Sermon Note
Pastor Lawrence
Whatever you are going through, it may be negative circumstances, God is for you. All things work together for you.
God is a good God. His mercy (hesed) endures forever.
We live in unprecedented time. One unseen virus has brought the entire world to its knees. The world is going through a shutdown.
For all that we have accomplished yet one unseen virus has brought entire world to its knees and it showed how vulnerable we are.
James 4:13-14
Do Not Boast About Tomorrow
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
James 4:14 (NIV)
Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Do not be discouraged by what u have been experiencing.
Fear can arise in our hearts, but God is a God who is for us.
The people of Israel were in Egypt but they are not affected by the things in Egypt. We are in the world but not of the world.
Let your faith arise. Know that your God is watching over you because He is for you.
Jesus is here. Nothing will harm you
He does not want us just to have hope but to be filled with hope!
We have a confident expectation of good things to come.
Bible hope is an confident expectation of good things to come.
Psalms 42:5
Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance.
Hope in God
Our challenge in the situation we are in, even though we may be disappointed and discouraged, we need to challenge our own soul. Challenge ourselves to hope in God
Psalms 23:4
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You are not alone.
God is with you. He is there to comfort you. His rod and His staff they comfort me
His rod – protection of the holy spirit
The rod of God is there to protect us
The staff speaks of God’s word
Psalms 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
God’s heart is to comfort you. He wants to comfort you in the trialing season of your life.
He is perfect in all His ways
When we realised the vulnerability of man and life, we need to hold on to bible hope. Having a confident expectation that good things are coming your way.
If you are sick, have confident expectation that God will heal you.
If you are having fear in your heart, have confident expectation that perfect ℓσνє drives out every fear.
If He can turn water into wine, surely He can turn the water of your marriage into sweet intoxicating wine
Nothing is lost.
Have hope in your heart
Lamentations 3:21-24
This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!”
Lamentations 3:22
Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
Grace is the unmerited and favour of God
God’s grace and not your effort that you are protected by the pandemic
We may fail but His compassion fails not.
This is the grace of God. They are new every morning.
God’s mercy and compassion are new every morning.
There is hope for us.
Knowing this amazing grace of God will live a life of holiness for His glory
The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore i hope in Him
The Lord is my portion, it means that belongs to me
Whatever God has and can do, that belongs to us.
When we say God is my portion, we are saying whatever God has we have.
Isn’t that amazing?
God reveal to you when you are sick that He is the Lord who heals you
We are also saying if i am sick i will be healed.
If i m poor i m saying He is my shepherd i shall not want
The Lord is my shepherd, He shall provide all my needs and i shall not be in lack
Psalms 23:5
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
We understand we should just have enough but God does not understand. He wants to give u more than enough
We remember His compassion that fails not.
We remember the Lord is our portion that is why we have hope
Let your hope arise.
Be filled with hope
Every day expect His goodness and mercy to follow you.
Tiqvah is the Hebrew word for hope
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Because of the cross everything has changed.
Today Jer 29:11 belongs to believers
Joshua 2:9
and said to the men: “I know that the LORD has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you.
Joshua 2:9-15
and said to the men: “I know that the LORD has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the LORD, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token, and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.”
So the men answered her, “Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the LORD has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.”
Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall; she dwelt on the wall.
An evil report is report of unbelief
Joshua and Caleb had different spirit
After 40 years had passed, the enemies were afraid of them but they were afraid of their enemies.
Matthew 16:18
And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
The church that goes online can reach more in this season
This Covid19 pandemic is powerless against God and the people. Do not be afraid of your enemies, they are more afraid of you
They were afraid of the giants but the giants were afraid of them because the giants know God is for them
Joshua 2:9-15
and said to the men: “I know that the LORD has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the LORD, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token, and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.”
So the men answered her, “Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the LORD has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.”
Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall; she dwelt on the wall.
Joshua 2:17-18
So the men said to her: “We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have made us swear, unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household to your own home.
Scarlet is color red. Red is the color of blood. Our family is protected when we come under the blood of Jesus Christ
Only because of the blood of Jesus Christ we can be saved, prosper and experience all the good things in life.
There is a scarlet thread that runs through the bible.
Is only through the finished work we can have hope
Romans 5:5
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
The holy spirit role is not to point to you your sins
We can have a hope that does not disappoint
Romans 15:13
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Today we have a living hope.
Not just have hope but to abound in it
Our hope is a God of hope
Throw away every despair.
Does not happen what happened in the past, do not lose hope. Let your hope arise. Your victory is coming. Your breakthrough is coming
Let your faith arise
Hebrews 11:1
By Faith We Understand
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
U have have something in your heart. U must have hope in your heart
Have hope in your heart and your faith be activated
By Your stripe, i am healed
The Lord was with Joseph and he is a successful man.
Testimony –
A young adult started his new work in the beginning of the year. His company was not doing well. He was told to leave after he started. He asked himself why not me?
You need to know you are in the world but not of the world.
There are businesses that are prospering during this time.
He starter to believe God. The day before he was supposed to leave he received a new job with higher pay, better prospect!
Our God is a good God. Today my friend have hope in your heart
Always expect great things from God
Is your Father’s great pleasure to give you great things
The Lord is moving among us
When 2 or 3 are gathered together, Jesus is moving in our midst.
