The Sermon Remembering: Building An Altar by David McGee
May 05, 2013
Remembering: Building An Altar (34:27)
Referenced Scriptures: Genesis 12:7; Genesis 13:4; 2 Chronicles 7:12-14; Philippians 4:6-9
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The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
Genesis 12:7
7) Yahweh appeared to Abram, and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." He built an altar there to Yahweh, who appeared to him.
Genesis 13:4
4) to the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first. There Abram called on the name of Yahweh.
2 Chronicles 7:12-14
12) Yahweh appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him, I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice.
13) If I shut up the sky so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
14) if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Philippians 4:6-9
6) In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
7) The peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
8) Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think about these things.
9) The things which you learned, received, heard, and saw in me: do these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
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The message that we have today is about building an altar or I I I as I was thinking about my past few weeks we've been talking about Abraham or Abram until God changed his name, but ever was called by God to lead his country leave is Kendra Davis family is no father enveloped the land that God would show him and so he took off from our localities and they traveled somewhat a thousand, maybe twelve hundred miles and you know it wasn't a matter of forgetting on to the VA are united. It was a it was camel airline and so they set out for traveling twelve hundred miles a thousand miles. My camel and it was after they had arrived at this place after a thousand miles of travel big God 's again came to Abraham, and said Ray Berman said to him, this is where you you're going to inherited this is the land I promised you, and it was there that Abraham built an altar and it's called Bethel Bethel is the place where Abram built this alter to God because of the place of remembering where God spoke to him so. In Genesis chapter twelve, beginning in verse seven, and this is was is God appeared to Abram and said I will give this land to your children. Abram built an altar at the place God had appeared to him and then in Genesis thirteen verse four methyl were Abram built his first altar apron trade fair to God, so what goes on in our life as we sometimes think of Abraham and how that God had spoken to him and taking them on this journey. This files allow journey and arrived at a place and when he arrived there and God said, this is the land. It was there he built an altar and I was thinking our lives, what do we do with import what do we do with important occasions in our life. We have birthdays celebrate we have anniversaries of marriage that we will celebrate all of our lives. We have anniversaries only thing to come into her life as a nation when the Fourth of July are the next one coming up is Memorial Day. What we do on Memorial Day. Remember, we remember the people who had died in the wars in our families and friends Fourth of July Independence day Presidents' Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving day Christmas day in your calendar. We have all these places. These memorials in our own lives we have birthdays, anniversaries, these are our Bethel. These are places that are important to us. Places of remembering places of saying this is what happened on this occasion, guys, how many remember when your wedding anniversary gift that you widen the public. I wasn't in our dear marriage likely. Fortunately for almost the June twenty fourth, one year fourteen ninety two bombing that have been the news you heard of Abraham and Sarah Hunt and David Deronda came over on the Mayflower. Well, whatever. Again, I will. I know you don't ever make a mistake with the teacher. Now Jesus was saying the but but it's just one of those things that we we look at. We have special occasions we set them up won't be the honestly dollars. I'll start with this one. This week I was getting before behind people and yet you know if those on the back of the car before bumper stickers on the rear bumper sticker that are a bumper stickers. This guy had ten. They were on his bumper. They were all over the place. You know the one that seemed like the newest money had and that this individual knows Geyer, or whatever bro one whomever it down the back of his car was Kayla what's Kayla Christian radio stations. Alas, pretty nice while underneath this came up was this kind of faded out sticker and it was the picture of a teddy bear changeable wall with a nine thing around its neck, holding it to the wall. It says I don't play well with others. I watch what kind of a message and we said Danielle Zellweger were mixed up that week we look at our library. We say one thing and was say something else inside what's going on here, so if we if we look at our life and just for a moment and said to have harbored by edit, edit, and it is the of I gave you a piece of paper and I should take just a few moments I write you to write down five positive things about you again. It was in your mind start rattled off five positive things about yourself, but figured out, I now I want you to stop. I want you to think for a few moments and write down five native negative things about yourself. Be ready to start, but figured on comedy finish the five negative where very easily swayed to do negative things were easily swayed to look at things in and find out what's wrong and it's it's really our educational system, its teachers with seven teachers in the congregation, though, but the way I do. It's that it's the idea that we are waiting to get wrong on your test is not a media right gets it all together whenever our children in our when I will wonder growing up I always remember that when the children are growing up, we celebrate everything you know how you make. :-) we celebrate the smile we celebrate the moon doing and whatever all for you now and always celebrate that, and then after a while I like to get out and we celebrate their first steps we celebrate you know what, in other first words we celebrate all the things and then we stopped celebrating and start correcting and when do we and our allies stopped celebrating the things about our life and start looking at the negative things and start holding onto them anything. We all have bad characteristics and we all have been characteristic now and