Pray
Father,
Open my eyes so I can see Your truth.
Open my ears so I can hear Your voice.
Open my mind so I can understand Your Word.
And open my heart so I may receive all that You want me to receive.
AMEN
I think we all know and understand that being a child of God does not automatically excuse you from difficult circumstances and situations.
Obviously the Missouri River flood of 2011 is a case in point.
There is not one person here who has not been affected by this event. Maybe your house is in the flood area, a friend’s home, family member, maybe your business; we have all been touched by this event.
Many within our church family have been filling sand bags, building levees, moving furniture, and providing food and water.
Our church family has ministered to at least 30 different families across Bismarck and Mandan.
I am so proud of this body of believers for being the hands of God throughout this crisis.
By sacrificing your time, talents, and resources this past week you have sown seeds to please the Spirit of God.
The Apostle Paul talks about reaping and sowing in the book of Galatians.
7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 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. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:7-10
If we are sowing seeds of destruction we can expect destruction because we are treating God with contempt.
If we are investing all we have to help others and make a positive difference then you are going to reap a huge reward from God.
Our salvation is provided to us through Jesus Christ. That is not the reward I am talking about. You cannot buy your salvation by sowing good deeds, but you can expect God’s blessings. Some of those blessings you may see here on earth and some of those blessing you will see when we get to heaven.
Our souls are bought by Christ but our actions are not irrelevant. There is eternal, living value in the good that you do.
Therefore, do not become weary in the good that you are doing for you are making a difference and you will reap a harvest if we continue on.
I believe it will be a harvest of God’s goodness, God’s presence, God’s provision, God’s strength, and God’s peace. I also believe that if the church sows seeds of righteousness during this time we will also see some who have no church home and some who have not accepted Jesus as their Savior come to know Him.
The fact is, this is a bad situation and it is going to continue to be a bad situation for some time.
Bad situations happen all the time.
Sometimes we bring them on ourselves.
Sort of like this fellow who filed the following insurance report. He was a brick layer and had an accident on the job.
He wrote, “on the date of the accident I was working alone on the roof of a new 6 story building. When I completed my work I discovered that I had a large pile of bricks left over. Instead of carrying them down by hand I decided to lower them in a barrel using a pulley that was in place.
I secured the rope at ground level and then went back to the roof and swung the barrel out and loaded it with the bricks. I went to the ground level and untied the rope, holding it so I could ensure a slow descent of the bricks.
Please notice in block 2 of the accident report form that I weigh 200 pounds. The bricks, I was soon to discover weighed 500 pounds. My weight was not enough to keep me on the ground and at that moment I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I proceeded up the side of the building at rapid rate of speed.
At about the third floor I met the barrel of bricks coming down. This explains my fractured skull and broken collar bone. This collision slowed me down a little but I did continue to the top of the building where my right hand was jammed into the pulley thus explaining my 3 broken fingers.
Fortunately I was able to hold on to the rope.
At the same time I reached the top floor the bricks reached ground level, tearing the bottom from the barrel causing all the bricks to spill out on the ground. The barrel now void of the weight of the bricks was unable to keep me in place on the 6th floor.
As you might imagine, I began a rather rapid descent down the side of the building. In the vicinity of the 3rd floor I met the barrel on its way up. This explains my broken ankle and lacerations on the left side of my body.
This encounter with the barrel slowed me down enough to minimize the injuries when I landed on the pile of bricks. As I lay on the pile of bricks, I am sorry to say that I again lost my presence of mind and let go of the rope. The empty barrel came back down upon me thus explaining my broken arms.
Here is a man who had a bad day because he wanted to make his job easier.
Whether it is a situation such as this man’s or something like a major illness or natural disasters such as this flood or tornados or earthquakes bad situations happen. We could name hundreds of situations that naturally happen and hundreds that are made because of our actions, the fact is they happen.
And the question is what are we going to make out of these bad situations? To answer that question we turn to the book of Philippians. The Apostle Paul’s book of joy.
12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me. Phil. 1:12-26
There is another very important verse in Philippians that says, “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again, rejoice!” Philippians 4:4
Paul had seen it all and done it all. He had experienced abundant wealth and excruciating poverty and everything in between.
