WCC 2020-05-10 Service 10:30

Well, good morning. Wasaga Community Church and Friends fire near I want to walk in you to another Sunday. It's hard to believe. This is now approaching the middle of May. I don't know if you're aware where you are of what's going on with Sega Beach. I believe Richard. We have it a picture. What is all this white sore, in fact, and in fact, I just I just brought I just brought a little bit in two to show you this is this is I believe it's snow. I can't be sure but I do have an announcement to make for RAV4 Bob Jones and the deacons fellows. You need to get over here. You need to shovel the snow and I think you need to put some salt down. So I just wanted to let you know that we're we're trying to deal with so many different things now that we're quarantine. I'm able to make my own snowman here at the church and maintain a 6-foot distance from everybody else. So I hope I hope you're able to smile in the midst of all of this. I want to give you want to give you some announcements. First of all, I want to say that last Saturday. We had a drive-by for Grace Williams 80th birthday. And it was a lot of fun. Congratulations Grace on that milestone for you. And of course Rick her son-in-law was also there he lives next door. And so his birthday was on the same day and he also got lots of cheers and waves and if that wasn't enough of an esta who also had a birthday the same day that many of us felt wish let's keep going on the drive by and so we drove over to her house and it was a real blast and we'll have some pictures of everything from those those events. If you have a special birthday, let us know and we will organize a drive by Also, if you have something special like you have an 8-week quarantine certificate that you received and you want to show it off many of us will drive by to see it. I'm just kidding but I'll take any excuse for a drive-by. Remember that Jane and I are available to come to your place any time for a driveway. And even though this snow has not stopped. We will persevere. We may as I said to you a week and a half ago have to still bring her toboggans or come over and go down your hill behind your house, but we will come and certainly visit you I wanted to to bring you up to speed on a little bit of Hamilton news Jane of course has been out of commission this week because she has a nerve issue in her inner arm. So she's not able to move her right arm very well. And so Rebecca has started a new career in barbering She cut my hair on Friday. I am her first client. I think she did a great job. But now she's available most afternoons. If you want to have your hair buzzed and trimmed so that just keep in mind. I know some of you are trying to figure out where you're going to get your haircut. So there is my suggestion for all of you. I want to go on to our news feed and it just died and I'll just point here to the screen so you can read it. And this is the news feed we get every you every week. It's the Evangelical update forecast for the area and this week that I New York City councillor call for Samaritan's Purse and its field hospital to leave New York City accusing Franklin Graham of hatred. The concert is openly gay and it is since been announced that Samaritan's Purse will also have to pay for the state taxes as it was using the hospital and on the premises in New York City. Also after several years of storage the statue the lion of Judah has found a home in a public park in Jerusalem that 11 foot to a 1200 pound bronze sculpture was a gift from evangelicals to the state of Israel. And then we have our next one which is a biblically conservative army chaplain in the US has been targeted for disciplinary action by a secular interest group after a number of offended liberal chaplains complained that he sent them a free copy of John Piper's new book coronavirus and Christ again various types of of spiritual bullying going on Christian concern is now reporting that covid-19 is threatening to radically alter jurisprudence in the united states in the United Kingdom. There are judicial calls to eliminate trials by jury and instead have all trials presided over by one judge. These really cable provider has signed a contract with an Evangelical broadcaster and the Hebrew speaking Channel, which is shallow new meaning ours is now facing close scrutiny by the Israeli Communications Minister as proselytization is technically illegal in the country, but that certainly is good news. That is great that they're going to possibly have you able to have a Christian news feed in Israel that only Christians make up 1.6% of the population of Pakistan of approximately 2 million people, but they represent 80% of all the sewage workers and the creation of the nation simply replicated a Hindu caste system. Which is in a Muslim context and again, we have no idea. What are some Christians go through even on a daily basis just to have a job. And then we also have the following this is this is a gal who you a number of years ago was very abortion minded and and she became a Christian and she changed her mind about abortion and has become very much a pro-life leader in the world and that she was confronted by pro-life protesters outside a British abortion clinic and she's taking her case to the European Court of Human Rights arguing that bubbles owns. Now you may not know what a bubble zone is a bubble Zone as a person can only be in a certain spot and stand in that area. Where is anybody else can walk anywhere what they want and she's arguing that that is censorship and that it criminalizes charity and a rose the freedoms of assembly and speech and so I think that's an interesting stand that this young lady is taken and Be praying and that the Cove in pandemic