Dealing with Fear, Worry, and Anxiety

For the role of the man and the and and and and and and and and and the and the role good evening to you from beacon Baptist Church. Michael Carnes, the pastors here. Beacon remark when I share responsibilities here in our midweek service and tonight my turn. We began live streaming last Wednesday night and that was our first attempt at this and it went so well very encouraged by the number of people that tuned in a listen to us in ninth and again on Sunday morning so we have made a determination as long as the restrictions are in place that we will resume a full schedule and begin do that via live stream will be live streaming our Sunday morning service at 930. Our Sunday night service at 6 o'clock and then Wednesday night midweek service at seven saw a bit different now standing here speaking and preaching in a moment to an empty auditorium.

Someone asked me to if I'd ever done that before and as I thought about it. I remember in Bible college days.

Dr. did filter was the homiletic instructor. Those of us who were in his preaching class. He marched us in the shortest chapel.

What's it about 1200 people would get up on the platform behind the big podium and would preach in that empty chapel minus members of the class and set down here to the left and the instructor that was it. But he wanted us to be in awe the responsibility of preaching and and to instruct us to whether we were preaching to half a dozen or if godliness covenants would allow us to preach to hundreds would take the responsibility just to seriously. I met Pastor Barton last Sunday morning as he was leaving his office to come here and and preach the message I said it's it's different is and I'll be praying for you. He said well yes it's different in one sense, but it's the same in another. We really didn't have time to talk much more about that but I thought about that comment Sanson.

I think what he meant was it's different in the sense that were not gathered for corporate worship are not preaching to a live audience.

That's what's different about it. But what's the same about it is we have the same message were preaching the word of God. Our confidence is in the word of God so the method may change, that's a different method sermon audio that were broadcasting on it may change, but the message doesn't change. There are competing voices in our day global pandemic that's affected hundred and 77 of the hundred and 95 countries. So it's the saturation issue 9090% of the countries in the world are affected by this coronavirus and yet here we are. The opportunity to pull forth the word of life is what people need to hear. I'm not here to share opinion. I'm not here to give you information that you can get somewhere else. Our confidence, our responsibility is to declare what God is said and you bring a perspective to the people of God.

Those who are interested in the word of God. We need to hear from God. We need to hear what he has to say we need instructed in the word of God.

We need help in these turbulent days and uncertain days. So that's my goal this evening and I was talking to my twin sister on Monday night, lives in Northwestern Pennsylvania. She told me that there's church had lifestream service on Sunday and that the pastor the church had instructed the secretary to create color paper portraits of the members of the congregation into post them on the pews in the sanctuary and I thought out as a bit odd and humorous really I thought well, but would benefit from that. As I thought about it the only person that I could see would benefit from that would perhaps be the preacher psychologically, but in reality he still preaching to a faceless auditing is even if you even if you decorate the pews with paper faces, they're not there.

So tonight my plan is to open with a word of prayer going to turn to the word of God, and consider a portion of God's word and I'm doing that tonight. In this way because we were encouraged last Wednesday night and on Sunday morning to see a large number of listeners who tuned in and evidently a good number of people are coming to our sermon audio site benefit from the word of God so I will preach and then for those who are not affiliated with her church nor church at that point you be free to leave because we'll be talking about prayer requests and missionary correspondences, and so on and so forth. So I'll bring the message here soon as I pray and let's look to the Lord now ask his help. Father would bow in your presence this evening, rejoicing that we can rejoicing that we have audience with you through the merits of your son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

We were grateful for him were grateful for his cross work were grateful for his perfect righteousness which grants us standing before you, and therefore we come boldly, we might obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. The Lord, we thank you tonight that you are a very present help in time of trouble. These are troubling times. These are turbulent times unprecedented really in many of our lifetimes. We've heard our grandparents talk about the conditions following the Great Depression, but have really know nothing of that by personal experience until this Lord for many, it has it is shaken. People that has disrupted their footing and those who have their footing on the solid rock of Christ Jesus, and the word of God are standing firm, but those who are not her finding that the ground under their feet is shifting sand so we thank you for the opportunities for the gospel that this coronavirus has occasioned and we pray that you would help us to redeem the time, help us to represent Jesus Christ well in our response to this says people of faith, Lord, we thank you that we can come to you tonight and we ask that you would help us as we consider your word. We rejoice that you have given us a sufficient word, a word that is able to help us in these times of needs and all sufficient word father, thank you that your word is trustworthy.

