Moving Forward - Pt. 11

ANDREW: Good Morning, and welcome to week two of our online gathering as a church family. For those who don’t know us, I am Andrew Wring, one of our worship leaders here at Fellowship...

JOHN: And I am John Winders, the Lead Pastor. Thank you for joining us today for what we hope is an encouraging reminder of hope in the middle of difficult times.

ANDREW: The Psalmist reminds us in Psalm 107:1:

Psalm 107:1 CSB

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever.

God’s mercy and faithful love never ends - which is a great motivation for worship. Let’s sing together this morning:

OPENING SONG

JOHN: Pray

Sermon

A phrase I am hearing often is “unprecedented times,” and it is very true. Many of us have never lived during such a time as this.

And if we are honest, each of us have waves of concern that could overwhelm us with fear, if we aren’t guided and mindful of everlasting truth.

You see each of us have differing impingements from the effects of this virus. For some, you are inhibited from working, while others are required to work overtime. Some are getting to spend extra time with family and there are unique blessings that come with that. Others at the same exact time are not able to be with their families and feel alone and helpless. You see each of us are dealing with the effects of this situation in different ways, but the key is that you and I are dealing with them in healthy ways.

We are in a unique time, and if we are not intentional it is very likely that we will waste this trial.

John Piper wrote an article following prostate cancer surgery that is immensely helpful when it comes to trying seasons of life. In regards to his battle with cancer he wrote 10 ways not to waste your cancer. Today, I’d like to tweek his 10 things to match where we are today by replacing cancer with trial and adding a few thoughts… Those 10 ways were:

1. You will waste your trial if you do not believe God designed it for you.

In referencing Job, Piper highlights that God is the ultimate deity in control of all things, and if He has not stopped your trial, He certainly has a design in it.

2. You will waste your trial if you believe it is a curse and not a gift.

God is good, and although not all things are good, a good God turns bad things into blessings as He molds us into what we are becoming.

3. You will waste your trial if you seek comfort from your odds rather than from God.

As with cancer, many trials have us run to the odds of success we have over whatever is going on. Regardless of our current circumstances, God does not desire for us to run to our own probability figures but to run utterly dependent on Him!

4. You will waste your trial if you refuse to think about death.

Piper writes: “We will all will die, if Jesus postpones his return. Not to think about what it will be like to leave this life and meet God is folly. Ecclesiastes 7:2 says, “It is better to go to the house of mourning [a funeral] than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.” How can you lay it to heart if you won’t think about it? Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Numbering your days means thinking about how few there are and that they will end.

Friend, we gain wisdom from understanding our mortality. We apply that wisdom as we intentionally live this day, this moment, this second for what really matters.

5. You will waste your trial if you think that “conquering” that trial means staying alive rather than cherishing Christ.

God has a very different design than Satan for your trial. Where the enemy desires your love for God to wane, God’s desire is that you would draw closer to Him. Christ is our sufficiency, not what we can find satisfying in this world. Therefore, as Paul says in Philippians, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” And to know that therefore, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 3:8; 1:21).

6. You will waste your trial if you spend too much time reading about the trial and not enough time reading about God.

If I am honest, this one hurts! I have spent too much time this week searching my phone for updates on this season. Who is where and how close are confirmed cases. My heart this week has not pressed in to knowing more about the God who oversees all things, as much as I have spent time making sure precautions are in place based on my oversight.

7. You will waste your trial if you let it drive you into solitude instead of deepen your love for others.

Piper gives an example of Epaphroditus who delivered a gift from the Philippian church and almost died as a result. And Paul says Epaphroditus was distressed when the Philippians simply heard that he was ill. Just the thought of the church being worried about him bothered him. His heart for those he loved was apparent, his sickness, just like our trial, should not be wasted by retreating into ourselves. Allow this season to deepen your love for people.

8. You will waste your trial if you grieve as those who have no hope.

Paul encouraged the church at Thessolinica that grief is real when we lose those we love. But we approach loss much differently from those who don’t know and love God. The losses we experience temporarily now, or even the losses we experience semi-permanently when one passes, is permeated with hope for those who know Christ. We encourage you today to view your current struggle through the lens of God’s grace, not as those who have no hope.

