Generated Transcript:
good morning Church or good afternoon or
good evening or whatever time that you
are watching this particular broadcast
in a time of uncertainty and fear and
panic we as God’s people have good news
and I’m glad you can join us today
hopefully you can share this with other
people as they’re looking for good news
as well it’s really interesting what I’m
doing right now I’m thankful to the good
Lord for technology I remember the first
time I basically talked to no people it
was doing a radio program and it was
really strange I remember the first time
I recorded a sermon for gpn and looking
at nobody and it is really strange the
only person I’m looking at right now is
Caleb Dunaway and I want to thank him
because he and the Union Church of
Christ made it possible for us to record
this potentially going forward we will
livestream this but I’m thankful for
technology because with it you and I can
think about concentrate focus and study
upon things that God has given to us our
hearts and our minds and our souls can
be together and we can be uplifted by
the Word of God
panic greed fear uncertainty all of
those things make it very easy for us to
get distracted in these unusual
circumstances and in these unusual times
there’s a lot of focus right now there’s
a lot of focus on the fear upon panic
financial situation stock market
unemployment what are we going to do got
a message for you today a message from
God’s Word that I hope will be helpful
and the message is this let’s keep focus
let’s keep focus on the right place and
the right things and the right time it’s
in the book of Hebrews it’s chapter 12
after examining all of those great
heroes of faith Abraham and
and Noah and Joseph and all that chapter
12 begins this way therefore seeing that
we are accomplished about with so great
a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside
every weight and the sin that so easily
besets us verse 2 tells us this that
we’re to look to Jesus the author and
finisher of our faith and so that’s what
ohm is to think about today and
throughout this week I’m going to give
us seven things one for each day for us
to focus on I’m gonna tell you in
advance
none of them are gonna be the
coronavirus I’m gonna tell you in
advance none of them are gonna be on the
stock market I’m gonna take an advance
none of them are gonna be on the
financial future of this country those
are all important things those are all
things getting a lot of teaching that’s
not what we’re going to talk about
let me help put the coronavirus into a
little perspective and before I say that
and before I do that let me say this is
very serious we need to use wisdom and
we need to use good judgment and we need
to care about each other and care about
God care about our society but currently
in the world they’re about 305 cases of
this COV ID there have been at this
point about 13,000 ads and it’s
Christian people that’s obviously a
concern because that means 13,000 people
have gone to stand before judgment in
the condition they’re in I don’t know
how many of those were saved I don’t
know how many were lost I don’t know how
many were children or people that were
mentally incompetent but I know that
there’s 13,000 people that will no
longer have opportunity to obey God
they’re about 10,000 people still in
serious condition around the world in
the United States are about 24,000 cases
that they have concerned confirmed so
far there’ll be more because we’re just
now really getting to the testing point
and testing more people there have been
about 300 individuals that have died
because of that and they’re about 600
cases that are still in very serious
condition but when we think about that
any
and broader sense in the United States
just this year alone from October
basically until now there have been 38
to 54 million that’s not thousands
that’s not that’s millions of cases of
the flu and they project that somewhere
between 28 and 59 thousand people will
die from the flu this season so in
relative terms the numbers in every
number matters but the numbers are far
smaller it’s just that this is different
we don’t have a vaccine and we’re not
sure how things work and we’re not as
prepared so what I mean by talking about
all those numbers
let’s keep praying let’s keep being wise
let’s keep being vigil let’s take care
of ourselves and let’s be compassionate
and let’s be concerned about other
people as well so let’s talk about focus
focus number one for this week you can
use this for today for Sunday if you’re
watching this today focus number one is
to focus on Jesus that’s our message in
Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 2 looking
unto Jesus we think about all the things
are unstable in life and there are so
many unstable in life if you take the
coronavirus completely out of the
picture there are a lot of unstable
things in life we live in a very
unstable world about a lot of things but
who is what is stable
I love the verse that says Jesus Christ
the same today yesterday and forever we
