Matthew 10:29-31 3/31/2020*

”Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So, don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows..”

As you watch the world battle a powerful virus do you feel afraid, isolated, and unnoticed?... In this scripture, Jesus dispels the lie that “God doesn’t care”.

There are approximately 400 billion birds in the world – sparrows are basically worthless…. Yet God is aware of each one of them.  

You, however, are made in God’s image and are infinitely more important to Him than sparrows… He is aware of every detail in your life… provides each breath you take - and knows the number of hairs on your head. God knows your fear and anxiety …and they matter to Him. Your pain impacts God’s heart.

Why did Jesus weep at Lazarus’ funeral? He knew he was going to call Lazarus out of the grave…so why did He cry? The reason was because Lazarus friends and family were weeping… and because Jesus loved those people - He hurt…so Jesus wept.  Even when our grief is from a lack of information…He grieves with us. He weeps with the those who are wounded.

But His tears are never from fear or desperation - and ours shouldn’t be either. God is not pacing the floor. He has a plan. As Easter approaches and we celebrate the greatest rescue mission in history…let us rely on the proven love that prompted God to send His Son.  

The message of Easter is that you matter to God…Not as a group - but as an individual. God made salvation personal, because he loves you personally.  Isaiah 43:1 says, “…I have called you by name….” He died for you - by name. He doesn’t distantly love you - He lives in your heart. He is your ever-present help in times of trouble. (Psalms 46)

Trust Him.  Understand that when your sin threatened to separate you from Him … He gave His Son to stop it.  He paid the ultimate price to rescue you - and He will never leave you.  

Hold on tight… you are not alone…and nothing is out of His control.

“The shape of true love isn’t a diamond. It’s a cross.”
 – Alicia Bruxvoort

Romans 12:12 3/24/2020*

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

The three “Be’s” of survival… Be joyful, Be patient, and Be prayerful.

Hearing that we should be joyful in difficult times is perplexing because we have confused Joy, with happiness. Happiness results from circumstances…Joy exist in spite of them.  Our joy comes from our hope which has also been mis-defined… Hope is not wishing …it is being certain.  Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for. It is being certain of what we do not see.”

That kind of hope allows us to endure tests joyfully because we trust in Christ. We have hope - not like the world does- but a hope built on confidence in God’s power.

Secondly “be patient” – This is alien to us. Our culture has literally killed patience. We irritably drum our fingers as the microwave takes 10 seconds to heat our food.  We want instant answers to any problem we face.

Can you remember the last time you were patient in a time of affliction?  How have you been handling the long lines at the grocery store? Or waiting for an answer to your current problem?….  When is the last time you were patient because you had hope (certainty) in God and that assuredness impacted your countenance with others in your life?

Finally, “be prayerful”.  Anxiously complaining improves absolutely nothing.  It worsens the problem by producing fear. But If you believe the bible, you must believe that prayer changes things. 

James says, “You do not have because you do not ask God”. Colossians says, “devote yourselves to prayer”. Thessalonians says, “Pray continually”

As a planet we have been given a “time out” … We are being told to be still. Psalms 46 says, to be still and know that He is God. …so, are you doing that?…. All the urgent stuff you thought had to be done can apparently wait. Break the 24-hour news cycle and dedicate some time to prayer… it will completely change your heart.

Be joyful in affliction because you are certain of God’s love. Be patient because you are certain of His power, and be prayerful because there is no safer place to be in times of trouble then in your Father’s arms.

“The first virtue in a soldier is endurance of fatigue; courage is only the second virtue.”  - Napoleon Bonaparte

Proverbs 24:10 3/17/2020*21*

“If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!”

I will not attempt to tell you how much of this crisis is hype, and how much is serious…because it doesn’t matter - our orders are the same:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

The discussion seems to be centered on severity… and who is to blame…but that is the wrong focus.

By any definition, this is a time of trouble…. The only thing you control is how you respond.

We talk about faith and courage but then go buy toilet paper since everyone else is… thereby causing a shortage.  Like sheep, we run in herds jumping imaginary fences because the one in front of us jumped…. That is fear.

But we have been commanded to be strong and courageous …..not fearful. You can’t control circumstances, but you can control how you respond.

Courage is only courage when it is challenged. You cannot be fearless when there is no danger. So now is our chance to show those around us what the peace of God looks like.

