Looking Up and Not Ahead

I would imagine that when you heard the pitter patter of rain this morning, they probably gave you one or more reason why you shouldn't be here. Maybe for those who are worshipping online or watching this later. You might feel a little bad. I don't know.

We miss you. We're glad that you're here today with us gracious Heavenly Father. We thank you that you are someone who continues to whisper into our hearts and our minds a phenomenal characteristic. There's often forgotten. So God, we pray. that For Your Glory in this never to be replicated again moment. That you will pour out your Holy Spirit.

And then develop those things. Oh God that we have sung and that we will speak about with a gospel message

It's for your glory and your honor. I meant once you begin by asking a question and an done and I got to be honest with you. The question is going to be easy to answer you're going to be tempted to shout out an answer, but don't because it'll embarrass you. I promise you I seen this happen before so just think about it. Maybe this question is going to conjure up several things. That's okay, too. But the question is this what worries you the most right now.

What worries you the most right now? Go ahead list them in your mind if it's a person. see their face if it's if it's are in events or something that is happening in the days or weeks to come imagine you are going there right now. What do you feel? Feel anxious you feel a little tense.

mount I want to go a little deeper to be brave. I want to ask one more question a follow-up question and you're going to have to dig deep you're going to really just have to be honest with yourself. And here's the follow-up question. What is it about these things that worry you.

What is about these things that worry you? If we all had enough time to flesh this out. I think we would all come to similar conclusions. These things that worry us the most are in the future. Are they started in the past? But the conclusion is in the future and we're living in the midst of somewhere that is yet to flesh out.

I mean, maybe they're all things that are out of our control. Maybe they're just not their things that we just have no idea how they'll be resolved. And I don't have to tell you that they affect you. Don't they? in some cases the scare you

they make you feel doubtful in your own ability. And almost certainly they all deal with things. You just don't know. about

you don't know about the outcome. You don't know if you are able. or even capable You don't know if anyone's with you or for you. You just don't know. Now this affects you. in many ways and it is no respecter of persons. It affects people of all backgrounds. It affects people from all types of generations and age groups. From the youngest to the oldest in this room right now and everywhere in between.

Is affected by this.

Let me illustrate this this way.

Went when Anna was a child, maybe 5 or 6 years old. She was afraid of her closet.

SKT laughing at her Anna was afraid of her closet and you know it just did it made her so afraid that she didn't want to go to bed at night. Why didn't matter if there was a night light on it didn't even matter if all the night lights are all the lights are on spot lights are on the doors open and she actually moved everything and inventoried everything in there. It didn't matter if she had her Teddy Bear clothes by she had that this uncanny ability Franklin. She has this ability now too, but she had The Uncanny ability to imagine what was not there. 02 imagine what could happen even if her biggest baddest stuffed animals right next to her. It was no match. For Her Imagination now want you to park here from oh just just you know full well how true this is not not only for a child but isn't this true for all of us? I mean, we all don't have a closet full of things that worry us and they have the power to control us those things in your closet consider them name them take inventory of those things. What are you going to do about them? I mean, what can you do about them? What happens when you ignore those things in your closet? What happens when you overly think about them? Maybe you're like me what happens when you organize them. You ever talk to those things in your closet? There's not much you can do and you almost feel like a prisoner. Don't you a slave to them and their?

There are times. When you wish you could just be free. from those things in your closet I like the story of a father. The father was teaching his daughter his three-year-old daughter The Lord's Prayer. And she would repeat the lines after him and finally she decided to go solo and he listened with pride as she clearly enunciated each word right up to the end of the prayer lead us not into temptation. She prayed but Deliver Us from email. I tell you what, isn't that sometimes that seems and feels like such an appropriate request, especially from the the people who you don't know. or the people the email that you get from the people, they're just getting just adding more to your plate. Maybe your worries are not in your closet. Maybe your worries are in your inbox.

But what happens when you receive an email? I'm somebody, you know and you notice maybe through the first couple lines with a subject that is just not another request that you have to do.

And it's not just something else that you have to add to your schedule. In fact, you open it up. And you notice that this email from the person you love for the person that loves you. It's a love note. and encouragement a reminder that they are praying for you rather than just something else to put on your busy schedule. Isn't that a different feeling? And if you think about it. God has written us love emails.

