SUNDAY SERMON---WELL ANCHORED TO MY ROCK
Hello everyone on this Lord's Day, and a brand new month, May, the month of flowers blooming. This is Chaplain Gary [CESM] broadcasting from the parking lot just outside of your building. Glory to the Lord for this marvelous technology that allows us to penetrate brick, wood and plaster with a radio signal carrying the very Word of God and His Gospel to those precious souls being protected inside. Great appreciation to all those who have been moved to support this tiny ministry to bring the Church to you every Sunday, in person or through the airwaves. It looks as though we might be taking the first "baby steps" on the journey back to a more normal lifestyle. We have to be cautious not to get the horse in front of the cart. I pray we will take our time, plan our steps and evaluate as we go. I am one of those who is pretty convinced that we will not return to the SAME NORMAL as we had before, but somewhere in between. The Lord got our global attention and the Bible has all that we need in guidance and direction.
As we prepare to raise our voices in worship, singing praise to the glory and awe of our Creator, Read with me Psa 89:1-2 I will sing of the loving kindness of the LORD forever; To all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth. (2) For I have said, "Loving kindness will be built up forever; In the heavens You will establish Your faithfulness."
CALL TO WORSHIP- [HYMNS: -I need The Every Hour/ 30-I Love to tell the story]
SERMON SYNOPSIS
Have you ever had the distinct feeling that someone was watching you? Did it give you comfort, or did it give you the creeps? I suppose that it all really depends on where you are, what you are doing, what you are thinking when this "WATCHFUL" impression comes over you. In our sermon today, we will focus on our anchor, our protector, our constant guide, our watcher, OUR ROCK.
OPENING PRAYER Mighty God above, open our hearts, our souls and our ears to Your message this Lord's day. Increase our understanding of that which will be revealed to us in Your Word. Write a new Spiritual Eyeglass Prescription so that we might better visualize all that You bless us with each and every moment. Grant to us Peace and patience during this time of trial and testing. As Your will permits, subdue this Pestilence threat to our community, our nation and the world. In the name of JESUS, Amen
SERMON
The Lord is my ROCK. JESUS is my Savior. The Holy Spirit ...my ANCHOR and safety zone in all that I do, day by day. I see GOD in EVERYTHING! I truly do. Looking to the LEFT, to the RIGHT, UPWARDS and DOWNWARDS, the very WITNESS of His hand is undeniable and is visible everywhere and in everything. I see Him in YOU, and yes, I SEE HIM in YOU TOO!
Psa 71:3,9 Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may continually come; You have given commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress. Do not cast me off in the time of old age; Do not forsake me when my strength fails. My ROCK gives me great confidence in knowing that no matter what, no matter the situation, I am anchored to His mighty strength, and I am NEVER alone!
No matter where I might be, inside or out, I can look most anywhere and see the unmistakable evidence of HE who made all that has ever been made. There is a mockingbird in a tree outside our house. Although this little fellow can drive you nuts after a while, I've learned to see extraordinary beauty in the sheer volume of tunes this bird can create. My favorite is his rendition of the CAR ALARM song!! I Love You my LORD! Psa 71:14 As for me, I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more. You Lord are my ROCK!
When we move about GRAVITY teaches us that it is not always our best friend! The ONLY time I can recall that FALLING is considered cute is when the person falling is 2 years old and well diapered! Age removes the shine of "cuteness" from a fall. We all do pretty good when we have at least one hand or a foot on a stable platform. This works in our spiritual life as well. JESUS is our Rock, our Anchor. Keeping Him in our field of spiritual view, we find protection and stability in a world that seems to have gone to......well......HELL! Keeping one or more hands, and feet firmly planted on the ROCK of Christ, He keeps us upright and on the path, even in darkness. Pro 4:18-19 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day. (19) The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know over what they stumble. Remember the ROCK when you move about; keep that stable platform close so you won't fall!!
I love the LORD, because He hears My voice and my supplications. (2) Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live. {Psa 116:1-2}
Psa 34:1 {David wrote}: ... I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Most of us who have reached the seasoning that we have attained in years have done so by the very grace of our Lord. Believe me.....LUCK had nothing to do with it at all! You did not get to this age by being stupid! Now, I will confess to you that I have done many, many stupid things in my life. Some of which were beyond stupid, but EVEN WHILE I WAS YET SINNING, Jesus had already bought me, redeemed me, cleaned me and poured His Holy Spirit into me.
Even in my nunnage I had a sense of the ROCK. The awesome power of God. It had to have come from my family. The ROCK influenced somebody to plant the seeds of the Gospel of Christ in me. I really don't know when that was. Here is what I do know. I was in my 60's when those seeds {planted long ago} finally got enough water and healthy soil around them to finally sprout and grow. Now, years later I can look into my REAR-VIEW MIRROR and see the changes that took place in me over a long period of time. THAT is the rock to which I refer. Once you acknowledge JESUS, and realize that HE truly is who HE claims to be, and this ROCK is the strongest foundation that the world has ever known, and ON THIS ROCK rests eternal life in the LIGHT of HE who created you, you will find It safe, secure, solid, immovable, unchangeable, and radiating LOVE.
There is a catch though. You have to believe! Not only in HIM, but that this valued grace given as a gift of ALMIGHTY GOD..will require your life! Your life of SIN will die. Lust and greed.....will die. Hatred, Jealously, Vengeance, Dishonesty....ALL DEAD! Not to compare this to a KENNY ROGERS SONG, but, when all the dying is done, what you have left, IF YOU BELIEVE, is LIFE. Life eternal, life in the very presence of He who made you, on that solid ROCK, The ROCK of JESUS THE CHRIST!
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord of all mercy, Creator of Life, we give thanks for the solidness and strength of the ROCK of Jesus. By keeping this spiritual anchor within our constant view, we lessen the opportunity to be tempted or error against our maker. We may soon see the beginning of change on the horizon with regard to this pestilence and how we might continue to remain as protected as possible. We place our full faith in You O Mighty Sovereign, and shall continue to TRUST and OBEY for this is Your way. Fill us with wisdom and patience as this world event continues to wane. In Jesus we pray, AMEN.
HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?
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