The Sermon God At Work by David McGee
Nov 17, 2013
God At Work (37:18)
Referenced Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
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2 Corinthians 4:16-18
16) Therefore we don‘t faint, but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day.
17) For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory;
18) while we don‘t look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
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They were looking at second written by my hollow sound like on environment and well worth something. I want to be shallower hollow. There is that that sounds little better. Yes, there were no there is better. I just thought I was catalogued to imagine that so get the real secret is chapter four verse sixteen is our text today and I was liking this to through different topics to different ideas. No one is we often see signs network it all and we anticipate the newly arrived there and hopefully all of list on a long-delayed trying to get the sign to turn in your off on your way so that work alerts you people at work alert you work area head. There were no alert you to something ahead that you need to slow down. Be aware of and in our life. I think of it as it did the progression God at work God at work and that is our roads, especially in this area needs a lot of repairs need a lot of pothole fixing in the spring and all that are under constant need of repair and so we look at that in the original work. I used to the idea that young people are going to be working on the roads and in our spiritual life. I don't think we get the transition that we always need constant work. There is no once and done, there is no Christmas, Easter, religion, no crickets. It's everywhere. It's a consistent every day living that we have in our faith and Protestant work continually and I like the zig Ziegler the talks about the guy who as families as well. How is it that you have church every week and you know why you have to have it every waking day in an error complaining that the data just doesn't stick minis as well. It's like taking a bath, you have to do every day and it's like that in our spiritual life, we have to renew our faith every day. It isn't just like we said something is done once and then it's over. It's something that is done every day it's something that is continually renewed in our life. If the continual ongoing process and its and it's important than for us to see that God is at work in our life. Continuing, and that as we read the Scriptures and as we pray as we come together and celebrate our faith. It's all important to our spiritual growth, so we can put a title out on the out on the road there or put it on the door got it work and yell. There's no perfect person, no perfect person. All of us fall short, and sometimes we fall way short and but that's part of the process of change is part of the process of growth and it and it doesn't come from making up our minds and it doesn't come from a if you go on was his habits or changing our mind first, but it comes from changing our hearts. I was listening last night to the program. They had on not channel six about the heroin addictions and yelled in the addictive culture that's in our and our society and we were. I was listening to that and I thought of. We haven't we had a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program that's called teen challenge and it was begun below thirty some thirty five, forty years ago by David Wilkerson in New York City and this team challenges reached around the world and is no longer just for teens but it's entire culture and the government the, I think government saw the success rate. They have a ninety I think it's around ninety percent success rate over ten years and some of the local rehabs in rehab have less than one out of a hundred, one percent success rate and the government came to them. They're the ones who did this assessment of teen challenge, and they came in and they said we will find you. We will back you will pay everything your needs are, what you've got to drop the God stuff NL and the idea is behind teen challenge is that you've got to change the character got to change the heart. If the heart doesn't change nothing else changes, and it doesn't in and pertaining to our everyday life. We all have patterns of behavior: call calm addictions. We all have patterns of behavior and some of those patterns are hurtful to us and destructive to our lifestyle is destructive to the person and God has come to change us from the inside out, so that our life can be changed and only Jesus Christ, and make the transformation. If you don't change the heart. Nothing else changes, and you know, we can control behavior bylaws, but it doesn't change the heart and if you don't change the heart. The behaviors but to look for a way to break the law outside of the law. But whatever God changes our heart. We have a way of wanting to fulfillment, wanting to follow Christ and follow his teachings and the challenge for us is to allow God to make that change in us. We can't do it on our own. You can't be a Christian without Christ, and we need that daily renewal our daily walk with God, and we need that in our life that there's going to be this ongoing transformation ongoing work that God is doing in our life. And so in second Corinthians chapter four, it says so were not giving up how quickly even though on the outside. It also looks like things are falling apart on us on the inside were God 's making. Not a day goes by without the unfolding grace these hard times are small potatoes compared to the common good times. The lavish celebration prepared for us. There is far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today and gone tomorrow, but the things we can't see now will last forever. So the things that we can't see all the things that are going to last forever. With this typhoon that hit in the Philippines there for half. That's what's put the people on the alert. When I mentioned this in the Sunday school for five people this week have asked do you think that this is the end of times you think that the world is coming to an end with all the snow last the last few years we've had the hurricanes of the century. We've had the floods of the century. We've had things that are just beyond the norm in people 's and people asked me this week and that's what as I was looking at the Scripture thinking about it. Know how to fit into this whole idea that is this the last time. Is this the last days are we preparing for the coming of Christ, while if you look at the TV shows, some of them thereabout prepare there was a doing their preparing shelters. There are looking for building bunkers and doomsday shelters, but the call and they are building doomsday vehicles and their young looking at these and stocking up on guns and ammunition and how that they're going to be able to keep themselves safe in a time when everything finds Hanna falls apart well, if we look at our life. This is the end of times. Is this