In Times Like These

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Introduction

In times like these, we live in a world that has made the pagan holiday Halloween 365 days in a year. We look like something on the outside but act like something different on the inside.
In the year 1943, Ruth Caye Jones, a pastor’s wife in Pennsylvania and the mother of five, was distressed by the headlines of her Pittsburgh newspaper. She saw the World War II causality lists and she knew the Allies were making slow progress through the boot of Italy. Supplies were rationed at home, and everyone was living under incredible strain.

Occasionally the costumed street performers in New York City's Times Square fall on hard times. The ordinary folks dressed up as Spider-Man, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, or a whole host of popular movie and TV characters compete to get pictures with and payments from tourists. But a few years ago there was a rash of unseemly incidents with these street characters. One of Times Square's Spider-Man performers punched an NYPD officer after resisting arrest for harassing a tourist. According to another report, "Cookie Monster stands accused of shoving a 2-year-old. Super Mario was charged with groping a woman. And Elmo was booked for berating tourists with anti-Semitic slurs."
Opening her Bible to , Ruth studied the page and pondered the opening words. But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come. A song began composing itself in her mind. She jotted some lyrics on a small pad in her apron pocket. A series of notes also played in her mind. Only later did she realize they came from the old clock on the mantle with its iconic Westminster Chimes. Soon the notes and music congealed to become one of the most beloved Gospel songs of the 1940s and 1950s, “In Times Like These.”Ruth’s song may have been inspired by , but it’s based on her knowledge of another verse—, which says: This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast….
Why all the drama? According to one psychology professor at Tufts, "When we are anonymous, the unwritten rules of society fall by the wayside and we engage in acts that we wouldn't usually want to be held accountable for. Masks are a good physical substantiation of that."
Our lives are like the open seas—calm and pleasant one day; stormy and tempest-tossed the next. But in times like these we can be very sure our anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock.
Possible Preaching Angles: This applies to every follower of Christ, not just Spider-Man wannabes. We all need community, accountability, and the truth in love () that helps us grow up into Christlikeness.
In times like These, the church needs to hold on to Jesus more than ever. We have to allow the Holy Spirit to change us in such a way that the world will see Jesus in the midst of a perverse generation.
Michael Jackson’s song Man in the Mirror says this:
I'm starting with the man in the mirror I'm asking him to change his ways And no message could have been any clearer If you want to make the world a better place (If you want to make the world a better place) Take a look at yourself, and then make a change
Michael Jackson spoke of some interesting concepts in this song. He shows in the video Images of humanity. The poor, famous, the powerful, racist humanity, those who life was cut off short ( The Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and both Former President Kennedy and his brother Senator Kennedy)
What I could not help from seeing upon my initial watching of this video is the impact of sin on humanity. Starvation, homelessness, sickness, death, war, poverty, and racism. We live in a world where the consequences of sin upon humanity is rearing its ugly head more than ever before. Young people choosing not to honor their parents, cuss every other word out their mouths. No respect for authority in any way at all....Starting in the home which is the first form of government ( instituted by God) has been under assault since slick ( the devil) started to whisper in the ear of another man’s wife, Adam; spilling out into our communities where the fruit of our pursuits sometime show up in our children who wear their pants below their butt-ox, and everybody want to run around talk about God......but live in rejection to the Spirit of God consistently tells us” having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!”

Occasionally the costumed street performers in New York City's Times Square fall on hard times. The ordinary folks dressed up as Spider-Man, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, or a whole host of popular movie and TV characters compete to get pictures with and payments from tourists. But a few years ago there was a rash of unseemly incidents with these street characters. One of Times Square's Spider-Man performers punched an NYPD officer after resisting arrest for harassing a tourist. According to another report, "Cookie Monster stands accused of shoving a 2-year-old. Super Mario was charged with groping a woman. And Elmo was booked for berating tourists with anti-Semitic slurs."
In times like these, We need to know Who we are in Christ and what we are. We can draw strength this morning knowing that it does not matter what people say about us....Whether they tell us to go back to Africa, or continue to lock us up in cages, We can draw on the truth of scripture to keep our eyes on Jesus and not that tuna head wanabe President #45.....In times like these, we live in a world that has made the pagan holiday Halloween 365 days in a year. We need to begin somewhere.....
Why all the drama? According to one psychology professor at Tufts, "When we are anonymous, the unwritten rules of society fall by the wayside and we engage in acts that we wouldn't usually want to be held accountable for. Masks are a good physical substantiation of that."
The book of Genesis ( Bereshit) Beginnings- Consist of 50 chapters dated approximately 1500 B.C. The authorship has been attributed to Moses. An all wise powerful, loving God formed all things perfect in the beginning. He made man the crown of His creation , perfect and capable of fellowship with Himself and able to enjoy and govern Eden.

