3/28/20 I cant, He can, I'll let Him

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It Is Well With My Soul

Contributed by John Gaston on , 2020

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Scripture:

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Summary: Coronavirus has caused many to question if God is not happy with this generation or to be afraid that God won't help us in this crisis. How wonderful is Paul's revelation and the ageless hymn of Horatio Spafford, "It is Well With My Soul!" Pass it on!

Introduction

We live in a fallen world that keeps us fearfully treading from one crisis to the next.

It seems like every morning we wake up to a new peril: virus pandemics, new flu strains, Coronavirus, recessions, earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis, floods, fires...even the threat of other countries attacking us.

Remember this, in unsettling times, we find our peace in the presence of the Lord. He is the only one who can effectively prevent the contagious epidemic of fear.

Let gentleness be seen in every relationship, for our Lord is ever near. Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ. - Phillipians 4:5-7

Then there are our own financial, physical, relational, health, and personal crises that often catch us by surprise and strike terror into our hearts. We feel helpless as events spin out of our control.

Fear is a powerful human emotion that can cause us to respond inappropriately or motivate us to take positive action. Or fear has the ability to paralyze us from taking any action. Fear can even stop us from turning to God, our Rescuer, who knows every personal and world disruption we will face.

The Bible, God’s timeless Word, has all the answers and antidotes to keep us calm, cool, and collected.

He assures us in Isaiah:

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. -

We want to trust God but there are times when peace eludes us. We’re worried and anxious. We don’t want to be brave this time.

Then God reminds us in Joshua:

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. -

Listen to this definition of courage. “Courage is reverential fear that prays and calls on God at all times.”

Again—“Be strong and be not afraid!”

Here are six prayers to help us faithfully transcend from panic to peace:

1. Take All Your Worries to the Lord

Here’s a prayer I want to speak over you right now: “Lord, ‘I know that Satan created the spirit of fear, anxiety, doubt, and worries to torture and entrap my mind and rob me of my joy, peace, and sleep. When what-ifs wake me in the dark of night, please help me to denounce satan. In Jesus’ name amen.”

Take your worries to the Lord!

Remind God, , God, You say, “My internal-peace is as simple as casting all my anxiety on you because you care for me.”

Listen to this prayer—“Father, I trust that you don’t want me to waste a moment of my life fretting.’ ‘Please calm my racing heart and fill my troubled mind with hope and my spirit with peace.’ ‘Assure me that no weapon formed against me will prosper and you have a plan and a purpose for me in this time of turmoil.' ‘Father, “Show me your ways Lord and grant me the courage to follow where you lead.’ Amen.”

God will keep in perfect peace all who trust in Him, all whose thoughts are fixed on Him! -

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? -

Jesus spoke this right before his crucifixion:

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. -

The second prayer to help us faithfully transcend from panic to peace:

2. Believe God Hears Your Prayers

“Lord, if fallout touches any of my church family or loved ones, please comfort them with your healing balm.”

You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.” -

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. -

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. -

The third prayer to help us faithfully transcend from panic to peace:

3. Pray with Expectancy and Anticipation

Faith and fear can’t coexist in my heart. If I’m doubting or anxious, my shield of faith has slipped.

You got to say—“God, I know that you’re looking at the big picture.”

But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. -

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. -

God tells us,

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. -

The fourth prayer to help us faithfully transcend from panic to peace:

4. Remain Wise and Discerning

“Lord, I want desperately to take your Word to heart, but a tsunami of negativity and fear engulf me. ‘My thoughts wander to worst-case scenarios.”

Prayer—I need your insight to diligently untangle truthful facts from embellished hysteria. I ask the Holy Spirit to guide me in filtering out what I should avoid listening to or considering.

Infuse me Lord with discernment and wisdom. Give me clarity of mind and heart.

