SUNDAY SERMON

 MAY 3, 2020 

Good morning.  This is Pastor Rod Davison here at Hilltop Chapel in Miramonte, CA.  We are delighted to have you with us this morning and pray that you will receive a blessing.  Let’s pray. “Our gracious Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day.we are so pleased to be here this morning and we thank you for the privilege of being here this morning.  We pray Father that all we do and all that we say this day will bring glory and honor to your name.  In Jesus’ precious name we’ll ask it.  Amen.

SERMON: Open your Bibles and read Psalm 131 and 133. I would like to tell you a little bit about what I am going to be talking about this morning, “RESTING IN GOD AND GROWING IN GRACE”.  One of the things that gets  swept under the rug a little bit, many times, is the relationship with God and how we nurture that and how He wants to be approached by us.  Sometimes thoughts expressed in a unique way hit you right between the eyes.  A while ago I read an article and it  occurred to me that simply being around certain people has a profound affect on the way we feel and act.  The story was about a little girl five years old who wouldn’t take a nap until her favorite aunt held her for 5 minutes.  Her request was granted, and she was immediately content and fell sound asleep.  The story reminded me , once again,  how vital it is for us to spend 5, or 10, 15, or even 30 minutes in the arms of our Heavenly Father.  There we find peace and comfort, contentment and a feeling of confidence that no matter what is swirling around us we’re safe and secure. So the next question is, “do you feel secure today?” 

     There re many times when I let my mind wonder and I am not at all at ease with what I see around me.  There’s the constant threat of harm from various outside sources, pandemics like the Coronavirus sweeping the planet, and there’s political upheaval of like to which we have not experienced before in the history of our nation.  Civility is at an all-time low.  We can’t even begin to have a meaningful conversation with someone with whom we differ philosophically, politically or theologically without fear of offending them for life.

     These two short Psalms that we read earlier give us God’s perspective on every situation that brings anxiety into our lives.  Just as the child resting in the arms of one who loves her, is contented, so the soul waiting on the Lord finds rest and contentment  only in Him. Let me read the words again from Psalms 131.  “Lord my heart is not haughty-nor my eyes lofty.  Neither do I concern myself with great matters nor with things too profound for me.  Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weened child with his mother, like a weened child is my soul within me.  O, Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forever.“

     God’s promises are forever.  God promises to comfort us, to strengthen us, to encourage us, to lift us up and to be there in every situation that perplexes us.  One of my favorite verses of scripture comes from 1 Peter 5:7 and it says’ “Casting all your care upon Him because He cares for you.”  The biggest part of that verse is the last part, “for He cares for you.”  God is always there for you.  God always cares for you.  He never turns His back on you. He is always faithful.  One of the wonderful things about that is it gives a certain amount of perspective on every situation that brings anxiety into our lives.  Just as a child rests in the arms of one who loves her, is contented, so the soul waiting on the Lord finds rest and contentment only in Him.  Along with the verse that I read to you we find other references in God’s Word  of His constant love and care for us.  One of the most important ones is found in Hebrews 13:5 “I will never leave you or forsake you.”   God promises that throughout His Word. And He never goes back on His Word.  God has created for us fellowship with Him and provides all that we need to cultivate that relationship.  But then He takes it one step further.  He provides other people that sweeten the mix even more.  What a joy it is to have fellowship with those who are one with in Christ Jesus.  It’s a little more difficult right now to have that one-on-one relationship, Rick talks about this every week in the announcements, about being close to those who are close to you, your family, your friends.  Be in contact.  Stay close.  We have marvelous ways of staying in contact these days.  We have Zoom, we have Skype.  We have all kinds of different ways  we cannot only talk to each other but actually see each other while we are talking. It’s good to get on one of those and just pray with each other. And know that God is hearing your prayer and putting  you together with that person who have a special bond with.

We are here today because of God and His infinite love, grace and mercy has called us, ( I. Use this verse very often) “He has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.” It goes on to say, “for once we were not a people, but are now a people of God.”  So we share the love of God as Brothers and Sisters in Christ, not only among ourselves, but with others of who we may come in contact with as we walk in this world.  

     So how does our being together now, here, no matter where you happen to be, fit with God’s sovereign plan for the universe?  Well, in my humble opinion, there is 7 billion people walking on the earth today and each of those individuals has a common need.  And that common need is a Savior.  And we know that Savior to be Jesus Christ.  We are all, I’m pretty sure, that we are living in a tine that the Bible describes as the “Last Days” or the “Time of the End”.  That being the case, Jesus tells us, “now when you see these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads because your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21:28)

Our fellowship here today as Christians, acts as a beacon of light in a dark world.  We gain all the benefits of ones held close by a loving Heavenly Father, and a glimpse of what it will be like when we break the bonds of earth and walk the streets of gold with our Savior.  We don’t know exactly when that’s going to happen, but we can sure tell the signs of the times.  

     The pandemic that we are living through right now is unpresidential in the way that it has affected everything on earth, from shore-to shore in the United States, across the Atlantic  Ocean to Europe and beyond, to the Middle East and beyond that to India and China and Japan and the rest of the world.  It’s affecting everybody. And because of that our focus has to be on the one who has the answers.  And the only One who has the answers is God.  Men and women are grasping at straws trying to figure out what to do with this virus.  And yet we know that God has the answer.  That God is providing a way for each one of us to get that answer.  This life, no matter how you leave it, is passing away.  And because of that we need to be sure of what’s going to happen when we leave.  Those of us that know Christ as our Savior and Lord are confident, well prepared and ready for whatever comes next because we know that we in His hands and He will safely lead us where He wants us to go. 

My prayer for everybody out there this morning and among those who are sitting here today is always the same prayer, that you would find peace with God through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, and hopefully yours.  That you would embrace Him and allow Him to lead you where He wants you to go.  We don’t Know where the world is going to go, but we do know the one who knows exactly where we’re going.  And my prayer for everybody  listening to me and watching this morning is that you will have peace with God and that you will have eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Thanks so much for being here this morning.