CERRO GORDO CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN
September 13, 2020
THERE IS A TIME FOR EVERYTHING!
2 SAMUEL:15-23
This morning I am going to again ask your indulgence as I will get somewhat personal. I say I am getting personal but in reality, this is everyone’s story, everyone’s message.
As you know my dad passed away this past week on Friday. As I have thought what this past week has been like for us, I was reminded of what happened to King David and his young son who was seriously ill. On this occasion, we will not go into the details of this son of King David or how and why he was born. We are just looking at how David reacted when his son became ill.
Every single person here this morning or watching on Facebook has had someone close to you pass away. In some cases, we have been given some warning about what is about to happen. In other cases, the loss of a loved one came out of nowhere in which we had no time to prepare in any way for what was happening. Regardless of the circumstances, we still in a way are not truly ready for that day, that hour, that time to come. As we see how David reacted, we see a man who was pleading with God for his son. You never are ready for something like what happened to David’s son. Whether it would be a young child, a husband or wife, brother or sister, mom or dad, we feel should have had many more years. Under those circumstances, we are really never ready to say goodbye. With older parents or grandparents, even brothers or sisters, maybe we can understand it better, but we still at times find ourselves saying, “Lord, just one more week or at least one more day.”
We see David was torn to pieces by what was happening to his young son. He would not eat or would not sleep. He just could not face the thought his son would die. All of us deal with these times in life differently. Some of us feel, “Doesn’t the world understand what is happening?” Others may put on a happy face even when they do not really feel that way. For us as Christians we can have confidence about eternity, but it does not make the hurt and sense of loss go away. God is good. He will give us the strength to go on in all of life’s difficult times if we truly turn to him. David has been called in scripture “a man after God’s own heart,” yet he was truly distraught at the thought of his young son dying.
As each one of us face these times in life, and we will continue to face them, we have choices to make on how we handle them. God does not expect us to be really exited about the prospects of losing a loved one, but yet God wants us to understand when we have breathed our last on this earth it is not the end.
As we read in Ecclesiastes 3:1-4, there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven; a time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot; a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build up; a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance.
Once David’s son had passed away, those closest to him did not know how to tell him. He would not eat; he would not sleep when there was still a chance his son would get better. How would David do? How would he react when he received the news that his son had died? His reaction stunned everyone around him. Instead of withdrawing even further or something worse, we see he got up, cleaned up, got something to eat and prepared to go on with his life. They just could not understand why David did what he did. And we see what David said. It is a powerful lesson to all who are left behind when our loved ones pass. If we really believe in the Lord Jesus, if we really believe God is with us in all of life’s situations, especially when we lose a loved one, will we, with confidence, respond as David did? David truly understood and felt God’s love. Even though he did not agree with what had happened, he found peace with God. Listen again to David’s response. “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, who knows, the Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live, but now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” You see he found in the midst of his loss, comfort knowing I will see my son again, but until that day, God has a plan. Life will go on. With God’s help, I will faithfully live until it is my time to go to the Father.
Each of us have had to say goodbye to loved ones before we felt it was time or before we wanted it to happen. And in all likelihood, we will experience it again. How will we face that time? I pray we will call upon the strength only the Lord can truly provide and in our own way go forward in the confidence David showed to those around him. I believe he confidently and triumphantly said, “I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” He understood God has a place waiting for each one of us and when it is our time we will cross from this life, with all its ups and downs, to eternity with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and those loved ones that have gone on ahead.
Larry
Announcements:
Every Tuesday 9:30 Bible Study—studying Acts. All are invited to attend.
October 14 7:00 Executive Committee
No Women’s Fellowship for the rest of the year. We will try to find a creative way to reveal prayer partners and get new ones.
Upper Room and Daily Bread issues are available.
Please place your offering in the plates at the back of the sanctuary.
Thank you for wearing masks and helping contain the spread of the virus. Extra masks are at the back of the sanctuary if you don’t have one. Remember: the cloth masks are washable.
Donation Box September/October: The Lord’s Storehouse
First Sundays: food donations for food banks
Pastor Larry Traxler- (217) 454-2362
Larry and Cathy’s address: 2642 CR 600 E, Lovington, IL 61937
To keep up on Church of the Brethren news:
Denomination: www.brethren.org/news Sign up for Newsline by clicking link on left side of page.
District: iwdcob.org (click on newsletter link)
Our pages: cerrogordocob.com (printed sermon, announcements, & calendar) and on facebook
Keep in Your Prayers
Larry & Cathy Traxler and family; Evelyn Eads; Mike Gentry; Anna Gentry Thompson; Larry Cripe; Arnold Schultz; Clyde and Nancy Fansler; Adiline Young; Barb Baker; Kim Lehmann; Dylan Junior; Doug Fansler; Liam Martina; Jeff Sawyer; Liza Yore; Candy Dobson; Anna Rose Larrick; Gary Jesse; Norm & Marge Starr; Shawn Cain; Robert Cripe; Mayo Hanaver; Zola Copeland and family; Patty Cripe; Lauren Gross; Stacie Warren; Nancy Gorrell; many unspoken requests; Coronavirus crisis; healthcare workers and first responders; the families of the 190,000+ people who have died from COVID-19; the unemployed; school teachers, staff, and students
Military and Other Services and their families
Brethren Volunteer Service workers; Disaster project workers
G God’s
R riches
A at
C Christ’s
E expense
Our Mission Statement:
Love God, grow with others, serve faithfully, reach the lost, find peace.
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