the beginning, then with Jesus Christ is going to return for his church. Well far be it for me to know that it's going to happen today or twenty years from now, but we are to prepare our hearts and not out of fear but out of anticipation. See our anticipation is that when Jesus Christ is in our hearts in our lives. He gives us strength for the day and we know that if God meets our needs today. He will meet our needs tomorrow, whenever I worked in the hospital and hospice. I thought sometimes people were very good people became very frightened. What was that happened to be tomorrow what's happened with this disease and its progression routes to happen in this whole progression of the deed of the disease, and I would ask people what what you need now what is your greatest need. Now I support and take care of that. And if we can take care of that need. Now we will take care of tomorrow's when it gets here. And as we think about our life, we have an eternity with God but yet we have to feel safe saved forgiven in the present, and whenever we ask Christ to forgive us and live within our hearts. We are safe in this moment with Jesus Christ that are lit our sins are forgiven. Our life is established. Our eternal life is established. So if God takes care of us today. We have the security that he can take care of us tomorrow. And no matter what happens this afternoon or tomorrow we are safe because nothing can separate us from the love God so is this the end is Christ coming. Well we prepare, and as we look at in this and this last part of the text says therefore a far more here than this far more going on here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today and gone tomorrow, this is hall planet. This whole place that we live in it some time at some point in time out in the future is going to be replaced. God said that he will create a new heavens and a newer, that's a whole study in itself, but the things that we look at it with him. If nothing changes, a lawyer and a hundred years from now where God is on the piece of property. The Lanier on the house you're in and who's got a hold that easy. The only thing we have that is ours is you feel you have the eternal is what is inside that we know the body parishes as we we we know that body stops functioning, but we did with the what is presented in the Scriptures is presented to us about life and everything that is life in us lives forever and the change that will looking at in our life doesn't come because I make up my mind becomes because I have a change of heart and then my thinking is brought into line in my actions are brought into line, and were not in an alley. Think of it, sometimes the church is the note noted for it. Oh well, he got a division of Michigan. It is an advanced and viewed all these things an evening event. Jesus says if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If you confess Jesus is the Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world. His blood was shed upon the cross for us to be safe. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world John the Baptist. So if you end up forgiveness that we are established in the Church of Jesus Christ. It is not forgiveness that God works in the hearts and begins to initiate the big role. We don't work our way into progression of being saved. Salvation is a confession, but becoming a Christian becoming a household take for this little one to grow up. I met with seven babies you today. Yes, that's a good thing. I will take for them to grow up how you keep one from falling over the pew that you gave the baby from falling over the pew. How do you keep the baby from falling down. You don't begin falling over the puberty taking them from falling up in our Christian life. There is a growth and there is maturing as a growing up and we all are in that process and we will continue to grow in our relationship with Christ until the day we die. And so there is an ongoing growth and ongoing process of how the God works in our life. Verse sixteen says so were not giving up how could we how Google even think of giving up what, what about this and what about that, what about these things. How could we ever think of giving up no matter what happens in our life. How can we ever think of giving up this week hadn't panicked phone call and a person that was calling was they were crying on the phone because of what it happened to a family member and how that this family member was in between life and death, and they wanted to know why. Why did this happen now. Why are the ill and I don't have the answers to why no white person have a heart attack. What if the person have a broken leg. What we can say while they had heart disease or they had too much cholesterol, OR they had this in advance and that caused them to have a heart attack work, you know, if you fall down a flight of stairs in your leg gets bent out of shape that it shouldn't go well, that's what broke I remember one of one individual. I was try and what the visits and not they had a broken arm and I said to them, I said, well behind how did you break your she's and she says we'll got pushed me to locate the office, Yahoo started taken back the got pushed the and so and and I had anyone ask her how she knew got pushed there. But anyhow, I thought we talked for was the military you like me to pray for and teach as well. Yes, did you pray that God would heal my broken arm and I thought, wow what a one-on-one relationship with God. He pushes me down so you can make a better bill. I'd like all give me this game. It is just a little child you see this candidate you wanted after they start crying and he pulled away in April, Lena Zacharia and then you have to ask important what it makes that philosophy, we have, but how we go it. How can we ever think of giving up the challenge for us is to bring our understanding of God into alignment with what the Scriptures actually teach us and sometimes people make God like themselves. It's just a bigger batter version and a bigger batter version that while longer. So if you took your yourself and you start imagining if you had all power what you would do I fix all that people NL. I would make sure they are young, they get out of you write a nonfiction would you say God as it says in the text here is unfolding grace that when problems happen in our life. It isn't that God is trying to while push you down so we can make it better in every situation is unfolding of God 's grace in our life. Every situation is an unfolding of God 's grace and what is God 's grace unmerited favor that God does not look at us better than or worse than any other person. He looks at us with a divine favor that says he loves us and in our life. What we are facing success or failure. We are looking at that as the unfolding of God 's grace is given to us, and that grace is full of mercy and power and strength. So here we are taking our daily bath in the word of God, where the unfolding grace is just being poured over us being showered over us to help in every situation of our life and every