When You Feel Powerless
Good morning. It is great to see everybody here this morning. And then press the battery still works in this after it hasn't been on for 13 weeks. But hey, it is working. So that is a good thing. And you know the tape on the pews just a reminder to keep our social distancing for everyone, you know in a couple weeks. Hopefully that can disappear and we can continue to get more back to normal. You know, the biggest adaptation you might have to have through this whole pandemic is you may not be sitting in your usual Pew right now, so I'm sorry for those who can't be in their usual Pew. I know that's a tough thing to deal with, you know, as we talked us through since last week that's been the hardest thing for all the people have been coming back to churches if they can't sit in their usual Pew so Hopefully that will soon go away but we'll see some of those things like that can go on one announcement. I know Al and I had talked about was the Society of Saint Andrew banks that we were going to bring those back like 13 weeks ago whenever all of this started now, we are going to have a service or going to come back and she was going to Don Barnes was going to come speak at our church and Last week was the rescheduled time my battery keeps going dead in it, but she is supposed to pick last week, but we get so she is Reese for August 2nd. So she will be back here. But I believe you wanted to collect the banks next week Al is what you were thinking. So there's already some Bank stacked up back there if you brought it today, that's fine. If not, if you still have your little bank at home bring it back next week and we'll collect all those and give those back.
Yes, we'll also have offering envelopes and Deb pointed out. We didn't have offering envelopes in the pews. So I did put a box of them back there if you need to grab one to put your offering in. Out of the pews because we figured for Cheryl when she cleans after we have church. It's a whole lot easier to wipe the fuse down without all that stuff in it. Then they have to wipe down every single him know every single Bible every single Pew pad. So all those are out of here for now and they will eventually come back and For those of you who know, we won't be heading out bulletins either. But if you have a smartphone and you're Adept with your smartphone, I've been publishing stuff about the Faith Life app and that you can have the app will if you go into the app and you go to our church website that's on here. If you go to connect there is bulletins. And if you click on that and go to it, it'll show this week's service with the sermon title and if you click on it again. It will pull up all the slides that are going to be on the screen. All the slides all the Bible verses that'll be reference during the service all the music slides that are up there with all the words to the songs follow up on your smartphone. So that might be the bulletins for at least the summer here until we start handing it for end. So if you need a review on how to do that, you can ask me after the service but I was playing around with it this morning to make sure it was on there and it's all on there. So that is another way that we can do that. You saw a square eye masks at feel the ladies in the church were nice enough to make a bunch of masks. So we have those out there take one if you want one to have a mask, but one request that came to me this last week was my friend Bryce who spoke here several times when I've not been here who works for Bethesda. He sent me an e-mail this week and asked if any of our ladies would be interested in making masks with Windows. I've never thought about that, but they need mask with clear plastic windows in them because people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing need to read lips. So they are finding that they have a need for masks for their workers to be able to wear so that they can continue to communicate with people that work for them. So he sent me three different instructions things on how to make a mask with a clear window in it. So if you're interested in that, let me know. I can give you the instructions on how to make a mask with the Clear Window which I can only imagine how hot that is to wear as I thought about that with a clear plastic window in it, but you're interested in helping in that way. Let me know I'll give you the information and then you can bring them to the church and will mail them to where they need to be mailed. But if you're interested, let me know. We won't be doing Sunday school or children's church for a little while. Just another thing we're encouraged to not do for a little while. So probably for the summer that won't happen. But hopefully in the fall that will all come back. We may start the adult Sunday school up before then. We'll just see what everyone thinks after we're back a few weeks. If everyone's comfortable with it, we can always start the adult Sunday school backup and space it out a little bit more if we need to. As far as bear offering like said, there's plates are in the back. We won't have an actual Pass the Plate offering during the service cuz we don't need to be passing the plate amongst each other. So it's back there so you can drop it in there or you can just bring it into the office during the week, whatever you want to. Not something else that'll be a little different is at the end of the service when everything is over. After I do the benediction and we dismiss everyone and she starts to play the postlude kind of hold tight for a second and I think what we'll try to do is just slowly dismiss so that everybody is not crowded together at the same time that's going to seem a little awkward but we'll do it that way, you know, maybe we'll make it like weddings where they dismiss one row at a time or whatever but it's just to not have everybody crowding up and we'll do that for a few weeks that way in like said just encourage you I want you to stand around and talk with people if you're comfortable with that but just don't do it in the building go outside and stand in the parking lot and are go down to the fellowship hall where you can be spaced out better and do it not just out here where has to walk bikes? We want everyone else to feel safe and comfortable with what we're doing. So just keep that in mind, but I do need some people to help after the service if they can quickly with we do have some Commodities down there. That we need to get moved into the food pantry room to be ready for that the next time.
