How Sweet The Sound - It Is Well

Today we are finishing up our series on the timeless message of some of the church’s best known and loved hymns.  For those who might not have known these hymns, I hope hearing them and learning about their backstory has been helpful.  What has struck me is how so many of these great songs have come out of great tragedy.  Amazing Grace was written by a man who had once been far away from God and living a vile and violent life.  A storm at sea turned his life around because he experienced God’s amazing grace.  What a friend we have in Jesus was written by a man who lost two fiances on the eve of getting married and then was not able to see his mother before she died.  When all his friends were taken away he realized that he still had a great friend in Jesus.  And I’ll fly away was born out of hard work in the cotton fields, as well as patience and persistence in songwriting.  When no one else thought Albert Brumley had any talent, he kept going and wrote the most recorded gospel song in history.  

Today’s hymn was also born out of tragedy, in many ways it came from a life full of tragedy.  Horatio Spafford was a successful Chicago lawyer with a wife and 5 children.  When their only son, Horatio Jr., was 5 years old he died of scarlet fever.  A year later, the great Chicago fire swept through the city and destroyed many of the buildings that Spafford owned leading to substantial financial losses.  His faith called him to give out of his reserves to help those in need so he joined with others in his church to assist those who were left devastated and homeless.  

Two years later, Spafford decided to take his family on a vacation to Europe, so in November of 1872, his wife and 4 daughters set sail.  Horatio was to go with them, but zoning issues in the rebuilding of Chicago kept him in town.  He sent his family ahead and said he would follow them in a few days.  On November 22, the steamship the Spafford family was travelling on was struck by an ironclad sailing ship.  It sank in 12 minutes.  226 people died, including Spafford’s 4 daughters.  Miraculously his wife, Ana, was found unconscious, floating on a piece of wood.  

Ana was taken to Cardiff, Wales, where she sent a telegram to her husband saying, Saved alone.  What shall I do?  Horatio immediately set out for Wales and during that voyage the captain summoned him to the bridge and showed him the charts.  He said, this is where the ship went down with your children.  Some say it was at that moment Horatio began to write these words:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

It is well, with my soul, 

It is well, it is well with my soul.

What is it that allows someone to write these words, and hold this message in their heart, in the midst of such tragic loss and pain?  What is it that causes someone to not run from God in tragedy but find comfort in God?  It comes from knowing and trusting this powerful truth.  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit.  Psalm 34:18

That is what Horatio Spafford knew.  God was close to him.  God was there to save him, and his wife, and lead them through the storm to a place of peace.  

There are times we all feel brokenhearted.  The loss of a loved one, the loss of a relationship, the loss of a job or a dream are all moments when we feel brokenhearted and empty.  When we suddenly realize that our future is simply not going to be what we had thought it would be - it is painful and unsettling.  

There are also times we feel crushed in spirit.  When the doctor doesn’t come back with the diagnosis we were hoping for, when covid-19 shuts down the schools, businesses, and all our family plans - we feel crushed.  When suddenly our financial footing is no longer secure, it’s a crushing blow that knocks the wind out of us.  We may not have lost our family in an accident, but there are times we all feel brokenhearted and crushed in spirit, and it is in those times we can say it is well with my soul if we will look up and remember that the Lord is near.  

If we aren’t able to see or feel that God is close to us today, it might be that we are too focused on SELF.  When we are only looking in the mirror, when we are only focused on our pain and our problems, it’s hard to get perspective and see that God is present.  If looking at ourselves means thinking we can get through things alone and without the help of God, it might keep us from seeing God, and if being consumed with self means being consumed with our own sin or sense of shame and unworthiness, we might feel God can’t or won’t be with us.  As long as we are looking at ourselves, we can’t be focused on God.  God has promised to never leave us and to never forsake us, which means God is with us in triumph and tragedy.  If we can lift up our eyes and look beyond SELF - we will slowly see that the Lord is near.

If we still aren’t able to feel that the Lord is close to us, it might be that we are too focused on the SITUATION.  This was Peter’s problem when he saw that he was actually walking on the water.  As long as Peter was focused on Jesus, he was able to get out of the boat and overcome the wind and waves, but once his eyes were off Jesus and he saw the predicament he was in - he was standing on the water - once he saw his situation - he began to sink.  If we only focus on our problem, we miss seeing God’s presence.  

God is close to the brokenhearted and those who are crushed in spirit and the more we shift our focus from ourselves, and our situations, the more we will be able to see that God is near.  And it is knowing that God is near, and that His power and love are with us, that helps us say in difficult times, it is well with my soul.

