I read about a label on a child's Superman costume. It said, "Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly." I suspect most of you know someone who believes they are at least as good as Superman - and if they really wanted to, they could fly. They feel that there is nothing they can't do. My older son is like that. Fortunately, he never had a superman costume or pajamas! As a teenager, he had no fear and would jump right into the middle of things. Now, as a successful business man, little has changed. A year or two ago, he quit his very lucrative sales job and joined another man in a business venture that has worked out very well for him.
But, sometimes worldly success is not necessarily indicative of God's blessings. There are times that we all wonder why this person or that is so successful, when they clearly are not a godly person. Or, we wonder why such a godly person can't seem to ever catch a break and prosper, at least a little.
Perhaps you know someone who feels like there is nothing they can't do. Perhaps you know someone who feels that everything they do is superb. There are always those who feel they know better than anyone else what is the right thing to do and what is the wrong thing to do. They feel that they always do the right thing.
In one scene of the movie Superman, Clark Kent is upset after a football game in which he was reduced to being a manager. He possesses supernatural powers, yet must hide them from peers who don't accept him because he is not a star, only a team manager. Kent's father slips an arm around the soon-to-be Superman and says, "Son, you are here for a special reason. I don't know what that reason is, but I know one thing--it's not to score touchdowns."
Most of you are not here to score touchdowns. Yet, every believer has certain gifts which God has given him or her with which to serve God. When you discover those gifts and use them in serving God, you are scoring touchdowns for Him.
In our text today, Paul says, basically, that when God starts something He will finish it. Whether it is you, or someone else, or some particular situation, God's timetable never seems to coincide with ours. We live in an instant-gratification society today. So you are used to things being done right now, not next week or next year or sometime in this lifetime. The thing you have to remember is that God's planning and timing are always far superior to ours.
The problem so many of you have is that, in an effort to do your thing, you think that you must spend a lot time and energy changing people or situations to your liking. So, today, I want to look at some of those things and try to help you see them from God's perspective.
Sometimes there are things or situations you believe ought to or need to change. You feel that there is something wrong or something that could be made better, and you set out to fix it. That may be well and good, but it is important to remember to include God in your plans. This is one of the biggest mistakes you will make in life. The Bible tells us that "We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (Romans 8:28 NLT)
When you set out to be Superman or Wonder Woman, it is important to try to look at the situation from God's perspective. It is also important to spend time in prayer for that situation before you do anything to try to "fix" it. One of the most difficult things for any Christian is to wait. None of us likes to wait on God to show us His will in a given matter. We want to "get in there and do something."
Moses could not believe that God wanted him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. He had all sorts of excuses. His favorite was that he had a speech impediment and could not possibly speak for the people to Pharaoh. The Bible tells us, "Then the LORD asked Moses, "Who makes a person's mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say." (Exodus 4:11-12 NLT)
There are, of course, times when things sneak up on you and catch you off guard. Those are the times when it is important to already have a strong relationship with the Lord. I have often commented as I have walked with a church member through the death of a loved one, that "I don't know how non-Christians can make it in times like this." My wife, Linda, tells of how her mother died on November 15th. Somehow she made it through the two major holidays that came soon after that - Thanksgiving and Christmas. After that, she breathed a sigh of relief and things started to get back to normal. Then, Mother's Day snuck up on her and all of a sudden, the loss hit her all over again. Those are the times when you need your faith to get you through. Those are the times when you need to be able to say, "God I don't know why, but I trust You, because I know that you are in charge, and one day you will complete this work You have started."
There are also the times when you will want to change others to your way of thinking. There will always be some folks who want to do things differently from the way you do them. Once again, that is when you need to spend time with God. In that time with God, pray, not for Him to change that other person, but for Him to help you see their point of view. Ask Jesus to show you how to deal with the differences between you and that other person. He will always give you the grace to bear with them, and may even show you that they are right or their way is a better one. Or, He may change their way of thinking. But, remember, don't expect Him to act instantly on your command.
Basil the Great, Greek theologian of the fourth century, said, "He who labors ought to perform his task, not for the purpose of ministering to his own needs, but that he may accomplish the Lord's command, 'I was hungry and you gave me [something] to eat,' and so on…Everyone, therefore, in doing his work, should place before himself the aim of service to the needy and not his own satisfaction."
You see, your overall aim needs to be serving others, not what you need or want. When you set out to serve others, in the name of Jesus Christ, you will discover an amazing thing: Your life feels more joyful and fulfilled than if you were simply trying to serve yourself.
In Cremona, Italy, where most experts believe history's best violins were made, Andrea Mosconi has the task of keeping the precious instruments in shape. For the past 30 years, six days a week, the old musician has gone to the museum in Cremona's city hall where the 300-year-old violins are stored in display cases. Each morning, before the museum opens to the public, Mosconi plays each violin for 6-7 minutes. He starts with basic music scales and then makes his way to Bach, Tchaikovsky, and Bartok. Over the course of an hour, he plays three violins by the Amatis, two by the Guarneris, and four instruments--3 violins and a cello--by Stradivari.