day of our life and every moment of our life so that no matter where we are active in the middle of a typhoon or on the beach in Florida having a vacation unfolding grace unfolding grace unfolding grace to see there is an outward human. The inner you and you want to know what the outward you is take your finger. Everything is like this. I reached down and picture until it hurts that the outer you, but do let your neighbor. Now doesn't that you never thought you would get carried away with that. I know like the preacher who somebody was asleep in this congregation, and yes, the usher to go wake him up in the answers and you put them to sleep you wake him up so this reach our potential mastitis, Solaris, and I are you and there is an inner year. The origin is your body, your reputation in all the person you are the person you're known for your leftists know your baldness yell whatever it is you are, that's your outer you, but the interview is your character, your spiritual soul, the RU is what everybody sees the interview is your life that part of you that makes the decisions between good and evil. The part of you that feels and I and hasn't functioned as designers to do or not do. That's the inner you. And that's the area that chooses life and chooses to believe in chooses to accept what God is what God is doing in your life and it's also the part of you that chooses people used to choose to do evil so. It is all on the outside. It often looks like things are falling apart to imagine that type of greeting hello, it looks like things are falling apart on you, but it's in there in the Bible out of context, but only a hazy even though on the outside. It often looks like things are falling apart on us. So diseases. The next time you see me and him have been over and not moving very well. You don't say pastor looks like things are falling apart on you so, but even though we look and look at our society, we look at our world and we see the destructiveness of nature and receive sometimes what we recall maybe the misguided efforts of government, and not depends on which side Ron misguided or not, but on the outside, and often looks like things are falling apart, losing a job becoming ill. Looks like things are falling apart while no matter how much things fall apart we will never cease to exist where how bad things seem to be. We will never cease to be the person on the inside, and that person is the one that lives forever. That's the person that is able to deal with the difficult issues because out of our heart become comes our desires and comes being the importance of who we are and that's why God deals with the heart, his disciples wanted to know Jesus. Which one of us is going to be best with one of us who sit on your right hand and on your left as it is the one who makes the most noise. Now if I want to make. I never want to get the special attention. But wait, nevermind how is what gives, or the kids always want to disrupt the service because it's a real problem with what adults did so out of such as those officer is not so. I have no air how bad things get, there's always hope always hope there is always hope was hope. Downstairs was the fact that I as a so there's always hope, and this is not a beautiful lady sitting in the corner, there is always hope is the hope of Jesus Christ and the whole room and in him. This definition have to stick with us hold in the Scriptures came out in the script here's is not about. I hope it's a nice day open the Scriptures is there is an event that is in the future. We just haven't arrived that that's the hope you like the Bible says that the return of Jesus Christ is our blessed hope that means Jesus Christ is returning. We just haven't reached that point yet so hoping the Scriptures is, we will. God will make a way for us. I hope God will make a way for us. It's in, and the definition of the Scriptures. It is, God will make a way for us. We just have arrived. So until they get their where going to believe you were going to do and were going to anticipate the good things of God is going to do in our life. That's the whole of Scripture in anticipation of and doing the right things for the right reasons and till we arrive at that place, but it's going to be fulfilled is not a wastefulness. It isn't it a certainty assault. The interview. The interview that part that doesn't respond to this response. This apartment near the Gaza response of the pants. The response to the prayer. That's the interview and that part of our is what God is dealing with the changes in Paul declared nothing can separate us from the love of God, nothing that I'm safe now. I'm safer for it for eternity because of my relationship with Jesus Christ in its ongoing daily now so many hours you when the outer view seems to be falling apart. Check on the inner you have we reviewed that is part of the daily life within one at the physical part. Note the interview with has an effect upon the outer and I was at what is a vice, a first responder. She went in the back was the first responder and the first responder is first person on the scene and is generally a woman, you have to send me a letter, Sammy, firefighter, so, who are generally the first people first responders, firemen, police, and those are among the others, but those are primarily our first responders. So when there is a an accident. They are and what are the first responders who are first responders, firemen, and I don't find that the expert rate, the firemen, police and EMS, so they are the first responders now who are you are first responders when you arrive in a crisis. What is the first thing you say in your life when something goes wrong in your life who are your first responders. Oh my God, this is terrible what God help me, what or why this happens, God, crying, yelling and fighting denial and pouting if they are your first responders, you need to fire because our first responders are there to rescue our first responders are there to help, and if our first responders inside a mosque inside of our character are not reflected God 's grace. This mercy is sustaining power, then we are the imagine a first responder New York firemen come along and say while this is a big enough wireless throw some more stuff on it, get it going. Imagine a kind of a first responder. Imagine the in the ambulance coming up and saying, well, you know, they don't amount to much. Mrs. Lee Malone look at our first responders and emotionally and spiritually look at how we respond to crises in our own life never make it as just another bad thing. Our society is terrible. Our world is corrupt or our government does this send, and that's our first responders allow stray wonder we have a problem change your first responders. Your first responder 's faith, hope, expectation of good God works all things together for good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose. God, this looks bad, and I have to deal with it& about the Nile. Denial is less aware about it. Everything be okay. Faith is of a very real problem of a very real