In the midst of all that we have been going through these past few months, in the midst of what 2020 has turned into for all of us,  let me ask you, Is it well with your soul? Are you experiencing peace in the storm?  Comfort in sorrow? Hope in despair?  Light in darkness?  Courage in fear?  Can you sing this with confidence?

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control,

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,

And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

If it is not well with your soul today, I want to invite you to begin to make it well.  Acknowledge the pain and the problems that you are going through today.  I have heard a lot of people say recently that it is OK to not be OK.  These are unprecedented times and we are all walking through unchartered territory.  Nothing seems right or feels right so if you aren’t feeling OK - it’s OK.  And it’s OK to share all that with God.  Offer to God what is breaking your heart - chances are it is breaking God’s heart too.  Offer to God what is crushing your spirit so he can begin to lift the burden from you.  If you are just simply exhausted and don’t even know why - offer that to God as well.  Jesus said, come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest.  

Then Ask God to allow you to see how close He really is to you.  In the Old Testament, the prophet Elijah was being chased by the enemy of Israel and one morning he and his servant found themselves surrounded.  The servant was terrified and asked Elisha, what shall I do?  “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”  And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.  2 Kings 6:16-17

When Ana sent her telegram to Horatio she asked the same question as Elijah’s servant.  What shall we do?  In moments of uncertainty, fear, and despair, when we can’t see a way forward we need to pray, God, open our eyes so that we can see that you are near.  Maybe that is the prayer we all need to be praying today?  God, open our eyes so that we can see that you are close to us and that you are here to help us and strengthen us and save us.  

Once we can see that God is here to help us, we need to Accept God’s love and grace.  Sometimes it really is that simple.  Can we accept that God loves us so much that He gave his only son for us.  Can we accept that Christ has regarded my helpless estate, and hath shed His own blood for my soul.  If God was willing to give his own son, then God is willing to give anything we need in love. The Apostle Paul said, If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:31-32 (selected)   In love, God gives us all we need to be at peace.

Once we have accepted God’s grace and begin to experience peace there is one more thing we can do to keep our soul’s well.  We can Assist someone else in their time of need.  Nothing helps us see the closeness of God than helping others in need.  Ana’s telegram was simple, saved alone, what shall I do?  Horatio jumped into action and assisted his distraught and grieving wife.  He ran to her and when we are willing to run to those in need, not with our help and strength but God’s help and strength, we will see God more clearly ourselves.  Sometimes it is only in being the hands and feet of Jesus that we actually begin to see that Jesus is with us.  

If it is not well with your soul today, I invite you to begin to experience the peace of God’s presence.  Acknowledge all that is holding you back, ask God to open your eyes so you can see that He is close to the brokenhearted, accept God’s grace fully, knowing that God gave Himself fully for you, and then assist someone else and begin to see more clearly the presence of Jesus. This is what helps us be able to sing with confidence...

And, Lord haste the day when my faith shall be sight

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll

The trump shall resound, and he Lord shall descend

Even so it is well with my soul. 

It is well, with my soul

It is well, it is well, with my soul.  

Next Steps

How Sweet the Sound - It Is Well with My Soul

Read through or listen to the hymn, It Is Well With My Soul.

Is this the song of your heart and life today?  Is it well with your soul?

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit.  Psalm 34:18 When have you experienced the closeness of God?  How did it help you be at peace?

Focusing on both SELF and SITUATION can keep us from SEEING God.  (See Matthew 14:22-33) 

● In what ways might you need to shift your focus this week?

● What is one thing you can do to make this change of vision happen?

If it is not well with your soul, consider some of the following steps:

● Acknowledge the pain and problems you are experiencing.  Offer to God the burdens you are carrying.

● Ask God to help you see that He is near.  Pray: Open my eyes, Lord, so that I may see you at work in my life.  (Read the story of Elijah in 2 Kings 6:8-23)

● Accept the grace God offers and allow God’s love to heal you and restore you.  (Read Romans 8:31-39)

● Assist someone else in their pain and problems.  When have you experienced being the hands and feet of Jesus?  In what ways did this help you see Jesus more clearly in your own life?  

How Sweet The Sound - I'll Fly Away

We are in a series looking at some of the most popular and loved hymns of the church so that their timeless message can speak to our lives and strengthen our faith.  Today’s hymn is not one found in our UM Hymnal but is one of the most recorded gospel hymns of all time.  Written in 1929 by Albert Brumley, “I’ll Fly Away'' has been recorded over 5,000 times by some of the most famous singers of all time like Elvis Presley.  

