Its Not Over
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
In the 1920s a young African American writer moved into New York City to join what became known as the Harlem Renaissance, an explosion of creativity among black artists. Through his poetry, Hughes often tried to capture the common struggles and heartaches of people in his neighborhood—like this poem simply titled "Dreams":
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some critics blasted Hughes for his negative portrayal of ordinary people, but Hughes was adamant that he wanted to write about the brokenness of ordinary people living ordinary lives. He once said that his poetry is about "workers and singers and job hunters on Lenox Avenue in New York or South State in Chicago—people up today and down tomorrow, working this week and fired the next, beaten and baffled … buying furniture on the installment plan … hoping to get a new suit for Easter and then pawning that suit before the Fourth of July." Hughes understood that life is filled with hope and beauty but sometimes it can also feel like a broken-winged bird or a barren field, frozen with snow.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One definition of Dream can be:” a state of mind marked by abstraction or release from reality:
Inc Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003).
One synonym for the word dream is HOPE. Hope is defined as:
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (Eleventh Edition) Hope
to expect with confidence: TRUST synonym see EXPECT—hop•er noun—hope against hope: to hope without any basis for expecting fulfillment
Question:
How do we find hope in the midst of an pandemic?
We are experiencing that broken wing bird with painful ears and scared faces from wearing of masks (for those who serve as essential workers)
We all know about
-the painful lost of life of our love ones in nursing homes,
-front line battling depression even suicidal
-job loss for those who had to leave their jobs
-the exposure of inequality amongst people of color in urban and rural settings
-the economic impact on families
-food shortages
-business failings
and though many of us might have deferments on student loans , mortgage payments , rental contracts, and the like, we know that for many of us, the chickens always come home to roost.....
------and not to mention if you are battling health conditions before this pandemic....life is a broken winged bird trying to get through to get to.....life is a frozen field emblematic of the hardness, the coldness, and the absence of life.......
Transition:
IN THE MIDST OF THE STRUGGLES OF LIFE, WE CAN TRUST IN GOD, AND EXPECT GREATER THAN OUR LIFE SITUATIONS HAVE DEMANDED FROM US THUS FAR........
Let No Man Put Asunder [Original 12" Mix] was a popular club song in 80’s/90’s but was possibly birthed in 1977.
Let No Man Put Asunder [Original 12" Mix] was a popular club song in 80’s/90’s but was possibly birthed in 1977.
We danced, we partied until our clothes were drenched with sweat as we danced away our sorrow and despair for a few hours....
Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 1
The book of Lamentations consists of a series of five poetic laments mourning the national disaster of 586 BC when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem, including the temple, and took many of the people into exile. The poems were likely composed soon after that, during the exilic period
Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 1
The first lament focuses on Zion, personified as a grieving widow
Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 2
This second lament focuses on the great suffering inflicted on Zion when Yahweh became like an enemy (Lam 2:5)
The Fourth Lament
Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 4
The fourth lament reports the suffering of the people of Jerusalem during the final days of the Babylonian siege.
Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 5
This poem describes the plight of Judah, overrun by invaders and oppressed by her conquerors.
Before we get to Chapter 3, This is something unique about this book....The majority of this book is laid out very neatly in an acrostic pattern each starting with a Hebrew letter of the alphabet....
Chapter 1, Chapter 2 and Chapter 4 - 22 verses in an Acrostic format what is an acrostic format?
Acrostic is .....a poem, word puzzle, or other composition in which certain letters in each line form a word or words.
Chapter 5 is the only Chapter not in this format....but is written in 22 verses
Chapter 3 is in Acrostic Format consisting of 66 verses in sets of three
Question.....Why is this book so neatly put together when everything is falling apart?
John Piper says it best ( Paraphrase) Our pain is bounded neatly together like the literary borders of this book with pain flowing like a river .....
A river has direction and is moving somewhere..There is a purpose for the pains in life....there is a goal , a target.......
Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 3
The poem can be divided into an individual complaint (vv. 1–18), a transition from despair to hope (vv. 19–24), a contemplation of Yahweh’s sovereignty over suffering (vv. 25–39), a communal lament (vv. 40–47), and a renewed individual lament (vv. 48–66).
As We will focus on v19-24 for our study today, let us examine why we can say , “ Its Not Over”
How can we transition from Lam 3:18 where hope is lost ?
NOTE BRIEFLY REFLECT ON THE FIRST 18 VERSES......AT LEAST 24 (GIVE OR TAKE) ALLUSIONS TO HIMSELF....POINT SUFFERING IS PERSONAL
When your requesting a get out of jail free card in life, and going through personal suffering there is a process in the flow of your pain called life.....Whether its through a pandemic, sickness, financial, family, siblings, children, whatever you personal suffering is today.....
v19- When your in your hardships, “Ask God to Remember”
Remember your hardships, your suffering,
14 For he knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.
v20- Humility takes place here....Humility makes us always stay low before God
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
v21- Once were humbled in our souls....we transition to a change of thoughts
7 Let Israel hope in the Lord: For with the Lord there is mercy, And with him is plenteous redemption.
Once our hearts and minds are right before the Lord, we are ready to go viral in our declarations......This is what I believe God wants from His church......no more 007 Christians....Religious on Sunday, Hellish on Monday....When we are humbled through the Hardships of life we can see Hope......If you cannot see, put on some Steve Urkel classes.....