Thank you that your word is relevant and it equips us to live the salt and light in this world. Hear us now for Jesus sake, we pray. Amen my thoughts tonight are on the subject of fear and worry and anxiety. I found it bit not ink not only interesting but quite encouraging. We had staff meeting this afternoon.

Pastor Barton did not ask me what it was preaching on the was an occasion to tell them what but at 337. This afternoon he sent this email out to the folks who are registered on beacon in the know. He wrote dear ones, fear not for I am with you not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes I will help you I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. From Isaiah chapter 41 in verse 10, and then he said in these days of uncertainty and fear. There is no reason for child of God to be afraid. I am praying that God will enable every member of beacon to honor the Lord by demonstrating a firm trust in his wise and gracious care of his children, so when I saw that I took encouragement from that that it was confirmation from the Lord that we would consider this subject tonight worry, fear and anxiety. Some of said that there are alive heard this said, but found it not to be true that there are 365 references in Scriptures commanding is not fear one reference for every day of the year, although that sounds wonderful and perhaps helpful.

It's not true.

I did a word search and found that there are hundred and three references in the new King James or in the King James Bible concerning this subject in these words not to fear.

So God knows as he made us swear wonderfully and fearfully made by him, and he knows that were constituted with emotions in one of those emotions is fear. Fear can rip us.

We can be sidelined by worry and filled with anxiety have those emotions control us to the point where we don't honor the Lord we don't look to him so as we consider this subject tonight. I want us to turn to first Peter chapter 5 chapter 5 and we find a verse that were going to consider and then look at a couple of verses surrounding it. As we consider the context and see how the context helps our understanding of this verse but we have this commandment is Peter is writing in first Peter chapter 5 is writing to people who are under severe persecution and he says this casting all your care upon him for he cares for you casting all your care upon him for he cares for you. Maybe your translation says, casting all your anxiety on him. The reason I think at times we are prone to anxious thoughts and fear and worry is that were troubled by those things that we cannot control, and offers one thing we've learned from this coronavirus is that it has come to us in such a way to remind us that we do not have control over it best we are taking extreme measures to restrict our movement so that we might control its effects. But we have no ability to control it, and many other things in this life we have no ability to control find it interesting that Peter would say it this way is a command cast all our cares upon him and then he gives us a reason. He says because her for he cares for you and if I had authored the verse I might have chosen a different quality of God emphasize something like his perfect wisdom for his unlimited power.

Logically, that would seem better to me it would make more sense to think that even though I'm not in control and all wise all-powerful God is and although that's true that's not what Peter emphasizes the Holy Spirit saw fit to inspire Peter to emphasize a different attribute of God when it comes to anxiety and worry and fear. He chose to emphasize the compassion of God. The more tender side of God. Notice again what he says, casting all your care upon him for he cares for you and I think there's a good reason for that because when our minds are flooded with anxious thoughts and fear and worry one of the attacks upon our minds is we begin to question whether God cares for begin to wonder where God is. Send we are troubled in our in our mind about foundational issues. I find it interesting that we have recorded an occasion when the disciples were on the Sea of Galilee and Marguerite Cordes. This account in Mark chapter 4 verses 3738 it says a great windstorm arose and the waves were breaking in into the boat so that the boat was already filling but he that is, Jesus was in the stern, asleep on the cushion and they woke him and said to him, get this teacher do you not care that we are perishing. Do you not care that we are perishing. Notice how quickly the disciples went from fear to a perceived flaw in the character of Jesus. They wrongly assumed that if he if he really did care for them. He would do something to change their circumstances in the context tells us that it was Jesus himself who told him to get into the boat and is by his command that they were on the sea and the storm came up. So what I learned from that is that God not always wants to protect us from the storm, but he wants to teach us to trust him in the midst of the storm. In the midst of our anxiety in the midst of our worry in the midst of our fear not. The Bible doesn't call us weak because were afraid, but it tells us to do something with our fear in our worry in our anxiety when it comes upon us, and what is that, according to first Peter chapter 5 in verse seven were to cast our care cast our anxiety cast or worry cast our fear upon the Lord.