You know this morning as I was looking at Franklin Graham had posted on his. Instagram page that today is Flag Day. Didn't know how many of you know that I always remember Flag Day because it's also my wedding anniversary. So I better remember Flag Day, right? So, you know today is 23 years. So I'm thankful for that. But you know, I like what Franklin Graham said on there. He said as we remember Flag Day. Especially on a Sunday this year. Is it celebrated? You know, we need to thank God for the freedoms that we do enjoy as a nation. you know, if anything this pandemics reminded us of the freedoms that we enjoy as we felt some restrictions we never have before but we blessed our nation Psalm 33 verse 12 says blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Let's remember that today as we continue to worship. Cotton County
bear this morning dear got her Grace's Heavenly Father you have asked us to come and we have endured we're just so grateful this morning that we could be here in your church and just worship you and we pray that you would be amongst us as we worship your holy name this morning guide us and direct us and open our hearts to hear your words and accept whatever you have for us this morning. latest interactive in Christ name on man Morning, the first song we're going to sing as his eyes on the sparrow.
Why should I feel discouraged? Why should I why should my heart be lonely forever?
When Jesus is my portion.
And I know he watches me.
And I I think I'm pretty.
and I know
your heart be troubled.
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I will see and I know he watches.
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Because I'm happy I sing because I'm free.
Thank you may be seated. I don't know about you guys, but we feed the birds at our house to do any of the rest of your fee Birds. Yeah, and I love it. When the Cardinals come they're so colorful and so pretty. and the goldfinches
you're so vibrant, and we have a pair of Baltimore Orioles this year. We have hummingbirds that come. And I really enjoy him the turtle doves. They come three times a day to eat. Did you know that?
But in all the birds to come I forget about the sparrows. They're usually on the ground, they blend into our our ground at our house. And they're just they're on the ground pecking away. And I forget to notice them.
This morning. I wanted to do something a little bit different for the altar because this morning were here to celebrate celebrate the fact that we can finally come back to church.
As soon as I thought about it, I asked since you stray Hammer. She's my right-hand man whenever I need something for the Altar and I said since what can we do? If you could let me think about it. And she said Connie His Eye Is on the Sparrow?
God references a sparrow in Matthew 6:26 When he says we shouldn't let our troubles in our worries take over. Because even God takes care of the littlest bird Sparrow. sparrows not worth much But it's worth a lot and God side and he provides for the Sparrow.
I hope is we have went through this 13 weeks without being at church. That you have felt God's presence.
through this time that you have stood on his promises. like it says in Matthew 6
cast your cares on him because he will provide he provides for the Sparrow. the least of these
This morning. I'd like to take this opportunity just to thank those that were on the Frontline still are. They helped us get through it.
But I'd like to thank David.
Because David continue to Shepherd us through this.
And I know what time's it wasn't easy. David had to think outside the box a lot of times. And we is a small church was not ready for this. We didn't have the technology. We didn't have a web page. We had Facebook presents, but that was very little.
And there was a lot of things to overcome.