need to focus on the Savior we need to
focus on Jesus we need to focus on
following in the footsteps of Jesus
Peter tells us that Jesus left us the
example that we should follow in his
steps we should focus upon Jesus and his
relationship with God he said he and the
father were one we need to focus on
Jesus and the way that he was concerned
about the Lost Luke tells us that the
Son of man came to seek and to save the
Lost
we need to focus on Jesus in the way
that he was kind
and compassionate to all people one of
the things that I like to do is I like
to use something put out by the G
consistent you called his life talking
about the life of Jesus in this past
week the focus on those messages of the
life of Jesus was about his care for
those that we would consider
Untouchables or unlovable and we need to
focus on Jesus in that way and in that
sense we need to focus on Jesus because
Jesus said that he came not to do his
own will but the will of the father that
sent him ought to be focused on that
today I want to be focused on that this
week doing the will of the Father
so day one focus point one focus on
Jesus day two focused point two let’s
focus on what we can do versus what we
can’t do have the past few days brought
some limitations on some things that
we’re able to do absolutely but long
before the coronavirus and long after if
the world stands there will still be
things that we can’t do they’ll still be
limitations that we have and instead of
spending our time and our energy and our
thoughts and our meditation on what
we’re unable to do for this short period
of time
I want encourage us only encourage us to
focus on what we can do I think about
Paul in this situation I think about
Paul being imprisoned and being
imprisoned falsely being in prison
wrongly only thing that Paul did was the
follow Jesus endure try to do his will
but you know Paul could have taken this
attitude in prison he could have said
you know this is really really really
bad and I’m in a really bad situation
here and when I get out of this prison I
tell you what I’m gonna do I’m gonna do
a lot of good stuff for Jesus and I’m
gonna teach a lot of people
helped a lot of people and I’m gonna
shine my light Paul didn’t wait til he
got out of prison Paul wrote four of our
most treasured and favored epistles
while he was in prison
think about all the value of Ephesians
and Philippians and Colossians and
Philemon and then think about where he
wrote those things where he was and how
Paul focused on what he could do rather
than what he was limited from doing
habit he talked to the Romans when he
was in prison there and the guard
keepers and things of that nature
teaching him about Jesus he offered
encouragement
think about Paul and Silas think about
them in that jail in Philippi
one of those letters that we talked
about was written to the Philippians but
think about how they were in prison only
again for doing good they could have be
easily said when we get out of here
we’re really gonna serve God we’re gonna
put the Lord first and foremost they
didn’t wait till they got out about
midnight Acts chapter 16 they were
praying and they were singing in an
earthquake came the prisoners were freed
from their shackles the man that was
attending the man that was the jail
keeper if if you may the jailer he wakes
up he sees this situation he’s about to
kill himself and Paul said don’t hurt
yourself we’re all here and the man
comes running to Paul and he has a
Leyden and he says sirs what must I do
to be saved and Paul and Silas teach him
and they teach his family and they
become Christians that very night think
about what might have happened to the
jailer if Paul and Silas hadn’t done
what they could do had they simply been
focused on what they were going to do at
some point
five down the road maybe you want to get
to see the paper after we finish this
morning and maybe you just want to jot
down some things maybe daily maybe in
somewhat summary form of things that you
can do this week I realize their social
distancing I realize there are other
things that are limiting us from places
and from people but I can promise you
you can easily fill up a notebook sheet
of paper with things that can be done
Day to focus too of what we want to
think about focusing on Jesus is doing
what we can do versus what we can’t do
focus three day three let’s focus on the
tools that we have in our disposal let’s
focus on the things even with social
distancing even with somewhat
self-quarantine II even with taking
precaution what are some tools that we
have that the coronavirus does not
affect in the least think about your
phone I don’t believe someone would
probably get this word out I don’t think
you could catch the coronavirus over the
phone and so that’s something that we
can continue to utilize I heard someone
saying I can’t prove it and wouldn’t try
I heard someone say that our phones now
are so sophisticated relatively speaking
that there is more capacity and
technology and an iPhone today than