God. I'm a very real promise. I have a great hope, expectation of what God is going to do you see that is a first responder that causes us to heal to get back in the race to get up and go again spiritually. Even we can't physically we can do it spiritually, we can go from an air expectation that God is at work in my life, and that these are just temporary setbacks in other speed bumps on the road of life. I the slowdown. I need to look at things differently. I need to see things more clearly I need to understand God 's work in my heart audit work gone at work. So, immediately when something goes wrong while is it really is it really that wrong or is it an opportunity that just looks like something wrong is an opportunity to change my life and it looks like a something wrong that needs to be stopped. But in the same I can't stop it. I want to see how God is at work in this situation, so I may need to fire your first responders and none of you coming me to respond on a need to fire your first responders. David does weight of fire, first responders. This is not to work at that God is at work on his work, and I think God is at work, pretty easy as I imagine that being your first response of God. The work got to work. Got to have a difficulty got to work fire your first responders so the hour manual parish and no matter what we have in shelters and storm shelters and in survival shelters and all the things and people are so inclined to do so. The building to have them by buying our first response is what Jesus Christ is going to do in us because he is our shelter in the time of storm we have different kinds of care for our health, but we have Jesus care that will take care of us spiritually that Jesus is going to make a difference in our life you seek God 's work nothing can separate me from God, distress, or persecution, famine or nakedness pearl with sword, nothing can separate God 's work. Imagine Paul being stoned and drunk out of the city for dead saintly NL. This is really bad. I think I should give up on God. How appalling prison this. It's all over now. Now it's only been just begun because he wrote from the prison he wrote his epistles that we now read you see God is at work so they receive we receive the Lord God is doing. We rejoice in what God is doing rejoice& our inner person rejoicing makes us suspect something good rejoicing helps us to see what I just been on a happy because I'm happy I'm happy because I believe in God, and happy depends on happenings, joy comes from the heart, beloved, now are we the children of God that has not yet appeared, been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when he is revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is, and everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is your first John three, so we find that everyone who has this hope, and then has an expectation of good purity of great, but God is going to work in his life, our shelter is Jesus Christ our provider is Jesus Christ, the things we see now are here today and gone tomorrow, we see how God is at work and I am member person years ago I went to visit and browse and they was referred there by friend or friend of a friend and and and I went to work and went there to talk to Mrs. while I expecting to get a job will not, that's great possible. Where did you put in your applications, as I haven't yet. I believe God will provide for me it's okay. Have you read a newspaper where there are jobs to find although God is to provide from us. Okay, so do you have any idea what you want to do so. No, God will direct me back, and after a while I said you need to tell me you're sitting in your house. You told no one that you want a job you look for no job and you believe that you're going to get a job 's units right knee. You think that somebody would come to your door and knock on your door and asked if he will work CNS right. This is not happen because God will we are part of the answer to every prayer, we pray my faith moves me to action. It's not all on the slot all about me, but I am heart of the answer to my prayer. I've got to have enough faith to believe in moving the hand of God, but I've got have enough faith to allow God to me, and that's where God is at work doing the work in us. But if we don't do our part. No reading the Bible daily bath. You know what I believe I need a bath. Okay, we got in the top know the review that views water, although no, I don't need water. I have faith that the government selected a bath like that you haven't met stink. Once I had now closing this one time we were and we were in South Africa and we were going between Zimbabwe and South Africa and the order crossing and there was this guy that we had a sign on the side of the car that said, where we would move from NL is a ministry, and so on. And this guy standing on the road. He's waving us down and we needed help, and we been rejected from going into one country because of an African who is with us and he didn't have his necessary papers and they would throw us in prison because we're trying to smuggle this guy in front of us into the country and the retro solid present so you don't like with smuggling. He standing here all your smuggling is what he wanted was one, but a happier smuggling. This person, and because we didn't know that too dumb to know that so greatly, so we couldn't get into the country and we can't get back and we can get back to the other countries overstocked in the bottom half a mile between these two bars and his people walking and stuff, and there's this guy 's desire to help you locate if we open up the card lettermen, well this is that this is an individual probably has never had that he believed in God, and he believed invading. He just hadn't had one for about three or four years, maybe longer, and I don't know if you've been around somebody who hasn't had a bath and five, seven years and maybe wore the same clothes, old time and you get in a car within a hundred degrees you need a bath. Spiritually, you see, sometimes when you know you get used to the smell you get used to the same old stuff. God is saying you need to begin again. You need a fresh start. You need a fresh cleansing of your soul and you need to do that every day. Read the words pray and ask God for his forgiveness has covered his direction as God for his love and the faith enough to believe to move the hand of God and faith enough to believe that God is moving you in an estate father, we thank you for your. We thank you for the strength that you give us each day, and Lord. It is the power of your Word out your spirit that changes us from the inside out. We thank you Lord for your unfolding grace your unfolding grace in every situation of life. We thank you. We ask of God, your blessing upon us, Lord, as we renew ourselves in yours presence. We renew ourselves. We ask of God, for your forgiveness. We ask God for your lovely asked about Rihanna unfolding grace in our life. We thank you Jesus for these things bless us now, Lord, that we might be blessings given to our life