Sermon- We Cry, How Long, Lord.

Sermon- We cry how long, Lord?

- I know as we look around, a large scale of us can say that this Pandemic hasn’t

affected me much.

- Let’s think about the people it has affected this morning.

- To date, over 60,000 people have died from covid19 in America.

- I think of the families, the friends. Their loved one is gone.

- For all of us who knew Richard, who passed away Monday morning. We feel the

devastation of death.

- As Christians, we know we will see our dear brother again.

Q- But for how long?

Q- When will this pain stop?

- Let’s turn to the psalmist of psalm 143:1-12.

- He has come to the end of himself.

Q- How could he handle anymore?

Psalm 143:1-12

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.

2 And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.

3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

4 Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.

5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.

6 I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.

7 Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

9 Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.

10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

11 Quicken me, O Lord, for thy name's sake: for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble.

12 And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.

Q- Do you hear where he cries for help?

- Enliven me Lord. Listen, He’s saying, give me strength Lord! I cannot continue.

How can I continue?

- This virus has affected people on such a large scale.

- Think of the countless numbers of people who are starving, because they

can’t work.

- Before we pray, Listen once more to verse 3.

3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

- There’s literally nothing left.

Prayer

- A blanket of sorrow has gripped this world.

- I picture it like a ragged, torn, old blanket. One that you look at, & say I can’t get

warm under that blanket.

Q- Do you know what we do with those kinds of blankets?

- These weren’t blankets that we didn’t like. It has been well used, & loved.

- The blanket of sorrow is our life.

- Lord, I am undone!

Q- Do you see the whole in the blanket?

- I need a patch in this blanket!

- We all can be compared to this blanket.

- In creation, we were beautiful, & God’s delight.

- After God created all of creation. He didn’t just step back & say that it was

good. No, He said that it was very good.

- We are that beautiful creation God has made.

- Sin has stained it, life has torn it. We are nothing but rugs left in the hands of

the master.

Q- How could any comfort be found in these rags?

- Those were the words of the Psalmist, My life is done, worthless, without You.

Ephesians 2:1-7

1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)