But David still there. He helped us through it. I appreciate that. Because now we have a presence on the internet. And we're reaching others. through that those that are here this morning are able to access the service. And we're thankful for that. We have a new camera coming. So that we will be able to videotape our services. Praise Jesus for that we got a grant for that. Gran also has in it that we can get purchased music that can be downloaded so that people can view that also. We're thankful for that. The screen is brand-new. We can now see the screen. That's wonderful. Go through this God has provided a lot of things. And we're grateful for that and we're grateful for David's leadership.
We're going to sing Amazing Grace in this morning as we sing Amazing Grace. I hope you which is quiet your heart. Think about the words and how much God's grace is for us how amazing that Grace is.
Grace How Sweet the Sound
I want to know how I am found was blind.
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as we continue to worship this morning, I thinking of some of our Joys and concerns. This is a time when you can share them. As I've been saying throughout this entire thing, you know, if you're thinking of those in our care facilities, this is an especially hard time for them. The usual visitors they would count on to come by and see them that can't happen and still can't happen for a lot of them that they can come and visit them. I know a Scott and Connie have talked about what they have to call ahead when they want to go see Christy and since she's on a room that's on the inside of the building. They have to bring her to a window on the outside and they know which window to go to and they can visit her through the window. But that's a lot different. So continue to keep those people in your prayers as we think of them. Continue to pray for healing for Ron sticky as he continues to deal with his health struggles. He said he is going to have surgery. He finally got word on July 2nd. So pray for him as he prepares for that surgery. If you didn't know as all this has been going on Ron's been struggling with bladder cancer very similar to what his brother has and Ron is not going to be able to do chemotherapy or any sort of treatment like that. The only treatment they can do is a surgery to remove the bladder. So he has that surgery coming up. He finally has a date so continue to pray for him and keep him lifted up and his brother Bill also has been struggling with the same issue and having some problems, but Bill is doing a little better right now. And continue to pray for others on our list there to your Jim Schuler had some problems and had some afib going on and had to have his heart shocked back into Rhythm during this time, which familiar with that and just continue to pray for him cuz he's doing well. Helen Myers was in the hospital, but it's back home now. So I continue to pray for her and the midst of all Latin I could just continue to keep people listed up think of our service members who are serving. Keep them in your prayers. And then also the families in our church that have lost some loved ones, you know with Charlene Amstutz in the family and Alison the family and then I most recently Rob Van Der Hart lost his brother. So continue to pray for them and I was a challenging situation. I know for Rob because his brother's been a nursing home for several years after a massive stroke that he had well with this pandemic known as seen his brother 4 weeks before he ended up passing so very difficult for his family. Just continue to keep them in your prayers as they grieve that loss. Do we have any other choice or concerns that anyone would like to share with their church family? Lisa told me I can go ahead.
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great to see you all here today.
We will definitely keep him in our prayers anyone else have any prayer concerns?
Okay, Russell Nichols is having a lung biopsy. Okay. Keep that in our prayers. Yes, Kim.
I was always the one that I want everything right now, by the way. I'm coming now that I'm now and through this whole entire epidemic.
I really am.
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and people died from the swamp. I've got a recovering addicts. We need that interaction with people and that isolation got a lot of people trapped and stop but thankfully. They started a new way of doing meeting as stop and I'm thankful for that. But now to there is a new drug out there. That is more dangerous than what we already. And if killing people left and right at that and so I just pray for those people at that bit. The easy part is getting clean. The hardest part is staying clean. I've got that you can take that with any aspect. It doesn't have to be with drugs or in any aspect of your life. stop stop very true any other prayer request this morning?
Sorry to hear that Marv. What was her name?
Rebecca
you said night was the last name?
I will certainly keep her in our prayers. Any other prayer request? Let's not let's go to the Lord in prayer. Gracious heavenly father as we come to you Lord. We thank you for the many blessings that you give us Lord this morning. We are especially thankful for the privilege of being able to gather in your house again for worship. Lord It's a privilege that we often take for granted and Lord. We thank you that we are able to gather here again. And Lord as we come to you Lord, we lift up the many requests that have been spoken and Florida.
