Do you have trouble staying focused when challenges raise their ugly head? This is true of individuals! This is true of churches! This is true of marriages! This is true of businesses!
Joke: I heard about a bride who was nervous before her wedding. It was time for the wedding and she wasn’t sure if she could walk down the aisle. Her father gave her some words of wisdom. He said to her. “I want to share three things upon which you can focus in order to get you through this challenge. The first is walking down the aisle. Just focus on walking down the aisle of the church. I know it’s rather long, but just concentrate on the aisle. Don’t get caught up with those on either side of the aisle. Just focus on getting to the end of the aisle. Next, focus on the altar. It is your destination today. Make your way down the aisle to the altar. There you will stand before God with the man you love and will make vows to God and him. Focus on the altar for it represents God’s gift for you in this marriage. Lastly, focus on the hymn that is to be sung.” The father instructed her to focus on those three things: the AISLE, the ALTAR, and listening to the HYMN. The bride was very thankful to her dad for his words of wisdom. As she walked down the aisle her father saw a look of calm on her face. However, as she passed her father he began to chuckle quietly along with the rest of the audience. In order to help her keep her focus and remain calm she repeated the names of the objects upon which she was to focus. She was heard repeating: “Aisle, Altar, Hymn… Aisle, Altar, Hymn… Aisle, Altar, Hymn.” She was focused!
Staying focused in the midst of challenges is important. Business leaders recognize the importance of this principle. I have a book in my office that appeared on the #1 list as printed by the New York Times. The title of the book is “The Power of Focus.”
Married couples recognize the need for focus. One of the leading causes of divorce is financial issues. What happens is that couples take their eyes off of their marriage and focus on money issues. Also, couples sometimes fail to focus on maintaining their marriage and they grow apart.
Athletes recognize the importance of focus. Sometimes athletes focus on selfish pursuits instead of team pursuits and the team falls apart. Sometimes athletes have to focus on playing through the pain.
One parent defined challenges in this way. You can tell what challenges we are facing when you check out the bookshelf at our home. We’ve got James Dobson’s entire library: “Dare to Discipline”, “The Strong Willed Child”; “Parenting Isn’t for Cowards.” , “How to Make Your Kids Mind, Without Losing Yours”. We’re trying to be good parents for our boys, and what we’re discovering is that there are some challenges for which we were unprepared.
(1) There is no such thing as child proofing your home.
(2) Baseballs make marks on the ceiling.
(3) You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on.
(4) The glass in windows, even double pane ones, is not strong enough to stop a baseball that has been hit by a ceiling fan
(5) When you hear the toilet flush and the words “Uh-oh”, it’s already too late.
(6) If you use a waterbed as home plate while wearing baseball shoes, it does not leak – it explodes.
(7) A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 square foot house 4 inches deep.
(Contributed to Sermon Central by Matthew Sullivan )
Our text for today is found in Acts 16. Paul is called to go to the region of Macedonia (vs. 9-10). After arriving in Macedonia Paul goes to the city of Philippi and discovers a group of women who are seeking after God (vs. 13). While there he encounters a slave girl who is inhabited by an evil spirit (vs. 16). Paul expels the evil spirit from the girl (vs. 18). The slave girl’s owners were disturbed that Paul had interfered with their livelihood by helping the slave girl. The slave owners cause an uprising in the city which results in Paul and Silas being thrown into prison (vs. 19-24). This is one among many challenges which Paul faced over the course of his ministry. In this chapter we see some of the secrets which helped Paul stay focused in the midst of challenges. Notice three secrets of staying focused in the midst of challenges.
1. Stay focused on God’s will. Notice verse 9 and 10. “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.” (NKJV)
Following God’s will does not guarantee a life that is free of challenges. Paul followed God to the region of Macedonia and got thrown into jail.
Abraham followed God by leaving his home in Haran and moving to the land of Canaan (modern day Israel). Shortly after moving he faced the challenge of a famine.
