Article: sermon in times of crisis
December 22, 2020 | Uncategorized
The narrator says very little here. It has meaning to any tragedy. This is the God of Jacob â and the God of Nahum (Nahum 1:7), Obadiah (Obadiah 12, 14), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 16:19), and Hezekiah (Isaiah 37:3). We see that in all of this God was pleased with his attitude. Genesis 47:13-26. Because this woman, in her courage to do whatever it takes to help her daughter in her time of crisis, prayerfully and determinedly calls Jesus out on how far God’s grace will extend. These are notes on the sermon, How To Be Unshakable In Times Of Crisis, preached by Pastor Joseph Prince on Sunday, 5 April 2020, at The Star Performing Arts Centre, Singapore. It is honest, at least. He has gone into a region of non-Judean people on purpose so that he won’t be bothered, and here she comes— a mother of a young girl who is sick. She is in crisis. Do not covet anything your neighbor has. There were Idumeans in Jesusâs time, the most famous being King Herod. Our lives are full of pain. When Jacob honored âthe God who answers me in the day of my distressâ (25:3), and when we remember our God as the one who answers us in our time of crisis, donât think that Jacob meant, or that we mean, that God always answers how we want and when we want. Verse 5: âAs they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.â, Jacob trusts that God will protect him, tenuous as things are, and so he obeys. Now, God answers her prayer for another son, even as she dies giving him life. We admit that we are grieving. We see this in leaders within our nation and our world when they choose to respond with wisdom and love in horrible situations. Which has something important to say to us as a young church. Joyful people tend to be thankful people. We are living in the midst of a global pandemic. When Jacob went into exile, his father had blessed him, âGod Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. That God calls us into community so we don’t have to live in the hell of being alone. And he is not alone. I mean really rails at God. The first is Genesis 2:4, during the creation story: âThese are the generations of the heavens and the earth . As he prepared to do so, he was met at night by a man who wrestled him until day break (32:24). In the book of Romans, when the apostle Paul is teaching Godâs divine prerogative in choosing whom he will for his blessing and favor, he turns to Jacob and Esau. She had struggled to bear children and said to him, âGive me children, or I shall die!â (30:1). And through it all, God is with us. In fact, this is not the end of the story for Jacobâs and Esauâs descendants, the Israelites and the Edomites. 2. He rails at God. Youâve probably even preached them multiple times before. God again and again and again brings resurrection to places of death; brings light to places of darkness; brings laughter to places where we have been weeping for so long. Sign up to receive news and updates via email. After the period of the judges, once Israel finally had a king, named Saul, he fought against all the surrounding nations, including Edom (1 Samuel 14:47). The next two losses are the hardest. Job has been through the ringer. He was of the royal house in Edom.â Why? Job’s friends are the worst. Youâll see that key word âjourneyedâ in verses 5, 16, and 21. ), he does so again. And he remembered Rachel in hers (30:22). Seeking the good of the Cities. Growth in grace and opportunity for ministry follow Christians in the wake of crises. And heâs not yet done with Esauâs tribe, called Edom â which is good news for us Gentiles. Isnât Jacob the chosen son? She follows him, interrupts his peace, is persistent in tracking him down, and when Jesus finally does address her and tells her that what he has isn’t meant for her, she has an answer for that too saying to him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Her answer stops Jesus in his tracks. However, in the midst of this section in which Jacob loses three significant people in his life, and is betrayed by his firstborn son, we do have one last revisiting, and extending, of Godâs promises (which have driven the story since Genesis 12). Though facing difficult times of crisis, the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk was able to not only rise above and pray, but also rejoice. Praying in times of crisis is all about Perspective: practical planning, yes, but matched with a bit of distance, away from the tumult of battle so we can hear the still, small voice of God a bit more clearly. Loving one another. When his son was diagnosed with cancer, Richard Lischer, preaching professor at Duke Divinity School, a man who was used to offering people hope and light in times of difficulty, was astonished to find that his son taught him how to die well. Everything makes sense in our understanding of a shepherd leading his flock to green grass and calm waters. His sovereignty and his saving concerns extend beyond Israel. 