Ps Darin Browne @ Ignite Christian Church

The Good Shepherd

Two men were called on, in a large classroom, to recite the Twenty-third Psalm. One was a professional actor,  trained in speech technique and drama. He repeated the psalm in a powerful way.

 

Psalms 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

 

When he finished, the audience cheered and even asked for an encore that they might hear his wonderful voice again. "Then the other man, who was much older, repeated the same words--'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want...' But when he finished, no sound came from the large class. Instead, people sat silently in a deep mood of devotion and prayer.

 

"Then the first man, the orator, stood to his feet. He said. 'The difference between what you have just heard from my old friend, and what you heard from me is this: I know the Psalm, my friend knows the Shepherd.'"

 

You probably know the Psalm… But do you really know the Shepherd?

 

This morning I want to look at Jesus the Good Shepherd…

 

John 10:2-6

But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

 

Throughout the Bible leaders were frequently described as Shepherds. Kings, prophets and holy men were considered shepherds. In Ezekiel 34, the Lord condemns selfish shepherds who exploited the flock for their own ends, who abuse and mistreat them and who scattered them leaving them open to attack. He says He will remove them, and replace the, with Good shepherd, who will lead with integrity and honour, caring for  the sheep, laying his life down for them. David was the expression of this shepherd, pastors should also be that type of shepherd, and of course, the ultimate expression is Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

 

Ezekiel 34:31

You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

 

WHY SHEEP, HE SAYS SHEEPISHLY

 

1 Peter 2:25

For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

 

Why would God call us sheep? I use to have sheep, so I can tell you how stupid they really are. No child pretending to be an animal ever chooses to be a sheep. Can you think of a sporting team mascot of a sheep?

 

Let's face it, calling us sheep is not exactly romantic or complimentary is it? So why would God liken us to sheep? Think about what sheep really are…

 

1.     Stupid and stubborn-

 

 I mean, have you ever seen a trained sheep at a circus? They are simple-hearted, not the brightest bulb in the box, and if you try and lead them anywhere, they stubbornly stop.

 

2.     Dirty and Wayward-

 

They easily wander away, do their own thing, get lost and never learn from their mistakes. The follow the crowd, like a sheepish mob mentality, and will blindly follow their leader, even if they are being led to certain death.

 

3.     Easily frightened and confused-

 

Easily led astray, known to panic and be irrational, known to plunge off cliffs in their fear and confusion. They stubbornly wait and resist, then panic and freak out.

 

4.     They are well known for clinging to habits, often walking the same track until it becomes a rut, or staying in the same paddock even when all food has disappeared.

 

5.     Desperately need guidance and protection.

 

They do not fend well for themselves. They don't find good pastures, they don't fight off predators.

 

Hang on, did I say sheep were stubborn, stupid, irrational, confused, wayward, fearful and in need of guidance and protection? Does that sound anything like human beings?

 

Ok maybe calling us sheep is not too far from the mark! We are all those things, and while the illustration may not be too complimentary, I think we can agree that we share many of the stubborn, foolish, pig headed traits of sheep.

 

So enough about the sheep, what about the shepherd? Let's look at those chapters in John to learn more…

 

ABOUT THE GOOD SHEPHERD

 

In ancient Israel, caring for sheep was a lot different compared with shepherding today. Back then, they did not have sheep dogs to round up sheep. They didn't bark and scare the sheep and drive them. Back then, they called, and the sheep knew the voice of the shepherd and they came running.

 

So what is the Good Shepherd actually like?

 

 

1.     THE GOOD SHEPHERD IS THE ONLY DOOR OR GATE

 

John 10:1-3

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeepers opens.

 

In ancient Israel, they would often house the sheep in a natural pen.  So they might have a gully, for example, where they build a fence at one end, and then the shepherd would lie across the opening like a door to protect the sheep.

 

Jesus says that if someone is a bad guy, they will not try and get in via the shepherd but will try and sneak in, and when they do this they are bent on destruction.  The only way to get into the pen legitimately is through the gate guarded by the shepherd.

 

John 10:9

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.

 

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

 

No great philosophy , no other religion, not being nice to people, or kind, or not sinning very much is enough. Only Jesus can save you. Only a relationship with the shepherd can lead to eternal salvation. You can't earn it, you can't fake it, you can't get it pushing a plow… Matter of fact… You need to come to Jesus now!

 

So Pastor Darin, are you saying that Muslims, Buddhists, Charity leaders and nice people don't get to heaven? YES! But I'm not saying it, Jesus said it, and that's good enough for me.

 

If you've never asked Jesus into your life, today the Good Shepherd calls you to enter into the gate of eternal life!

 

2.     THE GOOD SHEPHERD KNOWS THE SHEEP WELL

 

Ancient shepherds were born into the job, which means they grew up with the sheep and knew them, with all of their little eccentricities and odd ways, intimately. The young shepherd trained for the position all his life, so it wasn't just a job, it was a passion.

 

That's why the Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

 

Obviously Jesus is the Good Shepherd, but there are other shepherds or leaders who should show the same dedication.

 

Bill Newman often talks to pastors and says, “Jesus Christ did not die on the cross to give you a job.”  So as your pastor, I need to model myself on the true Good Shepherd and work hard, love lots and lay my life down for you.

 

The Good Shepherd know his sheep. He knows them by name, He knows their faces, their habits, good and bad, their characters, their natures. And they know Him, and His voice…

 

John 10:3-5

The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice.”

 

In ancient Israel, shepherds would often join several flocks together in the pen for the night. Have you ever joined a bunch of sheep together. We use to have a small flock, and they would just huddle together, shaking and non responsive! They are almost impossible to separate in any kind of ordered fashion!

 

All the Good Shepherd does is call. No matter what other sheep are there, they recognise His voice and He recognises them. Strangers they run from, the Good Shepherd they run to!

 

Do you know His voice. Are you reading His word every day?

"I can find ten men who will die for the Bible for every one who will read it!" --Charles Spurgeon

 

Can you hear the voice of the Good Shepherd? Will you run to Him this morning? This very morning the Good Shepherd is gently calling you. That still small voice in the heart, that word of a sermon or song, that Bible reading that leapt off the page at you… All these are the voice of the Shepherd.  And this morning He is saying His favourite word… Come!

 

 

3.     THE GOOD SHEPHERD KNOWS THE NEEDS OF THE SHEEP

 

 

John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

 

Life abundantly, that's what the Good Shepherd promises, and He know exactly what you need each and every day!

 

Matthew 6:31-33

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

 

Why worry about the things of this life? Do you worry about the next dollar coming in? About what someone thinks of you? About paying bills, fighting for your rights or arguing with family members?

 

The Good Shepherd knows, He understands, He is listening and willing to care for you. He knows what you need, that's why The psalmist says,

 

Psalms 23:1

 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

 

The Hebrew word for “not want” is HASER, which means I shall not be in need, I shall lack nothing or I shall not decrease. He know the needs, can you trust the Good Shepherd to care for you and provide for you?

 

We've seen it in this church in recent days. I cannot believe that the God who prospers us as a church family will let me or you down. We stand testimony to the love and care of the Good Shepherd!

 

 

 

4.     THE GOOD SHEPHERD LEADS THE SHEEP

 

Psalms 23:2-3

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name's sake.

 

The Good Shepherd is a leader, and He will lead you if you will let Him.

 

At times He leads you into battle, and He leads you to triumph. At other times He knows you're tired and weary, in pain and in distress, and He leads you in these moments to lie down in green pastures. Green pastures are lush, they have abundant food, they are cool, they are soft. The Hebrew word used here means fresh shoots.

 

He also leads you beside the still waters… Waters of peace, of gentle not turbulent flow. Why gentle waters?

 

Did you know that sheep cannot drink from noisy, running water? A sheep’s nostrils are so close to its mouth that if it starts to drink and the water is moving, it will choke and could perhaps drown.

 

To provide for the sheep, it is necessary for the shepherd to dam the stream until a quiet pool is formed, and the moving water becomes still. Then the animal can put its muzzle into the water and drink without choking and gasping for air.

 

 “He leads me beside the still waters.”

 

Some of you here need to find the still waters this morning. You love the Good Shepherd, you hear Him, you trust Him, but you need to find the peace that passes all understanding. You need this morning to sit a while at the still waters.

 

 

5.     THE GOOD SHEPHERD PROTECTS THE SHEEP

 

The Good Shepherd values every single one of you. In John 15, He leaves the 99 sheep to look for the one who has strayed. Is that you this morning? If you have strayed, if you have sinned, if you don't know the Shepherd are have walked away, this morning the shepherd is calling your name. He's out looking for you. Don't run, don't hide, come.

 

 

Psalms 23:4

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

 

We all face valleys of darkness like this at times. When all seems hopeless, when everything seems lost, when everyone and everything seems to conspire against you. When you're hurt, discouraged, let down, lonely, miserable, on the verge of giving up.

 

The Good Shepherd walks with you through these times.

 

The rod was an instrument of authority that was also used by shepherds for counting, guiding, rescuing and protecting sheep. The staff was an instrument of support.

 

The ancient shepherd also used his staff to guide the sheep, directing them and setting boundaries for them. He also used his rod as a weapon against predators. By guiding them into safe places and by fighting enemies, the shepherd’s rod and staff were a comfort and protection for the sheep.

 

Whatever you face in life right now, the Good Shepherd walks with you. He doesn't transport you over or around the valley, He walks it's you thought the darkest vales, protecting and comforting you, caring for you.

 

Do you need the Good Shepherds comfort and protection today?

 

6.     THE GOOD SHEPHERD LAYS DOWN HIS LIFE FOR THE SHEEP

 

John 10:11-13

 

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

 

If I am to shepherd you, I must lay my life down and pay a price. The Good Shepherd laid His life down for you. He didn't run. You're His, so He fought for you, and died in your place.

 

Jesus chose to die in your place because He loves you. He is the Good Shepherd, and you are the ones He loves.  He hung on nails for 6 hours one Friday to pay for your sin and mine. He suffered unspeakable agony to purchase our souls back, that we might spend eternity with the Father.

 

He gave up the riches of Heaven to come to earth and die a criminal’s death. Nails did not hold Him to the tree… It was the love of the Good Shepherd. He laid His life down for you.

 

 

7.     THE GOOD SHEPHERD PROVIDES A HOME FOR THE SHEEP

 

 

Psalms 23:6

Surely your goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.

 

Yes, heaven awaits. Eternity with the Good Shepherd beckons us.

 

John 14:2-3

My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

 

Heaven awaits those of us who follow the Good Shepherd, but why wait? Why pray for pie in the sky when we die by and by when we can experience life to the full and a taste of heaven right now?

 

Today, the Shepherd calls you out. Today, He leads you in paths of righteousness. Today, He walks with you no matter how dark and terrifying the road you face. Today He protects and cares for your needs.  Today He prepares a table in the presence of your enemies. Today His arms are open to invite you to His eternal home.

 

Today, the Good Shepherd says come! Come to me you who are weary and burdened. Come to me those who hurt. Come to me those in need of encouragement. Come to me those who need a Saviour.

Finding Kairos Moments in a Chronos World

Kairos Moments in a Chronos World?  

Do you know what I am talking about?

Let’s pretend that your banker phoned you late last Friday and said he had some very good news. He told you that an anonymous donor who loves you very much has decided to deposit 86,400 pennies into your account each morning, starting the following Monday morning. That’s $864 a day, seven days a week, fifty-two weeks a year.

He adds, “But there’s one stipulation; you must spend all that money that same day. No balance will be carried over to the next day.  Each evening the bank must cancel whatever sum you failed to use.”

With a big smile, you thank your banker and hang up. Over that weekend you have time to plan. You grab a pencil and start figuring; $864 times seven equals over $6,000 a week times fifty-two. That’s almost $315,000 a year that you have available to you if you’re diligent to spend it all each day. Remember, whatever you don’t spend is forfeited.

So much for “Let’s Pretend”.

Now let’s play “Let’s Get Serious.”  Every morning Someone who loves you very much deposits into your bank of time 86,400 seconds of time—which represent 1,440 minutes—which, of course, equal twenty-four hours each day.

Now you’ve got to remember the same stipulation applies, because God gives you this amount of time for you to use each day. Nothing is ever carried over on credit to the next day. There is no such thing as a twenty-six hour day (though some of us wish there were). From today’s dawn until tomorrow’s dawn, you have a precisely determined amount of time. As someone has put it, “Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you want to, but you can spend it only once.”

Time is something we feel we never have enough of, yet we give it away so easily. Someone once said, “Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back.”

Time is a precious commodity… We all want more, and we all get the same amount. It's how we use it that really becomes the precious commodity, isn't it? It's what we achieve with it.

So what does the Bible say about time, and how can that impact our lives and cause us to use our time more effectively in our modern, it,e poor society?

THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGING!

There are 3 Greek words for time and each holds a different meaning.

1. CHRONOS

CHRONOS time is what we mainly consider to be time… Hours, minutes, seconds. Hence we talk about a specific time or time frame, such as in

Acts 1:6-7

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.

God set this type of time up. It is governed by the rotation of the earth around the sun, and it's something we measure, and we keep to.

We live in a time based world. We live in a CHRONOS world. You have appointments, planes to catch, bills to pay, TV shows to watch, church to attend… And all of this is the time based CHRONOS.

2. AION

AION is used to refer to an age, a cycle or a season, a span of time, for example a man’s lifespan. It particularly has reference to eternity or forever…

Matthew 12:32

And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

John 6:51

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

3. KAIROS

KAIROS time is probably the most interesting use of the word for time. It refers not to hours, minutes, days and years, but to a specific time when something significant happens. For example, 9-11 is a KAIROS moment in our history. Germany invading Poland in 1939. Roe vs Wade which opened abortions up. Not hours, minutes and days but times of significance, where history is made, destiny is determined and life is not the same afterwards.

In the Bible, this word is used of the occasions when God steps into time and space and does something incredible. The Red Sea, Jericho, Paul’s conversion experience, the cross. These moments can happen in history, in a nation, in a church or an individual’s life.

It is without doubt the most exciting time to live in. Obtaining this building is a KAIROS moment for our church, and there are more to come! But how can you Kairos Moments in a Chronos World?