has had a positive result in the expansion of several Christian streaming services broadcasters, like vidangel that produces the chosen along with pureflex. And right now media have also seen significant gains in their subscribers and isn't that fascinating the state of Australia has to come to gender-fluid ideology and it's now allowing people to change gender on state official documents. Annually if desired and so at this point, there's a very much a liberal move in Australia. Why do also now go to the birthdays for this upcoming week and I want to wish Mark Booth a very happy birthday for May 10th and many of you remember Robin. She also has a birthday on May 10th and up in Elliot Lake. We want to wish eat Us Thornton a very happy birthday for the 13th. So those are our birthdays and now I want to move on To our prayer and praise notes and I want to give you some updates on that and I can Again David. Thank you for your kind words that he has said that that I've been helping him to focus on the scriptures and and that deal with everything that we're being bombarded with and and so David thank you because is as you know, I'm trying to send out emails to our church family through the week and then are you too and I'm really wanting to focus on how we're growing and continue to grow in Christ. Despite all that. We're going through on an on an international level with his virus for prayer Lynn has asked for prayer. She has a friend who has hurt his eyes in a welding accident this week. And so there is some damage now that the other very concerned about viv's sister Abby in in course in Northern Ireland in the seniors home that she is in a to folks not in her Wingo at tested positive for Cove in and Dave is quite concerned for her sister and we certainly understand that his daughter is working in the seniors home and bury that has residents that have tested positive. And so she's asking for prayer for all the Frontline workers including her daughter in that scenario. Also, just want to give you a quick update chain, of course has had major issues with her arm. Apparently it is inflamed nerve and the doctors have done some tests and the physical therapy is doing physical video calls with her. And so please continue to pray for her that she'll be able to have full manipulation of her arm. And of course she's trying to do the signing even for this service. I'm sure she's having to work through the pain. So please pray for her also continued prayer for Suzanne as she continues to focus on on the issues that she's dealing with with all the stress that's going on. As well and so I just want to take a moment now and pray for all of us as we as we start the service together and it is I prepare to preach. So let's pray to father. I want to thank you for this day. You are in charge of everything is a few weeks ago. We said you're going to charge of the weather and to watch the snow blow in on a Saturday morning to watch Snow Plows travel down the roads of a Sega Beach. We realize that Lord you're in control in and we're certainly not and so father may we have a sense of Peace today and a sense of calmness I get a sense that for many there's a sense of withdrawal into themselves Lord. I pray that your power and freshness would just spill over into their brains and and Enlighten their minds will you would remind them that they have great things that you want them to do and may they be prayer warriors this Wake me to continue to study a word in and see who you are and what you are Lord. We are only been in this pandemic 8 weeks and and we often forget that for many. They've been years and years in situations of isolation or persecution or even martyrdom and so father as Christians help us to to be the lights in the world that you want us to be forgive us for the times that we have spoken roughly. We have reacted to situations when we should have offered Grace and gentleness remind us that even in our own Frailty and in our own moods and our own words and our own thoughts that that you are directing us to something that is richer and deeper and more fulfilling and so Lord our eyes are on you again this week. We need you more than ever in the midst of all the swirl of life. We need to know that you're in charge and we believe you're in charge. And so give us a fresh sense of confidence as we as you pray for one another near and far we have those with her having birthdays this week. We think of those hoof are filled with think of it have its sister Lord that you be with her and in Father many and her situation aren't feeling credibly lonely and and probably very scared and so Lord would your would your peace and comfort be upon our loved ones wherever they are this day for those who need a healing touch Suzanne and Jane and others in our congregation that Lord your your power would be displayed in very Supernatural way. We also we also thank you for our family. We can't see each other. We miss each other deeply and Lord. We look forward to the day when we can congregate together and sing praises to your name. We we realized at least I have that we take our meeting together. For granted now that we can't meet Lord. I appreciate what we had for so many years and Florida look forward to the day when we can meet again together. And so Lord, wherever our family has this day. Would you be with them direct them in the thoughts and activities of this upcoming week and remind them that you're their your son or they're your daughter and that you love them with a great love and so we can get all of these things the spoken and the unspoken request and asked. Oh God that your power would be continually displayed for your honor and For Your Glory. That your will might be done on Earth as it is in heaven. amen