that we might give unto others. We pray in Jesus name. Everyone said amen, go home and take a bath, not just what that on every negative academic job yummier, but it took it took some finance and angling to get back and forth. I did finish the storyThey were looking at second written by my hollow sound like on environment and well worth something. I want to be shallower hollow. There is that that sounds little better. Yes, there were no there is better. I just thought I was catalogued to imagine that so get the real secret is chapter four verse sixteen is our text today and I was liking this to through different topics to different ideas. No one is we often see signs network it all and we anticipate the newly arrived there and hopefully all of list on a long-delayed trying to get the sign to turn in your off on your way so that work alerts you people at work alert you work area head. There were no alert you to something ahead that you need to slow down. Be aware of and in our life. I think of it as it did the progression God at work God at work and that is our roads, especially in this area needs a lot of repairs need a lot of pothole fixing in the spring and all that are under constant need of repair and so we look at that in the original work. I used to the idea that young people are going to be working on the roads and in our spiritual life. I don't think we get the transition that we always need constant work. There is no once and done, there is no Christmas, Easter, religion, no crickets. It's everywhere. It's a consistent every day living that we have in our faith and Protestant work continually and I like the zig Ziegler the talks about the guy who as families as well. How is it that you have church every week and you know why you have to have it every waking day in an error complaining that the data just doesn't stick minis as well. It's like taking a bath, you have to do every day and it's like that in our spiritual life, we have to renew our faith every day. It isn't just like we said something is done once and then it's over. It's something that is done every day it's something that is continually renewed in our life. If the continual ongoing process and its and it's important than for us to see that God is at work in our life. Continuing, and that as we read the Scriptures and as we pray as we come together and celebrate our faith. It's all important to our spiritual growth, so we can put a title out on the out on the road there or put it on the door got it work and yell. There's no perfect person, no perfect person. All of us fall short, and sometimes we fall way short and but that's part of the process of change is part of the process of growth and it and it doesn't come from making up our minds and it doesn't come from a if you go on was his habits or changing our mind first, but it comes from changing our hearts. I was listening last night to the program. They had on not channel six about the heroin addictions and yelled in the addictive culture that's in our and our society and we were. I was listening to that and I thought of. We haven't we had a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program that's called teen challenge and it was begun below thirty some thirty five, forty years ago by David Wilkerson in New York City and this team challenges reached around the world and is no longer just for teens but it's entire culture and the government the, I think government saw the success rate. They have a ninety I think it's around ninety percent success rate over ten years and some of the local rehabs in rehab have less than one out of a hundred, one percent success rate and the government came to them. They're the ones who did this assessment of teen challenge, and they came in and they said we will find you. We will back you will pay everything your needs are, what you've got to drop the God stuff NL and the idea is behind teen challenge is that you've got to change the character got to change the heart. If the heart doesn't change nothing else changes, and it doesn't in and pertaining to our everyday life. We all have patterns of behavior: call calm addictions. We all have patterns of behavior and some of those patterns are hurtful to us and destructive to our lifestyle is destructive to the person and God has come to change us from the inside out, so that our life can be changed and only Jesus Christ, and make the transformation. If you don't change the heart. Nothing else changes, and you know, we can control behavior bylaws, but it doesn't change the heart and if you don't change the heart. The behaviors but to look for a way to break the law outside of the law. But whatever God changes our heart. We have a way of wanting to fulfillment, wanting to follow Christ and follow his teachings and the challenge for us is to allow God to make that change in us. We can't do it on our own. You can't be a Christian without Christ, and we need that daily renewal our daily walk with God, and we need that in our life that there's going to be this ongoing transformation ongoing work that God is doing in our life. And so in second Corinthians chapter four, it says so were not giving up how quickly even though on the outside. It also looks like things are falling apart on us on the inside were God 's making. Not a day goes by without the unfolding grace these hard times are small potatoes compared to the common good times. The lavish celebration prepared for us. There is far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today and gone tomorrow, but the things we can't see now will last forever. So the things that we can't see all the things that are going to last forever. With this typhoon that hit in the Philippines there for half. That's what's put the people on the alert. When I mentioned this in the Sunday school for five people this week have asked do you think that this is the end of times you think that the world is coming to an end with all the snow last the last few years we've had the hurricanes of the century. We've had the floods of the century. We've had things that are just beyond the norm in people 's and people asked me this week and that's what as I was looking at the Scripture thinking about it. Know how to fit into this whole idea that is this the last time. Is this the last days are we preparing for the coming of Christ, while if you look at the TV shows, some of them thereabout prepare there was a doing their preparing shelters. There are looking for building bunkers and doomsday shelters, but the call and they are building doomsday vehicles and their young looking at these and stocking up on guns and ammunition and how that they're going to be able to keep themselves safe in a time when everything finds Hanna falls apart well, if we look at our life. This is the end of times. Is this the beginning, then with Jesus Christ is going to return for his church. Well far be it for me to know that it's going to happen today or twenty years from now, but we are to prepare our hearts and not out of fear but out of anticipation. See our