Be Encouraged
Scripture: John 16:32-33; James 1:2; Jer. 29:11; Isa. 49:13-17
As Jesus was preparing His disciples for His departure He understood what they would be facing after His death. He understood that they would be scared and would be scattered to their own homes in isolation. Knowing this, He was preparing them so that they would not lose faith; so they would not lose hope. I want to open the message this morning with what Jesus told His disciples in John chapter sixteen. Look down to the end of the chapter at verses thirty-two and thirty-three. It reads, “Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." (John 16:32-33) Jesus said in Him we have peace. Even though in the world we will have tribulations, Jesus has already conquered the world. If Jesus has overcome the world then it does not matter what the world brings forth – it’s already defeated by the one we serve. In Jesus Christ we can have peace because He has already overcome this world.
Now, if you have been watching the news you have seen or heard about pastors keeping their Churches open even after being asked not to in order to slow the spreading of the virus. Some have taken the stance that to shut their doors means they are not operating in faith. Others have stated that regardless of what their city, county or state government says about Churches not being essential businesses, they disagree, which gives them the right to disobey the orders to remain home. I want to make one thing clear and that is the “Church” is not a building. The “Church” cannot be closed because the Church is the people not the building. If we believe that the Church is the building, then yes, Churches are being closed and people’s faith is being impacted. However, if you believe, as the Word teaches, that the Church is the people who have accepted Christ as their Savior, which means He lives in them and not in a building, then the Church is literally wherever “we” are located. An example of this is seen in Paul’s letter to the Romans.
In Romans chapter sixteen as Paul is closing out his letter and mentioning those who were also working in the ministry, he mentions Priscilla and Aquila. In the fifth verse he says to greet the Church that was meeting in their house. The Church is not a building, but people who are in a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:19-22 says, “Now therefore you are no more strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. In whom all the building fitly framed together grows unto a holy temple in the Lord: in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.” Each one of us is part of the household of God, an individual building that makes up a holy temple in the Lord. So, whether we meet at 15 N. 14th Street or as we are virtually in our homes, we are still meeting as a Church. Our Church doors are not closed – we are open!!!
I wanted to open with this statement because some people are struggling with being ordered to remain inside and not being able to worship God together with other believers in the same space. Some people are thinking that this is a test of their faith and their right to worship God publicly is being attacked as was evident of a pastor being arrested this week for not abiding by his state’s stay at home order. Regardless of what the Word says, there are people who believe that they can only worship God in a Church building and anything else is just not genuine. It is important to know and remember that God dwells within each of us. If you are feeling that your faith is being tested right now because of the virus or because you’re being required to remain home except to handle essential business, I have some encouraging news for you. God knew this day would come and what we are facing and He has already made provisions for us.
James 1:2-3 says “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience.” Ah, here we have it. The word “temptations” in this verse means “tests or trials.” We know that Satan will use any and every situation to test our faith as he tries to get us to abandon the promises of God. I want you to notice what I said. I didn’t say that Satan causes the test; I said he will use the test in every way imaginable to get us to doubt God’s love and His faithfulness towards us. And to be honest, sometimes those tests can be really, really tough – including how some are viewing the current world situation. But here is the deal: while we know that some seasons in our lives will be more trying than others and it will be hard to find joy in those seasons, James tells us that it is possible to have that joy. So if James said we could have joy in the midst of our trials (tribulations) it had to have been for a reason. It had to be because it was in fact the truth. So if it is true that we can have joy in the midst of our trying, hard times and currently we are struggling to find that joy, then we have to ask ourselves this question: “Am I going to trust God and take Him at His word or not?” Before you answer that question internally, let me share with you what God has said about you specifically.
My message this morning is titled, “Be Encouraged” as that is what I hope to do for you this morning. I want you to know that there is not one test; one trial; one temptation; or tribulation that you will ever face that you will have to go through alone. Not one. Not yesterday; not today; not tomorrow; not ever! Our enemy, the devil, wants us to think that the trials and tests that we face, we’re facing them alone and that my friend is simply not true and our Heavenly Father wants to ensure that we know that’s not the case. This morning we will look at several Scriptures that prove we are never alone as we deal with our tests in this life. As I said, God not only has our backs, but He has made provisions for us because He knew every situation we would face and what we would need in order to come through those situations.
Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not calamity to give you a future and a hope.” I want you to keep this verse in mind as we go through the message this morning. God knows each of us personally – our strengths and our weaknesses. He knows what we need and when we need it, even before we know it ourselves. And this is really important; He has made plans for each of us. Not plans for our calamity (disaster, catastrophe) but plans to take care of us. If we believe Jeremiah 29:11, then we cannot believe that God is behind all of these events, including COVID-19, that are destroying the lives of both Christians and non-Christians alike. I am not saying that these things aren’t happening; I am saying that God is not the one doing them. So if I know and believe that God is not the one behind these things then I do not have to wonder about going to Him in prayer and seeking help. I am simply standing on His promise that He has a plan for me and that plan does not include Him planning my demise!