Moses followed God’s will and he faced a number of challenges. He was asked to help a group of slaves to escape. He faced a political tyrant named Pharoah. He lead a group of helpless, stubborn people through a desert. To make things worse there were times when those stubborn people wanted to fire him.
Jesus once asked His disciples to follow him by climbing into a boat and going for a boat ride. While riding in the boat on the Sea of Galilee they encountered a storm that threatened to take their lives.
Are you with me? Following God’s will does not insulate you from challenges. However, in discovering God’s will you will discover new resources for facing life. What are they?
God’s will gives you peace. Have you ever driven down a street and discovered you were on a one way street going in the wrong direction?
God’s will gives you an anchor. When you discover that you are living in that special place where God has planted you it keeps you more stable than otherwise.
God’s will gives you a sense of purpose. In our text Paul has a vision of a man from Macedonia “pleading with him” for help. There is something about feeling needed that makes life richer and fuller.
2. Stay focused on sharing Christ. Notice the following verses. “Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them (vs. 10)….”And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there (vs. 13). ….But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them (vs. 25)….Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house (vs. 32).” When you are facing a challenge the tendency is to focus on the challenge and neglect the most important tasks.
Consider the following stories that illustrate the importance of staying focused on the task of sharing Christ.
Illustration: Jim Cymbala preaches at a church in the boroughs of Brooklyn. He tells the following story: It was Easter Sunday and I was so tired at the end of the day that I just went to the edge of the platform, pulled down my tie, sat down, and draped my feet over the edge. It was a wonderful service with many people coming forward. The counselors were talking with these people. As I was sitting there I looked up the middle aisle and there in about the third row was a man who looked about fifty. He was disheveled and filthy. He looked at me rather sheepishly, as if saying, “Could I talk to you?” We have homeless people coming in all the time, asking for money or whatever. So as I sat there, I said to myself, though I am ashamed of it, “What a way to end a Sunday. I’ve had such a good time, preaching and ministering, and here’s a fellow probably wanting some money for more wine.” He walked up. When he got within about five feet of me, I smelled a horrible smell like I’d never smelled in my life. It was so awful that when he got close, I would inhale by looking away, and then I’d talk to him, and then look away to inhale, because I couldn’t inhale facing him. I asked him, “What’s your name?” “David.” “How long have you been on the street?” “Six years.” “How old are you?” “Thirty-two.” He looked fifty- hair matted; front teeth missing; wino; eyes slightly glazed. “Where did you sleep last night, David?” “Abandoned truck.” I keep a money clip in my back pocket that also holds some credit cards. I fumbled to pick one out thinking; I’ll give him some money. I won’t even get a volunteer. They are all busy talking with others. Usually we don’t give money to people. We take them to get something to eat. I took the money out. David pushed his finger in front of me. He said, “I don’t want your money. I want this Jesus, the One you were talking about, because I’m not going to make it. I’m going to die on the street.” I completely forgot about David, and I started to weep for myself. I was going to give a couple of dollars to someone God had sent to me. See how easy it is? I could make the excuse I was tired. There is no excuse. I was not seeing him the way God sees him. I was not feeling what God feels. But oh, did that change! David just stood there. He didn’t know what was happening. I pleaded with God, “God, forgive me! Forgive me! Please forgive me. I am so sorry to represent You this way. I’m so sorry. Here I am with my message and my points, and You send somebody and I am not ready for it. Oh, God!” Something came over me. Suddenly I started to weep deeper, and David began to weep. He fell against my chest as I was sitting there. He fell against my white shirt and tie, and I put my arms around him, and there we wept on each other. The smell of His person became a beautiful aroma. Here is what I thought the Lord made real to me: If you don’t love this smell, I can’t use you, because this is why I called you where you are. This is what you are about. You are about this smell. Christ changed David’s life. He started memorizing portions of Scripture. We got him a place to live. We hired him to do maintenance, and we got his teeth fixed. He was a handsome man when he came out of the hospital. They detoxed him in 6 days. He spent that Thanksgiving at my house. He also spent Christmas at my house. When we were exchanging presents, he pulled out a little thing and he said, “This is for you.” It was a little white hanky. It was the only thing he could afford. A year later David got up and talked about his conversion to Christ. The minute he took the mic and began to speak, I said, “The man is a preacher.” This past Easter we ordained David. He is an associate minister of a church over in New Jersey. And I was so close to saying, “Here, take this; I’m a busy preacher.” We can get so full of ourselves.
