Defeating Difficulties

Illus: Someone said that YOU KNOW IT IS GOING TO BE A BAD DAY WHEN:

• You call suicide prevention and they put you on hold

• Your birthday cake collapses from the weight of the candles

• Your twin sister forgot your birthday

• Your horn goes off accidentally and remains stuck as you follow a group of Hell's Angels on the freeway

• You step on the bathroom scales and they read “tilt”

• You realize that you just sprayed spot remover under your arms instead of deodorant

• It costs more to fill your car with gas than it did to buy it

• You wake up to the soothing sound of running water...and remember that you just bought a waterbed

• You wake up and your braces are stuck together

• You compliment the boss' wife on her unusual perfume and she isn't wearing any

• You need one bathroom scale for each foot

• You call your wife and tell her that you would like to eat out tonight, and when you get home, there is a sandwich on the front porch

• Airline food starts to taste good

• Your doctor tells you that you are allergic to chocolate chip cookies

• You have to borrow from your VISA to pay off your MASTERCARD

• Everyone loves your driver's license picture

• Your kids start treating you the same way you treated your parents

We all have our share of bad days.

One of the reasons we go to church is to help us face the DIFFICULTIES of life. We want to hear something preached or taught from God’s Word that will help us to DEFEAT DIFFICULTIES in our life.

Now, some preachers have some weird ideas about the ministry. When it comes time to preach, they want to preach a blistering message to the congregation.

Illus: Dr. Odell Belger said that he attended a funeral at a little country church in Gadsden, SC. The little church building was packed because a farmer had died that many folks loved. They showed up to demonstrate their love and respect for him and for his family. It was so filled, that many of the elderly folks had to stand up in the foyer.

After a few songs, poorly sung, the preacher got up and preached a 45 minute blistering sermon to the congregation. When he got through, they had a few more poorly sung songs and the preacher got back up and preached for another solid hour, blistering the congregation with this sermon. The service was so long that one elderly fellow fainted and hit the floor in the foyer during the service.

After the service, Dr. Belger was somewhat aggravated with the way this preacher had treated this family and this congregation. He said to him in a nice way, “Brother, that was one long funeral service!” You know what his response was? “Dr. Belger, a lot of these people who were here today hardly ever come to church, and I wanted to preach the Word of God to them while I had them!” Listen, he might have had them that day, but he never had them again.

Some preachers will take advantage of the situation and blister the congregation every time they get a chance to preach.

When I read the New Testament, and read about what these great men of God had to say in the scriptures, I see that they recognized that people in their everyday life, FACE ALL KINDS OF DIFFICULTIES. When these people came to church, they needed to hear something from God’s Word that would build them up to face the difficulties of life!

We live in a world that is filled with difficulties, and people need to know that we serve a God who can DELIVER US FROM OUR DIFFICULTIES! We need to hear something from God’s Word that will strengthen us.

We live in a world today where people do not know where to turn with their difficulties. Part of that is due to ministers of God who are not teaching them.

• In Psalm 50:15, we read, “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”

• In 1 Peter 5:7, we read, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

When we come to church . . .

• We need to hear something from God’s Word that will help us face the difficult times of our life.

• We need to sing some songs that will draw us close to the Lord

• We need to sing some songs that will encourage us

Illus: A song we should sing more often is the song, “HE IS ABLE TO DELIVER THEE!” The words of that great song go like this: