God Has Still Got This (July 28, 2024)

Our Church Family has faced a LOT of challenges these past few months, years; sickness, heartaches, trials, persecution, deaths, etc. Through it all, we must trust in God!

Some have said that with the deaths, we have LOST the pillars of our church. Sure, the death of many of the staples in our church have occurred, and we do NOT need to lose the memory and the legacy they have left with us to carry forward. But we have not LOST anyone, I know exactly where the Saints of God have gone!!!

Not saying it is not sad, not saying I don’t miss them, not saying I don’t have sorrow in my heart; however, I know where they are (and it is NOT in a grave plot in some cemetery) and I am looking forward to going there one day!!! Until that day that God calls me home … I am going to STAND STRONG – because God Has Got This!!!

2 Peter 1:8–11 ~ “8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Grounded in a Person

My assurance is rooted in Jesus Christ, not in any person who has left this walk of life. I can be sure of nothing greater than I am sure of Jesus Christ.

John 14:6 ~ “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

I have FAITH in Jesus Christ. I have ASSURANCE in Jesus Christ. I have TRUST in Jesus Christ!!!

Titus 3:5 ~ “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,”

Man’s needs are great – but GOD IS GREATER!!! Look back at 2 Peter 1:8-11 and see how our needs are covered:

• Man is barren and unfruitful in live (v.8)
• Man is blind, cannot see the purpose, meaning, and significance of life and cannot see how to be sure of tomorrow, much less the distant future (v. 9)
• Man forgets, does not know how to deal with sin. Or if he knows how—knows the gospel—he is unwilling to give up his sin (v. 9)
• Man does not know how to keep from falling in life, from failing and coming short. He does not know how to meet his full potential; how to control the problems of life; to bring love, peace, and joy to himself and his loved ones and the world (v. 10)
• Man does not know how to gain and be perfectly assured of eternal life; he does not know how to receive an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of Christ (v. 11)

We need to note that all these needs and so much more can be met perfectly, why? Because God Has Got This! Verse 8 tells us that God is increasing or abounding in our lives! This means to grow, overflow and be filled more and more. We don’t need to be satisfied with things in our lives …

• with your life as it is
• with your present growth
• with staying where you are spiritually
• with just knowing Jesus
• with doing no more than what you are

We need to push past this and grab a hold of the MORE of God!!! Tho have the needs of our heart and lives met, we must continue in Christ and grow and grow and grow in Him!!! There is a great legacy that has been left for US to pick up and push forward with. The pillars of the church are NOT lost, the pillars of the church are NOT gone, the pillars of the church are sitting right here in these pews, we must STAND UP and be the pillars of the church, just like those who have died and left a legacy for us to carry on!!!

Are we going to mourn and weep for those who have left this race? SURE!!! But we can NOT let the legacy they have left for us to carry die with them, we must pick it up and grow and move forward with God!!! We must go after the work of the Lord ever so diligently, never slackening. Are we going to do things the exact same way? NOPE!!! Are we going to worship the same way? NOPE!!! But we can NOT give up!!! We can NOT turn around!!! We can not allow the path that has been paved before us to be wasted in vain, we must carry on!!! We still have work to do for the Lord!!!

• We will NOT be barren nor unfruitful
• We will NOT be blind or shortsighted
• We will NOT forget that we have been cleansed from our sins
• We will NOT fall and stay down – we will GET UP!!!
• We will remember that we have been given eternal life and so much more!!!