Finding Kairos Moments in a Chronos World

In a CHRONOS world, the seconds tick by, and we cannot reverse it, slow it or stop it. The seconds become hours, the hours days, the days weeks, then months, then years then decades.

One day you're studying at college, and before you know it the kids have grown up and gone their own way. You're muddling along in a career, just making a living, just existing out of habit more than anything.

What does your life look like? Has it passed you by, or is it passing you by? If you had your time over again, what would you do differently?

KAIROS was the different meaning of time, and it refers to specific, God ordained times throughout history, sometimes called the right time or the right season. These are times of significance.

Titus 1:3

and which now at his appointed season (KAIROS) he has brought to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,

KAIROS time has no past, present or future… It is based around significance.

So the real question is, “How do you find these KAIROS times in a CHRONOS world? How do you find God ordained significant when you live in minutes, hours and days?

SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE...

Can You Find Kairos Moments in a Chronos World

Time marches on, and you cannot stop it, reverse it or even slow it.

How do you usually spend your CHRONOS time, and can you Kairos Moments in a Chronos World?

According to a study in US News from 1988, In a lifetime the average American will spend:

Six months sitting at stoplights

Eight months opening junk mail/email

One year looking for misplaced objects

2 years unsuccessfully returning phone calls or waiting “on hold”

4 years doing housework

5 years waiting in line- Centrelink

6 years eating

18 years working

23 years sleeping

9 years watching TV or videos

The Bible describes time in this way…

Ecclesiastes 3:1-4

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance, etc.

Everything has a time, and time is important to us because we are so locked into it. The farmer plants in season, the football season is preset, church is on Sunday, Tuesday night is Masterchef. Yet the God we serve transcends what we call time.

2 Peter 3:8

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

The thing is, if you transcend time, what does time even matter? When you are stuck in time, in CHRONOS time like we are, we are measuring, we are worrying and we are impatient for things to happen.

But God isn't, because He is far above time. We get impatient, His timing is perfect. We live bound by schedules, appointments and time management issues, He exists above it all.

That's why the all knowing, all present, all powerful God of all creation can just flow into our lives when we least expect it, and why He sometimes takes longer than we expect also.

IT’S ABOUT TIME WE FIGURED IT OUT!

KAIROS time is not about schedules and appointments, it's about significant moments in time. It's when God decides to invade our lives, and he creates Kairos Moments in a Chronos World. In the Bible, John the Baptist proclaimed the moment when the Messiah was coming, using the word KAIROS,

Mark 1:15

and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

The cross was another KAIROS moment,

Romans 5:6

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

KAIROS times are special times when God steps in and does something extraordinary. It can happen once in our lifetime, or it can happen every day if you are sensitive to the Holy Spirit. You can find Kairos Moments in a Chronos World.

In John 11:6, Jesus is told that his friend Lazarus is sick, but He delays going to heal him for 2 days. Why? The CHRONOS time delay saw Lazarus’ death and allowed a KAIROS moment of Jesus raising his friend back to life!

And He can do it in your life too... He can create Kairos Moments in a Chronos World. Never despise the times when God does not seem to meet your time frame, because He may just be setting something extraordinary up for you!

He can orchestrate great things and include you if you listen to Him and Walk with Him. He can step in and do the miraculous. He can use you to do the miraculous in  another person’s life. Today this KAIROS God is calling you to step out of your CHRONOS life to join Him in KAIROS moments.

Look at Esther. A young lady whose beauty placed her in the position of royalty which enabled her to save her people.

Esther 4:14

For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

But if you live in a CHRONOS world, how can you find these incredible Kairos Moments in a Chronos World? How can you dissociate yourself from the mundane, day by  day, drudgery of life and become part of something great, something significant, something eternal? We should always live our days looking for those moments, those inexplicable times when His will and His way intersect with our daily walks… But most often that's not how we live, right?

Perception is a huge part of discovering these incredible Kairos Moments in a Chronos World, the right times… the opportunities to be used incredibly by God to touch people’s lives are all around, but we don't even see them! We fail to perceive them! Listen to this true account…

Charles Francis Adams, son of President John Quincy Adams and grandson of President John Adams, kept a diary. One day he entered: “Went fishing with my son today—a day wasted.”

His son, Brook Adams, also kept a diary, which is still in existence. On that same day, Brook Adams made this entry: “Went fishing with my father—the most wonderful day of my life!” The father thought he was wasting time while fishing with his son, but his son saw it as an investment of time.

Same time observed from 2 different perspectives. One saw a waste, the other saw something significant. One saw CHRONOS, the loss of hours, minutes and seconds, while the other saw KAIROS, something far beyond, something special!

So how can you set about finding these significant KAIROS moments in a CHRONOS  World?

They can happen anytime! A friend calls you out of the blue and you get the chance to speak an amazing word in season.  A child's innocent joy pierces a long, hard day of struggle. A coworker takes a moment to lend a hand. God is always surprising us with His perfect, KAIROS timing.

Habakkuk 2:3

For the revelation awaits an appointed time;

it speaks of the end

and will not prove false.

Though it linger, wait for it;

it will certainly come

and will not delay.

STEPS TO LIVING KAIROS MOMENTS in a CHRONOS WORLD…

So how can we find and live these special Kairos Moments in a Chronos World?

1. STAY CLOSE TO GOD

Read the Bible daily, pray, seek the Lord, because these incredible, inspiring moments are all around us, if only we will walk every moment with Jesus. It might be a phone call from a friend, or a chance meeting where you say the right words at the right moment.

Acts 17:28

‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’

2. BE SENSITIVELY LISTENING AND LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES

Be alert. Be sensitive. Sometimes things you may not even want to do can open the door for the Lord to use you to impact the life of another! You can discover these Kairos Moments in a Chronos World...

John Egglen had never preached a sermon in his life. Never.

Wasn’t that he didn’t want to, just never needed to. But then one morning he did. The snow left his town of Colchester, England, buried in white. When he awoke on that January Sunday in 1850, he thought of staying home. Who would go to church in such weather?

But he reconsidered. He was, after all, a deacon. And if the deacons didn’t go, who would? So he put on his boots, hat, and coat and walked the six miles to the Methodist Church.

He wasn’t the only member who considered staying home. In fact, he was one of the few who came. Only thirteen people were present. Twelve members and one visitor. Even the minister was snowed in.

Someone suggested they go home. Egglen would hear none of that. They’d come this far; they would have a service. Besides, they had a visitor. A thirteen-year-old boy.

But who would preach? Egglen was the only deacon. It fell to him.

And so he did. His sermon lasted only ten minutes. It didn't make a lot of sense, he struggled to make any point at all, but in the end, a strange courage stirred him and He lifted his eyes and looked straight at the boy and challenged: “Young man, look to Jesus. Look! Look! Look!”

Did the challenge make a difference? This boy grew into a man who said,. “I did look, and then and there the cloud on my heart lifted, the darkness rolled away, and at that moment I saw the sun.”

The boy’s name? Charles Haddon Spurgeon. England’s prince of preachers.

3. BE OBEDIENT

2 John 1:6

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

If you do not obey, why would God open the way for you to do incredible things? You need to covenant with Him to obey, and keep obeying, no matter what. Why else would He open up Kairos Moments in a Chronos World for you?

Being obedient turns the Holy Spirit’s prompting into action. Obedience is better than sacrifice.

I remember sitting next to a guy on a plane. He wasn't talkative, he looked sad. I felt led to talk to him, and he told me he was returning home after years away living a sinful life,  to his wife and now older children. He was terrified, and before we left the plane I was able to pray for him and lead him to Christ, and pray for this visit. A KAIROS moment indeed.

4. FAITHFULLY PERSIST, NEVER GIVE UP

Galatians 6:9

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Don't give up! Don't stop short! If you experience a KAIROS moment, keep going until the Lord releases you. Greatness is never obtained by giving up or giving in. Purchasing this building has been a struggle from day 1, but I'm glad I decided not to give up, and so did you!

5. GIVE SACRIFICIALLY, NO MATTER HOW SMALL

Luke 21:1-3

The Widow's Offering

21:1-4pp — Mk 12:41-44

As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others.

Here's an account from Dr Yonggi Cho, pastor of the largest church in the world...

Seeing that only a miraculous intervention of God would deliver us from a catastrophe, I joined the intercessors at Prayer Mountain. One evening while we were meeting to pray on the ground floor of our unfinished church, several hundred joined me in prayer. An old woman walked slowly in my direction. As she approached the platform, I noticed that tears were filling her eyes. She bowed and said, “Pastor, I want to give these items to you so that you may sell them for a few pennies to help with our building fund.”

I looked down, and in her hands were an old rice bowl and a pair of chopsticks. I said to her, “Sister, I can’t take these necessities from you!”

“But, Pastor, I am an old woman. I have nothing of value to give to my Lord; yet, Jesus has graciously saved me. These items are the only things in the world I possess!” she exclaimed, tears now flowing freely down her wrinkled cheeks. “You must let me give these to Jesus. I can place my rice on old newspapers, and I can use my hands to feed myself. I know that I will die soon, so I don’t want to meet Jesus without giving Him something on this earth.” As she finished speaking, everyone there began to weep openly. The Holy Spirit’s presence filled the place, and we all began to pray in the Spirit.

A businessman in the back of the group was deeply moved and said, “Pastor Cho, I want to buy that rice bowl and chopsticks for one thousand dollars!” With that, everyone started to pledge their possessions. My wife and I sold our small home and gave the money to the church.  This spirit of giving saved us from financial ruin.

When you find yourself part of something great, some incredible KAIROS moment in time, rejoice and give all you have! You are blessed to be a part of what God is doing to touch the lives of men and women.

TODAY, WE STAND ON THE BRINK OF GREATNESS!

Today we have the opportunity to give again towards the purchase of our building. It has been a long, hard road to get here, but today we stand on the brink of this noble achievement.

This is our Kairos Moments in a Chronos World!

When I took office a year ago, the purchase of this property was by any measure humanly impossible. Our small body of believers would have to give more than 4 times what they had given over 7 years, in the space of only one year to even come close.

Matthew 19:26

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Today, we stand on the brink of the impossible. This our Kairos Moments in a Chronos World!

Yet I want you to know that, as Winston Churchill said after the first allied victory of the war in Africa, this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end, but perhaps it is the end of the beginning. The chance to close a chapter and move on to something greater,greater KAIROS moments.

Purchasing this building is not the end game, it is simply the first major victory we faced, and by God's grace and your generosity, we stand on the brink of that victory to today. Coming up, there will be more challenges, more tests and therefore more KAIROS moments, more opportunities to stand together shoulder to shoulder in faith, to believe our God and to see Him shine His blessing and prosperity upon our service for Him.

Malachi 3:10, talking about giving says,

Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

Today we stand on the brink of greatness, on the cusp of passing this first great test with distinction. There is much more to do, so much more that God has called us to, and I have nothing to offer you but all my efforts and an undying faith and unshakable belief that God has called and empowered us to win this area and this nation to Christ.

Last offering God challenged Fiona and I to double what we gave the previous time. This was painful and sacrificial, yet I trusted God then as I do now. Today, He has once again challenged us to double even that figure, and so we shall be faithful in trusting Him again.

In addition, you may know that I basically work for free as the pastor of this church. Today, I want to also announce that I will commit myself to working in the same capacity for at least the next year. So your pastor stands before you this day ready to lay his life, his family and his finances down to serve the Lord in this place.

Right now I challenge you to join me. I challenge you to step into this KAIROS moment and and be a part of something great in God. I challenge you to join us, for today you do not give towards a building, or a man… Today you sow into your destiny and your children's destiny.

Today is your chance to shine! This is your Kairos Moments in a Chronos World, so step up and follow God into your destiny!

Building Our Destiny Together

 

This week we net unconditional to buy the building we meet in.  It has been a labour of love, but we are now in a position to move ahead.

 

Question is, move ahead to what?

 

I was doing the Bible reading program this week, and was struck with the similarities between our saga and that of Nehemiah.  So today I want to talk about building for the future, and how we as a body of believers can move into our God ordained destiny as a church, and as individuals.

 

THE STORY SO FAR

 

After years of the nation of Israel and Judah rebelling against God, they went into exile, The northern kingdom of Israel first in 722BC, and the southern kingdom of Judah in 587BC. The best people in the land were carted off to Babylon, which is where we read of Daniel in the lion’s den and the 3 young men in the furnace.

 

Then Babylon is defeated by Persia.

 

After 70 years we read this in 2 Chronicles 36:23

 

“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up.’”

 

After 70 years of exile, as prophesied earlier, a team was sent back to Jerusalem under Ezra the priest. They decided to rebuild the temple, but the walls of the city lay in ruins. There had been 2 attempts to rebuild, but things were not going well.

 

In ancient days, a city without walls was a weak city, easy to invade, easy to exploit. It was imperative that those walls be rebuilt, lest the city never reach its destiny and greatness.

 

Nehemiah was not just about building walls, he was about building the future of his people.

 

So we pick up the story in Nehemiah chapter 1… Nehemiah was asking after the returning exiles, while he was till in Babylon serving a Persian King Artaxerxes as cupbearer (and taste tester, a very important and trusted position the court).

 

Let me try and put this into modern terms…

 

Your dad, who lives in another state, calls to tell you the factory that’s always served as the main source of employment in your family’s hometown has been sold. The new owners are closing down the plant and moving production overseas. Many family members and friends will endure unemployment. Your hometown faces a severe economic depression as other businesses inevitably shut down.

 

Coincidentally, you work as a vice president in the same industry, and you know your company is exploring options for expansion.

 

What would you do? Where would you start? How can you be sure of what God wants you to do?

 

 

 

1.     IDENTIFY THE NEED

 

In the book of Nehemiah, the first things he did was to identify exactly what the need was…

 

Nehemiah 1:3

And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”

 

The wall, the protection for the city had been burnt down. Nehemiah was a cup bearer to the King, what could he do? He saw the need, and his heart was deeply moved, but helping his people was not within the scope of his current job.

 

This was how I felt facing taking on Coast Church. I had not been a pastor before, and did not know the intricacies of the job, but I knew my God and I knew His voice and the need and the challenge stirred my heart. And I Covenanted to be obedient to His Word. Much of what God said at time time came from this very book!

