4-18-20 Perseverance

1Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart: 2“In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected men. 3And there was a widow in that town who kept appealing to him, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’

4For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God or respect men, 5yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice. Then she will stop wearing me out with her perpetual requests.’”

6And the Lord said, “Listen to the words of the unjust judge. 7Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He continue to defer their help? 8I tell you, He will promptly carry out justice on their behalf. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

Thoughts: We have lived in a very instant time.  We have traveled fast on our machines (cars, boats, truck, motorcycles) to wherever we want on decent roads (much better than most countries).  We have microwaves and air-fryers to make things heat up instantly.  We go to grocery stores that have our meat, dairy, produce, and sometimes toilet paper and medicine together to save time.  We can order with next day delivery- even on Sunday, Easter or Christmas.  We can text, email, facetime and get instant access. We don't understand smoke signals, stagecoach, and those who have to walk ten miles to get water.
    All of a sudden we must slow down.  No one predicted this four months ago.  No futurist saw it.  There were movies- "Contagion" and "The Ship" but what they don't say is how people hunker down for weeks and months on seemingly cold-syrup-drip time.  We have forgotten Sabbath, and have forgotten what it is like to wait on the Lord or have to persist in prayer.  

     This parable from Luke 18 about the persistent widow is really a lesson on not giving up in prayer; and not giving up on God.  Persistence and perseverance are things Jesus taught us by example and by words.  When others give up shortly we are put here to hold the line in prayer.
     Today I went to Walmart to the pick up line.  That in itself was amazing.  It took 4 weeks to get this appointment.  When I and my dog drove up to the pickup rendezvous point my app that said my order was waiting all of a sudden said my order "had been cancelled."  I went ballistic.  The Walmart guy carrying groceries out to people said I needed to leave my dog and go inside.  I went inside- one manager said I needed to talk to a specific manager who wasn't there and six people were in six-feet-apart-socially-distanced-lines to see him ahead of me.  So I gave up. As I was leaving another employee said, "Sir I saw what happened.  I am sorry.  I'll call a manager."  I had prospects of relief- but... no manager after five minutes.  Started back to the car where the original Walmart guy said, "Is the name Sloan?"  He said, give me three minutes.  He went in- got the order and came back.  He said, "Someone pushed the wrong button."  I was so happy!  I still could not have shopped and gathered it any faster than I waited.  You would think I have learned patience.  I am afraid I have learned that "I should be patient" which is different. I was only persistent because one person after another stopped or steered me.  Prayer may feel like it is successful then irrelevant; breaking through then bouncing off the ceiling.  Jesus said to not give up- and so, reluctantly I will try for this impatient person to be patient.
    This corona-virus time is making us wait, making us either give up or persevere.  It is so hard in any society- but especially an instant society to wait on the Lord, to practice Sabbath, to pray with persistence.  But perhaps God is teaching us that.

Prayer: In this time of waiting, when the corona-virus doesn't seem to go away, plateau, or flatten fast enough- help me to be patient and persistent in prayer.  

4-15-20 What Is Essential?

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these other things will be added to you as well.  (Matthew 6:33).

Thoughts:  What is essential?  In a time of crisis, what is essential to us comes out.  When your house is on fire- what you grab before the house goes up in flames is irreplaceable or essential.  In our day it seems ironically that toilet paper, of all things is more essential than almost anything else!
    Nineteen states have officially called worship "essential."  Others have seen shopping at places like Best Buy as essential but forbid any kind of gathering for church besides online.  As someone put it, the church is constitutionally protected and many are going the extra mile for safety but some stores have no safety rules and are allowed arbitrarily to be labeled essential. What is essential to some is not essential to others.  We have a need while here to respect what is essential to others (unless someone lives to hurt others).  In a time of crisis, worship gives encouragement, hope, and strength.  It reminds us that life is not just about us and our needs and toilet paper.
    In the end, our soul is essential.  When we die, and we will-of something- and most not from the corona-virus, then we will leave all of these other things that the world deems essential behind.  But our soul will go on to one place or another.  In Greenville Mississippi on Palm Sunday police made people roll down their windows to give them $500 tickets per person to listen to an FM radio station in the church parking lot, even though the governor of Mississippi has deemed worship essential.  Yet in that same town, on 729 E Reed Road you can drive up to a Sonic Drive In, order your food, eat it in your car or even on a picnic table without any issues raised.   The U.S. Attorney General even pointed out how unfair and discriminatory this is.
    One of the great issues is how do we view the worship of God?  Some see it like entertainment.  Many see it as a bit extra in life to make us feel better about ourselves.  But Jesus always saw worship as not only important but essential.  If Jesus is our Lord, then we make His will our priority.

Prayer: Lord, help me to see you as the main ingredient in my life and not icing on my cake.

4-12-20- WHERE IS JESUS?