this morning for Mother's Day. Obviously, I want to speak about mothers and I want to title this. sermon a Godly mothers Focus and I want to start by reading a scripture Paul. Of course had a great relationship with Timothy Timothy was his young Prodigy coming into the ministry and it's interesting in the two letters that Paul wrote Timothy a great sense of personal regard and concern that one thing about Paul despite its incredible Theology and his ability to speak apologetically. He had incredible passion in an understanding of of individual lives. And we see this especially in 2nd Timothy chapter 1 where he says and I have been reading for the Amplified version Timothy my beloved child grace and favor and spiritual blessing mercy and heart piece than interesting heart. Peace from God the father in Christ, Jesus our lord. So this is reading of a great concern but what is fascinating is when you look at verses 5 through 7, he is talking to Timothy now about the reality of Timothy's mother and grandmother. He says, I'm calling up memories of your sincere and unqualified faithy leaning of your entire personality on God in Christ an absolute trust and confidence in his power and his wisdom and his goodness. I face notice that first lived permanently and the Greek says permanently in the heart of your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now I am fully persuaded dwells in you also. It so Paul is drawing an amazing connection between Timothy's upbringing and the influences that he had in his life with where he currently is standing now as a young preacher and so in talking about mothers, I I want to refer back and I will to Timothy's mother and grandmother. But when we speak of Mother's there are many many memories that we all have Summer Good summer bad. When I look at how many of the women for Christ field who have become mothers women who become much icy Godly patterns and and parallels that become more pronounced overtime and I would like to share some of these some of these Trends in some stories about mothers and I trust it as I just share these stories with you that they will encourage you in in in your role, whatever that might be but especially those of you that are mothers or aunts or grandmother's as we go through these peculiar days of adversity. I don't want to start by a a story from a very familiar preacher from years ago. His name was Billy Sunday Dynamic preacher and he was talking about a pastor who was making house calls and he came to a certain he knocked on the door and when the young child open the door, he asked if he could speak to her mother and she said well, you can't see my mother for she praised from 9 in the morning until 10. And so the preacher waited to for the mother to calm and he stood in and in the end it's a door and it finally she came out of her prayer closet and he said the light of Glory that was on her face. He knew why this home had such a brightness to it. He knew why her two sons were in Ministry and her one daughter was a missionary.

All hell said Billy Sunday cannot tear a boy or girl away from a Praying Mother. Susanna Wesley many of you know that name Susanna had 17 children. She spent one hour each day. Shut up with God Alone in her room and begin and prayed every day for all 17 of our children. We know two of her sons Charles and John Wesley John, of course the founder of methodism and Charles Wesley Who is credited with writing more than 6,000 hymns that are sung all over the world. Not only did they bring Revival to England. But they countered terrible stress that was going on in Europe because of a mother's prayers.

I want to tell you about the mother of Tom Carter. Tom Carter had a mother who was very concerned about what her boy was doing he was as he called himself a wicked sinner. He ended up in jail. But the mother continue to pray believing that God was going to answer her prayers that God would save our boy. how to make a preacher out of well, one day she received a telegram from the prison saying that her son was dead. She was stunned for a few minutes. Then she went to her room. She prayed with her Open Bible before and she said Lord. I have believe the promises. You've given me and there were in your word. I believe that I would live to see Tom saved and preaching the gospel and now I received a telegram saying that he's dead. Lord which is true the telegram or your word she Rose from her knee and she wired the prison. You're not communication. She said there must be some mistake. My boy is not dead. There was a mistake. Tom Carter was indeed alive. Not long after that he accepted Christ as his personal Savior and Lord and when he was released from prison became a mighty Soul winner and preacher Google Tom Carter. Here's another story that moved me this week as I was studying. A mother kept a candle burning in the window every night for 10 years. One night, very late. A poor wretched woman came in from the street. At the age of mother said to her come into my house sit down by the fire The Stranger ask. Why do you keep that light in the window? The old woman replied the light is for my Wayward Daughter. I'm praying for her return. She left home 10 years ago. I have kept the light in the window for these past 10 years. Others often blame me for worrying about her but you see I love her. I am her mother Austin tonight. I open the door. I look out into the darkness and I cry Lizzie Lizzie.