and the idea is that God says every good and perfect thing to counsel us as a gift from heaven, then I highly like that. I know I've said this before the researcher says the rain falls on the just and the unjust. While in our society, rainy days, a bad day, but if you live in a desert culture a rainy day is a blessing. And so when the rain falls on the Jospin, the unjust, the blessings of God rain upon the good, and that God has a way of blessing. So you see, as we look at our life and we began to put together the things Internet. How does God look at us in the house. How are we to look at ourselves as we look through the eyes of God. In second Chronicles chapter seven and this is God appearing to us. Solomon and Solomon has just finished building the Temple in Jerusalem and God appeared to Solomon that very night. Instead, I accept your prayer because all minutes. Rated God would bless and take care of the nation what was the Temple things like that and says, I accept your prayer. Yes, I have chosen this place is a temple for sacrifice a house of worship. If I ever shut off the supply of rain from the sky or order the locus to eat the crops and send a plague on my people and my people, my God defined people respond by humbling themselves and pray, seeking my face turning their backs on their wicked ways, their wicked lives all be there ready for you. I'll listen from heaven, forgive their sins and restore the land to help the challenges as we look at the things that go on in our life the good things the bad things the promises the the things we don't understand that the things the questions the decisions we made with all the good intentions, and something goes wrong with them. God tells us that he wants us to humble ourselves and what why do we think of it as being humble know-how will yourselves and try. It's very difficult sometimes to ask to be in a position where the only outlet you have is to ask for help. What God is telling us in the Scriptures is that we are to look at our life and to recognize that he is there to accompany us in our life. If they are to establish a right relationship with us. It isn't that what I have to do to make God happy if the goddess made a way for us to enter into relationship with him or he can apart empower us by his Spirit in his word that will challenge the way that we think and to look at our life as a blessing from God other than a curse. Looking for the guy that God is bringing into our life, rather than trying to put benchmarks around that if my people, if my people, and who are God 's people want peace. It exists in the Scripture that says God defined people. If my people who are called by my name King James version has if my people, or combine my name, shall humble themselves, people who are called in Scripture, the New Testament says that you have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, you think God is the one who calls our hearts calls our lives to be in a relationship with him. God calls each of us to be in relationship with him, and this relationship we have with God is not the one that needs marking down all the bad things, the relationship that we have with God. He is giving us his word, his promises in order to shape our thinking and shape our understanding so that we can become what God intended us to the when we were scripters is why was yet in my mother 's womb. He newly formed me put all the stuff inside of me for me to become this person that he wanted me to be, and so on of life events and the things of life. We have the Scriptures and the coming together of God 's word and the coming together of our events and we humble ourselves and pray and what happens God, a showstopping walks with us turning our back on that which is evil that we humble ourselves and pray what we are doing is putting in place Pacific areas that God were asking God to intervene in our life and when he does that response with those markers. There those alters his places of remembrance. You see a lot of us are like this guy. He was driving around the crowded parking lot there was a parking place anywhere ever been there. We always have that happen at the gym. People are going to work out of the gentleman, but the closest parking place, resulting in a network on gender. The Norwalk. But anyhow, we have your parking lot and it's just always full of cars and you can't find one place apart and Uganda guys is God. If you'll just give me a parking space. I'll attend church every Sunday, just in a car backed out right the first spot. He goes up there and pulled into the parking lot egos. Nevermind God, I just found one that we are to you. So the name then to build a place in our life. It speaks of the God moments time as well. While one are God moments while the psalmist says, I recall the many miracles God has done for me, for they are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about them. I cannot stop thinking about what God has done for me. I cannot stop thinking about what God has done for me and and that's not like our culture, not like us, you see in it in your life teaches us differently is advertising no advertising tells us everything that we don't have and everything advertising is done in such a way that, if you'll just purchased this five days you'll find happiness that you find that the pretrade and ending in the, you'll find what you need. If you have this, but you don't have it, so therefore you need to you will go out and get it, and in and so we build a whole society upon what we don't have because of what that does is we are consumers down and not some of the foreign countries where they took some of the plants and moved and where they could make your products at very cheap labor they built this one plant in this one area, and everybody showed up and went to work. Talked a lot of work everything they got their paycheck in the next next thing no one came. Then back to work and they went to them and said a why aren't you working smoothly don't need work. We have money in on their very poor, impoverished and stuff. So what they did was they gave them catalogs so they can order things so that they would know what they need and they thinking back to work, so will try to like that in our lives were looking for something that is out there were looking for something that is out there out there. God is telling us to look here inside of us, because inside of us is that place that he created us to be in a spot that place that golf inside of us that only he can fill. As always, we look to the word of God, and look to what's going on inside of us. There becomes displaced that God is failing and we need to remember we need to remember the times in which God