OBCI Sunday Morning Worship Service

August 29, 2021

Rev. Teofilito Rufon 's Sermon:

WHAT GOD IS SAYING TO US

IN TIMES OF CALAMITY

* Psalm 56:3-4

3- What time am I afraid; I will trust in thee.

4- In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fesr what flesh can do unto me.

- God is calling us today, right in the middle of where it hurts the most, and the decision is ours
whether to run to Him or stay away.

- God has to shout to be heard. He has to cut through the storm of pandemic so that we will hear Him
calling to us, offering a safe harbor in the middle of it all.

-WHAT GOD IS SAYING TO US:

I. TRUST ME

- * John 14:1- Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, Believe also in me.

- We have trusted many people and many things;

• We have trusted our loved ones.

• We have trusted our friends.

• God asks the question: “Do you trust me?”

• We can trust our cars to get us to our destination.

• We can trust our employers to deliver us pay checks;

• We can trust our doctors to heal our illnesses

• God asks the question: “Do you trust me?”

• In times of crisis, God is saying to us today:

⁃ When you feel weak, I am your strength- trust me.

⁃ When you feel pressured by life, I am your relief- trust me.

⁃ When you need security, I am your refuge - trust me.

 • Despite man’s best intentions, man is limited in wisdom, love, power and ability. It is always better
to put our trust in the Lord. It is always better to rely on God as our ultimate source of help in everything
we do.

• The full resources of God are at our disposal when we place our trust in Him. So:

⁃ Trust Him with your disappointment.

⁃ Trust Him with your heartache.

⁃ Trust Him with your pain.

⁃ Trust Him with your depression.

⁃ Trust Him with your fears.

⁃ Trust Him with your insecurities.

• Although the Christian may suffer the stress, and the strain and the strife, he does not have to
worry.

• The Christian who is trusting is not worrying, and the Christian who is worrying is not trusting.

II. REPENT

* Luke 13:3- I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

- Repentance means agreeing with God that something is wrong and deciding to stop doing it. In other
words, turning away from sin and turning to the Lord.

- Meaning:

A. Turn away from your “DEAD RELIGION".

• Dead religion tries to discount the seriousness of sin.

• Dead religion is not interested in the true repentance.

• God is unmoved by the dutiful performance of religious deeds if the heart is not engaged.

• You need to know that no matter what you do, no matter what you perform in the name of religion,
if your heart is cold and dead toward God, God is not impressed with the activity.

• Jesus didn’t come to start a religion. He came to have RELATIONSHIP with you.

B. Turn away from your “PROUD REBELLION”.

* 2 Chronicles 7:14- If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and
seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin,
and will heal their land.

- “If my people…shall humble themselves”

 • This phrase deals with the idea of our PRIDE. It speaks of men thinking more of themselves and
their abilities than they do of God.

• Pride is a problem:

⁃ Pride refuses to listen.

⁃ Pride likes to talk about self all the time.

⁃ Pride is not thankful.

⁃ Pride can be corrected.

⁃ Pride does not like to follow instruction.

⁃ Pride criticizes and tries to make itself look better by putting others down.

⁃ Pride thinks of its own need first.

• The center of SIN and PRIDE is “I”.

• “God sends no one away empty except those who are full of themselves.” (D. L. Moody)

III. PREPARE FOR ETERNITY

* Mark 13:32-33

32- But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the
Son, but the Father.

33- Take ye heed, watch and pray for ye know not when the time is.

- Many people are living their lives as though they will live forever here on earth.

- One day this earth and all of its possessions will be burned up. No one knows when this will be.

* 2 Peter 3:10-11

10- But the day of the Lord will come as the thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away
with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth slso and the works that are
therein shall be burned up.

- This world is coming to its end and has become target for destruction. We don’t need to look far to
see that it’s falling apart:

• Earthquakes

• Famines

• Pestilences

• Natural disasters and

 • Starvation have become pandemic nightmares around the globe.

- Even the world leaders agree that things are getting worse here day by day. And rightly so because
the Bible tells us that we are living in the last days of earthly existence.

* 2 Timothy 3:1- This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

- This earth is not going to get better; it will continue down hill until God destroys it.

- We cannot put our hope and our purpose in politicians.

- We cannot put our hope and our purpose in earthly riches;

- We cannot put our hope and our purpose in education;

- We don’t depend upon this world to survive. We depend on JESUS CHRIST for everything.

• The world is not our home. Heaven is our goal, and heaven is where Jesus is and where we want to
be.

• As human beings we are eternal, in that we have a soul that lives forever in one of two places. Our
home will be either Heaven or Hell.

• We make the choice as to where we will go while we are here on earth. If one is not preparing to go
to heaven. He will end up in hell.

• No one will accidentally go to Heaven.

• Our number one goal in this life must be for heaven to be our home.

* Matthew 7:13-14

13- Enter ye in the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and
many there be which go in thereat:

14- Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find
it.