the woman from the street began to weep DH and mother looked closely at her and said why how cold and sick you seem you must have trouble enough of your own. Then suddenly the mother explained. Can it be? Yes Lizzy Lizzy my own last child. Thank God you are home again.

Many of you will know the name Charles Spurgeon. And he says I cannot tell you how much I owe the solemn words and prayers at my good mother. It was the custom on Sunday evenings when we were children for her to stay at home with us and we sat around the table and read verse by verse while she explain the scripture to us. And after that was done then came the time of pleading with God and some of the words of my mother's prayers. I will never forget even though my head is gray. I remember her one sprained this way now Lord, if my children go on and send it will not be from ignorance that they perish and my soul must be very Swift witness against them at the day of judgment if they lay not hold of Jesus Christ.

Campbell Morgan another very famous preacher said this my dedication to the preaching of God's word was maternal. Mother never told it to the baby or the boy but waited when I was but eight years old. I was preaching to my little sister and to her dolls are raid in orderly form before me and my first sermons were from Bible stories, which I had heard from my mother.

Thomas Edison wrote this tribute to his mother. I did not have my mother long. But you cast over me an influence that has lasted all my life the good effects of her early training. I can never lose if I if it not been for her appreciation and her faith in me at a critical time in my experience. I should never have become an inventor. I was always a careless boy and with a mother of different different mental caliber. I should have turned out badly. But her firmness and her goodness or potent powers to keep me in the right path. My mother was making it was the making of me and the memory of her will always be a blessing. Don't want to end with one more story. Thank you for your patience as I've gone through these different stories, but this is titled. 1 mother's prayers an old woman with a Halo of Silver Care The hot tears flowing down her Furrow cheeks her Warren hands busy over a washboard in a room of poverty was praying. She was praying for her son John John who would run away from home in his teens become a sailor John of whom it was now reported. He had become a very Wicked Man. And so she prayed and she prayed. Always praying praying that her son might be of service to God. You see this mother believed in two thinks she believed in the power of Prayer. And she believed in the Reformation of her son through the power of Jesus Christ.

Well, God answered that prayer. Or should I say those prayers? He worked a miracle in the heart of John John that drunken sailor. John that man who was so incredibly Wicked John who as he became converted to Jesus Christ became known as not the drunken sailor. but the Sailor preacher John Newton, but that's not the end of the story. Because of those washtub prayers a number of other things happened even Beyond John's own life.

Piazza became a preacher led many many thousands of people to a saving reality of who Jesus Christ was and had and how he could take sin away and of those thousands of men and women that he preached to over the course of the rest of his life. He brought to Christ a man by the name of Thomas Scott Thomas Scott was a very cultured selfish and self-satisfied man. I did a little research on Thomas Scott this week and this is this is what I discovered. I discovered the following.

Can you have the pages there Thomas Scott? I'd already been a minister in the Church of England for several years.

He came to the reality one day that he was not really a Christian. He had entered the ministry because his father's plan that he should become a surgeon had failed. And so because Thomas felt that to be a clergyman was less laborious than being a surgeon. He took on the role of being. Paris minister

He had no personal conviction about Jesus Christ. You did not believe in the Trinity. There were a number of other things that really were everything but making him a true preacher God. What's interesting is that he in his own words talks about what changed what actually brought him into the kingdom of God. Eddie said one of the things that was influential in my life was the ongoing patient friendship and wise pastoral care. Of the one who would want spend the drunken sailor, John Newton.

