Bench Warmers
Pt. 3 – Believe It Or Not?
I. Introduction
Teams with stars win championships. Teams that play their best with the game on the line win championships. But championship teams share another common trait: Often, they have the reserves and bench players that step up at the right time.
It is simply dubbed "The Comeback!" In the last game of the season, Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, suffered strained ligaments in his knee. The Buffalo Bills fell to the Houston Oilers and then had to turn around and face the Oilers again the next week in the Wildcard Game to try to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Oilers dominated the first half and led 28-3. Enter the benchwarmer. On the first drive of the second half a deflection thrown by this benchwarmer ends up as an interception returned for a touchdown. Now down 35-3 the benchwarmer, Frank Reich led the Bills back to tie the Oilers as the clock ticked down to zero. Then in overtime the Bills intercepted a pass, kicked a field goal and won 41-38. The benchwarmer finished the game with 21 of 34 pass completions for 289 yards and 4 touchdowns, with 1 interception. To the present day, it remains the largest comeback in NFL history. All led by a man some call "the greatest backup quarterback in NFL history."
We have been examining the life of one of the greatest benchwarmers in Scripture! We began by talking about the fact that Jonah was a benchwarmer because he was reluctant. Then last week we talked about part of his reluctance was because Jonah was angry with people and with God. That is why some of us remain on the bench. Now I want to look at the second reason that Jonah was reluctant and again I believe a lot of us sit games out and ride the pine for the same reason.
Text: Jonah 4:1-3 (TMB)
Jonah was furious. He lost his temper. He yelled at God, “God! I knew it—when I was back home, I knew this was going to happen! That’s why I ran off to Tarshish! I knew you were sheer grace and mercy, not easily angered, rich in love, and ready at the drop of a hat to turn your plans of punishment into a program of forgiveness! “So, God, if you won’t kill them, kill me! I’m better off dead!”
Benchwarmers stay on the bench because they have become cynical.
Jonah was not only willing to sit out of the game due to his anger, but he also checked out because he was cynical. "I knew it!" I ran because I knew you would offer grace. In other words, I knew you wouldn't do what you said you would do. That is the bottom line of cynicism. We come to this place where in the back of our mind and deep in our heart we don't believe. Jonah was there. God, you said you would destroy them, but I didn't really believe that You would. He was cynical!
Cynicism benches us because . . .
Cynicism impacts belief.
I didn’t really believe you would do what you said you were going to do. Jonah is only one example. Think about all the others. Abraham and Sarah after hearing God's promise that He will give them a son when they are really old. Gideon - I am the least of my tribe you can't use me. Zacharias doubts the angel when the angel tells him his wife Elizabeth will have a baby named John. Remember what he says? Listen for the cynicism . . . God is sovereign. He is free to bestow His blessings on whom He wishes. For some inscrutable reason, He has withheld that blessing from us.” In other words, God is able, but He won't do it for us! Multiple examples of people who allow cynicism to interrupt or impact their level of belief.
I submit to you that one of the greatest cancers in the body of Christ and more importantly in most individuals is cynicism. It is subtle. We hide it. We ignore it. We excuse it. And we are destroyed by it.
We sing lyrics like "Too Good Not to Believe" or "Since when has impossible ever stopped You?" But deep down we stay on the sidelines because, like Jonah, we don't really believe that God will do what He said He will do for us and we don't believe that He can do what He said He could do through us! Cynicism makes us numb. Cynicism kills hope. One man said, " Cynicism is so pervasive that, at times, it feels like a presence. Cynicism is the air we breathe, and it is suffocating our hearts. Weariness and fear leave us feeling overwhelmed, unable to move. Cynicism leaves us doubting, unable to dream. The combination shuts down our hearts, and we just show up for life, going through the motions.”
How can you believe for more, better if you don't really believe in your heart? We must fight off cynicism or it will impact our ability to believe. Whenever there is a gap between what God is doing and what you understand you have the choice of what to fill that gap with. You choose to either fill that gap with cynicism or with belief/trust! We are instructed in Proverbs 3:5-6 to "Trust God with all our heart!" Trust is needed when understanding is absent! You can't be cynical and trust God with all of you your heart! You must choose to believe/trust!
We must believe again!
That is why it is so important to gather together like we do so that we can remind each other that it can change. That God will intervene. That your gift can make a difference. That there is hope. We stir up each other's ability to believe again! Your testimony or story of God's faithfulness cancels cynicism that tries to creep into our hearts and steal our belief. Look at your neighbor and tell them . . . You can trust Him! Come on don't just say it surface level . . . implore them, push them, stir them! You have several roles to play here on Sundays. You aren't here just to ush, greet, tech, kids, and worship. You are here on Sundays to challenge each other's cynicism. Someone you are sitting next to right now doesn't really believe their situation can change. They don't really believe they can be free. Challenge that today!
Cynicism impacts behavior.
Notice cynicism impacted Jonah's behavior. It caused him to run from serving. It caused him to sulk when God responds to Nineveh's repentance. His behavior is a direct result of his cynicism.
How is cynicism impacting your behavior? What you believe or what you don’t believe dictates your behavior.
Let me see if I can pinpoint some ways cynicism impacts our behavior towards God.
If I don’t believe you will honor your word to heal me, then I will take matters into my own hands. I will self-medicate and try to find relief elsewhere. If I don’t believe that you will deliver me, then I will take matters into my own hands. I will make decisions and choices that I think will bring me freedom only to discover they only produce more bondage if I am not willing to wait for your means/pace/process of deliverance. If I don’t believe he will provide for me, then I will take matters into my own hands. I will take jobs/loans He didn't want me to take. If I don’t believe that you will comfort me, then I will find something to use as a substitute to try to produce comfort in my life. If I really don’t believe You order my steps or plan to prosper me, then when times get tough, I will choose my own path. If I don’t really believe that you can use me and that my gift matters, I will sit on the sidelines and do nothing.
Cynicism will cause me to behave differently towards God and it will also determine how you behave with people. I will get ahead of God or detour from God due to lack of belief. I will also behave differently towards you if I am cynical.
If I don't really think you can change, then I won't rely on you. If I don't really think you can be set free, then I will be suspicious. If I don't really think you can be different after Jesus than you were before Jesus, then I will hold you at arm’s length and miss the gift that you are supposed to be in my life! If I don't really think Jesus has entered your life, then I will hold you hostage to what and who you were before Jesus!
We must come back to this place where we not only believe in God again, but we believe in God's people again! I am not telling you to trust everybody. I am telling you to trust the right people. I have taught you how to test and vet people (Friends, Circle Check). But once we have tested them, we need to believe in the right people again. Drop the suspicion. Quit acting like the grace God has given you is sufficient for your issues, but deficient when it comes to theirs! I know you have been burned. I know you have been betrayed. I know you have been disappointed. However, I am challenging you to fight the cynicism that will try to cause you to behave towards the right people as if they are the wrong people!
So, last week I said you had to choose to be either angry or available. You can't be both. This week I am challenging you to realize that you have a choice to make you can be . . . cynical or sent! Cynicism will mess up your sent unless you deal with it!
