Sunday "God's Love is Like a Mother Hens"

Shout to the Lord, all the Earth, serve the Lord with gladness come before him with joyful singing know that the Lord himself is God. It is he who has made us and not we ourselves.

Our Lord and savior, you are beginning in the room. We have gathered in this time and at this place to worship, you to know that you are God. And to press our luck in your hand and still in this, your hope in face of our despair, your peace for our hatreds written, there is a yearning within that that is pulled up here. This morning. Take these moments are Lord of times. They speak to us through your Holy Spirit. This is your, our Lord help us. Help us hear your voice in her heart. Gary says, we pray in Jesus name, I pray Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come thy will be done on Earth as it is in here. Our Daily Bread. Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but Deliver us to me.

Good morning everyone. As you can see how it's not here this morning. He's taking a few weeks off and you can Arizona with his children, his daughter and we hope that he has a good time release there, and they stayed healthy, sitting here a time or two before and we do enjoy her when she is here and we appreciate her taking the time out, long drive. And anyhow, we're good to see that. Mark survived his robotic surgery.

Has anyone got any announcements? There isn't any really anything that I have to say, which is unusual.

And so, we are in the process of Cindy get percent to

Okay, we will do that everyone keep chili in your prayers. Alright, is there anything else?

Good morning. How are you this morning? Can everybody hear me, okay? That good. If you could, if you can, please give me a high sign. Okay. 7 Tennessee, to let my boys truck. It's a pleasure once again to be here. I'm so glad that y'all ask me to Chick-fil-A in for Howard. I always considered it. An honor and a privilege. So I love coming to this church has its home. It's it's one of my many churches that I feel at home with. So thank you again. I appreciate it. I got up early this morning. I'm sure you all y'all did too, didn't you? I was up at 1:45 and have been up since this is my typical time though. You can ask Joe, if she knows already told my Sunday school class, so I'm cranky and ready to go. So so y'all are in for a good sermon. I hope so anyway, but I'm going to be reading to y'all the scripture this morning from this new English Bible or common English Bible. I found a little differently than what printed in the bulletin but y'all can follow along with the back of the bulletin. Okay. Inform Luke chapter 13, verses 31 through 35 so y'all can follow along. At that time, some Pharisees approach to Jesus instead, go get away from here because Herod wants to kill you. Jesus said to them, go tell that fox, look, I'm throwing out demons and healing people today and tomorrow. And on the third day, I will complete my work. However, it's necessary for me to travel today tomorrow, and the next day, because it's impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem. Jerusalem, o Jerusalem. You who killed the prophets and Stone. Those Who were sent to you. How often I have wanted to gather your people, just as a hen gathers her chicks under her Wing, but you didn't want that. Look, your house is abandoned. I tell you. You want to see me again until the time comes, when you say, blessed is blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord. So we all, please join me in the affirmation of faith that you printed in your bulletin. I believe that Jesus Christ is God of the Living. God and if you'll join me in this morning prayer,

I'ma scratch his heavenly father in your reading today. We heard that you asked us to come to you and if you would seek us just as a mother hen 6006u, offer us protection and safety under your wings, help us all to stop. And listen for that call we come before you today with the names that are on our prayer list and also with the one that we hold deep within our heart, asking you to give them the strength to deal with the issues that they face each and every day. We pray that you will continue to bless this church, Lord and bless each one of its spiteful members as they continue to be that they can apply for not only this community, but be on your God, we thank you for all of your many blessings that you showers with each and every day. Let us always seek you and the protection that we have under your loving and awesome arms and wings. We ask all of this in your muscle. Holy and precious name. God, Amen.

as we gather around the table this morning, This year, these Inland we haven't unique privilege of knowing why we do Jesus's disciples didn't. I didn't understand what he was talking about. But we do have the unique privilege of doing this every Sunday, some Churches, don't, I don't believe in.

It's any less than what we do. It's just been our practice to do it every Sunday. So, as we come to our table this morning and asked, if you being a heart open, mind and send your Holy Spirit within us,

Publicity.

Florida.

And the ones that are not here.

Where's your father?

