This morning I went to the grocery.  I rationalized that 7 in the morning would be a great way to beat the crowds.  Man was I wrong.  As I went looking for crumbs that had been left behind on the shelves, I went through filling my cart with whatever I could find.  It was reminiscent of Black Friday shopping in November.

After picking through the barren shelves, I began my wait in the checkout line. Being the impatient man that I am, I went to self-checkout since the line was shorter.   I victoriously walked up to an empty register.  I placed my reusable bags on the carousel, and then it happened.  The dreadful message, “Remove your unchecked item from the bagging area.”  I pushed the button and waited for the cashier to override the dumb “smart” computer.  After what seemed like 10 minutes but was more like 1, my computer was overridden, and I was able to check out. 

What is the longest you’ve had to wait for something?  I once waited over an hour for a pizza at one of my favorite pizzeria’s. I had to wait nine months for each of my children to be born.  I waited almost 7 years for my wife to be willing to date me and another year before we were married.  You know what? In every single case, it was worth the wait.

The nation of Israel knew what it was like to wait.  For centuries they had been waiting for the coming of Messiah.  It had been 700 years since the prophet Isaiah had prophesied the coming of messiah.  As Jesus stood up to read in His hometown Synagogue, everyone listened to hear the word of God read.

 Luke 4:17–21

17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him, and unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written: 18 The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. 20 He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled.”

They came to hear the word of God.  Little did they know they would Hear the “WORD” of God. After 700 years of waiting, the wait was finally over.  Good news was now in their grasp.  Liberation from sin was available to all.  Jubilee, the abolition of sin’s debt, was before them.  And it was worth the wait.

Nearly 2,000 years later we are still waiting for Christ’s return.  Crises like COVID-19 are a reminder of the uncertainty we face in this world.  The Good News still needs to be preached.  Billions of captives still need to be released from sin’s chains.  The forgiveness of sin needs to be faithfully proclaimed. And some day, maybe very soon, Jesus will come to claim His own.  And when He does, we will discover it was worth the wait! 

Announcements:

Movie night for Friday, March 20th has been cancelled. 

We want you to know that we are doing everything we can to continue to minister to the needs of our community.  Though we were unable to meet on Sunday, the financial needs of our church remain about the same.  We want to continue to support our mission partners even in these difficult days.  The reality is ministry needs are probably greater during this time of crises.  If you would like to give online, visit our website www.pinerbaptist.org, click on the giving tab at the top of the page.  Your donation is secure and will be deposited in the church’s account.

We are continuing the collection of food to help feed Piner Elementary families during this time.  Bring your items to the church by Wednesday, so that they can be delivered by Friday.  Jody has requested the following items: Canned Soup and Fruit, Spaghetti and Sauce, Mac & Cheese, Boxed Cereal, Peanut Butter & Jelly, and Crackers. 

The Backpack ministry is continuing as well.