We are crushed!
- From the moment I saw the report of locusts swarming Through Asia, into Africa, &
even parts of China, & now is being tracked by ten swarms each containing 80
million locusts in it.
- The thought came to my mind, this is a pestilence on a scale from right out of
God’s judgement in the Bible.
- Then the Pandemic took full stage.
- It has raced across the entire globe.
- It has infected so many people, & killed so many, but it’s still not on a scale like the
deaths prophesied in Revelation.
- Now, the next horror takes center stage. The unbelievable murder of George Floyd.
- The virus is forgotten. In one protest in Houston 60,000 peacefully marched.
- There was no social distancing.
- Let’s pause here for a moment. I am in no way saying the protests are a bad
thing!
- Here’s Where I’m going though. What we could be witnessing is how the
enemy destroys us all.
- We have a world that is so connected now that people in the UK, & people in
Israel protested for George Floyd’s death.
- Just When we are starting to get back to life, cautiously. The enemy throws
in his instrument, tool, servant to make us suffer that much longer.
- We cannot allow the enemy to win!
- Listen, the world is shaking! Walls are crumbling, & people who had no fears, or
thoughts towards life, are looking for life.
Q- So, What can we do now?
Hebrews 4:16
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
- In Christ Jesus, we have obtained grace that we did not earn, or mercy we deserved.
- With this great gift, comes great responsibility.
Prayer
Q- How many of us have heard the words, look up, pray up, pack up?
- Look Up! The world is shaking for a reason. God is saying, wake up.
- There will always be great, & horrible injustices happening. Until we finally look up,
we find Him, from where our redemption comes.
- In Christ there is no Jew or Greek, bond or free. There is only God’s children,
brothers & sisters.
- There’s a lot in this world that distracts us from this truth, & That’s exactly how the
anti-Christ comes.
- Listen to John’s warning. He’s talking about false teachers. They look legitimate,
but they lack a vital point, Jesus/life.
1 John 4:1-12
1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
- Not only do they lack Jesus, & life. They lack love.
- As Christians, we are founded on love, & we’re called to show that kind of love too.
- Jesus died for us, because He loved us.
- This is where I believe the protests are good, because they are showing that they
are willing to lay down their lives for their fallen brother.
- Here’s the thing though. It doesn’t take much effort to protest.
Q- Are you willing to self isolate for the sake of everyone else, to keep them safe from
you?
- There is more pain that comes with sticking up for your brother, than just saying
oh that was really bad that that happened to you.
- That’s What it means to be a Christian.
- There is more pain, & more to it, than simply just saying I’m a Christian.
- You Have To Have Your Heart In It! You have to truly mean it!
- This is where our protests get messed up.
- The moment someone says, let’s do this.
Q- Do we stop & think about it, is this going to be for what I’m protesting or for me?
- I’m sorry, burning businesses, stealing from stores, & murdering people is for no one
but yourself.
- The mentality of being a Christian is often misled. We think, what’s Christ going to
do for me.
- Wait a minute, He died for you!
Q- What more do you want Him to give you?
- The theme of being a Christian & being a protester, is sticking up for someone else.
Q- Why do we want people to hear the Gospel?
- It’s because we are trying to save a people that can’t save themselves.
- We know what that’s called, it’s Love!
- I will love these people with the same affection Christ had for me when I was
undesirable.
- Listen as Paul gives us our direction for Love.
1 Corinthians 13:1-8
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
- We could march up & down every city, avenue, or town protesting, but if we don’t
believe in what we’re saying, it means nothing!
- I know the news headlines love celebrities, but truth is, so many are just there to
be there.
- Celebrities will let you down.
- For Christians, we look up to our pastor, our leaders. There’s always going to be a
real truth to us.
- Pastors will sometimes let you down. We don’t mean to, but it’s inevitable.
Q- Who’s the only one who will not let us down?
- You know it. Christ, the only One who loved us first.
- Paul gave us a list to strive for. Let’s see how we do.
1. Are we patient?
2. Are we kind?
3. Do we envy anyone?
4. Do we show off, & are full of ourselves?
5. Do you act out?
6. Are you selfish?
7. Are you easily angered?
8. Do you think bad of other people?
9. Do you have fun doing wrong, but not in doing right?
- In That list Paul told us nine traits to quit, because when we do we’re not focusing on
ourselves anymore.
- We’re focusing on others. We actually care!
- Imagine that, we’re not out there working to earn something. We really just care
for people.
- This message is a lot to take in, but in light of all that’s been happening in America, &
this world. We have got to recognize that the world needs Jesus.
- We could write every type of law we wanted, but nothing will change.
- The moment we accept Jesus as our savior. Well, He changes us.
- Here’s my closing thought. If we want change, & reform. The only way that’s going to
happen is, if everyone really sees Jesus for who He is.
- Not only is He God, but He is our Savior. He loves us, & died for us. Death could
not hold Him, & He is arisen, Alive forevermore seated at the righthand of the
Father.
- The world needs to know this. So, let’s share this. Let’s tell them about our
God, & change the citizens of the world into the citizens of the Kingdom of
God.
- Let’s continue to pray for our world, & each other. Things are looking so close right
now, as we’ve only had two new cases in three days.
- I cannot wait until the number is zero, & stays that way.
Prayer