9. You will waste your trial if you treat sin as casually as before.

Piper keenly writes, “Are your besetting sins as attractive as they were before you were in your trial? If so, you are wasting your trial. Trials are designed to destroy the appetite for sin. Pride, greed, lust, hatred, unforgiveness, impatience, laziness, procrastination — all these are the adversaries that your trial is meant to attack. Don’t just think of battling against your trial. Also think of battling with it. All these things are worse enemies than your current struggle. Let the presence of eternity make the sins of time look as futile as they really are. As Jesus said in Luke 9, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” (Luke 9:25).”

10. You will waste your trial if you fail to use it as a means of witness to the truth and glory of Christ.

Friend, you are never anywhere by accident. As we hinted to last week: God providentially directs our lives; therefore, we live with intention in all we pursue. Consider what Jesus said about painful, unplanned circumstances:

Luke 21:12–13 NKJV

12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. 13 But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.

The words you say and the actions you take in response to the trials and situations you face are all opportunities to to bear witness of God’s glory.

Which leads us into our final thoughts in the current series we have been in, laying out the way forward as a faith family.

I am thankful that the 5 characteristics we have been emphasizing endure during this season.

Those five characteristics are:

Gospel-centered Worship:

We know that worship isn’t something we attend; it is the attitude of our hearts in response to the truths of God. And whether we are together in-person or not, the truth of God doesn’t change and our response to Him shouldn’t either.

Gospel-centered Transformation:

We are striving to build a culture that slows down sufficiently for the presence and will of God to fill our lives. Although these circumstances are certainly not what we would ask for, they do allow us a different rhythm. And so embrace where you are, and be intentional with the time you have to walk with the Lord.

Gospel-centered Relationships:

We know the Christian life is not intended to be lived in isolation, and so we desire even more to be together in-person. However, we can still show love, grace, consistency, and authenticity to one another through various ways. Take the initiative this week and reach out to someone in our faith family.

Gospel-centered Service:

There are plenty of ways that you can serve the body in this season. Prepare your heart and mind to be a blessing when an area is made apparent.

This week, you will receive an email to adopt an elderly individual or family. The CDC has identified those over 60 and those with pre-existing conditions as the most vulnerable, and we have a list of about 57 different households in our faith family that meet those requirements. You can serve another family this week and so we hope you will respond to that email.

Gospel-centered Outreach

As we continue this thought of how to use this season as an opportunity to reach out we are reminded we are commissioned for outreach.

Our mission statement for outreach begins:

As disciples, our mission is to make God known wherever we are and wherever we go.

Look with me if you would in Acts 8:1-4 which gives us a look into the outreach of the early church.

Acts 8:1–4 NKJV

1 Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. 4 Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.

You notice in v. 1 that these disciples were scattered by the persecution.

in v. 4 - as they went away from the persecution, they weren’t silent - they proclaimed the truths of God wherever they were and wherever they went.

And I can’t help but see that these early Christians had a special understanding of who should have been evangelizing - and that was all of them. It was not just the select few apostles or the deacons, or leaders - it was everyone (those who were scattered went everywhere.)

Practically, This week:

Everywhere you are and everywhere you go are opportunities to bear witness of God’s grace in your life.

The facebook profile you have.

The work email you send.

The neighbor you wave to sitting on their porch.

The conversations you have in your home with your children.

The conversations you have with others on the phone or through written mediums.

You will receive an email this afternoon, and you can access the information on our website that will include:

A study guide this week that you can do alone or with others.

Join our facebook live as we follow up with that study on Thursday at 10:00 AM

Cards to print and place on the porch of a neighbor

Also available under the awning here at the church.

Freeze some meals to have ready for someone else.

As you have needs or hear of others in need, please reach out to us.

I am thankful for the enduring truth of the hope that God alone can give us as we trust him,

Andrew is going to come and lead us in a new song that sings of just that, the wonderful hope of God.