Back in 2010 there’s the true story of a British man named Shawn Murtagh who decided to wear a Halloween costume. To complete the costume he had a sequined top hat he wanted to wear at an angle on his head. But it wouldn’t quite stay on, so instead of attaching the hat to his head with a string, he decided to glue it on. He tried fabric glue. That didn’t work, so then he used … Super Glue. The Good news was… the hat stayed on. The Bad news was: It wouldn’t come off. He tried using soap and warm water, but that didn’t work. So he went to the emergency room, and the ER doctor told him “Super Glue is actually quite strong. If I rip the hat off, it will tear your scalp and could lead to an infection.” So the nurse cut the hat off with scissors. She told reporters, “I cut off the top of the hat, leaving only the brim, so he won’t look like that much of an idiot.” The brim finally came off, but only after he soaked head in warm water for 12 hours.
There is a way that seems right unto a man… but the end thereof can be pretty embarrassing. Especially if you use Super Glue.
But, when it comes to the more serious decisions of life, if we insist on doing things OUR way, it can get real dangerous… real quick. The actual quote from Proverbs 14:12 says “There is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof is the way of death”
The sermon series we’re preaching this month deals with “Lies That People Believe.” And the lie we’re looking at today is … “I Did It My Way.”
Now, you might recognize those words from a song written back in the 60’s by Paul Anka and made popular by Frank Sinatra. It’s a powerful song, and it starts out with the singer talking about the difficulties of life. At one point, you hear these words:
“Regrets, I’ve had a few; but then again, too few to mention. I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption. I planned each charted course; each careful step along the byway. But more, much more than this, I did it my way. (Chorus) Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew when I bit off more than I could chew. But through it all, when there was doubt, I ate it up and spit it out. I faced it all and I stood tall; And did it my way.”
That last section builds to a crescendo and you can almost hear people in the audience say “YEAH! That’s the way to live life!!! Do it your way!!!”
ILLUS: In fact a 2005 survey showed that the song “I Did It My Way” was the most requested song at funerals in the United Kingdom. The spokesman said, “The words sum up what so many people feel about their lives and how they would like their loved ones to remember them.”
(https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/franksinatra/myway.html)
It’s an impressive song about facing life’s difficulties… and triumphing over the challenges - I Did It My Way! It’s a powerful song. And it’s also… a pagan song.
Scripture repeatedly warns us… that’s not a good idea!!!! “There is a way that seems right unto a man (he does it HIS WAY), but the end thereof is the way of death.”
Our text this morning says: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and DO NOT LEAN ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. BE NOT WISE IN YOUR OWN EYES; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” Proverbs 3:5-8
Don’t do it your way… Do it God’s way.
There’s all kind of stories in Bible that show what happens when people don’t do things God’s way. Cain probably knew what kind of sacrifice God desired, but he did it his way and offered God his own kind of sacrifice – and God rejected both Cain and his offering. After the flood God told the people multiply and FILL the earth. Instead they did it their way settled in one spot and built the tower of Babel. God came down and scattered the people and confused their languages. Abraham was promised that he and Sarah would have a child, but Sarah was getting old and impatient. So Abraham listened to her and did things her way and he had a child by her servant Hagar. They ended up with serious family troubles. Pharaoh did it his way. He mocked Moses by saying “Who is this God that I should listen to him” and refused to let the Israelites go. Ten plagues later, he learned the folly of his actions. And of course, Judas did it his way and betrayed Jesus for 30 pcs. of silver. And we all know how that turned out.
And I could go on… and on … and on. God would say one thing - people would say something else, and life got complicated from there.
“I Did It My Way” is not a good idea. It’s not a biblical idea. And it’s definitely NOT… a Christian idea.
Jesus said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) To DENY YOURSELF is to lay all of your life at the cross of Jesus. It’s no longer going to be your will that guides you… but God’s.
Romans 10:9 tells us that part of being saved is confessing Jesus as Lord. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” When you call Jesus LORD – Jesus owns you. From that time on it’s His will, not yours, that should guide you.
In fact, in Luke 22:42 Jesus modeled that very idea when He prayed: “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
The problem for a lot of people is that they want to do things THEIR way. If they do it THEIR way, they’re convinced it will be done right. Why depend on someone else, when I (personally) can do it right the 1st time?
And that kind of thinking bleeds over into our relationship with God. In fact, there’s lots of folks who have a saying that makes this idea (of doing it my way) almost sound righteous: “God helps those who help themselves.”