The creation account emphasizes God’s power as He brings all things into existence through divine decree. God’s creative activity occurs over six days in Gen 1:3–31. The account ends with the description of God’s rest on the seventh day in 2:1–3

Possible Preaching Angles: This applies to every follower of Christ, not just Spider-Man wannabes. We all need community, accountability, and the truth in love () that helps us grow up into Christlikeness.
In times like these, we need to start somewhere.
There are 3 points we can begin to start: In times like these, we can:
Point #1 -Focus on God Word v26
In times like these, we must know who we are in Jesus.
His word tells us we are created in the image of God.
— This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
— Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration states, “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness….”
image, likeness, i.e., that which is a pattern, model, or example of something .
It matters who God say we are. We need to take a look at the intention of God when it comes to humanity. To have human imagers representing Him and ruling for Him on the earth.
It matters who God say we are. We need to take a look at the intention of God when it comes to humanity. To have human imagers representing Him and ruling for Him on the earth.

image, likeness, i.e., that which is a pattern, model, or example of something (Ge 1:26, 27(2×); 5:3; 9:6+), note: the exact reference of whether this is moral, ethical, physical, nature, etc. is not clear;

Illustration:

Times Square Costumed Characters Don't Live Up To Their Image

Occasionally the costumed street performers in New York City's Times Square fall on hard times. The ordinary folks dressed up as Spider-Man, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, or a whole host of popular movie and TV characters compete to get pictures with and payments from tourists. But a few years ago there was a rash of unseemly incidents with these street characters. One of Times Square's Spider-Man performers punched an NYPD officer after resisting arrest for harassing a tourist. According to another report, "Cookie Monster stands accused of shoving a 2-year-old. Super Mario was charged with groping a woman. And Elmo was booked for berating tourists with anti-Semitic slurs."
Why all the drama? According to one psychology professor at Tufts, "When we are anonymous, the unwritten rules of society fall by the wayside and we engage in acts that we wouldn't usually want to be held accountable for. Masks are a good physical substantiation of that."
Possible Preaching Angles: This applies to every follower of Christ, not just Spider-Man wannabes. We all need community, accountability, and the truth in love () that helps us grow up into Christlikeness.
We look like something on the outside but act like something different on the inside.

Jesus brings His people into conformity with His own image—that is, the image of the Son of God (Rom. 8:29). People are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:18). Conformity to the image of Jesus Christ is achieved through the process of sanctification, which was ultimately completed at the resurrection. Thus, as we grow in our relationship with God, we begin to reflect the “image” of Christ more and more. And, when Jesus returns, our bodies will be changed to be like His glorious body (Phil. 3:21). Restoration to the image of Christ moves us beyond the sinful body. All believers will be transformed—the “image” of the earthly will then be exchanged for the “image” of the heavenly (1 Cor. 15:49).

Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words: 200 Greek and 200 Hebrew Words Defined and Explained Image, Likeness
Jesus brings His people into conformity with His own image—that is, the image of the Son of God ().
People are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord ().
Conformity to the image of Jesus Christ is achieved through the process of sanctification, which was ultimately completed at the resurrection. Thus, as we grow in our relationship with God, we begin to reflect the “image” of Christ more and more. And, when Jesus returns, our bodies will be changed to be like His glorious body ().
Restoration to the image of Christ moves us beyond the sinful body. All believers will be transformed—the “image” of the earthly will then be exchanged for the “image” of the heavenly ().
Point#2- Focus on the Will of God v27
— For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

In recent years, a famous tennis player, Andrew Agassi, advertising for a camera company, was fond of saying, “Image is everything.” The Bible also has its “image” motto: “People are created in God’s image.” Whereas the advertisement promotes physical image, the Bible promotes people’s spiritual image.

Human beings are unique among all creatures in that they were created to be like God. Genesis 1:26–27 teaches that God determined to create man and woman in His own “image” and “likeness” and that they would have dominion over the animal creation.

Will noun- The power of choosing; Webster's 1913 Unabridged English Dictionary.
God chose to use you to represent Him in spite of you! asks a question , “What is man”
It was in the Will of God that He created us in His image. He did not create us in the image of Animals, your dog, your cat, Little Bow wow, Cardie B, or Bey-once’ When God created us, he gave us purpose…First Mankind only consist of 2 sexes, Male and Female.....That’s it. To consider otherwise is calling God a liar. Let God be true and every man a liar. The Lord created us to rule.....stuff should not be ruling over us! It is because of sin, we fall short of the glory of God....Student loans rule us, credit cards rule over us. We are living in times like these where man has chosen to live their life independent of God.....but if you are a blood washed child of God, you need to live by the power of the Holy Ghost.... tells us:

Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying,

Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit,

Saith the Lord of hosts.

(KJV) 2  And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
If Image is everything, We need to look to Jesus.....
(KJV) 34  Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. What are we eating this morning! It was God will to create us that we may reflect His Son in the power of the Holy Ghost.
We are not eating meat from Heaven if we feed on the mess off our TV sets, or our Silly President....Don’t feed on junk.....In times like these, we need to focus on the Will of God.......and do it.... — I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
— For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
What are we eating this morning.....
Point#3- Focus on Worshiping God Gen 2:3
Read

Sabbath

The day of rest laid down for the people of God. The OT treated the seventh day of the week (Saturday) as the Sabbath, a custom continued in modern Judaism. The Christian church, in recognition of the importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, observed a day of rest on the first day of the week (Sunday).

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Sabbath, in OT

The Sabbath of rest is grounded in God’s work of creation. Observance of a Sabbath day is distinctive of the people of God

- This is the Day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Celebrate:
Hymn 187- turn to the Hymn …Preach the Hymn; Preach Jesus....
In times like these you need a Savior, In times like these you need an anchor; Be very sure, be very sure, Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!
This Rock is Jesus, Yes He's the One, This Rock is Jesus, the only One; Be very sure, be very sure, Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!
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