While the public is desperate, the church should be different. We should exude faith and calmness… helping those in need, and shining light into darkness …We should stand in stark contrast to the anxiety all around us.

Talk of faith is cheap, until trouble comes –
So do you have faith now? ...is it real? - Then walk in it.

Be wise as serpents (Matt. 10:16) and act intelligently, but have no fear because fear is not from God (2 Tim. 1:7). And when the enemy lies about what you should be scared of, he speaks his native language (John 8:44) so don’t listen.

If we falter in time of trouble our strength is small….
Now is a time of trouble - so step up Christian…are you just going to talk about your faith, or are you going to live it out?

Show the world what confidence in God looks like – bring wisdom and calmness to your surroundings - so others will be attracted to God’s power and seek the love and peace they see in you.

“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.” - Corrie Ten Boom

Psalm 149:4 3/10/2020*22*

“…He crowns the humble with victory.”

When did we start believing being humble was a burden? Why is such a liberating quality seen as a sacrifice?

We have wrongly defined humility as inhibition, lack of confidence, or thinking badly of ourselves. None of which have anything to do with humility…those are in fact the opposite –self-centeredness.

Humility is not thinking badly of yourself; it is not thinking of yourself at all… It is trusting God with you - and focusing on others….And humbleness is the antithesis of a burden, in fact it is the most freeing thing you will ever experience.

This verse says God “crowns the humble with victory” … so let’s stop acting like humility is a penance we pay for being a Christian, and realize it is our ticket to complete and total freedom.

John 3:30 says “He must increase, and I must decrease” … that’s not a negative…it is a rescue…a redemption. I can disappear into the loving arms of Christ, and He can appear through me.

Can you imagine the freedom you would experience if you didn’t have to worry about you?  If all your self-centered anxieties and fears suddenly disappeared?

Think about it…How much time do you waste wondering what others think of you?  What if you truly didn’t care who got credit for the good things you’ve done?  …Imagine the time you would save if you stopped second guessing God on His plans regarding all your circumstances.

God’s solution is called humility…and if you will lay hold of it – He will crown you with victory…Solid, definable, victory.

So, what are you waiting for? … Allow yourself to disappear in the arms of God…relax in His shadow today and let your only concern be serving Him.

Do what is right… and don’t worry who gets the credit.  Give cheerfully with reckless abandon knowing God has you covered.  Claim the promise that “The joy of the Lord is your strength” and live strong in that joy.

This morning leave “self” at home and instead focus on God and others.

Drop the burden of self-centeredness, take God at His Word and give humility a try…If you do, God will crown you with victory, His Joy will be your strength, and you will experience peace and freedom like you’ve never known.

“Humility, is that low, sweet root, from which all heavenly virtues shoot.” -Thomas Moore

1 John 4:16 3/3/2020*23*

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”

Where does your stability come from?…What is your anchor in the storm? This passage contains three truths to help you find out:

First – Do you rely on God’s love for you?  Most of us rely on our good works as our credentials… But this says to rely, not on what you have done, but on the fact that God loves you.

Second – God is love… What does that mean?  There are accounts in scripture of Jesus’ words hurting people’s feelings…so it is not about just being kind or non-offensive. It is something much bigger than that.

Third – If I talked to your friends and family would they say you “live in love, and that they catch glimpses of God living in you”?

This passage has three powerful sentences…27 life changing words. If we want to understand them – we must live them.

Start by relying on God’s love to establish who you are... Nothing will give you more stability. Nothing is more solid than the love God has for you, and if you rely on that for your foundation you will be unshakable.

Then decide to Love others the way God loves… Not what is easiest for you, or most comfortable… but what is best for them. Truth over comfort… Godly love is a verb, and it acts for the betterment of others, regardless of the cost.

At the end of the verse it says, “Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them” …think about that statement. It is either true or it is absurd. You must deny it, or it must impact every moment of your day.

You can’t compartmentalize that truth. It must influence how your treat your friends, and how you treat your enemies. It must affect how you talk to your family, and to your adversaries. You must lean on this truth in good times, and in bad times.

There is no middle ground….Choose your anchor….Start now and find your strength in how much God loves you…trust His faithfulness and it will impact yours….it will change all you are, and all you do.

“All God's giants have been weak men and women who have gotten hold of God's faithfulness.”  - Hudson Taylor