That's the instruction say will that seems awful simple and it is straightforward.

The word cast there indicates the act of taking off an outer garment and throwing it to the ground nuts helpful and its descriptive because there is a disconnect between the garment and the one wearing the garment when he casts the garment to the ground and in a similar way. That's what occurs between our anxious, fearful, worrisome thoughts.

When we cast goes upon the Lord.

So here's the instruction. Take your anxious thoughts.

Take your fear, take your worry and throw them at the feet of the God who cares such an action will require a great deal of trust in the Lord our ability to do that. Our willingness to do that will be conditioned and determined by how much we trust the Lord how much we know the Lord. I wonder if that's not what was in the mind of the hymn writer, he penned these words, Frank Graff does Jesus care. Listen to these first two stanzas does Jesus care when my heart is pained too deeply for mirth or song as the burdens press and the cares distress in the day grows weary, and long. The second stanza. This Jesus care when my way is dark with a nameless dread and fear is the daylight phase into deep nightshades does he care enough to be near and in the refrain. Oh yes, he cares. I know he cares his heart is touched with my grief when the days are weary the long nights, dreary. I know my Savior cares.

That's what God would want us to remember in those times of anxiousness and worry and fear that we have a God who cares.

I thought of the contrast between this social distancing that we have been exhorted to honor keep a 6 foot distance between people that we might not pass the virus in an all in and that's a good thing. I am not. I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't adhere to that but we have a God who we can draw near to. He says draw near to me with a clear conscience draw near to God. We don't have to keep a distance from God. God has encouraged us to draw on here and he draws near to us how encouraging that is to us. This is the only place we find instructions like this concerning our anxiety and how would you deal with it. Paul's writing to the church in Philippi and in chapter 4 verse six he says be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And peace of God which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Be anxious for nothing less. The command be anxious for nothing, sometimes we miss what comes before that command we have these words in verse four rejoice in the Lord always again I say rejoice. That's verse four verse five says let your gentleness be known to all men, then we find these words there only five of them. It almost doesn't seem to fit.

Unless you put these words together with the command not to be anxious because it mirrors the very same thing Peter is saying here in first Peter chapter 5. Those five words that come right before the command to be anxious for nothing, are these words the Lord is at hand. The Lord is at hand.

A great reminder.

A good reminder because were prone to forget that particularly in times of fear and worry and anxiety.

So, because the Lord is near.

Don't be anxious about anything, good instructions again.

That's verse seven casting all your care upon him for he cares for you.

What is what I like for us to think about at this point is to other verses one on either side of the verse that we looked at and see how verse six and verse eight. Help us to be better equipped to do this thing that we are commanded to cast all our cares upon him for he cares for us, so look with me in verse six because I'm convinced to properly interpret verse seven we need to take into consideration what we find in verse six and in verse six he writes this therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Humble yourselves humility is an important aspect of overcoming anxiety, worry about all kinds of things we worry about stock market. We worry about job security. We worry about our elf. We worry about her children. We worry about retirement and host of other things. But there is a common feature in most of the things that we worry about, and are anxious about in fearful about and that is that we can't control these things, and when we are not walking in humility, we are susceptible to the false notion and belief that we can control these things, and the reality is that we can't, God and God alone ultimately is in control of all things. We are not you are not, and that's why Peter warns us humble yourself under the mighty hand of God in the point of the context is this. If you are unwilling to humble yourself before God. You will be unable to cast your anxieties upon him. Why is that because in the place of humility and submission to the two God's sovereign rule in control you're full of pride and under the delusion that you're going to hang onto it because you can do a better job than God can. You can control it better than he can. That's a falsehood it's only those who humble themselves under the mighty hand of God who are able to cast all their cares upon him knowing that he cares for us.

