Morning

Psalm 143:8–10 (NIV)

8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. 9 Rescue me from my enemies, Lord, for I hide myself in you. 10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

This is a psalm of David (say who he is)…someone who knew his utter dependence on God

One of the most common things people do in the morning is listen to or read the news

We are fed a 5-10 minute barrage of details about events and developments that are mostly negative and far past our ability to personally remedy

We all just listen and hope someone is going to do something about the horrible things befalling us

In our culture, we expect governments to do something about all our problems.

This endless stream of calamity and loss creates an ever growing sense of helplessness and even hopelessness unless we intervene and stop the news headline assaults

We were never designed to handle the global scope of concerns /tragedy we are fed by the media

For most of human history we lived in rural areas, small villages or a gathering of immediate family homes

We only knew what was happening within maybe a two mile radius of us.

But this is all changing, fast

Urban / City slide

We were not designed to live in large cities

What is the first thing people think about when visiting a large city?

Is it safe

Story about People I sent to Chicago to see Rolling Stones

One of the biggest consequences of urban living is the isolation and lack of community (elderly)

Many social agencies spend thousands of dollars trying to create small community groups within cities to connect people with other people.

To give people a sense of belonging and connected to something bigger

We Need to do something to counter the harmful impacts of living in an increasingly urban world and hearing the negative information we get.

I believe God’s primary response to this need is the local church

What does the church offer that can help.

A group of people who are in a covenant of love/care for each other

John 13:34 NLT

34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.

What is the “love” Jesus is speaking about?

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 NLT

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

If you want a society/family/relationships to function well, you have to live by these principles

Social media is not known for promoting these approaches to life

Look what happens when someone famous gains a few pounds - or -dares to make a mistake in public

Social media really is the biggest influence of our children’s sense of what is good or bad

Facebook - 2.5 billion users Instagram - over 1 Billion

Twitter - 3330 million TikTok - Over 1 Billion

YouTube - over 2 Billion users

The opinions / role models / attitudes about how you should live

Parents no longer create the worldview of their children....social media does! Unless you intervene.

1 Peter 4:8 NLT

8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

Romans 12:10 NLT

10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

Ephesians 4:32 (NLT)

32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Testimony about knowing I had sinned and needed forgiveness at Billy Graham

2) The church also offers an even greater gift, the knowledge of the existence and character of God

Psalm 143:8 (NIV)

8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.

Instead of starting the morning with social media

Start the morning with the knowledge of the unfailing love of God.

Unfailing speaks of goodness / kindness/ faithfulness

David was speaking in this Psalm from a place of real struggle and jeopardy

Psalm 143:3–4 (NIV)

3 The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead. 4 So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed.

It is in times like these that we need to know there is a God of unfailing love

Social media will not serve you this

God loves you and has the ability to direct your life in the right path

David goes on to say.....

“for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life

What are we using that helps us decide which way we should go in life/how we should live

Jesus said....

Matthew 7:13–14 (NIV)

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Jesus is saying there are only two roads

Just because everyone is saying it is okay, does not necessarily mean its okay

There was a time when a large part of America thought slavery was okay

All of the white world thought Segregation was okay

Germany and many others thought it was okay to get rid of the Jews

Canada thought it residential schools were okay

South Africa thought Apartheid was okay

Most of the western world thought women were property of their husbands until 100 years ago

Some women were accused of being witches because they were left handed

If we believe that all there is to life is THIS LIFE and nothing afterward

Then live as you please

Jesus came back to life to tell us that there is something more

More to this life