Introduction:
I want to begin today's sermon by getting you to fill in the blank to a statement that I am about to make. Here goes! When my life, the way I want to live it, is interrupted, I respond by (now you fill in the blank.)
Over the past several weeks, I believe that it is a fair statement to say that everybody who is listening to this sermon has, in some way, had their life interrupted. Some may have been laid off from their jobs or possibly had their hours cut drastically. Some have had to make alternative plans for their children since there is no school at this time. Indeed, the way that we do church is continually changing, upsetting the normal. Going out to eat after church and then coming home and watching some sporting activity on television is a thing of the past.
How have you responded to these life interruptions? I asked you to fill that blank in earlier. Now let us take what your response was and compare it to the Word of God and let us see why it is so important that our response must line up with the Word of God.
Scripture
Philippians 2:14-16 (NKJV)
14 Do all things without complaining and disputing,
15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
16 holding fast the word of life…
Point #1
WE LABEL WAY TOO MANY INTERRUPTIONS IN OUR LIVES AS ANNOYANCES AND COMPLAIN ABOUT THEM; INSTEAD, AS CHRISTIANS, WE NEED TO SEE THROUGH GOD’S EYES THAT MANY OF OUR LIFE’S INTERRUPTIONS ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO SHARE JESUS.
Verse 14 says Do all things without complaining and disputing.
Is that salesperson who calls your home right when you are sitting down to eat together as a family an interruption and an annoyance? Certainly, he or she is. And when you get off the phone and come back to the table, most people, including myself, will say something complaining about those pesky salespersons calling our house. I understand that.
But, on the other extreme, there are people who complain just about anything that changes their routine. If things are not going exactly the way they think it should be going, then they are complaining. Your child gets a day off school because of a called teachers’ workday and there are some parents who complain because it changes their routine. Your neighbor comes over and wants to talk about things happening in his or her life, but you complain after they leave because they messed up your day. You run to the store to pick up something you need, and they don’t have it so you complain.
God’s standard is do all things without complaining and disputing. Listen to verse 14 Do all things without complaining and disputing. I am not there; and you are not there, but we must strive to be like Jesus. Nowhere in the Scriptures do I see Jesus complains about being interrupted.
I am reminded of two stories in the New Testament. The first is the story of Jairus. In that story, Jairus interrupts Jesus’ conversation with a large crowd. Jesus did not complain, and Jesus headed off with Jairus to his home to heal the child. The woman with an issue of blood touched Jesus as they are were traveling, and Jesus did not complain. While Jesus is speaking to the woman with the issue of blood someone from Jairus’ house interrupted and said do not bother the teacher, your child is dead. Jesus did not complain and said we are still going to your house; your child is not dead. Three interruptions and Jesus did not complain or get into a dispute over any of them.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is teaching, and some brought children to Him and the disciples rebuked them as an interruption. But Jesus said let the children come to me because such is the kingdom of heaven. Jesus did not complain that the children were coming to Him.
That is the Biblical standard- interruptions come into my life but I should accept them without complaining or disputing.
Jesus is using the COVID 19 Crisis to remind us that we should label less interruptions as annoyances and more as opportunities. And if we did, we would see a whole lot less complaining among Christians. And it is important that there be a whole lot less complaining among Christians because …
Point #2
A COMPLAINING CHRISTIAN LOOKS MORE LIKE THE WORLD THAN HE LOOKS LIKE JESUS.
Jude 1:14-16 (NKJV)
14 … "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints,
15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."
16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts…
How serious is complaining? Jesus says that it makes you look just like the lost. Jesus says that there will be a time in the future when He will return to judge this unbelieving world and those without Jesus will be recognized by their complaining and grumbling. Jesus is saying those without Him grumble and complain.
Now against that backdrop picture what Paul says in Phil. 2:15 about the Christian. The Christian is to be blameless and harmless, children of God without fault amid a crooked and perverse generation.
When interruptions affect a crooked and preserve generation, the result is going to be grumbling.
When interruptions affect a child of God, the result is going to be an opportunity to share Jesus.
I do not know about you, but I see more ways that Jesus is being proclaimed than ever before since we started dealing with COVID 19. There are more preachers and more sermons on Facebook than ever before. Facebook is flooded with sermons. Franklin Graham and T.D. Jakes have been on Fox news laying out the plan of salvation during their commercial time. There has been car church with amplifiers; car church with FM radio transmitters. The point is that there have been more creative avenues opened to share the Gospel then the typical church building 11 a.m. service.
Point #3
WE NEED TO SEE INTERRUPTIONS THAT COME INTO OUR LIFE AS THESE WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES FROM WHICH TO SHARE CHRIST TO OTHERS.
How rare is not complaining in this world? Very rare! And so, when someone comes along who is not a complainer that person shines in a dark world. He or she sticks out. And people will want to know why? And that gives us the opportunity to share Christ. That is what Paul says, we are lights in this world.
And Peter says something similar in 1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV)
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
Listen closely: Interruptions has a very powerful connection to evangelism. Does COVID 19 qualify as an interruption. It sure does! Do I like what COVID 19 has done to our nation or the other nations of the word? No, but I can see the opportunity it provides us to share Christ with this world. And you need to see that also.
Less us pray!