 

So I saw the need. You see the need today in and around this church. There are millions of needs paraded before us, orphans, drugs, conflict, World Vision, Compassion, etc. I'm sure Nehemiah could see needs in the city where he served, called Susa. So why would the needs of people he didn't know a thousand miles away be the ones that moved him?

 

Because God was stirring his heart, just as God is stirring your heart to be here. These are your people, this is your future and destiny, but what exactly are you to do? Ask God to help you see specific needs and roles right here where you can serve and help.

 

Our time and resources are limited, we cannot assist every worthy cause. How, then, can we know which goals God is calling us to work on? Like Nehemiah, consider what most pricks your conscience, stirs your emotions and makes the best use of your abilities. That is often the sign you need to move forward. Do the Coastal Journey.

 

And Coast Church is the perfect vehicle to serve the Lord.

 

2.     PRAY, DON’T BE MR FIX IT!

 

Nehemiah didn't sit down and figure out how he could fix it, he turned to the Lord in prayer…

 

Nehemiah 1:4

As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

 

After hearing the news about Jerusalem, Nehemiah did not merely rush to implement his grand plan of action. Instead, he turned to the spiritual disciplines… Fasting and praying.

 

In preparation for any significant undertaking, our first step should be the same as Nehemiah, who “fasted and prayed before the God of heaven”.

 

As a guy, I'm your classic all action hero. I make decisions fast, and furious, and follow through on them. That's a typically bloke thing to do. But it's not God.

 

So often even godly people make decisions then ask God to bless them. It's the wrong way around.

 

We need to pray, ask God what He wants us to do, and then obey. So guys, with the church, don't try and fix it… Pray first and ask God what He wants to change, and what your involvement could and should be.

 

3.     ASK GOD FOR HIS VISION

 

Destiny is not something vague that smashes you in a certain direction… It is a series of choices, and making God’s choices is the greatest destiny ever.

 

 

So ask God for clear, concrete visions and objectives—

 

Nehemiah 2:4-5

Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it.”

 

When King Artaxerxes asked Nehemiah, “What is it you want?” (v. 4), the servant didn’t give a vague, abstract answer, such as “to save and protect the Jewish remnant.” Or “To grow a big church.”

 

So often we want our church to grow, and that's fine but that’s not what we should be about. Having a vague idea we want to be successful gets you absolutely nowhere!

 

Instead Nehemiah provided a clear and concrete objective: to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall. God gave him a plan, and he shared that.

 

Proverbs 29:18

 

Where there is no vision, the people perish: KJV

 

Proverbs 29:18 MESSAGE

If people can't see what God is doing,

they stumble all over themselves;

 

Some versions say without vision the people cast off restraint, or self destruct.  If I offer you as a church no vision, then the church self destructs.

 

 

Last week, in the midst of all the distractions of trying to get the loan for this building, I attended a pastor Masterclass and God laid out a plan in my heart for the future of this church. I am not flying blind, I am not stumbling in the dark hoping God does something miraculous. I asked for His blueprint to grow the church going forward, and as He promised, He laid it out for me.

 

Proverbs 19:21

 

Many are the plans in a person's heart,

but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

 

Make your own plans at your own peril! God is in the house, and God has a plan and a purpose for this church, and your part in this church. So pause, ask Him His perfect plan, His objectives, His will,  and follow Him. Don't just make some crazy thing up, order Him to meet your wishes then get mad at Him when it doesn't come to pass!

 

I stand before you with a vision for this church, and your role in it. God has already shown me where many of you fit in, so if you want to follow the Lord into your destiny, pray and step up… There I nothing greater in the Christian life than serving where you are destined to serve!

 

 

 

4.     ASK GOD FOR HIS TIMING

 

Nehemiah 2:6

And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time.

 

First thing the King asked was, “What's your time frame.”

 

When King Artaxerxes gave Nehemiah permission to travel to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall, he also asked him how long his journey would take and when he would return.

 

Nehemiah could have easily answered—as many of us would today—that never having built a wall before, he had no idea, or that because God had given him the goal, only God knew how long it would take.

 

Instead, he immediately “gave him a time” (Ne 2:6).

 

When setting our own goals, we can follow Nehemiah and “set a time.” For instance, rather than setting a nonspecific goal to “memorise Scripture” we can make time-bound objectives, such as “I will memorise four verses in 30 days.”

 

A vision without a time frame is just a wish, nothing more.

 

 

Saying we want to be a big, successful church is not a proper plan. Having the right plan and implementing it sometime when we get around to it will still not achieve the result. You need to have a vision, a plan and a time frame.

 

For us, God has laid out a plan which we will run with once I have shared it one on one with key people over the next few weeks. Within 1 month, I believe things should be in place!

 

We then set our sights on achieving the plan. Step one, we want to fill this building in a Sunday morning. Step 2, we flip to multiple services, and so on.

 

We are not floating in a soup of maybes and wannabes, God is speaking to my heart daily and I have a vision for the future, and a structure He has given me. Coast Church is moving ahead, and we have a destiny together to serve the Lord and reach out to our community for Jesus.

 

Even better... I have a plan and a timetable!

 

 

5.     GATHER TEAMS TOGETHER AND INSPIRE THEM

 

 

When I first stepped up to become senior pastor I was told that this church will never be led by a team.  Today, we are led by a great team, and our entire structure is about to be changed so that everything about our church family, all work, all ministry and everything, is going to be team driven. 

 

Why? Because Jesus did it, and that's good enough for me!

 

He wasn't a one man band, He trained and inspired his team… The inner 3, the 12, the 70, the 120 and so on.

 

Nehemiah did it too… he assessed the situation, formulated a plan and then gathered team members…

 

Nehemiah 2:11-12

So I went to Jerusalem and was there three days. Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode.

 

Nehemiah 2:16

And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, and I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest who were to do the work.

 

But then this is the very next verse…

 

Nehemiah 2:17-18

Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.” And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work.

 

It is pointless recruiting others when you don't have plans, or if you have plans other than God plans. As your pastor, I have to develop a plan before recruiting and inspiring you!

 

Arriving at  Jerusalem, Nehemiah initially did not inform anyone of his plans (see 2:16). It was only when he had adequately assessed the situation for himself, when he knew what was needing to be done, that he began to tell others and recruit them in completing his God given objectives.

 

But even when he knew what was to be done, how could he inspire these good but tired and downtrodden, discouraged people? By connecting them with the vision.

 

An old traveler met two stonemasons who were chipping chunks of granite from large blocks. The first seemed unhappy at his job, for he frequently looked at his watch while he worked. When the traveler asked what he was doing, the first mason responded, “I’m hammering this rock—and I can’t wait til I can stop.”

 

The second mason was hammering at his block fervently, taking time to stand back and admire his work. He chipped off small pieces until he was satisfied that it was the best he could do. When he was questioned about his task he stopped, gazed skyward and proudly proclaimed, “I’m building a cathedral!”

 

 I stand before you today with what I know is God’s plan for our church in my heart. I've written it down, and spoken to many leaders, all of who, are on board and excited. I'm not a deaf, blind and drunk sailor steering a rudderless ship! I know I have God's plan in my heart, and the next many months are going to be exciting and something you just won't want to miss!

 

If you want to be part of something incredible, if you want to join a winning team, this is your moment! The lure is not going to be chipping rocks, you have the opportunity to join me and others building a cathedral!

 

If you want to serve the Lord, if you want to discover your gifts and find a place to serve Jesus that you love, you're  in the right spot… Whatever your gift is, welcome home to Coast Church. You have a destiny here!

 

6.     EXPECT OPPOSITION FROM OUTSIDE

 

 

Not everyone is in synch with my heart for this church. Everyone wants to be part of a successful church, but not everyone will agree with everything.

 

There will be opposition, sometimes from those we love most! Sometimes it will be from outside, and sometimes from people who were here and no longer attend this church.

 

Nehemiah 2:19-20

But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.”

 

Notice how they attack? They falsely accuse you of things you have not done.

 

Nehemiah 4:1

Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews.

 

They get angry and jeer you, insult you, try to ruin your reputation.

 

Nehemiah 4:8

And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.

 

They plot and try to undermine the work of God.

 

Nehemiah 6:2-3

Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”

 

They arrange pointless meetings, they interrupt what you are doing, but we need to say,

“Sorry, I don't have time to meet with you, I am doing the work of the Lord!”

 

7.     EXPECT OPPOSITION FROM WITHIN

 

 

Even within our own ranks some people just want a nice little local church. Some just want to turn up and do their thing and that's it.

 

Nehemiah faced not only attacks from outside, but from the very people he was serving. In a time of economic downturn, well to do Christians not only failed to give, but they exploited their poorer brothers, even into selling their children into slavery. The work on the building stopped because people got greedy and ceased being generous.

 

And Nehemiah got mad…

 

Nehemiah 5:6

I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.

 

Nehemiah 5:9-10

So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest.

 

If you are blessed with finances, now is not the time to abandon the work of the Lord. We still need money to complete the purchase, and later to expand. Make a convenient in your heart to give and bless others, and not only will God bless you in return, but you will know that you've been part of something great.

 

It's not my church, it's yours. Let's join together to work hard and see God prosper us!

 

 

8.     LOOK TO YOUR LEADERSHIP AS AN EXAMPLE

 

 

Nehemiah 5:15-16

The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.

 

I know many of you have been hurt in the past. I recognise that leaders have often taken advantage of you and your generosity, and your hard work. But as Nehemiah did, I stand before you as your leader willing to lay my life down for you and this church. Jesus said,

 

John 10:11

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

 

That's my role. I work full time, and I pastor full time. I make no wage demands on this church, although you now give me a small amount off my house loan. Essentially, I work full time for income and I pastor full time for free. I also am committed enough to give to the point of pain in offerings we have for the building.

 

I'm not saying this to big note myself. I'm not saying this to force your hand. I want to live as an example before you, giving my all, laying my life down, that you might be inspired to join the destiny of this church. As the leadership, so go the people, so I am figuring that if I serve you and encourage you, that you will do the same for others.

 

Nehemiah did not take what was due him as governor, and neither do I. Nehemiah gave of what he had and worked hard side by side with the people, and that too is my solemn pledge to you. Nehemiah was generous with his time, his skills, his money and his resources, and that is what I intend to do also.

 

God has challenged me and shown me that this church is destined for greatness, and I intent to give everything I have, finances, blood, sweat and tears to fulfil what God has called us to do.

 

As I read yesterday in my quiet time from Amy Carmichael, "If the Leader bears the brunt of the battle the soldiers can follow."

 

I intend to serve hard, love hard, give hard, work hard and above all trust hard in the Lord!

 

So what about you? You can float along, you can just attend church, that's fine. But I am betting some of you want to join a winning team. In fact, I challenge you to join me. I challenge you to stand side by side with me and the leadership and I challenge you to see what God will do in and through you at Coast Church.

 

THE CALL

 

God called Nehemiah to rebuild the city and provide a home and a destiny for the people. God has called me to do the same. To rebuild this church, to restore it to the path of destiny God has for it, to follow Him with a pure heart and to lay my life down for the people I love.

 

Next week, we will have an offering and I charge you to seek God and give as He calls you to give. This week, I challenge you to stand with me, shoulder to shoulder, to pledge to join me in the work of the Lord and to share the great destiny He has ahead for us.

 

Nehemiah 2:18

And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work.

 

LUKE, I AM YOUR FATHER

Remember Darth Vader's famous words, "Luke, I am your father?"

Father’s Day for me is an interesting mix of emotions. My girls always tell me how much they love me and what I have meant in their lives, even though I feel hopelessly inadequate as a dad. In addition, Father's Day also hurts because I  was very close to my dad. But he has been dead for 18 months now, so for me it is a mixture of emotions.

 

Sometimes Father's Day does that to you. Imagine what it would be like for Luke Skywalker…

 

This iconic quote from the Star Wars series of movies is actually a misquote. The true quote actually reads like this…

 

Darth Vader: Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father.

Luke Skywalker: He told me enough! He told me you killed him!

Darth Vader: No. I am your father

 

Imagine Father's Day for Luke, when he discovers that the man he's been fighting against, the man who stands for everything he hates, the man who has killed his friends and is trying to kill him, is actually his father!

 

You don't choose your father, good or bad, you just get him when he begets you.  You had no influence over what he did for a living, how he treated people, the hang ups he had, the things he did to you, the influences he tried to bring into your life.

 

Maybe your dad wasn't ideal, maybe he abused you, disappointed you or never said kind words to you. Perhaps the only fatherly advice he gave you was…

 

 “You cannot escape the dark side, Luke!”

 

Well I'm here to tell you that is not true! You can escape the dark side, you can be set free of anything your father did or didn't do, said or didn't say, wanted or didn't want for you.

 

Today, Father's Day, I am going to show you how to forgive and love your father, even if he is imperfect, and how you can break the power of his words and influence over your life.

 

DADS- THE GOOD,THE BAD AND THE UGLY

 

When it comes to father's, there's a whole variety out there, good, bad and ugly.

 

I think I fall into the latter bracket!

 

Now I don't know what type of father you had, but mine was awesome. He was strong, dependable, kind, loving and godly. He was an example and an inspiration, and when he died 18 months ago I felt like I had lost not only a father but a friend, and a mentor.

 

But not every person is as blessed as I am. For many the word father conjures up horror, anger and shame.

 

So whether you had, or have a good father or a shocker, this message is for you…

 

Ephesians 6:2

“Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise),

 

And what was the promise? From Exodus 20:12, that your days may be long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.  A long and prosperous life is the reward of honouring your parents.

 

If you hold onto bitterness towards you parents you will shorten your life!

 

So today is the day to forgive your father, whether he was a good dad or a bad dad, because every father is imperfect.

 

But how can you honour your parents when they were horrible parents? How can you honour your dad if  he was a source of so much pain in your life?

 

You start by forgiving your father this Father's Day…

 

I bet that most of your father's loved you. They may not have demonstrated it the right way, or may have made decisions that failed to show you love, they may have even Abused you or your mother, or left you for whatever reason. Yet still, almost all of your father's tried to love you.

 

There's a Spanish story of a father and son who had become estranged. The son ran away, and the father set off to find him. He searched for months to no avail. Finally, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in a Madrid newspaper. The ad read: Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father. On Saturday 800 Pacos showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers.

 

Today you can forgive your dad as the ultimate Father's Day gift, whether the finds out about it or not.

