Solving Problems God’s Way
Part 1: How We Normally Handle Problems
Intro.
One of the problems a preacher faces is getting the message he has in his head and his heart into the head and hearts of his listeners.
Sometimes the preacher feels like his message just isn’t getting across.
Joke-
There was a lawyer, a doctor, and a preacher that went deer hunting. It just so happened that the first deer they saw, each one shot at the deer. An argument began over whose shot killed the deer. The lawyer was the first to speak up. He said he knew it was the shot from his gun that had killed the deer. The doctor said, "Let me go take a look and examine the deer, and I’ll tell you who shot it." The doctor returns and says, "I’m afraid I have to report with absolute certainty that it was the preachers gun that killed the deer!" Lawyer says, "How do you know that?" …"Because the bullet went in one ear and out the other!"
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* …And you thought you were the only ones who had problems.
* We all have problems,
* While there are things we can do to minimize problems in our lives, we will never be completely problem free until we are taken out of this world that is contaminated with sin.
* Some of our problems are small problems; some problems are large problems.
- They come in all shapes and sizes
- Some problems are short lived, other problems linger on in our lives.
What I won’t be doing in this series of sermons:
1) I won’t be giving you a formula to solve All problems.
-- I am convinced God does not want us to have a totally problem free life.
-- John 16:33 – “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
2) I won’t be addressing every possible problem we face. Time, nor knowledge will allow me to do that.
* We will be talking about:
1- How we normally handle problems (today)
2- causes of problems – root causes
3- causes of problems – digging deeper into root causes
3- purpose of problems
4- benefits of problems
5- solving problems God’s way
6- problem prevention
* Today - Five ways we normally handle problems
1- Separate God from the problem Mark 6:45-52
--We think to ourselves “I broke it…I fix it”
--It’s the old …“You mess it up , you clean it up” mentality.
--We have the attitude "This is my responsibility."
--“I can” …without God.
--Full of self-confidence
* This is illustrated for us in the New Testament.
Mark 6:45-52 And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people. (46) And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray. (47) And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. (48) And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. (49) But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: (50) For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. (51) And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. (52) For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.
Ex. The disciples thought …"Jesus doesn’t do boats… we’re fishermen, we been doing boats all our lives… " Can you picture the disciples chunking buckets of water out of the boat. Mark 6:45-52
--Note their attempts to rescue themselves and the boat apart from Jesus
--We take God out of the equation
… Me + Ingenuity = Problem Solved
…Me + My Skill = Problem Solved
…Me + My Knowledge =Problem Solved
…Me + My Resources = Problem Solved
--We leave out the most important ingredient , GOD
Ex. Cooking Gravy – One of most important ingredients is SALT
-- need water or milk, pepper, flour, grease & salt
-- Don’t try to make gravy without any salt!
2 - Start looking for a way to change our circumstances II Sam. 11:5-27
Ex. II Sam. 11:1-27 David and Uriah ….David attempts to get Uriah to sleep with his wife to cover up the fact that the child is David’s. …When all else fails David has Uriah sent to front lines of battlefield to be killed.
* David finds self between rock and hard place. He begins to manipulate people and circumstances to bring about his desired end.
* David believes that the way to solve his problem is to change his circumstances.
2Sa 11:5-27 And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child. (6) And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David. (7) And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered. (8) And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king. (9) But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house. (10) And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house? (11) And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing. (12) And David said to Uriah, Tarry here today also, and tomorrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow. (13) And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house. (14) And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. (15) And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die. (16) And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.
(17) And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also. (18) Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war; (19) And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king, (20) And if so be that the king’s wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall? (21) Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. (22) So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for. (23) And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate. (24) And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king’s servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. (25) Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him. (26) And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. (27) And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.
* If we can’t change our own circumstances, we will try to get others to change them for us.
* Ex. Gen. 40:9-23 Joseph… after imprisoned with butler and baker …they both have a dream… Joseph volunteers to interpret.
* Joseph evidently thinks that his problem is the circumstances in which he finds himself. He hasn’t been able change circumstances so he tries to get someone to change them for him.
Gen 40:9-23 And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me; (10) And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes: (11) And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand. (12) And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days: (13) Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler. (14) But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and show kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house: (15) For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon. (16) When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head: (17) And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakedmeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head. (18) And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days: (19) Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee. (20) And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. (21) And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand: (22) But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them. (23) Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgot him.
