HoHum:
Charley McCardle- a man I stayed with in the hospital until he died and gave me a burden to go into hospice work
WBTU:
Blessings come in many shapes, colors, and sizes. It’s natural to give thanks for good things: “Thank you, God for blessing me with good health.” “I’m so grateful- I got a raise!” “God has blessed us with another child. This time it’s a girl.” “God gave us a great deal on a new home. What a blessing!”
God’s blessings, however, aren’t always bigger, better, and beautiful. In fact, I truly believe that God gifts us with some unusual blessings. Might not even call this a blessing, more like burden
Thesis: Let’s talk about the blessing of a burden
For instances:
What’s our burden?
Remember Popeye the Sailor Man. “I fights to the finish, ‘cause I eats me spinach- I’m Popeye the Sailor Man! Toot! Toot!” Whenever his archenemy, Brutus, attacked, kidnapped, or insulted Popeye’s girlfriend, Olive Oyl, our hero would finally reach his limit and shout, “That’s all I can stands; I can’t stands no more!” So he’d swallow a can of spinach and crush Brutus
May God give us a Popeye moment. A moment when God blesses us with a holy burden: something that bothers us so deeply, we are moved from complacency to action. My God bless us with something that unsettles us, disturbs us, and upsets us. If we let him God will show us something that makes our hearts ache. He will bless us with a burden
“Why in the world would I want a burden?” Most of us feel good when we avoid burdens- after all, isn’t life hard enough? It’s natural to want to avoid pain- even others who are in pain. But God didn’t put us here on earth just to feel good and enjoy ourselves. He doesn’t give us our lives so we can master techniques in avoiding pain. He puts us here to make a difference.
If we want to grow closer to God, if we want our values to be his values, then we need to become vigilant for opportunities where he wants to bless us with a burden. He wants to move us beyond our self focused, natural understanding of his blessings and into an others focused, extraordinary experience of his character. What is your burden? Share 3 areas that provide some spinach for our Popeye moments and might help us to identify our burden
1. Building blocks and broken pieces
What breaks your heart? What is it in life that moves us to tears or turns our stomach? What injustice crushes us and, if we let it, will keep us awake at night?
Nehemiah is a great example of a heartbroken man blessed with a holy burden. When he found out that the walls of Jerusalem were destroyed, he became distraught. God’s people were vulnerable to attack, and Nehemiah could barely stomach his discomfort: “They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.” Nehemiah 1:3, 4, NIV. Nehemiah was moved to tears and for several days he denied his body food so he could pray. Nehemiah was discovering that God was blessing him with a burden to rebuild the walls.
We see so many people in need today that we can easily become callous with acceptance and indifference. When was the last time we felt our hearts pierced by the suffering of another person? At the intersection when the homeless woman looked us in the eye? When we met the fifth grader embarrassed because he’s never learned to read in his inner city school? When the young teen girl giving a manicure shared about her unexpected pregnancy?
What is it that strikes a blow to our hearts when we hear about it?
2. A holy discontent
What makes us angry? I know that anger can get us into trouble so what makes us upset?
Not talking about pet peeves, nor am I talking about things like war, terrorism, or our sinful condition. These things may be good starting points, but I’m hoping we will uncover something specific that makes us upset (dare I say angry), something that moves us on behalf of God.
Moses offers us a picture of a person channeling his holy discontent. Since he was a Hebrew raised in an Egyptian home, Moses had a heart for his people. One day he happened upon an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave, something inside him snapped. He had a Popeye moment and couldn’t “stands it no more.” Unable to contain his emotion, Moses unleashed his outrage on the Egyptian, taking his life (Exodus 2:12). While this calls for another sermon (on anger), Moses demonstrated the passionate power needed to lead his people’s exodus from the land. So it’s not surprising, then, years later after God had humbled him, that God chose Moses to confront Pharaoh and demand his people’s freedom. Just as God used Nehemiah to do what others considered impossible, so God used Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery- simply because God ignited a burden in Moses’ heart.
