Sermon Title: How to Live Confidently in a Chaotic World - Stay Committed
"Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You, too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the Name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."
Dr David Jeremiah, in his book, Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World, makes this observation:
"Without question, these are fearful days. Billionaire investment guru Warren Buffett has observed, 'I have never seen Americans more fearful. It takes five minutes to become fearful, much more to regain confidence.' He adds a profound statement, 'The financial system does not work without confidence.'
We see all these things and recognize, once again, the signs of a civilization edging toward its final climax. The more chaotic things become, the easier it is for us to gravitate toward some social extreme - a path of least resistance, whether it's despair, anger, or simply closing our eyes and pretending that everything is fine.
An alternate suggestion: what about sitting down, reflecting on the sovereignty of Almighty God, and reminding ourselves that nothing takes Him by surprise? He is in no way confined by the limits of the moment. He rules from outside the realm of time, which is simply one more element of His complex sovereignty. He foresaw this moment at the foundation of the world, and it has its proper place in His great plan. It is woven, along with everything else, into the infinitely fine tapestry of His will and work.
Knowing that fact brings profound peace. If the world believed it, people wouldn't turn to whiskey, gambling and narcotics. There would be less of a frenzy these days, and that would be good for everybody. People would understand that the true destiny of creation is in good hands, and believers would surge forward with new determination to seize the day for His glory. There are the times in which the hope of our Lord shines most brightly through the world's murky fog. Our destiny is decided: we will be reclaimed by the returning in Christ to spend eternity in His presence. For now, we have the exciting task of seeing how many people we can bring along with us on that journey."
This coming Sunday, I will speak on staying committed to the Lord by being patient as we await His return that Dr. Jeremiah writes about. Specifically, I will speak about the instruction, illustration and implications of being patient. This is a message that I need to heed personally. I hope to see you then.