Matthew 28:5,6- “The Cross is Empty- Our Hope is Full”
“THE ANGEL SAID TO THE WOMEN, DO NOT BE AFRAID, FOR I KNOW THAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR JESUS, WHO WAS CRUCIFIED.  HE IS NOT HERE; HE HAS RISEN, JUST AS HE SAID.  COME AND SEE THE PLACE WHERE HE LAY.”    Sun will come up tomorrow;  Jesus rises and we will too. 

The real question of Easter is the question that applies to each human being that will ever get sick and die.  It is the question we ask when we are hurting.  It is the question we ask when we are perplexed.  It is the question we ask when we don’t understand.  It is just this: “WHERE IS JESUS?”  The women who came to the tomb were looking for the dead Jesus and his dead body.  Today there are people who are looking for the philosophy of Jesus- His teaching, without seeking His person.  The angel reminds us to look for the living person.  I want to talk about three places- where Jesus was or could be- the cross, the grave, and our hearts. 
I like playing finding games.  One of the classics is the book “Where’s Waldo” which just celebrated its 30^th anniversary.  Waldo is this red and white striped shirted guy.  There was a Guiness book of records gathering of 3,872 people dressed like Waldo In Dublin a few years ago. 
One of the things God does- is He asks us to find Him.  Seek me, He says, and you will find me when you search for me with all your heart.  The first place to look is the cross- it is the major symbol of Christianity. 

THE CROSS IS EMPTY- The cross is the symbol of pain, but also injustice, unfairness, and it represents the suffering, burdens and problems of life.  Christ was certainly on the cross- the angel says he WAS crucified.  Where is Christ when we are hurting?  The Bible says we do not have a great high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses.  Jesus understands what it means to hurt.  He is not so aloof to suffering that he might laugh at our struggles, our worries, our fears, our sicknesses, our suffering and pain.  Jesus does not laugh at our going through the corona-virus time.  A CNN reporter asked Rev. Rick Warren where was God in this pandemic- he replied that He was in the middle- the cross is a reminder God knows about suffering.
He knows what it is like to suffer and be in agony.  The cross in many ways- Is very similar to the kind of death someone dies when they are going through the corona-virus.  They have a hard time breathing- feeling an elephant is sitting on their chest.  Physicians tell us that people die on the cross not have hanging there but of suffocation- by slowly not being able to lift themselves up to breathe.  It is literal torture.  This brings me to the second thing about the cross-
He knows what it is like to be isolated- The cross was not just torture it was humiliation.  He was stripped naked and lifted up for the world to see, and then totally isolated.  No one could come near him, nor could they have long conversations with him.  There is a reason why the isolation cell is so torturous.  We were created to love, to converse, to touch. 
But we need to be sure- though Jesus remembers the cross, and He paid and infinite price there, He is not continually on the cross.  The cross is empty.  He has suffered and was isolated- but His suffering is over and He is in the company of the saints, angels, and the Father in heaven. The cross is empty.  I wear a cross around my neck- it is an empty cross because Jesus is alive. 

THE GRAVE IS EMPTY- The grave is the great symbol of death.   Graves are not normally the symbol of life.  According to Matthew women went to “look at the tomb.”  Mark’s gospel adds that they were going to add spices to Jesus’ body.  All the gospels record that angels pointed to the resurrection of Christ.  But in our passage it says, “He is not here.”  In Luke it says, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?”  Jesus is not in the grave.  He is not in the tomb.  His body is not stolen- He is alive. 
For the first time since the Black Plague in 1349, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is closed.  But even now you can look online and see Jesus’ grave is still empty.  In the 13^th and 14^th centuries a new kind of European art focused on the dead Christ- called “The Pieta” meaning “the pity.”  Michelangelo had the most famous one in St. Peter’s Basillica in Rome- it is beautiful.  But our focus is not on that.  We do not worship on Saturday- celebrating the death of Christ.  But on Sunday- celebrating the resurrection.

Some are looking for Christ in fear.  The angel said to them- do not be afraid- He said it not to the guards- they were terrified.  He said it to the believing women.  He says it to you.  If the world wants to live in fear that is one thing- but as a believer- don’t be afraid.  The Bible says they left with joy and fear.  They were believers but still afraid.  Christians can be afraid- but it is not God’s will for you.  Be careful- but do not be afraid.  Be smart- but don’t be afraid. When Jesus appeared to the women the first words out of His mouth were “do not be afraid.”  When Jesus appeared to the disciples in the room where the door was shut for fear of the Roman soldiers- where they were isolated- Jesus appeared to them and said “Do not be afraid.”  I know several people who will not go grocery shopping and they will not take food from delivery people or anyone else because they are afraid.  There are those who will not walk for exercise for fear of catching this virus.  I know some who are losing sleep, and are totally restless.  Jesus says “Peace- do not be afraid.”   So where is Jesus?  He is going around telling people to trust Him and not be afraid!  He is giving people living hope. 

