What’s the Point?
1 Corinthian 15:58
Do you ever get discouraged? Do you ever get to the stage that you cry out to no one in particular, but to everyone, and say “What’s the point!” Have you reached that moment in time where you just wonder “Why bother?”
I daresay that everyone in here today has sometime or other asked those questions. Perhaps even more than once.
We all get tired and discouraged and wonder what purpose we serve in the grand scheme of things. It seems as if no one listens to you: children, spouse or parents.
At work you seem to do the same thing day in and day out. Sometimes, the job can be very boring. You take this part and attach it to that part and pass it down to the next person. And start all over again with a new part. . . for eight hours a day. . . 5 days a week. You say to yourself there has got to be more to life than this!
At school you sit there and listen to the teacher drone on and on and on. You ask yourself why must I sit there and take notes on a subject you have no interest in and seemingly has no purpose in your life plans?
What about your faith? You go to church every week and listen to the preacher talk about someone you have never seen. The preacher waxes eloquently about this person coming back to earth to take you home with him. Just like you have heard preached for the last dozen years or so. Or more accurately for some church members, the same sermon spoken by a long list of preachers over the last 30, 40 or 50 years.
You ask yourself: what is the point? Is he ever coming back? Why are we here?
Aye, there are many reasons to get discouraged. At home,
At work,
At school,
Even at church.
But there is a difference in being discouraged and in being defeated. When you are discouraged you can get back up, dust yourself off and carry on. You are open minded and willing to look for something to encourage you to keep going.
However, when you are defeated there is no hope.
There is nothing to encourage you.
You have no desire to look.
You have no desire to get up.
You have no desire to fight. It drives you to do nothing, but sit there and wallow in your misery.
Look around you, in this sanctuary right now are fighters. You have come back this week to listen once more to a sermon about someone you have never seen. About someone who claims he will return for you. Some of you have been coming back for years, decades even. You may have been discouraged, but you keep coming back because you have hope and faith. You are not defeated.
You may feel like you are in a small minority. You may feel like there are many that no longer care about their faith and religion. You may have seen family members, loved ones and friends that have given up, but you still care. You still have hope. You still have faith. You still cling to the knowledge that you are a child of the Lord and he will not abandon you.
Being alive and being a Christian is like riding on a huge roller coaster. There are going to be many highs and lows in this life. Sometimes, life seems to crawl along. Other times we are whipped around seemingly about to fall over the edge. Why? What is the point in being mistreated like this?
Discouragement and defeat comes from Satan. Hope, belief and faith comes from the Lord. We are not perfect. We are human. We are also the battlefield for our hearts and minds. Satan will throw everything and anything at us to not only discourage us, but more importantly, to defeat us. Satan wants more than anything to assure himself that we will be an ineffective witness of God’s love.
We must be aware that there will be times that we are discouraged. And that is okay, as long as we get back up and go back to work for God. We should never give up. We should never back down. We should never get defeated or hopeless. If we do then Satan has won.
We look around today and we see a lot of empty seats. Should we be discouraged by this? Should we think that since we are few in number there isn’t much we can do? Do we think we are outnumbered, undermanned and outmatched for our calling? Remember, God doesn’t need much to accomplish much. With only 300 men Gideon defeated the Midianite army. With just Moses, Aaron and a few priests, God rescued over a million Hebrews from Pharoah’s army at the parting of the Red Sea. With just twelve men, God spread Christianity around the known world in just a few decades.
Do you persist in feeling alone? If so, you are in good company. After all, even Elijah felt alone at times.
1Ki 19:14 And he said, I have been very zealous for Jehovah, the God of Hosts, because the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, have thrown down Your altars, and have slain Your prophets with the sword. And I, I alone, am left. And they seek to take my life away.
How did God respond to Elijah’s discouragement? God let him know that he wasn’t all alone. There were still people left on the earth that were zealous for God. Indeed, God told him there were still 7,000 people that had not turned away from God.
Yes, we may feel alone and discouraged sometimes. We may feel that we are one of only a few people that really care about this church, this faith. However, we should also remember that logically there are billions of people on this earth and surely there are some that still believe like we do.
Certainly, this church may have lost some members and may not be growing as fast as we like. But, we are not the only church in this faith. This church continues to grow around the world. When I was a teenager, there were only 1.5 million Adventist’s world wide. Today, forty years later, there are over 18 million Adventist’s world-wide. Yes, we are not alone in our belief and we will not be defeated. So, look around you. We may not have the numbers to fill up this sanctuary, but we are still strong in our faith and belief in the Lord.
Remember, Christ promised that the Gates of Hell will not prevail over this faith. Remember, also while Paul sat in prison he could still encourage Timothy to press on and keep working for the Lord.
Turn with me to 1 Timothy 1:17
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
1Ti 1:18 This charge I commit to you, my son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before about you, in order that you might war a good warfare by them,
1Ti 1:19 holding faith and a good conscience, which some have put away and made shipwreck as to faith.