So that's verse six that now let's look at the verse on the other side of verse seven that would be verse eight. Here we have a warning. Be sober, be vigilant or be watchful because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking home, he may devour another Greek word there for sober minded. Perhaps your translation has the word self-control. There occurs only four times in the New Testament, and each time it's in the context of suffering. Why is that important. I think because of this reason that we should expect when we face a trial, we first face suffering, it's going to be difficult for us to think clearly. The Greek word now follow which training is translated sober minded means to be free from the influence of intoxicants that comes from the word that means to avoid drunkenness say will. How does that fit in why think it fits in this way just like being under the influence of alcohol can impair your thinking so can being under the influence of worry. Worry makes it hard to think right thoughts about God. Worry makes it hard to think biblically in the heat of distress, we saw that with the disciples on leg and asked her Jesus is in the boat.

A storm comes up in their fearful and their fear causes them to distrust the one who controls the waves in the sea master. Don't you care. Is there question.

You know how it goes where anxious about something and worrying about something and were fretting and fearful about something. It has the capacity to absolutely control us we think about it we dwell upon it. We meditate upon it in like an addiction.

Such thinking becomes difficult to break.

And that's why were charged here to be sober minded. In order for an alcoholic to be victorious in his struggle. He must learn to say no. What to the next drink and the same is true for the anxious person the fearful person. The worrisome person. We must learn to say no to worrisome thoughts to anxious thoughts. Therefore, the instruction, be sober, be vigilant, be watchful and that's what we need to listen last evening to Dr. Paul David Tripp and he said this, I wrecked a jotted some notes down as I was listening and the one thing that I brought with me to the pulpit tonight is this phrase he said don't allow yourself to be trouble meditating God for getting. Don't allow yourself to be trouble meditating God for getting.

I think because most of us are confined to our homes and we have our television on and sitting in front of our computer. We have access to nonstop information so were thinking about the coronavirus were reading about the coronavirus were talking about the virus were hearing all kinds of details and the more information you hear the more potential there is for fear and worry and anxiety. Paul David Tripp's exhortation is don't allow yourself to be trouble meditating God for getting other words, the more we think about it the more we allow ourselves to be bombarded by all these details pretty soon we can be consumed with it. That's all we can think about and forgetting about God forgetting about a God who ordains these things a God who uses these things for his wise and gracious purposes.

Romans 828 strewn here. I don't have an explanation of exactly how God is going to use this for good, but I don't need to. I have his promise all things, including this works for the good of those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose. So let's be mindful of these things. One last thing before I'm done this evening in Philippians chapter 4 I mentioned what Paul was saying there to the church at Philippi and again just to refresh your memory, he says, verse four rejoice in the Lord always again I will say, rejoice. Verse five let your gentleness, let your gentleness be known to all men than these five words the Lord is at hand.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the and the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds by Christ Jesus.

And then verse eight says this and hears instructions on what it is that were to think upon and again in the combat. This barrage of information that's coming at us and there's nothing wrong with wanting to be informed and being updated on what's going on with the virus, but the more we hear the more our thinking is informed by the virus and we must combat that with the thoughts of Scripture, the word of God.

The promises of God in order to be in a place to stand firm.

So here's what Paul says in verse eight finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things. Meditate on these things dwell upon these things ruminate on these things. And one thing I'll tell you the news that you're getting through the television. It does not fit this description.

In fact, what you're getting on fierce accustomed to sitting in front of the television in getting the nightly news you're getting the exact opposite of what were being instructed here to do. In fact, let me just modify this verse in and characterize the news that were getting in this world.

This is good news here.

Philippians chapter 4 verse eight, but so much of what we hear the nightly broadcasts is bad news.

It would be something like this.

This is basically the world and its message. Finally, whatsoever things are untrue, whatsoever things are in noble, whatever things are unjust, whatever things are impure, whatever things are are ugly, whatever things are of a bad report representing vice if there's anything unbecoming.

Meditate on these things. That's the message that the world as and if you imbibe that recipe, you will struggle to maintain a right posture toward God because the Bible says as a man think up in his heart so is he, were defined by what we think God is given us a mind to be able to think right thoughts after him.

He's given us a trustworthy word from him swept the promises of God. So in these days of being our schedules being disturbed and being confined to our homes.

Let's redeem the time must be men and women of the book. Let's read the word of God.

Let's meditate on the word of God. Let's commit Scripture to memory. Let's read good books.