anticipation is that when Jesus Christ is in our hearts in our lives. He gives us strength for the day and we know that if God meets our needs today. He will meet our needs tomorrow, whenever I worked in the hospital and hospice. I thought sometimes people were very good people became very frightened. What was that happened to be tomorrow what's happened with this disease and its progression routes to happen in this whole progression of the deed of the disease, and I would ask people what what you need now what is your greatest need. Now I support and take care of that. And if we can take care of that need. Now we will take care of tomorrow's when it gets here. And as we think about our life, we have an eternity with God but yet we have to feel safe saved forgiven in the present, and whenever we ask Christ to forgive us and live within our hearts. We are safe in this moment with Jesus Christ that are lit our sins are forgiven. Our life is established. Our eternal life is established. So if God takes care of us today. We have the security that he can take care of us tomorrow. And no matter what happens this afternoon or tomorrow we are safe because nothing can separate us from the love God so is this the end is Christ coming. Well we prepare, and as we look at in this and this last part of the text says therefore a far more here than this far more going on here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today and gone tomorrow, this is hall planet. This whole place that we live in it some time at some point in time out in the future is going to be replaced. God said that he will create a new heavens and a newer, that's a whole study in itself, but the things that we look at it with him. If nothing changes, a lawyer and a hundred years from now where God is on the piece of property. The Lanier on the house you're in and who's got a hold that easy. The only thing we have that is ours is you feel you have the eternal is what is inside that we know the body parishes as we we we know that body stops functioning, but we did with the what is presented in the Scriptures is presented to us about life and everything that is life in us lives forever and the change that will looking at in our life doesn't come because I make up my mind becomes because I have a change of heart and then my thinking is brought into line in my actions are brought into line, and were not in an alley. Think of it, sometimes the church is the note noted for it. Oh well, he got a division of Michigan. It is an advanced and viewed all these things an evening event. Jesus says if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If you confess Jesus is the Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world. His blood was shed upon the cross for us to be safe. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world John the Baptist. So if you end up forgiveness that we are established in the Church of Jesus Christ. It is not forgiveness that God works in the hearts and begins to initiate the big role. We don't work our way into progression of being saved. Salvation is a confession, but becoming a Christian becoming a household take for this little one to grow up. I met with seven babies you today. Yes, that's a good thing. I will take for them to grow up how you keep one from falling over the pew that you gave the baby from falling over the pew. How do you keep the baby from falling down. You don't begin falling over the puberty taking them from falling up in our Christian life. There is a growth and there is maturing as a growing up and we all are in that process and we will continue to grow in our relationship with Christ until the day we die. And so there is an ongoing growth and ongoing process of how the God works in our life. Verse sixteen says so were not giving up how could we how Google even think of giving up what, what about this and what about that, what about these things. How could we ever think of giving up no matter what happens in our life. How can we ever think of giving up this week hadn't panicked phone call and a person that was calling was they were crying on the phone because of what it happened to a family member and how that this family member was in between life and death, and they wanted to know why. Why did this happen now. Why are the ill and I don't have the answers to why no white person have a heart attack. What if the person have a broken leg. What we can say while they had heart disease or they had too much cholesterol, OR they had this in advance and that caused them to have a heart attack work, you know, if you fall down a flight of stairs in your leg gets bent out of shape that it shouldn't go well, that's what broke I remember one of one individual. I was try and what the visits and not they had a broken arm and I said to them, I said, well behind how did you break your she's and she says we'll got pushed me to locate the office, Yahoo started taken back the got pushed the and so and and I had anyone ask her how she knew got pushed there. But anyhow, I thought we talked for was the military you like me to pray for and teach as well. Yes, did you pray that God would heal my broken arm and I thought, wow what a one-on-one relationship with God. He pushes me down so you can make a better bill. I'd like all give me this game. It is just a little child you see this candidate you wanted after they start crying and he pulled away in April, Lena Zacharia and then you have to ask important what it makes that philosophy, we have, but how we go it. How can we ever think of giving up the challenge for us is to bring our understanding of God into alignment with what the Scriptures actually teach us and sometimes people make God like themselves. It's just a bigger batter version and a bigger batter version that while longer. So if you took your yourself and you start imagining if you had all power what you would do I fix all that people NL. I would make sure they are young, they get out of you write a nonfiction would you say God as it says in the text here is unfolding grace that when problems happen in our life. It isn't that God is trying to while push you down so we can make it better in every situation is unfolding of God 's grace in our life. Every situation is an unfolding of God 's grace and what is God 's grace unmerited favor that God does not look at us better than or worse than any other person. He looks at us with a divine favor that says he loves us and in our life. What we are facing success or failure. We are looking at that as the unfolding of God 's grace is given to us, and that grace is full of mercy and power and strength. So here we are taking our daily bath in the word of God, where the unfolding grace is just being poured over us being showered over us to help in every situation of our life and every day of our life and every moment of our life so that no matter where we are active in the middle of a typhoon or on the beach in Florida having a vacation unfolding grace unfolding grace unfolding grace to see there is an outward human. The inner