In Actions Speak Louder Than Words, Herb Miller writes: Two Kentucky farmers who owned racing stables had developed a keen rivalry. One spring each of them entered a horse in a local steeplechase. Thinking that a professional rider might help him outdo his friend, one of the farmers engaged a crack jockey. The two horses were neck and neck with a large lead over the rest of the pack at the last fence, but suddenly both fell, unseating their riders.
The professional jockey remounted quickly and rode on to win the race. Returning triumphantly to the paddock, the jockey found the farmer who had hired him fuming with rage.
“What's the matter?” the jockey asked. “I won, didn't I?”
“Oh, yea,” roared the farmer. “You won all right, but you crossed the finish line on the wrong horse.”
In his hurry to remount after the fall, the jockey had jumped on his competitor's horse. (Judy C. Knupke, Newton Lower Falls, Massachusetts, Leadership, Vol. 12, no. 4; www.PreachingToday.com)
So his success was actually a failure. I wonder. How many people are going to come to the end of their lives, thinking they have succeeded, only to find they failed, only to find they were on the wrong horse?
That brings up a very important question. How do you truly succeed in life? How do you truly win the game of life? Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Hebrews 11, Hebrews 11, where the Bible talks about those who truly succeed in life.
Hebrews 11:32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— (ESV)
All of these people faced impossible odds; and yet, they prevailed.
Gideon was surrounded by the Midianites. He was threshing wheat in a wine-press in a hole in the ground, because was afraid the Midianites would find him and take his wheat. They had overrun the country, and everyone lived in fear until God called Gideon to defeat the Midianites. Gideon wasn’t too sure at first, but eventually God gave him the courage to take on the entire Midianite army with only 300 men.
Barak was surrounded by Sisera’s army. It was the most powerful army in the world at that time. They had the latest in military technology – 900 iron chariots. While the rest of the world was in the bronze age, Sisera’s army had moved on to the iron age. They were a formidable foe, but at Deborah’s urging, Barak gathered together a volunteer army and went after them. God sent a flood, bogged those iron chariots in the mud, and Barak led his little, volunteer army to total and compete victory. Not one of the enemy was left to bother Israel ever again.
Samson was surrounded by the Philistines. They had gouged out his eyes and gave him the job of an ox. They had humiliated him. Then they threw a big party in the temple of their god, Dagon. They stood Samson in the middle, so they could make fun of him. But Samson cried out to God and literally brought the house down on them all.
Jephthah was a tough guy, a gang-leader in Israel. His mother was a prostitute, and he was rejected. Then the Ammonites overran the country; and suddenly Jephthah was their hero. The Israelites begged him, the toughest guy they knew, to lead them against the Ammonites. Jephthah discussed it with the Lord and then led Israel to a great victory!
David faced Goliath and the jealous rage of Saul before he became king. Then after he became king, he was surrounded by enemy nations that tried to destroy his kingdom. Yet through it all, David prevailed. David conquered all his enemies, expanded his kingdom, and brought decades of peace to Israel.
Samuel and the prophets fearlessly proclaimed God’s Word even when others did not want to hear what God had to say.
All these people faced impossible odds; and yet, they prevailed. How? Well look at verse 33.
Hebrews 11:33a “…who THROUGH FAITH conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises…” (ESV)
How did they beat the odds? How did they gain the victory? They did it through faith. They did it, because they believed God. They did it, because they depended on His might, not their own. Through faith, verse 33 says, they stopped the mouth of lions…
Hebrews 11:34 …quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. (ESV)
Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den, because he dared to pray to God when the king made a decree against such prayers. But God sent an angel to shut the lions’ mouths, and Daniel slept peacefully that night.
Shardrach, Meschach, and Abednego refused to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image, so he ordered his soldiers to throw them into a fiery furnace. The fire was so hot that it cooked the soldiers, but God protected Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego, and they came out of the fire without even the smell of smoke on their clothes.
Hebrews 11:35a Women received back their dead by resurrection. (ESV)
It is not only men that prevailed through their faith. Women did, as well! When their sons died, they went to God’s prophets – one to Elijah and one to Elisha – and their sons were raised from the dead!
Through their faith, men and women alike prevailed, and that’s the way you can do it, as well. So believe God, and…
ABOUND IN TRIUMPH BY FAITH.
Beat the odds by trusting in the Lord. Experience victory by depending on His might, not your own.