(Contributed to Sermon Central by Davon Huss)
On April 28, 1999, just eight days after the Columbine shooting, shock rock singer Marilyn Manson was scheduled to perform a concert in Iowa City, Iowa. And since Manson’s music was prominent in the lives of Columbine killers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, there was a lot of emotion surrounding his concert. Mark Forstrom, a local Youth Minister in the area wrote about what happened. He wrote, "The police, the media, and the community began to prepare for angry protests and ugly brawling between Christians and Marilyn Manson supporters." Suddenly, something totally unexpected happened. Emerging thru the vehicle of e-mail, another local movement suddenly sprang to life— that the only way to truly change our moral climate is to soften hard hearts. (The hearts of Manson fans have been hardened by their perception that Christians are mean-spirited, hateful, and judgmental.) Thus, the idea was birthed to unravel that stereotype by encouraging Christians to show the pure LOVE of Christ to these fans in tangible ways. Concert day finally arrived, and tension filled the community. The media geared up for an ugly battle between Manson fans and the Christian opposition. Instead, what they observed was an amazing testament to the power and love of Christ! Scores of Christians from churches all over Linn County and as far away as Des Moines (2 hours away) converged on the sidewalks outside the Five Seasons Center, to do two POSITIVE things: pray, and to show unmistakable love. It was a sight to behold. ~ Groups conducted "prayer walks" around the arena. ~ People prayed in huddles on the sidewalk. ~ Churches around the city held special prayer meetings. As for showing LOVE to the fans, ~ One church purchased 100 pizzas, which were freely given away to the fans in line and bystanders. ~ Cookies and over 1,200 cans of soda were purchased or donated and distributed. ~ Someone made turkey & cheese sandwiches and gave them away. ~ One pastor asked Manson fans how he could pray for them--about 20 shared specific things & were prayed for on the spot. ~ After the concert, about $200 in cash (collected mostly by a local youth group) was given out to pay for parking in the parking ramp. The Christians involved said, "We’re Christians and we’d like to show you God’s love by paying for your parking tonight." The immediate results of this love in action were phenomenal: ~ People continually asked, "Why are you doing this?" and then listened to the answer. ~ Two "live" radio reporters (one inside the stadium and one outside) discussed--on the air--how preferable it was to be outside with the generous Christians. ~ At least 3 people gave their lives to Christ through the loving care of the Christians. ~ At least one other fan that we know of chose not to go to the concert, ending up in church the following Sunday. ~ After getting the pizza, one kid commented, "Wow, Marilyn Manson never gave me anything!" ~ A Marilyn Manson web-site, reporting on our Christian response admitted, "so maybe those Christians aren’t half bad!" As for the concert itself, we saw God work a miracle there as well. After only an hour, Manson abruptly ended the concert early. He suddenly flew into a rage: he threw his microphone to the ground, and stormed off the stage, never to return! So to summarize the totality of Marilyn Manson’s visit to Cedar Rapids, we might say this: many fans came to the concert convinced that Christians were irritating and that Marilyn Manson was impressive and many left the concert feeling that Marilyn Manson was irritating and that Christians were impressive! Think of how much closer to the kingdom thousands of kids might be as a result of this unforeseen outreach event.
(Contributed to Sermon Central by Stan Martin)
3. Stay focused on God. Notice verse 25. “At midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.” To whom did Paul and Silas pray and sing hymns? It was God! When you are facing a challenge the tendency is to focus on the challenge itself. That is human nature. However, the Bible teaches us to center our hearts on God and focus on Him. When we do this he will change our ability to cope with the challenges that come our way.