Albert Brumley was born in 1905 on a cotton farm in Spiro, OK.  His parents were sharecroppers, which meant that Albert and his brothers spent a lot of the time in the hot sun working hard.  Life was difficult for his family and when Albert was 5 his older brother died of typhoid fever.  Albert loved music and got the opportunity to leave home to study songwriting, but he would often return home to help his family pick cotton.  It was during one of those long, hot, and hard days of work that he said he dreamed of flying away and got the inspiration for this song.  

Some glad morning when this life is o'er, I'll fly away.

To a home on God's celestial shore, I'll fly away.

I'll fly away, O Glory, I'll fly away.

When I die, Hallelujah, by and by, I'll fly away. 

Just a few more weary days and then, I'll fly away.

To a land where joy shall never end, I'll fly away.

Whether Albert used Psalm 55 as part of his inspiration, we don’t know, but Psalm 55:6-8 says, Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!  I would fly away and be at rest.  I would flee far away and stay in the desert; I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.  

While King David was seeking a place of shelter from the constant attacks of his enemies, Albert was thinking of a cool place free from the hard work of picking cotton.  Both men were hoping for a better future and that’s really the message of I’ll fly away.  No matter what we are going through here and now, we always have the hope of a better future and we have the hope of eternal life.

When the shadows of this life have flown, I'll fly away.

Like a bird from prison bars have flown, I'll fly away.

Oh how glad and happy when we meet, I'll fly away.

No more cold iron shackles on my feet, I'll fly away.

I'll fly away, O Glory, I'll fly away.

When I die, Hallelujah, by and by, I'll fly away. 

As followers of Jesus, much of our time is spent focusing on how to live our lives here and now.  Jesus’ teaching centered on our need to forgive one another, honor one another, care for one another, and love one another.  Jesus taught us that what we say here and now, and how we treat one another here and now, is vital and it is a reflection of our deep relationship with God.  Our faith in God and our trust in Jesus has to be evident in our daily lives and it needs to impact all our relationships, but our faith is not just for the here and now, it also gives us hope for the future.  

The Apostle Paul said, if only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.  But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.  For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:19-22  

Our hope is not just in the here and now and the power of Christ working in us in this world, our hope is also in the freedom and life that comes with the resurrection when we die.  When our faith is in Jesus Christ, the one who took on our sin, paid the penalty for it by dying on the cross, and then rose again, then we have this glorious hope that we will be made alive through Christ.

In the Old Testament we hear about this hope from the prophet Isaiah who said, do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.  Isaiah 40:28-31

Isaiah gives us this image of flying away when life here is over.  When our strength in this world is gone, we find new strength in God.  We mount up with wings like an eagle and fly away.  

I’m always asked a lot of questions about heaven and exactly what happens when we die.  I wish I could answer those questions definitively, but the Bible isn’t clear.  Jesus did say to the thief on the cross, today you will be with me in paradise, so we do know that if we turn to and trust Jesus, when life here is over there is a new life with Christ that is waiting for us.  The Bible is also clear that this new life is free from all sin and sickness, disease and darkness. Revelation 21:3b-4, God himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.  

In the new life that awaits us there is no more hunger, no more poverty, no more political division, racism, and prejudice.  In heaven there is no more cancer, heart disease, strokes, and diabetes.  There is no pride or sin or shame or guilt.  There is no income inequality, no abuse of children or spouses, no more war or hostilities.  All is made new, and while we often grieve for those we love and have lost, we need to celebrate the freedom and new life that our loved ones now experience.  

Wynn Pletcher was a member of my men’s Bible study in Lewisburg and his wife battled cancer for many years.  Wynn watched her body deteriorate and he was devastated when she died much too young.  The first night Wyn returned to our study, he shared that while he obviously missed his wife, he did not want her back.  After all, he said, if we really believe that heaven is as wonderful as it is and that life there is as free and beautiful as it is, why would I want her to return here.  I’ve never forgotten that.  If we really believe that heaven is real and that it is really wonderful, then why would we want them to return?  We need to celebrate that they have flown away to God’s celestial shore. 

Please don’t misunderstand, death is difficult and letting go of those we love is painful.  There is a void in our hearts and lives that often nothing can fill, but we are not without hope for them and for us.  Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we have hope of a reunion that will outshine anything we will ever experience here.  Maxie Dunham was a bishop in the UMC and an outstanding teacher.  He once compared heaven to a giant family reunion where when you get there everyone is waiting and celebrating your arrival.  We’ve all seen those reunion videos of soldiers returning home to their families and while those touch our hearts and make us cry, they are nothing compared to the party that takes place when we arrive in heaven.  

