I would like to talk to you for just a few minutes this morning upon a subject simply entitled, “Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way.”
Peter writes to those who, as he puts it, were kept by the Power of God. He is clear in his teaching that no matter what we do, where we come from or where we’re at, that it is NOT God’s will for us to perish or to die without His forgiveness, but that we would repent.
I think it necessary this morning to spend a little time looking into what Peter is talking about. If you will give me just about 15 minutes, I hope to open your eyes to that this morning.
I remember when I was young, growing up in Syracuse, NY there was an old couple that used to let all of the neighborhood kids come over and get money out of this really big jar full of change. As much money as you could pull out with just one reach was yours to keep.
I used to love to go over to that old couple’s house, because I knew I’d be leaving there with some money. I hoped for enough to goto the store one block away and buy some candy. Well one day on my way over to that old couple’s house, I found a $20 bill!!!! Man was that the coolest thing that ever happened to a kid my age!!!
I had never held a $20 bill!!! Man did I think I was the stuff!!!
I forgot everything else on the agenda and went strait to the store, but just as I was about to walk in, I began to think about how much money a $20 bill was and how much my family could use that. It was just me, my mom and my sister in a run down apartment in the city. $20 would go a long way.
Right in the middle of my situation I changed my mind about what I was going to do!!!
The scripture teaches alot about repentance. We are taught by Paul, “To repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and we shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:38)
Jesus taught that “Repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:45)
Luke records, “Except you repent, you shall all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3)
The Bible talks too much about repentance to block it out, rather we should look into it and see what it’s all about. The word repentance means to have a change of mind, a change of heart, to have Godly sorrow for one’s actions and to decide to change. One definition says to go in a new direction.
I like that. That implies we may be going in the wrong direction!!! In our Scripture text we read how that it wasn’t God’s will for man to perish, but that he would have everlasting life through repentance.
It’s time we look within and realized that we may not know all the answers! We may not be heading in the right direction!!! It’s not wrong to find out that we are heading in the right direction! Unless we continue to go in that direction.
I am reminded of a trip our Youth Group once went on, where we ended up lost! We had been up all weekend with very little sleep and I had one of the ladies from the church drive us home. I decided I’d let her do the driving and I would go to sleep!! All was well for several hours until I was awoken by this lady asking me if we were supposed to be in Virginia!!!
She had gotten on the highway going the wrong direction and didn’t know it! Man what a deal!!! But you see…. That wasn’t all that bad, a few more hours tacked on to the trip…. But what if we decided we didn’t want to turn around, that we were going to continue to go North!?!? Funny as it seems, but we had to change direction.
Today I am here to tell you that if there’s a will, there’s a way. If you have a desire to make a change, than God will provide you a way. I understand it may not be the most popular thing to do, it may not make you the most popular guy or girl in the school to be a Christian. People may not run up to you in the halls and say….”Congratulations!!!!! I really look up to you because you are now a Christian!!!!”
In fact, if I were honest with you this morning, which I hope I am….. most likely, people will not think that this was the greatest thing to ever happen to you. I am standing here today to tell you that it would be the best thing to ever happen to you!!!
I can count on one hand how many times in high school people went out of their way to make me feel welcome! And even less times when my friends helped me to become a better person. Never had any of them died to make it happen.
Michael Jordan is now an infamous basketball player, talked about all around the world as being quite possibly the best man ever to dribble a basketball. More times than I can remember, he took his team to the finals and usually left with the champions ring. I’ll always remember the first time he had a break away and jumped from the foul line to dunk. Every kid in my high school tried to dunk on the 8-9 foot rims, by jumping from the foul line.
Michael has his own shoe company, shirts, posters and you name it… if it’s made, you can probably get it with MJ or 33 on it!!!! A lot of people are familiar with Michael’s accomplishments. Not too bad for a kid who couldn’t even make the high school team huh?!??
Michael Jordan was looked at as a young man that would not be worth having on a high school basketball team. I mean he wasn’t even worth having as a 9th man!!! He was cut during try outs from the team, but Michael didn’t give up there. You see, he was once told as a little boy, “Michael, where there’s a will there’s a way”.
So he made up in his mind that he was going to be a basketball player, he made the team the next year, then went on to lead the NCAA and eventually became the sports number one star basketball player. All because he had a desire to play the sport.
I’m telling you this morning that it is God’s desire for you to become a Christian, but you’ve got to have the want to!!! You have to make up your mind that no matter what comes against you, that you are going to do just as Michael Jordan did and succeed for yourself.
The Bible tells us that we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. That tells me it can be worked out though!!!
Stand with me as I close this morning.
I’m not hear to fill your head with a bunch of ideas that are impossible to do or to tell you that living for God is the easiest thing I’ve ever done. But I will tell you it has been the greatest decision I ever made!!! My life has been awesome since I repented of my sins.
Let me tell you something about God though. He is a gentleman! He will not force His way into our lives and demand that we live for Him. That has to be our decision. We have to make up in our minds that no matter the cost, we are going to try and live a life pleasing to God.
In the end, the Bible says that all men will bow down and declare that He is Lord. I say, let’s do it while it is our choice. I hope I have said something here this morning that would encourage you to pray and to talk to God at some point about your situation. Sometimes our life is overwhelmed with “STUFF”!!! Let me just say that God is the best at taking care of that “STUFF”!!!
Let’s all join together around the front for just a few minutes to pray
