Standing In The Gap.

First Church of god in Harvey

Sunday Morning, May 15th, 2011

Let us pray

Welcome…

“O Give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.” (Psalm 118: 1)

On last Friday, at approximately 11:00 am, one of God’s faithful servant, in the person of sister .......... went home to be with the Lord. She is absent from the body, but now present with the Lord. Sis. ........... was always longing to go home, and on Friday her prayer was answered. She was a wonderful example of a child of God, and she will be greatly missed. Today we give thanks unto the Lord, because he is good, and his mercy endures for ever……...…

Today, God is looking for a man, a woman, a boy or a girl to stand in the gap .Will you answer the call? In Ezekiel 22 verse 30 we read, And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

As I was praying last Sunday night, crying out to God, I found myself saying over and over, It is going to be alright. I believe God was saying to me, that despite how things might look, it is going to be alright. I believe God wants somebody to hear these words, it is going to be alright.. Maybe right now things don’t look so good for you, but God is saying, it is going to be alright. Maybe right now, it seems everything is caving in, but God is saying, it is going to be alright. Maybe…elaborate..

As I was doing my assigned Bible reading for last Sunday, God just started to bless as I was reading, and today I would like to share from what I was reading.

Our scripture reading for today, will be taken from. 2 Kings 18 verses 1 through 5; 2 Kings 19 verses 1 through 8 and 15 through 20. s.

Our topic for today is, Standing In The Gap. Here are three things for us to consider. Number 1- Don’t be afraid to stand for what is right. Number 2 – Don’t be afraid to seek godly advice. Number 3 – Don’t be afraid to cry out to God.

On Monday, May 2nd, 2011, the Master mind of 911 was shot and killed, in the person of Osama Bin La-den. People all over the world rejoice including Christians. In the death of Bin La-den, many might think that our problems have been solved, but that is not so, sin continues to manifest in the lives of people, even those who call themselves the people of God.

The people of God, God’s chosen people, the children of Israel continually sinned against God, and during the reign of king Ho-she-a, in 722 BC, God’s people were taken captive by the king of Assyria. God does not like sin. Let’s read 2 Kings 17 verses 5 through 8. The Northern Kingdom, the Kingdom of Israel, while they were in captivity, the surviving kingdom of Judah had a king in the person of king Hezekiah who was willing to stand in the gap. As we read through the Bible we hear these sad words about the Kingdom of Israel or the Kingdom of Judah that this or that king did evil in the sight of the Lord.

Here is a roll call of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah and if they were good or bad. (read list) In the list of these kings who were mostly bad, there was a king who did right in the sight of the Lord. I want to tell somebody today, whether you are young or old, rich or poor, don’t be afraid to stand for what is right. All around us people are failing, all around us people are doing things that are contrary to the Word of God, all around us people are bowing to the world’s music, but God is looking for someone, to stand in the gap, and who is not afraid to stand for what is right.

There is nothing cute about lying. There is nothing fashionable about stealing. There is nothing to brag about committing adultery or fornication, God is calling for a man, a woman, a boy or a girl, to stand in the gap, and stand for what is right. Years ago when people had an alternate lifestyle it would not be talked about in public, but today people have gotten bold and is not afraid to express themselves as to who they are. The government might think it is alright, people around us might think it is alright, church folks might say don’t rock the boat, but it is time to rock the boat and call sin, sin. It is time for God’s people to stand up, and speak out against sin. It is time for God’s people to sound the alarm. In Joel 2 the prophet Joel declares, Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh for it is nigh at hand.