Title: Life is Difficult
Series: TRUTHS We Must Believe #4
CHCC: August 26, 2012
John 16:33; Galatians 6:7-8
INTRODUCTION:
In this series on TRUTHS we must believe, we’ve examined 3 truths so far: To err is human; You can’t please everyone; and last week Ronnie talked about the truth that You are entrusted; not entitled. This is the last sermon in the series, and we’re going to look at a truth that … when you first hear it … can seem kind of depressing: Life is Difficult.
Does the name Vinko Bogataj ring a bell? No? Well, if you’re over 30 you’ve probably seen him on TV … and what you’ve seen was the worst moment of his life. See if you can finish this phrase from ABC’s intro to Wide World of Sports: “The thrill of victory … and the … (agony of defeat)”
They used that intro for decades, and every time the announcer said, “The agony of defeat” they showed an Olympic ski-jumper wiping out in an incredible head over heels fall. That was Vinko Bogataj. He was a world-class athlete – he went on to live a quiet life with his family, painting and carving wood. Over all he had a very successful life. But Vinko Bogataj is NOT famous for the thrill of victory --- he’s known for the agony of defeat!
Just about everyone has an agony of defeat story to tell. That time when everything fell apart all at once. That most embarrassing moment. That huge disappointment. We shouldn’t be surprised when we have tough times, but we usually are. We love the thrill of victory! But the agony of defeat ---not so much!
The TRUTH is, God never promised us an easy life. You can go all the way back to Genesis 3:17-19 and read: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil shall you eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground; For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” Does that sound like the easy life?
Thousands of years later, the wisest man on earth – Solomon – observed, “All things are wearisome, more than one can say.” Ecclesiastes 1:8
Every time I get on this particular topic, it brings back fond memories of a little song I used to sing to my girls any time they complained, “That’s not fair.”
“Who ever told you that life is fair,
Whoever told you that life is fair,
Wake up and grow up, It’s tough out there!
Who ever told you that Life is fair” (unpublished by Ed Skidmore) They loved it of course.
My Christian friends from India or Africa or Russia don’t seem to have any trouble remembering that Life is Difficult. But here in America we’ve developed so many ways to make life comfortable that it’s fairly easy to start thinking life is always, always supposed to be perfect.
Have you noticed that when you’re eating out in a restaurant, the Waiter will often stop by and ask, “Is everything okay?” I always feel like saying, “What do you mean, is everything okay?! Have you ever heard of the Middle East? Don’t you read the newspapers? Do you know what the national debt is?” The truth is that … in this world … everything’s NOT okay.
In Matthew 6:34, Jesus said, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
On the one hand, we all know we live in a world where every day is going to have its share of trouble. But on the other hand, we somehow believe we’re supposed to be immune from the troubles that other people go through. For a Christian, there can be some serious consequences when we don’t remember the simple TRUTH that “life is difficult.” When tragedy or disappointment hits us, we can feel like God has forsaken us.
1. God will never forsake you
Hebrews 13:5 assures us, God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Jesus explicitly told us, “In this life you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
And yet we act like we have some sort of contract with God: “I’ll do this and that … and in return you protect me from troubles.” Almost like a pay-off for mob protection.
Our connection with God is not a cold contract --- it’s a loving relationship. It’s a freely chosen commitment based on love … much like a marriage. All the vows – for richer for poorer; for better for worse; in sickness and in health - These vows describe our relationship with God. When bad times come, God hasn’t forsaken us, and we shouldn’t forsake Him! God has already chosen us --- the only question is, will we choose Him – for better or worse.
The 2012 Olympics gave a great illustration of how Christians can trust God in the thrill of victory AND the agony of defeat. If you watched the Olympics, you probably saw Gabby Douglas’s big smile. When she won the Individual Gold in gymnastics. She said, “I give all the glory to God. It’s a win-win situation. The glory goes up to Him, and all the blessings fall down on me.”
She praised God publicly in the “thrill of victory.” You may NOT have heard about another Olympian who praised God in “the agony of defeat.” Ryan Hall failed to finish the Olympic Marathon race when he pulled a hamstring on the final day.
But look at what he “tweeted” the very next morning on his official Twitter page: "God is so good. My circumstances have the possibility of shifting my perception of His goodness … but His goodness never changes.” And Ryan is already looking ahead to his next race.
Which leads to another problem we run into when we don’t believe the TRUTH that life is difficult – We’ll want to just give up and quit. I remember feeling that way back in my first year of ministry after college. Finances were super tight – We were going deeper in the hole each month with 12% inflation. We discovered some people in that church weren’t in agreement with having a full-time youth minister in the first place. We were going nowhere fast.
That December a couple of guys came into town to lead music for a youth convention. They stayed with us in our apartment. I started telling them about our woes. I was expecting the usual empathetic, “I know, ain’t it awful” kind of response.
But one of them said something I’ve never forgotten. He said, “Ed, God never called you to a life of comfort or convenience. He called you to serve him, and if that means pain or misery, so be it. That is the nature of ministry. So tough up and meet it head on.”
Well, that changed my tune, and my perspective on almost everything. I was a rooky minister who needed a moment of reality from a mentor who reminded me of TRUTH. He said just what I needed to hear.
Whenever I start feeling like giving up now, a scripture in Galatians 6:9 comes to mind: " Let us not grow weary in doing what is good, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing … if we do not lose heart." If we keep trusting and keep working, we will get the pay-off one day … because the verses right before that one tells us we will always reap what we sow.
2. You reap what you sow
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” Galatians 6:7-8
This passage not only spells out the TRUTH, it also gives a hint as to the reason behind the truth. Sowing to the flesh leads to corruption, but sowing to the Spirit leads to everlasting life. The sad truth is that many sow their wild oats and then turn around and pray for crop failure. We want to be the one who got away with something --- but ultimately, that is not the way the story is going to turn out.
Recently, I discovered a show on TV called “I almost got away with it.” I watched a couple of episodes, and sure enough, the word “almost” in the title was true … every time. The phrase, “I almost got away with it.” has a rather hollow sound to it. So why do we keep on pretending we won’t reap what we sow?
• We eat a gallon of our favorite ice cream and hope the numbers on the scale won’t change.
• We charge big ticket items on our credit card and hope the MasterCard people will forget to bill us at the end of the month.
• We live like couch potatoes and expect our bodies to remain firm. We ignore our kids and hope they will grow up to be mature adults.
• We race down the highway like a bat out of hell and hope there are no unmarked cars watching.
In dozens of ways we act like somehow we can avoid the obvious consequences of our actions.
The TRUTH is that many of our current troubles are simply the long term reaping of unhealthy thoughts or actions we have sown. We wind up being our own worst enemies every time we sow to the flesh. We continue with wrong thoughts and actions and then we’re shocked when we reap painful and corrupted outcomes.
The flip side of this truth is equally valid. Each of us can sow positive thoughts and actions and reap healthy consequences.
• A person can sow healthy exercise habits that will reap the benefits of physical health.
• We can sow right thoughts and actions and reap blessings.
The challenge of living by the TRUTH is to make sure we sow to the spirit and then wait with confidence for the harvest of blessing.
CONCLUSION:
When it comes to TRUTH, it’s never enough to give mere intellectual assent. TRUTH must be believed deep down in our souls. Our faith in God’s truth needs to be unequivocal and unwavering faith … 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
When it comes to what we REALLY believe, our actions are the proof of the pudding. It doesn’t help to SAY we believe something. TRUTH must be lived out in our daily lives.
Jesus said, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” To what truths have you committed yourself? How are you daily proving them to be true in your own life? In what ways is God setting you free from the lies that used to hold you captive?
Let’s give God our deepest gratitude for the truths He has placed within us. And more than anything we can give thanks for Jesus, who embodies TRUTH. He is the way, the truth and the life. The way to the Father is through Jesus alone. And THAT’s the TRUTH.
