The Uncertain Future

“The Uncertain Future”

Matthew 6:25-34

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

2019 is almost gone. 2020 is only a few days away. A lot of us feel like 2020 is going to be an usually significant year. I know it will be for me. I assume I will retire from being a pastor and go into a supporting role in my ministry – but I don’t know. I assume we will get a young, vibrant, excited, couple to pastor our church – but I don’t know. My finances are going to change drastically – one way or the other. I’m a little fearful over that. A lot of people think the Lord will return in 2020. I don’t, but I think it could be the beginning of the end. In 2020 we will see more clearly. Maybe 2020 vision is more than a cliché. Perhaps some of those prophecies we have read all our lives will suddenly become clear to us.

One thing we know for sure is that it’s going to be a year of negative political ads and repeated lies and slandering. It would be a good year to fast from TV and maybe the internet. It could be a great year of revival as our nation turns to God – or we could go downhill fast and lose our freedom and the prosperity we have known all our lives. Believe me, the seeds of our destruction are already sprouting. I pray that God intervenes and our demise is postponed for a few more generations. I think it could go either way and by the end of 2020 we will see more clearly.

The future has always been uncertain for God’s people. If you have done even a little study of Church History you know that is so. From the disciples getting martyred, to the Christians being fed to the lions and burned at the stake in the Colosseum, to Saints being persecuted and killed down throughout history.

Tertullian, one of the 2nd century Church Fathers wrote that "the blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church", implying that the martyrs' willing sacrifice of their lives leads to the conversion of others. You can go to Wikipedia and look under “Christian Martyr’s” and find literally hundreds of names of people who gave their lives for their faith. It certainly is not uncommon. What is uncommon is how blessed we have been in America. I believe it has been because of our Christian forefathers who created a Christian nation. It has only been in my lifetime that we lost that distinction. One previous President said, almost gleefully, we are no longer a Christian nation – and he was right. And if we do not experience a revival we will go the way of all ungodly nations. But if we turn to God – listen to the blessings.

“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 7:14

“…I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:8-10

In these uncertain times, as we close out this year, I want to leave you with three things you can do. First of all, 1. Pray. That should be our first instinct. That should be our first priority. That should be an ingrained daily habit. We just read, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray…”. Prayer needs to be the first option. And yet, I don’t know about you, but I have to confess that when I am stressed or anxious or fearful of the future – I often forget to pray. I might wring my hands or pace the floor or something equally unproductive. My blood pressure goes up and my adrenalin spikes and I get grouchy. Sometimes if I pray, it is not as I should. My mind is foggy and dull. I have to make myself calm down, go for a walk or find a quiet place – and pray. The Bible says,