I would bless our all free offering to have Lord. Extend your love too much.

It's awfully good to be in God's house this morning, isn't it even though it has a train this morning? Marcus going to see. I'm glad you did well with your surgery. I really am just this morning. We're going to be talking about chickens and hens, okay. I thought I was kind of wanting this up a little bit. So we're going to talk about chickens and hens. Okay? So, chicken fried chicken, I know Jay likes, buttermilk fried chicken, I do to, we baked them with barbecue on the Pokemon sandwiches, if we're really being nice. Try for our diet will ya. I'm in salads. Interstate and we Easter egg, just think it's a chicken but I was doing my research for this message. This morning. I found some very interesting facts about chickens especially him don't want to share those with you this morning. Did you know that chickens are pretty fast that they chicken can travel up to 9 miles an hour if you wants to let you know that and the largest ever recorded chicken egg just to make it wide. 12.1 Elijah and it measured 12.25 in around. So that's a pretty good-sized egg in it. And, you know, but that's language language different alarm calls for different things when the Predators are coming. I didn't know that. I just thought of chicken just went but I don't. And did you notice there's more chickens on Earth than humans. Think about that. That's pretty cool. And the number of yolks found in a single chicken egg. Just how many snow we got double yolks? I've had double yolks before but just how many yolks in one egg 9, you just use one egg and a whole bunch of the chicken is the closest living relative to the Tyrannosaurus Rex. I think the largest recorded distance flown by chicken was 301 feet. And the record for laying the most eggs and one day was just how many eggs does a chicken lay. 7. But this one's the last one. This is the best one of all if you like the chicken head to toe, okay? All the chickens consumed at KFC. Okay, Kentucky Fried Chicken. We realize that they would circle the Earth. At the equator, guess how? Many times 11? We had a lot of chickens. Don't read a lot of chicken. So now, now I'm sure that you're wondering why we're talking about chicken, especially hands, aren't you? And he said, oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem has killed the prophets and Stone. Those who sent, who sent you, how often have. I longed to gather your children. Do like a mother hen does with her chickens under my arm but you were not willing you were not willing. As soon as saying this morning, Jesus his is an image of the mother hen gathereth. Her chickens under her wings to describe what is love for us. There's a reverend Barbara Taylor who describes it this way you would think given the number of different animals available. That is interesting, why? Jesus, which is the chicken, isn't it? Why would he choose the hand of all things when he could have had the Mighty Eagle, the lion of Judah? Why would he choose a hen compared to one of these? And other hand doesn't Inspire much confidence? Does she shows when you really think about it is pretty difficult for him, isn't it? Because given the fact that Jesus is always turning things upside down. Jesus is always changing our expectations of how things should turn out cuz we think it's going to be one way. And he says can tell things, I think it's going to be just us three ways that God's love is.

Number one, God's love is like a mother, hen, who gathers and protects us. Have you ever seen a chicken hawk know after its prey or seen that the mother hen is, is keenly aware of that chicken, hawk, as she gathers, her chicks under her wings, with the Furious Fast, you'll squawk, and she flushed out, or Wednesday, fluff out their wings, and that makes them bigger. So that all those chicks can get underneath it and then she is down around them and protect them. And then you can talk your dad at her and David her and guide her, and she'll still stay there. She won't know she won't move. And finally he just as well. Yes, I going to get me anywhere. So he just flies off. But the hand all battered and bruised and she's taking care of her little baby chicks, as a mother hen. Protect, your babies from disaster in danger So does Jesus, he protects us from danger in disaster. We all have times in our lives. When we tried to protect people, haven't, we had tried to protect our family and our friend and the people that we love from danger, Heavenly Heavenly. Then you can understand that language is this voice, as he tries to protect the people of Jerusalem from. All we can do. We're trying to protect our friends and our family is to just be there for them. It's just open her arms to them and to let them walk into our arms and just know that we're there for them. You know, when you think about it, will position in the world in it, with your arms out and your chest exposed. But you remember that supposition that are hand was in when she was protecting her baby. And it's also the position that Jesus was in when he hung on the cross.