OUR HOPE IS FULL- Easter is the image we really need to keep in our mind today- for it is not just a message of hope- it IS our hope!  One day we too will escape this coronavirus thing.  One day we will be able to get out and hug each other, to worship together, to enjoy fun like sports together.  One day the economic crisis will calm down.  I saw a great mini movie about a thousand chickens being released from a hen house- they went clucking, running, flying everywhere at once as fast as they could.  The caption said, “This is what it will be like when this coronavirus is over.”  Some of y’all have seen it.  I want to encourage you not to squish, squelch, or abandon your hope.  Instead let your hope fill you with strength, and energy.  Again, this corona-virus time will be over but you can still be captive to sin, guilt, and fear.  Let Christ free you with hope.  So Bill Wallace who was trapped in his house in Nashville after the tornado- saying he felt a “higher power was with him” was filled with hope when he heard the rescuers voices- he then hoped he would escape.  So the coal miners in Chile, after being trapped in a coalmine collapse for 69 days- worshiping each day- after a bore hole was sent down to them and they could get fresh air and food knew they would one day get out.  So Easter is the voice from outside of life saying “I’ll get you out.”  It is the hole of light through the darkness saying- there is a way to eternal life- through this way. 
Genelle Guzman worked on the 64^th floor of Tower two of the World Trade Center.  She was going down the stairs when the whole building collapsed and her legs were pinned by the rubble.  It became dark and she began to give up hope and think, “I am going to die.”  But then she remembered God.  She called out to God and asked for a sign that she would “get out of here.”  Right then she heard voices.  She shouted, they responded.  A rescue dog pointed the way.  She reached out her hand- and a firefighter grasped it and she said, “Thank God!”  She could have simply said “how lucky I am, or what a nice dog and firefighter.”  But she knew God was in this.  She was the very last survivor from the twin towers in New York.  She was told she would never walk- but today she walks, she runs, she married and has two children.  She is filled with hope and wants to tell other people about her story.  We should too. The angel said to the women- Do not be afraid; He is not here; He is risen; Go and tell…
Hope is hard to find these days.  But do not give up.  Jesus was with Genelle.  He is the living Christ.  He can be with you in your valley of the shadow of death; he can be with you when you die, but let me say He wants to be with you now and give you the abundant life.  Where is Jesus?  He is not on the cross or on the grave, but He is in heaven and He can also live by His Holy Spirit in your heart.  Ask Him, seek Him, find Him. 

3-29-20 Written Sermon- "Faith Hope and Love in Place"

