WCC 2020-05-03 Service - Sermon / Prayer

This morning. I would like to talk to you on the topic Lord. What should I do? I I find it. I don't know how you you think about these last couple of months. Especially I can never remember in my lifetime that there was so much confusing information barraging us. Experts say this one day then they say something different another day. and I don't know about you, but I find it very overwhelming. This country takes a certain course of action another country takes a certain course of action. In. I put this down expert advice floods the Airways. Speaking of Airways everyone seems afraid that something is about to get in there are ways so they try to mask it. If you don't appreciate the humor of of my colleagues at rights me, my humorous comments, we can have them fired. Anyway, I just thought you'd find that interesting fun. So I think that the reality is people don't know whether to eat sleep sleep eat. Routines are out the window. And the only windows are take out windows that are open. So we need to stay focused and as I said to you last week as we're seeking to grow spiritually. And keep our focus on the Lord Jesus. Let's be reminded of four things for practical aspects of our faith in terms of how Jesus help us when we are saying and I don't know about you but I say this more than once every day Lord, what should I do? Help me. So the first thing I want to bring to your attention is that we got we have to go back to basics God's word is Crystal Clear to God's word directs us. And helps us to live wisely and righteously as we obey him, you know, we're all very familiar with Psalm 119 and verse 105. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Proverbs 3 in this is King Solomon in his words trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will what makes straight your paths be not wise in your own eyes fear the lord Turn Away From Evil and it will be healing to your flesh refreshment to your bones honor the Lord with your wealth than with your first fruits of your produce and then your barns will be filled with plenty and your Vats will be bursting with wine. My son do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof for the Lord reproves him who he loves as a father the son in whom he Delights. And blessed is he is the one who finds wisdom and the one who gets understanding for the gain from her meaning wisdom is far better than the game from Silver and her profit better than gold again. Here is a very practical illustration of how God's word speaks specifics. Now, I want to be clear the Bible doesn't necessarily speak to each and every individual life issue. I mean I had a gentleman one time he he said to me while where does it talk about smoking in the Bible? well the scriptures I took him to wear based on your body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit. And so when you're wanting his case to have a cigarette you say Lord lets you and I have this cigarette together and so scriptures will in their overall encompassment help in trying to have wisdom because as is I pointed out here that God gives us wisdom to see the big picture the big picture as we move in the right direction. So I would encourage you this week get back to reading scripture and let God's word really and truly bless you. We keep in mind also that proverbs 10 verse 17 King Solomon says the following wisdoms ways are the ways of pleasantness and all her pass as our peace. And so again, here's the reality God's working with the big picture. And he wants us to move in the right direction. The second point. I want to bring to your attention. Is this the Holy Spirit Will prompt us internally. Now, I know a lot of people say well, what about the Holy Spirit in in you know, how's the Holy Spirit work and exactly in my life and in do I pray to the Holy Spirit or where what do I do and it's interesting because in Luke chapter 12 verse 32 in Jesus talk and he says fear not little flock for it's your father's good pleasure. To give you the kingdom and what you're going to notice is that he relates much of that in John in the Last Supper discussion with regard to the role of the Holy Spirit John 14 and verse 16 says I will ask the father and he will give you another helper to be with you. What do with your forever? He says in verse 26 the helper the Holy Spirit whom the father will bring in my name. He will teach you what all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you you so think about that for a moment as we're reading God's word and we read Jesus and his words and and his and see his actions through the written page. It's the holy spirit's responsibility to what help us to glean information from that scenario and also to help us that we would learn why stinks John 16 Jesus again as quoted by John and when the spirit of truth comes he will guide you into all the truth for he will not speak on his own authority. But whatever he hears, he will speak and he will declare to you the things that are to come. The things that are to come so there is even a prophetic element that the holy spirit will bring to us as he works internally the holy spirit will glorify me for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. And so again, the holy spirit's role is to give us a better understanding of our savior and of his incredible plans and purposes for you and I as we live our lives The third way that I think that the Lord helps us as we we pray and say Lord. What should I do is he gives us help through Godly advice from trustworthy counselors in persons who want nothing to look at this carefully who want only what God wants for you? I don't know about you. But all kinds of people have all kinds of opinions. They often give us a pinions when we haven't even asked for opinions. They often Give opinions out of their own personal bias. But when God is trying to give us wisdom from Godly men and women he wants people who have our best interests in mind and have it all tie in with scripture and with the love that comes from our savior and you know that you might find this interesting. I made a note there to later to read Exodus chapter 18, but I'd like to I'd like to read this to you because it's a very interesting story ever have a Godly counselor and sewing a Exodus chapter 18. We have verses 13 through 24. And so let me let me just read this to you is because again, it's Jethro was not was not necessarily A man that Moses had known a long time. But this is what he said and we have in verse 13 of Exodus 18. the following

