WCC 2020-04-19 Service 10:30

Well, good morning family. It's so nice to talk to you. Again. We are doing a couple of things differently as you can see, we now have a YouTube option. And so for those of you that can see it by YouTube We're thrilled you haven't you're joining us a couple of things just to bring you up-to-date on with regard to this new week as a welcome to the second Community Church website. I just want to give you some birthdays and anniversaries and so will take note of that this morning. First of all, Andrew Hamilton has his birthday on the 22nd Bonnie bunch, of course on the 25th of April and I believe we have an anniversary ask Phil and Gina a very happy anniversary to you for the 20th. And we also I think have a picture from our 50th Anniversary drive past with Carl and Judy annual and you'll see some of the things that they have there and Richard is Very graciously passing these pictures on and so very happy couple despite all that. They're going through. All right, I would like to now to give you an update on our announcements and things first of all the reminder who's on his throne who's in charge. And of course, the answer is the Lord many of you are doing what Jane and I are doing where Facebook messaging a lot of people and so yesterday on Friday. I had the opportunity to Facebook Messenger to of my high school buddies and of course, they like me or working out of their homes. And so we were at talking back and forth my one buddy has set up a sound booth in his living room with blankets and things that he is a voice-over announcer and that's what he's been doing a lot of auditioning for at 4 ads and after we were finished I thought to myself Man, he's made a fort in his house. I'm going to ask Jane if we can build a fort in our house too. So I haven't asked her yet. But after this is over, I'll I'll see if she gives me permission to put blankets all over the tables and we were kids doing that course you do also want to give you some updates for our notes of Praise And I know I appreciate Richard doing our technical support Sir Richard. Let's let's look ahead to the notes phrase. Okay, and the first one is to let you know about is John Douglas was up to rvh this week here stats have not changed this past year. And so she does not have to go back for another year. Fantastic David Johnson is also saying a big gray P. Thank you to Lynne boil for helping him hear the sermon each week as you're aware. There's a number of folks in our church that don't have internet and so we are trying to include them and so lien has been working phone scenario with the David so he can hear all the updates from our church each week. So thanks to you also Lynn for prayer. Marilou Peters is with her mom and dad. They're not doing well. And of course her dad is 95 and Isa he's been he's been exhausted with everything and course. Your mom is blind and so she's going to be there through this week so we can be praying for her. I also talked to her. Bowman Rob is doing somewhat better. He's starting to eat again after the amputation of his foot. He's actually saying that the food is tasty and I find it hard to believe that it's in the hospital. He's he's he's drawn that conclusion, but that's miraculous. Also, he has had one of his blood thinners taken off as well as the insulin drip has been removed. And at this point he hasn't had dialysis in the last couple of days. So we're kind of waiting to hear and wrote a courses hoping the doctors will call again this weekend the Clarks I mention to Jane and I that two of their neighbors have passed away this week. And so that's been a hard thing for the street that they're on Sandy Phillips friend and her husband is battling liver cancer. And his chemo treatment has been delayed because of Ella a low blood sugar cell count. They've also found a number of small tumors in his lungs and that looks like it's going to make surgery and possible deliver tumor that he had apparently has shrunk. But obviously everyone wants us to continue to pray for Sandy's friend's husband. Are you might have also seen on the YouTube the situation of a police officer being attacked apparently he is recovering but you know, I'm sure that that's going to affect even if he's able to go back to work hard time for different folks also want to just bring an update on the driveway visits that Jane and I are doing we try to go out every afternoon and this past week 2 of the afternoon while we were out the snow was blowing to beat the band and So everybody was freezing cold and we were so grateful that there's heaters in cars 120 interesting thing when we were visiting Monica and and Crystal they have a friend on their second floor who who goes to another church and when she heard that Monica crystals pastor and wife were visiting she wanted to be visited to stay as we are coming up to the condo. She came out to the 2nd floor door with pots and pans banging away getting our attention. And then when I was done talking with Monica and Krystal, I threw a snowball at her window so she could come out so we can say goodbye to her. I didn't think I'd be throwing snowballs in the middle of April, but there you go. Also want to thank everybody who is making phone calls to one another and I want to thank our elders especially to or the calls that you're making on a regular basis to our church family. I'm having reports that many of you are calling one another you're reaching out to one another and that's great. And I just want to remind you to that Jane and I are here every day. If you want to schedule a specific time for us to come and visit you, please don't hesitate to call or email us in the other thing. If you want to do something different come to our house and have a driveway visit with us. We love that many of you were also telling me that you're enjoying the church family emails that I started to send out every couple of days to our family if you have sermon topics or you have specific questions. If you want to have a video chat a personal video chat with me and I'm open to any needs that come to notice. So those are notes of prayer and praise. Why don't we just take a minute and let's pray together. So father we thank you on this day that you again are in charge our eyes are on you and we realize that the whole world is trembling. They're waiting. They don't know for what we know that since you're in charge ultimately we are awaiting the day when the trumpet is going to blow and we're all going to meet you in the air until father in this new upcoming week in the midst of all, the people are going through the separation from loved ones those that have had to go through death situations with their families and not able to have funerals at the all the stressors those that are not able to work and who are feeling a great financial stress for those who are still feeling very alone because of the lack of human contact father remind us that you wrap your arms around us everyday remind us as Deuteronomy 27 verse 33 says underneath Us are your Everlasting Arms because you are people's Eternal refuge. And so Lord again. Thank you for the good news that we've heard. Thank you for the answers to prayer and thank you for the care and love that we feel as a church family. And even though we're absent from each other. We pray that we continue to feel a closeness that comes because we love you so much and so blessed each and every person near and far and we thank you now in Christ name. Amen. I would like to also bring you up to speed on the news feed for the week of April 13th through the 19th and appreciate a pastor in Edmonton for sending this out to churches cross-canada. First one is that Egyptian authorities have foiled a planned attack on Christians in that country before Orthodox Easter of April 19th 7 members of a suspected Islamic cell were shot and killed in a gunfight with police. Our next Newsfeed says that the British vicar took his show on the road in the London District of Notting Hill this past Sunday using a cargo bicycle with mounted speakers. He gave a short message played amazing grace before finishing with the Lord's Prayer. Very creative. Now some headlines from China this these are concerning first of all, the national Communist party is now firing Municipal officials if they failed curvy activities of local Christian churches and the leaders of the beleaguered latter rain Church organization were arrested for gathering on Zoom this week for Easter. So we really need to pray for the pastor's in China Drive in church has made all manner of news. This past week is Christian congregations in Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee in Saskatchewan all face departmental or Municipal League of resistance in using this format during the social distancing of covid-19 again a lot of stress for People even terms of worship from Madrid a pastor set up was set up in early March by a local TV reporter like local TV reporters that pretended to make Faith commitments to Christ before secretly filming him and then accusing him publicly a practicing conversion therapy. And then churches in London have recently stored some of their art and communion valuables in the Tower of London fearing social unrest in a potential spike in the in the crib during the cold epidemic and lockdown. Islamist in Nigeria have stepped up their attacks during the Cove it lockdown both government forces and Christians have been targeted during Holy Week killing dozens. And Google has suspended a particular Church app sending a notice specifying its lack of sensitivity that the content was an attempt to capitalize on a natural disaster and blogger dog Doug Wilson. One of the two pastors involved was preaching on repentance in the midst of a pandemic. And a homeschooling mom a Christian gal was released from Cuba Cuban prison after serving one year of an 18-month term. She had home school for children out of concern for the Socialist ideology that we've been taught her husband who is a pastor continues to be remanded in prison. And so those are our updates from our news feed for this upcoming week. Serpentor for today I have entitled this is the day. And I'd like to read to each of you scripture portions from Psalm 118. I find that when I'm going through stressful times in in this time is of course no exception for all of us is I love to go and read the Psalms. Hi. I find David has an understanding in the midst of stressed his own life of being able to focus on God and him praise him. So I'd like to I'd like to take some verses from Psalm 118 in the first versus deaths in verse 1 o give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his steadfast love endures forever. And then in verses 5 through 8, we have the following out of my distress. I called on the Lord and the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is on my side. I will not fear. What can man do to me. The Lord is on my side as my helper. I shall look in Triumph on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. And then saw me team David goes on in 4:16 to say the right hand of the Lord exalts the right hand of the Lord does valiantly I shall not die. But I shall live and recount the Deeds of the Lord. I've been in that same song and verse 19 open to me the gates of righteousness that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord and then in verse 20 for a verse that we can quote but I wanted you to see it in the context of David's words. This is the day the Lord has made. Let us Grumble murmur complain be upset. No, let us rejoice and be glad in it. It is believed actually this is an interesting point you may not be aware of its Believe by biblical Scholars that Jesus and 11 of his disciples remember Judas Iscariot had left to betray Jesus on the night of the Last Supper the night before his betrayal they actually sang Psalm 118 And then they headed out into the Garden of Gethsemane. And of course of all the songs to sing. I mean we know the songs are designed to Be Sung. But this particular song song To Be Sung really? I mean, I mean really the Lord is my strength or song or the right hand of the Lord does valiantly or I shall not die but live and open to me the Temple Gates and I will enter through them really Jesus would have sung that noise within 24 hours. What would have been the result of his own life? This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it until the question comes back to how are we doing with that? I mean really or are we able to do that with all the stress that we're going through? I yes. I got a really nice email from Ted and Ted sent me an email which he said he quoted a very familiar line. I woke up this morning feeling mighty fine. I woke up with Heaven on my mind. Well done. in our in our own humanness It's so easy with the stresses of life to go really the Lawrence in charge. I should enter into the Temple Gates triumphantly, I should rejoice and and Proclaim this is the day the Lord has made I mean Really? It's been interesting since last Sunday and and you'll notice on our on our next power Proclaim slide. It's been another seven days of what I would call isolation feelings of being caged in. Friends not seeing each other or hugging each other. There's been Financial turmoil in our entire country and in some of our Lives just feeling overwhelmed financially and then there's the reality of just fear everywhere and I sent you last week. I publicly said the people in the store. What do you think? We all have cooties and three people jumped away from me. People are being fine for rollerblading in an empty parking lot and then on Tuesday and Wednesday, we all woke up to snow storms. I mean really and statistically what I found out is that at least 10% of restaurants across Canada are now in bankruptcy and that is probably on the low side.