Enter message this morning. We see some of the Pharisees come up to Jesus to warn him that that Harry was going to come and kill him. This is the Herod the one that had responsible for the death of John, the Baptist and later would not stop the crucifixion of Jesus. This is this is the hair that were talking about the why is some of the Pharisees come up to Warren G? No one knows, really no one knows. Do you just answer them in a very, very direct Manner and he said, you go tell that fox. You go tell that fox a fox back. Then what's a turn? This, a used to describe a Sly Slick, deceitful person, and Jesus made his point. Didn't he called Harry talks like, we could really use the image of a fox in a hen in the same sentence for a reason. Foxes catch hand and eat them. And Harry saw that he was going to get rid of Jesus in a heartbeat running but he didn't take into consideration God's plan for us through Jesus Christ City. Number to, God's love is like a mother hen who has her had this under her Wing. I read a story and y'all have probably heard this, but I thought it was apropos for this. Message about a forest fire that had done considerable damage and a park ranger was told to go and Survey the damage. And if you walk through the forest, he saw all these trees that were burned is falling over and everything, but at the bottom of One Tree, he came across a carcass of a bird and that didn't make any sense to him. Why didn't the birds fly away? All the other birds. Why did this bird don't fly away? And so clean walked up to that birdie kind of kicked it with a total of his Boot and guess what? Three baby chicks. And bird flew out from underneath it. That mother that mother. I protected her children, just like Jesus, protect us now, that makes sense, doesn't it? That makes sense. The story helps us to see the image of Jesus, as a mother and a Jesus, having his wings ready to protect us from all harm and danger, just like a mother hen, protect your chickens. Jesus offers his own body in order to protect us How often do we reject? The shelter of Jesus Wings when we're trying to do everything for ourselves and ignoring his help in The Help from others? How often do you do that? I did that to. You can do this. You can do this. And now I'm sitting kind of gets in trouble in what happened and he said, okay. I'm sorry and you help me out and he does. Psalms 91 is one of my very favorite song and it really does sound like when I'm trying to talk to you all about this morning, especially verses 3 and 4 where it says God will save you from the Hunter's trap and from the deadly, the deadly sickness and God will cover you with his wings and he will find Refuge under his wings. And another example is found in a song that I know y'all have heard is called On Eagle's Wings. And the chorus goes and he will raise You Up On Eagle's Wings Bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun and hold you in the palm of his hand. Isn't that comforting? Isn't that country? Yes. It's we say God's love is like a man who will hide us and help us and keep us safe. If danger comes and other hand will cause her chicks. The proper pot. Really need to come here. Come to me. Just like Jesus, says, come come A sacrifice. We cannot find but under the protective wings of Jesus. Number 3, God's love is like a mother hen who dies for us She put herself In Harm's Way according to the news report, she took a bullet for her kids. Remember the story of Vicki Soto the first grade teacher at the Sandy Hook Elementary. When was I had the the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, he loved her 16 students in her class, she called him her little angels, and when the shooting began, she gathered all of her little cigarettes up and she put them in a closet away from the door. And she used her body to Shield those students, she was murdered but those 16 students. Forsyth. That's what God do. That's what Jesus, this that's protection. Another example that says, have you ever have you ever seen how I killed? It will protect her babies. If I did the first time was playing golf and golf tournament and we went up to this to a box and it was a killer you there and of all the squawking and the hollering and they helped me out and she was running around pretending they're there. When was broken so you wouldn't you wouldn't bother, you wouldn't wouldn't bother cuz she was protecting her baby's in the nest. She didn't want us to be anywhere around those but I mean she was having a fit just running up and down that Tee Box, just walk in it and jumping around and everything. I mean she was willing to sacrifice herself for her babies. Does that sound familiar house for me, or letting it now? Maybe we can better understand the sadness and passionate Jesus voice. When he said Jerusalem Old Jerusalem, I have wanted to gather your children together, like a mother hen gathers her chicks under her Wing, but you weren't willing this attitude reminds us that It's a crime, the mother's hand, who would it would take her test not only about tourism but also about us just a mother hen that Jesus sees more clearly. Now to do all the dangers that we are any of sometimes we don't know the danger that were