Shelter

Talk about the shelter that a mother provides for her children…This is a tie in for Mother’s Day.

Good morning! Today is Mother’s Day. In our congregation this morning I know that we have some great mothers out there. As children everyone us needed a place were someone would take care of us, provide for us, love us. We need our Mothers. They are shelter for us in all facets of life. Mothers are how we know We Can Survive.

Last week we started a series You Can Survive and today we are going to continue that series by talking about shelter. Let’s quickly review the rule of 3

Review the rule of 3s

3 Minutes without Air

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3 Hours without Shelter

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3 Days without Water

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30 Days without Food

Shelter

Why is Shelter an important part of survival?

Lost in the woods. You don‘t how you got here but here you are. You look around and you know that you’re not getting out of this situation by nightfall. In fact, you might be out in these woods for a long time. You know the first order of business is shelter and today we will look at three reason, among many, that shelter again whether physical or spiritual is important to your survival. In the physical world our shelter, our refuge could be anything from a tent to mansion. In the spiritual realm there is only one place of refuge and that is Jesus. This morning we will use the physical world to illustrate the spiritual world.

Covers you from the destructive elements

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble

We all know that life has many, many destructive elements in it whether they are physical or spiritual in nature.

There are two words that we use in Christianity that are about God covering us from the destructive elements in our lives and they are grace and mercy.

Let’s take a minute to remind ourselves of what they two words mean. First Grace - Grace in its simplest terms is God giving you what you don’t deserve in this life. Mercy is God not giving what you do deserve in this life. God uses both of these concept to make sure that the destructive elements of life don’t overwhelm us. He us them both in order to bless us.

As churches continue to decline all over the country, we need to ask, “Is our church a place of refuge? A place where God shows up and strengthens people? Is our congregation a “present help in the time of someone’s trouble?

Provides a place of comfort & safety

Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble as its swelling.

There are a lot of things in life that scare us. An unknown, unwelcome, person coming into the house. A trip to the doctor’s office and the results they are going to share with you. A trip to the gas station when you see the price of gas per gallon. There are things that scare us and when they do we need a place of comfort and safety we can run into.

In our spiritual lives there a plenty of things to scare us as well.

The aftermath of the unknown, unwelcome, person coming to our house.

You know longer feel safe in your home. You feel your personal/family space has been violated…that because it has been.

The ramifications the results may cause someone to spiral into a deep depression.

You don’t want to die. You are scared of dying but that is exactly what the doctors predict will happen to you in 6 months to a year.

What do you do? I mean life feels like earth is about to give way, that the mountains, as impossible as it may seem, are being moved into the heart of the seas, you are being overwhelmed by the waters, the craziness in your live, and you don’t what to do.

I want to encourage you today.

There is no place more comforting or safe in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ and the more time we spend there the more comforting and safe we feel.

Does that mean when you call out to Jesus you will automatically become happy and the aftermath of the BnE will go away? Or, that because the Holy Spirit gives you peace about your medical condition that you will be healed and live? No…not necessarily.

Churches, all churches not jut Montezuma, need to step back from time to time and ask the question, “Is our church a place of comfort and safety for those in our community that feel the weight of the world on their shoulders?

Shelter is a rallying point.

Selah - Think About It

Place where circumstance can being to change.

Do you need a rallying point today? Do you need a place of comfort and safety where you know you’re covered from the destructive elements of this world? You don’t have to fear because there is such a place. It does not matter what happens. The earth could melt away or some reason you would not have to respond in fear. Though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea you would not have to respond in fear. Though the waters roar and foam, or the mountains tremble you do do respond in fear. You can respond instead with faith.

There are people that need this church, they need you to be a shelter in which they can hind. They need this church, they need you to be the place were they know people will rally around them. People want to find encouragement and love,

If you walked in this building with fear, it is my prayer that you will live out our closing song in your life. In the name of the Father, in the name of the Son and in the name of the Holy Spirit. Aman!