made a difference in our life in the Old Testament, God commanded his people to celebrate certain fees, he commanded them that they have to celebrate this every year, just like we celebrate the Fourth of July was a the command while fund calendar. I would take the day off what was have a picnic. No one is okay, but the way generally do that. Why, because it's a national holiday. The that in El Salvador, they'll celebrate the drum for the July know, because not international holiday. It's our national holiday we celebrate it. It's like the one regarding her knowledge independence that will happen. And while you know in the nation of Israel when they were delivered from the Egypt. The Egyptian bondage. Every year, Passover is a celebration of when they were delivered from Egypt and we celebrate Passover with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ because he died on Passover, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The Jewish people still celebrate Passover was commanded. Why because they were to remember when God delivered them from Egyptian bondage. They have these holidays they celebrate every year as memorials and at times to remember and to speak to their children about how God has worked in their nation 's life at this specific time so when do we stop and celebrate specific things spiritual things with anniversaries and birthdays and things like that. But what about spiritual things spiritual birthdays, spiritual times in which you know God really made a difference in your life when you marked on the calendar and you put it in place and that when things go not so well we go back to those place because that's what I'm paying for them. He built this that phony bill. This altar and there were times later on in his journey. Then he became down for a question and he would go back to Bethel and he would go there and remember that this is the place that God had spoken to him and then he had this understanding that this place this land was to his descendents, so we need to do this. Sometimes we need to do something very similar to that we need to put ourselves in the place were we remember things that God has done for us. What this dies, it builds our faith. It builds our faith and builds that we know that God is spiritual reality that we have has an aunt of physical interaction with our life which the place and time when God took care of us and I'll will remember the time in which God protected us remember the time in which God made a way for us remember whenever you are alone and God brought somebody to your aid and helped you out and just met that specific need in your life. Remember when God protected you from some shouldn't be here. You should be dead. Then something happened to keep you alive know growing up, I am old now I'm remembering reminiscing that I remember I remember when yes I remember being wrapped up in the power takeoff shaft of a tractor. It almost equaled by the ever known tractor running a machine in the spinning around and it's still you have a hundred and twenty horsepower tractor running machine, and I'm going to stop it by getting my body wrapped up in it, and I remember getting wrapped up and I had three sweatshirts on the day cousins fall T-shirts, sweatshirts, now whatever president of the day when on you for one, often through one often. I was wrapped up in there and I was going down around and I just remember pulling myself out of it, and I ripped T-shirt and three sweatshirts off at the sleep I was strong, but I don't think I was that strong to rip three sweatshirts off and have three sleeves the teacher, the Bauhaus was a mom, I need the newsletter and I told her what happened. She began to cry in relation to die and you know, there's just that this one time one time and that was what was a godsend. I deny since gone why felt this pull this scourge to pull out of there and I did like this, like cut in butter is ripped right off. I can still remember the marks around my neck where you know Rick didn't support like the most reasonable on pretty strong enough and then you look back over that think now that was a God moment that was a God moment in those her times and whenever you feel in valves and feel you question a week. We need to look at the times in which God has brought something to pass in our life in all, it isn't like our society. What can you do for me now what do you do for me now. God, I know that happened yesterday, but what you do for me. Now hurry to make this work. I fixed this, but you see, whenever we have a we look at those times which God. Cain and works, and we know that he is at work now, so that gives us a different perspective. A different approach to our life into the problems and to the things we face because God didn't want subdued again to get it in the nation of Israel. He'll do a frosty dinner for friends of somebody else to do for me and it isn't a matter that God thing he did it for them. He guided for me know God loves me for who I am. And yes, special plan for my life and my things and I can be like your things in your things on unlike their things, but God is still at work. Philippians four seven one oh Scriptures. It says again, verse six forty four seventy ever six okay this you were wondering, the verse six don't fret or worry. Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers. Let petitions and praise shape your worries into prayers, what are you concerned about woman. Thank God that he is with you. Thank God 's presence is with you. His strength is yours. Promises are yours, and then begin to shape those worries those concerns into a prayer. God, I pray I ask you see, those are very specific situations very specific needs that we are worried about well just turn them around the say forget about it. He says turnaround began to pray. Letting God know your concerns. While doesn't already know everything. Yes, but he still waiting to hear your voice be still waiting to hear your thoughts and your expression. Expression of your faith towards him about what you believe that God can do in your life so therefore turn your worries into a prayer and stand send it to God before you know what a sense of God 's holiness, a sense of God 's home is it that whenever we are. We feel incomplete that we weren't something to be taken from us or something, but to come to us. We were, but there is a sense of wholeness that I find in my relationship with God that I am complete with or without this, and in that sense of completeness, I find it everything coming together for good. I'm not trying to make God manipulate God I've got faith, God do this for me I am allowing God to work in my life, and whether I get is a delegated. If not, it's irrelevant to the things that I am safe in the arms of my father and everything is okay in life and in the life to come. Therefore God, give me wisdom and direction as I deal with this. Things are coming together but there is a whole list. There is a sense of things coming together for good and what will happen will come. And this whole sense of wholeness will saddle you down. Not anxious about going to be okay then forget about it and the need is still there, but I have a sense that I know that God has been to take care of this and I'm waiting. The guy was either going to me instructions as to how to do it, someone else don't bring it into my life somehow still be met, but I'm waiting patiently for God to direct for me to be still for me to our God is there. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces are worried at the center of our lives Christ displaces the word the person of Christ. Verse eight. Summing it all up, friends, I'd say your best, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on the things that are true things that are noble things that are reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious the best and not the worst, the beautiful, not the ugly things to praise, not things to curse to see how God is trying to shape our thoughts. Why because what were thinking about is where were going, what were thinking not as where were headed, and God wants to renew lie fonts renew our lives to get us home to give us victory to give us a sense that God is a work in our life. And here's something for us to do not just something for us to get you something for us to be to become, and that how can I arrive at what God wants this person to be. I am always anxious and worried and trying and striving, if we have a God-given goal. We can strive towards, but just a random rising got to direct us things to praise, not the curves. This weekend, David is in the eye son David is in Chicago. He's at Willow Creek Church, and Willow Creek is the high Falls Church and he they are putting together. See packets for the gardening projects. The David is doing in the communities, helping to due coordinate in El Salvador yesterday they had three different campuses, they had twenty thousand volunteers packing seeds and containers for the sea projects involved in El Salvador. Now that's not the congregation. That's what volunteers from the congregation of Willow Creek and the enemy in the lobby of the church, the one church. David has a truck. He has a chicken coop. It's on maybe sought on them. The webpage is a chicken coop yet. A couple of fake chickens and there was somebody put a couple of peeps in there too now while he was gone for a week later today that the ticket that feeds their underground and then yet I'll take you live undoubtedly will make you when you start in this place, that that it's under a plastic and it's where a garden and your hits may plant the new thing. While this is all in the lobby of the one building your votes on humming it seats over ten thousand people, I guess, but the anyhow, this is where young willow Creek is supporting what he does in El Salvador and here is this project that he's doing at anything below why it's affecting entire country, and it started with just a few thoughts that give you some of them. The monies that we received out to help the people of El Salvador, health, his ministry, help out with us, and here are people doing simple things that is going to make a difference in some families life. If we look at our life. How much of worry and regret and talk and thinking of the ugly instead of the beautiful to replace those thoughts with something good that we are giving of ourselves. We were actually planting seeds of love and hope and graciousness and these are the saints of God in people 's lives just because we're smiling and giving and shake him a hug. Maybe somebody hasn't had been a long time. Maybe someone hasn't had someone care about them and just you caring makes a difference in their life. It isn't sold the grandiose becomes these little things that make a difference seat click on the things the best, not the worst, the beautiful, not the ugly things to praise not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, putting the practice what you've learned what you've heard what you saw what you realize do that in God, who makes everything work together will work you into his most excellent harmonies. God will work into you the most excellent harmonies, and the harmony going. We want to be one with God, and one with his word, and one with life in and were part of this building and encouraging going to practice what you learned for me. Bring your thoughts into subjection, so we control our thoughts, we direct our thoughts by thinking of God intriguing of these pranks and then we build those places in our life is Mark monuments are battles, Abram had one in which we celebrate what God has done for us forget forgive and let it go. You know, let other people deal with their pains and sorrows that it hurt us, forgive them, and let it go because God has a purpose that we don't want to become entangled with that by these small big harmful hurtful circumstances of life, so to be at the right place at the right time to be in that place where God has a divine intersection of crossing someone's life. Those become monuments those become places where God makes a difference in someone's life. That's why do things. We did the bark for life yesterday Rhonda led me around on a leash and I barked. Not since the summer is almost over preacher in funny how they are trying to be funny but the black for life. You know the things American Cancer Society. Whatever we do we represent God, and we want and it's just the little things that make a difference and if we had the right attitude about us. We can give that attitude to others, and it's not just sharing who we are. We want to be sharing Christ is in us, so was selling something good happens in your life. Be sensitive. Be sensitive to recognize God is at work when something bad happens, don't curse God ascot for directions and pray about to learn to remember the good things that God has done makes all the difference in in our life, because God has a future for us. We all have a past. Everyone has a past, but it's our future God is taking us to allow him to forgive us of our past and let it go allow help us God to forgive those who are who have hurt us and maybe still are hurting us, forgive them, letting go and allow the good things of God to come into our life. Let those individually. Take care forgive him and letting go. God replaces in your whatever I'm doing whatever I'm decisions making God I'm