No Shortcuts to Sharing God's Word
This Weeks Announcements and Events
Good Friday Choir practice will begin next Sunday, Lord willing, for those who would like to participate in the cantata. There will be singing parts and speaking parts both.
Hymnals have arrived. If you ordered one, please see Pastor. Hymnals are $26 (including shipping).
Prayer Requests for this Week:
Ted Johnson – health issues
Sarah Sauer – health issues
Mike Knicker – health issues
Evie Schroeder – Has Pneumonia
Amy Pauers
Mel Murray – Moved to Hiram Shaddox
Walt Zimmerman – Health Issues
Brianna (Mike and Alexis Wolosz’ granddaughter) – dealing with health issue
Bill ( a friend of Chris Taylor) – On a ventilator
Linda Fry – Pancreatic Cancer
Shawn Taylor – Recovering from surgery
Chuck Little - entering hospice care
On Our Calendar this week
Tuesday March 15
10 am – BIC
Wednesday March 16
2:30 pm – Lenten Service
4:30 pm – Confirmation
5:30 pm – Meal
6:30 pm – Lenten Service
Sunday March 20
9:30 am – Worship
11 am –Choir Practice
But as for me, look, I am in your hands. Do with me whatever seems good and right in your eyes. But you can be certain of this. If you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on those who live here, for it is true that the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.” (Jeremiah 26:14–15)
There is no doubt that Jeremiah’s ministry was hard. When he proclaimed the hard-hitting truth of the law to the people of Judah, they did not want to hear it. Instead, they wanted to kill Jeremiah. Jeremiah could have sweet-talked his way out of his predicament and went back on the word of God, but that’s not what Jeremiah did. There was no shortcut when it came to God’s judgment against the people of Israel. If they wanted to kill Jeremiah, then his innocent blood would be on their hands. Killing Jeremiah would not stop God’s wrath from coming upon them. But listening to God’s Word and doing what God said would turn God’s vengeance away from them.
Sharing God’s Word is hard. People will not listen to us, and may even become angry with us for sharing his Word with them. We will want to quit. We may even question whether what we are doing is right, or worth the hassle. But has called us to speak his Word. He has called us to be His ambassadors in the world. And he has promised to be with us as we do those things. He has promised to place his word in our mouths to be his witnesses in the world.
So, when we feel rejected by the world and are tempted to give up on spreading God’s Word or take a shortcut, let us remember that our Savior did not take the shortcut but faithfully went to the cross and was killed because he faithfully proclaimed the Word of God. On that cross, he covered over those times when we fail to share his Word and instead take shortcuts to avoid making people angry. Amen.
The song for today is “Lord, I’m In Your Hands” by Maranatha! Vocal Band