you and you want to know what the outward you is take your finger. Everything is like this. I reached down and picture until it hurts that the outer you, but do let your neighbor. Now doesn't that you never thought you would get carried away with that. I know like the preacher who somebody was asleep in this congregation, and yes, the usher to go wake him up in the answers and you put them to sleep you wake him up so this reach our potential mastitis, Solaris, and I are you and there is an inner year. The origin is your body, your reputation in all the person you are the person you're known for your leftists know your baldness yell whatever it is you are, that's your outer you, but the interview is your character, your spiritual soul, the RU is what everybody sees the interview is your life that part of you that makes the decisions between good and evil. The part of you that feels and I and hasn't functioned as designers to do or not do. That's the inner you. And that's the area that chooses life and chooses to believe in chooses to accept what God is what God is doing in your life and it's also the part of you that chooses people used to choose to do evil so. It is all on the outside. It often looks like things are falling apart to imagine that type of greeting hello, it looks like things are falling apart on you, but it's in there in the Bible out of context, but only a hazy even though on the outside. It often looks like things are falling apart on us. So diseases. The next time you see me and him have been over and not moving very well. You don't say pastor looks like things are falling apart on you so, but even though we look and look at our society, we look at our world and we see the destructiveness of nature and receive sometimes what we recall maybe the misguided efforts of government, and not depends on which side Ron misguided or not, but on the outside, and often looks like things are falling apart, losing a job becoming ill. Looks like things are falling apart while no matter how much things fall apart we will never cease to exist where how bad things seem to be. We will never cease to be the person on the inside, and that person is the one that lives forever. That's the person that is able to deal with the difficult issues because out of our heart become comes our desires and comes being the importance of who we are and that's why God deals with the heart, his disciples wanted to know Jesus. Which one of us is going to be best with one of us who sit on your right hand and on your left as it is the one who makes the most noise. Now if I want to make. I never want to get the special attention. But wait, nevermind how is what gives, or the kids always want to disrupt the service because it's a real problem with what adults did so out of such as those officer is not so. I have no air how bad things get, there's always hope always hope there is always hope was hope. Downstairs was the fact that I as a so there's always hope, and this is not a beautiful lady sitting in the corner, there is always hope is the hope of Jesus Christ and the whole room and in him. This definition have to stick with us hold in the Scriptures came out in the script here's is not about. I hope it's a nice day open the Scriptures is there is an event that is in the future. We just haven't arrived that that's the hope you like the Bible says that the return of Jesus Christ is our blessed hope that means Jesus Christ is returning. We just haven't reached that point yet so hoping the Scriptures is, we will. God will make a way for us. I hope God will make a way for us. It's in, and the definition of the Scriptures. It is, God will make a way for us. We just have arrived. So until they get their where going to believe you were going to do and were going to anticipate the good things of God is going to do in our life. That's the whole of Scripture in anticipation of and doing the right things for the right reasons and till we arrive at that place, but it's going to be fulfilled is not a wastefulness. It isn't it a certainty assault. The interview. The interview that part that doesn't respond to this response. This apartment near the Gaza response of the pants. The response to the prayer. That's the interview and that part of our is what God is dealing with the changes in Paul declared nothing can separate us from the love of God, nothing that I'm safe now. I'm safer for it for eternity because of my relationship with Jesus Christ in its ongoing daily now so many hours you when the outer view seems to be falling apart. Check on the inner you have we reviewed that is part of the daily life within one at the physical part. Note the interview with has an effect upon the outer and I was at what is a vice, a first responder. She went in the back was the first responder and the first responder is first person on the scene and is generally a woman, you have to send me a letter, Sammy, firefighter, so, who are generally the first people first responders, firemen, police, and those are among the others, but those are primarily our first responders. So when there is a an accident. They are and what are the first responders who are first responders, firemen, and I don't find that the expert rate, the firemen, police and EMS, so they are the first responders now who are you are first responders when you arrive in a crisis. What is the first thing you say in your life when something goes wrong in your life who are your first responders. Oh my God, this is terrible what God help me, what or why this happens, God, crying, yelling and fighting denial and pouting if they are your first responders, you need to fire because our first responders are there to rescue our first responders are there to help, and if our first responders inside a mosque inside of our character are not reflected God 's grace. This mercy is sustaining power, then we are the imagine a first responder New York firemen come along and say while this is a big enough wireless throw some more stuff on it, get it going. Imagine a kind of a first responder. Imagine the in the ambulance coming up and saying, well, you know, they don't amount to much. Mrs. Lee Malone look at our first responders and emotionally and spiritually look at how we respond to crises in our own life never make it as just another bad thing. Our society is terrible. Our world is corrupt or our government does this send, and that's our first responders allow stray wonder we have a problem change your first responders. Your first responder 's faith, hope, expectation of good God works all things together for good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose. God, this looks bad, and I have to deal with it& about the Nile. Denial is less aware about it. Everything be okay. Faith is of a very real problem of a very real God. I'm a very real promise. I have a great hope, expectation of what God is going to do you see that is a first responder that causes us to heal to get back in the race to get up and go again spiritually. Even we can't physically we can do it