Just two years ago, in June, 2016, the Cleveland Cavaliers were down three games to one in the NBA finals. If they lost one more game, they were out, but they were able to claw their way back to become the NBA champions that year. LeBron James led them to victory three games in a row. He averaged almost 30 points a game and became the Most Valuable Player of the NBA finals. After the Cavaliers won the final game 93-89 on June 19, 2016, their head coach Tyronn Lue said of LeBron James, “Great things happen to great people.” (Recah Trinidad, “Great Things Happen to Great People,” Inquirer.net, 6-20-16; www.Preaching Today.com)
That may be true in sports, but the good news of the Bible gives us a very different picture. It’s not “Great things happened to great people,” but “Great things happen to bad people, unworthy people, little people, poor people, and unrighteous people when they put their trust in the Lord.”
The Bible says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
You don’t succeed through your own human effort. You succeed by depending on divine effort. You succeed by trusting in the Lord! God saves you forever when you put your faith in Christ, and God helps you prevail every day in the same way.
Colossians 2:6 says, “As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.” You received the Lord by faith, and That’s exactly the way you live your life with Him. You live your life in constant, daily dependence upon the Lord
For 111 days, Charlie Engle, Ray Zahab, and Kevin Lin ran the equivalent of two marathons a day in order to cross the entire Sahara Desert on foot. They touched the waters at Senegal and then made their way through Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Libya, and Egypt to touch the waters of the Red Sea. Along the way, the trio faced blazing afternoons of over 100 degrees, jarring, freezing nights, sandstorms, tendonitis, violent sickness, and the usual aches, pains, and blisters. But the biggest challenge they faced can be summed up in one word: water. Finding it can be very difficult in the middle of the desert! (Anna Johnson, “3 ultra-athletes run across Sahara,” USA Today, 2-20-07; www.PreachingToday.com)
Crossing the Saharan Desert on foot is an amazing feat! But just as amazing are these marathon finishers: Christians who finish their lives still growing, still serving; Husbands and wives who stay faithful to each other “until death do us part”; Singles who preserve their virginity until marriage despite crushing peer pressure; Addicts who remain clean despite overwhelming temptation; Employees who do their work as unto the Lord even if their employers make it hard for them.
You cannot do any of this in your own strength; But when you depend on the Lord, you can do all things through Him who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13). So, if you want to truly succeed in life, do it by trusting Christ. By faith, abound in triumph. But not only that…
BY FAITH, ABIDE IN TRIAL, as well.
Persevere in pain by trusting in the Lord. Endure difficulties by depending on Christ.
You see, there is another side to the Christian faith, a side we don’t like to talk about too often, but a side that is just as significant. It’s a side that is just as vital as learning how to succeed; it’s learning how to suffer for Jesus’ sake, as well.
Great men and women of faith not only prevailed in their day. Many of them also suffered ruin. Many of them failed in the world’s eyes.
Hebrews 11:35a Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured… (ESV)
Men and women of faith experienced miracles, to be sure, but some of the very same kind of people were tortured. The word for “some” is very explicit here in the original Greek. It literally means “some of the same kind”.
Hebews 11:35b-38 Some [of the very same kind of people] were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. (ESV)
You see, men and women of faith endure misery, as well as experience miracles. Men and women of faith abide in trials, as well as abound in triumph. In fact, it may take even more faith to suffer than it does to succeed. It’s like Warren Wiersbe says: “It takes more faith to endure than it does to escape” (Be Confident, p.130).
So if you’re in a season of suffering, do what the great men and women of faith did. Endure the pain by trusting in the Lord, rather than seek to escape it. Abide in the trial by depending on the Lord. Remain faithful to Christ through faith in Christ even if there seems to be no payoff!
With his hands tied behind his back, missionary J. W. Tucker was beaten; and then with sixty of his Christian [brothers and sisters], he was thrown into the crocodile-infested Bomokande River. The attack took place on November 24, 1964, at the hands of Congolese rebels.
Mark Battterson, in his book Chase the Lion, says, “Our natural instinct is to feel sorry for Tucker, whose earthly life was seemingly cut short. But life can't be cut short when it lasts for all eternity… Heaven gained a hero, a hero in a long line of heroes who trace their genealogy back to the first Christian martyr, Stephen… [You see], God doesn't promise us happily ever after. He promises so much more than that—happily forever after.