Let's fortify ourselves we might have an arsenal to combat anxiety and worry and fear not only for our own sakes, but for our children's sake and for a watching world. This virus is captured the attention of the world people are fearful people are anxious, people are looking for answers who has answers those who know the word of God. God has answers to life's problems.

May God help us to be steadfast, unmovable, abounding in the things of the Lord in these days in May God equip us to be able to come alongside and encourage people and help people to deal with this in a God honoring way. I don't know what the outcome of this is going to be I don't know how God is going to use this for his own glory. But I know we will know we will so let's ask the Lord to seal his word to our hearts.

Father again, thank you for your infallible word. Thank you that it is instructive. Thank you that it corrects are wrong thinking.

Thank you that instruction righteousness. Father, we rejoice that you've given us an infallible word. A trustworthy word. A relevant word that helps us right where we are. So father help us as we encounter people who are overcome with worry and fear and anxiety and even in our own lives we wake up in the middle the night in our thoughts go to this or that help us to incorporate these this teaching in these instructions and to have our minds renewed by the word of God, thank you for this instruction. Thank you for this help.

We pray in Jesus name, amen. Well, that would be good for us to consider the word of God first in. If there are some who are tuning in to us tonight who are not affiliated or don't know beacon Baptist Church were not asking Aleve you can stay if you'd like, but you're going to hear names and prayer requests that are going to be odd to you that this is basically for our beacon family want to keep you informed is what is going on and what the needs are so let me do that at this time over a couple of announcements and then prayer requests and then I'll share a few missionary correspondences and then I'll have a closing prayer at the top of our announcement sheet. We have a very timely couple of verses printed forest from Daniel chapter 4 verses 34 verse 35 it says I'm I blessed the most high and praised and honored him who lives forever for his dominion is an everlasting dominion in his kingdom is from every race from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing he does according to his will in the Army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain his hand or say to him what have inspired words from Daniel chapter 434 verse 35 words coming from the lips of the pagan king, King Nebuchadnezzar came under the sway and influence of Almighty God Artie mentioned ours lifestream schedule reiterate that for you Sunday morning at 930 Sunday night at 6 o'clock and then Wednesday night here at 7 o'clock.

Men sharpening men that would be scheduled for tomorrow night has been canceled.

Don't become frustrated or discouraged if you try to log on to our lifestream and you're not able to connect most likely explanation for that is the high traffic going on at those particular times and if you encounter that are not able to log on.

Please know that within two hours. Most of the time within a couple of hours after our lifestream service. It will be archived on sermon audio and you can go and listen to it at that time so this would be our announcements for tonight prayer requests. Our government official of the week is city of member, Mayor pro tem Jill auditory and then we are featuring our ESL students of the week.

I trust that if you are on the beacon in the know that you were able to download the prayer request and you have this information before you, so I want them I will be in will be necessary for me to go over every single detail. You have this list before you, but let's rejoice together in the Lord and his kindness in his dealings with some of our folks.

Bruce Councilman is doing well from kit from a kidney procedure. Molly Harmon is doing well from her knee surgery.

The vessel's home from elementary regional Medical Center and were rejoicing with Chris and Erin Wilburn and Bill and Tony Brown in the safe arrival of Ella Harris Wilburn born on 13 March and the disruption of our regular services and not being able to see people and communicate.

This is coming a bit late but about 10 days ago Ella Iris Wilburn was brought into this world and we rejoice with Chris and Erin and Bill and Tony continue to remember Angela Boyd talk with Thad on the phone today and they really have got to take extreme cautions with her a compromised immune system. She is high risk but they're doing well physically. We are asking you to continue to remember them in prayer. Drew Guthrie is at home. See, she's currently scheduled for radiation five days a week chemotherapy on Thursday for the next 4 1/2 weeks. She is a kidney stone that is caused quite a bit of pain the last few days and was unable to go for her treatment today, so that's an update concerning Drew. I know your remembering John Savage and his son Caleb around automobile accident couple months ago continue to remember them are potencies struggles with COPD. George Zentz and is he battles lung cancer chemo to chemotherapy treatments are making them quite weak. Some dealing with good measure of pain. We did get a report out staff meeting this afternoon that able to sleep relatively well last night.

That is pain level was about a five which is an improvement so were thankful for that.

Under others, we have the name of Loretta Burgess.