The reason for this is that a violin needs to be played to perform at its best level. "The wood gets tired," explained Karl Roy, a German violin maker and one of the field's top experts. "It's the same as with a human being. If you just sit and rest in your comfortable chair, when you get up after a while, you will feel crazy."
It's the same with your service. If you spend all your time serving yourself, or even serving others for your own pleasure and benefit, you will get tired. If you serve others for the benefit of God, you will be refreshed over and over again. You may become physically tired, but emotionally and spiritually you will be renewed and refreshed daily, as you serve God in whatever way He calls.
That leads us to the third way you can struggle in life - trying to change yourself without God's help. As a person receives Christ into their life, God calls them to serve in specific ways. That call may not immediately be heard or known. But it is important for each person to seek the mind and will of God so they can do what He wants them to do. You may have gone for years wandering in the wilderness of life, not knowing what God's plan is for your life. Now is the time to stop and spend time with Him, asking for guidance to know what He wants you to do, and how He wants you to serve.
Kirsten Strand writes, "I have learned that ignoring a calling can lead to depression, anger, frustration, and a deep dissatisfaction with life. And I have learned that following a calling can also lead to moments of depression, anger, frustration, and loneliness. Yet, underneath those feelings will be a profound sense of peace and satisfaction."
Our text today says that, "God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns." Yes, there will be times when you wonder about that. There will be times when you ask yourself, "Is God really with me in this walk as I try to follow Him?" The text makes it clear that He is.
If we look at the life of the Apostle Paul, we see how that works. He had many bad things happen to him: beatings, shipwrecks, imprisonment, etc. But he always held tightly to his faith in Jesus Christ. Paul was then able to write such encouraging words as, "We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God--those whom he has called according to his plan." (Romans 8:28 GW)
I know that many of you wonder about that verse at times, and are not really sure that is true. After all, you've had more than your share of troubles and difficulties after becoming followers of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Peter gives the answer to your questions. He says, "In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation." (1 Peter 5:10 NLT)
Rick Warren put it this way, "Regardless of the cause, none of your problems could happen without God's permission. Everything that happens to a child of God is Father-filtered, and He intends to use it for good even when Satan and others mean it for bad." So I challenge you to take heart and turn your troubles over to God to handle for you. Also, to spend time seeking God's will for you, rather than struggling to change yourself to be what you think you ought to be. Let God be in charge of your life and seek His will day by day. Let go, and let God.
I may have shared this quote before, from Kirbyjon Caldwell, pastor of Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston, but it bears repeating. "There are two great moments in a person's life: the moment you were born and the moment you realize why you were born." My friends, it is imperative to your health and happiness in this life to spend time with God, seeking to find the reason you were born. When you welcome Christ into your life, God begins a good work in you.
You may feel battered by one failure after another and feel forsaken by God. When that happens, temptation is especially appealing and you feel the joy of your salvation will never return. Remember this - God did not start His work within us to abandon it. He does not do things half-way. You have the promise: He will complete what He started. So, claim that promise and come to Him again in faith. Yield yourself to Him, just as you did when you first gave your life to Him.
Remember, the Christian life is not an achiever's game. You have no right to expect to fare any better than the non-Christian. What you can count on is a God who keeps faith. The Apostle Paul persistently insists, "God is faithful." Because God is faithful and is going to complete what He started within you, you can appropriate the resurrection way of life. You can "go on to perfection," because God has already invested His total self in you. You can face the coming judgment without fear, for your relationship with God has been made right through Christ.
As you prepare to come and meet the Living Lord Jesus at His table, I would encourage you to spend a few minutes in prayer asking the Lord for three things. First, ask for help and guidance in dealing with things and situations that seem wrong or outside of His will. Second, ask for His help and guidance in relating to people with whom you have differences or who you feel are moving in the wrong direction. Finally, ask the Lord to help you deal with yourself, to guide you in becoming all that He wants you to be. But, let me offer one caution: be ready to accept His word and His will, as it may not be what you want or expect.
Prayer:
Gracious and loving God: As we come to Your table, may we seek Your will. Speak to us in the
quiet of these moments, as well as in our quiet times in the days and weeks to come. Help us
know your will for our lives in Christ, and give us the courage and strength to follow that.
Reassure us that what You have begun in us, You will complete. In Jesus name. Amen.
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August 19, 2007 - Youth Service, transcript not available
Sermon August 26, 2007
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December 30, 2007 - Guest speaker, transcript not available
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If you have questions about this message or wish to contact Dr. Kile for further information, feel free to e-mail him at pastor@gulf-prairie.org