asking you, I'm asking you, Lord. Now, for each of us let your presence be upon us. Let your word touch our hearts in our lives. Forgive us of our sins forgive us of our heart that we have given to others forgive others. Oh Lord, who have hurt us. Let us let go of those things and go forward into the future you have for us, knowing that you have a plan you have a purpose. You will bless us. You will cause the things to come together for good. Let us think of the things that are goods that are lovely. There is a good report there be any virtue be any praise, let us think of these things we pray in Jesus name and everyone said, and thenThe message that we have today is about building an altar or I I I as I was thinking about my past few weeks we've been talking about Abraham or Abram until God changed his name, but ever was called by God to lead his country leave is Kendra Davis family is no father enveloped the land that God would show him and so he took off from our localities and they traveled somewhat a thousand, maybe twelve hundred miles and you know it wasn't a matter of forgetting on to the VA are united. It was a it was camel airline and so they set out for traveling twelve hundred miles a thousand miles. My camel and it was after they had arrived at this place after a thousand miles of travel big God 's again came to Abraham, and said Ray Berman said to him, this is where you you're going to inherited this is the land I promised you, and it was there that Abraham built an altar and it's called Bethel Bethel is the place where Abram built this alter to God because of the place of remembering where God spoke to him so. In Genesis chapter twelve, beginning in verse seven, and this is was is God appeared to Abram and said I will give this land to your children. Abram built an altar at the place God had appeared to him and then in Genesis thirteen verse four methyl were Abram built his first altar apron trade fair to God, so what goes on in our life as we sometimes think of Abraham and how that God had spoken to him and taking them on this journey. This files allow journey and arrived at a place and when he arrived there and God said, this is the land. It was there he built an altar and I was thinking our lives, what do we do with import what do we do with important occasions in our life. We have birthdays celebrate we have anniversaries of marriage that we will celebrate all of our lives. We have anniversaries only thing to come into her life as a nation when the Fourth of July are the next one coming up is Memorial Day. What we do on Memorial Day. Remember, we remember the people who had died in the wars in our families and friends Fourth of July Independence day Presidents' Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving day Christmas day in your calendar. We have all these places. These memorials in our own lives we have birthdays, anniversaries, these are our Bethel. These are places that are important to us. Places of remembering places of saying this is what happened on this occasion, guys, how many remember when your wedding anniversary gift that you widen the public. I wasn't in our dear marriage likely. Fortunately for almost the June twenty fourth, one year fourteen ninety two bombing that have been the news you heard of Abraham and Sarah Hunt and David Deronda came over on the Mayflower. Well, whatever. Again, I will. I know you don't ever make a mistake with the teacher. Now Jesus was saying the but but it's just one of those things that we we look at. We have special occasions we set them up won't be the honestly dollars. I'll start with this one. This week I was getting before behind people and yet you know if those on the back of the car before bumper stickers on the rear bumper sticker that are a bumper stickers. This guy had ten. They were on his bumper. They were all over the place. You know the one that seemed like the newest money had and that this individual knows Geyer, or whatever bro one whomever it down the back of his car was Kayla what's Kayla Christian radio stations. Alas, pretty nice while underneath this came up was this kind of faded out sticker and it was the picture of a teddy bear changeable wall with a nine thing around its neck, holding it to the wall. It says I don't play well with others. I watch what kind of a message and we said Danielle Zellweger were mixed up that week we look at our library. We say one thing and was say something else inside what's going on here, so if we if we look at our life and just for a moment and said to have harbored by edit, edit, and it is the of I gave you a piece of paper and I should take just a few moments I write you to write down five positive things about you again. It was in your mind start rattled off five positive things about yourself, but figured out, I now I want you to stop. I want you to think for a few moments and write down five native negative things about yourself. Be ready to start, but figured on comedy finish the five negative where very easily swayed to do negative things were easily swayed to look at things in and find out what's wrong and it's it's really our educational system, its teachers with seven teachers in the congregation, though, but the way I do. It's that it's the idea that we are waiting to get wrong on your test is not a media right gets it all together whenever our children in our when I will wonder growing up I always remember that when the children are growing up, we celebrate everything you know how you make. :-) we celebrate the smile we celebrate the moon doing and whatever all for you now and always celebrate that, and then after a while I like to get out and we celebrate their first steps we celebrate you know what, in other first words we celebrate all the things and then we stopped celebrating and start correcting and when do we and our allies stopped celebrating the things about our life and start looking at the negative things and start holding onto them anything. We all have bad characteristics and we all have been characteristic now and and the idea is that God says every good and perfect thing to counsel us as a gift from heaven, then I highly like that. I know I've said this before the researcher says the rain falls on the just and the unjust. While in our society, rainy days, a bad day, but if you live in a desert culture a rainy day is a blessing. And so when the rain falls on the Jospin, the unjust, the blessings of God rain upon the good, and that God has a way of blessing. So you see, as we look at our life and we began to put together the things Internet. How does God look at us in the house. How are we to look at ourselves as we look through the eyes of God. In