We especially know how hard isolation is been for everyone in Lord. Those who are in nursing homes. Those who are struggling with addiction disorder just for all of us. The isolation has been a difficult thing to deal with. And Lord, I pray that you will continue to be with those who must remain and isolation or help them to feel your presence. Help them to notes your walking with them. And Lord be with our healthcare workers that continue to be on the front line and help Lord. May they feel your presence in the way that they never had before? Lord we pray that you'll be with those that we have mentioned who are struggling with different Health difficulties, Florida. Those things just seem to be magnified during a time like this.
Or Draw their attention away from those things and help them to focus on you and your grace is provision everyday. And Lord, I pray you'll continue to be with the families in our church that have lost loved ones and Lord be especially when I lift up Marvin his family as they lost a loved one recently. Or we pray you'll just give them Peace during this time. and Lord, I pray that as we continue to Worship You Lord that
Lord we will trust and knowing that your eye is on the sparrow Lord. And even though there are days where we may feel that our own lives are insignificant Lord. We know that we matter to you and that you consider us of great value. And Lord, I pray that you will just help us to remember that and to be encouraged. We prayed us all in your most. Holy name. Amen.
You know, I kept thinking about what to preach on this first Sunday back. What do you talk about but obviously we talk about what's been going on for the past 13 weeks in the pandemic, but, you know one thing that keeps coming through my mind. Connie said, you know she wanted to do His Eye Is on the Sparrow because what she was doing on the altar is they just kept praying that there wouldn't actually be live birds in here today because I believe I was the last 13 weeks. I've chased about 10 starlings out of here seem to be the preference for what like to come into our church, but I was happy that there were no live Birds when I came in this morning cuz I remember one time when we had these trees. When Carly Pritchard was here is my secretary. She was sitting at her desk in there and I heard her like kind of holler out all at once. I think I saw something fly across the sanctuary when she walked out here. She couldn't find it. But when she walked up close to this tree, the bird was 2 feet from her head in that tree and decided to fly out and It was quite comical.
You know, there are many situations in life that can make us feel powerless. And you know covid-19 has certainly proven to be one of those situations and all of our lives. And how many of you over the past few weeks have said things like, you know, I'm tired of being cooped up in this house. I'm tired of having to wear a mask everywhere I go. I just don't want to do it anymore. You know, the restrictions keep changing. Does anyone really know what's going on. You know, it all depends which media Outlet you watch on the news as far as what the restrictions are what's being lifted and what's not being lifted. So after a while it becomes hard to know who you can trust.
Does powerlessness you know, that is a feeling that we probably have experienced more in the past 13 weeks than we have and quite a while in most of our lives.
No, personally, I don't like it. You know what size sit and think of I'm in my office every day and I think about the impact. It's having on different people. you know watching people struggle in a hearing about how people have struggled through this time, you know talking with different people and hearing their fears and concerns watching people Retreat and isolate themselves because of the worry and fear that they have you're seeing people get angry and frustrated and ultimately seeing people just feel like it's a hopeless situation cuz they don't know what to do. Yeah, I just don't like that. She knows so much of the fear comes from people continually thinking about the what ifs? And if they watch TV or read social media, they see all these health and safety concerns and it just adds to it. It adds to all the questions swirling in their minds about what's going on.
You know for myself, I think I can't think of the number of Zoom meetings. I've sat through over the past 13 weeks as we've discussed these issues as we talked about the different thing since we talked about what will it look like when churches are allowed to go back to having Church, you know, there have been studies done on how far does a pastor spit fly when he's speaking loudly in a church service. It's 10 ft. So that's why I had mom sit in the front. She lives with me so I can spit on her and it's okay.
