This sermon was delivered to St Oswald’s in Maybole,
Ayrshire, Scotland on the 21st September 2014
(a Scottish Episcopal Church in the Dioceses of Glasgow and Dumfries).
Summary: Dilemma are part of our very being; and a dilemma will change your life. So it is vital we select the winning path. How do we do it: Read on.
Exodus 16:2-15 Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45 Philippians 1:21-30 Matthew 20:1-16
“Please join me in my prayer.” Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of our hearts, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength, and our redeemer. Amen. (Ps. 19:14)
Philippians 1:21-30
For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again.
Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, and are in no way intimidated by your opponents.
For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God's doing. For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well-- since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I still have".
Introduction:
What a week this has been, the big election for Scottish independance. Up until this week, I had my mind made up, but towards the end I suddenly realised how serious this election was; and for some reason I became worried as after Thursday, life for us will change.
I have been taking services here for quite a while as you know, and I love it, but have you noticed, I have never discussed politics in my sermons … and today is no exception, I hope I never will.
Why, because I believe that what ever bunch of jokers that is running our country, our Lord is so far above them, and that they at their best, can never be compared to his majesty. And this is good news for us, because it means that Jesus is the Lord of all Lords, and regardless of what government we are under, he is still Lord over all.
This however did not stop us voting this week as responsible citizens, because we were duty bound to vote, and to do so, we had to weigh up both sides of the arguments and decide for ourselves … and this for many was difficult … we were stuck between a rock and a hard place … stuck between two possibilities where the argument could go either way; we were stuck with a dilemma.
Now there are many kinds of dilemmas. Some dilemmas are known as geographical dilemmas because they occur when we want to be in two places at the same time. For example, we maybe love where we have been living for years, but moving would mean a well earned promotion and raise in salary, not to mention the opportunity to make new friends and enjoy some much-needed changes … but then again, leaving would be difficult as we would be leaving friends and family behind. Neither situation is then ideal, both have their benefits, but both have their drawbacks.
There are also emotional dilemmas, these are even more intense; and these take place when we have a strong emotional attachment to something. For example, we know what it is like to have a pet …a cat or dog for instance that we get attached to … then as the years go on, the pet becomes slower as it ages, and we feel for it, forcing us into the dilemma of either spending thousands on vet bills hoping the animal will recover … or do we put the animal to sleep to save it from its suffering. This is difficult decision … an emotional dilemma.
So whenever we are faced with a dilemma, we are pulled in two different directions at the same time. We feel the strain, and we never quite know what is the best thing to do; … regardless of our age and experience.
I. Paul’s Personal Dilemma
All of this was an introduction to our New Testament reading this morning where the apostle Paul was under house arrest, a prisoner of Rome … and if you are familiar with the book of Philippians, you will know that Paul reacted positively to his circumstances and wrote a joyful letter of encouragement to his brethren in Philippi. In fact, the Philippian letter is best summed up in chapter 4, verse 4: "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!"
But even with such a positive attitude, Paul admitted that he had a dilemma of his own. Verse 21 "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, it will mean fruit from my labour; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart … and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful to you."
There is no doubt that Paul’s dearest friend here was Jesus himself. No one else meant more to him; and so the thought of being with him brought him this great joy. What a dilemma, to live with Christ, or do his bidding here on this earth.
Let us now take a look at those two choices and notice some of the benefits and hindrances of both.
A. To Depart
Verse 22 again, "having a desire to depart … and be with Christ", the Greek word that Paul uses for depart is the word that would have been used for a person striking camp, loosening the tent ropes, pulling up the stakes and moving on. It is the same word that would been used to describe a sailor loosening the mooring ropes on a ship, pulling up the anchors and setting sail. One of Paul’s choices was to pull up his anchor, and sail towards his Lord. … In other words, he wanted to die.
