{"id":8098,"date":"2015-07-28T10:12:27","date_gmt":"2015-07-28T14:12:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=8098"},"modified":"2015-08-06T19:40:49","modified_gmt":"2015-08-06T23:40:49","slug":"panic-now-what-72615","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=8098","title":{"rendered":"Panic! Now What? (7\/26\/15)"},"content":{"rendered":"

On July 26, Pastor Jim was taking a much deserved vacation, so our sermon was given by Lay Servant Jim Kier.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"Jim<\/a>

Jim Kier with Pastor Jim<\/p><\/div>\n

What do you do when your whole world is about to crash around you?\u00a0 What do you do when that moment hits you and you feel that you’re in serious danger?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Jim’s scripture was John 6:1-21.\u00a0 Click the below “Play” button to start the recording of the message, then scroll down to read the scripture and to follow along with the sermon…<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\nhttps:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Sermon-2015-07-26a-Panic-what-now-by-Jim-Kier-Lay-Servant-6kbs-mono-uncut.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

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John 6:1-21<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t

1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias),<\/span><\/p>\n

2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick.<\/span><\/p>\n

3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples.<\/span><\/p>\n

4 The Jewish Passover Feast was near.<\/span><\/p>\n

5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”<\/span><\/p>\n

6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.<\/span><\/p>\n

7 Philip answered him, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”<\/span><\/p>\n

8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up,<\/span><\/p>\n

9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”<\/span><\/p>\n

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them.<\/span><\/p>\n

11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.<\/span><\/p>\n

12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.”<\/span><\/p>\n

13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.<\/span><\/p>\n

14 After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”<\/span><\/p>\n

15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake,<\/span><\/p>\n

17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Fishermen<\/a>

Fishermen on the Sea of Galilee<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough.<\/span><\/p>\n

19 When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified.<\/span><\/p>\n

20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.”<\/span><\/p>\n

21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.<\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

We are bombarded by situations over which we have no control- just look at some recent news stories; a surfer is attacked by a shark, a family trying to outrun a forest fire, shooters in churches and theaters.\u00a0 You see the videos, you hear the voices- they are full of panic!\u00a0\u00a0 Fear and despair take over our thinking and abilities, and we find it hard to conjure up a rational plan of dealing with the situation.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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In the early 70\u2019s my wife and I were Senior High Counselors. One of the activities we did was to take the youth group to work with the Appalachian Service Project (check out Redbird\u00a0Mission<\/a><\/span><\/span>). We went to help the people have a little better way of life. We would repair roofs, put up siding, paint, replace porches, build rooms, and repair steps. <\/span><\/p>\n

One trip we were sent deeper into the mountains to help. The kids worked very hard and we decided we would take a half a day and have a picnic, because there were no other activities close by. We went to a local National Park, and the two counselors and I got the bright idea to take a hike on one of the trails. <\/span><\/p>\n

We had about an hour before the sun would set, so we selected what was supposed to be the shortest and easiest trail.\u00a0 We saw beautiful sights, animals and vegetation. We kept walking expecting the trail to turn back, it didn\u2019t. As time passed we reached a point where we could not return the way we had come. It would be dark and we didn\u2019t have flashlights. When the sun sets in the mountains it is very dark. I looked right and there was a river, we couldn\u2019t go that way, the left side was so steep we could not climb the hill, our only option was to continue. We walked a little further, came to a small stream with a log to cross. We made it across and continued, then the trail narrowed to just a little used path.\u00a0 What now?\u00a0 More later…<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Panic:\u00a0 “You Feed Them!!!”<\/span><\/h3>\n

Imagine being in Citizens Bank Park watching a Phillies game (back when big crowds actually attended the games…).\u00a0 It’s getting late in the day, the game’s dragging on in the 5th inning, and everyone is tired and hungry.\u00a0 Then out of the blue, Jesus appears and gives you the task of feeding the crowd!\u00a0 They’re out of hot dogs.\u00a0 No more Schmitters at Harry the K’s.\u00a0 No more cheese steaks at Tony Lukes! Thousands of hungry people, and YOU’RE supposed to get a meal together for them?\u00a0 And it’s the Son of God Himself asking you to do this- you don’t want to dare to let Him down!<\/p>\n

Panic!!!<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

That’s exactly where the disciples were on that day beside the Sea of Galilee.<\/p>\n