 

We all have things we can forgive our fathers for, some more than others. No one has had a perfect father, although mine came close.

 

STEPS TO FORGIVE  YOUR FATHER

 

So many of us have poor memories of our fathers. They hurt us, disappointed us, we're never there for us. Maybe they left us and our mum. Maybe they were never there in the first place. Maybe there were always busy working or reading the paper when we wanted them.

 

Australia is the land of the absent father. Traditionally the kids are women's business, while we blokes work hard, play hard or drink hard.

 

How can you forgive such a great travesty against you? You were young. Maybe you were innocent. Maybe you were a teenager reacting. Maybe you were a primary kid disappointed and missing out on dads’ time.

 

 

1.     RECOGNISE ALL DADS ARE IMPERFECT

 

No earthly father is going to be perfect. I'm certainly not. We all have bad days, bad moods or make less than stellar decisions.

 

So the first step towards forgiving your father is to recognise that, like every other dad in the world, yours is not perfect. He may be great, he may have always tried his hardest, he may love you with an undying love, but each of us falls short at some point…

 

Romans 3:23

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

 

Don't be mad at your father's shortcomings, recognise that he has them and love him anyway, warts and all, the good times and the bad. You were loved despite your fallibilities.

 

 

2.     FORGIVENESS STARTS WITH A DECISION

 

Fatherhood is one of the basic ingredients of character development. Statistically the vast majority of prison inmates have had poor or no relationship with their fathers. Your father should have been there for you, and good fathers are a critical part of the Fabric which shapes your life.

 

But the reality is that your dad is human. He had failings when you were young, and he probably has the same failings right now. He's a sinner, just like you! When you hurt someone, when you disappoint someone you care about, when you let God down and sin, don't you want to be forgiven?

 

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said:

 

Matthew 6:14-15

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins

 

The Apostle Paul put it this way

 

Colossians 3:13:

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

 

If you refuse to forgive, it's like drinking poison hoping the other guy dies. You are only hurting yourself, not your dad if you fail to forgive him. In fact, many times dads are completely oblivious, and while you think you are punishing them, often times they don't even realise!   Typical guys right?

 

So in order for you to forgive your father, the first thing you need to do is make a decision. Whether you have feelings about this or not, the first thing is to decide to forgive your father.

 

If you make the conscious decision to forgive your dad, no matter how hard and no matter what it is that he did or said, then this is a great starting point!

 

 

3.     FORGIVENESS MEANS SURRENDERING YOUR RIGHT TO GET EVEN

 

As human beings we have an inbuilt desire to get even. We think it's our right. He hurt me, now God, I want you to sort him out for me. I have the right to be treated well by my parents. I have the right to carry a grudge if I'm not.

 

No you don't! When you become a Christian, you surrender your right to be treated right. You have no rights, only to serve.

 

Our world bangs on about rights all the time…

 

Human rights, aboriginal land rights, women’s right, children’s right, gay rights, now transgender rights, we've got save the koalas, save the whales… Why not just join them all together and have land rights for gay, transgender whales and be done with it?

 

Romans 12:19

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

 

Listen to how the message puts it...

 

Romans 12:19

Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it."

 

Forgiveness means letting God sort it out and dropping  the so called right to get even!

 

4.     FORGIVENESS MEANS EVEN IF THERE ARE NO FEELINGS

 

We are creatures of feelings, we usually wear our hearts on our sleeves.  We expect the right feelings when we do something. Yet often feelings and emotions crowd out and distort the truth.

 

We might think when we feel the right feelings we will forgive our fathers. But we shouldn't be led by our feelings…

 

Many people marry based on feelings of love, or lust, or infatuation. The trouble is, feelings come and go, but the decisions we make determine our destiny. The Bible says…

 

Jeremiah 17:9

The heart is deceitful above all things,

and desperately sick;

who can understand it?

 

So if we rely on feelings of the heart we are in trouble, and you'll find yourself changing your mind every few minutes. If you are waiting for feelings of forgiveness before you forgive anyone, you'll be waiting for a long time.

 

So after you have decided to forgive your dad as an act of the will, you need to recognise that you must follow through, regardless of your feelings for him.

 

My experience is that, if we make a decision to love someone, to forgive them, then even if we feel like an unemotional droid, at some stage in the future the feelings will follow.

 

 

5.     FORGIVENESS DOES NOT MEAN APPROVAL

 

This is vitally important… Forgiveness does not mean approval!

 

Forgiving someone is not your sanctioning their actions. If you have been hurt, let down, abandoned or attacked by your dad, forgiving him is not a mark of your approval for what he has done.

 

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

If God the Father forgives our sin, does that mean He condones it? Of course not! God never condones your sin, in fact He hates it!

 

Proverbs 6:16

There are six things that the Lord hates,

seven that are an abomination to him:

 

So forgiving your father does not for one second mean that you approve of what he has done, to you or anyone else. What it means is that you forgive him, that's it, pure and simple.

 

 

6.     FORGIVENESS MEANS KEEPING ON FORGIVING

 

 

Let it go as Elsa sings. The is is easy to say, and hard to live.  Especially true when the person involved has never apologised, or maybe is not even aware of what they have done.

 

If your father has hurt you in the past, it's time this Father's Day to finally let it go… Let the past be past at last!

 

Matthew 18:21-22

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

 

Ok God, I can forgive him, but what if he hurts me again? I mean, if you have been carrying hurts from your father, you might notice that you are super sensitive to almost everything he says and does, right?

 

Heres the reality, you are going to be hurt again… And again… And again.

 

Now does this mean you should open yourself to continued and ongoing abuse? No, you must protect yourself, that's a given, but also recognise that pain is still going to be a part of life, and indeed any relationship.

 

Only God can give you the power to forgive again and again. Only God can deal with the pain, the super sensitivity, the injustice and anger that you feel.

 

If you ask Him, He will give you the power.

 

 

 

7.     FORGIVENESS RECOGNISES HE WILL PROBABLY NEVER MEASURE UP

 

OK, here is the reality of forgiving your father.  He most likely is not going to change. Whether you tell him of of your forgiveness or not, he probably isn't about to change who he is.

 

Manage your expectations. High expectations will lead to constant disappointment. If you tie your joy to getting the right response from someone else, then you are in real trouble.

 

You can forgive your father this Father's Day, be set free, release him, see your relationship improve and find yourself full of joy, even though you know he will probably never measure up. Why?

 

Nehemiah 8:10b

And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

 

Not how he reacts, not what he does, or says, or even believes about you. Find your joy in the Lord, and you have the strength to forgive your father, no matter if he never changes!

 

Before I share my final point, let me make this absolutely clear. Forgiveness is you, forgiving your imperfect father this Father's Day. But let me tell you what forgiveness is not…

 

It does not mean approving of or justifying what your dad did.

 

It does not mean pretending that evil never took place.

 

It does not mean making excuses for your dad’s bad behaviour.

 

It does not mean overlooking abuse.

 

It does not mean denying that you have been hurt repeatedly.

 

It does not mean letting dad or mum walk all over you.

 

It does not mean forgetting the wrong that was done.

 

It does not mean pretending that you were never hurt.

 

It does not mean that you must restore the relationship to what it was before.

 

It does not mean that you open yourself up to more hurt again.

 

It does not mean there must be a total reconciliation as if nothing ever happened.

 

It does not mean that you must tell the person that you have forgiven them.

 

It does not mean that all negative consequences of your or their sin is canceled.

 

Forgiveness is letting it go, whatever has been done or said in the past, and releasing your father from any anger, bitterness or hurt you feel towards him. It liberates not him, but you, and leads nicely into my final point…

 

I'm going to pause and pray right now with you. If you feel there is something you need to forgive your dad for, maybe for the first time or the 77^th time, I'm going to ask you to stand where you are.

 

TODAY IS A GREAT DAY TO FIND A NEW, PERFECT FATHER

 

 

My dad was a great dad, but he wasn't perfect. He hurt me at times by what he said. He worked hard and often was not there for me. He tried his best, and was to me a far better father than I ever could be to my kids, but he wasn't perfect.

 

But God is!

 

My dad one day did the most incredible thing for me that illustrated what a perfect father is like.

 

On a holiday at Lake Cathai I walked out along a sand bank into the lake, stepped of and began to drown. I was 4. My dad didn't remove his heavy clothing, but dived in to save me, and once he had deposited me safely on the shore, had a heart attack.

 

My dad laid his life down for me. Your Heavenly Father did the same for you, sending heaven’s best to a cross to die for you. To save you.

 

Galatians 4:6-7

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

 

This Father's Day, celebrate, bless, encourage and forgive your father, by all means. But even better still, choose this Father's Day to turn to your perfect father, your abba father, your dad…

 

Today your father in heaven’s arms are open wide to you. Have you ever run into His arms? 

How to Be the Best Best Friend

Fiona is running anincredible seminar next Saturday that you do not want to miss. It started as trainingfor our care bears, but we wanted to open it up to everyone because theinformation about how to help another person going through hard times anddifficulties is valuable to all of us.

 

As preparation, I wantto look at how to be the best best friend…

 

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Two are better thanone, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one willlift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has notanother to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how canone keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone,two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

 

James Taylor sang it,but we all need to believe it… There is nothing as good as having a friend. Welive in the age of social media, yet people have never been so lonely! You canhave 500 friends on Facebook, yet be the loneliest guy in the world.

 

So what is the bigdeal about friendship, why do we desire it so much and how can we be the bestfriend of somebody else?

 

WHAT REALLY MAKES USHAPPY?

 

 

A recent study by researchers looked the age-old mystery of what makes people happy,and their answer is not what might be expected. Consistently at the top of thecharts is not success, good looks, or money. Money doesn't buy happiness, it just means you can bemiserable in comfort!

 

The clear winner inevery culture is relationships- especially closerelationships.

 

What can be done to build goodrelationships? To be honest, the answer is “not much.” We cannot do a whole lotto cultivate healthy relationships. Techniques do not work.

 

Relationships are moreabout being than doing.

 

 

Real relationships evolve out of being acertain kind of person. We must focus on who we are in relationships ratherthan what we do. We need to target“being” the right person in order to foster the right relationships. So how canwe be the best person we can find for each other?

 

Proverbs 12:26

 

The righteous choosetheir friends carefully,

but the way of thewicked leads them astray.

 

Today I want to lookat what being a best friend truly is, how you can be the best of best friendsto those you love, and how to attract the very best friends around your life tohelp you become everything that God wants you to be.

 

Here’s some thingsthat you need to be to be the best of best friends…

 

 

1.     BE SOMEONE WHO LISTENS

 

At the heart of every good relationship isthe ability to listen and understand what another person is saying. Withoutaccurate listening, a good relationship can never be built.

 

Job’s so calledfriends lacked a little in this department. Job’s life was in tatters, so theycame and sat with him, and let him talk… Full marks for that so far… They lethim talk, but doesn't mean they listened, right?

 

Job 2:11

 

Now when Job's threefriends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from hisown place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite.They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him.

 

But they didn't listen!

 

Job 13:4-6

As for you, youwhitewash with lies;

worthless physiciansare you all.

Oh that you would keepsilent,

and it would be yourwisdom!

Hear now my argument

and listen to thepleadings of my lips.

 

People who have good relationships take thetime to hear what the other person is saying. They don’t have a habit ofinterrupting or jumping to conclusions. They listen to the feelings the personis expressing, and they know how to respond appropriately. They not only hear, they listen and try tounderstand the other party.

 

We need to practicereflective listening. Like a mirror reflects an image,we can reflect the person’s message by saying something like, “What I hear yousaying is . . . ” This kind of a reflection lets the person know we are reallyinterested in accurately understanding them and their issues.

 

Like many husbands, Iam good at hearing without listening, especially when the football is on. Itdrives Fiona nuts!

 

It also does wonders for building goodrelationships. Listening is not arguing every point, orexpressing your views on everything, it is listening, understanding and lettingyour friend know that they are getting a hearing.

 

The best best friendis someone who listens.

 

2.     BE SOMEONE WHO IS SAFE

 

In a sticky situationDavid found himself the object of King Saul’s wrath, but David had a closefriend in Saul’s son, Jonathon…

 

1 Samuel 18:1

 

After David hadfinished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he lovedhim as himself.

 

A close relationship is built on feelingsof security. If people do not feel safe, there is no hope of them ever openingup and being authentic. People who keep their word create a sense of securityfor people in a relationship. They follow through on the promises they make. Ifwe promise to keep a secret, we must keep it. We must keep our word. Once wehave earned a person’s trust, our relationship will flourish.

 

The best best friendis always safe.

 

3.     BE SOMEONE WHO IS HONEST

 

Most people look forfriends that agree with them… even if they are wrong! If their friend neverchallenges them, they feel comfortable around them, and that is what manypeople look for.

 

Listen, being a goodfriend is not empowering someone to ruin their life! Many friends are likethis… They just support you even if you are destroying yourself. Drugs friends,friends who encourage you to sleep around, drinking buddies… So many choosetheir friends based on them agreeing with their lifestyle.

 

I've had friends moveaway from me because I do not agree it's their lifestyle. Friends don't have tosee eye to eye, but they can walk hand in hand!

 

Or they can say, “Here,I'm your best friend, let me help you ruin your life!”

 

Proverbs 27:6

 

Wounds from a friendcan be trusted,

but an enemymultiplies kisses.

 

This is where thevalue of a mentor is found.  EveryTimothy needs a Paul and every Paul needs a mentor too. 

 

A mentor is someonewho speaks into your life, whether it's good or bad!

 

In my position as apastor, I urn to people I can trust… Dr Bill Newman, Ps Marie Cartledge, Ps RodJobe, and many others.

 

My friend does me a favourwhen he finds me in error or shows me a fault that my blind spot doesn’t allowme to see.  That’s the value of a closefriend.  He or she loves you enough totell you the truth.  Fiona does this wellfor me.

 

I would rather havethe wounds of a friend because they cut in order to heal, but “the kisses of anenemy” only flatter me and may inflate my ego increasing my pride and stunting myspiritual growth.

 

The best best friendis somebody who is honest, even if the truth hurts a bit.

 

4.     BE SOMEONE WHO LENDS A HAND

 

John 15:13

Greater love has noone than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.

 

In rewarding relationships, people not onlyhave feelings of security, they also help each other out. Sometimes that helpmay be seen in tangible ways - a liftto church, for example.