spiritually, we can go from an air expectation that God is at work in my life, and that these are just temporary setbacks in other speed bumps on the road of life. I the slowdown. I need to look at things differently. I need to see things more clearly I need to understand God 's work in my heart audit work gone at work. So, immediately when something goes wrong while is it really is it really that wrong or is it an opportunity that just looks like something wrong is an opportunity to change my life and it looks like a something wrong that needs to be stopped. But in the same I can't stop it. I want to see how God is at work in this situation, so I may need to fire your first responders and none of you coming me to respond on a need to fire your first responders. David does weight of fire, first responders. This is not to work at that God is at work on his work, and I think God is at work, pretty easy as I imagine that being your first response of God. The work got to work. Got to have a difficulty got to work fire your first responders so the hour manual parish and no matter what we have in shelters and storm shelters and in survival shelters and all the things and people are so inclined to do so. The building to have them by buying our first response is what Jesus Christ is going to do in us because he is our shelter in the time of storm we have different kinds of care for our health, but we have Jesus care that will take care of us spiritually that Jesus is going to make a difference in our life you seek God 's work nothing can separate me from God, distress, or persecution, famine or nakedness pearl with sword, nothing can separate God 's work. Imagine Paul being stoned and drunk out of the city for dead saintly NL. This is really bad. I think I should give up on God. How appalling prison this. It's all over now. Now it's only been just begun because he wrote from the prison he wrote his epistles that we now read you see God is at work so they receive we receive the Lord God is doing. We rejoice in what God is doing rejoice& our inner person rejoicing makes us suspect something good rejoicing helps us to see what I just been on a happy because I'm happy I'm happy because I believe in God, and happy depends on happenings, joy comes from the heart, beloved, now are we the children of God that has not yet appeared, been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when he is revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is, and everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is your first John three, so we find that everyone who has this hope, and then has an expectation of good purity of great, but God is going to work in his life, our shelter is Jesus Christ our provider is Jesus Christ, the things we see now are here today and gone tomorrow, we see how God is at work and I am member person years ago I went to visit and browse and they was referred there by friend or friend of a friend and and and I went to work and went there to talk to Mrs. while I expecting to get a job will not, that's great possible. Where did you put in your applications, as I haven't yet. I believe God will provide for me it's okay. Have you read a newspaper where there are jobs to find although God is to provide from us. Okay, so do you have any idea what you want to do so. No, God will direct me back, and after a while I said you need to tell me you're sitting in your house. You told no one that you want a job you look for no job and you believe that you're going to get a job 's units right knee. You think that somebody would come to your door and knock on your door and asked if he will work CNS right. This is not happen because God will we are part of the answer to every prayer, we pray my faith moves me to action. It's not all on the slot all about me, but I am heart of the answer to my prayer. I've got to have enough faith to believe in moving the hand of God, but I've got have enough faith to allow God to me, and that's where God is at work doing the work in us. But if we don't do our part. No reading the Bible daily bath. You know what I believe I need a bath. Okay, we got in the top know the review that views water, although no, I don't need water. I have faith that the government selected a bath like that you haven't met stink. Once I had now closing this one time we were and we were in South Africa and we were going between Zimbabwe and South Africa and the order crossing and there was this guy that we had a sign on the side of the car that said, where we would move from NL is a ministry, and so on. And this guy standing on the road. He's waving us down and we needed help, and we been rejected from going into one country because of an African who is with us and he didn't have his necessary papers and they would throw us in prison because we're trying to smuggle this guy in front of us into the country and the retro solid present so you don't like with smuggling. He standing here all your smuggling is what he wanted was one, but a happier smuggling. This person, and because we didn't know that too dumb to know that so greatly, so we couldn't get into the country and we can't get back and we can get back to the other countries overstocked in the bottom half a mile between these two bars and his people walking and stuff, and there's this guy 's desire to help you locate if we open up the card lettermen, well this is that this is an individual probably has never had that he believed in God, and he believed invading. He just hadn't had one for about three or four years, maybe longer, and I don't know if you've been around somebody who hasn't had a bath and five, seven years and maybe wore the same clothes, old time and you get in a car within a hundred degrees you need a bath. Spiritually, you see, sometimes when you know you get used to the smell you get used to the same old stuff. God is saying you need to begin again. You need a fresh start. You need a fresh cleansing of your soul and you need to do that every day. Read the words pray and ask God for his forgiveness has covered his direction as God for his love and the faith enough to believe to move the hand of God and faith enough to believe that God is moving you in an estate father, we thank you for your. We thank you for the strength that you give us each day, and Lord. It is the power of your Word out your spirit that changes us from the inside out. We thank you Lord for your unfolding grace your unfolding grace in every situation of life. We thank you. We ask of God, your blessing upon us, Lord, as we renew ourselves in yours presence. We renew ourselves. We ask of God, for your forgiveness. We ask God for your lovely asked about Rihanna unfolding grace in our life. We thank you Jesus for these things bless us now, Lord, that we might be blessings given to our life that we might give unto others. We pray in Jesus name. Everyone said amen, go home and take a bath, not just what that on every negative academic job yummier, but it took it took some finance and angling to get back and forth. I did finish the story