One of the most moving stories of this kind of hope came from a woman here at Faith Church many years ago.  Janice Reichert was in the final days of her life.  I went to visit her and she was so excited because she told me how the night before her entire family had gathered in the balcony over her bed to sing for her.  All her family was there and they were just waiting for her.  Now here’s the thing, there was no balcony in her room.  There was no family who had gathered the night before - at least no family in this world, but that reunion was taking place and they were getting ready for her.  She joined them that day.  

Oh how glad and happy when we meet, I'll fly away.

No more cold iron shackles on my feet, I'll fly away.

I'll fly away, O Glory, I'll fly away.

When I die, Hallelujah, by and by, I'll fly away. 

The timeless message of I’ll fly away is that there is a resurrection and reunion for us when life here is over.  It is the message of hope that life here is not all there is because there is so much more for us in the Kingdom of God.  It is a song of hope, and my prayer is that this hope for tomorrow also brings with it an urgency for today.  

After the Apostle Paul tried his best to explain to the early church what this new life in heaven would be like, he said this, Death has been swallowed up in victory.  And God gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.  1 Corinthians 15:54b, 57b-58.  

Yes, our hope is in the resurrection from the dead and the reunion that awaits us in heaven, but that hope also needs to help us stand firm today.  It needs to shape our words, direct our actions, and inspire our faith.  None of us is guaranteed another day, time is short for all of us, and while we can face the future unafraid we need to make the most of every day.  We cannot let words go unsaid, deeds left undone, and hope left unshared.  

Leave no words unsaid.  One of the most important lessons we learned on 9/11 was that we may never get another day to say I Love You.  Too many people left for work that day thinking they would get another day to ask for forgiveness, another day to heal a relationship, another day to tell their kids how proud of them they truly are.  We need to leave no words unsaid.  If there is someone you need to forgive, forgive them today.  If there is someone to whom you need to say, I love you, then say it today.  

Leave no deeds undone.  Too many times I tell myself I need to do something for someone and then make excuses for not doing it.  I’ll do it tomorrow and often tomorrow never comes.  If there is something we need to do to help someone, serve someone, or love someone, do it today.  Another day might be too late for you or for them, or the opportunity might simply not be there.  

Leave no hope unshared.  All around us there are people desperate and in despair.  They are living in darkness and fear and we have the light of Christ that can give them hope and change their lives.  Will we step out in faith and share it?  With all the negativity in our world, and all the division we see around us, the love of God we can share with others just might be the hope needed to turn someone’s life around.  

I’ll fly away is a message of hope for a better life to come.  It reminds us that there is a resurrection and a reunion for us when we trust in Jesus.  But it also needs to remind us to live today and every day with an urgency to share that hope and God’s love with others.  

Next Steps

How Sweet The Sound - I’ll Fly Away

Find a recording of this song and listen to it this week.  (It is one of the most recorded gospel songs of all time.) 

In what ways does the song speak to you?  

Read some of these passages that talk about our hope of heaven.  What do you learn about heaven from them?

● Psalm 23

● Isaiah 40:28-31

● John 14:1-7

● 1 Corinthians 15:35-58

● Revelation 21:1-7, 22:1-7

How can our hope in Christ’s resurrection and our resurrection encourage you today?  

Knowing we will all “fly away” someday, make sure you live with urgency today.  Reflect on these three challenges:

● Leave no words unsaid

● Leave no deeds undone

● Leave no hope unshared

What specifically should you say, do, or share?  

Who today needs your love today?  

How Sweet The Sound - What a friend we have in Jesus

 

Last week we started a series called How Sweet the Sound and we are looking at the stories behind some of the most loved and powerful hymns of the church.  For those who grew up going to church and hearing these hymns, just hearing a few notes or a few words from them can give us comfort, strength, or peace, and if you didn’t grow up hearing these hymns, we hope hearing their message now and the story behind them will not only encourage you but help strengthen your relationship with God.  

Today’s hymn is timely because covid-19 continues to challenge us all. The daily grind of dealing with all these limitations is wearing us thin and many of us are at our wits end, but we are not without hope.  When we come to the end of ourselves - that’s where faith in God really begins.  When we can do no more and think we can’t stand anymore or actually stand (up) anymore, that’s when we need to remember what a friend we have in Jesus, and that’s today’s hymn.  

What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear.  What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer.  

While many scriptures talk about prayer, there is one verse that truly stands behind this hymn.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  Philippians 4:6.  In every situation we are to pray.  When we are anxious we should pray.  When we are thankful we should pray.  When we are in need we should pray.  When we don't even know how we feel or what to say, we should pray, and we can pray with boldness and confidence because we have a friend in Jesus who invites us to pray.

