Cover Yourself with Faith

intro

Where do we start a sermon today? A lot has happend in 7 days. The world has changed. Our lives have changed. Our plans have changed.

But in all this change, do you know who has not changed at all?

God - H is the same yestersay, today and forever.

And he alone is our solid rock on which stand. he alone is our anchor of hope, He alone is our river of peace.

Fear has risen it head. And feardoes not discriminate. Black or white or indian or eatern - all are afraiud and all are vunerible.

Man or woman, from the beger o to street to Tom hanks and his billion - all are now the same.

And as fear speads faster than the virus, Faith needs to rise up.

We are commaned not to be afraid.

ps 91 5-

Psalm 91:5–6 NKJV

5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, 6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

Make no bones, we are wittnesing al this. We are wittness to the terror, to the arrow and the pestalence and the destruction.

And yet, sourrounded by terror, pestalence and the destruction that comes with it we are told to hold the line of faith.

Psalm 91:7–8 NKJV

7 A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. 8 Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked.

ps 91 7

What is the secret to such faith?

How can we stay the course in time like these?

Scripture tells us plainly.

1: To Abide in Jesus.

Psalm 91:1–2 NKJV

1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”

ps 91 1

ps 91 9-

Psalm 91:9–10 NKJV

9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, 10 No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;

Jesus made this very clear:

jn 15 4

John 15:4 NKJV

4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

jn 15

John 15:7 NKJV

7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

We have got to ask ojrelves? Had I lived my life, all of it, every part of it in the regognition of God’s presence and will for me?

That is what it means to abide in Jesus.

It means that your christian life is never seperate from your personal life or your profesional life or even your secret private life.

It is basically the opposite of being a hypocrite.

A hypocrite will get drunk on the friday and then

They will swear on monday but sing hyms on sunday.

They will fornicate on tuesday but claim faith on sunday.

This is NOT abiding in Jesus, its occasionally visiting Him and guess what?

Galatians 6:7 NKJV

7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

Know this: This kind of half in the world, half in Jesus life does NOT produce faith. It does not produce courage.

It is a lifesyle whos fruit is fear, doubt and uncertinty: Exacally what many people are experienceing right now.

But thats not all, the Word also tells us that those who do not fear:

2: Have Set Their Love on Jesus

Psalm 91:14–16 NKJV

14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”

ps 91 14-16

We have forgotton ther Word of Jesus:

Matthew 6:21 NKJV

21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

We have treasured the worng things, we have set our love on the wrong things.

We have loved money and comfort more than holiness and obedience.

We have loved food and drink more than fasting and prayer.

We have loved rest and relaxation more that diligence and sacrifice.

We have loved the word and the things of the world more than God and the things of God.

Almost more than ever the Words of Jesus ring true:

Revelation 2:4 NKJV

4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

And its time to stop.

And its time to stop.

It is time to repent.

The Corona Virus is NOT the worst thing to happen to you. But having the corona virus and all its devestation come to you and you dont learn, humble and submit to god - that is far worse.

Day of Prayer

The President called for churches all over the country to pray about this virus today, and pray we are.

We have been given the perfect oppertunity for self examination by God during this time.

BUT, prayer is not a means of twising the sovergn arm of God. rather we should look to the Lord in Humility and see what he says.

2 chron 7 13-

2 Chronicles 7:13–14 NKJV

13 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Corona has humble us and now we pray, BUT unless our prayer is accompanied by repentance, we pray in vain.

people may ask: Why is God allowing this to happen?

Well God has an answer:

2 Chronicles 7:21–22 NKJV

21 “And as for this house, which is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and this house?’ 22 Then they will answer, ‘Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this calamity on them.’ ”

2 chron 7 21

Many God’s have fallen this past week.

The God’s of sport have fallen, education have fallen, pride have fallen.

But that is not enough - the gods of violence, of murder and rape and sex traffikingt, the gods of ball ho received million of aborted innocent children must all still fall.

We cannot oncroll what the evil and wicked do, they will receive their reward, but we can say: as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.

Amen