we will trust
We will not worry, we will pray, and
C) We Will Consider It Pure Joy
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
(Listen we know there is a purpose behind every difficult time... mature and complete, not lacking anything.
And if you have trouble seeing times like these as a opportunity for joy… ask God to give the wisdom to see it that way)
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. – James 1:2-7
NEXT
Maple Grove in these troubled, anxious and uncertain times, when we remember that…
Our God – is still on His throne, is in control, can be trusted, is our help and is great and good…
Therefore
D) We Will Be A Light And We Will Live Differently
You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. – Matthew 5:14-16
UNDERSTAND – the world really needs to see us living differently right now…
Not stupidly (follow the precautions)
But not live in fear and panic…
And when we do…
We may have an opportunity to turn a corona virus conversation into a God conversation.
Check out these verses
Honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. – 1 Peter 3:15
I mean, don’t you want people to ask you.
Why are you so calm, peaceful and hopeful right now?
AND LISTEN – this is how Paul reacted in prison and check out the results…
Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. – Philippians 1;12
NEXT
Maple Grove in these troubled, anxious and uncertain times, when we remember that…
Our God – is still on His throne, is in control, can be trusted, is our help and is great and good…
E) Therefore We Will Show Compassion
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
UNDERSTAND more ½ of the people in our nation do not have our good shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” - Matthew 9:35-38
We need to have compassion for people’s fears and concerns and for their needs.
Look for opportunities to serve others at this time.
Food runs
Medicine runs
NEXT
Maple Grove in these troubled, anxious and uncertain times, when we remember that…
Our God – is still on His throne, is in control, can be trusted, is our help and is great and good…
F) Therefore - We Will Seize This Moment
For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” - Esther 4:14
Again what a time to demonstrate – the hope, the love, the mercy, the grace, the compassion, the confidence, the peace… that is found in Christ alone.
Therefore
G) We Will Pray For National Healing
When Solomon had finished the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the Lord and in his own palace, the Lord appeared to him at night and said:
“I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices. “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people,
14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. – 2 Chronicles 7:11-14
NEXT
Maple Grove in these troubled, anxious and uncertain times, when we remember that…
Our God – is still on His throne, is in control, can be trusted, is our help and is great and good…
Therefore
H) We Will Fix Our Eyes On Jesus
Not on the crisis
Not on the news media
Not of the fear and panic
Not on tweets and posts
Not on the wind and the waves
But on Jesus
But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” - Matthew 14:27:31
And so next week in this room or live streaming we will begin fixing our eyes on Jesus through our study of Mark
Let’s pray.