While prayer is one of the easiest and most natural things for us to do, we have many misconceptions about prayer that keep us from actually doing it.  One misconception is that we think prayer is complicated.  Do we have to use formal language?  Is there a certain format we need to follow?  Do we have to do certain things with our body?  Do we have to close our eyes, fold our hands, bow our head, get on our knees, lay out flat on the floor?  Are there special times we should pray?  Many people pray first thing in the morning, others at night, others only at meal time, is one time better than another?  Does God keep office hours so we need to catch him when he is in?  I have heard so many people say, I don’t know how to pray because they think there is one certain way to do it, and they don’t want to fail.  So for some, prayer is just too complicated.

Others think prayer is boring.  We might not want to own up to it, but how many times have you been praying in bed at night and fallen asleep?  Sometimes it just doesn't hold our attention and our mind wanders.  We are in prayer and then all of sudden we think, wow, I’m hungry.  What am I going to have for dinner?  I should have gone to the store today.  When I go to the store I need to get toilet paper - if they have any!  I wonder if they have clorox wipes yet, I need to get some so I can wipe things down more often.  I guess I could just get bleach and make my own spray, but I don’t have a spray bottle.  I wonder where you can buy empty spray bottles, or maybe have one under the sink that’s almost empty. When I get the watering can out tomorrow I’ll have to check.  I wonder if I’ll have to water tomorrow?  What was the weather forecast?  We need the rain, but then I have to mow the yard, which means I need to get gas….

You get the idea… we might not actually say prayer is boring but our attention span is so short that it is hard to stay focused.  Did you know that the average goldfish has an attention span of 9 seconds.  I have no idea how they figured that out - but that’s not very long.  The average attention span for most people today is 8 seconds and in a growing digital world, it is getting shorter.  That study was done 5 years ago so I have to wonder if our attention span now might be 7 seconds.  Which isn’t very long.  And let’s face it, right now you aren’t thinking about prayer or hymns but about goldfish and maybe the goldfish crackers because you’re hungry and you are wondering what you have in the house to eat and what you need to put on the list for when you go to the store and you need to remember to check for toilet paper….

Sometimes we don’t pray because we think prayer is complicated, or we find it boring, but sometimes we don’t pray because we think prayer doesn’t work.  I prayed for healing but it didn’t happen.  I prayed for a better job and it hasn’t come.  Or I am praying for a job and I am still unemployed.  Did I do something wrong or does prayer just not work?  Does God even listen?  If God does listen does He act on anything that I say?  

These are all misconceptions about prayer we will look at because prayer is not sending our thoughts and words out into a vast void or to a God who is distant, unconnected, and uncaring.  We pray to one who has called us a friend.  Jesus said, I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business.  Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15.  Jesus calls us friends, and in Jesus, God has come to be with us and share everything with us, which means we can say with confidence, What a friend we have in Jesus and what a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.  

This hymn was written by Joseph Scriven who lived in Ireland in the mid 1800’s.  Joseph was set to marry his childhood sweetheart and the day before the wedding they had planned to meet.  On the way to the meeting, his fiancée’s horse got spooked and she fell off.  She hit her head on the ground, blacked out, and rolled down an embankment into a creek where she landed face down.  By the time Joseph found her, it was too late.  She had drowned.  Grief stricken, Joseph left Ireland and settled in Canada where he dug deeper into the teachings of Jesus and really focused on living out Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  

Joseph lived out his faith by helping anyone who was in need and he often tried to help those who had no money and could not pay him for his services.  His nickname was “the Good Samaritan.”  In time Joseph fell in love and once again planned to get married.  A few weeks before the wedding his fiancée got pneumonia and died.  So for a second time Joseph was left alone and grieving.  

Not long after that tragedy, news reached Joseph that his mother was sick and dying at home in Ireland.  Joseph had no money to return to be with her, so he wrote her a poem.  After his mother’s death, the poem was found among her papers and was shared with many people.  Someone asked Joseph if he wrote the poem and his humble response was, God and I wrote it.  That poem, written from a heart, a life that had lost so much said this:  

Have we trials and temptations?  Is there trouble anywhere?  

We should never be discouraged, take it to the Lord in prayer.  

Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?  

Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?

Precious savior still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do thy friends despise forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer.

In his arms he’ll take a shield thee, thou wilt find a solace there.  

The constant for Joseph through the trials, pain, grief, and heartache of his life was prayer.  He prayed at all times and in all places and while in prayer he didn’t find all he wanted, he did find all he needed.  Prayer is the key to overcoming all our trials and temptations so we need to overcome our misconceptions and learn to pray.  So here are four things we need to remember about prayer.