Be fruitful— “Guard my mouth that I don’t spread gossip or hearsay to alarm others. Help me to exhibit love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance. -

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. -

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. -

The fifth prayer to help us faithfully transcend from panic to peace:

5. Seek Opportunities to Comfort Others

You need to realize—We won’t live in a perfect world until we join God in heaven.

Know that this situation won’t be the last crisis for the world or for us.

We can’t outrun, outpace, outdo, outsmart, or outlive trouble.

Prayer—“Lord, quiet my raging emotions so that I can be a beacon of healing love and peace to those in my space of influence, allow me to offer peace to those overwhelmed by panic and fear.”

Jesus said,

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. -

These are the words that Jesus spoke to His disciples to comfort them, and they also give me comfort when I don’t know how the story ends.

Use me Lord as your disciple to bring healing to a hurting world. I love you Lord, Amen.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. -

The sixth and final prayer to help us faithfully transcend from panic to peace:

6. Pursue Peace

Press-induced or politically motivated panic will stoke more pandemic fear and consequences than the source of the crisis.

Take recommended and reasonable steps to protect yourself and your loved ones will give you a sense of control that helps to manage uncertainties.

Prudently, continue your normal activities that typically bring you joy.

Healthy coping mechanisms, like exercise, rest, eating properly, reading your Bible, staying connected to friends and family, and listening to praise music can help soothe frazzled nerves.

If you have medical anxiety, contact your doctor.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. - :8IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. I’m sure most of us have been done some fun stuff for Spring Break: camping, going to the beach, visiting family or traveling.

2. Sheila Settler is a school bus driver and likes to chat with the children while everyone’s getting on board. On the last day of school before summer, she asked one seven-year-old boy if he had any plans for the break.

3. "No," he replied. "I'm going to stay home and become a potato couch." (Reader’s Digest)

4. Farmer have speculated that the children of couch potatoes should be called “tater tots!”

B. CORONAVIRUS FEARS

1. The Coronavirus has taken hold in the USA. We’ve watched as China, S. Korea, Italy, Iran, and Europe succumbed to the dread disease. The U.S. stock market has fallen 8,000.

2. The USA now has 2,695 confirmed cases. Universities and schools have closed. Business in many consumer areas is drying up as people stay home and hold off spending.

3. In every country, fear of contagion is growing. There are now 137,445 cases worldwide. In S. Korea, people formed a massive line more than a mile long just to get face masks. The boring old stories we heard of the Black Plague killing millions in Europe (14th Century) comes back to haunt us.

4. Is there hope for Christians in this panic atmosphere? Do we have a Refuge, a Protector, a Helper? Yes!

C. THE BIBLE PROMISES VICTORY!

1. First-century Christians often fought diligently for physical and spiritual survival. Such hardships caused them to wonder if their newfound faith would be defeated.

2. In , Paul assured them that though they might face trials, God would bring them through victoriously.

3. By careful examination of this passage, we too can gain the assurance of knowing that victory is ours even in the most stressful situations.

D. TEXT

31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. , .

I. IT IS WELL BECAUSE WE HAVE ULTIMATE POWER

(v. 31).

A. EARLY CHRISTIANS Vs. ROME

1. There were crucial moments in Paul’s life where His belief in God was severely tested. Like at Lystra (), where Paul was stoned by the townspeople and left for dead. Paul had just been preaching the Gospel and healed a cripple; how could God let this happen? Was the devil stronger than God?

2. We feel defeated when we are wronged even when we’re doing the right thing. Paul assured the Roman Christians that no enemy has greater power than Almighty Power!

3. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” The logical answer is “NO ONE!”; no one can defeat US because God is the ultimate power.

B. NOBODY BIGGER(ILLUS.)

1. An old country preacher was challenged by a highly educated agnostic. The skeptic asked, “Why do you Christians constantly claim victory in the battle for eternity?”

2. The old preacher replied: “Well, Son, it says in the beginning of my Bible that God was in charge when time started up. Then I flip over to the end of my Bible and read that God will be in charge when time runs down…”

3. “So I figure that if God’s in charge at the beginning and the ending, there’s nobody else, in between, big enough to “whoop Him!”