But who would have ever thought that would be the topic of a zoom meeting that we would have as pastors? Talking about if as churches came back should we even be allowed to sing? Because it's everyone sings if they sing loudly it's flying that much farther, right? So we have to be careful. That's why some Churches have went to every third Pew that they allow their people to sit so that there's 10 ft. Not just 6 ft. She knows you think about all those things and as I've sat through all those meetings my mind kept coming back to one passage of scripture and it's always been a favorite of mine. I think maybe the reason that my mind kept coming back to that scripture was because despite, you know, all of our feelings of powerlessness that we have because of this pandemic that's been going on something that we really have no control over. In Romans, Paul talks about a situation in all of our lives where we're even more powerless. And that is our own ability to change. The fact that we are sinful by human human nature * passage that we're going to look at is in Romans chapter 5 verses 6 through 11. I'll start out by reading verses 6 through 8.
It says you see it just the right time when we were still powerless Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely. Will anyone die for a righteous person though for a good person someone might possibly Dare To Die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
Yeah, these verses speak into our lives today as we recognize that God is still Sovereign in the midst of any situation. You even when we're at our weakness, even when we are completely powerless in the midst of a situation. We have to remember that God is in control.
You like I said part of why we have felt so powerless in the midst of this pandemic is because someone else is making decisions for us, right someone else is telling us what we can and cannot do where we can and cannot go or the hours that were allowed to show up in the shop during the restricted early morning hours, you know, or that we must wear masks to come into their business or we don't have to wear a mask. We're just not used to those sort of things and when we're starting to be told those things by people that We don't necessarily know it begins to make us feel powerless. It makes us feel like we don't have control. You know a lot of us probably wish we had a book that would outline the actual plan that's been going through this entire pandemic cuz if we had a clear outline to it, it would make sense. Right? You know, they tried to publish all these documents. I don't know if you looked at any of them online that the governor would put out there about, you know, Indiana's way back or things like that. Those can be confusing documents if you read through but if we could just understand it, you know, if you did read through those things or see some of the bullet points it helped you feel a little bit better cuz you felt like you knew the plan you knew what was going on. The praise God he gave us a book that outlines the plan, right? So when we think about our own sinfulness, we have an outline to the plan, you know, the powerful work of Jesus involves powerful planning, and we need to realize that the death of Jesus happened as it says in Romans 5:6 at just the right time.
Your Genius is death wasn't an accident or it wasn't the result of him being the unfortunate victim of human hatin Injustice Jesus death. Was the culmination of a carefully thought-out plan that he and the father put into motion voluntarily.
Men, think about this plan. Is a plan that included sending Jesus from his powerful and glorious position in heaven at the right hand of the father. To become a helpless little baby. It was a plan that involved Jesus being born to a teenage Jewish virgin and being raised in a Carpenter's house. It was a plan that meant that Jesus who lived a perfect life as he taught God's truth has no one else never taught it before. It was a plan which at just the right time in history.
Jesus chose to die on the cross in our place.
You know this you look at that plan as you read through God's word and you see the whole plan come together.
It seems hard to understand that this is the plan that they put together. But it indeed was a plan that was carefully thought out it was all done on a schedule. And sometimes we wonder why did such a carefully thought-out plan have to be put together.
But I think the reason that God had to put this whole plan into motion, we all know the reason for it. cuz if we're all real with ourselves if we all think about our own natural human inclinations and tendencies we realized They're on our own the human situation is indeed a hopeless one. It can seem like one where there is no light. Cuz if you'll remember the other part of that Romans 5:6 verse it says while we were still powerless.
Like I said powerless isn't the word that we like it's not a characteristic that we like to have applied to ourselves is it?
Mean if someone was describing you you wouldn't like for them to include the characteristic of powerless there. You know, we would rather have attributes. Describe to us like saying that we are worthy of something or you know saying that we are of Great Value to God. Those are things that we hear those are values that we like to accept and hear about ourselves.
You know, we'd like to hear that God sent his son for us because God somehow needed us right. God needed our help on something but that's not what scripture says. That's not what it says it all.
Has it says there in Romans 5:6 when we were powerless while we were still sinners. Christ died for us
You know which leads perfectly into one of the most famous verses of scripture John 3:16 for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish. But have eternal life.