Can we relate to the intensity of Moses’ response? What bothers us so deeply, that we are compelled to act? Are we angry when we see the elderly dishonored, disrespected, and uncared for? Do we hate pornography and other sexual addictions, knowing how they destroy the lives by the thousands? Do we despise those who are put into sexual slavery and now we have sexual trafficking? Do we hate to see children without stable homes and who are scared to go home at night because of their scars? Do we despise corrupt politicians, who lack integrity and values? Do we hate to hear false doctrine that leads people into false hopes? Do we hate it when new Christians are left to fend for themselves and no one helps them to mature?
Some people think that they should never get angry, ok, may we have a holy discontent. Ben James was a preacher friend of mine- “We should never be content”- he was talking about the sinful things in this world- we should never be content when people are lost without a Savior- content with the material things we have but never content with the way things are in this world
3. When we care enough to send the very best
Many people are heartbroken and upset, but not enough to take action. Many are outraged and rant about the problems but offer no solutions and never lift a finger to do anything about them. If we really want to discover and develop the burden that uniquely connects us to the heart of God, we have to have courage. We have to risk. We have to do something to alleviate the suffering we have identified and embraced as our own.
In the Old Testament, a young shepherd is a great example of someone who cared while others wouldn’t act. The Philistine army picked its fiercest warrior, a nine foot monster of a man named Goliath. This giant challenged anyone from Israel to a dual. Whoever lived, won. And the winner’s side became the victor in the war. Not surprisingly, all the soldiers there didn’t want to fight this monster of a man. Not saying that they didn’t care. I’m sure they did. They just didn’t care enough to send their very best- put their own lives on the line.
Along came a shepherd boy name David. David, who should have been tending sheep, was dumbfounded that no one would stand up and fight. Since he was a servant of God Most High, David believed that God would do battle with him and for him. David asked,“Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”” 1 Samuel 17:26. While everyone else thought Goliath was too big to beat, David picked up 5 smooth stones and thought, “With God’s help, he’s too big to miss.” And sure enough, David cared enough to sling a rock. Did people oppose him? Oh yes, but David cared enough to do something about it.
If we stop to think about it, there is something on our hearts that really bothers us. Make it bother us to the point that we do something about it. When we feel this burden, we might be frustrated, wondering why no one else cares as much as we do. The reason you care and other’s don’t could be because God has aimed it directly at you. Maybe it’s because of what you’ve been exposed to, maybe it’s because of a way you’ve been hurt, or maybe it’s something you simply can’t explain. Whatever the reason, you care, and you care deeply. You care because God gave you this unusual blessing: a burden to make a difference.
So What?
Craig Groeschel asked church leaders: “If money were no object, what would do with the rest of your life?” Knowing how responses to this question can truly reveal a person’s passion, he expected life changing answers. Boy, was he in for a shock. They said, “I’d travel. I’d get a bigger house. I’d buy a boat.” It really surprised him. “Why are their biggest dreams and goals self centered? As I reflected on their dreams, it suddenly made sense. People want to live a burden free life. By nature, we tend to think of ourselves first. But thankfully God has called us to something much bigger than earthly dreams.” “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10.
Matthew West- I woke up this morning, saw a world full of trouble now, I thought, How’d we ever get so far down, and How’s it ever gonna turn around. So I turned my eyes to Heaven and I thought, “God, why don’t you do something?” Well, I just couldn’t bear the thought of people living in poverty, children sold into slavery, the thought disgusted me, so, I shook my fist at heaven and said, “God why don’t you do something?” He said, “I did, I created you.” If not us, then who, if not me and you. Right now, it’s time for us to do something, if not now, then when will we see an end to all this pain, Oh, it’s not enough to nothing, It’s time for us to do something. I’m so tired of talking about how we are God’s hands and feet, But it’s easier to say than to be. Live like angels of apathy who tell ourselves, “It’s all right, somebody else will do something.” Well, I don’t know about you but I’m sick and tired of life with no desire, I don’t want a flame, I want a fire, and I wanna be the one who stands up and says, “I’m gonna do something.”
Invitation: Because humans were enslaved in sin, God did something. John 3:16- God did something by taking the first step; we need to take the step and accept the Savior; then God will give us a burden to make a difference in this world