Under John's influence as weeks and months went by Thomas realized that he needed more. He was unable to point his parishioners to something. It was really lasting in eternal. And he realized he needed to come to the cross and get his life right with Jesus Christ. At one point he had insisted publicly that he and John Newton would never think alike until they were in heaven. But what's interesting is after the mentoring under John Newton and his personal reality of a walk with Jesus Christ. He became an incredible Evangelical preacher and pastor and he was actually one of the first to put together a commentary on the whole Bible which is well-known even to today. He had Newton decided in later years to found the Christian Missionary society which primarily started with India but also focused on the rest of the world. The founder of what was the Baptist Mission Society William Terry also got to know Thomas and he said at this of Thomas if there be anything of work of God in my soul, I owe much of it to Thomas Scott's preaching.

Well this washboard Praying Mother. It didn't end with simply Thomas Scott. Apparently as her son continue to preach the thousands. There was another young man by the name of William Cowper. Now William Cowper was a man who in the 1800 or the 17th was a well-known poet in England. He actually set the stage for the era of romantic poetry by writing poems and lyrics about the English Countryside. He was well-beloved well-known, but the reality was he was incredibly depressed. He had tried to commit suicide he was as as we had in those days, we would be called melancholy. But under John Newton's influence, he true found the presence of God in the midst of his mental health issues and he wrote a collection of Psalms and hymns which were published in 1772 which many of the churches all over England and Scotland used for song. He wrote Such hymns as o for a closer walk with God and then the one that we know so well, there is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's vein and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

These three men. It matched because of face. And the starting point was a mother who took God at his word and pray that our son's heart might be as white as the soap suds in her washed up. And so I I share these. Part, I want to remind you. You may not feel like there. You're a super spiritual mom. You may not feel you're practically perfect in every way and I have not presented these stories to make you feel guilty as a mother or grandmother aunt but rather I want you to see the reality of what each of these mothers did prayer was their focal point taking God at his word was very important. And of course taking God at his word mint you read his word to know what it was to take that is word. And then there was the consistency in the patience and perseverance and doing the tasks of being a mother and looking after their children to the best of their abilities, even if they had limited means. And so I go back to what I started with in 2nd Timothy chapter 1. And again, the reality is here and you can see it on the screen as he says the reality of prayer. Is that what that you would lie in your entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in his power wisdom and goodness that reflects a faith. That is permanent.

You know, it seems that every time we have Mother's Day many pastors want to preach on Proverbs chapter 31, which talks about a good woman and a great mother. And you can read that whole scenario your for yourself in Proverbs chapter 31 verses 10 to 31. Call King Solomon says this woman is amazing.

But I choose to take the very last verse as than thing. We need to stress even today. and its first 30 charm and grace are deceptive and beauty is vain because it is not lasting but listen to this a woman who fears irreverently and worship flea fears the Lord she shall be praised. A woman who reverently and worship Lee fears the Lord she shall be praised. That is what I want for every one of you who are Mother's or grandmother's or ants. Maybe that's fervency that comes in holding on tightly to your savior be even more real in this upcoming weekend year. so mothers of faith Here's what I give to you. Press On press into the reality of your savior's love and may you find great joy in the midst of life's crash.

How's that for a pun? May we all find the same reality to Paul signed Timothy in his mother and his grandmother and then what came out of his own personal relationship goes a little chorus used to sing years ago. It's called Learning to Lean. I'm learning to lean on finding more power than I've ever dreamed. I'm learning to lean on Jesus. I want to change it. Learning to Lean I wear Learning to Lean we're learning to find any more power than we have ever dreamed we're learning.

Father want to thank you for this opportunity to share with. Your children wherever they are this day. Thank you for your great love that you have for each one of them and I thank you specially for the mother send the grandmother's in the ants and those that the bear great influence and so many lies and Lord my prayer is that you bring healing to them you remind them that you are their faithful supporter that they are the one that they can lean on. And that ain't all of this they will send a sweet presence in the fellowship that they find with you as they go through their days of adversity. And so Lord. We again commit ourselves to your care and keeping continue to have us grow spiritually may we be stronger for you than we were last week and father in all of this may the reality of prayer and your word and holding onto the truth of your word and the passion of our faith a real in our own lives, and then real in the lives of the people around us. Thank you Lord for your great. Love again this day bless each and every person in your powerful name, I pray amen