23, David takes the gentle picture of a shepherd with his sheep to describe the relationship God has with us and we with Him. Jacobâs nomadic household is not native to the land, and now Levi and Simeon âhave brought trouble on me,â Jacob says, âby making me stink to the inhabitants of the landâ (34:30). He promised Abraham he would bless them through him. Already under Davidâs son, Solomon, according to 1 Kings 11:14, âthe Lord raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite. We have seen that our Godâs rule extends beyond Jacob, and that our Godâs promises outlive our heroes, and that our God answers in our time of crisis. And in Christ, he will answer, not necessarily when and how you want, but he will provide all you need. The valley of the And not like the Canaanite gods Jacobâs sons would have found as they plundered Shechem (34:29). Do not murder. Joy does come in the morning. And now, decades later, when Jacob feels precarious in the land, and putting his whole household on the road could expose them to attack from the surrounding tribes, God calls Jacob out in faith. The verses in Habakkuk 3:17-10 do not actually use the words thanks or gratitude, but it certainly could be implied. But thereâs one more thing we need to say about what it means for God to answer in our time of crisis. God gave Edom a land, not in the promised land, but a neighboring territory to the southeast, and he preserved the nation for centuries. So we cannot even be around ourselves. And now thereâs one new element: âkings shall come from your own bodyâ (verse 11; as God had promised Abraham in 17:6). Jacobâs time is coming, and it will not throw God for a loop; he will be just fine without Jacob. God invites us to show up with all of who we are— to bring our pain and thus to be in relationship with God. I didn’t say the manual was easy, all of these things are hard. He will hear you. Free shipping for many products! We do have to decide how to respond to it and let our response be a gift to God. They wrestle, they yell, they bargain, they try to persuade, they do all of the things that we do in times of crisis. The Signs of the Times, July 26, 1905. Love God | Love our Neighbor | Love First, First United Methodist Church of the St. They are simply made by human hands and imagination. Although Job went through some very difficult days, he never gave up on God. He didnât spare his death. And he is the kind of God who welcome foreigners to join in the covenant love of his Table. Genesis 11:27: Terah (Abrahamâs father).Genesis 25:12: Ishmael (Abrahamâs first son). To start out with let me just tell a story that you might want to use as a part of your communication in this season, whether itâs for the Corona virus or other crises down the road: A small boy was watching a parade through his city one day. And then maybe you can move on a little easier and a little better.” (The Late Show). Responding to a crisis pastorally in the pulpit requires the preacher to exercise discernment drawn from their knowledge of the congregation and the crisis itself. As David leaves Jerusalem, he speaks with one of the military leaders traveling out of the city. Just like the genealogy of Ishmael in Genesis 25:12â18. God cries when we hurt, God laughs when we laugh, God celebrates with us when there is true joy. One of my favorite lines in one of his songs is, “There’s a crack in everything; that’s how the light gets in.” (From the song, “Anthem.”) We do not often get the choice of what crisis comes our way. That if he would just be a better person, everything would be fine. May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!â. While these practical practices are all difficult, and some would say impossible at times, when we do them, we come to realize that our faith deepens with each opportunity. Care for Others. The original commission to humanity and the promises of Abraham are here clearly applied and renewed to Jacob. And this mother doesn’t care. When we experience a crisis, it is natural to be overwhelmed by negative feelings. In times of crisis like this one, the natural human response is for us to have great concern about our well being and to also worry and panic. This completes the southward journey of this chapter from Shechem in the north, down to Bethel, then Rachel dies on the way to Bethlehem, then down to Hebron. We hope these sermon notes will be an encouragement to you! This is about preaching and leading in times of crisis and some ideas and principles about that. What lesson does Edom teach Godâs people? So much for Perspective. Amen. This sermon is re-edited from Timothy Peckâs sermon about 9-11-01 to the Space shuttle Columbia explosion on 2-1-03. God in Times of Crisis. Forgive not just seven times, but seventy times seven times. When God defeats the Egyptians and brings Israel safely through the Red Sea, Edom is listed as one of the nations that hears, and trembles (Exodus 15:15). Amidst the Pestilence â Coronavirus Sermon. We take the time to be courageous enough to talk about what’s ailing us. The primary emphasis of this psalm is not on trying to guess when and where storms will come, but to always realize that God is our only true, safe place. Ittai (It-ay-igh)was not Jewish but rather was a foreign mercenary under the service of King David. .â (two are here in chapter 36 for Esau). As people of faith, one of the ways that we find God in times of crisis, is to acknowledge— not ignore— the pain. The second example Moses gives us here is that he experiences real Power when he prays. That God brings resurrection out of death over and over again so that we can be God’s joyous people. Psalm 137, one of the most shocking imprecatory psalms, was written after this betrayal: âRemember, O Lord, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem, how they said, âLay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundations!â (Psalm 137:7). At times like this, we need to hang on to truths that donât change. First, his beloved wife Rachel dies giving birth to another son, Benjamin, as the family journeyed south from Bethel. And in that moment Jesus turns and sees her for the first time and he says to her, “Woman, great is your faith.”, Even when Jesus got it wrong, he was able to turn, to repent, if you will, and to make it right—immediately. The Bible emphasizes getting the facts before you take major actions in your life. The Christian response to crisis begins with God! He sees. Then we saw last week in chapter 34, how Jacobâs sons Levi and Simeon had deceived and slaughtered the village of Shechem as revenge for the defiling of their sister Dinah. A Study ⦠So, secondly, the God after Jacob outlives our heroes. Patton Oswalt, the actor and comedian, has been publicly grieving because his wife died about six months ago. Just as peace was restored between Isaac and Ishmael, and together they buried Abraham (25:9), so Jacob and Esau, so far as we know, remain at peace, and together bury Isaac (35:29). 1) Viktor Frankl, Manâs Search for Meaning (New York, NY: Washington Square Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, 1963, revised and updated edition in 1998). So as we come here to chapter 35, the last chapter where Jacob is still center stage (from Genesis 25 to 35), Jacob senses himself and his household to be in a very precarious place with the surrounding Canaanites. We have a rough time admitting when we are in pain. IN FACT, THIS IS ONE OF THE KEYS IN OVERCOMING CRISIS OR PROBLEMS IN OUR LIFE - HAVING A THANKFUL OR GRATEFUL HEART! Psalm 46 offers us a foundation for trusting God in times of crisis. We have all known someone who has walked through a time of crisis responding in ways we can’t imagine. Genesis 25:19, which reads, âThese are the generations of Isaac.â And how will Josephâs story begin next week? Communities don’t often know their own ability to offer grace, their own strength to stand up, their own power to partner with God until they face a time of crisis. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.â If Edom says, âWe are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,â the Lord of hosts says, âThey may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called âthe wicked country,â and âthe people with whom the Lord is angry forever.â â Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, âGreat is the Lord beyond the border of Israel!ââ. And for all of us who have mothers, we know— there is nothing a mother won’t do for her child. Storms will confront us many times in our lives, expected and unexpected. He wants us to wrestle with him by faith, not apart from him in unbelief. Just to be clear, I want to say that I picked out these Scriptures, this sermon title, months ago. Everyone has troublesâbut sometimes youâre hit with a situation that leaves you reeling, helpless, even desperate. That God offers us relationship through the crisis. Verse 1: âArise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. He has gone off to be away from the crowds for awhile. DAVID â âHow to Live Through a Crisisâ 3 C. REDUCE THE RISK OF INJURY TO OTHERS 1. And finally, in Genesis 37:2: Jacob. How many times have you known the Spirit because you were able to see your enemy’s humanity? Jacob and his household journey south from Shechem to Bethel (v. 5), then from Bethel to Bethlehem (v. 16), and finally from Bethlehem to Hebron, where his father Isaac lived. And God will live on when our heroes in the faith die. That this would be devasting for Jacob is plain enough. But verses 22â25 lists the sons by mother, which may reflect the fault lines in the family conflict. When we are hiding how we are really feeling from others and from God, we feel alone and isolated and terrified. Ever since I began planning this series last spring, I wanted to make sure that we had a Sunday where we explore what a Biblical response to crisis looks like. We look to the future with worry and fear. Contributed by Scott Coltrain on Dec 5, 2001. based on 53 ratings. The generation before him is dying off, transitioning Jacob into his elder years. But even then, Deuteronomy 2 will tell Israel to treat âthe people of Esauâ as âbrothersâ â not to take their land or disturb Esauâs descendants (Deuteronomy 2:4â8; 23:7). In this season of COVID-19 (coronavirus), Preaching Today wants to offer you a word of encouragement and point you towards resources that will help you prepare life-giving sermons that illuminate God's comfort and presence. This article is an edited excerpt from Dr. Reaganâs book, Living for Christ in the End Times. Because it’s honest. The emphasis is on knowing the God who is the source of protection and rest in the midst of the storms. ), he faced the daunting prospect of encountering Esau. There he wrestled his uncle Laban (chapters 29â31), who tricked Jacob into marrying both of his daughters (29:25), who then wrestled against each other for their husbandâs affection (29:31â30:24, especially 30:8). Even though, in the end, the nation of Edom would not be restored like Israel, there was a ray of hope for Edomites. Edom shows what Israel might have been apart from Godâs covenant. Stations of the Heart, Richard Fischer Practice hospitality. It has meaning to any tragedy. individual crisis or a corporate crisis of some kind, but it will come. In a profound sense, our lives have been writing our parentsâ stories, and now our childrenâs lives will write