in but Jesus does when he's always there, he knows that we came to go off. We're going to go off and do our own thing that one and it's kind of forget about him sometimes, but he's the one that brings us back in. He's the one that brings us back in. There's a small Chapel on the slopes of Mount Olivet was built in 1954 and it looks looking out on the location where the Israelites Temple used to stand and the Chapel's name in Latin means Cry of the Lord, and it's built in the shape of a teardrop. For the tears that Jesus shed over Jerusalem as he wept for her reluctance to see, and to know the truth, just as he Mourns for her unwillingness to turn to God. And to hear the scriptures that I just read y'all this morning, there's a mosaic on the on the ultra that dates back to the seventh century. The words are the words that I just read to you about Jerusalem. Jerusalem, how I longed to gather you like a mother hen under my wings, but you were not willing and it has a picture of a mother hen in mosai. Another hand with all of her chest around her and her wings spread out like this is that just not amazing. That's amazing tonight reminded of two. Things of two animals. We encounter in life. When is The Fox? And the other is a hand, like, Jesus Will face a fox or two in our lives. Won't we with our Outfox comes in the form of a person or a circumstance will will face that won't? We will have that kind of opposition or life. Are they? My uterus from passing forward and continuing on with God's work. But the box is like Herod and the Pharisees are never really in control if we are standing with God. Jesus is our mother hen and he will gather us up and he will, he will do that because he belongs together us up under his wing and protect us. The story is not over yet, it's not over yet. Jesus said you will not see me again until you are saying blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord y'all heard that before on Palm Sunday? I believe the child heard that when they have the palms and they can they sing and blessed? Is he who comes in the name of the Lord is Jesus is coming into Jerusalem. There's a lot of y'all that don't know my history and what all I did prior to doing the speaker. But I was a surgical nurse and I work for dr. Mustafa is the plastic surgeon Wichita Falls and he has a group called positions for peace. At that time, when I work and we got to go to Jerusalem and we got to go to the West Bank and do surgery and and and do seminars over there. While we had been at Ramallah Hospital in yellow, part of her Mala hospital, cuz it's been on the news. We were there all day at one Sunday. And we had worked all day and just as we were leaving that Israeli storm, the hospital because they were looking for prisoners and it was a big chaotic mess. Anyway, I walked out of the or sweet and there were Israeli Soldiers with guns pointed at me one who knows who I was and what I was doing this. And here I am bald headed and blue-eyed. I look different than I did, right? But anyway, we got that all straightened out, but what was so Nate about that whole thing was, when we walk out of the hospital, to go to the van to go back to, where we were staying at the hotel. On the streets on the streets because it was Palm Sunday and there were Palm fronds on that street. They had their for Palm Sunday. Procession. So that just made me realize that, no matter, no matter how difficult to die, headband, how scary it was. Jesus was there with me and if he was just like another hand that he was going to put his arms around us and keep us safe, that nothing was going to happen to it. And that's why he is with us. We seen today that it's better to stand beneath the wings of a mother hand. Jerusalem, had a choice just as we do, and Jesus is waiting for us to info and being folded in his wings. In to shelter us. We have a prime example of that of that was in John chapter 15 verses 12 through 13. My commandment is this to love one. Another. As I have loved you but caused no greater love has any man than to lay down his life for his friends. If we are encircling God's protective wings of Grace and love would come to understand the ways of Jesus, and we have the courage to face, whatever challenges before us and compress on just as Jesus did. It's in, it's time for us to realize like we have talked about this morning as we continue to find that shelter under his loving and protective Wing that God's love. Truly is indeed like a mother hen to God. Be the glory, a man.

And if y'all will rise from the hymn of benediction and it's on our invitation, so it's on 221.

I just wanted to once again side thank you all again for allowing me to to bring this message to you this morning. I hope that I hope that you got a little bit about chickens and hens so you know more about that. So we see one running around but anyway,

Let us remember that that our mother hens name is Jesus, isn't it? Who is always willing and able to gather us under his loving arms and to protect us from all harm and danger. Benediction may the Lord bless and keep you may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to. You may the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace on there.