5 years ago

I’ve been talking all about hope. Every sermon for many weeks, the hope we have in the Lord and this Sunday is still about hope.

You might come today with all kinds of stuff. As they say, “a lot going on.”

I desire that you give all that to Jesus feet today. Trust him with all of it today. Because He is worthy of your trust.

We follow, He saves. Jesus delivers

It’s why we symbolically write out those burdens ever week. To remind us that God is bigger than our biggest issues.

What it looks like to trust in Jesus, what it looks like to put our hope in God, that is what our concentration, the mediation of our heart is today.

That when you leave today you will see insight into what God desires from you in your life right now, how you are to follow God.

Psalm 62:5 CSB

5 Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from him.

Their is significant incredibly monumental hope in that truth and we all have the memory of what it means to live through incredible change.

5 years ago this Sunday, Corona Virus was becoming very real to all of us. I think we went online the next Sunday, March 22, 2020.

I had a conversation with someone yesterday about something that happened 15 years ago and it felt like not that long ago. So I realize that maybe for some of you 5 years ago was forever. But for others, like me, 5 years ago, well I can go there in a second in my head.

That Sunday Pastor Harry was preaching. I told him when they close the bars then we can think about closing the church. I was kidding, really kidding. Chaplain Roger shared what we could do five years ago. It was a long time ago as some of you don’t even know who I am talking about and for others that might stir up grief.

Today might bring up a huge swing of emotions for you and you know what, that isn’t bad.

You could have sadness, grief, frustration, rage, nostalgia, happiness, wonder, anger, and as your pastor. I tell you don’t run and hide from any of those feelings. God gave them to you. You can take those to Jesus too.

We all lived a collective and individualized traumatic event.

If you’ve been reading the Bible Recap, a way we are reading through the Bible in one year, you know that we are still in the first couple of books that begin the Bible. They talk about required festivals and remembrances like Passover and the Day of Atonement, for the people to remember what God has done. Not only should we not be afraid of looking back we should welcome remembering what God has done in our lives.

Why bring all this up, because it reminds me of a key verse of hope.

We can boast in hope but we can also boast in how God has carried us through the difficulties.

Romans 5:1–5 CSB

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, 4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. 5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Boasting in your afflictions can mean that even with your disabilities, problems, whatever people think holds you down, even with a worldwide pandemic, if you keep going through that with faith in Christ, if you keep following, there is a huge positive effect on you. It changes you. It modifies who you are. In that change you grow in faith, in that change is hope for today and tomorow.

For me, I am still learning Psalm 62:5

Psalm 62:5 CSB

5 Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from him.

When the coronavirus pandemic began to get real by a couple of cases in Washington state and the Bay Area, I went on the invitation of Chaplain Roger Williams to St. Joseph’s to sit in a room of people hearing from Dr. Park who was the interim head of the San Joaquin County Health Department and the medical head of St. Joseph’s hospital, who himself was actually a lung doctor. There is a much fancier name for it but I can’t recall and didn’t look it up. I was there with all these religious leaders and we got a briefing on what to do.

They gave all kinds of advice and information. Encouraged us in remaining calm. Shared about what a coronavirus is, because it wasn’t new but a new construction of the virus and how the disease would like go. In hindsight much of what the Doctor for St. Joseph’s said turned out to be absolutely correct. He said most of us would get it. Many of the lives would be saved by medicine and eventually it would return to being a different kind of what we might call a cold.

It appeared that all of us there were ready to help, to be reasonable and to keep people safe.

Yet, one of the things I learned in this whole process is I cannot put faith that is meant for God into leaders.

What do I mean? You remember how we all didn’t know. We just didn’t know. Didn’t know when this would end. Didn’t know the best steps to take.

Because there was much they didn’t know, they couldn’t know, because learning means that you used to be wrong.

Faith in God means even when you don’t know, you rest in the fact that God will show you what you need to know. That you do not need to fear, for God is near.

Leaders could be wrong, Like Dr. Park laughed a little at a question and said we would not become a nation of mask wearers.

Woops.

None of us really knew what was going to change. I as well as others there wanted to bring help, change. What I didn’t know was how.

I realize that many of you had your own experience with COVID. I was talking with someone just the other day who told me that at first it was fun. More family time. Some of you might remember that and I am super happy.

That’s cool, all joy to God, for a joyful time.

It wasn’t my experience. Others of you might remember loss. I remember the loss of thinking I knew what I was supposed to be doing.

No one knew what was going to change and what wasn’t it. This week would mark the last time we did church together for a while. Toilet paper, paper towels, hand sanitizer and Ramen were going to disappear. Somehow these are related and I could tell you why but as people say, “it don’t make no sense.” Hysteria is another kind of hope. Hope in what everyone else is doing.

No one knew but we were living a reality none of us could completely be aware of. I felt alone and scared.

I felt the following verse in my soul.

Job 6:13 CSB

13 Since I cannot help myself, the hope for success has been banished from me.

When our hope is tied to what we do, eventually that hope fails. The lockdown changed all of that for us. What you were doing, could do, how you could do, the vulnerability, the attitude of not wanting to be vulnerable.

I saw it in teachers, coaches, wealthy people, people struggling.

I don’t know what life was like for you but I was trying to figure out how to keep all of this, this church, New Day together. Prior to the shut down there were people who would show up to church every once in a while, not every leader was like Phil who came almost every Sunday during the pandemic. Yet, Phil has got up and said he felt bad about being unreliable.

I’m leading you today by being honest. So this might be too much for some but I’m getting honest.

I believed everyone was going to leave. I have a lot to ask forgiveness for because I thought God and others would abandon me. Many did. There are only a few who are here that were hear then. Most didn’t die, we had a few, no one directly from COVID, friends of those here, and that is sad enough to stop and thank God for those who have gone on.