And sometimes it may be through givingreassurance before you take a big exam or have that critical interview.

 

 Thepoint is that we should help them because we want to, not because we have to.As the saying goes, “That’s what friends are for.”

 

Once there were twomen who were trapped in a cabin on a mountain during a blizzard.  The drifts were so high that there was no waythat they could go for help.  Obviously,this was before cell phones so there was nothing much they could do but try andwait it out and hope that help would come.  As the days passed and the snow continued to fall, the two men becausedesperate as they scrounged for anything that they could find to eat.  The cabin that they had borrowed didn’t havemuch of anything to eat.  After about thetenth day, it appeared that they weren’t going to make it because they wererunning out of food. 

 

That was when one ofthe men said that he was going to go out and try to find help.  He went into the upper portion of thesplit-level cabin, found some snow shoes, and went through the upper window ofthe cabin.  He never came back.  After a few days, his friend went up into theattic to try and look out the window to see if he could see his friend. Therehe found a note that said, “I know that there wasn’t enough food for the bothof us to live much longer and I couldn’t bear to see us both die of starvationso I thought that you should be the one to survive.  I love you my brother.” 

 

True love, true friendshipinvolves a valid expression of your love. In other words, demonstrate yourlove, live it out and be practical in your friendship

 

My uncle Eric use towalk to church every Sunday, and wave to a guy who was always sitting on thefront porch. He wondered how he could reach out to him, and they exchangedgreetings every Sunday. This went on for several years.

 

Then one day, Eric noticedthe man shovelling in a hole. He asked what had happened, and was told that thegrease trap was broken. Have you ever smelled a grease trap. Possibly the mustpungent smell ever.

 

Eric said nothing, butturned and went home. He got changed out of his Sunday best and into overalls,went back and joined the man digging in the sewer.

 

Next week the man wentto church. A few weeks later he came to Christ!

 

The best best friend isalways there for you lending a hand when it's needed.

 

5.     BE SOMEONE WHO IS EMPATHETIC

 

To build good relationships, people have tostop seeing only their point ofview and learn to see the world from another person’sperspective.

 

Selfishness does not fostergood relationships. To become the best best friend, you need to start seeing thingsnot from your point of view, but from the viewpoint of your friend.

 

The fancy word for this is “empathy”. Oncewe put ourselves in other people’s shoes, we begin to understand why they mightreact, feel, and think the way they do. Of course, empathy does not comenaturally; it takes work. It takes a decision to see life as another personsees it.

 

Nobody cares how muchyou know, until they know how much you care. Theodore Roosevelt.

 

Galatians 6:2

Bear one another'sburdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

 

“Before you criticisea man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you do criticise him,my you'llbe a mile away and wearing his shoes.” Steve Martin

 

A best best friend bearsanother's burdens. He doesn't just criticise, he empathises.

 

 

6.     BE SOMEONE WHO CAN RECEIVE

 

This is a hard one forme, and many of you. I find it easy to be generous to others, but not so easyto receive in my hour of need.

 

If a relationship isall running one direction, you'll soon tire of it.  When the scales of arelationship are unbalanced-when one is always receiving and one is alwaysgiving-both people will eventually feel cheated.

 

In healthy relationships, people meet eachother’s needs. There is a give and take that keeps both sides in balance.

 

We must learn to allow people to care for us asmuch as we care for them. We must not fall into the trap of thinking that inorder to be a good friend we have to do all the giving.

 

Colossians 3:12-14

Put on then, as God'schosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility,meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaintagainst another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so youalso must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everythingtogether in perfect harmony.

 

A best best friendknows how to give and receive in a relationship.

 

 

7.     BE SOMEONE WHO WEATHERSTURBULENCE

 

Fair weather  friends are worth very little, because a truefriend stands by you in your darkest hour… Even if you are the cause of it!

 

Proverbs 17:17

A friend loves at alltimes,

and a brother is bornfor adversity.

 

A true friend evensticks by you if there is conflict between them and you. Every relationshipexperiences conflict at some point, and when this happens you might feel liketaking your bat and ball and going home.

 

You need to recognisethat every good relationship eventually encounters arough spot, a time when one or both people feel like giving up. It happens in marriages, it happens in friendships.

 

 Itis a scary phase in relationships, butbe encouraged because it usually indicates that both parties aregoing beneath the surface to talk about their true feelings, their likes anddislikes, the good and the bad. Openingup may bring turbulence, but ultimately your friendship will be stronger forit, if you let it.

 

Bill Newman describesmarriage as two rivers flowing together… Initially there is a time ofturbulence, but soon they combine to be more powerful than before. The same canbe said of true friendship.

 

But if we are mature enough, and if wepersevere, the time of relational turbulence can lead to a deeper, moregenuine, and more authentic relationship than before.

 

Conflict is often the temporary price wepay for deepening intimacy in relationships.

 

A best best friendweathers the turbulence of the relationship.

 

8.     BE SOMEONE WHO BRINGS THE BESTOUT IN ANOTHER

 

Henry Ford said, “Mybest friend is the one who brings the best out in me.”

 

This is so true abouta truly best friend. They encourage, invest in and spur on you and your growth.If you are a friend who brings people down rather than builds them up, you areno friend at all!

 

Proverbs 27:17

Iron sharpens iron,

and one man sharpensanother.

I have discovered thisverse to be true time and time again. I always choose to hang out with thosewho challenge and inspire me, rather than those who deflate and depress me. Andthat is the friend that I want to be too!

 

So the best best friendsare those that inspire, challenge and bring the best out in others. They causeyou to lift your eyes to the hills, to strive for excellence and encourage youin your walk with God. If you want to be a great friend, inspire others.

 

9.     BE SOMEONE WHO KNOWS WHEN TO CALL IT QUITS

 

Ouch, this one isgoing to hurt!

 

Sometimes you need tobe big enough and brave enough to walk away.

 

Frankly, there aresome people you do not need to be friends with. I’m not saying get nasty, throwthings or spread gossip about them, but some people are so toxic, sodestructive and drain you so much that you have to be brave enough to walkaway!

 

 

1 Corinthians 15:33

Do not be deceived:“Bad company ruins good morals.”

 

Some friendships aretoxic. If you are close friends with someone who drags you down, especiallyspiritually, if they are the reason why you fall back into sin, then you needto distance yourself from them.

 

There are some relationships that are notworth the work. Of course, every relationship needs nurturing, but somerelationships, no matter how hard people try to make them work, are doomed todisaster.

 

Maybe the other partyis a taker, and all you do is give. Maybe they tempt you back into your old,sinful ways. Maybe they mock and attack your faith.

 

2 Corinthians 6:14

The Temple of theLiving God

Do not be unequallyyoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness withlawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

 

 Ifwe are in a relationship that leads us to do things that we do not want to do,the relationship is not healthy and mayneed to be stopped.

 

If we are in a relationship where we areconstantly trying to win the person’s approval or never feel accepted, therelationship is probably not a good one. When that is the case, we need to callit quits before the other person’s rejection damages us and limits ourusefulness to God.

 

10.  BE SOMEONE WHO REFLECTS CHRIST

 

Relationships  are complex and require certain fundamentalelements plus, of course,  time. In buildingrelationships, it is more profitable to examine ourselves to determine the typeof person we are, rather than focusing on chasing down the friends we want. 

 

 

As a believer, we arecalled to reflect Christ. In fact, we are called to be like Him. If you want totruly be the best friend you can possibly be, and thereby attract the bestfriends ever, then reflecting Christ in all you do and say is the best way todo it!

 

 

2 Corinthians 3:18

And we all, withunveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into thesame image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lordwho is the Spirit.

 

Are you beingtransformed daily into the image of Christ? Are you living for yourself or areyou a living, breathing reflection of Jesus. Do you act to gratify yourself, ordo you want to serve the Lord and those around you.

 

This morning, I amasking you to commit to being the best best friend. And I'm going to ask thatif you have a feeling of estrangement or separation that is causing you pain,that you stand up and let us pray for you. In particular, if you have a toxicfriendship we need to pray and ask for wisdom.

UNI-ADVERSITY 5: MOUNTAIN HIGH AND VALLEY LOW- Questions about Adversity

When you come toChrist you are also enrolled in the University of Adversity, and you have theincredible opportunity to learn and grow through any situation, good or bad,high or low, mountain top or Valley… And trust me you will learn more in thevalleys than on the mountain tops.

 

Life is full of upsand downs, a roller coaster of experiences, emotions and relationships. Sogiven the variety of terrain you face, where is your education at Uni-Adversitygoing to be most effective?

 

We lean more in ourvalley experiences than in our mountaintop experiences. My may not enjoy themas much, but we definitely learn more from them.

 

 

James 5:10-11

 

Brothers and sisters,as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spokein the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who havepersevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lordfinally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

 

By any standards, Jobgot a raw deal!  Faithful, righteous,caring and successful, God boasted of him and thereby lined him up for a fontalattack by Satan. Job had to go through some very dark, excruciating days, butJames reminds us that God never abandoned Him. It always helps to rememberGod’s unchanging compassion and mercy when we suffer.

 

In this message I’mgoing to address some of the common questions all of us have when we thinkabout suffering, hard times and adversity. But before we address these questions, let me remind you what you areabout to learn in adversity…

 

So what do we learn inour suffering?

 

 

1.                       ADVERSITY REVEALS OUR STRENGTHS AND OUR WEAKNESSES

 

In we can only see oursituation and circumstances, we often do not have a true understanding of ourpotential.  But God does! ConsiderGideon’s call to greatness…

 

Judges 6:11-16

 

When the angel of theLord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

“Pardon me, my lord,”Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Didnot the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us andgiven us into the hand of Midian.”

The Lord turned to himand said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. AmI not sending you?”

“Pardon me, my lord,”Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh,and I am the least in my family.”

The Lord answered, “Iwill be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving nonealive.”

 

The Lord’s estimationof us often differs from our own. God saw Gideon as a “valiant warrior” becauseHe knew what He was going to accomplish through him. God saw the potential thatGideon never saw in himself for a moment!

 

Gideon saw himself asweak and little because his focus was on his circumstances rather than on the LordWhen we believe God and depend on Him to empower us, we become who He says weare—His beloved children through whom He overcomes the world…

 

1 John 5:4

for everyone born ofGod overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, evenour faith.

 

Remember, when we are weak,He is strong!

 

2.                       ADVERSITY IS OUR CHANCE TO SHINE

 

Funny how yousometimes misfit a key and it reveals a truth. I mishit the S, so this headingread “Adversity is our chance to whine.” This is a Fraudian slip but probablymore true for us.Most of us whine long before we shine, don't we?

 

When a freak storm hitthe boat the disciples and Jesus travelled in, the true extent of their faithwas revealed…

 

When hardships comeour way, do we respond, “God, I trust You to bring me through this”? Or do wetend to say, “I’m doomed, and there’s nothing anybody can do”? Or maybe we say,“Why me Lord, don't You care?”

 

Mark 4:38-40

Jesus was in thestern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher,don't you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked thewind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and itwas completely calm.

He said to hisdisciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

 

 

 

How often do we saythings like this to our Lord? When we get into some trouble, we question Hislove, not His ability. And yet despite our lack of faith, He reaches out Hishand and saves us. Guess He really does care after all.

 

When the storm hit,Jesus was fast asleep in the stern of the boat, and the disciples cried, “Teacher,do You not care that we are perishing?”

 

How many times haveyou felt the same way? Life turns stormy, adversity comes against us, and wedon't see an opportunity to grow, we see disaster!  We cry out: “Don’t You care, Lord, that thisis happening to me? God, don’t You love me enough to do something about thishardship?”

 

The disciples wokeJesus and immediately He rebuked the wind and a great calm settled on the lake.Then He turned to His disciples and said, “Why are you afraid? Do you stillhave no faith?” (Mark 4:40).

 

Faith is a gift, and Godhas given to each one of us the ability to trust Him. He expects us to use thisfaith to overcome doubt, fear, and anxiety. Many times, these negative feelingsaccompany adversity.

 

When we hit the valleyof our trials, we are tempted  to thinkthe worst and wonder if we will ever recover. Satan loves to tell us that allhope is lost, that we will never achieve our goals. Our situation hopeless, ourfaith worthless.

 

Where can you turn? ToScripture, where we read

 

Romans 8:28

 

And we know that inall things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been calledaccording to his purpose.

 

All things? Evenadversity? That's what the Bible says!

 

So,, we must stay thecourse, continue to trust, and know that because Christ is with us, we willmake it to the other side. No matter how serious the difficulty, we willrecover, and our final state will be better than anything we have experiencedin the past.

 

This is your moment toshine!

 

Allow adversity tospur your faith to action rather than into question. When you do, you will findthat it reveals areas in which you need to act in confidence rather than fear.When hard times come, instead of running for cover, make a commitment to trustGod. Because the more you depend upon Him, the greater your faith will grow.

 

Then the moretriumphant you will be! You will shine brightly when others expect you to fadeaway!

 

 

Yet inevitably youwill have questions. That's ok, just don't let them steal your faith. Let'sconsider a few questions many people have in the School of Hard Knocks atUni-Adversity.

 

MOUNTAINHIGH, VALLEY WHY... Questions about Adversity?

 

So why do we even haveto face valleys, and what are some of the questions you face when you get rightdown in the valley of adversity?

 

1.     WHY AM I CRITICISED DURINGTIMES OF ADVERSITY?

 

Often as we strugglewith adversity, we find ourselves being criticised, often by those who areclosest to us…

 

Job 2:9-10

 

His wife said to him,“Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”

He replied, “You aretalking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”

In all this, Job didnot sin in what he said.

 

When you facedifficult circumstances and then have to endure negative opinions and commentsfrom others, you need a special kind of courage to stay positive—despite theirwords, you must continue to believe that the Lord is with you.

 

Just because you're inUni-Adversity and facing tough times, it does not make hope and faith automatedresponses. You have to make a choice, and this requires an act of your will anda fair slice of courage!

 

And the comments ofothers often don't help, right?

 

That's why here atCoast Church, we want to be encouraging you in the trials you face. We want to speaklife and faith to you.

 

But if no one elsedoes it, you may need to speak faith to yourself! Use scriptures like Psalm 23,or Psalm 42. Tell yourself that your loving Heavenly Father has a purpose inyour pain!

