THE TROUBLEMAKERS
INTRO.- ILL.- An evangelist was speaking in a meeting when a heckler shouted, “Listen to him! And his father used to drive a wagon led by a donkey.”
“That’s right,” said the evangelist, “and today my father and the wagon are gone. But I see we still have the donkey with us.”
Troublemakers. They come in all shapes and sizes and in all worlds. Many of them are out in the world and some of them are in our churches.
ILL.- Madalyn Murray O’Hair. What do you think of her? I think she has been nothing but a troublemaker for the Christian world.
Madalyn achieved infamy in the 1960s simply because she couldn’t bear to see her oldest son begin each school day reciting the Pledge of Allegiance ("one nation, under God") and the Lord’s Prayer. She spouted her scandalous opinions for anyone who asked-Merv Griffin and Johnny Carson, Life and The Saturday Evening Post.
In one 1973 "Dear Diary" entry, Madalyn listed her modest goals for the year: "File at least a couple of suits and win one of them, get a building, get a Bible chair at University of Texas, get a mink coat and a Cadillac, humiliate Billy Graham for money and move into a bigger and better home."
She was born Madalyn Elizabeth Mays-on Palm Sunday in 1919. The Mayses weren’t devout at anything, but Madalyn and her older brother were baptized in 1923 at a Presbyterian church. Years later, Madalyn supposedly read the entire Bible in but a weekend-cover to cover, like a novel, she said - an ordeal from which she’d never recover.
"The miracles, the inconsistencies, the improbabilities, the impossibilities, the wretched history, the sordid sex, the sadism," she told a Playboy interviewer. "I’ve never gotten over the shock of it."
She’s gone now and her troublemaking days are over.
Heb. 9:27 “It is appointed unto men to die and after that the judgment.” That is, to face their judgment. And Madalyn Murray O’Hair has faced hers.
ILL.- Cable television mogul Ted Turner criticized fundamentalist Christianity and said Jesus probably would "be sick at his stomach" over the way his ideas have been "twisted," the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Turner said he had a strict Christian upbringing and at one time considered becoming a missionary. "I was saved seven or eight times," the newspaper quoted him as saying. But he said he became disenchanted with Christianity after his sister died, despite his prayers. Turner said the more he strayed from his faith, "the better I felt."
Personally, I don’t think we’ve heard the last of Ted Turner. And if it’s not him, it will be someone else.
God takes care of some troublemakers and some of them we have to deal with ourselves the best we can.
Col. 3:5 “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature....”
There is a beast lurking within us all. He occasionally rears his ugly head to cause us trouble and cause trouble for those around us. WE NEED TO KILL THE BEAST WITHIN US OR AT LEAST, KEEP HIM ON A LEASE AND NOT ALLOW HIM MUCH FREEDOM.
PROP.- I want us to consider some troublemakers in our own lives from the book of Proverbs and what to do about them.
1- Laziness
2- Haughtiness
3- Harshness
I. LAZINESS
Prov. 10:4 “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.”
ILL.- Employee to employer: I have been here eleven years doing three men’s work for one man’s pay. Now I want a raise.
Employer: I can’t give you a raise but if you’ll tell me who the other two men are, I’ll fire them.
ILL.- A sign in a Nashville supermarket read: “Wanted: a clerk to work 8 hours a day to replace the one who didn’t.”
ILL.- A father told his little son that he couldn’t go to church because he was suffering from a severe case of voluntary inertia. “I bet you aren’t,” the little boy said to his father. “I BET YOU ARE JUST LAZY.”
Laziness is a troublemaker in our lives. How could that be? Because laziness keeps us from doing what we should in life. And it’s not just the matter of our work.
Laziness affects everything we do in life. When we are lazy we will not attend to our marriage, we will not be effective parents, we will be poor workers (more like shirkers), we will not care about others, because that takes time and energy and attention. We will not get involved in any form of Christian service.
ILL.- After several years of married life, the glamour wore off and the young couple went to see a marriage counselor. After talking with the couple for awhile, the counselor suddenly swept the woman into his arms and kissed her passionately.
“Now,” said the counselor, “this is the kind of treatment your wife needs on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. At least, these three days.”
“Okay,” replied the husband, “I can bring here in here on Thursday and Saturday nights, BUT MONDAY IS MY BOWLING NIGHT.”
ILL.- M. Scott Peck in his book THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED has a whole chapter entitled, “The work of attention.” He said, “The principal form that the work of love takes is attention. When we love another we give him or her our attention. When we attend to someone we are caring for that person. The act of attention requires that we make the effort to set aside time....”
Peck went on to say, “Since love is work, the essence of nonlove is laziness.”
Laziness is a troublemaker in many a marriage. The lazy husband will not attend to his wife and vice versa. Laziness destroys marriages. Laziness destroys many relationships.