This is of dear friend of Nancy verities who fell and broke her hip. She had surgery yesterday: hospital or health is already compromised from an illness back in the summer. Nancy's asking us to pray for Loretta Burgess, Stephen Erin Lynch's brother Harold Lynch is in the VA hospital. See what I have here the seven stroke T7 issues with his legs so prayer Jackie Treacy continues with dialysis and still grieving the recent passing of his dear wife Mildred, but that Jack is Dacus doing pretty well. I talked to him since the funeral service probably talk to him this morning and pester the tour talk to them frequently and use these upbeat he's got a good attitude for which were Bob Rose is declining.

Please remember him banana.

She cares for him. Terry: Smith, Darla Hazel Tasker asked us to pray for her.

She has tingling in number numbness in one of her legs. Should spinal surgery last Thursday and is in excruciating pain when she moves her legs so not sure what's going on there but asked been asked to pray for Terry: Smith, Lee Vestal as he continues with health issues is now been released to go home missionaries Paul Snyder's tort law. Vern is with Stuart Zimbabwe are not in Zimbabwe she's moved. She went from Zimbabwe to South Africa. She's with Stuart country Zimbabwe spent locked down. You can't reenter back in country and insurance company has denied the approval for the transplant submitted, they denied. Not sure all it's going on there but just necessitates prayer.

Stewart's a bit discouraged. I think Laverne is as well, but the Lord knows, and he's able to remove obstacles if indeed it's his will for Stuart to have a transplant.

It will happen. Please sign thank you for praying for them. I know he's grateful but the are the of our ongoing prayers, Josh Boyd is taken to the emergency room this morning with chest pains and later was determined that he was having an acute case of pancreatitis is under he has that particular physical need, but were also added them to our prayer sheet under salvation. So those are our prayer requests. Let me go over some correspondence with you tonight this is from Tim and Ruth Bixby in France they write dear friends is a believer. It's hard not to recognize that God is at work to humble all leaders all over the world present Cove at 19 crisis world leaders aren't the only ones who need humbling. May God grant us all much grace to recognize his powerful hand in our rapidly changing circumstances.

He says while you're no doubt aware, to some degree of how we been affected by the coronavirus here in Europe we wanted to share a few specifics of our situation.

President Crone on Thursday of last week closed all the schools.

Two days later even more restrictions were imposed, leading us into a nearby complete lockdown so he says for the last nine days we been under total confinement. The only allowable reasons for leaving one's home include essential work obligations, grocery shopping and urgent medical visits. So there in that situation they are able to live stream their services. They were able to do that on Sunday via Facebook, aliveness and other resource that's available to us were so blessed to have the technology available to us 15 years ago wasn't such a thing as sermon audio we wouldn't of had the ability grateful for the men who know how to run this equipment. Grateful for Greg Phillips, who oversees all the logistical details concerning our sermon audio in our live streaming amazed at the top of them text communication with them today and he told me that he would be able to handle most things of remotely from his home in Greenville, which again is amazing to me but and I'm grateful for Ryan Cargill being here tonight to help if we ran into a glitch. Here's a correspondence from Bill Hill with equipping nationals worldwide. Bill traveled to Bolivia, Dan Hicks, whose one of the members of the board of BMW to do some training on the family and just one short paragraph here.

This is from Dan Hicks. He says Bill and I had a great trip, but you may have heard that we had to rush last minute to get flights out of Bolivia before its president shut down airports.

God was gracious and Bill and I were through the use of the NW's travel agent able to get the last two seats on the last flight out of Bolivia. Otherwise we would've been stuck in Bolivia for another 30 days least so that so wonderful provision of God, and evidence of his providential care. These saints of God. This is from must-see loss composts in Brazil. He's writing your partners in the gospel of the coronavirus has arrived in Brazil to the earlier there are hundred and 95 countries in the world and 177 of the hundred and 95 have been affected by the coronavirus, so it is a global pandemic.