 

Whatever they say, findout what God says and choose to believe that!

 

Deuteronomy 31:8

The Lord himself goesbefore you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Donot be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

 

 

 

 

2.     WHERE IS GOD WHEN I’M IN PAIN?

 

As a child, I oftenhad to have needles for my asthma. The doctor and my mum would have to chase mearound the surgery. As far as I could tell, the doctor was assaulting me and mymum was an accomplice! I could not see as a child the greater good thoseinjections would result in.

 

Isaiah 63:9

In all their distresshe too was distressed,

and the angel of hispresence saved them.

In his love and mercyhe redeemed them;

he lifted them up andcarried them

all the days of old.

 

So where is God whenyou are hurting? He's right there it's you, hurting with you, just as my mumwas when I faced those injections. Now I am a father I get that… But I didn't as a child!

 

Isaiah 56:5

But he was pierced forour transgressions;

he was crushed for ouriniquities;

upon him was the chastisementthat brought us peace,

and with his wounds weare healed.

 

 

 

God does not leave us tosuffer when the hard times come; instead, He is right there with us, ever mindfulof the pain we endure, not only watching and giving moral support, but also actingon our behalf so we don't suffer a moment longer than we can bear!

 

 

3.     HOW CAN A GOOD GOD ALLOWSUFFERING IN A BELIEVER’S LIFE?

 

A frequent question ishow can a good God allow suffering for those who love Him? If you ask this,you're not the first…

 

Psalms 10:1

 

Psalm 10

Why, Lord, do youstand far off?

Why do you hideyourself in times of trouble?

 

Or how about Moses

 

Exodus 5:22

 

Moses returned to theLord and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is thiswhy you sent me?

 

 

Adversity that goes beyondyour ability to control it simply proves that God is God, and we are not!  When we consider the suffering we face, webecome acutely aware of our need for Him and His intervention to save us. Weneed His grace and love, and we need it now!

 

Satan makes mileageout of this question, especially if you have been told that God will neverallow adversity in your life. Again, this shallow theology concentrates on yougetting your way, not God having his way with you to develop character.

 

I love how Spurgeonputs it…

 

“God knows thatsoldiers are to be made only in battle; they are not to be grown in peacefultimes. Warriors are really educated by the smell of powder, in the midst ofwhizzing bullets and roaring cannonades…Is He not developing in you thequalities of the soldier by throwing you into the heat of battle, and shouldyou not use every application to come off conqueror?”

 

 

4.     WHAT THE POINT OF ADVERSITY IFIT MAKES ME FEEL WEAK?

 

If you face adversity,chances are you feel overwhelmed or weak at some point. Most of us know what it feels like to bedisappointed in ourselves, embarrassed by our failures, rejected but those wethought we could count on, overwhelmed by adversity.

 

What is it that youface today that is overwhelming you!

 

Regardless of how youfeel,  whatever brings you to your kneesin weakness carries the greatest potential for the greatest spiritual victory.

 

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, “Mygrace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so thatChrist's power may rest on me.

 

If you feel weak,rejoice, you're ready to truly trust God now!

 

 

5.     HOW DO I DEAL WITH FEELINGSTHAT PLUNGE FROM STRUGGLING TO DISCOURAGED TO HOPELESS?

 

Since stepping up tobecome pastor of this church, I've had my fair share of adversity. I met with aleader of our denomination who told me I had face more adversity and personalattack  in my first 6 months than mostpastors face in 20 years.

 

At times I've feltdiscouraged and yes, even hopeless! Then the Lord gave me this…

 

Habakkuk 3:17-18

Though the fig treedoes not bud

and there are nograpes on the vines,

though the olive cropfails

and the fields produceno food,

though there are no sheepin the pen

and no cattle in thestalls,

yet I will rejoice inthe Lord,

I will be joyful inGod my Savior.

 

 

 

If you feel hopeless,helpless, or powerless—unable to deal with people or problems and on the vergeof exhaustion—take heart from that passage!

 

When everything lookedthe worst, no food, no livestock, everything up to mud, somehow Habakkuk didn'tjust say he had faith, he actually rejoiced!

 

So how could he findsuch hope in the face of unmitigated disaster?

 

He got a revelationfrom God. Habakkuk 2:2-3. He spent time pressing into Him, reading His Word,seeking His heart and His purposes. He asked God, and frankly didn't like theanswer he got! But he saw the vision, wrote it down and waited, fully confidentthat God would come through for him. He learned from the University ofAdversity.

 

That's why herejoiced. That's why James said, “Count it all joy when you face trials of manykinds.”

 

Not that its fun, butthat God is working a greater work within you.

 

The pain isn’t fun,the hurt isn’t pleasant and the feelings of discouragement and hopelessness arealmost debilitating, but God is working in and through these adversities tobring about something special within you!

 

 Do you need that revelation, that joy today asyou attend Uni-Adversity?  Have you had arevelation of God’s love for you and purpose in your time of adversity? First,read His Word, but also, let us pray with you …

 

If you feel hopeless,if you feel like you’ll never triumph, then this morning is for you.

 

Your feelings arevalid, they’re normal. When. You walk through the valley of the shadow ofdeath, you’re entitled to feel discouraged. But keep walking, don’t camp there!

 

If you arestruggling  with feelings of hopelessnessthis morning, let us pray and stand with you. 

Safer Churches Teaching

Fiona takes our member through the Safer Churches teaching, including the Coast Church Code of Conduct.

This is required listening for all those who work or volunteer at Coast Church, and before you minister we need you to fill this out to the best of your knowledge.

Uni Adversity 4- Turning Adversity into Advantage

I was recently reading a book by Peter Wagner called “Humility”, and to my surprise I found an entire chapter relating humility to overcoming adversity.

 

I'll admit that I'd never equated humility with handling adversity, but upon studying this relationship I've discovered that it is critical. Uni-Adversity is, like any academic institution, all about education. It uses the school of hard knocks to get us there, and as we go through the various assessments, we learn, we grow and we become more like Jesus.

 

So before I go through the steps you need to take to turn adversity to advantage, I want to mention 4 aspects of your lifestyle you need to carefully watch in order to stay humble as you learn and graduate the University of Adversity.

 

1.     WATCH YOUR HEART

 

In adversity it is tempting to become hard hearted. When people tell you to “Toughen up, Princess,” they are referring to your resilience, not your heart. Hard hearted people resist being taught, resist forgiving others and face dire consequences in the future because of their hard heartedness…

 

Romans 2:5

But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

 

So as you face adversity, keep your heart soft, towards the Lord and towards those who hurt you.

 

Matthew 6:14-15

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

 

 

2.     WATCH WHAT YOU SAY

 

In adversity we must guard our tongues, because when you're down you tend to lash out under pressure and speak negatively over everything. Even the positive things in your life. Just a twist of a word, a cynical, negative  statement, a subtle tone of voice or the dreaded silent treatment will provoke our adversaries, and drive away our supporters.

 

Ephesians 4:29

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

 

3.     WATCH WHAT YOU REMEMBER

 

Memories have to power to influence our actions now if you let them, especially negative memories. Past failures in your own life drag you down, and when you see them in the lives of others they have the power hurt them and make them attack you more.

 

Isaiah 43:18-19

“Forget the former things;

do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness

and streams in the wasteland.

 

Let the past be past at last.

 

4.     WATCH WHAT YOU PRONOUNCE

 

In the middle of adversity and attack it is tempting to say, “I told you so!” This is especially true when those causing your adversity seem to take a fall. I

 

If you want to be humble and learn to become like Jesus, do not pronounce negative judgement on others, and do not pronounce positive boastings about yourself.

 

Proverbs 24:17-18

 

Do not gloat when your enemy falls;

when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,

or the Lord will see and disapprove

and turn his wrath away from them.

 

Be humble, learn, serve and bless others, even your enemies, and you are set to graduate this class at Uni-Adversity.

 

So how can we turn it all around?

 

TURNING ADVERSITY INTO ADVANTAGE

 

Adversity does not need to be negative. In fact, it can become a great advantage in your life. If you humbly listen and humbly learn the lessons in Uni-Adversity then what you currently face and what is causing you pain can become your springboard to success in life!

 

Failure is not the opposite of success, it is part of success!

 

Here's the steps you can take to turn adversity into advantage in your life...

 

 

1.     KEEP A TRUE PERSPECTIVE

 

In the middle of your trials and tests, step back and see the big picture, and especially see if from God’s point of view. 

 

In times of adversity, your problems tend to dominate you and become an all consuming part of your life. It is all you think about, all you talk about, it is ever present and controls every aspect of life. You begin to think that stopping the pain or dealing with the immediate problem is all that matters.

 

Perspective is seeing things in a different way. True perspective is seeing things God’s way. His way is the long term goal, and He is prepared to use adversity in your life to achieve His long term plans to prosper you and not to harm you.

 

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

 

As you face adversity, you have limited time and energy, so you need to work smarter not harder  to overcome it. If you step back and see the big picture over years, not the crisis right now, then you will be able to major on the big things, and minor on the things that long term will not count for much.

 

2.     ADMIT THAT YOUR CRITICS MAY BE RIGHT

 

As you struggle through adversity, you are sure to face criticism about what you have done and how you have done it. Don't assume all critics are wrong, or that they are against you.

 

Growing through adversity means being humble enough to weight up the opinions of a critic and change where necessary.

 

As I lead this church I have a number of critics. I have been criticised for many things, some justified, some not so. I am even criticised by leaders in my denomination, but I choose to call them mentors, not critics!

 

Proverbs 19:20

 

Listen to advice and accept discipline,

and at the end you will be counted among the wise.

 

 

 

3.     LOVE THE CHURCH

 

 

As I mentioned last week, oftentimes when we are going through adversity, we isolate ourselves and pull away from church. I see it all the time in this church, people struggling, in crisis or in sin, and they pull away not towards a church family that loves them.

 

It is a foolish idea. When you are down, when you are under the hammer, that is when you need friends who stand with you, love you and support you through the tough times.

 

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

 

Two are better than one,

because they have a good return for their labor:

If either of them falls down,

one can help the other up.

But pity anyone who falls

and has no one to help them up.

 

4.     CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES

 

If you try and fight everything, every time, you will exhaust yourself and collapse. Wisdom is knowing which battles are truly important, and which you can let go through the to the keeper.

 

“You need to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, know when to run,” says Kenny Rogers.

 

Proverbs 29:22-23

 

An angry person stirs up conflict,

and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.

Pride brings a person low,

but the lowly in spirit gain honor.

 

If you fight every fight you stir up conflict for yourself, and make life a misery for everyone around you. Some fights you do not need to fight.

 

So how do you decide which battles are important in the long term? Ask God, and then be obedient to Him…

 

I was once dragged before the Optometry registration board because another professional had lied about me. My future hung in the balance. I knew I had done nothing wrong (except been good at what I was doing), but a spiteful, angry psychologist had taken exception to my success with children with learning problems. I stewed for months leading up to the hearing, and God gave me this verse…

 

2 Chronicles 20:17

You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”

 

When I stood before the panel, they said I was doing a great job, they were pleased to meet me and keep up the good work. I said nothing … I didn't have to! God did it!

 

Decide ahead of time which battles need to be won, and concentrate on them. If your child seems rebellious, do not try and win every battle. I have seen parents fighting to get their child to not watch a certain movie, then let them go out partying and doing drugs. Pick your battles, and choose the ones that long term really matter.

 

5.     RECOGNISE THAT YOU WIN SOME AND YOU LOSE SOME

 

In life you can't win everything every time. No one does.

 

A failure is never a loss when you learn from it. It is a gain when you decide to learn and not repeat the same mistake.

 

Thomas Edison invented the light globe and significantly impacted the lives of everyone on the planet. He tried thousands of metals as filaments, and was criticised as failing.  His famous quote was, “I have not failed 10,000 times, I have successfully found 10,000 ways it will not work.” Needless to say, he found the right filament and changed the world.

 

Psalms 73:26

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart

and my portion forever.

 

So in your trials and adversity, do not be so hard on yourself! It's ok to struggle, and it is ok to fail. Ask God to teach you to rely on Him, and it is lesson learned!

 

From God’s viewpoint, your failure, your weakness is His opportunity to give you victory. When you figure out you cannot do it all yourself, when you are driven down to your knees, you realise that it's not about you, it's never been about you,it's always been about Him.

 

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

 

If you fail, if you struggle, if you feel weak, weary and over it… Rejoice! You are exactly where God wants you to be!

 

 

 

6.     CHOOSE TO SEE THE GOOD

 

Negative thoughts beget more negative thoughts, and pretty soon you are so cynical you don't believe anything good about anything or anyone!

 

Philippians 4:8

 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

 

When something bad happens, choose to see the good. When someone attacks you, choose to see the good in them. When the road is long and hard, when there seems no way out, when you are weighed down and weary, do not just choose to see the good… Choose to see the God in everything!

 

 

7.     BE OBEDIENT TO GOD

 

God honours obedience above any religious thing you can do. He does not want organised religion, he does not want rituals, tall steeples, bells and smells… He wants obedience. If you are ever to graduate the University of Adversity, you need to learn to obey the Lord and learn from Him.

 

Deuteronomy 28:1-2

 

If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:

 

1 Samuel 15:22

 

But Samuel replied:

“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices

as much as in obeying the Lord?

To obey is better than sacrifice,

and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

 

Since taking on the senior pastor position at this church, I have found myself attacked by many people. I have attracted a host of people who disagree with various ways the church is run, it's direction, it's emphasis. 

 

There are so many voices in my ears, I don't know who to listen to… And so I turn to God. Every time I have considered where the church is going, I turn to the Lord. Every time I have been hurt, I go to God, read His Word, and seek the advice of godly advisors. I listen, weigh things up, then obey.

 

In all things my burning desire is to obey.  Not to obey you, someone’s theological slant or opinion or even my own desires. I desire to obey the Lord, in all things, because to obey is better than sacrifice!

 

 

8.     PRAY, AND ASK OTHERS TO PRAY TOO

 

God wants us to pray, in fact, He wants us to live in a constant state of prayer, that's why He says,

 

1 Thessalonians 5:17

pray continually,

 

We are urged to pray, not only for ourselves but also for each other...

 

Ephesians 6:18

 

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.