“Practicing Faith, Hope and Love in Place”  3-29-20 Rev. 1:9-13, 17-18

     I read somewhere that the government phrase “shelter in place” is a lot more scarier than “staying at home” but they mean the same thing.   A rose by any other name is still the same.  We are encouraged to practice social distancing.  The universities and schools are shut down through the end of April.  So one of the things I want to talk about is practicing your faith where you are- where we believe in God’s providence He has placed you. 
    There are many people who are asked to continue to work and to have more courage and to be strong in the name of helping people.  Healthcare workers, cleaners, administrators as someone put it “did not sign up to be martyrs”  but they are putting themselves on the frontlines of this fight against the coronavirus and also any other communicable disease. 
     Perhaps you remember the story of Dr. Kent Brantley who was a medical doctor missionary with Samaritan’s Purse.  Six years ago there was a huge Ebola outbreak in West Africa.  Ebola is quite contagious through bodily fluids and its death rate is 50- 70%.  In contrast the coronavirus is also quite contagious and its death rate is between 1-3%.  The missionary doctors were asked to evacuate Iberia where Brantley was stationed.  But Dr. Brantley stayed to help.  He helped many people, but despite precautions, he caught the disease and was shipped back to Emory Hospital in Atlanta.  Some protested that he came back bringing the disease to the United States- but the disease was contained here.  Dr. Brantley and another missionary doctor Nancy Writebol were the first to receive an experimental treatment called ZMapp that seemed to work.  They both walked out of the hospital 3 weeks later.  There is a movie about this called “Facing Darkness.”  Today Brantley serves in a rural area outside of Fort Worth Texas.  Brantley feels a bit guilty that many have died in West Africa but he got to come home, get the best care and treatment and live.   His faith, he says, did not cure him but helped him through.   Pray for our Medical Workers, grocery store workers, government officials who still work, all those who go to work for our society.  Pray that God would grant them courage and protection. 
But pray also that those who have to work, would also be full of God’s amazing grace toward others- showing faith, hope and love to the people they are risking themselves for.  For those who are out there- keep the faith as you go out.  See yourself as a missionary doing God’s work like Dr. Brantley.
    But there are many people who are now at home.  They are staying at home or sheltering in place.  Children and young people are out of school.  Unemployment reached its highest level ever last week.  What should those at home do? 
    I used to think that if you stayed home, you were less likely to sin or mess up before God.  But now I know better.  Usually people love their families best and they get angriest at the people they love because their expectations are high or perhaps they let down their moral guard at home.  We are called to love our neighbor as ourselves- with the first neighbors being those shut in with us.  This means making efforts to communicate better, to serve one another better, and to love each other.
   When I was working on my doctorate I used to go down to the Monk’s Corner abbey a good bit for research.  Now the funny thing is that the brothers there are not supposed to say anything but in worship.  So not only are they practicing staying at home or sheltering in place- which should minimize sins, but they also were not saying much.  But their spokesperson talked a lot about how they have regular confession.  Martin Luther, the leader of the Protestant Reformation, was a monk who wanted to confess his sins to his abbot- who got tired of hearing him.   It seems we find ways to sin.  We find ways to hurt other people around us or to selfishly put ourselves first, or be narcissistic.  All this is to say- what you probably already know- it is easy to sin at home- even with those you love.  Perhaps the guilt and sense of wrong is even greater with those you love.  The reformers abolished monasteries.  Calvin said that the real monastery- where Christians lived the Christian life was the home.
     John was writing the Book of Revelation from being confined.  He was confined in a cave.  About ten years ago I took a group from LMPC on a tour of Greece and Turkey.  One of the most striking places we visited was Patmos where John was imprisoned for preaching the gospel.  He was confined to a cave at the very top of the island.  He had one of the most amazing visions while confined in this spot.  He was unable to gather for worship.  But on the Lord’s Day- Sunday- He was in the Spirit (that means he was worshiping God and was filled with God’s Spirit) and he heard the voice of Jesus speaking.  Jesus revealed this to him and reveals this to us today. 
1) DO NOT BE AFRAID- God does not want us to live in fear.  The Spirit never asks us to panic- though the Spirit has asked the guilty to repent.  For the godly the message is always the same- be at peace- be still- do not be afraid.
Then Jesus tries to calm John down by helping John to focus on the person and power of Jesus.
2) I AM THE FIRST AND THE LAST- Nothing comes as a surprise to God.  he coronavirus is not “novel” to Him.  He has been here in the beginning and will be in the end.  No virus, attack, or lack of anything controls God.
3) I AM THE LIVING ONE WHO WAS DEAD- BUT AM ALIVE FOREVER- Even death by the coronavirus or the hands of Roman executioners is not more powerful than Jesus.  He knows what it is like to suffer, to be afflicted, to be in pain, to have it hard to breathe- on the cross as in the coronavirus- you die of respiratory issues and contiguous heart issues.
4) I HOLD THE KEYS OF DEATH AND HELL- It may look to us that death is locked tight.  But He has the keys to get people out of death.  It may look to us that there is no way out of hell or our suffering- or even the coronavirus- but Jesus holds the key. 
    This was all revealed to John while He was worshiping by himself- confined.  You have many choices of how you will use your coronavirus time- just as you will have choices when it is over.  But perhaps the choices are clear.  You can waste it- you can zone out watching TV, Netflix, or playing video games;  Or you can find out that you can sin just as much at home as you can at school or work;  or you can be in the Spirit- or any combination.  I challenge you to be more “in the spirit” and look to love your family.
     South Carolina colonists had a very hard time.  Walter Edgar writes that “between 1670 and 1775 South Carolina faced 59 major epidemics.  Yellow fever struck 18 times; smallpox 9; influenza 4; For three years Carolinians faced both yellow fever and small pox while malaria continued to be born by mosquitos.  Childhood morality was about 80%.  In Charleston’s Christ church parish 86 of the 100 children were buried before they reached twenty.  In 1760 smallpox was brought from the Cherokee to the colonists and of Charleston’s 8,000 residences, 6,000 contracted the disease and 730 died.  Yet in all of these problems the churches continued to meet as the only source of solace.  People refused to give up fellowship and kindness and faith.  Let me encourage you, as we seek to be considerate of this temporary life, to hold forth the real hope of the world.  Be kind to one another. Be thoughtful in your homes or wherever you are riding this virus out.  The first medical heroes were families who took their sick loved ones in, and the doctors who visited them in their homes.  Hospitals are a relatively new invention (Roper was the first in 1850, and Baptist in Columbia in 1914).  The families were the first responders.  We are going back to that today. 
     I challenge you to remember who really holds the keys to coronavirus relief.  It is not some vaccine company.  It is not the government.  It is not the media.  God holds the keys to life and to death.  He invites you to spend time alone with Him as John did, as Jesus did- during this time in which you have more control of your time.  Spend time praying for people on our prayer list- or your relatives that you know need it, or someone on the frontlines or who has to work., ot our government officials.  Now is the time to get caught up in prayer.  May you find as you do this your fears will melt and your strength will grow. 