Prayer is not complicated, it is simple.  We TALK to God.  We don’t need formal language or deep theological words.  We don’t need well thought out sentences or proper grammar.  We simply talk to God as a friend.  What a friend we have in Jesus - so talk to God like you talk to a friend.  

I grew up going to church and was active in my youth group and I always thought prayer had to be written out and organized.  When I joined a bible study in college, each week we had a prayer partner and my first prayer partner was a friend named Dave.  Dave came over to my dorm room and we sat and talked about what was going on in our lives and what we might want to pray about.  Then Dave said, let’s pray.  I looked at him and said, What?  He said, lets pray.  I said, Now?  How?  You see, I hadn’t written anything out and I thought you had to have some kind of prayer to read.  

In that moment Dave taught me all I needed to know about prayer because he said, you just talk to God.  You say what you want to and need to.  You just talk to him like a friend.  He started to pray and it was simple and conversational.  I listened and then it was my turn.  It was awkward and uncomfortable and yet it was probably the first time I had ever just talked to God.  That is what prayer is.  It is just talking to God.  

Prayer is also being AWARE of God, moment by moment and day by day.  There is no special time to pray, we can pray at all times by just being aware of God’s presence and reaching out to God with short thoughts, words, and feelings.  It’s getting up in the morning and being grateful for a day so we say thank you.  It’s driving to work or turning on the computer to work from home and saying, God help me do what you want me to do this day.  It’s seeing a person in need and saying, God help them.  It’s asking God to open our eyes so we can see how to be God’s hands and feet to serve others.  It’s asking God to forgive us and helping us forgive others.  When the Bible tells us to pray continuously it doesn’t mean we spend our lives in formal conversation with God it means we live our lives with the awareness of God’s presence.  

Prayer can also be when we VENT to God.  1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.  As a fisherman, Peter knew what it was like to cast a line or cast a net and often you had to really toss it out far.  You had to use some force and there are times we need to truly cast our anxiety, our fear, our frustration onto God and He will take it up because He cares for us.  We heard this in our study from Habakkuk this summer, God would rather us yell at Him in frustration then walk away from Him in silence.  All those questions we have, disappointment we experience, and pain we share can be taken to the Lord in prayer. 

And then the fourth thing we need to do in prayer is LISTEN to God.  Prayer is a two way conversation.  It is never just our talking to God it is also our being quiet so we can hear God speak.  Jesus said, My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  Jesus is known as the good shepherd and sheep will listen to and follow the voice of their shepherd, but it takes time for the sheep to learn and trust that voice.  God wants us to hear His voice, He wants us to know and trust His message, but it takes time for us to silence all the other noise so we can learn to hear His voice.  

In the Old Testament, the prophet Samuel was just a child when he heard a voice calling out to him at night, but he didn’t know who it was.  In time his mentor, Eli, told him to pray this prayer, Speak Lord for your servant is listening.  And slowly Samuel began to hear and trust the voice of God.  Prayer always needs to include taking some time to listen.  Maybe to help us focus in on that time we need to pray that same prayer, Speak Lord for we are listening.  

We can talk to God, we can be aware of God, we can vent to God and we need to listen to God and then one final thing we need to do at all times is to THANK God.  Thanksgiving needs to be a constant part of our prayers.  When things are going well and when they aren’t going well we need to give thanks.  This is what the Apostle Paul tells us.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:6-7

If we can train our hearts and minds to flow in an attitude of thanksgiving, something wonderful will begin to happen.  We aren’t going to find all our prayers answered the way we want them, and we aren’t going to find that all our problems will disappear, but we will find peace.  We will find strength and courage and comfort when we need it.  Prayer brings us God’s peace, which means that prayer always does something, it is always at work.  It is always effective.  Pray doesn’t always solve our problems but it is always the source of peace.   

We all go through trials and temptations and right now there seems to be trouble everywhere but we should never be discouraged, and we should never feel defeated because we can take everything, everything, to God in prayer.  What a friend we have in Jesus.

 

Next Steps

How Sweet The Sound - What a friend we have in Jesus

How often do you pray?  (Be honest.)

Why don’t you pray more often?  Do you find prayer too complicated?  Too boring?  Not effective?

In what ways do you consider Jesus a friend?  (John 15:5) How do you treat Jesus as a friend?

What do we learn from prayer from these scriptures:

● James 5:16

● 1 Peter 5:7 

● Philippians 4:6-7

How has prayer strengthened your relationship with God?