 

I have a team of prayers in this church who pray and receive words from God for me, and I value them. Their prayers and support, your prayers and support are vital. It is like a prayer field, a force field that surrounds and protects.

 

When you face adversity, you need to pray, and you need to be bold enough to share with others and ask them to pray for you. Prayer changes things. Prayer changes you!

 

9.     READ THE WORD DAILY

 

There is no substitute for reading the Word of God. You can come to church, listen to Worship music, watch Christian TV… All are good but none of these is an alternative to reading the Word of God daily.

 

That is why we have prepared our reading plan. Many of you are doing it, and have been amazed at what you have learned as you have read the Bible.

 

2 Timothy 3:16

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

 

This powerful Scripture achieves little in your life if the Bible remains on the shelf. It collects dust, that is about all.

 

The power starts to come when you read it. The power really comes when you read and obey it.

 

James 1:22

 

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

 

As you face a crisis, as you seek to learn from adversity, the Bible is the key. I take time every day to sit and read from the Word of God, and I have truly found that,

 

Psalms 119:105

 

Your word is a lamp for my feet,

a light on my path.

 

The Bible is your text book for the University of Adversity. Without it you experience all the adversity without explanation, without knowing how to learn or understand, without learning how to respond to the various trials life throws at you.

 

If you ever want to grow, you need the place the Word of God into your heart every day. Not once a week, not randomly opening the Bible and stabbing at a random verse… Follow a plan, and see if the Lord doesn't speak to you day after day.

 

I cannot lead this church without prayer or without the Word of God. And it is better in my heart than on a shelf.

 

Hebrews 4:12

 

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

 

 

10.  STAY FOCUSSED

 

In your time of adversity, when things are tough, when you are in pain, that is when you need to focus. But what do you focus on?

 

2 Timothy 2:4-5

No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor's crown except by competing according to the rules.

 

Soldiers concentrate on their missions. Athletes focus on and give their all to their events.

Servants of Jesus need to focus and concentrate on serving the King.

 

When you are in adversity, so many things run through your head. So much fills your mind. The bills, what he or she said, what they did, what may or may not happen. Every night you put your head on the pillow and this massive array of thoughts parade through your head. You can't seem to switch them off. You try and try, and the worry and anxiety controls your thought patterns, dreams and your whole life, right?

 

2 Corinthians 10:5b

and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

 

In adversity you need to take this type of thinking captive, and focus on what is truly important. You need to set your mind on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2).

 

Hebrews 12:1-2a

 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

 

Focus on Jesus. Read the Word, pray, and focus on Jesus.

 

As you may know, I am an Optometrist. I have studied the workings of the eyes and the brain. It is a physical fact that, if you concentrate on a single point, your peripheral retina begins to shut down. Your peripheral vision closes in.

 

I once was invited to lecture helicopter search and rescue crews on how to search from the air. All sentries, all searchers need to realise that you must keep your eyes moving. If you stop, you will focus one the one point, to the exclusion of your wider vision.

 

But when you focus on Jesus, something amazing happens. Everything else comes into perspective. Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you (Matthew 6:33).

 

 

Today I want to pray with for something very specific. For those struggling with adversity, whose minds are filled with worries and anxieties. I want our prayers to pray with you about clearing your mind of this debris and having you focus on Jesus.

 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.

Uni Adversity 3- Dealing with Depression

We've learned over the last few weeks that we can learn so much at Uni-Adversity, but it can be hard, discouraging and even soul destroying facing the adversity.

 

Depression is a very clear and present danger when it comes to Uni-Adversity. Why? Because when you face adversity, you often find that it becomes too much to bear. It becomes overwhelming, depressing, discouraging, crushing and that’s when the devil attacks and plunges you into depression!

 

Depression causes you to act in a way you normally wouldn’t, say things you normally wouldn’t, make decisions and give in to temptation that you later regret. Depression makes life miserable, for you and everyone around you, and if you let it depression can control your life, your relationships, your future and fuel your addictions.

 

No one is immune to being depressed, and when you face adversity after Adversity, it’s tempting to fall into depression and never get out!

 

Usually we try and hide it. We look ok on the outside, we seem to have it all together, but inside we are a mess, we are struggling to cope and we are faking life. Depression is a lonely place to be, and many here fight this fight alone behind closed doors every day.

 

There is also very much a physical side to depression. When you are tired, sick, stressed or if you have an underlying medical problem you are far more prone to the effects of depression.  According to beyondblue.com.au, there is often no single cause of severe depression, so medical and psychological  advice can form part of a treatment.

 

But many times feelings of depression occur simply because you’ve struggled with your Adversity for too long. You’re tired, you’re down, but ours sick of it, you’re over it!

 

Some of you feel like you’ve been smashed and kicked around a time or two, and this message is for you.

 

You may not know this, but the Bible actually holds some great keys when it comes to dealing with Adversity, and the overwhelming depression that it often gives rise to.

 

And when it comes to dealing with a University of Adversity magnitude depression, we can examine the life of one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament, and man who stood for the Lord against incredible odds, triumphed over overwhelming adversity, but sunk into unfathomable depths of depression.

 

Enter the prophet Elijah.(1 Kings 17-19)…

 

MAXIMUM PROPHETS

 

Every investor wants maximum prophets, and among all the prophets, this guy is the one of the maximum prophets!  In 1Kings 17, Elijah predicts a horrific  and debilitating famine that sweeps across the nation.

 

Later on in 1 Kings 18:44, at his word, the drought is broken. Incredible, even the weather is obedient to the word of this man of God!

 

Elijah is most famous for challenging and defeating the 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. At his word fire reigned down from Heaven and consumed the sacrifice,

 

1 Kings 18:38-39

Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”

 

Elijah was so amazing, he is one of only two people recorded in the Bible to not pass through death.

 

That’s pretty special, right?  But we are not going to look at his victories today so much as the depths of depression Elijah found himself in. If you are feeling overwhelmed and depressed by the Adversity you face, be it in your health, business, relationships or anything, then be encouraged because you are in good company. It doesn’t make you less spiritual or less godly, it makes you normal, it makes you human.

 

It simply means you need Jesus!

 

And it means we don't ignore the signs of depression and try and fake it on our own. It means seeking God, turning from depression and seeking help to be an overcomer.

 

It also can make you a more powerful person of God in the future. It helps you understand when others are depressed. So for your lessons today at Uni-Adversity, let’s do a case study on the amazing prophet Elijah, and let's see what we can learn about overcoming depression and adversity.

 

Here's a few things you need to know about depression...

 

 

1.     OFTEN WE FEEL BLAMED BY OTHERS

 

 

When people face adversity, they often blame God or others around them. So, especially when you are hurting and feeling down, you will find some other hurting person attacking you, often someone you love or are close to.

 

In Elijah case, it was someone whom he had previously blessed in his ministry… In fact, he’d saved her and her son’s lives. The miracle was a jug of oil that refused to run dry, which saved the widow and her son from certain death in the drought…

 

1 Kings 17:16

The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.

 

So having worked a miracle to save the widow and her son, you'd have thought he would have been thanked, right? You certainly wouldn't expect  she’d turn on him.  But the very next verse says this…

 

1 Kings 17:17-18

After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill. And his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. And she said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!”

 

In her grief, in her hopelessness, she lashed out at the one who had previously sustained her Life!  Sounds unfair, right? It wasn’t Elijah fault, but he bore the brunt of her anger!

 

So Elijah went to prayer. Elijah prayed to the Lord, laid 3 times on the boy…and once again God moved and vindicated his servant… And the boy  was healed!

 

1 Kings 17:22

And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived.

 

Nevertheless, when people attack you it can wear thin quickly, especially if you're feeling down to start with.. I personally have been hurt many times since taking on the church, but like Elijah I decided to just keep on ministering. And so should you, even when it hurts. You’re in Uni-Adversity. Keep going, keep serving be encouraged that God is using you to bless others and learn the lessons God wants you to learn.

 

2.     DEPRESSION  OFTEN HITS  AFTER A HIGH

 

Life has highs and lows, peaks and valleys, just like a mountain range.  And as in a mountain range or a roller coaster, the lows often come right after the highs. We may scale the heights of spiritual victory only to soon find ourselves in the dark valley of depression.

 

Elijah had experienced perhaps his greatest triumph, on Mount Carmel, when fire came from Heaven and consumed the sacrifice.  One of the greatest acts of God caused by any prophet in the Bible, but immediately after this incredible victory Elijah crashes into the Great Depression! How many of you know that when prophets fall dramatically, it's a Great Depression?

 

I can relate to this. I would often return from ministering before tens of thousands of people in a stadium somewhere and find life at home or at work under attack.  I routinely found myself depressed in the first few days after ministering. Once I recognised this, I could adjust appropriately. I could say, “I feel down… Yes, that's normal and it will be gone soon.”

 

Even here in this church. We had the high of a mighty offering, followed by a difficult week when you want to just give up and walk away. What Elijah experienced I also experience!

 

After the high of faith defeating the prophets of Baal, then this…

 

1 Kings 19:3

 

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness.

 

So powerful, so anointed, he ran from a woman called Jezebel because he feared for his life. He escaped to his man cave, literally, to be fearful, miserable and alone.

 

But

 

2 Timothy 1:7

God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

 

When fear comes in like this, you know it's not God. But even a great man like Elijah feared and ran. He was down.... He was defeated…. He was running scared and he was alone…

 

3.     ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT?

 

Stress does nasty things to people, and is one of the triggers for big time depression. And Uni-Adversity can be high stress at times!

 

Stressful situations can drive us to inappropriate responses, and make us experience feelings that are not really true. Under pressure we often make bad decisions, and that's what Elijah experienced. Under pressure from the godless Jezebel, fearing for his life, after seeing the promises of God enacted before his eyes and at his very word, he panicked, fled and got depressed!

 

He also felt so alone, and he complained about it…

 

1 Kings 19:10

 

He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

 

But God set the record straight…

 

1 Kings 19:18

Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

 

Under intense stress, Elijah collapsed and felt alone. But God ministered to him and told him the truth, and God will do that with you also if you come to Him. God changed Elijah’s perception of events, and God can change yours also.

 

Here's the thing… When you are here at Coast Church, you never need to face life alone!

 

4.     DEPRESSION AMPLIFIES THE NEGATIVE

 

If you have ever been depressed, you will recognise that one of the chief characteristics of depression is that it makes everything seem worse. Good things in your life suddenly seem bad, and the worst things seem worse than ever!

 

This is how depression operates, and because each negative is made more negative, you can create a gigantic negative feedback loop and ultimately the perfect storm of misery. Everything bad seems to escalate, and everything good loses its goodness. David said,

 

Psalms 38:6-8

I am bowed down and brought very low;

all day long I go about mourning.

My back is filled with searing pain;

there is no health in my body.

I am feeble and utterly crushed;

I groan in anguish of heart.

 

Physically debilitating, bone weariness, crushing anguish… This is depression, this is how it feels.

 

Consider Job, who had everything in the knew taken away from him. He was crushed, depressed, in despair and cursed the day he was born

 

Job 3:11

 

“Why did I not perish at birth,

and die as I came from the womb?

 

He said of mankind,

Job 5:6-7

For hardship does not spring from the soil,

nor does trouble sprout from the ground.

Yet man is born to trouble

as surely as sparks fly upward.

 

Recognise that when you're down, everything looks bad, tastes bad and smells bad. Depression amplifies the  negative, and ultimately can lead this...

 

5.     THE DARK NIGHT IF THE SOUL: AT THE POINT OF GIVING UP

 

Secular writers call it, “The Dark Night of the Soul,” but believers are not immune to going through such depression, especially when facing adversity.

 

In fact Elijah was so down he was on the point of taking his own life. Have you ever felt so depressed that suicide seemed like a good idea? Have you ever felt so low that you despaired even of continuing to live? Are you there right now, so depressed that you just want the pain to stop?

 

1 Kings 19:3-4

 

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”

 

It can be extremely disheartening to endure many challenges and setbacks. It can be soul destroying to sit in the University of Adversity and not be able to grasp the lessons. Sometimes it's just all too much and it's at those moments we think of ending it all.

 

However, though we know disappointments are inevitable, discouragement is a choice. We don’t have to give in to defeat. But hey, if you're struggling right now, you're in good company with Elijah! Even the great Apostle Paul experienced this…

 

2 Corinthians 1:8-9

 

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death.

 

Thoughts of suicide are real, but you must never act on them. I had to bury my own brother-in-law who took his life, and he was a Christian, so I know the pain it caused, and the reasons why, but I'm telling you know that suicide is never God's way.

 

Suicide is at best a permanent solution to a temporary problem. The reasons why people do it are many and varied, sometimes selfish, many times just to try and stop the pain. If you're feeling this way, then let me share what God thinks about you, your pain, your adversity and your thoughts of ending it all…

 

 

Psalms 34:18-19

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

The righteous person may have many troubles,

but the Lord delivers him from them all;

 

If you're  discouraged and depressed today, the Lord knows that this is when you need Him the most, and He wants to comfort you. His strength and courage are always available to those who come to Him. He will see you through the adversity and doesn't want you checking out early.

 

Bill Newman tells the true story of a couple on the point of divorce, who went away for one last weekend because the man had a conference in another city. While he attended the convention, she stood before the open window in their high rise condo and was about to throw herself out when he unexpectedly returned, stopping her actions. That evening they were invited to a tent crusade that was visiting the city. They both walked forward and accepted Jesus as their Saviour and she later said, “I'm glad I checked in with Jesus before I checked out of life!”

 

Whatever you face, however hard or overwhelming, the Lord loves you, is close to you and will carry you through it. Ask Jesus into your life today and experience it for yourself.

 

Psalms 55:22

 

Cast your cares on the Lord

and he will sustain you;

he will never let

the righteous be shaken.

 

A PRESCRIPTION FOR OVERCOMING DEPRESSION

 

 

Firstly, let me reiterate that if you suffer from long term clinical depression you need to seek the advice of a doctor, psychologist, psychotherapist or counsellor. As a Christian, this is not a lack of faith, it is a wise thing to do.

 

No matter what Uni-Adversity throws at you, no matter what you are facing right now, here's a prescription for triumphing over depression, discouragement and adversity…

 

1.     TAKE CARE OF THE PHYSICAL- R n R

 

The first thing to do is to deal with the physical stressors you face. Depression is characterised by lack of sleep, anger, weight loss or gain, loss of energy and recklessness. Before you delve deeper into your depression, meet the physical needs.