Is that verse pretty plainly spelled it out that it's God's love not our value not our worth not our own human capability. But it's God's love that is the reason that we can have. Hope in Jesus Christ.
And let's face it. You might as well own up to it and realize that we are weak helpless spiritual wimps on our own. Brian able to do anything for ourselves and if left to our own devices, none of us would be able to even do one small thing to please God. I'd like to think that we can would like to think that we're good enough on her own, but we're not that's just a simple reality. There's nothing that we can do that will please God enough to earn our own way to heaven. We often try. There's lots of things that we do in our day-to-day lives to try.
You know. There are lots of good things that we know we should do is Christians and I'm not saying we shouldn't do these things. You know, we should spend time praying everyday. We know that's important. We have to build that relationship. And in order to do that. We need to be reading God's word also and studying scripture and knowing God's truth and what it says and we need to do our best to serve. However, God has gifted us to serve in the Kingdom. and all those are great things, but we have to realize All those great things that we might do. Yes, they're great because they helped build our relationship with God, but they can never take the place of what God's love did for us. We have to accept the fact that we are helpless hopeless and Powerless.
And yet amazingly loved. Sweetener, we can accomplish it on our own. We know that we can accomplish it because of God. That's why his powerfully time powerfully executed plan to bring Salvation to the powerless was so important. So how do we respond to that type of plan? feel like in 2nd Corinthians chapter 12 verses 9 and 10 it says but he said to me my grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore. I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses. So that Christ power May rest on me. That is why for Christ's sake I delight and weaknesses and insults and hardships and persecutions in difficulties for when I am weak then I am strong.
And weaknesses and insults and hardships and persecutions and difficulties. I am not powerless. When I stand in the strength of Jesus. That's what we have to remember. That's what the main difference is. Cuz the truth is we are powerless. We are sinners, but the difference comes in the fact that Christ died for us. Yes in that context that Paul makes the observation in Romans. 5:7 is very rarely. Will anyone die for a righteous person though for a good person someone might possibly Dare To Die.
Sounds like kind of a strange verse but if you think about it, you know, there's a lot of Truth there. You're rarely will someone die for a righteous person L possibly will someone Dare To Die for a good person but the main point is here. It takes a lot for one human be willing to die in place of another human. It's just not a natural thing. You know sure you hear stories about it in some instances, you know, we've all heard stories of it happening in war maybe where one soldier was willing to sacrifice himself for the lives of the others in his unit preferred stories of parents who jump in front of their children to protect them from something or you know, sometimes very rarely you'll hear stories of strangers who do something courageous to give their life for the sake of another stranger.
It's very unusual for someone to die for another unless there's a strong relationship.
That's the idea of Paul's trying to get across in that verse. And we need to remember that Jesus. When I was still powerless when I was still a sinner when I was still in my ungodly State and that time when most likely for most of us, there was no relationship between us and God. Jesus died for us. That's the truth that's being conveyed in the scripture that brings me to the verse that's always been one of my favorite passages and all of scripture Romans 5:8, but God demonstrates his own love for his Miss while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
So at your lowest at your worst at your most sinful and most Unholy time. When you were at your most powerless Point Jesus died for you.
Yeah, Jesus brings you into a relationship when you are powerless and it's only because we are covered by the blood of Christ that we are able to be brought into that relationship. And if we truly understand that truth if we truly remember it and should give us a whole new outlook on life because the truth is it changes everything?
Romans chapter 5 verse 10 says 4f while we were God's enemies. We were reconciled to him through the death of his son how much more having been reconciled so we will be saved through his life. You know if Jesus is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice when we are powerless when we are his enemies still trapped in the depth of our sin. How much more will Jesus? Journey with us and strengthen us when we have a relationship with him. When we've taken that step to call on his name and to confess our sins and to truly give her life to him.
Romans 5:11 explains not only is this so but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have now received reconciliation.
