Waiting...

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Do each of you from God our Father through Jesus Christ his only son and Our Risen and now it's ended Lord and Savior. I'm mad. So in the spirit of gladness and joy that Easter brings and now the Ascension as well, I'd like to share some of the important hymns that we have been and will be continuing to sing in our service online assuming of course be figured out how to get back on Facebook live. I have to record this for the website that we just of course found that out at 9:25 that Facebook live is no longer available to us all well. So anyway, this is his people. Okay dentist him, which is Crown Him With Many Crowns. There is something known as the weather man's him, which is there shall be Showers of blessing to him though. I don't think there is a contractor has him which is the church's One Foundation. There's the Taylor's him which is holy holy holy. There is a golfer's him which is there is a green hill far away. I'm ever that from when I was a kid. There is the politicians him, which is Standing on the Promises. There is the optometrist him which is open my eyes that I may see. There is the IRS agents hymn I surrender all. There is because it's him which is pass it on. The electricians and which is send the lights the Shoppers him which is sweet by-and-by. The Realtors him which is I've Got a Mansion Just Over The Hilltop. There is a massage therapist him, which is he touched me and then there are a couple of games for those fellow Travelers of mine on the Garden State Parkway depending upon our speed, So don't you go 55 for you is God will take care of you those that go 75 Nearer My God to be there are those who go 85 there is a hymn called this world is not my home. Very those bugle 95fm called Lord. I'm coming home. And those of you who go a hundred or more is a hymn called precious memories. Okay. And there's one slide that I can share with you, which is actually kind of not it's kind of humorous but kind of profound. So take a look. So we have a young man here. We are Jesus over here. And the young man is saying to Jesus Facebook. And then Jesus says no, I literally want you to follow me. Then the young man says so Twitter. And then Jesus says I'm going to start over again and you tell me where I lose you. Okay, that's what I was supposed to work digital. You know, you're somewhat. With what the following means today? All right, let's get to the topic in hand.

I asked you a question from last week based upon a little homework. I gave you. Remember I'm going to ask you. How's your stump speech remember? What a stump speech is. It's at 3 or 5 or so bullets that you can have memorized that you can share with someone when they ask you for the hope that you have remember and that was from 1st Peter chapter 3 where he says when he writes always be prepared to answer anyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that you have and of course through that with gentleness and respect. so this is but hopefully you're gone for homework. Okay, so here's some suggestions. Okay, cuz I was kind of working on this for my own homework. Here's some of the bullets hopefully remembered if somebody would ask me I begin by saying sin is defeated. I have the Holy Spirit. I no longer have to be selfish. I don't have to act and think and speak selfishly. I don't have to send I can think and speak and feel and act in a Godly way and I'm selfish way. I can also say guilt is defeated. Because Jesus Paid the price for my sins and for my guilt and as a result of his paying the price on the cross, I am now forgiven. I am cleansed. It's not just simply for the grand chalkboard in the sky. I actually have a clear conscience or I can. I would say 30 maybe Shane is defeated which is different than guilt same as to do with your identity. You have a new I have a new identity. I am a child of God. He is my Divine father by baptism and by faith.

I have a new identity. In him regret is defeated. It's another Point number for cuz every so often I regret the things that I could have should have would have done but see in the Bible says that God works all things for my good. There's nothing in life. That is for nothing. Don't mistake. No spin. No, no error. There's nothing and ultimately finally in the maybe Point number 5 is death is defeated. Because it leads to eternal life because I am a child of God. And when I die, I will be in Jesus with Paradise just like that criminal next to him on a cross. I will be no different. So anyway suggestions wasn't my like five bullets of all the things all a big and in these that uses has defeated. All right. Hopefully you can put yours together as well. Let's look at today's readings then because just like last week there were teachable moments. So also this week there are teachable moments in these in these readings are before us and we'll begin with the first reading and Acts chapter 1 in verse 12. It says that they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet who are the they They returned to Jerusalem, who are they? Hopefully you can tell or you can figure out if these are the 11 disciples or the 11 Apostles as we also call them and they returned from the Mount of Olives. What happened there? What are they returning from? Well, it was the Ascension of Jesus is what just happened this past Thursday, which was 40 days after Easter. Jesus ascended back into heaven from the Mount of Olives can gather them all together there said a few words of final teaching and final blessing and then he ascended and there was a cloud in that came under him and took him out of their sight. They could no longer see him as he ascended into heaven. That's what I'm back window by the way is trying to convey and trying to portray a man as they were going. Staring at the sky wondering, you know, is he going to come back just to sit then? There was some angels that's the next to them and said