 

God did that with Elijah. God knew he was exhausted, discouraged and hungry. He had physical needs, like any other man. He lost his appetite; his thinking was disturbed; he withdrew from everyone. During this dark period, he curled up under a tree, wanting to die. He was weighed down by life

 

Proverbs 12:25

 

Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.

 

So what did God do? Chastise him? Rebuke him for lack of faith? No, God loved him and first met his physical needs…

 

1 Kings 19:4-6

He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

 

If you are depressed, don't add guilt at being depressed to your depression! God does not condemn you this morning, He loves you, He has plans for you and He is here to lift you out of the pit you find yourself in.

 

Matthew 11:28-30

 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

2.     SHARE THE LOAD

 

Depression almost always means isolation, and it's in isolation that the devil can pick you off at will. You may feel alone as Elijah did, but the truth is like him you are not alone.

 

1 Kings 19:18

Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

 

Whatever you face today, don't do it alone! We have people here who will stand with you, cry with you, pray with you and work with you to help God lift you out of depression.

 

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

 

Two are better than one,

because they have a good return for their labor:

If either of them falls down,

one can help the other up.

But pity anyone who falls

and has no one to help them up.

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.

But how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered,

two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

 

The three strands are you, your supportive friend and Jesus!

 

3.     SPEND TIME WITH GOD

 

God loves you and walks with you through your depression. He is always there, waiting for you to turn to Him. He says,

 

Psalms 34:18

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

 

1 Peter 5:7

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

 

Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

 

If you want to triumph over depression and graduate from the University of Adversity, reading His Word is essential. The better you know Him, the better you will be, so take our reading plan and read the Bible every day.

 

And don't miss church. Many people isolate themselves when they get down, but it is when you are feeling down that you need to be at church, especially this one. Join a connect group, arrange coffee with someone, get involved, because it brings you closer to God, and can help to lift the burden from your shoulders.

 

4.     LISTEN TO GOD’S VOICE

 

 

It is not always easy to hear the voice of God, but as you fellowship with Him you will learn to distinguish his voice. We live in a crazy busy world, so you need to be quiet before God and really listen.

 

Most often in our down times God speaks quietly, He doesn't scream at us!

 

1 Kings 19:11-12

 

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

 

 

If you can't hear Him, ask someone here who can to share with you. Whatever you do, don't go through your depression alone, because we have people here who long to share the journey out of depression with you.

 

DECIDE NOW

 

The first step towards healing is to decide that you've had enough of being like this. Almost all of us pass through valleys, but some of us decide to set up camp there. Don't stay in the valley when the heights are calling you…

 

Psalms 23:4

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

 

If you are in the valley of the shadow of death today, God is right there with you, and we are right here for you. Here's a famous poem that really illustrates this...

 

Footprints in the Sand - by Mary Stevenson

 

One night I dreamed a dream.

As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.

Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.

For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,

One belonging to me and one to my Lord.

 

After the last scene of my life flashed before me,

I looked back at the footprints in the sand.

I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,

especially at the very lowest and saddest times,

there was only one set of footprints.

 

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.

"Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,

You'd walk with me all the way.

But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,

there was only one set of footprints.

I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me."

 

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you

Never, ever, during your trials and testings.

When you saw only one set of footprints,

It was then that I carried you."

 

Do you know Jesus? Are you in the valley right now?

 

 

Uni-Adversity 2- Training and Equipping

Adversity, as we have seen comes to us all. If you are struggling or facing tough times today, you are not unique and you are not on your own.

 

We have learned that the question is not whether you will face trials, because we all will, but rather how you will face them. Can you face them with joy, and can you trust your Heavenly Father to do the right thing by you?

 

OUR PAIN, HIS PURPOSES

 

If you want God’s best for your life and if you truly desire to be used by Him, at some point you will have to travel the road of adversity. All sunshine makes a desert, hard crusty and unproductive. Rain and storms are what produces lasting fruit in your life for Jesus.

 

This means that God can and will use adversity in your life for a good purpose—and yet, sadly, many people view adversity as only negative and defeating. You don’t have to be among them!

 

In the presence of trouble, some people grow wings; others buy crutches.—Harold W. Ruopp

 

 

Perception is how you see things, not just what you see. So when you face Adversity, do you just see the Adversity itself, the pain, the hurt, the hopelessness? Or do you see what God sees?… That He is using tough times to train and equip you for greater and more powerful service in times to come!

 

Romans 8:28

 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

 

God has designed adversity, regardless of its source and irrespective of the pain and discomfort it causes, to become a turning point from which you will take your greatest leaps forward in spiritual growth. His aim is spiritual growth and maturity, and He is not afraid to break a few eggs to make a beautiful Omelet.

 

If you face trials right now, I want to offer you wonderfully encouraging news… They are not without restriction, but fully controlled by God.  He allows adversity into your life only as long as it takes until He accomplishes His purpose in you. He will not keep it in your life one second longer than is necessary.

 

ONLY AS LONG AS IS NECESSARY

 

In 1 Samuel 30 David, on the run from King Saul, faced a tough situation. Amalekite raiders had attacked his camp, carrying off all the wives and families of the men, including his. The men were not so merry and turned on David, so David turned in his adversity to the Lord...

 

 1 Samuel 30:6

David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.

 

If you look at Christians facing trials, you will see different types. Some people are almost wiped out by trials, while others learn to stand in the confidence of God’s faithfulness. Some blame God, or at least whine and complain about the situation, while the others have an overwhelming sense of stability and immovable strength.

 

Some run from the storm, refusing the learn from their adversity, lurching from crisis to crisis. Others weather the storms, heads held high, confident, bold, and not discouraged by any obstacle that comes along.

 

Graduates of Uni-Adversity feel absolutely certain that God is going to see them through the heartache and bring them out whole, joyful, and more mature on the other side. Look around at Christians you know who have persevered through adversity, you'll see the maturity. If you see a Christian that you admire, I guarantee you that they have faced more then their share of Adversity, pain and heartache.

 

Adversity has an unusual habit of showing us where we stand in our faith.

 

Do we doubt God? Do we thank Him for His faithfulness during the stressful, heart-wrenching times? Do we trust that He will never leave or forsake us? Do we trust that He knows best, even if it is beyond what we think we can bear?

 

Adversity is God’s most accurate measure of our faith—it reveals our endurance level. It clearly displays our trust, or lack of it, In Him. None of us knows how much difficulty we can withstand until we are tried. Like an athlete in training, we must learn to push through the pain if we are to one day stand on the winners podium.

 

Quitters never win, and winners never quit!

 

TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT ONE MORE TIME

 

Right now, whatever you face, however overwhelming your adversity, remember this: God has put a limit on all adversity.

 

Because you are a child of God, the Holy Spirit is living inside of you, and He knows how much you can bear. The psalmist said:

 

Psalms 34:19

 

The righteous person may have many troubles,

but the Lord delivers him from them all;

 

He won't push you too far, and He won't let you suffer longer than is necessary. If you can trust Him in this one, simple point, you can trust Him for everything in your life!

 

When we learn and mature in the midst of tremendous adversity, God is pleased because He sees His purpose being fulfilled in us. Every difficulty we face, He sees our destiny rolling out ahead of us. We are growing spiritually, becoming stronger in areas of weakness, and increasingly being conformed to the likeness of Christ. We learn the secrets of ministering to others who might be in pain. We are being equipped and trained for service.

 

In short, God is thrilled when we respond correctly to adversity!

 

WHAT CAN WE LEARN AT UNI- ADVERSITY?

 

Here's  principles we can learn when we are trained and equipped through our adversity: and remember, learning these correctly will limit the time we have to spend going through the tests!

 

1.     ADVERSITY BUILDS YOUR CHARACTER

 

Adversity is God’s and tool of choice for building godly, spiritual character. Until we experience heartache, disappointment, and pain, we are not properly equipped for service He uses adversity to mould and shape us; He does not bring it into our lives without purpose.

 

Romans 5:3-4

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

 

Whatever struggles you face, the prize is not relief of pain. The prize is persevering and winning, whatever the cost, and that is the character God seeks.

 

Rick Warren says, “Every problem is a character- building opportunity, and the more difficult it is, the greater the potential for building spiritual muscle and moral fibre.”

 

2.     ADVERSITY INCREASES YOUR AVERSION TO SIN

 

When we face adversity we often also face our own human weaknesses, and this causes us to realise how sinful we are. Many times the difficulties are of our own doing, maybe something we have said or done, so our sin is again exposed to us.

 

In a crisis, even many sinful people decide to get right with God in the midst of their adversities. Some remain angry, sure, but many want to connect with a God they know is in control of things.

 

When we face trials and tests they produce pain and sorrow. We must make sure that the sorrow we feel is Godly sorrow which turns us from our sin, not worldly sorrow, which makes us self-centred, depressed and draining.

 

2 Corinthians 7:10

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

 

3.     ADVERSITY OFTEN HITS YOU WHERE YOU FEEL MOST CONFIDENT

 

Adversity often comes in the areas where we feel the most confident. God wants to break our self reliance, and build our absolute trust in Him.

 

Psalms 9:10

Those who know your name trust in you,

for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

 

He made us for a loving, intimate relationship with Himself, and He uses adversity to remind us of the fact that we must be fully dependent upon Him.

 

And the more we know Him, the deeper our trust will be. That's why I have you reading the Bible reading plan. To know Him is to trust Him. To trust Him is to not rely on yourself, but to follow Him where ever He goes, whatever He asks and however much He decides to put us through.

 

Knowing Him intimately makes you realise that you can trust Him, even where pain is involved. As you grow closer to Him you realise that He will never, never leave you!

 

4.     ADVERSITY REMOVES PRIDE AND SELF-CENTREDNESS

 

Paul writes,

2 Corinthians 1:8-10

 

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,

 

Paul clearly says that the Adversity was great to teach them not to rely in themselves, but on God. This was the  Apostle Paul, one of the humblest men eve, who speaks as though he was full of pride. He had learned the lessons of UNI- Adversity in this case!

 

All the water in the world

However hard it tried,

Could never, never sink a ship

Unless it got inside.

All the hardships of this world,

Might wear you pretty thin,

But they won't hurt you, one least bit

Unless you let them in.—Author Unknown

 

Doing things in life our own strength is like letting the water in. Doing it in God’s strength is the way to conquering your Adversity!

 

5.     ADVERSITY DEMONSTRATES GOD’S FAITHFULNESS

 

We sang the song earlier, but what a tremendous lesson to learn…

 

Lamentations 3:22-23

 

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

 

That’s the thing. You face trials, and you recognise you cannot stand on your own, you need to fall upon the limitless and awesome faithfulness of God. And here’s the thing… Every time you do this, you learn more and become utterly convinced that God is faithful,… He is totally dependable, He will never let you down.

 

This is my testimony, after facing our adversities… God is faithful, He has never and will never forsake me… Or you, if you walk with Him.

 

Psalms 37:25

 

I was young and now I am old,

yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken

or their children begging bread.

 

You can’t tell me any different, because I just know! That is faith!

 

6.     ADVERSITY ENABLES YOU TO COMFORT OTHERS

 

When you have a revelation of how faithful God is, when you have been through Adversity and out the other side as a victor in Christ Jesus, then you can help others who face the same thing. Your pain opens the door to help you minister to others in their pain.

 

2 Corinthians 1:4-5

who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.

 

So when we learn the lessons of UNI- Adversity, we in turn can be used of God to teach others. Maybe we should pray not for God to remove affliction from us, but to empower us by affliction, that we might minister to others.

 

In this room many people have suffered or are suffering. I believe God will use this suffering to empower you, and this church is committed to making a way for you to bless others in and through what God has taught you in UNI- Adversity!

 

 

7.     ADVERSITY IMPROVES YOUR SERVE

 

If you want to become an effective servant, and this is one of the key aims of my entire life, then adversity is God’s way of moulding you into a mature and effective servant.

 

When you know Jesus Christ as your Saviour, God sees you as a son or daughter.  You might struggle at times, sometimes falling, but He sees you as  justified, redeemed, forgiven, and reconciled to Him.

 

When God looks at you He sees someone full of His unconditional love, indwelt by His presence, sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, whose name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

 

And He also sees all of your potential—all the good you could accomplish for His kingdom.

 

 Romans 5:3-4

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

 

So take comfort—adversity won’t take up permanent residence in your life. But when it’s present, it can develop good things if you’re willing to trust Him. Therefore, no matter what dark moments you may walk through, be confident that He’s going to bring you into the light. And when He does, it will certainly be worth it.

 

 

8.     ADVERSITY GETS YOUR ATTENTION

 

 

When adversity comes against you, you most often cannot choose how it happens or through whom it happens, but, you can choose how you respond.

 

So many people face adversity, and all they do is focus on the trial and the pain. People in pain tend to be very self centred and self focussed, because this is what pain does to you. It fills your mind, it takes over your life, and you feel like no one understands what you are going through.

 

You can choose to get discouraged, you can choose to give up. You can choose to be angry at a person, or God or both. You can choose to fight hard or curl up into a ball and cry. Or you can choose to trust God and discover what it is that He wants from you in this situation!

 

You can choose what gets your attention. So what do you focus on when you face tough times?

 

Colossians 3:2

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

 

 

God’s ultimate design is not to give you a comfortable, wonderful life, but to conform you to the likeness of Jesus. Through adversity, God develops the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22, 23)—in us.

 

A traveler in Africa saw one of the large butterflies of the tropics struggling to free itself from the cocoon. He took pity on its struggles and with his knife cut the cords at which it was straining, and it came safely and easily out. But all the brilliant colouring was gone! The anguish of the struggle was necessary for that. The beautiful colours of the soul are won in the struggle with, and the victory over, trial and adversity.

 

So if you are facing pain today, physical, emotional, relational, or financial, it’s time to take your eyes off the Adversity and place them firmly on Jesus…

 

Hebrews 12:1-2

 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and Grace!

 

 

Today, as you face Adversity, what are you looking at! If you’re in the middle of trials, tests and pain it’s so hard to drag you focus off your troubles. But if you learn these lessons, you will be blessed beyond measure, made mature and complete and become a blessing to many.