Really? I want to encourage you right now that this is a time to literally say I need to stop mental mentally roller coaster e i I need to catch my breath. and I need to say this is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. The Lord has made this day for you for me and for every single person in the world. Sun came up son's going to go down tonight. Earlier, I sent you an email in which I quoted Psalm 131 verses 1 and 2 and you might remember it. Oh Lord. My heart is not lifted up. My eyes are not to write a raise too high. I do not occupy myself with things that are too great and too marvelous for me. But I have what I have calmed and quieted my soul like a weaned child with its mother like a weaned child is my soul Within Me. And so in helping us all to go forward in this next week. I want you to start to think in terms of God's creation on a daily basis. This is the day yesterday was the day tomorrow will be the day in all of what we experience in our lives God's in charge and and I think we need to remind ourselves that in a sense. This is too great or too wonderful for us. There may be a virus and we may be fighting a war across the whole world. But I understand that in the midst of our own finiteness God's raining Supreme. So calm and quiet your soul. God is like a mother. With her weaned child imagine the Lord's arms. Tightly wrapped around you. He's not letting you go.

Philippians 4 verses 11 to 12. And again, I want to bring Paul in here for a minute to to Echo the wars that we have from David. I'm not speaking of being in Need for I have learned in whatever situation I am to what? To be content, really? I know how to be brought low. I know how to Bound in any and every circumstance. I've learned the secret of facing plenty hunger abundance and need. Paul saying I'm content. Where's his vision? It's on the Lord. And this is a man and if you remember his background in 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 verses 24 to 27. He said five times I received at the hands of the Jews the 40 Lashes less one three times. I was beaten with rods. Once I was stone three times. I was Shipwrecked a night and a day. I was adrift at Sea on frequent Journeys in danger from rivers in danger from robbers in danger from my people in danger with in danger with from Gentiles in danger in the city danger in the darkness danger danger from frost Brothers in Toyland hardship through many a sleepless night in hunger and thirst often without food in cold and exposure. Please note for his 27. What's he saying? He has gone through many a sleepless night. I mean Paul has his humanness David had his humanness like you and I and in so many times. I'm sure they went through their lights go really what's going on. We know David had to comfort himself after he came back and found that enemies had taken off the wives of children and all their possessions and in Sleepless Nights. Are part of Being Human but God's in charge and so I want to again remind you that let's think in terms of one day at a time if if we can look at this is the day the Lord has made. And he's in charge of today and then I can be content in him and his Paul says in Philippians 4:13, then what I can do all things. Through God who strengthens me. And that doesn't mean you're going let's do lunch. I mean sometimes worse logging. Sometimes we're fighting fear. But in all of these things Christ the strengthening us and he strengthen us daily. Paul says remember that you are God's Temple 1st Corinthians chapter 3 and that God Spirit what dwells where in US in US? And so as we begin each new day starting with Monday, let's have open minds filled with faith. God's in charge of even the weather he made it. And some of you said, oh my goodness. It's been Two of the days when we were getting ready to go out. We were having our luncheon and I looked out the window in the slow at the snow is blowing horizontally. I'm going great. I wasn't kidding. We need to take her to boggans when we go out visit e. the guys in charge of even the weather gods In the midst of The Unwanted scenarios of Our Lives how many if you wanted pandemic I just going to see your hands, you know, you're really thrilled that we finally got a pandemic now, but we need to thank him for being in charge in the midst of all we're going through today Lord. This is the day you've made and I'm going to thank you. We need to remind ourselves and in this is sometimes hard. We often spew out scriptures like Romans 8:28. We know that all that for those who love God. All things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose really this is going to be for God's good all family and and and work together for good. Yeah, right, but that's where faith kicks in. We say I may not understand it. But if God says it, I'm absolutely determined to believe it. And so when it comes to these kinds of things we need to remind ourselves that the thing we choose and it has to do with our thinking. Is for example we choose Faith over fear and that's what I've been sharing with you over. These years is we have two seconds for every life decisions. Every life decision were making and we make them every day to seconds for Faith or fear. And that's exactly what if I can go back to Psalm 118 David has a way of reiterating this concept time and time again, and in this song, it's no exception. The Lord is on my side. I will not fear what can man do to me. And that is even in a man-made. Virus what can man do to me? And so we need to remind ourselves that yes, we are frail. God has given us time boundaries of 24 hours segments, aren't you? Glad a day's not longer.