“It was that eternal perspective that inspired J. W. Tucker to risk his earthly life for the gospel. Tucker didn't fear death because he had already died to self. It wasn't an uncalculated risk that led J. W. Tucker into the Congo during a civil war. He counted the cost with his missionary friend Morris Plotts. Plotts tried to convince his friend not to go. ‘If you go in,’ he prophetically pleaded, ‘you won't come out.’ To which Tucker responded, ‘God didn't tell me I had to come out. He only told me I had to go in.’” (Mark Batterson, Chase the Lion, Multnomah, 2016, page 107; www.PreachingToday.com)
Tucker’s faith empowered him to endure persecution and even death for the Lord Jesus Christ, and your faith can do the same for you. As you depend on Christ, you can endure the pain; you can abide in the trial; and you can remain faithful to the Lord.
Several years ago, Linda Holm found a malignant lump in her breast. Though her faith was strong, and she was sure of God's providence, she crumbled emotionally when she heard the news.
She underwent a mastectomy and six months of chemotherapy. Her husband, musician Dallas Holm, said in an interview: “Sometimes in our valley and in our sorrow, we believe if we just knew what God was doing, that would settle it. I'm not sure that would make any difference. Faith is when you don't know. When it doesn't make sense. When you can't understand. But you trust in God.” (“Faith and Prayer in Life's Toughest Times,” Today's Pentecostal Evangel, 7-21-02, pp. 14-16; www. PreachingToday.com)
My dear friends, trust God even when the miracles don’t come. By faith, abound in triumph, to be sure. But also by faith, abide in trials, as well. Then…
BY FAITH, BE APPROVED IN TIME.
Be commended. Be well-spoken of by those who get to know you.
Hebrews 11:39-40 And all these – i.e., those who experienced miracles, as well as those who experienced misery – All of these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised [yet], since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. (ESV)
In their lifetimes, they did not experience all that God promised. They did not experience the Kingdom of God in its fullness, because God wanted us to be a part of that Kingdom too.
Even so, they were commended verse 39 says. That is to say, those who knew them spoke well of them, and they are esteemed as heroes today. Look at it. They all appear in this great “hall of faith” of Hebrews 11. Whether they lived or died, whether they experienced triumph or trouble, their names are listed as heroes of faith.
They were commended, and you can be commended, as well. By faith, you can gain a good reputation. You can be esteemed as a hero maybe not now, but in time, as you live your life in dependence upon the Lord.
In his book What God Thinks When We Fail, Steven C. Roy tells a fictional story about a young violinist who lived in London many years ago. Although he was a superb musician, he was deathly afraid of large crowds, so he avoided giving concerts. But after enduring criticism for his unwillingness to give concerts, he finally agreed to perform in the largest concert hall in London.
The young violinist came onto the stage and sat alone on a stool. He put his violin under his chin and played for an hour and a half. No music in front of him, no orchestra behind him, no breaks—just an hour and a half of absolutely beautiful violin music. After ten minutes or so, many critics put down their pads and listened, like the rest …. After the performance, the crowd rose to its feet and began applauding wildly—and they wouldn't stop.
But the young violinist didn't acknowledge the applause. He just peered out into the audience as if he were looking for something—or someone. Finally, he found what he was looking for. Relief came over his face, and he began to acknowledge the cheers.
After the concert, the critics met the young violinist backstage …. They said, “You were wonderful. But one question: Why did it take you so long to acknowledge the applause of the audience?”
The young violinist took a deep breath and answered, “You know I was really afraid of playing here. Yet this was something I knew I needed to do. Tonight, just before I came on stage, I received word that my master teacher was to be in the audience. Throughout the concert, I tried to look for him, but I could never find him. So after I finished playing, I started to look more intently. I was so eager to find my teacher that I couldn't even hear the applause. I just had to know what he thought of my playing. That was all that mattered. Finally, I found him high in the balcony. He was standing and applauding, with a big smile on his face. After seeing him, I was finally able to relax. I said to myself, ‘If the master is pleased with what I have done, then everything else is okay.’” (Steven C. Roy, What God Thinks When We Fail, IVP Books, 2011, pp. 11-12; www.PreachingToday.com)
You know, it doesn’t really matter what others think. It only matters what the Master thinks, and the Bible says God is pleased by our faith (Hebrews 11:6). Whether we succeed or suffer, God stands up and applauds when we depend on Him.
So, by faith, abound in triumph if that’s what God has for you. Or by faith, abide in trial. Either way, by faith, be approved in time by God Himself.
I close with this statement by Teddy Roosevelt, which I’ve shared with you a couple of times before. “It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbles or how the doer of deeds might have done better.
“The credit belongs to the man (or the woman) who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” (Leadership, Fall 1980)
Please, don’t sit back and criticize what others are doing. Instead, by faith, get into the arena and attempt great things for God. Then, whether you succeed or fail, God will consider you one of His heroes, which is true success indeed!
