When Our Hearts Are Troubled

Is your heart troubled?  I know that many of you are stressed.  Last week our church passed out 90 cloth masks as part of Winston Salem’s effort to Mask the City.  That was 19 families.  They came for food at our Food Pantry and then Russ and Steve asked them how many people needed a mask.  I tried to pass out masks to members of our church who don’t have one.  One of our members didn’t want to come to the door because she is afraid.  I don’t blame her.

The disciples had troubled hearts in John 14.  This is before Easter.  We spent some time talking about how Jesus tried to tell his disciples what was coming just around the bend.  There are ten places in the Gospel accounts of Jesus telling his disciples that he was going to die.  They weren’t ready.  We know how that story ends – with an empty tomb, but Jesus’ words of comfort for the twelve are just as powerful for us as they were on that night Jesus was betrayed.

On Thursday the governor’s office started to reopen the state.  Maybe are troubled about this because more people will get sick.  Everyone admits that it has to happen, we can’t stay locked down forever, but people are troubled.  Our church council met yesterday morning in a Zoom chat to talk about how we can function.  I’ll be sending out that plan in tomorrow’s email.  We went through the survey data that you gave to us and many of you are troubled.  Some people in our church have pushed off elective surgeries, and now all of that is happening again.

As if that wasn’t enough – and it is – how many of you are troubled for a different reason?  Are you troubled that people might find out what you’ve done?  The sin that you’ve hidden from everyone has grown to the point where it’s taking over your life.  You’re scared that it’s separating you from your God.  For the mountain of physical troubles that we face, it’s the spiritual troubles that can just as easily cripple us.  The physical and the spiritual might be two separate worlds, but they dove tail daily in your life.  We’re going to talk about suicide in our Bible study following worship.  On this night that Jesus was betrayed – Judas took his own life.  That broke Jesus’ heart.  I bring it up because hearts are troubled.

This is Pastor Darren.  This week he took his life unexpectedly.  He died of an apparent “self-inflicted gunshot wound.”  Never think that you are immune to having a troubled heart.  Satan will try and mount enough evidence to convince your soul that no one loves you.  Not even God.  That is a lie, of course, but as the lock down lengthens, be aware if your heart is becoming troubled and seek help.  There are simple ways to do so.  Even the contact form on our website is a great place to call for help.  Want to hear more?  Watch this Sunday’s message taken from John 14.