there were in the computers that sent
the first rocket to the moon Wow
I don’t know about that for sure I don’t
know that that matters but I know this
with our phones we can call people we
can text people we can send messages to
people we can Facebook people there are
all kinds of things that we can do with
our phones and we can do them to the
good of the Lord into the glory of the
Lord
you can pass along the stream or the
recording of this video by use of your
phone we’ve got computers most people
have use computers and there’s a lot of
ways that we can use our computers
to the glory of God we can send Bible
correspondence courses we can send
messages through email we can sim copies
of different places different resources
different URL addresses so people can
know more about the Lord gospel
Broadcasting Network does a great job of
that as well and so we can still help
people we can encourage people by use of
our computers we can use our emails we
can use our text we can use the Internet
we can use Facebook if you’re a facebook
person you say well I’m not too big on
the computer stuff
what about cards what about noes do you
have any cards in your house do you have
any notebook paper what would it mean to
someone that’s going through difficulty
right now for you to just take a second
take a minute take five minutes and jot
down a note or a card they haven’t
stopped the mail you know that’s still
an opportunity for us to send things to
other people and let them know stop and
think about this for just a second if
you would what does it mean for you have
you ever received a card from someone
have you never received a note from
someone an encouraging note a note that
said I love you note that said I’m
praying for you a note or a card that
says I’m proud of you you see there yes
so what we cannot afford as God’s people
to be distracted we cannot afford as
God’s people to lose focus we can’t
afford as God’s people to lose focus on
what’s good because if we do we’re going
to miss opportunities that we never will
be able to gain back oh there may be
another opportunity on another day we
still have our vehicles we still have
our cars air places we can go and things
that we can do and I recognize and
appreciate the social distancing thing
but there are ways you can carry
groceries to people and leave them
outside on their porch there are other
things that can be done by use of our
vehicles you’re probably thinking
already ahead of me there’s really a lot
of things there are really a lot of
tools that we can be using we just need
to make sure we stay focused
number four day number four let’s focus
on our opportunities versus our
limitations opportunities versus our
limitations how do you pray do you ever
pray that God would lead you would lead
me to some person we sing it sometimes
lead me to some soul today do we pray
for opportunities were there
opportunities that are abounding in this
situation that we’re in now and it would
be so much wiser to focus on
opportunities than to moan and groan and
complain about the limitations the
opportunities for evangelism you can
still talk to people on the phone you
can still talk to people face-to-face
though our numbers have been prohibited
in large gatherings larger gatherings I
understand that I appreciate that I have
a friend that has the corona virus and
and I’ve seen some of the stuff that
he’s put out encouraging people to be
cautious but there are a lot of ways
that we could still be involved in
evangelism as we talked about the use of
our tools and opportunities what if you
made what if you made a decision this
week I’m going to call at least one
person this week and encourage them I’m
going to call at least one person this
week that’s not a Christian and tell
them that I love them and that care
about their soul and tell them that this
coronavirus is bad but it’s not nearly
as bad as sin and that there’s a cure
for sin the encouragement that we can
offer in so many different ways just
simply checking up on people how does it
make you feel if someone calls or texts
or emails or facebook or whatever and
just says hey thinking about you
checking on you is there something I can
do for you is there any way that I can
help encouragement goes a long long way
and there’s not a person regardless how
strong or how struggling they are in
their life they can’t
benefit from encouragement helping other
people as we think about this concept of
our opportunities versus our limitation
what can you do what can I do to help
people there are people that have needs
needs didn’t stop with the first
confirmation of someone with the
coronavirus as a matter of fact I
suppose that needs probably have ramped
ups so what can I do what can you do how
can we reach out and focus on our
opportunities not on our limitations
focus number five day number five let’s
focus on personal faith building it may
be that because of this situation that
we may have more available time young
people that are not in school maybe