What are you doing standing up there this same Jesus from you see from your scene go up is going to come back in the same way. All right, and so damn the Angels left and they stop staring and then they returned to Jerusalem. What was in Jerusalem upper room where they were staying that is conveyed to us in verse 13 verse 13 and also list the names of the 11 disciples the 11 Apostles back where we began reviewing who these gentlemen in Lent over here on on that side of our church. Obviously, we sort of kind of interrupted that when the quarantine happened in the middle of Lent. We're going to resume dad in the summer time. We're going to review and do it over again, like six or seven people were coming to these things and then we're going to finish that up in the summer time. We're going to get to know who these close friends of Jesus were these Apostle disciples. So what were they doing now? They're back in Jerusalem over there doing what verse 14 tells us that with one Accord. They were devoting themselves to prayer together with the women and the family of Jesus. Why were they praying? I mean I make sense. But why were they praying? I believe that they were praying specifically because they were waiting. They were told to wait. In Jerusalem for what? They were told by Jesus to wait for power from on high.

Okay, and what you're waiting praying is a good thing. Praying is a good thing to do while you're waiting. Jesus told him stay in the city meaning Jerusalem until you have been clothed with power from on high.

They already had the Holy Spirit. They receive that from Jesus on Easter evening when he appeared in that locked room where they all were because they were so afraid and he breathed on them. And receipt and said receive the Holy Spirit receive the holy breath receive the holy wind the Greek and Hebrew words for the same for all three words. Okay, so they have the Holy Spirit, but now they were waiting for power. Now they were waiting for strength. Now they were waiting for divine energy how they were waiting for Supernatural courage. Those are their gifts. They were waiting for in Jerusalem. So they were kind of in a similar situation as we are today, right? Cuz what are we doing today? In this country and pretty much around the world. waiting we're waiting for what? Well, we're not waiting for the Holy Spirit. We have that already. We're not waiting for power from on high. We have that already how much of that we use as a different sermon a different conversation, but what we're waiting for this for things to reopen in for life to resume, right? Please however don't ever say we're waiting for life to get back to normal. I'm not sure that's going to happen folks. Number one number two. I'm not so sure normal as we used to know. It was the best that life could be. Okay. We're waiting for life to resume somehow as we enter into a new normal. Some of which will be dictators for us and some of which may be by the grace of God we can make better. In a more Godly way as we follow Christ. So what is a good thing that we can do while we wait?

We can pray. We can pray. So let me ask you. How's your prayer life?

As you're waiting, how was your prayer life?

You know, that's kind of what permits do. Monday social distance and isolate themselves and quarantine themselves brother. That's a voluntary but if you adopt a lifestyle, that's what you do you pray while we sort of kind of like Hermits as we shelter in place.

We can be spending quite a bit of time frame. Praying for what? well patience the ability to wait the ability to endure without complaining. strength so that we can go from Big from day-to-day in this new enclosed environment in which we find ourselves with them so that we can make good choices from wearing our masks to wash our hands to other things other places. We have to go people be you need to see we can be praying for closeness to God.

Because maybe in the old normal we used to have we were too busy. four closest to God be praying for a civil leaders or trying to figure this thing out both medical and governments and others. It seems that the best course of action.

I try to think we've gotten so used to living so fast and so loud. That this quiet life at home is so the kind of driving us a little bit nuts. Show people trying to find a way to make it noisy or if you have kids. Maybe that making a noise before you I don't know.

and then one more thing Peter from the words of Peter Peter invites us to pray for our anxiety.

He says cast all your anxieties on him because he cares for you.

curious that he says anxieties plural He kind of knows the human condition that most of us who have anxiety at all have more than one.

Venture to say that every single person. Has more than one anxiety and my peter invites us to cast our anxieties on God, that's a fancy way of saying pray. That's a fancy way of saying pray your anxieties to God.

Anybody familiar with anxiety?