Which of these do you want to do more of with God:

● Talking to God

● Venting to God

● Listening to God

● Thanking God

What is one step you can take this week to grow in this area?  

Consider taking 5 minutes of silence to listen to God and begin this prayer time by saying, Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.  

Pray!

How Sweet The Sound - Amazing Grace

 

It is a noisy world out there.  COVID, protests, riots, racism, presidential campaigns, masks, social distancing, football, sports, Penn State jobs, Penn State students, the economy… it all swirls around in endless noise that keeps our heads and our hearts spinning.  What we all need right now is some silence and space where we can begin to hear a familiar melody and a timeless message.  We all need a moment to stop and say to ourselves, ahhh, how sweet the sound…

 Today we are starting a new message series based on some of the most loved and powerful hymns of the church.  Many hymns in the church are like the scriptures were in Jesus’ day.  They are part of who we are.  We know the tune, we know the words, and the full message is known when we hear the first few notes of the song.  That’s how the scriptures were for Jesus.  Just a few words of a psalm and everyone knew the full message of what was coming.  They defined people and their faith. 

 For some of you, this is what the hymns do - they define you.  But for some of you, the hymns we will look at might be new.  If they are, I invite you to open yourself up to a message that has touched people for generations.  The words to these hymns are timeless and some of the melodies are so powerful that they have been used by artists in every generation to give birth to new musical expressions of the songs. 

 Today we are going to hear again the message and melody of what is probably the most loved hymn of all time - Amazing Grace.  For many people, every time it is sung, it brings tears to them because it reminds them of those whose grace has touched their lives.  Amazing Grace is sung at many funerals and so it reminds us of people we love and have lost.  For many people it sums up the gospel message in song the way John 3:16 sums up the gospel in one verse, (say John 3:16 - say first verse of Amazing Grace)

 But who would have thought that those powerful words, written almost 300 years ago, would come from a man who was known early in his life as one of the most vulgar men around.  John was a sailor who spent much of his time drunk.  He was also violent and so crass and vulgar that his nickname was The Great Blasphemer.  The captain of his ship said that John’s language was so bad that he not only had the worst language of anyone around but that he created new words that exceeded the limits of verbal debauchery.  If you looked up the expression, cuss like a sailor, in the dictionary 300 years ago, you just might have seen his picture. 

 Not only was his language extreme but his actions were too.  He was so violent and disliked that one day when John fell overboard, instead of tossing him a lifeline or a life preserver, his fellow sailors threw harpoons at him.  And after one outburst of bad behavior, the captain had John beaten severely in front of the other sailors.  He feared nothing and no one.  At one point, John decided to kill his captain and himself, but before he could put his plan into action, a strong storm hit their ship.  John watched as his only friend was swept away in a giant wave and he believed that both he and the ship would be lost.  In the moment of his greatest trial and deepest fear John didn’t curse God, and he didn’t laugh at the storm, instead he cried out to God, Lord Have Mercy On Us All.  

 John didn’t ask God to save him, he asked God to save everyone.  And God did.  The storm blew itself out.  The boat was spared along with most of the crew and in the days that followed, John realized that in his darkest moment he had called out to God for help and God had answered, so maybe there was something to this God after all.  If this God was real, then John wanted to figure out who he was and what was going on. 

 So John Newton started to read the Bible.  He learned more about God, and began to understand the power of salvation that comes to us through Jesus Christ.  In time he sat down and started to write these words:  Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost, but now am found.  Was blind but now I see. 

 John Newton’s life had radically changed through the amazing grace of Jesus Christ.  He went from working on a slave ship to working to end slavery in England because he had experienced the amazing grace of God.  John knew if God could change him, God could change the world.  That's the story behind the song, but what is the message of the song? 

 We find the biblical foundation for this hymn in Ephesians 2:1-9.  This particular writing of the Apostle Paul reads like a man so excited about the grace of God that he just can’t contain himself.  He adds statement after statement in run-on sentences as the thoughts flow from his heart and mind. 

 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.

 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

We could organize Paul’s words here with these three statements

You Were  -  But God  -  By Grace

You were.  You were dead in your sin, Paul said.  You were dead when you lived only for yourself, satisfying your wants and needs above everyone and everything else.  You were deserving of wrath in the eyes of God.  This is not a message we like to hear today and it’s not one we hear often.  Usually we like to lift people up and be an encouragement. We want to focus on the positive not the negative.  We tell people, you're not as bad as you think you are. Don’t listen to the people who put you down.  Don’t put yourself down.  But to really understand the power of the gospel, there comes a point in time when we need to come face to face with who we are.  We are sinners.  We are selfish.  We are all dead in our sins.  All of us. 