We’re going to start in Isaiah 49 and what we’re going to see is this: God loves us more than we realize. And whenever we think that we are alone, whenever we feel the enemy has gotten the best of us, God says “No!” As we’re going through the temptation (trial and tribulations), the question never changes: Do we truly believe that God is with us and that we’re going “through it?” We’re not camping. We’re not staying. We’re going through it. When we go through something we come out on the other side! Remember when David said “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil.” He was able to say that because he understood that those shadows were not permanent. He was walking through, not camping out and residing in them. We’re always going to have things that we will go through. So get that settled in your hearts and minds right now. I think of this way: we are going into a trial, or we are in a trial, or we are coming out of trial. New Light, as children of God, this is our life. And don’t be surprised when I say this because Jesus is essentially saying the same thing in the entire chapter of John 14. The enemy doesn’t stop. If we stop him in one area, he’s going to find another area to attack. The enemy is always going to come at us. But we must remember this: God is always with us!
One of the temptations, tests or trials facing Christians today is COVID-19. Why do I call it a temptation, test or trial? Remember that all temptations, tests or trials are on our faith; on our absolute trust and belief that what God says in His Word He means. So, when the Bible says in Psalm 91:3 that God delivers us from the “deadly pestilence” – and that is exactly what COVID-19 is, a deadly pestilence – the temptation, test or trial is whether or not we believe it – do we believe Psalm 91:3. All temptations, tests and trials bring us to a “decision crossroad;” a “faith crossroad.” They bring us to a “you will know yourself crossroad.” And I will be very transparent here: sometimes what I have learned about Rodney at those crossroads helped me see that I have more growing to do. Remember Jeremiah 29:11? Even in the midst of the “storm of COVID-19” our Father has a plan for us that include a future! Our Father has a plan for us that include a hope! How are you feeling right now New Light? I’m feeling calm and peaceful. My Father has given me a future and a hope and I am actually looking forward to it! And I want you hear me on this, because I have a sense of peace, I am able to focus my efforts on praying for my family and friends who have been diagnosed with the virus or have been impacted by it. When we have peace within ourselves with God, our attention then is able to be focused on others.
Now turn to Isaiah 49 and we’re going to read verses 13-17. “Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD has comforted His people, and will have mercy upon His afflicted. But Zion said, ‘The LORD has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.’ Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you upon the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. Your children shall make haste; your destroyers and they that made you waste shall go forth from you. (Isaiah 49:13-17)
Ohhhhh, are you shouting New Light? In these verses God’s people made the accusation against God that He had forgotten them. Have you ever felt like God had forgotten you? If you read some of the posts on social media there are many people out there who feel this way. But they are wrong!!! God has not forgotten any of us. Look at God’s response. He said, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget you.” (Vs. 15) To help us understand how much He cares for us, God uses the example of a mother caring for her child. He says that His love for us is greater than a mother who has a nursing child. Remember, a nursing child is totally dependent on their mother for nourishment as they are unable to take care of themselves. For those of you who have witnessed mothers nursing their babies (including those feeding babies with a bottle) you know the bond that such intimacy creates. God says it’s possible for a mother to forget her nursing child but it is not possible for Him to forget us! New Light, that alone should make us shout and it should give us a lot of comfort especially right now. And in verse sixteen and seventeen, God paints an even more dramatic picture of His love for us. Or as Jeremiah says, of His plans for us.
“Behold, I have engraved you upon the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.” God says that he engraved us upon the palms of His hands. I want you to see this clearly. Have you ever needed to write down a phone number or a note and since you didn’t have any paper you wrote it on the palm of your hand? The information was so important to you that you wanted to ensure that you didn’t forget it so you wrote it in your palm. Once you did that you did not wash your hands until you got to some paper where you could transfer the information from your hand to the paper. Now imagine if you will that it would be a month before you got to some paper. How could you guarantee that the information would still be on your palm? Well, you could do it by “engraving” or tattooing the information on your palm. Then it would be permanent. This is the image that God gives us in these verses. God figuratively says He has inscribed or tattooed a picture of us on the palm of His hands. We are so important to Him that He has engraved our image in the palm of His hands if you will. Now let that sink in. Talk to anyone who has had a tattoo and it’s not a pleasant process. It hurts. And based on what I’ve read about hand tattoos – it is absolutely the most painful of them all. Some tattoo artists even encourage the person not to have them because of the pain involved. Now imagine our Father. He’s telling us that no matter how painful it may be, He is willing to go through it for us! He’s willing to go through it so He can always hold up His hands to see and remember us! WOW!