C. US & OUR PROBLEMS

1. At times, we all feel like we’re fighting against powers which are too great to defeat. How can we defeat forces strong enough to overturn the moral structure of our nation, wreck marriages, and bring so many hardships?

2. All down through history, there have been temporary victories of darkness: communism, fascism, war, immorality, persecution. But God has always brought down the wicked and brought the Church out Victoriously.

3. Like Moses told the Israelites, “[God] brought us out from [Egypt] to bring us in and give us the land he promised on oath to our ancestors” .

4. God didn’t save you to let you falter & founder, He saved you to bring you into Heaven victoriously! “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

II. IT IS WELL BECAUSE WE HAVE UNLIMITED SUPPLY (v. 32).

A. SUPPLY LINES

1. Some people say to me, "Oh, Pastor Gaston, pray for me! The Devils after me; he's got me whipped down! He's trying to afflict my body. I hope I don't fall into sin. If I can just make it to heaven, that's all I could ask!"

2. Come on Church! How big is your God? Is your God just a deity you leave at church on Sunday who can't hear or see?

3. NOT ME! My God is the Maker of the Stars; He causes the Wind to blow and the Sun to shine, He orders the future and has all power and infinite resources.

4. If your God is small, He won't ask much of you -- just to visit church occasionally, and not sin greatly. But you can't expect much from Him.

5. BUT IF YOUR GOD IS THE LIVING GOD, THE GOD OF MOSES AND ELIJAH,

a. He may tell you to part an ocean, to raise someone from the dead, or to walk on water, or to open someone's eyes.

b. But the flipside is, you can expect great things from Him too! [He will Fellowship with you, walk with you, converse with you, etc.]

B. GOD WILL PROVIDE

1. Many times in the Bible, people lacked resources, but kept their faith in God and saw Him come through. God is Jehovah-Jireh, “God who Provides.”

2. The prophet’s widow who owed a great debt saw God provide. Israel, when invaded by powerful armies, trusted God to save them & He did. Men who stood for God were threatened with death – but God saved them.

3. In verse 32, Paul reminded the Romans of God’s unlimited supply. He says, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

4. Paul reasons that if God gave us His only Son, then there’s nothing in heaven or on Earth that God won’t give us. We need to ask in faith. We need to lay hold of Him to provide it.

5. James said, “The effectual fervent prayer…” (KJV) or “The earnest prayer of a righteous man has great power and wonderful results.” TLB.

III. IT IS WELL BECAUSE WE HAVE UNENDING FORGIVENESS (vv. 33-34).

33 “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”

A. WEAK FOUNDATION OF FEELINGS: ILLUSTRATION

1. A woman went to church wanting to be saved. The speaker quoted and asked her to simply take God at His word & depend on Jesus for her salvation.

2. She went home rejoicing, but the next morning came downstairs with tears in her eyes. Her little boy, who’d been with her at the church asked, “What’s the matter?”

3. She said, “Last night I felt like I was saved, but not now.” He said, “Momma, get your Bible and turn to .” She did. “Momma, is that verse still there?” “Yes,” she said.

4. “If the verse is still there and you laid your sins on Jesus

last night, then your sins are still there too!” She quit depending on feelings and started depending on God’s Word.

B. HARD TIMES

1. Hard times come to everybody.

a. Our personal walk – dry, dead, out of touch.

b. We have things that go wrong: sick, job, separation.

c. A Catastrophe may happen.

d. We feel that “God has abandoned me.” NO!

2. Paul went through many terrible events –beaten, stoned, ship wrecked, jailed, betrayed & persecuted. But he still had total faith that God was with him!

3. “All things work together for good to those who love God…” . Nothing should shake our confidence in Christ’s forgiveness!

4. ILLUS. A Scottish preacher named McLeod Campbell was asked by a friend, “Tell me, how do you know that you have always got a hold of God?”