ILL.- M. Scott Peck said, “Laziness is very real in every one of us. No matter how energetic, ambitious or even wise we may be, if we truly look into ourselves we will find laziness lurking at some level.”
Sometimes we need something to motivate us or boost out of our laziness. Here is a story that perhaps will help some.
ILL.- His name is Edwin Finkbeiner of Burbank, CA. He’s 73 years old and works at something constantly, 7-days a week. Of course, he’s a chronic insomniac. HE CONSIDERS IT MOST UNUSUAL IF HE GETS MORE THAN 5 HOURS OF SLEEP...IN A WEEK! Yes, 5 hours a week!
Of course, if your name was Finkbeiner, how could you get any sleep? Ed will go through one 24-hour period after another fully awake. And that’s been going on for 73 years.
He is a man with unusual energy, creativity and talents. Finkbeiner has undoubtedly accomplished more than any person functioning at normal capacity for 150 years. He always makes good use of his wakeful hours doing such things as: inventing, reading, lecturing, writing, traveling, and painting. Just to name a few of his occupations.
Recalling his infancy and childhood, Finkbeiner says he must have been a trial to his mother. He remembers her taking him repeatedly to the doctor and explaining that her son would not sleep. “What do you want me to do about it?” was the doctor’s unsympathetic response.
After Finkbeiner was a grown man, even sophisticated treatments didn’t give the pros an idea of how to cure him. And so Finkbeiner kept right on living, double-time, serving as an instrument flight instructor for the B25 Bomber during WWII and then 25 years with Lockheed Aerospace after the war.
He finally retired after developing a disabling case of arthritis. However, to keep ahead of the disease, Finkbeiner follows a program of bodybuilding with weights. And what has he earned for his exercise program of weight lifting? A FEW TROPHIES AS SENIOR MR. CALIFORNIA.
But the half has not been told, Finkbeiner has moved from painting life-sized pictures to using a 100-power microscope and a sable brush from which he has removed all but one single hair in order to paint scenes and objects on pinheads. Finkbeiner is also the master of an art that can’t be seen by the naked eye.
He takes his work seriously through the days and through the nights. A man of faith, he also spends much of his sleepless hours reading the Bible and being thankful for the talents and time that God has given him.
In a letter, Finkbeiner leaves this advice: “The eyes are the weakest parts of the body. They must have rest. So even if you can’t sleep, think pleasant, positive thoughts while lying with your eyes closed...AND HAVE A GOOD DAY!”
What a fascinating man, that Edwin Finkbeiner! Perhaps we can learn a thing or two from him.
“Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.” Laziness is a troublemaker that needs to be dealt with. What are you going to do about it in your life? Go home and take a nap?!
II. HAUGHTINESS
Prov. 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Haughtiness is when you think you are “hot” but really you are not.
ILL.- A duck hunter was very proud of his marksmanship. He took a friend with him one morning to witness his shooting skill. After a period of time a lone duck flew overhead.
“Watch this,” whispered the hunter, as he took careful aim and fired. And the duck flew serenely on his way.
“My boy,” said the hunter, “you are witnessing a great miracle. THERE FLIES A DEAD DUCK.”
I know of some hunters like that. I know of some people like that.
ILL.- Before his famous fight with Smokin’ Joe Frazier, Muhammed Ali is quoted as saying, “There seems to be some confusions. We’re gonna clear this confusion on March 8. We’re gonna decide once and for all who is king! There’s not a man alive who can whup me. I’m too smart. I’m too pretty. I am the greatest. I am the king! I should be a postage stamp - that’s the only way I could get licked!”
And look at where Muhammed Ali is now. He’s a broken man physically, and why is this? Well, most people would say it’s because he has Parkinson’s disease. But are we sure about that? COULD IT POSSIBLY BE AS A RESULT OF HIS HAUGHTINESS, HIS PRIDE? I don’t know for sure.
But I do know this: “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
ILL.- Adolf Hitler was adored and reverenced as a god by many Germans. Hitler himself probably began to believe this and some time later he committed suicide in a Berlin bunker.
“Pride goes before destruction.”
ILL.- Mark Twain was a distinguished-looking figure in his later years. One day he was strolling in the park when a little girl came up to him and asked if she could walk with him. Highly flattered, Twain told her stories for an hour, then gave her a nickel and said, “Now run along home and when you grow up you can tell your friends you once walked with Mark Twain.”
“Mark Twain!” echoed the little girl, bursting into tears. “I THOUGHT YOU WERE BUFFALO BILL!”
When we think we’re really something that’s when a child may come along and humble us. They often see more than we think they do.
Rom. 12:1 “For by the grace given me to say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”
I Pet. 5:5b “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
ILL.- NO INDISPENSABLE PERSON
Sometime when you’re feeling important
Sometime when your ego’s in bloom.