Sometimes people become discouraged because they feel their efforts are in vain. They do not see an immediate response from their work. Or, they believe no one recognizes their efforts.
Ellen G White talks about this in My Life Today pg 99:
There are those who attempt to ascend the ladder of Christian progress; but as they advance, they begin to put their trust in the power of man, and soon lose sight of Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith. The result is failure--the loss of all that has been gained. Sad indeed is the condition of those who, becoming weary of the way, allow the enemy of souls to rob them of the Christian graces. {ML 99.2}
There are some things we do that might bear immediate recognition such as cutting the grass or trimming the bushes. There are other things we do that may not show immediate results such as giving Bible studies.
Sometimes the work we do for the church and the hours we spend doing it are known by only a few. I am sure that if you ask Maxine how many hours she spends a month handling the church finances and paying the bills you would be amazed. Or how many hours a week Helen spends in the church office answering phones, creating the bulletins each week and doing chores for the Pastor. These are not jobs that lend themselves to public acclamation. But they are necessary to the function and continuity of God’s work. I doubt that Maxine or Helen are looking for praise.
God does see their efforts and will reward them in due time. God sees all that we do whether good or bad. Even though you may not receive recognition for your efforts, God does notice and records your faithfulness. And your faithlessness. God sees your sacrifices for your faith and your church. We must remember why we do what we do in the church. If you are doing it for recognition then you shouldn’t be here.
Matthew 6:19-21 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust spoils, and where thieves dig through and steal;
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust spoils, and where thieves do not dig through nor steal; 21 for where thy treasure is, there will be also thy heart.
We should be encouraged that we will receive our reward for all we have done in this life. Be assured that though man may not see your faith in action, God does.
Do you feel that your work for God is ineffective? Do you think you work in vain? That you are not making any progress? Have you given a Bible Study only to have the person you spent all those hours with say “Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll stick with my church.” It is hard sometimes to put many, many hours into something and see no appreciable progress or success for your efforts. It can be so discouraging to try really hard to reach someone, but seemingly not get your message across. It is especially discouraging when it is a loved one.
We have to remember that effectiveness is not measured by the number of people spoken too or converted. Nor, is it measured by the number of hours we spend at church or in church work. Neither is it measured by the numbers of literature handed out.
You see, we are called to be faithful. We are not necessarily called to be successful. Our job is to be a witness for God. We are to lay the ground work, to prepare the field. Then we leave the rest up to God. He causes the rain to fall. He sends the Holy Spirit to influence a person’s decision making. We can not make people faithful. We can not make the decision for them. People have to make their own choices. Very frustrating I know, to invest time and effort and see no progress.
1 Corinthians 3:6-10 6 I have planted; Apollos watered; but God has given the increase. 7 So that neither the planter is anything, nor the waterer; but God the giver of the increase. 8But the planter and the waterer are one; but each shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 9For we are God's fellow-workmen; ye are God's husbandry, God's building. 10 According to the grace of God which has been given to me, as a wise architect, I have laid the foundation, but another builds upon it. But let each see how he builds upon it.
God is the one who causes things to grow and that includes faith. We are His servants. You might even say that we do not even have the right to be upset and think we are not effective. We may never know if the seeds we plant are fertile. We may never know if the seed have fallen on good soil or rocky soil. And that should be okay for us. As long as we faithfully witness and make the effort to spread the Word of God, we shall be rewarded. That is all we can ask for.
Isaiah 55:11 tells us:
11 so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall do that which I please, and it shall accomplish that for which I send it.
Indeed, let us not forget that one cannot be successful in everything. Noah spent 120 years building the ark. In that he was successful. He also preached the Word of God during that time and warned people about the flood to come. In the end, only his family walked up the ramp with him. Noah, was diligent and faithful, but was not successful in everything he did.
Look at Jonah. He wasn’t very faithful. He wasn’t very diligent. Yet, he was able to help 120,000 people to repent. Much to his sorrow. Was he successful because he was a better preacher than Noah?
Ellen G White reminds us in Christ’s Object Lessons page 65:
The good seed may for a time lie unnoticed in a cold, selfish, worldly heart, giving no evidence that it has taken root; but afterward, as the Spirit of God breathes on the soul, the hidden seed springs up, and at last bears fruit to the glory of God. In our lifework we know not which shall prosper, this or that. This is not a question for us to settle. We are to do our work, and leave the results with God.
Ms. White is telling us to always look forward. To always anticipate success because we leave everything in God’s hands. Do not linger on the past or perceived failures. No, we must always be optimistic.
Consider this. Have you always been successful in everything you have tried? Gentlemen, have you grabbed a saw and hammer with the intent to make a nice table or dresser for the house? Were you successful on the first try? Or, the second or third try?
Ladies, when you grabbed the flour and cake pan to make a cake for your child’s birthday, did it always turn out the way you wanted. Especially, if you were trying a fancy type of icing and decoration?
No, we haven’t always been successful in everything we have attempted. Did that mean we gave up? Hardly. So, why should we give up in our labors for the church?