 My guess is that most of us know this.  In fact, we can probably remember and recite to ourselves all the times we have blown it, and all the times we failed both God and others and most importantly ourselves.  Guilt and shame too often control our lives and direct our future as we constantly live in that “you were” world.  But did you notice something – the words are you were not you are.  Yes we struggle with sin, yes we fail to be all we want to be, but that is not the end of our story because of these two words… but God. 

 But God so loved the world that he gave his one and only so that whoever believes in him might not perish, might not live in that you were state, might not deal with guilt and shame and sin forever, but have everlasting life.  But God means that God stepped into the mess of our lives and brought us true life.  But God means that God made us alive in Christ, and Paul knew exactly what it was like to have this but God moment in his life.

 As a religious leader, Paul had persecuted the followers of Jesus and been personally responsible for having them arrested, tried, and killed.  Paul was on a mission to stomp out the early church by any means possible and was on his way to arrest more Christians when God stepped into his life.  Paul was on the road to Damascus when a blazing light tossed him to the ground and blinded him.  As Jesus spoke to Paul, he deserved to be judged and condemned.  Paul deserved to be put to death for persecuting the followers of Jesus.   Paul deserved the wrath of God, but God stepped in and changed it. 

 For three days Paul was blind and sat in darkness until a follower of Jesus named Annanias came and restored Paul’s sight.  Paul didn’t do anything to deserve this healing, he deserved only judgement and blindness, but God stepped in.  He once was lost but now was found, he was literally blind but now he could see.  He hadn’t done anything to be given this gift, it was all by grace. 

 By grace Paul was saved.  By grace John Newton was saved, and it is by grace that we are saved.   For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.  This is the amazing grace we sing about.  We were dead and had no hope, but God loves us, not because we are loveable but because God is God and God is love.  And God makes us alive in Christ and gives us a present and a future and it all takes place by grace. 

 It is by grace, by God’s amazing grace, that we are not what we once were.  It is by God’s amazing grace that we are able to not only have the hope of a resurrection but the hope of a new life here and now.  It is by God’s amazing grace that we are able to overcome every storm we face, every trial we experience, and every danger that comes our way.  Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come, ‘tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.

 This is the message of Amazing Grace.  We were lost, but God’s love stepped in, and by grace we have been redeemed.  We were once dead in sin, but God’s love raises us from sin and death, and by grace we are saved and forgiven and given eternal life

We were - But God - By Grace. 

 This is the story we remember and celebrate in communion as well.  The disciples were sinners that night, they were all going to desert Jesus in his time of need, but Jesus loved them and invited them to be at the Passover table with him.  It was at that table that they were shown that the gift of forgiveness and eternal life would be just that - a gift given by grace.  When Jesus says, this is my body given for you.  And this is my blood which is shed for you, we see clearly that it is by God’s grace we are saved.  We don’t earn this, we don’t deserve this, but this is what grace looks like.  This is what grace tastes like.  This is how grace, God’s amazing grace saves us. 

 If you are in need of a but God moment, a moment where God’s love can step in and remind you that you are not what you once were and if you are in need of knowing that by grace you have new life in Christ – then this can be it.  Communion is always a but God moment as God steps into our lives with his love and reminds us that it is by grace we have been saved. 

 It’s a crazy, noisy, and very tiring world out there.  If we are going to make it through, now more than ever, we need to hear once again this simple and powerful truth:  Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.  I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see. 

 We were - But God - By Grace - By God’s Amazing Grace. 

 

 

 Next Steps

Amazing Grace

Take some time this week to learn more about John Newton. 

Many books have been written and several movies have been made about John Newton’s life.  Set aside time to learn more about how God’s grace changed John’s life.

 Look up the lyrics to Amazing Grace. Which parts of the song do you especially identify with? Why?

Take a silent moment to think about all the ways grace has saved you. As you think of something, give thanks to God!

 

Read Ephesians 2:1-9. 

●     What does it mean that we were dead in sin? 

●     Why does God step into our darkness to bring life and raise us from the dead?

●     When did you first realize that salvation comes from grace alone.

●     How does, You Were - But God - By Grace, sum up the entire gospel message?

Have you ever had a “But God” moment in your life when God stepped in and began to turn things around?  Reflect on how grace was a part of that moment. 

Where is God’s grace needed in your life today?  What dangers, toils, and snares are you walking through today and how can God’s grace help? 

Every day this week create some silence to sing to yourself or listen to a different version of Amazing Grace.