The sermon podcast for Sunday, November 14 is up on Asbury Church’s website. This is sermon is about “Generosity – Why Don’t We Give”
You can listen to it by clicking here, or you can listen to it here on this blog by clicking below. And, as always, you can subscribe to my sermon podcasts through iTunes.
Some days when I come into prayer, I really need to hear a specific word from God. Somedays I’ve got something on my heart that’s really bothering me. Something that’s worrying me, taking my joy and taking my peace.
There are some days when there is just something heavy on my heart that I need the Lord to speak to.
We’ve all been there, haven’t we? We’ve all brought our stuff to God and said – God I need to know you are here with this. I need to hear your voice, I need your word, I need your assurance.
Today was a day like that for me. Nothing major, I just had a couple of things I was praying about, both personal and church related, a couple of things I was trying to figure out, some things I needed discernment over.
And as I read through some of the readings this morning, I read a verse in Deuteronomy (yes, Deuteronomy!) that really hit home with me and gave me some assurance. It says there in chapter 3:22
22 Do not fear them, for it is the LORD your God who fights for you.”
A simple verse, a short verse. How can that say what I needed to hear this morning?
Well, it reminds me to be brave and that God is bigger than whatever it is I face. I reminds me that no matter what challenges I may face, God is bigger. God is stronger. God is more mighty.
I don’t fight alone – God fights for me.
And because of that, I have no reason to fear. For, God is with me. If God is for us, who can be against us, as Paul reminds us!
What have we to fear? What have we to fret about? What have we to worry about? For, God is with us. God fights for us. God strengthens us! God is our might and power and hope.
Why do we worry? Why do we fear? God fights for us.
Today, no matter what you face, God is bigger. Today, no matter what you are worried about, God is bigger. Today, no matter what is in your future, God is bigger.
Do not fear. God is with you. And He fights for you.
One of the things that worries me, that worries many of us, is this, how will I be ready when a
test comes?
None of us look forward to tests, want tests, desire to be tested.
We all want peaceful, calm, easy lives.
That’s something we all really, really want.
But, we all also know that a time of testing and trial will come. It’s something we all face.
Today’s readings seem to fit together (to me) in a way that showed me some truth about testing that I needed to be reminded of.
First, the Psalmist in Psalm 105 talks about the faithfulness of God, and recounts all God had done. But, he says in the Psalm
17 He sent a man before them, *
Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18 They bruised his feet in fetters; *
his neck they put in an iron collar.
19 Until his prediction came to pass, *
the word of the LORD tested him.
Testing will come, even for God’s people.
Just because you love God and He loves you, that doesn’t mean that testing won’t come. Don’t regard your tests as a failure. Don’t thing you’ve done anything wrong. Don’t think you’ve failed. Test come to us all.
Then, in Zechariah, the Lord says these words to His prophet:
“This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the LORD of hosts.
The Lord has just given him a calling to go and proclaim God’s Word. But, before he does, the Lord reminds him – it’s by God’s Spirit that he will accomplish what God has for him.
That really nailed me this morning. So often I try to pass those tests on my own. I try to beat back tests and trials and temptations on my own.
By my will.
My strength.
My might.
And, I fail.
But the Lord reminds us, not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord.
The surest way to fail whatever test we face today is by relying upon our ability. Our strength. Our will. We simply can’t do it alone.
How to pass a test? The Lord. His Spirit. His life. His power. Through Him.
We will face tests, each day. May we remember that it through Him and in Him, we can come through theses tests and cross over to new and abundant life.
One of the things in life that many of us know and experience is fear. It’s something that as children we all know, the fear of the dark, the unknown, strangers, whatever. We each have what is sometimes called “childlike fear.”
But, as we grow older we find that while our fears change, fear remains a constant in our lives. We, especially now, have many fears. I’ve seen in the past few years, the church become very afraid. Afraid of what’s happening the world. Of politics. Of war. Of divisions within the church. Of divisions within culture.
Of the economy. Of losing our job. Of note being able to pay our bills. Of losing our home. Of many, many things.
Fear is something we each have tasted recently.
And, perhaps, that’s why I found such comfort in a prayer that I read today in my morning prayers. It’s simply entitled “A Collect for Peace”
God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
I love that line – surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of our adversaries. .
Today, we all have something we fear. We all have something we dread.
Perhaps it something at work. In our family. In our finances. In our personal life. We all have something that robs our peace.
But, today, know this as well. Whatever it is. God is bigger. God’s defense is bigger than whatever it is you fear.
Don’t be afraid. Trust. God is bigger. God is stronger. God is more mighty.
Do. Not. Fear. God is with you.
Today, trust in His defense. Trust in His strength. Trust in His might.
Know His peace, His life, His life. Do not be afraid. Trust.
And find His life.
Yesterday in a Bible Study, we were talking about the weather that’s come through the area recently, talking about the flooding thats hit Nashville and Memphis, talking about the river
of oil rushing towards the Gulf Coast, talking Coal Mine disasters, talking about earthquakes, talking about Icelandic Volcanos, talking about all that’s been happening in the world.
And then a question was asked that didn’t really expect.
Is the world coming to an end? It was not asked in a wild-eyed, conspiracy laden way, but in a calm, sober voice. One that looked around at all that’s been happening and wondered, wow, what are we to make of all this.
I responded with the assurance, yes, each day we live, we are closer to the return of our Lord. Now is the return to be today? Tomorrow? The day after? That I don’t know, and that I leave in God’s hands. Because even Jesus said no on knows the hour or day.
I was thinking about when I read a passage from 1 Thessalonians this morning:
9 For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.
Paul was writing to the people there about the Second Coming. He writes about all that is to happen, about all these mysteries. But then He begins chapter 5 with this passage about being faithful and reminds them – you were made for salvation.
You were created not for wrath, but for salvation.
God is not out to get you.
God is not out to punish you.
God is not out to crush you.
We were not made for that.
We were made for salvation, for life, for love, for grace, for hope, for all that is good and noble and peaceful.
In the storms of life, the storms of this world, the storms of our soul, never forget that. Never forget what you were made for. Never forget God’s purpose for you.
To be loved.
Never let your fears outweigh the love that God has for you. You were made to be loved.
By God, and by others.
Today, may we live as we were made to be. May we live in that awesome love and life of God.
RevAndy.org 