The fear of what could happen?

You know what the best thing is to do about that other than taking Xanax. That's a joke. It's like the old hymn says take it to the Lord in prayer.

Take it to the Lord in prayer. In the past as we have faced crises and as we have faced emergencies or urgent situations are civil leaders used to call us to prayer. Play just to invite us to pray for a former see or even for repentance. If anybody has ever read President Lincoln's original Thanksgiving declaration powerful phenomenal stuff from a civil leader in our country. But up until Friday. I am not heard any of our civil leaders call our nation already part of our nation to pray. And finally on Friday. Our president declared that church services are essential. Wow, that's up 10 weeks, but hey, it's finally happened. And so now we're right up there with liquor stores in abortion clinics in that cool. What is social commentary? That is helped you guys understand his desire knee, right? a little bit of sarcasm here

10 weeks we've been hearing rely on science rely on science rely on science. Not that we should ignore science. But why are we ignoring God?

as a nation and as a state in as a community

Finally, the president said we need more prayer not less.

Yep, that's true. So during those Ten Weeks the church that has been calling on people to pray and rightly. So that's our mission. That's our message. That's our job. That's

Or any number of those things that I listed before they any particular for this anxiety that ain't many of us are facing because God cares for us.

He does. How do we know that by the way, how do you know that anybody cares for you? By what they say in my what they do, right? All right. So let's take a look at Jesus. Who is God In the Flesh who is the revelation of God among human beings. Let's take a look at his life. Let's take a look at his death that they can look at his resurrection. Let's take a look at his Ascension. Let's see what he said. Let's see what he did and the Bible says as far as life is concerned that he went around doing good and healing all who are under the power of the devil. That's the life of Jesus people replying to see people who are deaf could hear people who were sick were healed people who were lame could walk people who are dead could live again. He went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil. That's his life sticker. Look at his death. The Bible says that God demonstrates his love for us in this that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

This goes along with what Jesus said on the night. He was betrayed that no one has greater love than this that he lay down his life for his friends. That's what the death of Jesus was. He died so we could live. The righteous one died for the Sinners. So the Sinners can be righteous while he became sinful for us on the cross. Let's take a look at his resurrection. Jesus said my father's will is that everyone who believes in me shall have eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day. His resurrection is a foretaste in a preview of Our Own.

When he returns what happened to him on Easter is going to happen to us and has no grave could hold him. Then No Grave is going to be able to hold us when he returns. I don't care how much concrete and metal you put around. If you are still buried. And certainly a little a little jar on mantle of a fireplace isn't going to hold you when he returns. Let's take a look at his Ascension. The Bible tells us that God exalted Jesus to his right hand as Prince and Saviour that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel and not only to Israel, but to all people for the whole world what he's doing up there like we talked about last week he's praying. And what we talkin about this week is he's praying and he's praying and sending his spirit so that he could give repentance and forgiveness of sins to people. He's not just simply up there on. He's up there and involved in our lives and in our world and in our Eternal destiny.

They finally take a look at Jesus in The Gospel reading. Interesting curious powerful words. He says I am praying for them his followers for his disciples. I am not praying for the world not out the sermon all onto itself. The whole idea of all by itself. Jesus is not praying for the world. Not going to make us a little concerned. We're the ones praying for world. He is praying for us. I am praying for those you have given me for they are yours father. Jesus is praying for you.

He cares about you. He looked for you. He died for you. He rose for you. He ascended for you. He's coming back for you. And in the meantime, he cares about you because he's praying for you. And that is why you can cast all your anxieties on him.

And he is much better able to cash the carrier. Anxiety Then you are. Trust me. I know.

I haven't yet perfected or learn how to do this. Well how to cast all my anxieties on him?

But believe me, he's much better able to handle it and carry it then you are.

So whatever you were waiting for. Maybe it's for life to reopen or maybe it's something specific to your situation. Whatever it is you're waiting for whatever it is. You're anxious about. Whatever several things you're anxious about. Please today no.

And believe it take the heart that God loves you. Any cares about you? And you can pray as you went. You can take all those anxieties and you can test them up on him.

And then you can go about living your life. in the strength and the grace and mercy that he gives you. amen

at this time, I would invite you if you haven't done so at home to make your offering or donation to

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