3-22-20 Sermon Hope in Affliction

3/22/20- “Hope in a Season of Affliction” Dr. Sloan LMPC During Coronavirus
I am excited to be here.  There are some churches who will not livestream.  We just got a new camera- and I hope it works well.  I am excited about the hope of a Drive In worship service on Palm Sunday and Easter.  However, I miss seeing you all.  You are in our hearts and prayers.  We love you LMPC family and want you to stay safe. 

Some say there is no hope.  But that depends on where

 we place our hope.  If your hope is to have all the expectations you had a month ago fulfilled, then hope is lost.  But let me tell you where your hope should not lie:
It should not lie in the stock market always going up- that never happens.  Many here have seen it crash in 1987, in 2001 after 911 and bounce back after 57 days; and in 2008. 
It should not lie in always being healthy.  If everyone today stayed in a padded heap air cleaned room- we would still not all be healthy.  Our bodies are not designed to be healthy forever. 
Your hope should not lie in your work;  Your hope should not lie in your games or entertainment; 
Your hope should not even lie in your family. 
Your hope should not lie in Publix, Bi Lo, Food Lion, Piggly Wiggly always having everything you need.    Your hope should not lie in the government. 
All these are fine things.  None of them, I don’t think are evil in and of themselves- nor are they good just because they exist. 

Jeremiah lived in a time in which all the hopes of the people were drastically changed. 
They had hope in their city and wall and army- but they were gone. 
They had hope to live a peaceful quiet life- but that was gone.  The army of Babylon broke down their wall- killed all their old men and women and young babies- worst than the flu or the coronavirus. 
People were starving to death.  All their real estate transactions were gone.  All their investment and wealth disappeared completely.  It was in that context that Jeremiah wrote these great verses- that inspired the hope-filled song, “Great is they faithfulness.” 

Hear the Word of the Lord from Lamentations 3: 1I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of God’s wrath.  7He has walled me in so I cannot escape; He has weighed me down with chains.  19Remember my affliction and wandering, the wormwood and the gall. 20Surely my soul remembers and is humbled within me. 21Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope: 22Because of the loving devotionb of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail.

23They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! 24“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.” 25The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. 26It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

We are in a different season.  I wanted to share some things I saw that made me smile. I think we can use a little humor these days.
1) Homeschooling is going well- two students suspended and one teacher fired for drinking on the job.
2) And just like that… prayer is back in school!
3) This is it.  The day your dogs have all been waiting for.  The day their owners can’t leave the house and they get you 24/7.  The dogs are rejoicing- the cats are horrified at their humans interrupting their naps and their place on the couch.
4) Until further notice: No one can stop by unannounced.   We aren’t sick- we just don’t trust you around our toilet paper. 

I want us to learn a bit from this great and famous passage from Lamentations.  1) It is a season; 2) God knows our affliction; 3) In God there is still hope. 

1) It is a Season- This Is the first Sunday of Spring.  Seasons change.  This coronavirus time will end.  We know this coronavirus will end.  There is a light at the end of the tunnel and it is not a train- it is fresh air, it is an opening out of your containment cell- your home. 
Have you ever been in a submarine?  If your claustrophobic, submarines and elevators and MRI machines are no fun.  But if you know that it will not close in on your forever you can survive it.  It is like holding your breath underwater until you can come up for air.  Eventually the submarine resurfaces.  Eventually the elevator door opens.  Eventually the MRI stops.  Eventually the airplane lands and you get off the plane.  As bad as this pollen is- eventually it will stop.  When it is winter and snowing- we know it will not be winter and snowing forever- by the way- it is the first Sunday of Spring!
    Jeremiah says in verse 24- “The Lord is my portion therefore I will wait for Him.”  Then in verse 26 he says: “It is good to wait quietly on the salvation of the Lord.”  There is a waiting for relief, for salvation, In alsfor the pain and sickness and heartache and fear to stop.
    What does it mean, “The Lord is my portion?”  When the Prodigal Son was leaving his home he asked his father for his “portion” of his estate.  Portion is a statement of wealth.  If God is your resource, the source of your wealth then you need not fear.  While something may be taken away- we have one far wealthier than the stock market or your workplace that can give it back. 
     Ecclesiastes 3 says to everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.  In almost every news conference about the coronavirus this has been emphasized.  “We will get through” this.  “We will come out stronger”; “We will go through this together.”  But I want to say that this is not the good news.  The good news that Jeremiah knew is that even if “we” don’t get through, God still sees each individual who believes in them through.  This life is but a season. 
    One day- the churches will open for worship again- and we can really pass the peace.  The schools will open again.  The businesses and work that drove us crazy will open again.  But will we thank God when it does?  Will we get our priorities straight now that we have had time to think about it… this time? 

