WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.900 there are times when the world is seemingly shaken at every turn. Institutions, politics, 00:00:08.140 --> 00:00:15.900 financial markets and our world is being shaken, not just environmentally but now our health and 00:00:15.900 --> 00:00:23.679 our economy as well. And as we're aware as Christians we're not immune. We're not immune 00:00:23.679 --> 00:00:29.820 from that shaking in that sense of our normal routines as we've known this week and everything 00:00:29.820 --> 00:00:38.840 that we've done has been seemingly blown away. How will we be seen to respond as Christians? 00:00:39.899 --> 00:00:49.879 People ask us what do we make of what is going on? I listened on a podcast as I said earlier to Pete 00:00:49.879 --> 00:00:55.980 Greg and some of you maybe have been following his teaching on prayer and if ever there was a time 00:00:55.979 --> 00:01:08.519 to pray this is it. It seems that we are in difficult times. We get and when we're in calm seas, 00:01:08.759 --> 00:01:15.239 when we're in calm seas we can get a little bit complacent. I think that's true for me, I think 00:01:15.239 --> 00:01:20.719 that's been true for so many and that's been a real highlight for me this week. We take things for 00:01:20.719 --> 00:01:27.980 granted like shelves being full in shops. I mean I was just thinking that you know toilet rolls, I mean 00:01:27.980 --> 00:01:36.640 they've taken on a whole new economy. People have been desperate to find what we, things that we have 00:01:36.640 --> 00:01:45.079 taken for granted and it's a bit too, I think this way like our spiritual life. It seemed calm yet in calm 00:01:45.079 --> 00:01:52.099 times we take things for granted. We take things, our worship, the opportunity to gather together for 00:01:52.099 --> 00:01:59.379 prayer and it just seems really strange. This place at 10 30 just being totally empty other than just the 00:01:59.379 --> 00:02:08.099 three of us. Yet when the storm comes and it has come and the boat is rocked like never before, 00:02:08.099 --> 00:02:16.740 we cry out and really cry out and we pray to God. My son sent me this great cartoon this week, there's a 00:02:16.740 --> 00:02:23.840 lot of them flying around and it showed people sat in a plane and the caption read, this is your captain 00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:31.859 speaking. Just to let you know I'm working from home today. You know in Mark chapter 4 when Jesus is 00:02:31.860 --> 00:02:38.360 resting in the boat, in the midst of this storm that had whipped up, it came from nowhere, the disciples 00:02:38.360 --> 00:02:47.800 started to panic and Jesus isn't remote. He's there, he's not elsewhere, he's not working from home, he is 00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:55.600 there in the midst of them and it's those words he got up and he calmed the storms and said to them, why are you 00:02:55.599 --> 00:03:08.859 so afraid? Do you still have no faith? This is not a time for our faith to be shaken although it may feel 00:03:08.859 --> 00:03:16.680 like it at the time. Listen to the Lord and trust in him like never before and this week like you I sensed 00:03:16.680 --> 00:03:25.079 that shaking, I really did and looked to Jesus for reassurance, for safety and stability and that's I think 00:03:25.080 --> 00:03:33.780 what led me to Psalm 46. As soon as I started reading it was almost like an answer to my shaking to my 00:03:33.780 --> 00:03:42.980 prayer. God is our refuge and strength and ever-present help in times of trouble. The first says therefore we 00:03:42.980 --> 00:03:54.820 will not fear. When faith steps out sadly fear steps in and it goes on nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall, 00:03:54.819 --> 00:04:04.459 he lifts his voice and the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress. 00:04:05.659 --> 00:04:11.359 And like all Psalms it ends with this great thing of hope that says be still and know that I am God. 00:04:12.199 --> 00:04:20.019 I will be exalted amongst the nations. I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord Almighty is with us. 00:04:20.019 --> 00:04:28.939 The next morning after I've done this an email drops into my inbox with Pete Gregg giving very much this 00:04:28.939 --> 00:04:36.959 message and I sense at this time if your Bibles are open please read Psalm 46 again and again this week 00:04:36.959 --> 00:04:44.319 and make it part of your prayer because therefore we will not fear. You see when the world shakes it's good 00:04:44.319 --> 00:04:51.420 for us to return to the foundations of our faith. We hold fast to him. We stay with him. He's in the boat 00:04:51.420 --> 00:04:59.219 with us. He's not remote. And when Paul was confined to prison and that may feel pretty much maybe what 00:04:59.219 --> 00:05:05.519 it's going to feel like in the days in the weeks to come. Similar for some of us locked away perhaps 00:05:05.519 --> 00:05:13.639 fearful. He wrote letters to a church. A church that was being rocked and shaken. And he spoke of a God 00:05:13.639 --> 00:05:20.459 that transcends fear and brings hope in the midst of what seems like a hopeless situation. 