As we begin our day and our weekend facing another Sunday where we will be "safer at home," I thought it would be beneficial for us to focus on something deeper. We all have been spending so much time thinking about Covid-19, how we should respond, how our leaders should respond, and what normal is today and what it will be then. While these are not bad for us to think about, what is better, even (and especially) in the midst of a storm, is to listen to the one voice that matters, His. Our God calls us to shut out what we think, what we HAVE to do, and whatever concerns we have, and to first sit down and listen to Him. He can give us peace like nothing else can. He alone can give us perspective that we can't have. He alone can teach us to see what matters most. He helps us focus on what He has done vs. focusing on what we can do for ourselves.
This is not easy for us to do, to shut out all the demands, the voices, the fears, the opinions, and to listen to His voice. Is it easy for you to read your Bible? Is it easy for you to focus on the online service at home with all the other distractions around you? Even though you may have more time at home these days, do you make more time for God and his Word? Are you hearing less of your God's voice during this storm or less?
If you are struggling to listen, repent! Admit to yourself that you are sinning. You are hurting yourself! Confess it to your God. Ask him for mercy and forgiveness. Then pray he gives you a new heart and mind through his Holy Spirit to help you listen to Him. Once you have done that, make a plan on how you will devote yourself to hearing the voice of your God. As you do, the Lord will help you find a deeper peace, a solid foundation, and a sure hope for the future.
To help you listen to his voice today, I would like you to read two things:
1. a quote from C.S. Lewis, a great writer and apologist of the Christian faith, about the struggle to listen to THE voice over all else:
The real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fussings and frettings; coming in out of the wind.
We can only do it for moments at first. But from those moments the new sort of life will be spreading through our system: because now we are letting Him work at the right part of us. It is the difference between paint, which is merely laid on the surface, and a dye or stain which soaks right through. He never talked vague, idealistic gas. When He said, ‘Be perfect,’ He meant it. He meant that we must go in for the full treatment. It is hard; but the sort of compromise we are all hankering after is harder—in fact, it is impossible. It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.
2. 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:16. This section talks about the wisdom that we can only gain from hearing God's Word. Without that wisdom, we can't understand what God has done and is doing. It is foolishness.
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. 19 In fact, it is written:
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will bring to nothing.20 Where is the wise man? Where is the expert in the Jewish law? Where is the probing thinker of the present age? Has God not shown that the wisdom of this world is foolish? 21 Indeed, since the world through its wisdom did not know God, God in his wisdom decided to save those who believe, through the foolishness of the preached message. 22 Yes, Jews ask for signs, Greeks desire wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified—which is offensive to Jews and foolishness to Greeks, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 We preach Christ crucified, because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For example, consider your call, brothers. Not many of you were wise from a human point of view, not many were powerful, and not many were born with high status. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to put to shame those who are wise. God chose the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are strong, 28 and God chose the lowly things of the world and the despised things, and the things that are not, to do away with the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before God. 30 But because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us the wisdom from God, namely, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. 31 God did this so that, just as it is written, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
2 As for me, brothers, when I came to you, I did not come with superior speech or wisdom in order to proclaim to you the testimony of God. 2 For I had no intention of knowing anything among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness, in fear, and with much trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not marked by persuasive words of human wisdom, but by a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
6 Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature, but it is not a wisdom of this world or of the rulers of this world, who are being reduced to nothing. 7 Instead we speak God’s wisdom that has been hidden in mystery—before the ages, God foreordained that this wisdom would result in our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this world knew it. (If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.) 9 But as it is written:
What no eye has seen and no ear has heard
and no human mind has conceived—
that is what God has prepared for those who love him.10 But God revealed it to us through his Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 Indeed, who among men knows a man’s thoughts except the man’s spirit within him? So also, no one else knows God’s thoughts except God’s Spirit.
12 What we received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we might know the blessings freely given to us by God. 13 We also speak about these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual truths with spiritual words. 14 However, an unspiritual person does not accept the truths taught by God’s Spirit, because they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually evaluated. 15 But the spiritual person evaluates all things, and he himself is evaluated by no one. 16 Indeed, “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Who will instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
Other Announcements:
Wednesday Office Hours will continue as long as our "Safer at Home" order is in place. You can come to church from 10a-12p and 5p-7p for spiritual counsel, prayer, personal communion and offering drop-off. I'd love to see you!
Wednesday Live Devotion at 7pm. We will be streaming a devotion to our facebook and youtube page live at 7pm every week. Make sure to tune in at that time or watch it later.
Sunday Online Service at 9am. Our Sunday Worship service premiers on our webpage and our youtube page at 9am Sunday mornings. Bulletins for the service are on our website as well. Consider dressing up or changing your routine on Sunday mornings to make our usual time of worship a special time for you and your family at home. Turn off your devices (except for the one streaming the service!). It is easy to get distracted (more so at home!) during worship. Do what you can to focus your hearts and minds on Jesus!
Angel delivery. We have had about 20 households receive packets of printed emails, bulletins, and sermons delivered to their door by some wonderful volunteers I like to call "angels" (which means messengers). Thank God for them! Also, if you or someone you know would like printed copies dropped off as well, reply and let me know so I can add more to the list!
Viewing Times. Another idea brought up was having the church open at different times for small groups (10 or less) to come and watch the service in the sanctuary. This could happen easily and would make it possible for those without a TV or streaming device to still see the service and sermon and also allow members to be in our house of worship to better be able to focus on the service. Plus, you may miss it! If this is something you are interested in, could you reply to this message and say, "Yea I want to do that!" We could have several times on Sundays or a couple different times during the week.
Drive-In Service. Another opportunity that could be coming NEXT Sunday is us hosting a Drive-In service. This depends on the transmitter arriving in the next few days. I will keep you posted on that. If it does come, we would be able to have a full in-person service in our parking lot! We can welcome the community to join us. From your vehicle, you would be able to tune in to the radio station for the service, see me in front of you, and be together with your church family. Stay tuned for updates on that.
May God bless the rest of your Friday and the weekend coming up! Keep your faith strong and your focus calibrated with God's Word! God bless and keep you all!
In his grace,
Pastor