2. God Knows your Affliction- Jeremiah does not hide his head in the sand like an ostrich.  Rather he lists all the things that have gone wrong for him in most of this book.  He lists how he has seen affliction.  He lists how he has been walled in- like many of you are feeling right now.  He has been deprived of peace- how many of us have not slept so well the last few weeks?  He says “I have forgotten what prosperity is.”  He says, “My splendor is gone”  All of his glory and shiny stuff has lost its shine.  He has lost everything.  He had hoped for so much more from the Lord.  But it seems the dreams he had even from God are crumbled into dust.  While the coronavirus may be novel- human suffering, pain, loneliness is not. 
He remembers he says my affliction, his wandering- a sense of lostness, his bitterness and gall. 
There are many verses in the Bible reminding us that God sees us in our pain. He”I r are just a few:  Genesis 29 Leah named her son “Reuben” which means “he sees my misery.”  Exodus 3:7- when the people of Israel were brought into slavery- “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have given heed to their cry…I am aware of their sufferings.”  Psalm 31:7 reminds us that God sees our affliction.  When Jesus walked on this earth- He took notice of those who were sick when other people ignored them- and healed them.  He took notice of the children and brought them into His arms.
     Tom Hanks who has the coronavirus quoted from Mr. Rogers who said after 911 that his mother always told him that in times of crisis- look for the helpers.  The helpers are people who are looking to find those who need help.  They are the hand of God in a tough time.  There is something very god-like in looking to see who needs help and then doing what you can.  In our time there are many.  I saw the story about two young cellists who knew an elderly neighbor who was shut in;  they went to their neighbor’s porch- sat on the opposite end of her. And played the cello.  It was a simple way to help- but it encouraged millions in the end. 

3. In God There is Always Hope.
There are people who think they are self-sufficient.  But they are beginning to doubt that now. 
There are people who really try to live as if there is no hope- that is such a Bergin way to live. 
Have you ever seen that movie Trolls?  There are two kinds of walking creatures- there are Bergins and there are Trolls. Trolls are usually upbeat, happy, singing full of joy.  Then there are the Bergins who think the only way they can be happy is by eating the joyful Trolls. 
    I don’t know about you, but I have seen some real Bergins lately.  There are some who love painting the worst case scenario to the point of despair.  I have heard people criticize others just for being brave.  I have heard some criticize others for mentioning we need to stay safe.  The toilet paper is gone.  The chicken and ground beef can’t be stocked fast enough.  People are hoarding.  I thought- okay once they get 100 rolls of toilet paper about a third of a roll a day for a year, they will stop hoarding toilet paper.  But now it appears to be a habit almost a fetish to get any toilet paper.  Now we are running out of ammo. Not good stuff. 
    I have always loved reading strategies of generals and wars.  Every general from Napoleon to Wellington to Washington to Cornwallis to Lee to Grant has been defeated in battle.  But one of the tricks is an orderly retreat.  You know in the Battle of Camden- where there is a coronavirus battle going on- there was not an orderly retreat.  The general fled as fast as he could on horseback to Charlotte and his army was lost.  Fear took hold of his ability to keep his army intact and the whole patriot army was lost.  I guess what I am asking for is an orderly retreat.  Keeping your distance but not hoarding your stuff.  Don’t hold onto this life so much that you cannot help your neighbor or be considerate and even share.  Look for ways to be generous when people are afraid and are holding their fists tighter and tighter.  God is the One who helped Jeremiah. 
     His steadfast love never ceases.  That means you can count on God to love you in the good times and in the bad times.  His love doesn’t change with the wind or even when you feel unlovable.  Just like the Prodigal Son’s father always loved him and wanted him to come back.
    His mercies never come to an end- Jeremiah saw God’s mercies in his dreadful tragedy.  If you look, you can see the merciful hand of God leading today. 
    They are new every morning.  Every morning the sun comes up and gives us a fresh start.  Every day there is a new surprise of hope. 
    Life Care Center in Seattle was hit hard with the coronavirus.  62% of the 130 residents contracted the virus.  Geneva Wood got it too.  She had just moved there in January having suffered a stroke.  But she said she was going to “fight this for my family and make everyone proud.”  Last week she was taken off oxygen.  Her daughter said, “Do not underestimate the power of thoughts and prayers.  Keep it up- it’s working!” 
   In some ways- we who have not had a Sabbath for years- are catching up on the Sabbaths we gave up- the rest; the prayer; the thinking and reading; the family; the music; the singing, laughing and hope.
    Great is His faithfulness.  It is not negative to talk of the steadfast faithfulness of God.  I am totally convinced it Is the most positive thing that can be said.  2 Timothy 2:13 says “If we are faithless, He is faithful still.  God cannot deny himself.”  Remember this my friends: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.  His mercies never come to an end.  They are new every morning.  Great is Thy faithfulness.” 