Matthew 6 Jesus in in his opening talk with with the folks when he first started ministry and he said therefore do not be anxious about what tomorrow for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. And so if we go back to verse 25, and he says do not be anxious about your life in any way what you're going to eat or what you're going to drink or about your body about what you put on is not life more than food and the body more than clothing and so we again have this whole theme and it's it's reiterated verse 34. We are not to be anxious about tomorrow. It will have its own issues. A Jesus from from the beginning of his ministry had one Focus seek, first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you in the day that has been made by God for us to enjoy. this day this is the day the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it David and his song with us some very interesting words and in the words are as follows and you'll notice session verses 28 and 29 where he says you are my God. And I will give thanks to you you are my God and I will extol you.

and the next verse says oh give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his steadfast love endures forever. So in the absence of this is the day. Let's remember that we're focused on him or really? We're going to become very negative and go really I don't see any good. I don't know what's going to happen. There's nothing that I want to be involved into. I think I just wish I could sleep away all day and I have to think well that's part of where we are in the stress of these days. I want to conclude when I have to share with you by telling you a story about a lady that you may not know. Her name was Helen lemmel. Helen was born in England in 1863, she came to United States with her family when she was a child. Her father was a Wesleyan Methodist pastor and they said all this a family in Wisconsin. They're Helen spent 14 years growing in musical interest inability of her parents provided the best training possible including a stint in Germany where she studied with a number of the Masters. When she returned to the United States, she found herself in demand and began traveling widely and giving concerts in auditoriums and churches across the Midwest. She could have been a popular singer. In the midst of a secular world, but she decided that her greatest desire would be to serve Jesus with her voice. So she joined the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and trained young people in music and song. It was in 1918 when Helen was visiting a friend who showed her a gospel Track by lilias Trotter who was a missionary in North Africa and the the track was in title Focus. And Helen read these words in the track. So then Turn Your Eyes Upon him look full into his face and I will find the things of Earth will acquire a strange new dimness then decided that she would turn that simple sentence into a famous m Suddenly she said as if Commander to stop and listen, I Stood Still and singing In My Soul and Spirit was the chorus with no one conscious moment of putting word to word to make a rhyme or note to note to make a Melody the verses were then written in the next week and they were all in my mind dictated by the Holy Spirit. Horse the song was published in Britain in 1922 and later in 1924 in the United States telling after she retired move to Seattle and she passed away at the age of 97 in 1961. She composed over 500 hymns. Many many children songs. She also put together a popular book for children entitled the story of the Bible. Her life-long scenario was to look up seeing Jesus only and reflecting his Radiance to others and so she wrote the hymn O soul. Are you weary and troubled? Inter vs. Went oh Soul are you weary and troubled no light in the darkness. You see there's like for a look at the Savior and life more abundant free though death into life Everlasting he passed and we follow him there over us no more half Dominion for more than conquerors. We are his word shall not fail you he promised believe him and all will be well then go to a world that is dying his perfect salvation to tell in the chorus is Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus look full in his wonderful.

I talked to Lori and the grill.

Father I want to thank you for our family this day. I want to thank you for your family scattered all over this world wherever they are. And Lord in many ways. We feel incredibly isolated. But we remind ourselves that this is the day that you have made and we're going to rejoice and be glad in it. We're going to remind ourselves that when we turn our Eyes Upon Jesus the things of earth grow strangely dim. And so Lord what you go before us would you lead us into this week? Would you give us a sense of determination of spiritual awareness of a passion for prayer for encouragement to people with our mouths and most of all that we would be focused on you more than ever and that our relationship with you would continue to grow strong as we slog on as we journey on as we press on in the midst of a world that is so afraid because the best is yet to come. We bless you and thank you in Christ's name. We pray. Amen.