second Chronicles chapter seven and this is God appearing to us. Solomon and Solomon has just finished building the Temple in Jerusalem and God appeared to Solomon that very night. Instead, I accept your prayer because all minutes. Rated God would bless and take care of the nation what was the Temple things like that and says, I accept your prayer. Yes, I have chosen this place is a temple for sacrifice a house of worship. If I ever shut off the supply of rain from the sky or order the locus to eat the crops and send a plague on my people and my people, my God defined people respond by humbling themselves and pray, seeking my face turning their backs on their wicked ways, their wicked lives all be there ready for you. I'll listen from heaven, forgive their sins and restore the land to help the challenges as we look at the things that go on in our life the good things the bad things the promises the the things we don't understand that the things the questions the decisions we made with all the good intentions, and something goes wrong with them. God tells us that he wants us to humble ourselves and what why do we think of it as being humble know-how will yourselves and try. It's very difficult sometimes to ask to be in a position where the only outlet you have is to ask for help. What God is telling us in the Scriptures is that we are to look at our life and to recognize that he is there to accompany us in our life. If they are to establish a right relationship with us. It isn't that what I have to do to make God happy if the goddess made a way for us to enter into relationship with him or he can apart empower us by his Spirit in his word that will challenge the way that we think and to look at our life as a blessing from God other than a curse. Looking for the guy that God is bringing into our life, rather than trying to put benchmarks around that if my people, if my people, and who are God 's people want peace. It exists in the Scripture that says God defined people. If my people who are called by my name King James version has if my people, or combine my name, shall humble themselves, people who are called in Scripture, the New Testament says that you have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, you think God is the one who calls our hearts calls our lives to be in a relationship with him. God calls each of us to be in relationship with him, and this relationship we have with God is not the one that needs marking down all the bad things, the relationship that we have with God. He is giving us his word, his promises in order to shape our thinking and shape our understanding so that we can become what God intended us to the when we were scripters is why was yet in my mother 's womb. He newly formed me put all the stuff inside of me for me to become this person that he wanted me to be, and so on of life events and the things of life. We have the Scriptures and the coming together of God 's word and the coming together of our events and we humble ourselves and pray and what happens God, a showstopping walks with us turning our back on that which is evil that we humble ourselves and pray what we are doing is putting in place Pacific areas that God were asking God to intervene in our life and when he does that response with those markers. There those alters his places of remembrance. You see a lot of us are like this guy. He was driving around the crowded parking lot there was a parking place anywhere ever been there. We always have that happen at the gym. People are going to work out of the gentleman, but the closest parking place, resulting in a network on gender. The Norwalk. But anyhow, we have your parking lot and it's just always full of cars and you can't find one place apart and Uganda guys is God. If you'll just give me a parking space. I'll attend church every Sunday, just in a car backed out right the first spot. He goes up there and pulled into the parking lot egos. Nevermind God, I just found one that we are to you. So the name then to build a place in our life. It speaks of the God moments time as well. While one are God moments while the psalmist says, I recall the many miracles God has done for me, for they are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about them. I cannot stop thinking about what God has done for me. I cannot stop thinking about what God has done for me and and that's not like our culture, not like us, you see in it in your life teaches us differently is advertising no advertising tells us everything that we don't have and everything advertising is done in such a way that, if you'll just purchased this five days you'll find happiness that you find that the pretrade and ending in the, you'll find what you need. If you have this, but you don't have it, so therefore you need to you will go out and get it, and in and so we build a whole society upon what we don't have because of what that does is we are consumers down and not some of the foreign countries where they took some of the plants and moved and where they could make your products at very cheap labor they built this one plant in this one area, and everybody showed up and went to work. Talked a lot of work everything they got their paycheck in the next next thing no one came. Then back to work and they went to them and said a why aren't you working smoothly don't need work. We have money in on their very poor, impoverished and stuff. So what they did was they gave them catalogs so they can order things so that they would know what they need and they thinking back to work, so will try to like that in our lives were looking for something that is out there were looking for something that is out there out there. God is telling us to look here inside of us, because inside of us is that place that he created us to be in a spot that place that golf inside of us that only he can fill. As always, we look to the word of God, and look to what's going on inside of us. There becomes displaced that God is failing and we need to remember we need to remember the times in which God made a difference in our life in the Old Testament, God commanded his people to celebrate certain fees, he commanded them that they have to celebrate this every year, just like we celebrate the Fourth of July was a the command while fund calendar. I would take the day off what was have a picnic. No one is okay, but the way generally do that. Why, because it's a national holiday. The that in El Salvador, they'll celebrate the drum for the July know, because not international holiday. It's our national holiday we celebrate it. It's like the one regarding her knowledge independence that will happen. And while you know in the nation of