MCC - Hope in a Pandemic
Psalm 62:5-6 (NLT)
5 Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in Him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress where I will not be shaken.
Psalm 18:1-2 (NLT)
Psalm 18
For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord. He sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang:
1 I love you, Lord;
you are my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
and my place of safety.
The Solid Rock
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus' name
James 5:16 (NLT)
16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
1) Let HOPE deliver patience
Psalm 40:1-3 (NIV)
Psalm 40
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
He set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Psalm 130:5 (NIV)
5 I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
and in His Word I put my hope.
WAITING FOR PRAYERS TO BE ANSWERED
Psalm 5:3 (NIV)
3 In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait expectantly.
WAITING FOR ENCOURAGEMENT
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14 (NIV)
WAITING FOR PROTECTION
20 We wait in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield. Psalm 33:20 (NIV)
WAITING FOR SALVATION
166 I wait for your salvation, Lord,
and I follow your commands. Psalm 119:166 (NIV)
WAITING FOR WISDOM
34 Blessed are those who listen to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at my doorway. Proverbs 8:34 (NIV)
2) Let HOPE align us with God's will
John 15:12-13: My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Practice (Practical) Sacrificial Love: Listening, Helping, Encouraging, Giving
Matthew 5:16: Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven.
3) Place your Hope in God as your advisor
Proverbs 26:12: Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for them.
Proverbs 14:12: There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
4) Place you Hope in your Savior
John 20:21-23: Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Who is your Hope placed in & Where do you stand on this day?
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
Closing Prayer (based on Psalm 67)
Merciful God, we ask for your blessing.
Look with kindness on your gathered people,
that we might reflect Your goodness to the world around us.
Then all of the nations will come to know Your ways
and acknowledge Your saving power.
They will praise You as we praise you now.
For You are a God of justice and compassion,
abundantly providing for the needs of the world.
Bless us, O God, and make us a blessing,
that the whole earth may come to experience
Your abundant goodness. Amen