So what were the benefits of him dying? Well for a start, Paul would be with his Lord almost instantly. He would be free from the hassles of this earth … free from its limitations … and frustrations. He would be in that place as described in Revelation 21:4, "where shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things are passed away." At the point of death, Paul would immediately experience uninterrupted joy, and the joy of unending pleasure in the most perfect of places.
Ok, but what were the liabilities of dying? Well Paul would have to leave many behind … many whom he loved, and many who needed his advice and teachings on spiritual growth. He would also not be able to share the gospel with the non believers … and his evangelical ministry would cease instantly. So, as good as death may have been an option, it wasn’t without its liabilities.
B. To Remain
On the other hand, if Paul remains on earth, his ministry would continue, and many would be blessed; the benefits being obvious … and his vision of reaching a world for Christ would continue to keep the fires of evangelism going everywhere he went … including his writing ministry which we read from this morning.
The downside to this is that he would remain absent from his heavenly home. His pain, whatever that was, would only increase … and after all that he had been though, there would be more suffering and more persecution. Who would what that? Paul here needed some relief.
II. Making the Choice
Now you might think that Paul was mature enough to make this decision … after all, he was a strong in the Lord … but, according to his own words, he admitted, "Yet what I shall choose … I cannot tell." He says, in essence, "I don’t know what to do." Both choices were logical … and neither would be wrong … both had positive benefits … both had their down falls. This was a real life and death dilemma for Paul … but he decided in the proper way … he let the Lord decide.
This is the whole point of today's sermon, that when we arrive at such dilemmas, and we will … dilemmas that we are unable to work out, we to must take them to the Lord. James in his epistle chapter 1 verse 5 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom...", and wisdom is nothing more than the ability to make right decisions, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally … and without reproach, … and it will be given to him." And God is the best person to ask as Isaiah chapter 55 verse 8 says: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways’, says the Lord. ’For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."
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And so to move onto Mark 14, where we read about a dilemma faced by Jesus himself … in the Garden of Gethsemane … where his dilemma was to either avoid the forthcoming pain and shame, leaving humanity with no hope of salvation, and flee ... or … should he submit willingly to his accusers?
With hindsight, it is obvious what the right thing to do was, but if we were in that position, if it was us that were to be crucified, I don't think the solution would be that obvious. But it was this dilemma that made Jesus pray in Mark 14:32, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me; … nevertheless, not what I will … but what you will."
On the one hand Jesus wanted to die for the sins of the world, but on the other hand … dreading the pain and suffering … Jesus wanted to run. But in the end, Jesus didn’t make the decision himself, he allowed his Father to make it for him. "Not what I will, but what you will", in submission to him.
And it was because he looked to his Father, that he endured and passed every temptation, including death … the severest of all. This is so important to remember, because everybody, at sometimes in their lives, faces temptation … or trials … and the heartaches that threaten to overwhelm them … yet in the midst of such difficult times, when even our closest friends like Job can do nothing to help ... the Lord is there to help. Acts 20:32 says "And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified". And that is us, and God is looking after us, we who are his own. A favourite verse of mine in 2Corinthians 9:8 goes onto say "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work".
God therefore expects every Christians to approach him, in such times of difficulty, in direct intimate communion, in intense prayer, so that he can provide the strength we need to meet our needs.
Jesus’ ministry began and ended with relentless temptation directly by Satan. When he went into the wilderness for forty days and forty nights … tempted by Satan … he responded with scripture. … On his last night, while agonized in the garden of Garden of Gethsemane, the devil again tempted him to run and again this time he responded by praying earnestly to his Father. The two weapons Jesus used therefore when he facing difficult dilemmas were scripture and prayer; two weapons the Lord encourages us to use, and two weapons the devil hates.
There’s no way we can over-emphasize the importance of prayer; and it is truly amazing how much peace comes when we put the pressure on God’s shoulders, and leave the responsibility with him.
Paul says later in his letter to the Philippians in chapter 4, verse 6, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving … let your requests be made known to God; … and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." You can sum this passage up in six words: "Worry about nothing, Pray about everything."