He says the necessary governmental restrictions are hurting lots of businesses, jobs, families and churches last Sunday, I preached to an empty auditorium. We ask our people to worship the Lord with us through our service online. It went well, but it is far from the ideal thinking about this virus threat. The Lord laid on my heart to preach an adaptation of JC Ryle sermon on sickness in general preached in 1878, Ryle taught about the benefits of sickness on how it helps to remind men of death to make men think seriously about God in their souls in the world to come to humble us and to try men's religion of what sort it is. I finish this message. Challenging people to run from sin as they are running from the coronavirus. It was very sobering. So that's from C loss composts and I'm grateful that we support him and that he is theological mind like us securing on the gospel work there a couple of thank you letters for this book that we sent all of our missionaries.

The great awakening by Joseph Tracy hardback Senate at Christmas time and depending on where was going internationally. Some of them some of the books were delayed so here's from Tom and Connie Chapman. Thank you so much for sending us this book about the great awakening, and for your kindness and waiting, so that we would be back in Chile arrived can't take credit for that we can trust we can trust we can give credit to the Postal Service for the timely delay. He writes this is a theme of which I've often prayed and when I do it always seems evident that it needs to begin with me. I've never gotten over how God sent a marvelous revival to New York and beyond because one man was willing to give up his lunch hour to pray for God to move among the hardened souls of New York. I prayed that the reading of this book will put a fire in my soul persist in pleading to God that he would send such an awakening diluted darkened souls of Chile, the Lord bless you and all the faithful wanted beacon. As you work together this year for his glory together in the Lord service Tom Chapman and then from David Champlin in Surinam. He writes dear beacon Baptist Church.

Thank you for the book by Joseph Tracy. It was in the mail. I was able to pick up on Saturday, March 21 I started to read it immediately widow services today in Surinam Surinam has five cases with anyone's guess as to how many more are already infected but not known to the Bureau of public health schools are closed and with the exception of the school were lens teaching widget which is adapted to online teaching and other creative ways. The students may lose the year. He says many stores, banks have taken measures to slow the spread of the virus.

Number of persons in the building at one time or limited all people wash our hands yada, yada, yada. He says Lynn and I are fine and have put away some extras so as not to need to be pushed to act under stress of working with the churches working with their leaders as to how to feed the sheep in this situation. Many do not have the facilities the people and churches have in the US. Please pray as we work out solutions to this and other problems to God's glory. Thanks for your faithfulness to us in Surinam.

And then one last excerpt from Josh and Amy Jensen who are in Cambodia, depressed apartment and the folks at beacon Baptist Church. Amy and I want to thank you and the entire congregation for your very generous support to us these past six years were grateful. See we are grateful and move that you have so faithfully participated in our ministry these years and even increased her participation as times gone by.

May God help us to walk worthy of this trust that he's given us a review said. I also wanted take a moment to belatedly thank you for your kind reception of our family and beacon back in April last year we found it a pleasure to worship with the congregation and sing some great hymns and as always we found the people of the church. Very warm and engaging and engage with our ministry was also very lovely to be able to stay in the beacon missionary home which is comfortable very well maintained. Our few days there were restful. I see from your website. The services are suspended.

Their lease for this week here in Cambodia.

The ministry of health announced earlier in the week that all religious gatherings are forbidden until further notice. Thankfully, the government is permitting gatherings of up to 10 people. So some churches are planning to divide up the congregations among the leaders and have small meetings and homes. So that's what Josh and Amy are doing their Cambodia well that's a good bit of updates concerning our missionaries, for which were grateful for our partnership. Would you join me as we gather our hearts and minds around the throne of grace, we might pray and remember some of these requests and is you have this sheet that you would be committing yourself to pray for one another and to minister to one another as God gives you opportunity work so grateful for our deacons who are at more actively involved in. Perhaps they would be if things were going on. Normally for our deacons.

Thank you for engaging folks in your family groups and efforts which are taking to keep in touch with your people. Let's join our hearts in prayer father with how thankful we are tonight that we have access to you and that your able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think Lord nobody's name appears on this prayer sheet by accident there known by somebody in this church who knows you. Somebody in this church has a burden for them in the burdens are varied in sundry many are physical good. Many are spiritual with a long list of people that we pray for on a regular basis who are lost and in need of converting grace. We had the name of Josh Boyd. We would pray that you would buy your sovereign grace invade his heart and bring about an awakening in him, Lord. He's lost and he's blind and he's undone and he is a stranger to your grace and he's on the Broadway leads to destruction, and Lord him and many others. Father, we thank you that you're able to reach into the heart of a man in the Quicken in the life resurrect them as it were, and we pray that you would be pleased for your own glory sake. To do that for him and for many others that we know and love and pray for and a regular basis. We thank you for answered prayer. We thank you for the improvement with Bruce, Councilman and Molly Harmon. Thankfully Vestal was at home.

