do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
We live in a fallen world. This hasn't changed.
We serve a Risen Savior. This too hasn't changed.
#1 God is in Control!
"God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging." Psalm 46:1-3
Nothing happens on this earth without God aware of it. He's not worried.
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
"“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”
So we say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?”" Hebrews 13:5-6
Early Church -- began and flourished in Roman Empire which was not known for its tolerance. it too had tons of sexual immorality, abortion and infanticide. The church still flourished. We can rest in Him.
2. We have a God Who is Listening to us!
"I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
2 I will glory in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them." Psalm 34:1-7
He wants to hear from us!! So, Pray! -- we have the power of prayer!
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:16
Pray for each other.
"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him." 1 John 5:14-15
God will always have our back.
#3. We can stand on His promises!
He says, "I will." "Let there be" "I Am"
"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6
Know this. Claim it. God is working on you. He pays attention to you. He sees every sparrow (and bird and bug and animal) fall.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
We will have trouble, but Jesus has overcome it all.
"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." 2 Peter 1:3-4
Amen! We can get above the world. Fully God. Fully Man. The world didn't drag Jesus down. Jesus pulls us up. It doesn't have to drag us down either. We can escape the corruption of the world.
"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God." 2 Corinthians 1:20
Amen=Let it be!=yes!
#4 We will outlive the world
"The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever." 1 John 2:17
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
Fix your eyes on Jesus. Praise Him first.
"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18