At the time of this writing Paul was in prison. He was there because he was preaching about Jesus Christ.
He was in a bad situation for about 2 years.
But here is the thing with Paul and this is what we need to learn, Paul was not as concerned with his current circumstances as he was with how he handled them.
We may not be suffering in prison like Paul was suffering but I think we can all agree that there are plenty of opportunities for us to become discouraged.
Times of indecision, times of financial burdens, family conflicts, loss of jobs, illnesses, injuries, floods, severe weather and the list goes on.
What is important and what God wants us to understand and the point that Paul is making is how we handle the bad times and how we react when we are faced with a bad situation.
How we act in difficult circumstances will reflect what we believe as Christians.
Every time, in every situation good or bad, Paul looked for ways to demonstrate his faith in Jesus Christ.
It is not a question of why does God allow these things to happen? but rather it is a question of what am I going to do with this situation?
I see four benefits in the Word of God for us when bad situations happen. They can be found in Philippians, the Gospels, and James.
1. Bad situations take our eyes off our earthly comforts.
Paul was in prison. Paul was a very smart man and he was wealthy in social privileges. Little is known about Paul when he was Saul, but it is likely that he was well to do as where most all the Pharisees and scholars of his time.
There are some Bible scholars today who contend that Paul was the rich young ruler in Jesus talked to in Mark 10.
When Paul gave his heart to Christ he turned his attention away from the earthly comforts that this world has to offer and he turned his attention to the one from who our comforts come, Jesus Christ.
That is where our eyes need to be focused. On Jesus Christ and the salvation that He has provided for us.
Because of Christ we can have a relationship with our heavenly Father and we can reap the blessings that come from being His children.
2. Bad situations weed out superficial believers.
It takes a real man and a real woman to live for God. No matter what Paul was going through he was going to rejoice and live his life for Christ.
A good example of this is found in the story of the rich young ruler.
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” 20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Mark 10:17-22
Jesus asked this young man to give up everything which would have caused a very difficult time for him. Even though he had been following God’s Law his whole life and doing what he was supposed to do, when it came time for him to make a decision to follow Christ, he could not do it.
3. Bad situations can strengthen the faith of those who endure the trial. Even if the situation doesn’t improve.
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. James 1:2-3
It was for this very reason that Paul was able to say, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
Remember, Paul was in jail at this time and he was going to rejoice and his faith was going to be strengthened.
Paul always realized that God’s love would and could sustain him through any circumstance in life.
No matter how hard the trials that were sent by Satan and allowed by God, he continued to give thanks and continued to give God praise even in the middle of some extremely difficult circumstances. And each time his faith grew stronger and stronger as did his resolve to share the Gospel message with the lost.
4. Lastly, if we can come through the bad situations of this life with our eyes on Jesus, our message, our example, and our testimony will serve as an example to others and will lead them to the cross and a personal relationship with God the Father.
Paul said, “Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.”
Phil 1:12
And he said, “Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.” Phil 1:14
Because of Paul’s bad situation, the Gospel message was being preached and people were coming to know God. They were learning about the gifts of forgiveness and salvation and eternal life. They were learning about the blessings of being a child of God.
Why? Because Paul was focused on Christ.
“21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;”
We need to have that same commitment as well no matter what circumstance or trial we are going through.
One of the main responsibilities that we have as God’s children is to reproduce other believers. That is why Paul said in Philippians 1:27, “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”
No matter what we go through we need to stay focused on the One who made it all possible Jesus Christ for when we do, we will make a difference.
What are you going to make out of a bad situation?
John Wesley said, “If you catch on fire for God people will come and watch you burn.”
During this difficult time people are going to watch you. And if you can live your life for God with your eyes on Jesus and come through this trial with your head held high and your faith stronger than ever then others who are going through the trial will want what you have.
They will want to know how you can go through a bad situation and have such a strong faith in God.
The people of Bismarck and Mandan are watching.
And if you can you can allow your flame to ignite them then we are going to really make a difference.
Wesley also said, “Give me 100 men on fire for God and we will change the world.”
I submit to you today, that if the people of PFC can be this contagious and can change our world.
We have the potential to bring to Christ. But it all depends upon what each one of us is going to make out of the bad situations that happen in this life.
What are you going to make out of a bad situation?
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