5. He answered, “I don’t always know I’ve got a hold of God. But I DO ALWAYS KNOW that He always has a hold of me!”

IV. IT IS WELL BECAUSE WE HAVE UNSWERVING LOVE (vv. 35, 37-39).

A. THE BEST MOTIVATION

1. HUMOR. We all learn about love different ways.

a. Allison Stein told how her family was horrified when her youngest sister arrived home from elementary school one day and informed them she knew how to French-kiss.

b. She wanted to demonstrate, and she kissed my mother-first on one cheek, then the other. “There!” she stated proudly. “That's how the French kiss! readersdigest

2. Love is one of the most powerful motivators in the world. Many battles have been fought against seemingly undefeatable foes and won, because of love for country, family, or king.

3. Paul said that he was “pepeismai”(peitho) “persuaded” of the love of God. “Persuaded” means “convinced against his former belief, won over - Paul experienced a change of mind” that God does indeed love us with an unstoppable love!

4. We are plagued by cruel events of this world, poor self-images, lopsided understandings of Scripture and God’s nature, so that we don’t see God’s true feelings toward us.

5. But God has unveiled – pulled back the curtain – displaying before the world His love in all its matchless tenderness and grandeur. Paul describes it as having breadth and length and depth in height ().

6. “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us!” .

7. WOW! What love!

B. NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US

1. In vss. 38-39, Paul casts his mind around to envision the nine most powerful forces in the universe and discusses how none of them can ever separate us from the love of God.

2. Not even Death, or Angelic beings, nor Time, nor Distance, nor “anything else in all creation shall be able to separate us from the love of God.”

3. Paul’s crowning statement: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Vs. 37). The Greek actually says, “CONQUERORS OF ALL.”

4. God is on your side! He’s planning all things out to eternally bless you. Now you must develop trust during this veil of tears. That trust will equip you to reign with Him throughout eternity!

CONCLUSION

We’re going to hear the story of a great Christian who had a series of catastrophes happen to him. His overcoming of those events is an inspiration to us on handling contradictory circumstances. See how God brought him victory.

A. IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL

1. VIDEO, 4:47 total length https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvq3pYsHidA

2. VIDEO (start at 1:47) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C0tiEVRIvs

It does the song “It Is Well With My Soul.”

[IN THE EVENT OF NO INTERNET, HERE IS THE STORY: In the mid 1800’s there was a successful attorney in Chicago named Horatio Spafford. He was a successful and godly man. Also, he was a close friend of D.L. Moody, the great evangelist. In 1871, Spafford went through several tragedies. His only son, 4 years old, died of scarlet fever. Then his real estate investment was totally wiped out during the great Chicago Fire. Wanting to get things together, Spafford planned a trip to Europe with his family, and that trip was going to coincide with an Evangelistic crusade of D.L. Moody. At the last minute, a business development delayed him, so he sent his family as scheduled, and he was going to catch up with them later. However, the ship that his wife & 4 daughters were on collided with an English vessel, and it sank in just twenty minutes. All four of his daughters drowned. His wife survived though and was taken to Wales. From there she sent Horatio a telegram with the words, “Saved alone.” Right away he boarded a ship to meet her. The captain knew his sorrow, so as they were traveling, he stopped the boat over the place Spafford’s daughters had drowned. Spafford didn’t understand why all this had to happen. But that day He trusted in the Sovereignty of God. And as that ship was stopped, it was there that “sorrows like sea billows roll” and it was there that he knew God “regarded his helpless estate” and all he could say was “It is well, It is well with my soul.” This experience led him to write probably the most inspirational song in hymn books today.]

B. ALTAR CALL

1. How many are not experiencing the peace of God this morning but you would like to have it, please raise your hands.

2. How many of you have a crisis in your life, maybe some brokenness, and you need God to do a healing work in you?

3. How many of you want to know that God loves you, signify that by raising your hands.

4. All who’ve raised your hands, please come to the altars. Prayer.