I want you to see something else. Earlier this week Nikki was looking at a picture of our grandbaby Zoe and was just smiling as she stared at the picture on her phone. If you saw it you could just see the love radiating from her face as she looked at that picture. Imagine God looking at His hands and seeing your face and smiling like that; smiling with a lot of love as He looks at your image. You have to love what Isaiah 62:3 and 4 says. It says, “You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.” (Why? Because He is constantly looking at you! Now listen to this.) “It will no longer be said to you, Forsaken, nor to your land will it any longer be said, Desolate;” (As our nation and the world fights COVID-19, it may seem like we have been forsaken and are in a desolate place. But look at how our God sees us, His children.) “But you will be called, ‘My delight is in her,’ and your land, ‘Married.’ For the Lord delights in you, and to Him your land will be married.” Oh how I love this imagery. We are the Bride of Christ. And God says He delights in us and that He calls our land married. In other words, our land – everything about our lives – is married to Him, belongs to Him, and is protected by Him because He delights in us. New Light, God delights in us when we trust in Him!
Now look back at Isaiah 49:17. He said, “Your children shall make haste; your destroyers and they that made you waste shall go forth from you.” He said our children will hurry – they will go before us as a testament of God’s goodness and faithfulness to us. New Light, that’s a future that I can get behind! Because God has figuratively inscribed us on the palms of His hand, the last part of the verse says “your destroyers and they that made you waste shall go forth from you.” New Light, the Bible says that, because God has us tattooed on the palms of His hands, anything that has the potential to destroy us or devastate us will depart. Are you listening to what this is saying? God has given us a promise! Now I want to speak to you so you know where I stand with this. I firmly believe that when we put our complete faith and trust in Him, if we are infected by COVID-19, it will depart from us! I believe that’s a promise New Light. I read a story about a woman in her 90s who was at the nursing facility in Washington State where the virus spread and she was infected by it. She was at the facility recovering from a stroke and the facility went on lockdown a few days before she was due to be discharged. Because she was isolated from her family, one of the doctors read Scripture to her. When she got worse and they thought she would die they focused on making her as comfortable as possible. But God had other plans. She was healed. We should not be walking around in fear – we should be walking around in faith. Not being stupid, but faithful.
Now turn with me to Isaiah 41. We’re going to read verses 10 through 13. “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored; those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish. You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them, those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent. For I am the LORD your God, who upholds your right hand, Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.”’ (Isaiah 41:10-13)
The Lord says “Do not fear, for I am with you. New Light, we could end the message right here. God does not change. In the troubling time we’re in right now, He is telling us not to fear COVID-19. He’s not telling us not to walk in wisdom and common sense, but He is telling us not to live in fear of the virus. And that’s the one thing I’m hearing a lot of from Christians who are supposed to be walking in faith. They are living in fear. Our fellowship with God should be so strong that fear is not even a consideration. We should be encouraging others to look to Him versus the virus! God says no matter what happens He can strengthen us. Or put another way, “He can restore our health to us.” And to make sure we understand this, He said “surely I will help you” or “rest assured, I will do this for you.” Right now, COVID-19 is contending with us, our country and the world. But our God says it will be as nothing and you have My word that it will perish. The phrase “as nothing and will perish” paint the picture of something being disgraced and humiliated. In other words, before our Father, it is weak and easily defeated. The fight is no contest. That’s a promise from God New Light! And that’s where we must put our faith. Do you understand why we are told not to fear? God said, “You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them. Those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent. (Why?) For I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand, Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.” God repeats Himself, on purpose, to make sure we understand the message. Do. Not. Fear.
New Light, Isaiah 26:3 and 4 says “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You. For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.” I want you to remember that God said in Jeremiah 29:11 that He has a plan for us that include a future and a hope. If we truly believe this, then we will approach each day knowing that we are going through a trying time but we will come out of it. I do not care how long this last (and it will get worse before it gets better), but God’s word is the same. He tells us Do Not Fear! As I close this morning I want to remind you of a few verses from Psalm 27. It reads, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple.” (Psalm 27:1-4)
Until next time, “The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
(If you are ever in the Kansas City, KS area, please come and worship with us at New Light Christian Fellowship, 15 N. 14th Street, Kansas City, KS 66102. Our service Sunday worship starts at 9 a.m. and Thursday night Bible study at 7 p.m. Also, for use of our social media, you can find us at newlightchristianfellowship on FB. To get our live stream services, please make sure you “like” and turn on notifications for our page so you can be notified when we are live streaming. We also have a church website and New Light Christian Fellowship YouTube channel for more of our content. We are developing more social media streams so please stand by and we will notify you once those channels are up and running. We look forward to you worshipping with us. May God bless and keep you.)