00:05:21.419 --> 00:05:29.819 He gave those early Christians encouragement, direction, strength and purpose that changed lives 00:05:29.819 --> 00:05:32.459 and it changed generations. 00:05:32.459 --> 00:05:43.680 As tough as it is facing weeks of isolation, financial struggle, uncertainty, ask him how will you use me 00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:52.120 in this week? How will you use me in this time of shaking? Shaking us back not into old ways 00:05:52.120 --> 00:05:59.199 but into a new reality where scripture speaks to us, speaks afresh like the psalmist has done 00:05:59.199 --> 00:06:06.659 for me and maybe for you today and in this week to come. You know I can't wait to get back together 00:06:06.659 --> 00:06:11.420 physically to be here as one people. 00:06:12.620 --> 00:06:14.219 But it may be sometime. 00:06:15.599 --> 00:06:23.180 But we have the opportunity at this time to make contact with people in ways that we've never contacted people before. 00:06:23.180 --> 00:06:30.019 We read in the news that we know that the virus started in China. 00:06:30.139 --> 00:06:35.180 That's where it was manifest and has made a huge impact since then on the world. 00:06:36.600 --> 00:06:44.280 It was in 1949 that Chairman Mao decided that he would remove all the Christian missionaries from China. 00:06:44.279 --> 00:06:48.619 And the church in China went into isolation. 00:06:49.819 --> 00:06:54.259 Families worshipped and prayed in their homes, in their places. 00:06:55.379 --> 00:06:57.979 God was their refuge in their strength. 00:06:58.879 --> 00:07:02.779 An ever-present being there in times of trouble. 00:07:03.179 --> 00:07:06.899 And out of that isolation came great hope. 00:07:06.899 --> 00:07:17.479 Because as the time went on, five decades later in China, the church is now 60 million and growing. 00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:20.859 What will come out of our isolation? 00:07:21.979 --> 00:07:25.579 How will we use it to reach out to others during this time? 00:07:25.739 --> 00:07:28.159 To speak openly on social media? 00:07:28.459 --> 00:07:29.439 To share things? 00:07:29.539 --> 00:07:30.319 To share prayer? 00:07:30.319 --> 00:07:33.459 To offer these cards that we've had with people? 00:07:33.459 --> 00:07:43.620 To give them, maybe, in this great economy, the sacrifice of sharing your last toilet roll? 00:07:45.779 --> 00:07:49.279 You know, the one thing is for sure, whatever trials we go through, 00:07:49.419 --> 00:07:53.259 and I know that those watching may be doing that right now. 00:07:54.120 --> 00:07:58.659 Financially, in anxiety and isolation, the Lord is with you. 00:07:59.500 --> 00:08:00.859 Encourage one another. 00:08:00.860 --> 00:08:02.400 Love God. 00:08:03.080 --> 00:08:03.860 Love your neighbour. 00:08:04.759 --> 00:08:05.939 Push into God. 00:08:06.500 --> 00:08:07.000 Love God. 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:08.120 Don't give in to fear. 00:08:09.560 --> 00:08:13.960 Love our community in this time like we've never loved our community before, 00:08:14.220 --> 00:08:15.439 in ways that we can. 00:08:15.819 --> 00:08:18.319 And during this and after this, 00:08:18.980 --> 00:08:19.939 people will say, 00:08:20.420 --> 00:08:22.120 see how the Christians behaved? 00:08:23.120 --> 00:08:26.040 What a great testimony may be for us at this time. 00:08:27.080 --> 00:08:28.780 Let's keep in touch with each other. 00:08:28.779 --> 00:08:30.759 Let's build each other up. 00:08:30.839 --> 00:08:32.100 Let's encourage one another. 00:08:32.500 --> 00:08:33.860 Let's pray for one another. 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:37.139 And as Peace Podcast reminded me, 00:08:37.620 --> 00:08:39.279 maybe, just maybe, 00:08:40.279 --> 00:08:42.120 like the children in Narnia, 00:08:43.039 --> 00:08:45.220 the wardrobe will take us, 00:08:45.339 --> 00:08:46.000 his church, 00:08:46.220 --> 00:08:47.139 and our country 00:08:47.139 --> 00:08:49.000 into a new place 00:08:49.000 --> 00:08:50.819 to discover afresh 00:08:50.819 --> 00:08:51.899 our trust 00:08:51.899 --> 00:08:53.519 in our need of God 00:08:53.519 --> 00:08:55.679 and his strength in our lives. 00:08:55.679 --> 00:08:57.339 I pray that you'll know that 00:08:57.339 --> 00:08:58.699 in your life this week. 00:08:59.599 --> 00:09:00.279 Bless you.