We rejoice with Chris and Aaron Wilburn gone Tony Brown in the new grandchild. We pray for this little one that she would continue to grow and develop in a normal way.

We rejoice with them and we thank you that we can were mindful of Angela Boyden committed to you and acid should safeguard her during these precarious times for Drew Guthrie, our father, we ask you to draw near to this dear saint 10 and encouraged her heart is she's facing long ordeal of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and on top of that, dealing with kidney stone and pain father. Would you be pleased to give relief to her grant her enduring grace grantor persevering grace in this trial that you have ordained for her commit arc. Hope to you and ask you to help him in his ongoing struggles with breathing. We thank you for George and Jones Ensign further testimony of faith in Christ and their trust in you with their eternal souls week. We pray for George. That should help them. Lord, in these days of of difficulty in struggling with pain and and lung cancer. Lord we thank you that you have not only made provisions for every one of your children in this life, but all provisions you've made force in the life to come fill their hearts with hope and anticipation and expectation and in the meantime, safeguard, and keep them by your grace. We pray for this friend of Nancy Verdi's Loretta Burgess, we would ask you to help this dear woman who's had this broken hip. We pray that things would go well and she would be able to leave the hospital and returned to her home for Harold Lynch is he's dealing with a situation with his legs would commit them to you. Thank you for John Petrie for Jack for your grace that has come to him and has lifted his spirits and given him a desire to can carry on and continue on.

We thank you for his family's children ask you to give success to these dialysis treatments and grant him perseverance in these things Lord were concerned about the decline of Bob Rose.

We we thank you that there's evidence of saving grace in his life. We thank you for his dear wife and for this some trial of significant endurance that they been through.

Please grant renewed strength to them. The face another night in the face another day tomorrow and continue to trust you in the midst of it all.

For Darla, Hazel's friend Terry Owen Smith, we would pray for her tonight and fervently Vestal of burden for Stuart Wolin for the situation in Zimbabwe Lord. We are thankful that none of this is caught you by surprise, that you order all things that you are working all things after the counsel of your will that this dear brother and his dear wife arresting in your sovereign will and your purposes for them. We pray that you would encourage them they would have their faith strengthened.

He would ask that if would please you to bring about a resolution to this impasse between the insurance company and the doctor father another one of the situations that has the potential for worry and anxiety and fear because it's out of our control. There's nothing we can do to bring about a change but we look to the God who changes not look to the God who who can bring about change.

If it is in accordance with your will. So we commit Stuart and Laverne.

The work of the gospel in Zimbabwe and the men that are laboring in those churches and for the folks who are in need of shepherding, commit them all to you and ask that you would be glorified in that situation father how grateful we are that we can trust our entire lives to you these days are uncertain days and these trials ordained by you to test our faith and to grow our faith into challenge us, Lord, how we pray that it would result in great spiritual renewal and revival in our land. People who been trusting in uncertainty of riches and of had their riches and their portfolios decimated Lord made that disappointment drive him away from those uncertainties that are trusting in in May they entrust their never dying souls to the God who is able to keep them in the midst of these difficulties.

Lord I thank you for our church family.

I thank you that you are indeed the great Shepherd of our souls.

Lord we ask that you would safeguard all of our people and that you would do us good in these days as we wait upon you, and look to you to bring resolution to the circumstances in your own time. Lord we thank you that we can set our affections on things above that we can consider Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shaman to sit down at your right hand. Help us to keep our eyes on him, Lord, because your word to abide in our hearts because these to be profitable days for the people of God that we would be about our king's business that we would be men and women with courage and boldness and these days were people are questioning and wondering that we would have an answer for the reason of the hope that's within us. Now, Lord, I commit the same to beacon Baptist Church to you and ask you to safeguard us and keep us until we gather again.

In this way or gather in a normal way corporate worship here us. I pray for Jesus say amen