and it came about the next day that Moses sap to judge the people and the people stood about Moses from morning until evening. The wind Moses father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people. He said what is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge and all the people stand about you from morning until evening? Moses said to his father-in-law. Well, because the people come to me to inquire of God. When they have a dispute it comes to me and I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and his laws. Moses father-in-law said to Moses. The thing that you are doing is not good. You will surely wear out your spoke yourself and the people who are with you. The task is too heavy for you. You cannot do it alone. Now listen to me and I will give you counsel and God will be with you. You be the people's representative before God and you bring the disputes to God. Teach them the statutes and the laws and make known to them the way in which they are to walk into work. They are to do but furthermore. Select out of all the people able men who fear God men of Truth those who hate dishonest gain and you shall place these over the people as Leaders of thousands of hundreds of 50s of tens. And then let them judge the people at all times and that every major dispute they will bring to you but every minor dispute they will themselves will judge so it will be easier for you and they will bear the burden with you. If you do this thing and got so commands you then you will be able to enjoy her and all these people also will go to their place in. Peace. so Moses listen to his father-in-law and did all he had said And of course there was great order. As this was set into place again the reality of Godly counselors and wise people who want what God wants for you. In fact a Psalm chapter 1 in verses 1 through 3 says the following David Wright's blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked nor stands in the way of Sinners nor sits in the seat of scoffers. But his Delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night. He's like a tree planted by the streams of water that yields its fruit in its season and its Leaf does not Wither in all that he does what he prospers. And then the fourth area that I want to commend to you for your thinking this week as you continue to grow in your faith is that I believe God will help us to confront fear and move forward taking steps of faith. I would think that absolutely everyone of us. At times has felt overwhelmed these last seven weeks with some kind or multiple types of fear. I don't think it's natural not to have fear through all we're going through because it is the unknown it is something new. We see this with our our political leaders. You can see fear in their eyes trying to sort out understand come to grips with what's going on on a not only a say a national level but an international level and so we we need to take David's words to Heart David. Of course one of his why I love him so much is how Crystal Clear he is in his writings. And so I'm 34 first forces. I sought the Lord and he answered me and delivered me from what all my fears have is more than one David says and he delivered me from every single one of his fears, but who did David go to we know that in times before he also went to the Lord and strengthen himself in the Lord. And so when we have fear or feeling overwhelmed with fear, And we go and we trust our heavenly father to help us to confront the fear. And what's interesting Isaiah 42 brings have brings out. I think they the concept that we're going through today with the short the uncertainty of all that's going on in and I will lead the blind. This is God speaking in a way that they do not know in pads. They have not knowing I will guide them I will turn the darkness before them into what into light the rough places in to level ground. And these are the things I do and I do not forsake them. Now a few weeks ago when we started into this pandemic, I brought to your attention King Jehoshaphat and again in Indian credible fear that he was going in and and we made this a theme verse back in March 2nd Chronicles 20 in verse 12 or God. Will you not execute judgment on them for we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us and here's the crucial line. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. And then he says in the follow-up you might remember what we talked about in chapter 20 verses 21 to 24 and when he had taken counsel with the people he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy at iron as they went before the Army and said give thanks to the Lord for his steadfast love endures forever and when they began to sing and praise the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon Moab and mount seir who would come against Judah so that they were eroded but think about that for a minute before we go to the next verse. They had to let their fears go before they could even sing let alone praise and March around. The man of Mammon and Moab Rose against the inhabitants of Mount seir devoting them to destruction and when they had made an end to the inhabitants of steer, they all helped to destroy one another when you two came out to the Watchtower in the wilderness of the Wilderness. They looked upon the horde or the horde of behold there were dead bodies lying on the ground nutted escape cuz they all talk to each other. As as is the nation of Israel allowed for praise and worship of God. To be foremost about fear God works super naturally and literally people destroyed each other. We we might we might remember the the scripture that I gave you a while ago and it was not the scripture. Excuse me, the story of feldrick Austria in this goes back to the early 1800s when Napoleon was marching across all of all of Europe and a few weeks back. I share this story. But again, here's another example of how we need to give our fears to God when they realized that the soldiers were surrounding their town the Council of the citizens hastily summoned to decide where that they should defend themselves or display the white flag of surrender. Well, it was Easter time. And as the people gathered in the local church, the pastor Rose and he said friends we have been counting on our own strength, and apparently that has failed as this is the day of our Lord's Resurrection. Let us just ring the bells have her Services as usual and leave the matter in God's hands. We know only our weakness and not the power of God to defend us. The council accepted the plan that church bells rang the enemy here in the sudden feel of the Bells concluded that the Austrian Army had arrived during the night to defend the town and before the church service was over the enemy bro camping left. Beautiful again what God does in the midst of our fears. It's like include with Psalm 37 verses 23 to 25 the steps of a man are established by the Lord. When he Delights in his way though. He fall he shall not be cast headlong for the Lord upholds his hand. I have been young and now I am old and I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread family. This is an incredible day we live in God is working him powerful way. So as you continue to grow spiritually this we remember these four ideas. Keep them clear in your brain. The Lord's going to help you through his word. He's going to help you through the Holy Spirit. He's going to help you through Godly counsel and he's going to directly help you confront your fears so that you can move forward with faith. You know what cycle include this morning. I'm reminded of a chorus that I remember singing is a young man and it's entitled. I Will Bless The Lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth. I Will Bless The Lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make a boast in the Lord and be glad in the Lord with me and let the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears father is we include this time together. We eagerly await the moment. We are together in a in a very practical way and yet Lord you're with everyone of us no matter where we are this day. My prayer for all of us is that we continue to grow spiritually in our faith that we would see you at work through people around us through the inspiration coming from your Holy Spirit coming from your word and also the reality that you have not given us a spirit of fear, but of power love and a sound mind father direct and protect each and every one of us as we move forward this week and may your blessing and your direction the upon each and everyone of us in your powerful name we pray. Amen.