Warren Wiersbe wrote a book, “Victorious Christian,” about Fanny Crosby. Crosby was the author of over 8000 songs including some that we sing today. At 6 weeks of age Fanny Crosby developed a minor eye inflammation and was taken to a local doctor for treatment. However, the doctor who treated her used the wrong medicine and she became totally and permanently blind because of his carelessness. Interviewed years later, Fanny Crosby said she harbored no bitterness against the physician. In fact, she once said, "If I could meet him now, I would say thank you, over and over again for making me blind." She felt that her blindness was a gift from God to help her write the hymns that flowed from her pen. How could Fanny Crosby, blinded by a tragic failure of a careless doctor –still be filled with such joy and power in her songs? She kept her heart focused on God. She looked up toward God rather than around at her disability and weaknesses.
(SOURCE: Jeff Strite in "We’ve Got A Secret" on www.sermoncentral.com. Contributed by SermonCentral PRO)
This is a difficult teaching to understand and somewhat intimidating to live out. However, the Bible teaches and human experience verifies that those who wait upon the Lord will find new strength. When Paul and Silas were thrown into prison they focused on prayer and praise of almighty God. They did not focus on their situation. They did not complain and ask God to deliver them.
Most people think of prayer as asking of God. That is a part of prayer. However, the most beneficial aspect of prayer is prayer and praise that gives to God and expects nothing in return. The prayer that changes hearts is prayer and praise that focuses on God. Such prayer is life changing. Our lives need to be centered in God and His son Jesus Christ.
Several years ago Russ Taff wrote a song that expresses this thought.
"When you’re up against a struggle that shatters all your dreams
And your hopes have been cruelly crushed by Satan’s manifested schemes
And you feel the urge within you to submit to earthly fears
Don’t let the faith your standing in seem to disappear
(Chorus)
Praise the Lord -- He will work for those who praise Him
Praise the Lord -- for our God inhabits praise
Praise the Lord -- for those chains that seem to bind you
Serve only to remind you
That they dropped powerless behind you
When you praise Him."
Our spiritual heritage in missions traces back to Adoniram Judson who lived from 1788-1850. Judson lived the suffering life of the apostle Paul. He was one of the first to bring the Christian message to the Burmese. When war broke out with England, the Burmese arrested Judson because being light-skinned and English-speaking, he looked and talked like the enemy. He was force-marched barefoot for eight miles to prison where each night the guards passed a bamboo pole between his heavily shackled legs and hoisted the lower part of his body high off the ground. Blood rushed to his head, preventing sleep and causing fierce cramps in his shoulders and back. Clouds of mosquitoes feasted on the raw flesh of his feet and legs. Treatment like this went on for almost two years, and Judson managed to endure only because his devoted wife brought him food each day and pled with the guards for better treatment. A few months after his release, Judson’s wife, weakened by smallpox, died of fever, and shortly after that their baby daughter also died. Judson nearly had a breakdown. He would kneel by his wife’s grave for hours each day, regardless of weather. He built a one-room hut in the jungle, morosely dug his own grave in case it might prove necessary, and worked in solitude on a translation of the Bible in the Burmese language. Only a handful of Burmese had shown any interest in the Christian message. Yet he stayed on, 34 years in all, and because of his faithfulness more than 1 million Burmese Christians today trace their spiritual roots to Adoniram Judson. The dictionary he compiled, now nearly 200 years old, remains the official dictionary of Myanmar. (Yancey, Rumors) Why would someone choose to do that? Why would anyone choose to follow a God that promises hardship? It means purity in a world of lust. It means honesty in a world of getting ahead by cheating. It means sacrifice and putting others first and humbling yourself to apologize for doing wrong. We choose to follow Christ because hardships are not permanent; they are temporary. Our God defeated death. He has promised to take us to heaven. He has promised to make us like Jesus.
(Contributed to Sermon Central by Ed Sasnett)
Adoniram Judson focused on God’s will and God’s way. That thought sustained him through those trials.