ILLUS: The term is believed to have come from one of Aesop’s Fables. “A Wagoner was once driving a heavy load along a very muddy way. He came to a part of the road where the wheels sank half-way in the mud and the more the horses pulled, the deeper sank the wheels. So the Wagoner threw down his whip, and knelt down and prayed to Hercules the Strong. ‘O Hercules, help me in this my hour of distress.” But Hercules appeared to him, and said: ‘Man, don’t sprawl there. Get up and put your shoulder to the wheel. The gods help them that help themselves.’” (Dave Redick, The Benefits of Being Christians, A sermon series from Romans 8, Part 5: “God For Us”)
Notice it was “gods”… not “God”. It’s a pagan teaching - and Christians should never quote it. It’s just another way to sing – I Did It My Way. I don’t need God’s will… I have own will and it serves me quite well, thank you very much.
But is it possible that there are Christians who SING “I did it my way”? I mean… are there church goers who tell God “I want my will… NOT yours?” Well… not on purpose. Nobody is that dumb. Except maybe Satan. Satan was kicked out of heaven because he wanted things his way. And he DID that on purpose.
But when churchgoers do this (when they insist on doing things their way), they don’t think of it defying God. They just look at it as “standing up for their rights” and doing the “right thing.”
Could that happen to you? Or Me? Could we end up defying God because we thought we were doing the “right thing”? Yeah… we could. I’ve seen preachers do it, Elders do it, and dedicated Christians do it. And a lot of times, it happens when folks can’t get their own way. And you know what people do when they can’t get their own way? They get mad! They get angry! And they begin to look for ways to get their own way.
Ephesians 4:30 – 5:1-2 warns us about that. “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (i.e. Don’t defy God’s will) Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God, (do God’s will God’s way) as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
Notice, Ephesians warns us about the signs of self will – bitterness, wrath, anger, slander, etc. These are signs of a someone who couldn’t get their own way. But they wanted to do it their way and so they became difficult people.
I’ve done that. And, probably, so have you.
But, if you (and I) want to do things God’s way - if you want to imitate God - we need be kind. be tenderhearted, forgive one another. That’s our goal.
So be careful. Watch out! If you find yourself getting annoyed and angry because of something - realize it may be because you can’t get your way and you’ve begun to seek YOUR WILL… rather than GOD’S.
DON’T SING THAT SONG!
So. it can happen to you or me (and we’re Christians) how much more do think non-Christians would find it normal to sing “I Did It My Way.” If Jesus is not the Lord of your life – somebody’s got to be. And who better for the non-Christian) to be LORD than themselves.
All decisions (for the non-Christian) are based upon what I WANT! And so, because Jesus isn’t the Lord of their lives, they live by the pagan idea that: “God helps those who help themselves.” And they believe in that because they believe God will help them IF they do enough good in their lives. When they do enough good… THEN God will accept them. They don’t need Jesus… they just need to be better people. And if they’re better people, they will have EARNED God’s attention and assistance.
ILLUS: Someone once said: “The universal religion of humankind is: We develop a good record and give it to God, and then he owes us. BUT, the gospel is: God develops a good record and gives it to us, then we owe him. In short, to say a good person (not just Christians) can find God.” is to say good works are enough to find God.” (Tim Keller, “Preaching Hell In A Tolerant Age”)
That’s the reasoning of mankind outside Christ - you don’t need Jesus… you can do it by yourself.”
By contrast, in Philippians 2:4-6 Paul goes through a list of all the “wonderful” things he’d been and done before he became a Christian. But then he writes: ‘Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count EVERYTHING AS LOSS because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.’ For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and COUNT THEM AS RUBBISH, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith — that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” Philippians 2:7-10
In other words: he HAD a good record, but it all ended up in the garbage once he became a follower of Jesus. Nothing he had done compared to what Jesus had done… for him.
Let me close the sermon by telling you about a man who learned that very lesson. He was a very religious man. He’d been taught by the finest of teachers. And he believed he’d done enough righteous stuff in his life to be saved.
But he was an angry man. He’d encountered people we call Christians, and he was he did everything he could to hurt/destroy them. In Acts 26:10-12 this man (we call him Paul) explained “I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities. In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.”
He thought he was pleasing God, but he was doing things his way, and he was hurting people and destroying people. And so one day, Jesus came to visit him… and shook up Paul’s life. Paul ended up talking with a Christian named Ananias who told him what he needed to do to turn his life around: “Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.” Acts 22:16
How would that change Paul’s life? It told him to die to himself (repent), be buried with Christ, and rise a new man. It was the place where Paul surrendered his will to Christ’s will for his life. But baptism was only the beginning, because in baptism it’s all about learning to do it GOD’S WAY.