You know what that's telling us is that when we are walking with Jesus, we no longer have to let the defining characteristic of who we are be the fact that we are powerless to do anything about our own sinful nature. No, because we're walking with Jesus the story is totally changed because we're walking with Jesus and because we are so deeply loved by God the defining characteristics of our life now becomes a continual boasting about our God. And who God is and what God's done for us and what God can do for others.
It becomes a lifting up praising of our heavenly father. Or we can say I am powerless, but I have been saved by Jesus.
You know, so when I go through times of great difficulty, no matter what they may be in my life. I can know that I don't have to do it My Own Strength. You know, I have a savior who knows the emotions that we feel. You know this we've went through this pandemic. We have to realize that none of the stuff we felt during this time. Is something that Jesus hasn't experienced. He knows about our grief or anger or frustration are exhaustion. You know he even knows about. Wanting God to take away the suffering think about when he pleaded in the garden for God to please take this from him. Describing a lot of times when we've been pleading for this whole thing to end so life can just go back to normal.
You Jesus Journeys with us through these times. So I know that I can hold on to him and lift him up and even go so far as to boast about what God has been doing for me in the midst of these situations all the time for claiming. I am powerless, but I've been saved by Jesus.
You know, so as we Face challenging times. Just made me think is for going through our Joys and concerns. So when we Face health challenges. Or maybe as a lot of people have faced during this time of the pandemic when they have been able to work when we faced, you know, our finances are just causing a lot of worried cuz we don't know where the next paycheck is coming or how regular it's going to be. Or maybe because we haven't been able to see people other relationships in our life or struggling. That's been difficult during this time. Or maybe because of the isolation that you talked about as we've stumbled back into Old sinful habits just because it's a lot easier when no one's around when you're not around your support groups. Show me feel guilty. We feel ashamed.
Or maybe in those days when we wonder about how we're going to do. It is another day as a parent. How can we make it? I know a lot of parents felt that way during the e-learning time. How can they do another day of worth of e-learning that they can do it? You know when you have those sleepless nights because your mind is just overwhelmed with everything.
And weakness and insults in hardships and persecutions and difficulties.
Or if we did an updated message version of the Bible it would say when covid-19 hits.
You don't any conceivable situation. I will celebrate my powerlessness and boast in that which comes to me through Jesus Christ. That's what we need to be doing. That's what we need to be thinking during this time. That's the message we can give to others to give some hope. You know when others wonder how they've come to this time feeling good about it we can say because Jesus gives me hope and peace. Because Jesus gives me undeserved Grace and forgiveness because Jesus is my light so that I always have a path to follow no matter what's going on. We can say that it's because Jesus is my shepherd who calls me by name. We can say that it's because Jesus shows me my true identity and gives me purpose and value. Is because Jesus endured all things and suffer on the cross for me so that I could spend all eternity with him.
So when we find ourselves in situations that make us feel powerless. Those are the truths. We need to be telling ourselves. When we see others struggling in the middle of situations and feeling powerless to change their situation. Those are the things we need to be reminding them up.
I am powerless, but I've been saved by Jesus and I am extravagantly loved let's pray.
Heavenly Father we thank you for the blessings you give us. Lord we thank you for how you've helped each and every one of us to come through this and Lord. We pray that as we go forward that you will help us to spread that hope and that Joy with others. And Lord that will be able to humbly admit that yes. We are powerless on our own. What is because of you because of what you accomplished on the cross? That we can have hope that we can have strength in the midst of any situation. We pray this all in your most. Holy name. Amen.
So as we dismiss today. Just slowly go out as V play the postlude after I pray here. Just trying your best to keep your social distancing, but it is great to see everyone here and I appreciate everyone coming and hopefully as we continue through the next several weeks will continue to see more of our church family. Come back, please bow with me in prayer. Most gracious Heavenly Father. We thank you for your wonderful provision Lord. We thank you for your wonderful plan that you put in place Lord to Help us to overcome our own powerlessness. Lord I pray that you will help us all to you humbly accept that and Lord to move forward and strength knowing that we don't have to do it on our own that you are with us every step of the way. We pray this all on your most gracious name. Amen.