ours. God answered Jesus in his time of crisis. In his book, Reaching For The Invisible God, Philip Yancey points out that when it comes down to it, when crisis comes we have two choices: fear the crisis or fear God. Be sure to sign up to get updates on the latest sermon notes by Team JP. The Crisis. Believe the crisis is bigger than God or that God is bigger than the crisis. Pastor, you know these truths. But thereâs one more piece to the story of Israel and Edom. In our walk with the Lord there will be times of Crisis. He’s at a point where there’s really nothing to lose. Currently we email the congregation on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday. This mother is not within the appropriate boundaries of how to treat men in polite society. And God said to him, âYour name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.â So he called his name Israel (verses 9â10). And they are not able to go âwherever I have gone.â Which is what God had promised Jacob back in 28:15: âBehold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go.â, Jacob has had his moments of crisis and God has been with him. CRISIS MANAGEMENT. Prayers Plainly Spoken, Stanley Hauerwas, page 109. At the end of Josephâs story (49:33 and 50:1â19). Eleven times we find some form of the phrase âthese were the generations of . Job does this well. Sermons in Times of Crisis: Twelve Homilies to Stir Your Soul Hardcover â February 15, 2019 by Reverend Paul D. Scalia (Author) 4.6 out of 5 stars 42 ratings See all formats and editions Note: âGod had permitted matters to be ⦠brought to a crisis that He might rebuke the perversity of Saul and teach His people a lesson of humility and faith. .âThen Genesis 5:1: âThis is the book of the generations of Adam.â Then Genesis 6:9: âThese are the generations of Noah.â Genesis 10:1: the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Once we become parents, the most important work we have to is not our own grades and achievements and awards but the investment we make in our children. Just as God saw Leah in her crisis (29:31). It hasn’t disappeared, he has moved through the pain and has been transformed through resurrection. The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.â (11â12). First, we get a quick summary of Genesis 32 and the man wrestling with Jacob at night, the climactic moment of Jacobâs story: God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram [where Laban lived], and blessed him. And at the end of the Joseph story, when Jacob blesses his sons, he says to Reuben, his firstborn, âYou shall not have preeminence, because you went up to your fatherâs bed; then you defiled itâhe went up to my couch!â (Genesis 49:4). Paul D. Scalia. Under Saulâs successor, David, Israel finally subdued Edom and took spoil from them and stationed garrisons there (2 Samuel 8:12, 14; 1 Chronicles 18:11â13). Leaders do their very best to keep us calm, and rightfully so, but one cannot help but to become fearful in a time of crisis. God has shown himself to be the God who hears and answers in the time of crisis. And what he said, when asked how it is that he has had the courage to share his feelings of grief and crisis, is, “If you don’t talk about it, then grief really gets to set up and fortify its positions inside of you and begin to immobilize you. God gave him favor, and it was a sweet reunion. God had told Adam to be fruitful and multiply (1:22, 28) and Noah (8:17; 9:1, 7) and Abraham (17:20). This is a crisis unlike anything recent generations have ever experienced. âYet I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated. So I want to explore the Biblical approach to crisis this morning. It didnât take long for Babylon to return to wipe out the Edomites. We discovered that in times of Crisis God is right there. Where is God in the Midst of Crisis?, Jen Booth - Read more Christian women spiritual life, faith, and growth. When the man tried to get away, Jacob held to him and the man injured Jacobâs hip and said, âYour name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailedâ (32:28). This is a process which can take time, and time is often in short supply when crisis comes. But he will see you. In Genesis 35, we come to the end of Jacob having center stage in the book of Genesis. Genesis 11:10: Shem. The flock is scattering, and while some shepherds bravely set off in search of those lost and wandering sheep, others drive them, and many more, further from the fold. But you say, âHow have you loved us?â âIs not Esau Jacobâs brother?â declares the Lord. Again, I ask, what do you do? How amazing it is to see people in our lives choosing to use their response in a time of crisis as an opportunity to share a gift with God, with the community, and with themselves. In our passage from Matthew today there is a woman who is interrupting what Jesus is trying to do. So, first, the God ofJacob is the one true God, who answers in our time of crisis. God promises to be in relationship with us. His family has died, his home was taken away, he is poor and destitute; but probably worse than anything else, are his friends. And listens. God will live on once Jacob has died, and God will extend his promises, even as death comes for Jacob. We are, in many ways, in a crisis of trying to figure out who we are going to be and how we can move forward together. During the creation story: âThese are the generations of the royal house in why. 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