Still Standing

Still Standing

SCRIPTURE: "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Ephesians 6:13

Introduction

What keeps a person standing when everything around them is shaking? Life has a way of testing how firmly our feet are planted. We celebrate when the rain falls early in the season, and the blessings of God seem to pour without measure. Yet there comes a dry stretch before the latter rain arrives, and that is when our faith feels like it’s being sifted.

The church has lived through seasons like this. We have endured a worldwide pandemic that closed our doors but could not close our hearts. We survived social unrest that tried to divide us, yet our unity still sings. We watched storms and floods damage our neighborhoods, yet the church still met under tents, in parking lots, and online.

Like an old oak tree that bends in the storm yet will not break, the church still stands. Jesus said, Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. When plagues came, the church prayed. When injustice rose, the church marched. When hurricanes hit, the church rebuilt. Time and again, the enemy has tried to silence the saints, yet the song of Zion keeps ringing.

A saying from the elders goes, Tough times don’t last, tough people do. That proverb echoes what Paul told us: storms will blow, battles will rage, but the church of the living God remains invincible.

As Christians, we know that our strength is not in our numbers, our money, or our buildings. Our strength is in the Lord, who equips us to endure. We wait because the latter rain is on the way, and when it falls, we will still be standing.

Full sermon has 2,100 words