Sometime when you take it for granted
You’re the best qualified in the room.
Sometime when you feel that your going
Would leave an unfillable hole,
Just follow these simple instructions
And see how they humble your soul.
Take a bucket and fill it with water
Put your hand in it up to the wrist,
Pull it out, and the hole that’s remaining
Is a measure of how you’ll be missed.
You can splash all you want when you enter.
You may stir up the water galore;
But stop, and you find that in no time
It looks quite the same as before.
The moral in this quaint example
Is to do just the best that you can;
Be proud of yourself, but remember
There’s no indispensable man.
1- Laziness
2- Haughtiness
III. HARSHNESS
Prov. 15:1 “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
ILL.- DID YOU KNOW? Did you know that if you talk to your plants they will grow better? Dr. Henry Cathey, chief of the Ornamental Lab of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture said, “When we sing or talk to plants, we exhale an amount of carbon dioxide into the air, and just as we require oxygen to live, plants require carbon dioxide.”
Some of you may be thinking, “Well, whoopee do!” The truth is some people speak kinder to their plants than they do to human beings.
Whether it is true or not that speaking to your plants can help them grow, IT IS TRUE THAT SPEAKING THE RIGHT WORDS TO PEOPLE CAN HELP THEM GROW!
We can either help or hinder people with our speech. We can either bless or blister them. We can either build them up or tear them down.
ILL.- Poem “WORDS”
A careless word may kindle strife.
A cruel word may wreck a life.
A brutal word may smite and kill.
A searing word may send to hell.
A gracious word may smooth the way.
A joyous word may light the day.
A timely word may lessen stress.
A loving word may heal and bless.
Prov. 12:18 “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
Reckless words, harsh words, unkind words pierce like a sword.
Prov. 18:21 “The tongue has the power of life and death...”
ILL.-The 18th-century British physician John Hunter, who was a pioneer in the field of surgery and served as surgeon to King George III, suffered from angina. Discovering that his attacks were often brought on by anger, Hunter lamented, "My life is at the mercy of any scoundrel who chooses to put me in a passion." These words proved prophetic, for at a meeting of the board of St. George’s Hospital in London, Hunter got into a heated argument with other board members, walked out, and dropped dead in the next room.
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Anger can kill but so can angry words.
ILL.- You’ve heard the old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” WRONG! NOT TRUE!
ILL.- Mother to her son: How could you be so rude as to tell your sister that she’s stupid. Go tell her you’re sorry.
Son: SIS, I’M SORRY THAT YOU’RE STUPID.
Even if we consider that someone is below us in intelligence or whatever etc. we should never go around belittling people with words such as: "dumb," "fat," "ignorant," "stupid," or "ugly."
ILL.- Someone else put it this way: “Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will break our hearts.” And cause a lot of trouble.
Prov. 12:18 “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
ILL.- Adam McGuire was surfing about 300 feet off Half Tide Beach in Australia. The 17-year-old boy and two of his friends were unaware of the danger approaching them. A large shark went for him, gouged a chunk out of his surfboard, and knocked him into the water. Adam suffered a badly gashed stomach from the initial attack.
Then, just as suddenly as the shark had appeared, so did a school of dolphins. They swam for the shark. Got its attention and distracted it from the injured boy. And Adam swam to shore. Police investigators credited the dolphins with saving Adam McGuire’s life.
People also come in shark and dolphin varieties. Some folks tear and slash their way through life. They leave blood in their wake. They cause harm. They create havoc.
Others have a healing presence. They bring a soothing atmosphere. They encourage and edify. They make peace where there has been turmoil. They rescue strugglers. They bear burdens. They demonstrate mercy.
Which are you? Shark or dolphin type? Prov. 15:1 “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
CONCLUSION----------------------------------------
ILL.- It was said that Jonathan Edwards, 3rd president of Princeton, had a daughter with a terrible temper. But, as is often the case, most people didn’t know about it.
A young man fell in love with his daughter and wanted to marry her. “You can’t have her,” was the abrupt answer of Jonathan Edwards. “But I love her,” the young man replied. “You can’t have her,” said Edwards. “But she loves me,” said the young man.
Again, Edwards said, “You can’t have her.” “Why?” asked the young man. “Because she is not worthy of you.” “But she is a Christian, is she not?” “Yes, she is a Christian, but the grace of God can live with some people with whom no one else could ever live.”
Brethren, sometimes we are stinkers! We are stinkers to live with or even be around! We are troublemakers instead of peacemakers. And we must do the best we can to kill that beast within us, but even when we can’t, God’s grace is sufficient.
Without His grace we could never overcome anything or be saved. The grace of God can live with some people with whom no one else could ever live. Surrender to His grace and you’ll be better for it.