Point 1 • The favor of the Lord. "It is of the Lord 's mercies that we are not consumed" (Lamentations 3:22). The mercy and favor of God kept the Jews from annihilation. God's mercy prompts hope.
Dictionary of Bible Themes 5859 favour
Looking kindly upon someone or treating someone with special regard. Scripture stresses the kindness and graciousness of God and Jesus Christ, which is not the result of human merit or achievement.
This pastor believes that God’s favor/God’s grace and mercy is reflected in life screw up’s .....
You and I know without a shadow of a doubt that if it was not for the Lord on our side where would we be.......This pastor believes that its because of covenant love of God toward us......He love us even when we act crazy .........
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (Eleventh Edition) Covenant
2 a: a written agreement or promise usually under seal between two or more parties especially for the performance of some action
31 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, That I will make a new covenant With the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers In the day that I took them by the hand To bring them out of the land of Egypt; Which my covenant they brake, Although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, And write it in their hearts; And will be their God, And they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: For they shall all know me, From the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: For I will forgive their iniquity, And I will remember their sin no more.
1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
God Has Papers on You this Morning .........You can’t run or Hide from HIm........This aint no shot gun relationship......This is a covenant .......His Chesed, His Tender mercies, His compassions cannot fail, because God cannot fail.......Their is no failure in God ....Its not Over because Love never fails.....
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
In this verse, I can only reflect on the word lovingkindness......
Jer 3:12 — "Go and proclaim these words toward the north and say, 'Return, faithless Israel,' declares the LORD; 'I will not look upon you in anger. For I am gracious,' declares the LORD; 'I will not be angry forever.
Mississippi Mass Choir says it best.....
Your grace and mercy brought me through
I'm living this moment because of You
I want to thank You and praise You too
Your grace and mercy brought me through
Point 2 • The faithfulness of the Lord. "Great is thy faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:23). God is faithful to His Word and will not destroy the Jewish people even though judgement upon them be very harsh.
19 God is not a man, that he should lie; Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
Faithfulness is a noun which is the quality of being faithful...
Let us continue with this song from Mississippi Mass Choir
Justice demanded that I should die
But grace and mercy said
Oh no, oh no, oh no
We've already paid the price
I once was blind
But thank God I can see
It was because grace and mercy
Came along and rescued me
13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
God cannot deny Himself because its who He is.....He can’t stop even if He wanted to because its in His DNA........
1Co 1:9 — God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Ro 3:3 — What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?
When you know God's track record of faithfulness, you'll want to respond with trust and obedience and Praise....
What is God’s track record in your life? When you look back over your life and begin to think thing over.....i can truely say that I’m blessed, I have a testamony.....
He delivered you from drugs, alcohol, fornication, pornography,
great is Thy Faithfulness,
He delivered you from cancer, and all other manor of sickness, even covid-19 Great is Thy Faithfulness
if you do not think God delivered you from anything, the fact you are alive ie evidence of His Faithfulness...
He woke me up this morning and started me on my way....the Lord is blessing me right now…Today, right now.....Give Him praise, right Now Its not over ......
Point 3 • The faith in the Lord. "The Lord is my portion... wait for him... hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord" (Lamentations 3:24-26). Hope comes from faith, Faith is demonstrated by waiting upon God to fulfill His promises. Waiting is a very hard thing to do, but it demonstrates faith better than a lot of activity.
.
Quotable Tozer, The - The Quotable Tozer I: Wise Words with a Prophetic Edge.
faith is the gaze of a soul upon a saving God.
When our soul look at God......God is our source for everything.....the Levites knew this because they had no land, but they knew they had the best portion because the Lord was their portion.....
20 And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.
1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Faith, Definition Of
Suppose there is a fire in the upper section of a house. As the people gather in the street below, a child is seen at the window of a room next to the fire. The fire trucks are at least five minutes away and so will be too late to help. How is the child to escape?
Now suppose that in the neighborhood lives a large man, well known for his strength and athletic ability. He arrives at the scene and shouts to the child, “Drop into my arms. Don’t be afraid. I’ll catch you.”
It is one part of faith for the child to know that the man is there. It is another part of faith to believe that the man is strong and able to catch someone. But the essence of faith lies in his dropping down into the man’s arms.451
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Its not over because we have Hope ......When we trust in God for everything....He will supply all that we need ......Jump into the arms of God he can carry you through the toughest times of your life.....Its not over because we have faith .....Its not over because we place our faith in the God of Hope
13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
PREACH THE DEATH BURIAL RESURRECTION OF JESUS......
Its Not OVER WHEN YOU WALK IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST.....ITS NOT OVER BECAUSE THE GOD OF HOPE SAYS SO......NO MATTER HOW YOUNG OR OLD YOU ARE ......JESUS IS THE GOD OF HOPE.........WE WILL WALK IN POWER, REST IN POWER , AND RISE TO BE WITH JESUS IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST......