Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic Pt. 1

[Music] turn with me in your Bibles to Psalms 37 in verse number 25 Psalm 37 in breast number 25 I have been young now I'm old yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread thank you you may be seated and [Music] the grass withers and the flower fades with the word of our God just then for him only talk to us this morning about faith in the midst of a pandemic faced in the midst of a pandemic again I am NOT critical or criticizing other pastors and churches that are not worshipping today because of whatever reason they choose to cancel their service they like we recognize that faith is not stupidity faith is not reckless and careless faith is always reasonable and sensible and for whatever reason they chosen to do what it is that they have chosen to do by faith and so in the same faith we have chosen to show up this morning because we want to look at what God has to say in this time of global concerns the corona virus known clinically or medically as kovat 19 has forced the world to embrace a new normal politicians on both sides of the aisles are trying to as an emergency aid package that would provide paid sick leave and free testing everyday life in our country is grinding to a halt schools are closing the National Hockey League Major League Baseball have joined the National Basketball Association and the Professional Golf Association in suspending play while the most celebrated sporting event even surpassing the Super Bowl March Madness which features the best in collegiate basketball has been canceled Broadway theaters are going dark churches are canceling worship services Disney World has shut its gates US stocks have had their worst days since the market crash of 1987 taking Wall Street from a bull to a bear market whatever that means and self-quarantine and social distancing are our latest phrases in our new lexicography shelves are being emptied in our stores businesses are canceling conferences heads of state are being tested and nerves are freeing in this time of global pandemic hand sanitizer and tissue paper are as precious as jewels from Jared's the Federal Reserve will inject as much as 1.5 trillion dollars into the banking system and buy government bonds to keep the mock markets liquid but monetary policy alone won't fix the problem political referendums and medical expertise won't solve the dilemma online classes and quarantining of populations won't get the job done second chronicles 7 vs. 13 and 14 gives us a remedy if I shut up heaven that there be no rain or if I command the locusts to devour the land or if I send pestilence among my people if my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways and I will forgive their sins and heal their their some 11 and verse 3 reads if the Foundation's be destroyed what then can the righteous do in the midst of this global fright walk with me through some of the wisdom literature of the scripture that ought to help us to keep our wits about us when our government leaders don't understand what we need to do Psalm number one says breast is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly nor stands in the way of sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornful but his delight is in the law of the Lord and in that Lord Duffy meditate both day and night and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth his fruit in his season his leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper Psalm 23 says the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want he maketh me to lie down in green pastures come on you can say it with me he leadeth me beside the still waters he restores my soul he leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me thy rod my staff they comfort me thou prepareth the table before me in the presence of my enemies thou anointest my head with oil my cup runneth over surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever Psalm 24 says the earth is the Lord's I wish I had a witness here the fullness thereof the world and they that dwell therein for he had founded it upon the Seas and established it upon the flood who shall ascend until the heel of the Lord or who shall stand in the Holy Place come on you can say it with me he that has clean hands and a pure heart who have not lifted up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully he shall receive blessings from the Lord and righteousness from the god of his salvation this is the generation of them that seek Him that seek thy face o Jacob lift up your head o ye gates and be lifted up ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in who is this King of glory the Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in the battle Psalm 27 says the Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid when the wicked even my enemies and my foes came upon me to eat up my flesh they stumble and they fell though a host though coronavirus should encamp against me and this will I be confident one thing have I desired of the Lord and that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the law forever here it is for in the time [Music] [Applause] [Music] he showed me wait on the Lord be of good courage he will strengthen your heart wait I say on the Lord Psalm 9 it says Lord thou has been our dwelling place I wish I had a witness here in all generations before the mountains were brought forth or ever bow has formed the earth and the world even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God thou turnest man to destruction and says return the children of men for a thousand years in your sight or but as yesterday when it is past and as a watch in the night I'll carries them away that's with the flood they are as asleep in the morning there like grass that grows up but in the evening they'll cut down and wither for we are consumed by thine anger and by thy wrath are we troubled but I said I bound our days we cannot pass so teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts under wisdom Psalm 91 says he that dwelleth in the secret place shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty I will say of the Lord he is my refuge and my fortress my god in him when I put my trust so I'm 37 says I've been young I'm old and there's some things I've never seen I've never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread my brothers and sisters I want you to hear me the scripture does not say I've never seen the righteous seed the bible does not say i've never seen the righteous suffer the scripture does not teach i've never seen the righteous get in trouble the bible does not declare i've never seen the righteous die the bible does not proclaim i've never seen the righteous lose their house the scripture does not stand on the conviction that i have never seen the righteous depressed the bible does not say i've never seen the righteous go to the hospital i've never seen the righteous lose a loved one I've never seen the righteous go broke or lose a job the Bible teaches I've never seen the righteous forsaken cuz when you're sick he still won't forsake you when you're broke he's right there when you're losing loved ones he'll drive tears from your eyes if you don't have a house God got another house if God closes a door he's getting ready to open a window I've been healed but not all and I've never seen the righteous forsaken take courage brothers and sisters lift up your head I know what the president is telling us to do I know what our government officials are telling us to do I know what's been cancelled I know what's been postponed I know I know what the medical professionals are saying who doesn't wash their hands I mean who who doesn't do habits of cleanliness we know how to we're intelligent enough to know how to do that that's not what I'm talking about this morning because you can wash your hands all you want if you don't wash your heart if you don't wash your mind I wish I had a witness here if your spirit is dirty and your hands are clean you can go to hell with sanitizer on your hand sanitize your heart mr. president [Applause] sanitize your soul america sanitize your spirit church of black people God brought us through slavery God brought us through the backdoor God brought us through colored drinking fountains Baroque era and dolls and water hoses if God can keep us in Jim Crow segregation [Music] I will keep him I wish I had a witness in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on me you can't come to church but you can stand in a line two and a half hours put your hand on the dead a grocery basket with them lowdown people at the grocery store come out in the Lord's house and give God thanks cuz he kept you when you can keep yourself we grew up with roaches [Applause] something on help me talk it I need somebody who's my age and older to help me testify when we went when they wouldn't let us go to the doctor if you cut your foot they put some spider way up on it if you got a nail in your foot did get some fat bleep and put it on your foot to draw the swelling out I wish I had some witness if you had a borrow that the doctor couldn't handle that get some flaxseed meal and borrowed it and make a piece and put it on you and say bar go play outside God took care of us God made a way for us God has been good to us God has provided for us and if God kept us back then God can keep us right now there's that simple thing there's several things I want to run by you to keep you encouraged and keep you from losing your mind and keep you from putting your hair out and rushing to the store to get everything on the Shelf we know how to make it [Music] [Applause] I know it I know it some other nationalities and other races listening to us streaming but I'm talking to us now we know how to just get by or in the language of our elders we know how to make do somebody ought to help me here when we didn't have ponies to ride we'd get a broom stick or mop I wish I had somebody to help me before we had cell phones we had tomato and Campbell soup cans that we put string on and call ourselves making a phone call I wish I had one or two witnesses here me and Johnny used to roll ourself around in a tire that came off the car and then we got tired of that we'd put a rope around it and made a swing out of it and then we got tired playing with it my mama put it in the front yard put some dirt in it and planted some flowers in it we just know how to get by I wish I had somebody in here this morning who don't mind eating cornbread and milk pigtails and fatback collard greens and and and and and all the stuff that goes with that we just put that together make a meal go to bed get up and come to church because God's been good to us and we know how to make it like the preacher said last night on broken pieces is there anybody here had to just make do is there anybody here just got along the best you could until you just faked it until you could make it and now God has brought you and you think God don't leave you now [Applause] I'm trying to get to the text but but I don't feel no ways tired cuz I come too far for well started nobody told I wish I had helped appreciate that the road would be easy but I don't believe I said I don't believe I'm talking about me now you just speak for yourself I'm self Amina I don't believe God brought me this far and then just walk off and leave I've been young now I'm who yep have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread what's the mileage between being young and being old what's the distance between Davidson I've been young and now more how far do you have to travel from I've been young to namu well is not years cuz some folk got years and still ain't got no sense [Music] [Applause] [Music] not years don't make you talk like this no the distance between I've been young too now I'm old is experience I've seen God do some stuff I've watched God move some stuff I wish I had one or two witnesses I've seen God raise up friends for me and then I've watched God put down enemies for me have we got a witness here I've got some experience with God that tells me that when the bottom falls out when the world is going crazy I can go to sleep at night he's right here in the text it is right here in the text first of all you got a control you walk control you walk he's right here in verse number 23 the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his ways the steps of a good man ordered planned by the Lord directed foot printed xeroxed already constructed by the load loading I'll let you step in nothing that you can't handle and guarding on that nothing step to you that you can't handle he's ordered just steps before you got up this morning he ought to just steps before you were even born God has ought and if you if you put your trust in him and let him order your steps he'll delight in your way trust in the Lord with all your heart lean on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path you can stay on the cruise but you can't come to church gotta watch over you on your job God watched over you all night while you slept God protected you from the hurt and harm God made a way when there was no way God provided for you when they look like you will gonna lose your mind and now because they are telling us you got a social and distance from other people and Quarantine yourself from other people that God can be with you even in your quarantine when Isaiah says he'll keep you till your hair turns gray I wish I had one or two more Bible readers God will stand up with you in the midst of your fiery furnace in the midst of your lion's den in the midst of your Philippi and jail he will order your steps I think I need to hurry and say to somebody that God has a strange way of getting our attention America has become as secular as Western Europe people are declaring out of their own mouths there is no God and if there is a god we don't need him to run our affairs we don't need a Savior we don't need church we don't need God and God said all right handled is and now people Lord how much it what we gonna do oh no no no no no no God is in the same place he was in when you didn't come to church last Sunday I wish I had one or two witnesses here no no no no don't use God like some spare tire or like some cosmic bellhop that whenever you need him you just ring a bell and God shows up and then when the crisis is over God you can go back to where you were in heaven God wants to be in charge of your life God wants to order your steps God wants to direct your life and if you don't let God be Lord of all he does not want to be Lord at all my brothers and sisters I want you to hear me I don't want you to think for one second that what I'm saying to you today is trying to listen the severity of what's going on around the world because people are suffering people are dying from this disease so you need to take every medical precaution I'm not against doctors I'm not against medicine I'm not against hospitals because I'm going to the doctor tomorrow yes I am I have a doctor's appointment scheduled tomorrow it's before all of this stuff happened I have a doctor's appointment scheduled tomorrow I'm going to MD Anderson to do an MRI to check on this tumor to see if it's still shrinking and then you think after I'll shake your hand I ain't going to the doctor I love every last one of you well you you actually think I ain't gonna put some sanitizer on my hand after I get through shaking your hand I love you I don't want to see you in heaven but I don't want to see you that tomorrow I want to go see my doctor tomorrow and then see you back here next Sunday somebody ought to help me preach it because this this thing about faith is when you when you when you get people in the habit of not getting the church when is your faith gonna kick back in because this thing is not going to be over next Sunday so at what point do you say well I'm just gonna have to just bite the bullet no I'm not biting the bullet I'm trusting in God I'm going to the doctor but I'm trusting in God because God wouldn't give these people all this medical information if he didn't mean for us to use it but it is not a substitute for God because all healing comes from God brothers and sisters control you walk be careful where you put your foot down be careful how you conduct yourself in this time in this crisis the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord but but the second thing I want you to hear is not only are to control you walk but condition you will though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholds him with his hand though he fall now listen that does not mean though you fall in the sin because God does not uphold unrighteousness the scripture is not saying though you fall in the sin you shall not be utterly cast down know what that what that verse means is though some calamity befalls you though some coronavirus before you you shall not be utterly down for the lord of holes him watch this with his hand I trust my doctors but I really trust God I trust the advice of medical professionals I trust will almost said I trust the president but I let me change that around I trust that this pulpit is standing up right here but my real faith my real trust is in the Living God because brothers and sisters listen to me even though you do not have proof of God you've got evidence and the evidence is some of us have fallen and some stuff have befallen us but God came to your rescue many of the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers them out of them all and brothers and sisters I've just I just want to say this for anybody who's listening if you're not gonna believe this Bible stop reading it if God is not who God says he is then stop putting your trust in it but I believe that God will do just what God said he will do and the scripture says he will do exceeding abundantly above all that you can even ask or fake and whatever befalls you or whatever comes your way God will not let you be utterly cast down control you won't condition your will so that you will want what God wants for you God's will will become your will God's ways will become you delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart and when you delight yourself in the Lord you will only delight for what God will give you you would only have pleasure in what God sends you you will only shout and exalt and give God glory for the things that God wants you to have because if they are outside the purview of God's will for your life you are ask God for you not to want it [Music] because anything God does not want for me it must be for my good and for his glory and if some sickness should befall me God still wants to get glory out of it God still wants to get praise out of it God still wants to get honor out of it I was listening brother Charles and I hope you don't mind me using him in this illustration brother child that family they've been praying for some time now for Abigail to to recover and it was not God's will he did not please God that she should survive the cancer diagnosis she went to be with the Lord on yesterday and members of that family have just shown up at church this morning praise God for that for this reason that I'm gonna ask God to do this and if God chooses not to answer in the way that I'm asking then let me walk with God wheels [Music] because he knows what his best he knows what is good and he will always do what is right and there is no side to God's character that's opposed to my goodness goodness and mercy the scripture says follows me but if the accurate translation is goodness and mercy just keep chasing me down God is looking for ways to bless me God is looking for ways to make my life makes sense and even when what happens to me is painful it's still purposeful I worked on this all night so you won't you don't have to shout on this reason we have to have reason in order for us to appreciate complexity we need complexity in order for us to appreciate majesty we need to appreciate majesty because that gives us an appreciation for mystery and once you handle mystery you ready for the miraculous and the miraculous don't have to be the Red Sea opening the miraculous don't have to be Jesus getting up from the grave on the third day morning the miracle is God just lets us come in his presence this morning because when you like when you lay down last night you had no notion that you would wake up this morning because there are a whole lot of people who woke up that didn't get up but God let you get up in your right mind and make your way to church and the miracle is that he blesses you knowing who you are and brothers and sisters isn't it marvelous how that people despise us on speculation and God loves us knowing all the facts people dislike us on what they don't know about us and God loves us and he knows everything about us control you walk condition you will and finally commit your way I've been young normal yet if I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread brothers and sisters that I hurry to the clothes it's a matter of perspective it's a matter of looking at it through the right lenses because young people look at stuff different from middle-aged people the young people everything is a game everything is sport everything is make-believe to young people The Real Housewives of Atlanta is real the young people all of these foolishness that goes on on television and that happens in the street and they believe everything that's on Facebook they believe everything that's on social media and I'm not against young people I need them here just in case I get old and y'all try to put me out they will stand up for me so I'm not I'm not bashing young people I'm just saying that on social media it's not that you're ignorant it's just that you know so much that's not true stop believing all of that stuff you see on your phone it's not true young people see life through lenses that are fuzzy and and make-believe and then when you get middle-age you're settled in your career you're settled in your job in your house and your marriage you've got 2.5 children and a white picket fence then and a nice car to drive you start seeing things a little differently than young people see things middle-aged you get settled and you start you start meeting all your friends at Walmart and at the doctor's office you can have a class reunion at Walmart you meet everybody you know at the doctor's office that's middle E you're settled life is making sense now you're not running after a whole lot of stuff that you ran after when you were young when you were young you wanted everything and not that you're middle-aged and settled now things are beginning to make sense you ain't got all the sick you gonna have but things are starting to make sense because now you're in your forties and fifties and and you're not as cute as you used to be and you ain't worried about it you ain't fine that you used to be and you don't care nothin about that you already got the man so you ain't got to worry about none of that your mind is not as quick and sharper that used to be but that's alright because you can write stuff down now that's that's middle-aged but now let's get over here to the 60 and 70 and 80 year old crowd you got to you got to stay close by the bathroom because you don't ever know somebody ought to help me preach it and and don't don't don't worry about writing stuff down cuz you ain't gonna know where you put it and then if you know where you put it you gonna ask what did I write this here phone I wish I had two or three more believers here oh yeah somebody here my age you're gonna go in the room and forget what you went in there for looking for your cell phone and you it's in your hand looking for your car keys and you got them in your pocket because life is just gonna turn on you oh yeah you can't sit in those soft low chair and if you do you got to rock five six seven times fold you can get up I wish I had somebody to help me oh come on girl help me get out of this chair if you ain't there yet just keep on living but then you start seeing things differently when you get that age you start recognizing that if God brought you in your twenties if God kept you when you didn't have any sense and didn't know how to call on his name that same God is able right now to provide for your every need you stop worrying about who likes you and who does not like you and who's on your side and who's not on your side because you start seeing life through this lens God will take care of me God will provide for me God will open doors for me and if God doesn't do anything else for me my testimony is my show is my praise is he's already done more than enough and more than I will ever deserve I'm through but there was another virus that God took care of on Calvary I'm not talking about corona virus now Cobin 19 there was a virus called sin that every last one of us was infected with when we came forth from our mother's womb but but God provided an antidote to sins infection what can wash away my sins nothing but the blood of Jesus don't don't fear what can kill your body fear what can destroy your soul sin can destroy your soul but God already took care of that virus on a skull shaped hill and a blood-soaked cross I hear the same to say our strength indeed is small child of weakness watch and pray find in me and all in all Jesus paid it oh oh to him I owe sin the infection of sin had left a crimson stain but he washed it he washed it he cleansed it he disinfected it he carried it away he washed it white as snow

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Id: cvTAxCDEfEk

Length: 45min 45sec (2745 seconds)

Published: Mon Mar 23 2020