March Forth on 3/4

3/4/20 “March Forth”

So the staff knows I really like this day.  It began with a children’s sermon years ago that happened on March 4^th.  I called it “Noah’s Day.”  The story goes like this: 
Noah had gathered all the animals into the ark and for forty days and forty nights all these hundreds yea thousands of animals were in the same boat together with the rain on the outside.  Many got sea sick and nauseated.  The smell had to be horrendous.  Finally God stopped the rain, sent a rainbow, opened the ark and said, “March forth!”  That is what we celebrate on March 4^th.

    But March is Missions month at LMPC.  It is the month that we think about, take up a collection for, and celebrate what we are able to do for God’s glory. 

How many times does the phrase, “March forth!” Occur?  It is hard to say because it is said in some different ways.  The phrase is found at least 15 times- which is a pretty steady number.   When I raise my hand, everyone say, “March forth!”
Often times it speaks of God marching forth before the Israelites. (Isa. 42:13; Zech. 9:14). 

But doubtless- when the Israelites left slavery in Egypt, Moses told them to “March forth.”
When they came to the dead end of the Red Sea with the Egyptian army behind them- God told them to March forth!
     When they did the Red Sea split- but swallowed the Egyptian army when they came after them.
When they came to the edge of the Jordan River Joshua told the priests carrying the ark to “March forth” and when they did the sea split.
When Joshua came to the walls of Jericho he told the people to “March Forth” 7 times around the city and then when the walls fell to “March forth” into the city.

Jehoshaphat was faced with a huge army.  He was told by God to not be afraid but march forth!
“This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this bast army.  For the battle is not yours, but God’s.  Tomorrow march out against them.’” (2 Chronicles 20:15,16a).  Often when we march forth- we do so because God first marches forth before us. 

A lot of what we do is just to get up and get going. 

One of the bravest guys I’ve known is a Presbyterian minister in South Sudan named Oruzu.  Oruzu helped start our SALT compound in the state capital of Pibor- which consists of a school, a medical clinic, several churches.  This past year there was a terrible flood in which the whole town of Pibor was under at least five feet of water (much like the 2015 flood in SC but without any dams and controls).  We decided to send the money that had been set aside to get us there and do the work.  Two trucks and more of tarps, food, and relief supplies was sent and Oruzu made sure it was delivered by going with it- into what would be a war zone.  He marched forth!  A huge army of tens of thousands of rival tribes surrounded Pibor.  Oruzu refused to leave his people- though all the other officials left.  Our presbytery group chartered a special plane through Africa Inland Mission (AIM). They were able to fly Oruzu his children and five others out. 

When we think about the Corona virus or the flu- we should not seek to cower in our homes with haz matt suits, masks, Lysol, blue gloves and hand sanitizer. 
Of course, we may change the way we pass the peace- with an elbow bump; and we will have hand sanitizer around. 

Our choices in the face of any fear or insecurity is will we run away, be paralyzed, or march forth- doing what we believe God wants us to do. 