Israel when they were delivered from the Egypt. The Egyptian bondage. Every year, Passover is a celebration of when they were delivered from Egypt and we celebrate Passover with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ because he died on Passover, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The Jewish people still celebrate Passover was commanded. Why because they were to remember when God delivered them from Egyptian bondage. They have these holidays they celebrate every year as memorials and at times to remember and to speak to their children about how God has worked in their nation 's life at this specific time so when do we stop and celebrate specific things spiritual things with anniversaries and birthdays and things like that. But what about spiritual things spiritual birthdays, spiritual times in which you know God really made a difference in your life when you marked on the calendar and you put it in place and that when things go not so well we go back to those place because that's what I'm paying for them. He built this that phony bill. This altar and there were times later on in his journey. Then he became down for a question and he would go back to Bethel and he would go there and remember that this is the place that God had spoken to him and then he had this understanding that this place this land was to his descendents, so we need to do this. Sometimes we need to do something very similar to that we need to put ourselves in the place were we remember things that God has done for us. What this dies, it builds our faith. It builds our faith and builds that we know that God is spiritual reality that we have has an aunt of physical interaction with our life which the place and time when God took care of us and I'll will remember the time in which God protected us remember the time in which God made a way for us remember whenever you are alone and God brought somebody to your aid and helped you out and just met that specific need in your life. Remember when God protected you from some shouldn't be here. You should be dead. Then something happened to keep you alive know growing up, I am old now I'm remembering reminiscing that I remember I remember when yes I remember being wrapped up in the power takeoff shaft of a tractor. It almost equaled by the ever known tractor running a machine in the spinning around and it's still you have a hundred and twenty horsepower tractor running machine, and I'm going to stop it by getting my body wrapped up in it, and I remember getting wrapped up and I had three sweatshirts on the day cousins fall T-shirts, sweatshirts, now whatever president of the day when on you for one, often through one often. I was wrapped up in there and I was going down around and I just remember pulling myself out of it, and I ripped T-shirt and three sweatshirts off at the sleep I was strong, but I don't think I was that strong to rip three sweatshirts off and have three sleeves the teacher, the Bauhaus was a mom, I need the newsletter and I told her what happened. She began to cry in relation to die and you know, there's just that this one time one time and that was what was a godsend. I deny since gone why felt this pull this scourge to pull out of there and I did like this, like cut in butter is ripped right off. I can still remember the marks around my neck where you know Rick didn't support like the most reasonable on pretty strong enough and then you look back over that think now that was a God moment that was a God moment in those her times and whenever you feel in valves and feel you question a week. We need to look at the times in which God has brought something to pass in our life in all, it isn't like our society. What can you do for me now what do you do for me now. God, I know that happened yesterday, but what you do for me. Now hurry to make this work. I fixed this, but you see, whenever we have a we look at those times which God. Cain and works, and we know that he is at work now, so that gives us a different perspective. A different approach to our life into the problems and to the things we face because God didn't want subdued again to get it in the nation of Israel. He'll do a frosty dinner for friends of somebody else to do for me and it isn't a matter that God thing he did it for them. He guided for me know God loves me for who I am. And yes, special plan for my life and my things and I can be like your things in your things on unlike their things, but God is still at work. Philippians four seven one oh Scriptures. It says again, verse six forty four seventy ever six okay this you were wondering, the verse six don't fret or worry. Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers. Let petitions and praise shape your worries into prayers, what are you concerned about woman. Thank God that he is with you. Thank God 's presence is with you. His strength is yours. Promises are yours, and then begin to shape those worries those concerns into a prayer. God, I pray I ask you see, those are very specific situations very specific needs that we are worried about well just turn them around the say forget about it. He says turnaround began to pray. Letting God know your concerns. While doesn't already know everything. Yes, but he still waiting to hear your voice be still waiting to hear your thoughts and your expression. Expression of your faith towards him about what you believe that God can do in your life so therefore turn your worries into a prayer and stand send it to God before you know what a sense of God 's holiness, a sense of God 's home is it that whenever we are. We feel incomplete that we weren't something to be taken from us or something, but to come to us. We were, but there is a sense of wholeness that I find in my relationship with God that I am complete with or without this, and in that sense of completeness, I find it everything coming together for good. I'm not trying to make God manipulate God I've got faith, God do this for me I am allowing God to work in my life, and whether I get is a delegated. If not, it's irrelevant to the things that I am safe in the arms of my father and everything is okay in life and in the life to come. Therefore God, give me wisdom and direction as I deal with this. Things are coming together but there is a whole list. There is a sense of things coming together for good and what will happen will come. And this whole sense of wholeness will saddle you down. Not anxious about going to be okay then forget about it and the need is still there, but I have a sense that I know that God has been to take care of this and I'm waiting. The guy was either going to me instructions as to how to do it, someone else don't bring it into my life somehow still be met, but I'm waiting patiently for God to direct for me to be still for me to our God is there. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces are worried at the center of our lives Christ displaces the word the person of Christ. Verse eight. Summing it all up, friends, I'd say your best, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on the things that are true things that are noble things that are reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious the best and not the worst, the beautiful, not the ugly things to praise, not things to curse to see how God is trying to shape our thoughts. Why because what were thinking about is where were going, what were thinking not as where were headed, and God wants to renew lie fonts renew our lives to get us home to give us victory to give us a sense that God is a work in our life. And here's something for us to do not just something for us to get you something for us to be to become, and that how can I arrive at what God wants this person to be. I am always anxious and worried and trying and striving, if we have a God-given goal. We can strive towards, but just a random rising got to direct us things to praise, not the curves. This weekend, David is in the eye son David is in Chicago. He's at Willow Creek Church, and Willow Creek is the high Falls Church and he they are putting together. See packets for the gardening projects. The David is doing in the communities, helping to due coordinate in El Salvador yesterday they had three different campuses, they had twenty thousand volunteers packing seeds and containers for the sea projects involved in El Salvador. Now that's not the congregation. That's what volunteers from the congregation of Willow Creek and the enemy in the lobby of the church, the one church. David has a truck. He has a chicken coop. It's on maybe sought on them. The webpage is a chicken coop yet. A couple of fake chickens and there was somebody put a couple of peeps in there too now while he was gone for a week later today that the ticket that feeds their underground and then yet I'll take you live undoubtedly will make you when you start in this place, that that it's under a plastic and it's where a garden and your hits may plant the new thing. While this is all in the lobby of the one building your votes on humming it seats over ten thousand people, I guess, but the anyhow, this is where young willow Creek is supporting what he does in El Salvador and here is this project that he's doing at anything below why it's affecting entire country, and it started with just a few thoughts that give you some of them. The monies that we received out to help the people of El Salvador, health, his ministry, help out with us, and here are people doing simple things that is going to make a difference in some families life. If we look at our life. How much of worry and regret and talk and thinking of the ugly instead of the beautiful to replace those thoughts with something good that we are giving of ourselves. We were actually planting seeds of love and hope and graciousness and these are the saints of God in people 's lives just because we're smiling and giving and shake him a hug. Maybe somebody hasn't had been a long time. Maybe someone hasn't had someone care about them and just you caring makes a difference in their life. It isn't sold the grandiose becomes these little things that make a difference seat click on the things the best, not the worst, the beautiful, not the ugly things to praise not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, putting the practice what you've learned what you've heard what you saw what you realize do that in God, who makes everything work together will work you into his most excellent harmonies. God will work into you the most excellent harmonies, and the harmony going. We want to be one with God, and one with his word, and one with life in and were part of this building and encouraging going to practice what you learned for me. Bring your thoughts into subjection, so we control our thoughts, we direct our thoughts by thinking of God intriguing of these pranks and then we build those places in our life is Mark monuments are battles, Abram had one in which we celebrate what God has done for us forget forgive and let it go. You know, let other people deal with their pains and sorrows that it hurt us, forgive them, and let it go because God has a purpose that we don't want to become entangled with that by these small big harmful hurtful circumstances of life, so to be at the right place at the right time to be in that place where God has a divine intersection of crossing someone's life. Those become monuments those become places where God makes a difference in someone's life. That's why do things. We did the bark for life yesterday Rhonda led me around on a leash and I barked. Not since the summer is almost over preacher in funny how they are trying to be funny but the black for life. You know the things American Cancer Society. Whatever we do we represent God, and we want and it's just the little things that make a difference and if we had the right attitude about us. We can give that attitude to others, and it's not just sharing who we are. We want to be sharing Christ is in us, so was selling something good happens in your life. Be sensitive. Be sensitive to recognize God is at work when something bad happens, don't curse God ascot for directions and pray about to learn to remember the good things that God has done makes all the difference in in our life, because God has a future for us. We all have a past. Everyone has a past, but it's our future God is taking us to allow him to forgive us of our past and let it go allow help us God to forgive those who are who have hurt us and maybe still are hurting us, forgive them, letting go and allow the good things of God to come into our life. Let those individually. Take care forgive him and letting go. God replaces in your whatever I'm doing whatever I'm decisions making God I'm asking you, I'm asking you, Lord. Now, for each of us let your presence be upon us. Let your word touch our hearts in our lives. Forgive us of our sins forgive us of our heart that we have given to others forgive others. Oh Lord, who have hurt us. Let us let go of those things and go forward into the future you have for us, knowing that you have a plan you have a purpose. You will bless us. You will cause the things to come together for good. Let us think of the things that are goods that are lovely. There is a good report there be any virtue be any praise, let us think of these things we pray in Jesus name and everyone said, and then