They give us a different feeling. I mean if you think about what we know about God. And how he sees us in regards to our past in regards to our future in regards to our presents. Those messages that he gives us. Are messages not to make us more anxious but to subside the anxiety in the fear what we don't know. Let me put it this way if you have your Bible and you marking your Bible Exodus 20 know we all should know that Exodus 20 is where we would find the Ten Commandments. An Exodus 20 verse 2 starts like this. I am the Lord your God who? Know if you were going to say this is how I know God. This is what I know about God. How would you answer that or finish that statement? I am the Lord God is talking to you. It's in his email. This is what he's talking to you. He speak I am the Lord your God and our minds have no place to go except back and we start thinking about the things in the past where God Did the miraculous? Are we experience God through a still small whisper? Tour mines go back and so do the Israelites as God says, I'm the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of and then we're stop for a second.

the land of abandonment the land of fear the land of loneliness

the land of failure

God is now for particular eyes and getting more specific as he says I am the one he's brought you out of this land of Egypt for the Israelites, but this is so true for us to out of the house out of the land slavery that is imprisoned you. Do you see the implications of this passage? You noticed that that that this is a message that is just not asking you to do something to perform. to add to your already busy schedule He is saying to you. I am yours. You are mine. Remember remember what I have done? I have bought you I have redeemed you. I have ransomed you. I have given you freedom. From the things in your closet and look at the way God describes those things as slavery.

And you see how this is all set into motion.

I had declaration. How God sees you and expects you to see him? I am the Lord. your guy This is what I want to do. I know we're not supposed to do this, but we're going to do. I want you to repeat something after me. I want you to say. He is the Lord my God.. Couple app doesn't work. He is looking like 1 2 3 he is not going to stop.

Now this time I want you to emphasize.

1 2 3 Oh my God, it is an appropriate declaration. That we often overlooked. He's mine.

the writers of the Old Testament never overlooked is They describe God as Lord God. Two characteristics brought together to give this complete picture. or at least said this starting point of what how we can imagine theologically who God is God is the creator to do or the one who can create out of nothing the one who speaks and time and space leap into motion. He's also described his Mordor Yahweh personal intimate the one who takes a personal interest in the details and the one

1 Gives you his attention.

And it's an echo.

that started

before the world began

And is still reverberating today?

It's an echo. Because you can't change an echo. Oh, you might try to change an echo, especially with those things in your closet. You might think if you talk to him long enough will go away or if you worried about him enough, they'll fix themselves or you organize them in the right way things will go easier. But the echo reverberates through scripture. And by the way, if you listen closely the unchanging echo of God's character how he sees you and expects you to see him can be heard today and our song is heard this echo in verse for he says this behold in other words if the Hebrew word for hey looky here. Behold he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep God. He's giving he's not given up on the nation of Israel verse 2 says that this God is the one who has made Heaven and Earth. He's not giving up on them know he's decide decided to keep them even though they have given him many reasons not to do so.

in verse 5 The Lord is your keeper the Lord is your shade on your right hand now with this subtle and intentional grammatical change the song this makes things personal and he addresses the needs of the individuals. He says the Lord is your keeper. He's just not the god of Israel which gives every individual Israelite this permission to say well that doesn't affect me.

If I quit if we could say that God is the God of this congregation this room right now. It would be easy for us to not actually.

Be moved by that as much as it would be for us to be moved. By the Lord be in my keeper.

my shade on my right hand

He is not just the keeper of Israel. He's The Keeper of the individual. And she does this. Great enthusiasm Paul Paul Paul writes in Galatians Chapter 4 Verse 6 this when he's coming right into this theological argument Paul is making an end in until what he does. He has he come to this client at this pivotal point. It isn't because you are children of God. God has sent his Spirit the spirit of his son into our heart crying out to the our spirit Cries Out Abba Father.

great in a measurable incalculable implications

for you

not the plural you singular

we we spent 10 Days Inn in Israel. And and I wish I could tell you that I saw this happen. Max Lucado writes about an experience he had in Israel. And I want I want to just tell his story. He said he's coming out of the Jaffa gate with his with his children. And as her walking down this ramp is steep ramp down to the streets. He writes we found ourselves behind an Orthodox Jewish Family. a father and his three small girls not one of the girls perhaps she was 4 or 5 years of age. She fell a few steps behind and couldn't see her father and and and she called out to him.