adults that are not at work as they were
well what does this additional free time
offer us it offers us time for faith
building for personal faith building
what if we all make the decision this
week I’m going to spend an extra 30
minutes a day in Bible study I’m going
to spend an extra hour today in Bible
study I’m going to go to the computer
now I’m going to look at more stuff on
apologetics press for gospel
Broadcasting Network or Christian
courier or many of the other good things
that are out there what if you decided
this week I think what I’m going to do
is go to world video Bible School W VBS
and I’m going to sign up for an online
course somebody says all finances are
strapped right now maybe but you can
sign up at world video Bible School for
online courses for free let me assure
you that is my favorite price any day of
the week is free and so you may get
something started this week that would
really ramp up your faith and
ramp up your knowledge of the Word of
God and so if we think about personal
faith building doing more Bible study be
more diligent in that way maybe as we
think about our personal faith building
it’s more prayer time I’m going to spend
more time in prayer this week I have
more free time I have more available
time because of the circumstances that
we’re under I’m gonna pray long
I’m gonna pray more Dylan C Lane I’m
going to pray more focus I’m gonna maybe
for the first time ever write down a
literal on paper on purpose prayer list
and that prayer this is a prayer list
that I’m gonna pray day you for people
and I’m gonna be good about Thanksgiving
I’m going to say God and all this
turmoil and difficulty and fear panic
I’m thankful that you’re our God that
you take care of us and you never fail
us and you never leave us and you never
forsake us and so we have an opportunity
to build our faith by prayer by
meditation we don’t talk about
meditation a lot but the bible does it
talks about the psalmist speaks in
chapter 1 about the man that walks not
the count’s the ungodly stands not the
way of sinners nor sits in the seat of
the scornful but he said it’s in his law
God’s law that he meditates day and
night maybe you pull your favorite chair
up or your rocking chair get your
favorite spot and you just close your
eyes and you meditate or maybe you leave
your eyes open but you meditate and you
think about God’s Word you think about
God’s people you think about your own
life in ways that you can make it more
like the life of Jesus and and more like
the God that we serve as we think about
this personal faith building as we noted
we don’t want to focus on the can the
cakes but the cans personal services we
what can I do for someone what can i and
how can I help someone else this week so
many times in the New Testament people
like Jesus and people like Paul and
people like change refer to themselves
as servants I want to focus on being a
servant this week as I build up my
personal faith number 6 day number 6
focus number 6 focus on
those that are in need there are people
that had needs well before we ever heard
of the Crone virus there are people that
have needs now what’s the quran device
is a thing of the past there will still
be people that have needs maybe you want
to take that sheet of paper we were
using awhile ago and we want to write
down some names we want to put some
faces in our mind about people that have
needs they may be spiritual needs they
may be physical needs they may be
emotional needs but focusing on those
folks maybe there are some widows maybe
there are some widowers that are having
some difficulty right now maybe they
can’t get out and go to the grocery
store maybe they’re concerned about
getting out because they’re more at risk
if they were to catch this virus it
could potentially be far worse or fatal
for them what would it mean to them for
them to get a phone call to say hey this
is Dale this is your name just wanted to
let you know I’m going to the grocery
store what can I pick up for you so you
don’t have to get out of the house and
so you don’t have to get out of a
vehicle and get among people can I pick
you up something at the pharmacy do you
have some some dry cleaning what else
can can I do for you reaching out to
those that may be older and have some
physical limitations or just concerned
about the situation reaching out to
those that may be sick what can I pick
up for you can I go get some chicken
noodle soup you know chicken noodle soup
cures everything so can I go get you
some chicken noodle soup can I go get
you something how can I help what can I
do there’s so many ways that we can
still do things so many ways that we can
help and certainly people that are sick
we remember Jesus Matthew chapter 25
little things he said gets people into
heaven and I don’t think gets people
into heaven where you check the box but
he said I was sick and you came into
this to me
you can visit now without even getting
in and going to inside the house but by
carrying something things of that nature
making sure that people have what they