Fear Vs. Missions Sermon at LMPC 3-1-20

3-1-20 “Fear and Missions”  Gen. 12:1,2; Hab. 2:14; Mt. 28:18-20 

The Coronavirus has been blamed for taking away a year’s worth of gains from the stock market because of fear of what might happen (about 4,000 points of the Dow Jones).  It has literally wiped out the retirement income and savings of some.  Some in our church have told me they have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars.  It is like some are saying, “Be afraid- be very afraid.”  The worst case scenarios are playing out. 
    But let us be clear about what this virus is.  It has killed 4,000 people and there are 83,000 reported cases (which means you have a 95% chance of surviving it if you contract it).  In a world of 7.8 billion people that is .0001%.  The flu in 2019-20 so far has 4 to 10 times the amount of deaths (depending on how you confirm the flu) and there have been 280,000 people hospitalized and the CDC estimates that 13 million people have gotten the flu or .1667% of the population.  Yet in Rome churches are being shut down because of the corona virus so people will not gather together.  In China the streets are empty.  In Switzerland gatherings of 1,000 or more have stopped.  How are we supposed to handle this?  Are we supposed to be saying “run for your lives?”  How do you want to react to the Corona Virus?  To point out that we are being a little bit irrational, a survey was done of American beer drinkers and 38% said they would not drink Corona Beer (even though drinking Corona Beer does not prevent or give you the virus). 
     Christians are people who know there is more to life than health and wealth.  For years the mantra that people have been repeating is this: “As long as I have my health I am okay.”  In survey after survey for the last forty years the number one priority for people is their health.  Because of this medical and pharmaceutical costs have skyrocketed.  So in 1970 healthcare in real dollars was $74 billion; In 2000 it was $1.4 Trillion and it has more than doubled that today to $3.6 trillion increasing 31 times vs. the 1970 dollar and six times the inflation rate.   
     In 1999 they said Y2K was the catastrophe that would shut down all computers, the internet and the grid-  that didn’t happen.  In 2001 Anthrax was the catastrophe that never happened that the government spend billions of dollars to prevent; In 2002 it was the mosquito born West Nile Virus;  In 2003 SARS; In 2005 Bird Flu; In 2006 E-Coli; In 2009 Swine Flu; In 2012 the Mayan calendar ended, so that people were saying the world will end- but we are still here; In 2014- Ebola was the incurable virus; Last year the threat was that measles will break out;  Now it is Coronavirus.  It is a little bit of the chicken little “the sky is falling syndrome.” It is always important to be vigilant.  But it is never right to panic.  It is important to not rationalize or feed our panic either.  The Bible says perfect love casts out fear.   It is always too easy about any situation to assume that the worse will happen.  In Christ the worst has already happened.  We proclaimed the most innocent man guilty- the ultimate unfairness.  We crucified God.  But guess what?  Evil didn’t win.  He rose from the dead.  Trust Him, do not give into fear.
     Over the years there have been human stampedes. All of them were aggravated by panic. Half of them had no cause BUT human panic.  In 1913 in Michigan 700 coal miners were passing out gifts on Christmas Eve.  Someone yelled “Fire” even though there was no fire.  70 or 1/10 of them were trampled to death trying to get out.  
     So in the midst of all the fears of losing health, where does faith fit in?  The Bible has quite a lot to say about faith and healing.  One pivotal verse is  Exodus 15:26:  “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His eyes, and pay attention to His commands, and keep all His statutes, then I will not bring on you any of the diseases I inflicted on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.”  Or Psalm 103:3 “He forgives all my sin and heals all my diseases.”  Jesus performed 37 miracles recorded in the Gospels- 27 of them had to do with physical healing.  Jesus raised three people from the dead.  Is this not part of the good news?  The Gospel has brought blessing with it- and physical blessing is a part of that.  All this is to show us that God not only makes us- he sustains us.  Wherever the Gospel has gone, healing has occurred.  I know in South Sudan every hospital was started by missionaries. Our South Sudan mission trips always bring medicine and treatment with them with RNs and sometimes doctors.   In Kenya there are whole areas that are mission hospitals.  Think of LMPC’s building a medical clinic in the 1980s in Malawi.  Even in our area- there is Prisma Palmetto Baptist and Prisma Parkridge Baptist. In Charlotte there is Presbyterian Hospital. In Atlanta there is Emory a Methodist started hospital.   There is Providence in Columbia and St. Joseph’s in Asheville both started by nuns.  All this is to say God is not just concerned about your spirit.  Our souls are linked to our minds and bodies- and one affects the other.  Ultimate health involved body, mind and spirit. 
     So this is missions month.  Part of what we do is to spread courage, faith, and hope.  Christmas was about Jesus coming as a missionary to us.  That is part of the Christmas emphasis this year.  Jesus had the courage to touch the leper even though the disease was contagious.  John Calvin stayed in Strasborg when the bubonic plague (the Black Death) hit to minister to those in his congregation who were sick and dying visiting them.  He stayed in Geneva when the plague hit there and continued to preach to the people.  Some say his wife died of the plague.  Calvin believed the plague was a sign of God’s wrath upon a people who did not take God seriously enough.  His call was for people to repent- which is always a good idea.  Nobody wants to get the plague- or the coronavirus or whatever.  But we don’t have to live in fear or despair or be paralyzed.   Missionaries cannot be paralyzed by fear.  You are all missionaries. 
    So in a world of fear, we can hold up hope that life is more than health and wealth.  We believe in the resurrection and the reward of heaven that far exceeds anything here.  The Psalmist says, “Whom have I in heaven but thee?  And being with thee I desire nothing besides thee.  My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26). 
      This hope, this love, this courage needs to be spread through the whole earth- so that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of God as the water covers the sea.  There has been much talk about the spreading plague of coronavirus.  Some are calling it a “global pandemic” meaning it will spread throughout the world.  I hope it will not spread. But I do hope a more positive thing spreads- the good news of Jesus Christ.  Today if you go to China you will find McDonald’s.  If you go to Kenya you will find McDonald’s.  If you go to Scotland you will find McDonald’s.  McDonalds wants to be the world leader in fast food globally because they believe in their product.  Now I am not a McDonald’s critic, but if the Big Mac is the best thing we can spread throughout the world we are in trouble.  How about spreading love in a world full of division? How about spreading eternal life in a world that thinks this life is all?  How about spreading hope in a world full of stress, anxiety, depression and despair?  How about spreading calling and purpose in a world where people feel meaningless?  Missions is doing God’s work and doing it in a way that pleases Him.  I invite you to join in the kingdom cause of bringing joy to the world.