He stopped and looked in the eighth. He only then realized that he was separated from his daughter. She cried again and he spotted her and immediately extended his hand and she took it and then hisses what he said Mac says I took a mental note as they continued because I wanted to see firsthand the action of an APA. This is what he did Max rights. He held her hand tightly and is as they descended the ramp. When he stopped at the busy street, she stepped off the curb and he pulled her back. When the signal change he led her and her sisters for the intersection and in the middle of the street, he reached down and swing her up into his arms and continue the journey. Now whatever picture you have of God right now consider for a moment. the keys you're Abba

it is not really what we need. But the things in a closet and Ava who will hear when we call who will take our hand when we are weak who will guide us through this hectic intersections of life. Don't we all need this Ava who will swing us up into his arms and carry his home and Ava who knows what's in the closet? What worries you? Those things that you have inventory. And this echo of the Lord your God your Abba Father who brought you out of the house of slavery in the past. This Echo will not infected cannot be changed for what's in your closet right now, even though you don't know what will happen even though you may think you're alone and nobody understand even though you're doubtful you're scared and not sure the outcome the echo still reverberates all around you right now, even if you don't know the outcome, even if you don't can't even if you don't know if you can handle it.

Thomas continues and says the Lord will keep you from all evil future tense It's something he's saying it's going to happen. But the message is for people in the midst of a closet full of worries. The effect the effects of what God will do in the future.

green future the ramifications the implications for the Cure right now

there's a lot at stake.

There's a lot at stake if you don't get this.

Something drastic could happen to your face.

Or your confidence in God.

Cuz what you don't know. The effects of all those things in your closet can change put you do know. right now

so go back with me. Anna's room

I would walk into her room at these highly anxious moments and she tightly clenched her bear with her eyes glued on the closet. I sat on her bed conveniently placing myself between her and her closet. She could see a little bit of it over the over the left my left shoulder. the ainu Beyond a shadow at me with certainty that nothing. There was nothing in her closet.

I knew that this was just the effects of of an overactive imagination.

But I didn't tease her.

I didn't put her down. I didn't tell her I'll grow up. being childish

I didn't laugh or giggle he can bring though. It was pretty humor sometimes. I sat there.

And I reminded her that I loved her.

And that I was not going to let whatever she thought was in her closet.

And to be quite honest listen to be quite honest. I was going to do this even if she didn't believe me. mean This is what parents right? I'm sure it's what my dad. I'm sure it's what my brother's do for my nieces and nephews and certainly this is what you Do for those of you who have children of your own? Why because we're there Abba's?

where their keepers we're where there's They are ours.

So there we are. banana swirl

Faintly lit by night light in the corner. Little girl who's worried about the negative possibilities of what could emerge from her closet? And me sitting on the corner of her bed. knowing quite well She had nothing to be afraid of.

Then something happened. It happens every time.

Sometimes it happened quicker than others, but it happened.

When I first sat down. Her eyes were glued on their closet over my left shoulder.

Ben

they would slowly look up.

And she loosen your grip. teddy bear

to relax her furrowed brow eventually. She fell asleep.

Don't miss this.

This is important.

Just me coming into her room. Didn't help Anna.

Didn't have anything to do with me. Nike case Her mind that time. I mean just her realizing that I loved her.

Helping Anna. I could have stayed there all night and she would still maybe even now be sitting there with her furrowed brow.

Are White Knuckles?

Anna only relaxed

Anna only relax when she stopped looking at her closet

look up.

It away. We're all I can aren't we? Even though the inventory of our closet is much different and in many ways much more real. It's not always enough for us Christians to just know that God is able.

It's not always enough for us to know. And God is willing. I mean that was the case how many times have you said a brief prayer over your worries and just continue to go on talking to them worrying about them and things like that.

sometimes the only thing that calms our fears about the inventory of our closet is this

looking up

not ahead. looking up at the Lord our God

the Lord our God Who sits on the corner of the bed of our life?

just imagine the implications for you now.

God is able.

If this is not about us getting our prayers answered in the way we want. This is not about changing inevitable consequences from our stupid mistakes.

This is about what you go through right now. with a closet full of worries

And what you will do with them?

Look up.

Take your eyes, even if it's just for a brief moments. off the closet

recognize God is with you.

when I was at the University of Pittsburgh, I heard this evangelist wants a that the devil is roaming around proud as he quotes a reference from Peter. Looking for someone to consume.

He'll come knocking at your door.

Consume you.

When you look up to God. Doesn't mean right away that he stops knocking at your door.

Just look up again. and again and again and again again

Gracious Heavenly Father. We thank you. The things of God that are beyond our control.

But you have us oh God in the palm of your hand.

That you will God.

Become for us.

hours and we become a god. yours

Thank you, Heavenly Father.

What's your name? We pray. I meant

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