need those that may be advanced in years
there are some things that we may be
able to do for them and so there are
number of people that
in need people that need the gospel
maybe you call or maybe they’re friends
maybe they’re family and you call and
say you know these are kind of some
trouble sometimes they really are they
cause people think about a lot of things
one things that caused me to think about
that I’m going to happen what about you
are you on your way to heaven have you
been thinking about heaven what can I
help you do so that you would put
yourself in a position where if Jesus
came today or if the chromatin virus
became fatal to you that you could go
and be with the Lord
number seven day seven folks seven focus
on the Great Physician have a lot of
wonderful doctors and I’m thankful and I
pray for them during these times because
they are intentionally willingly
exposing themselves to the possibility
of catching this for the benefit of
helping other people out but Jesus is
often described and we’ve seen a song
sometimes about what we call the Great
Physician
you know Jesus did a lot of healing
while he was on the earth he healed
people that were blind that we’re laying
they couldn’t walk he couldn’t talk he
raised people from the dead people that
have blood issues they loved Jesus
because he could heal but that wasn’t
his major purpose Jesus major theme
wasn’t healing physically sick people
many other signs John says to Jesus in
the presence of his disciples but these
are written that you might believe and
believe he might have life through his
name John chapter 20 and so Jesus didn’t
help people get better physically just
so they could get better physically but
so they would believe on God and they
would have the opportunity to be healed
spiritually spiritually the healing of
the heart Matthew chapter 13 and verse
15 jesus said this people’s hearts wax
croaks their eyes they’ve closed their
ears the dough of hearing
he said lest at any time they should see
with their eyes hear with their ears
understand with their heart and be
converted and listen carefully and he
said and I will heal them this is the
spiritual healing that’s what we all
need is the spiritual healing and Jesus
is that great position maybe it causes
us maybe it causes us to look inwardly
to look inwardly at ourselves to see if
we need spiritual healing we’ve got the
doctors sometimes to find out what’s
wrong with us I currently have a mild
case of bronchitis I know that because
the doctor told me so but bronchitis is
not the worst thing that I have the
worst thing that I have the worst
disease that I have is one call singing
well I can get medicines and I can get
shots for bronchitis I can’t get any
medicine I can’t get any shots humanly
for sin that has to come through the
blood of Jesus Christ we need to focus
this week on the great physician and our
own lives and making sure our lives are
healed through the blood of Jesus Christ
in the lives of other people helping
people heal Jesus was the physician
helping people heal from life’s problems
do you know someone that’s going through
a divorce do you know someone that’s
dealing with a serious maybe a terminal
disease you know someone that’s grieving
because of that someone that’s going
through some other difficulty in life
what a great focus this week to be like
Jesus and reach out and help those
people to heal
number seven is focus on the Great
Physician all right we’ve got 7 days
worth of good things to focus on on
Jesus and what we can do versus what we
can’t do on the tools that we have
opportunities vs. limitations personal
faith building those in need and the
Great Physician
we’ve got a boatload of work to do this
week don’t we and I hope we look forward
to with energy and with vigor and
enthusiasm and our focus keeping our
hearts keeping our mind keeping our soul
fixed focused on Jesus because if we do
that if we’re that we’ll be making the
best of the circumstances we have before
us will please our God and we’ll help
other people
let’s close this session with a prayer
this morning our Holy Father we thank
you that in times of trouble difficulty
panic and fear you’re the God of all
grace all comfort all healing all power
and all salvation we thank you that we
could talk about you today to think
about you today and focus on you and
upon your son Jesus help this to be a
good week for us God blessed to be a
week that we’re not so caught up in the
other stuff but that we’re caught up in
you and we’re focused in you and we’re
doing good for you we thank you for
Jesus we thank you for his precious
blood that saves us from our sin and we
ask for the forgiveness of those sins as
we turn from them in Jesus name Amen
so good shirts to be with you this
morning even though it’s a little bit
different I look for this to be a rather
short term thing and and we’ll hopefully
soon be able to get back together well I
thank God so much for technology I hope
you have a great week and let’s keep
serving our Lord our God