* Both David and Joseph’s approach was to try to change their circumstances
* " if only I could change my circumstances"
* We believe that a change in location or environment is the solution to our problem !
* Joseph stays two more years cause God didn’t want to change circumstances yet!
Joke -- We can get so creative at ways to change our circumstances…
Two factory workers were talking.
"I think I’ll take some time off from work." said the man.
"How do you think you’ll do that; the boss isn’t letting anyone off?" said the blonde.
He proceeded to climb up to the rafters and hung from them upside down.
The boss walked in, saw the worker hanging from the ceiling, and asked him what on earth he was doing.
"I’m a light bulb," answered the guy.
"I think you need some time off," said the boss.
So, the man jumped down and walked out of the factory.
The blonde began walking out too.
The boss asked her where she thought she was going.
The blonde answered, "Home. I can’t work in the dark."
* Rather than confess the sin or solve the real problem we would rather try to change our circumstances.
3 - Turn and run from problems Numbers 14:1-4
--EX. Numbers 14:1- 4 (After spies spy out the land and the report comes back that there are giants in the land and most don’t think they can overcome)
Num 14:1-4 And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. (2) And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! (3) And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? (4) And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.
* Rather than believe God and take the land, they want to return.
* They want to go back to the familiar… the bondage, rather than deal with the problem of giants!
-- Example - Adam,… ate of fruit… turned and ran to hide
-- Example – Jonah, had a problem with obeying God and with the people of Nineveh. He decided to run from his problem….to no avail, of course.
-- We think if we could just get away for a while, the problem would disappear.
-- “If we could just move to another area” …. Find another job, find a different marriage partner, etc.
4 - Decide to live with problem I Sam. 17:22-33
--Longstanding… been this way so long
--“I surrender” … it will never get fixed …things will never change
--Ex. I Sam. 17:22-33 David & Goliath, …until David attacks the source of the problem they live with the taunts of Goliath
1Sa 17:22-33 And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren. (23) And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spoke according to the same words: and David heard them. (24) And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. (25) And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel. (26) And David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? (27) And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him. (28) And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. (29) And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? (30) And he turned from him toward another, and spoke after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner. (31) And when the words were heard which David spoke, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him. (32) And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. (33) And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
-- Israel had resigned herself to never defeating the Philistines!
--Pain Killers ….alcohol, drugs, valium, pills >> all are attempts to escape the inevitable pain we must live with
--"Things will never change,… what’s the use of trying to solve this problem."
5 - Deny or Ignore the problem Acts 4:32-5:11
-- “I don’t have a problem”
-- We sweep it under the rug
-- We cover it up
-- We hope it will go away
--“Just give it time and it will disappear”
* Sometimes we either deny or ignore our problems.
* Ananias & Sapphira not only lied to God about their problem but also lied to themselves!
Act 4:34-37 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, (35) And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. (36) And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, (37) Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Act 5:1-11 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, (2) And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. (3) But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? (4) While it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. (5) And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. (6) And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. (7) And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. (8) And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. (9) Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. (10) Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. (11) And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
Ex. Acts 4:32-5:11 Ananias and Sapphira …
* Had you asked them if they had a greed problem - would have said “No”, “We are among the most generous in church,… right up there with Barnabas”
Closing
* One of the difficulties with dealing with problems is that we develop a rut that we run in when it comes to our approach to solving problems.
* We human beings are creatures of habit.
* As people age in life, they tend to get stuck in daily routines.
--The more we do something the less likely we are to do anything else.
- We have developed a habit, and we are set on "auto-pilot" as it were so that we don’t even consider another alternative way to solving our problems.
* My goal this message has been to get you to take a look at yourself and see which approach you usually take to solve your problems
- To suggest to you the possibility of taking another approach.
* It takes time to get in a rut. It will take time to get out of a rut.
1- Separate God from the problem Mark 6:45-52
2 - Start looking for a way to change our circumstances II Sam. 11:5-27
3 - Turn and run from problems Numbers 14:1-4
4 - Decide to live with problem I Sam. 17:22-33
5 - Deny or Ignore the problem Acts 4:32-5:11
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