This is obvious to us, but there aren’t many people willing to turn the reins over to God because it requires humility. That’s right, strength through humility again. 1st Peter 5 verse 6 says, "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him … for he cares for you.".
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This is extremely difficult for some people, myself included … but we must learn to do it. We need to force ourselves, to lay our cares on the Lord; to leave the problems at his door; to let him solve the problems for us. That is what Jesus and Paul did, and after all, we are reading their testimonies, there are not many people reading ours.
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So what was Paul’s final decision? Verse 25, "And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all … for your progress and joy of faith … that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again." Somehow the Lord made it clear to Paul that his plan was to have him remain and to continue what he was doing. Even though departing would have brought him instant relief and rewards for a job well done, Paul accepted God’s decision … and unselfishly pressed on.
Conclusion.
Making decisions in the midst of dilemmas forces us to rethink our priorities; and there is nothing quite like a dilemma to force us to consider what we find essential in life. This is good, because when we know ourselves, we can know what is truly important to us … enabling us to make decisions for the future.
And when life gets so bad … and it will … when we are forced into life changing dilemmas that we would rather not … that is when we need to reconsider the importance of Jesus in our lives … and the different voices competing for our attention … most of which are confusing enough for us … to throw our faith to the wind and look out for number one; but ultimately, this easier path … will lead to disillusionment and disappointment.
I therefore want to challenge you, (and myself too), to keep an eternal perspective, even though we are in the minority … even though we may be surrounded by success-oriented people … who are urging us to ignore our consciences, and grab all we can get … because if we want real, lasting joy, then we need to put God first and be willing to do whatever he wants … for his glory, … and ultimately ours.
I just want to finish with this quote from the Christian author Max Lucado: "We cannot choose the weather. We can’t control the economy. We can’t choose whether or not we are born with a big nose or blue eyes or a lot of hair. We can’t even choose how people respond to us. But we can choose where we spend eternity. The big choice, God leaves to us." Amen, Let us pray.
Father we thank you for Jesus, we thank you that he submitted to your will and died on the cross all those years ago so that we may receive your salvation.
Father we do not like dilemmas, but we accept that they are part of life; so father strengthen us to look to you at every opportunity, to see the world as you see it, to do the things you want us to do, so that we become tuned to into your voice, so when dilemmas come, we are already waiting your advice to over come.
Father we know that your voice can also be heard in your word; so give us today a thirst to read your word with joy and an anticipation that your word is the answer and solution to all our prayers.
Father we thank you that you hear our prayer, we thank you that you do listen to us, and answer us, even though we are impatient and usually thinking of ourselves. Father give us therefore a revelation of your world, of how you see things, and of how you want us to be part of your almighty plan.
Father we pray also for Alan Smith and his congregation, whose inspiration helped me start this complex sermon.
Father we ask in your almighty name. Amen
Note to the reader:
If you have been blessed by this sermon, or any of my sermons, I would be greatly honoured to receive an e-mail from you saying so; I like so many others need encouragement.
I often feel that to deliver a sermon one time to my congregation is such a waste; where as many more could be blessed by its message, after all, it is not for my glory but for his. I would therefore like my sermons to bless more people, preferably internationally and not only in a small part, of a small country called Scotland.
Simply let me know where you are in the world … and any other information you may want to share or be prayed for. I would also take it as a compliment for you to use my sermons in order to bless others in his almighty name. I do not even need acknowledged, but he does, and I will receive a blessing directly from him.
Thank you for taking the time to read, and I wish you "all the best" as we say in Scotland … and I pray that your endeavours in the Lord are equally blessed. Yours in Christ, Gordon McCulloch, Scotland.
Compiled By: Gordon McCulloch (Worship Leader),
St Oswalds Episcopal Church,
Maybole. Ayrshire.
Scotland. UK
KA19 8KF
E-Mail: gccmcculloch @ aol.com or through Sermon Central