But most just stopped. Some moved. Some left the church.

The funny thing about hard times, you can focus on the loss but you can also focus on the blessing. Both are real.

During the pandemic Phil and EJ were incredible. Even more was Deborah and later Charlotte who learned so much to be able to make videos every week. The reason we broadcast every week is what she and I learned together.

What I remember most is believing that if this wasn’t interesting everybody was going to tune out and turn off.

You may or may not even know that in our first few weeks everything about our church broadcasts went wrong. In the first Sunday, we broadcast upside down. I thought that if I made church more like a television show it would be eventually easier to do and more people would care to continue being a part of New Day. If I worked hard enough, God’s church would stay together. If it was interesting enough people could still stay connected. If I did more the church would not fall apart.

Does anyone else see the failure in that kind of thinking about faith?

If I work hard enough God will bless. It doesn’t work and it didn’t work.

Psalm 62:5 CSB

5 Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from him.

After a year of on again, car, outside, inside, outside worship A lot of people did. Most of the people who showed up every week stopped.

We couldn’t compete with high productions. We couldn’t work enough for God to bless. Duh, God doesn’t work that way.

What some of you don’t know is that facebook, youtube, and vimeo have pretty good statistics on how long a person is watching a live video. The average time of a person watching an hour long worship was about 3 minutes.

I yelled a lot. A lot at Lori, a lot at Deborah and Charlotte. I was freaking out.

The worst part was the powerlessness. My calling would be to be a pastor and much of the advice I received during this time from medical experts, politicians, church leaders turned out to be wrong. Some their fault, a lot not. There are unknown things always and what works in one place won’t work in another.

There is one thing that works. The focus, the essential focus has to be in God alone.

In your life right now, there are unknown things. You could be drowning in your own frustration, your own burdens, grasping at things to take control of your life. But what if whatever you hope to find, a lawyer, a truth, a job, money, a friend, what if all that slips right through.

I’m not being silly. I am not saying that we put all our responsibility on God. But there is a long distance between taking responsibility and absolute terror at the unknown.

I can tell you that I was in a panic, because the perception I had was good pastors get their church full. Good pastors get more people coming by putting on as many ways to serve people as possible. You’ll still here it from people as they ask about a church, what do you have for us? What groups, things for kids, etc. etc.

Yet that isn’t what following Christ is supposed to be about is it?

What groups did Jesus have for kids? What special ministries did the disciples run for senior citizens or singles?

If you don’t know the Bible that well, the answer is none.

Friends, I’m not trying to ridicule those ministries or the churches who have them. God bless those who serve in those areas. I’m blasting myself on believing that my calling is to make I was busy making events for people to come too.

That isn’t the purpose of Jesus’ church.

New Day is made for people to gather to meet God and serve Him.

During COVID, I got to see that church is not a product. What is true is what God told us, the way we are supposed to live,

Psalm 62:5 CSB

5 Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from him.

So what happened after going online, cars, outside, inside, outside, inside

Well I gave up.

I’ve given up my anxiety and started accepting God’s provision.

Most of you that are here today came because God is doing a work in your life.

That’s what I realized. It’s not on me. It’s Gods. I follow God, I encourage and help others and I watch God assemble His church.

The Women’s Bible Study. Mom started it back after COVID. God brought Helen and Helen took up the mantle after Mom went to be with the Lord. Bible Recap. Ej enjoyed how much God was doing with his life and wanted to share it. Dad loves zooming with you on Wednesdays. Even the birthday cards come from a member who came to me and said they would like to send birthday cards on behalf of the church if I gave a list. Christmas lights - look at Deborah.

I’m not done, but instead of creating things, new things, as many things as possible and begging you to show up, when people come up with an idea I’m praying on it. Then waiting to see what God reveals. I have had three ideas, I know two came from another and one from myself. After quite a while praying we will be doing The Chosen Bible Study in just a couple of weeks.

Friends I am praying for this church but I no longer am worrying about anyone liking me.

I’m pretty sure I haven’t perfected it yet but I am going in this direction. I do what I believe God is leading me to do.

Some of you will discover that even in the midst of your pain, this is the way to know your true purpose in life. If God calls it wrong don’t do it. If something isn’t wrong but seems responsible, reasonable than do it. Unless you are clear that you have a direction from God to chose a righter path.

Yet God’s direction will not protect you from sadness.

After Covid, I welcomed Bobby into ministry here. Some of you remember what God shared with us through the end of his life in just a few short months. There are many more names that could be mentioned and it is right to thank God for them and how we still can keep going.

Some of you are brand new. I’m so glad God brought you here. Welcome home, this Church is your home. We desire to get to know you, love you in Christ, go through life with you as we serve God together, but if you’ve been here a few weeks you have fridge privileges. This is home. You should welcome others. You are one of us and if you know Jesus as your Lord and savior then realize this church is not here to serve you but as a home for you to be able to serve through.

After Covid I became even more skeptical of politics than I was before. I became more skeptical of leaders than I was before. But my faith in the Lord Jesus’ ability to work all things according to his purposes grew.

But I still have to be reminded. I still need to celebrate the anniversary and remember all that God has done.

Because God carried us through COVID. He choose to continue the ministry of New Day. In this past year new people have begun regularly worshipping Jesus. The work has continued. The Holy Spirit is working.

Romans 5:3–5 CSB

3 And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, 4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. 5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Today you might come with the biggest problem in your life ever. You need to make decisions. You need to take responsibility. You need to understand,

That it isn’t all up to you. It’s actually about God.

Psalm 62:5 CSB

5 Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from him.

So do what you know God would have you do. And if you don’t know God lets talk about it. Talk with anyone here. Let’s go to God together and encourage each other in the faith that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ.

After all, God brought us through a pandemic together.