Paul tells us in Philippians 3:13 that we should always be optimistic.
Worrying about the future is not going to get the work done or solve all our problems. God will always insure that leaders will rise up to lead His work. He will never abandon His church. How about this? Have you considered that you may be one of His leaders and are presently under training? Therefore, let us always try our best and let God take our efforts and magnify them for His success and not ours. Let us always dedicate and sanctify our efforts with prayer and thanksgiving. If we do this, then we will not labor in vain.
When working in the church we must always think positively. It is amazing how powerful our brains are. Everything we do and say starts in the brain. Whether we are successful in our efforts or complete failures, that process begins in our brains. Our entire life,
all our relationships.
Whether we are rich or poor.
Happy or sad
A delight to be around
Or a total bore
Even our health or lack thereof
All this begins in our brain. A person who thinks positively will be a happier and healthier person. Doctors and scientists have shown that positive thinking releases endorphins into our bloodstream which promotes a healthier body.
Conversely, negative thinking steals the joy out of life. It blinds us to happiness
robs us of good health
Promotes defeat
Destroys a happy family
Sabotages a good education
Ruins dreams
People become negative many times because they are afraid. They are afraid their dreams will be ruined. They are afraid they will be disappointed. You may even call negativism a “Fear of Failure.”
Therefore, you may hear people say “I don’t want to be disappointed. So, I don’t think I’ll even try.”
So, if you learn to live with being disappointed then maybe you can also learn to be successful. You can learn to suffer being discouraged without ever being defeated. Indeed, you will never experience failure that is final in its totality.
You know, children are always a fountain of youthful optimism. Look at a new born baby. At first they lay on their back and reach for that which intrigues them. Eventually, they learn to turn over. Once on their belly they see new and intriguing objects just out of reach. How many times do they struggle to get up on their arms to try and reach for something. Soon they make the effort to crawl. Then walk. Finally to run. Do they ever give up? Never.
I can remember as a youth wanting to be able to ride my bike without using my hands. It made it much simpler to deliver newspapers. Not a very easy task to accomplish. Especially when you lived in the hills. Oh, how many times did I fall! I still bear some of the scars on my knees today! Yet, I never gave up. I was determined to succeed. Eventually, of course I did learn. Then I added a difficult evolution to the maneuver. Riding down the hill without hands and turning into my driveway, again without hands. Once again, I experienced numerous failures, scrapped knees and elbows. Also some very nice knots on my noggin. But, eventually, I succeeded.
Yes, youthful enthusiasm and willingness to be hurt on occasion kept me at my efforts. I knew that I wasn’t going to succeed at first. But, I was determined to continue my efforts until I reached my objective. Should our enthusiasm diminish just because we became adults? Should our enthusiasm dry up as we reach our 20's,
30's,
40's
50's?
How can we learn to live with being disappointed. Why, with Christ. If we dedicate our efforts to Christ then we will not worry about success or failure. We leave everything in His capable hands and continue to move forward in our efforts. If we leave all to Christ then that means we are thinking positively. For we know that Christ will never fail!
When you get knocked down in life, how are you able to get back up? It is with the power of positive thinking! You say to yourself, okay, so I got knocked down, that doesn’t mean I have to stay down! You are positive you can get up. You are positive that you can overcome what ever it was that knocked you down. You are certain that you will eventually succeed.
The limit of your success is determined by your effort to succeed. Success will only be granted to those that are determined to succeed. You must show effort, grit and determination. You must be willing to suffer discouragement from time to time. Even on occasion, defeat. However, if you are an optimistic and positive thinker you can achieve success. The downside of success is an inflated ego, so you must always be willing to give credit to those that helped you succeed. Those that help you may be family and friends. It should also be God.
So, what is the point of this message today? The success of this church. The success of our mission. The success of our faith rides on your efforts and your willingness to let God lead you. Our efforts will be in vain if we insist on taking credit for our success. Our efforts will be in vain if we do not dedicate our work to God. Yes, we will not always succeed in bringing in the harvest in the numbers we would like. However, we should gladly be willing to witness and spread the seeds and let God take the credit. After all, we are here to be his servants and to do his work. Know you this, brothers and sisters, your efforts for this church and whether you become discouraged or are always optimistic are setting an example for those who follow. Even, for your children.
I would like to close with this poem entitled “Vision”:
An old man going a long highway
Came at the evening cold and gray,
To a chasm vast and deep and wide.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim,
The sullen stream had no fears for him;
But he turned when safe on the other side,
And built a bridge to span the tide.
“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim near,
“You are wasting your time with building here.
You never again will pass this way,
Your journey will end with the closing day.
You have crossed the chasm deep and wide,
Why build you this bridge at the evening tide?”
The builder lifted his old gray head.
“Good friend, in the way that I’ve come,” he said,
“There follows after me today
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This stream that has been as naught to me
To the fair-haired youth might a pitfall be.
He too, must cross in the twilight dim.
Good friend, I am building this bridge for him.”
