Don’t take Christ out of your crisis.
TEXT: John 16:33
In Max Lucado’s book ‘When Christ Comes’ he tells this story. When he was a boy, Max Lucado was a member of the Odessa Boys Choir, and one year the local junior college had asked them to play the roles of the munchkins in their presentation of the Wizard of Oz. So the choir began rehearsing. There was only two little problems. First, the boys choir didn’t rehearse with the rest of the cast, and second, Max Lucado had never before seen the Wizard of Oz. He says that the movie was always showed on Sunday nights, and he and his family were always in church. And since he and the choir didn’t rehearse with the rest of the cast Mr. Lucado thought that the munchkins were the stars of the show. He thought that when he handed Dorothy the flower that was the end of the production. Well needless to say that when it came time for the actual show he was more than a little surprised. He goes on to say in his book that when the wicked witch appeared on stage he didn’t have to act scared, he was terrified.
Of course that would have never happened if he had known the plot, and how the story ends. And sometimes we can get the same way in real life. We can sometimes be overwhelmed by the things that this world throws at us. Sick kids, over due bills, deadlines and schedules, not enough rain for the crops, too much rain, cattle prices going down, the stock market going crazy, terrorists running loose, I could go on and on. And then on top of all that there’s the devil. He’s out there tempting us and trying to get at us any way he can. And just like Max Lucado we can sometimes get overly anxious, or even become frightened. And that’s when we need to remember how the story ends.
See, one of the great things about God is that He hasn’t kept the end of the story a secret. He isn’t like one of those Hollywood screenwriters who keep the whole thing secret until it’s time to show the movie. No He wants us to see the big picture. He wants us to know that He wins, and so do we, if you’re in Christ. So we need to remember don’t take Christ out of your crisis. There are many passages in the Bible that tell us this. Not in those exact words but the meaning is the same, and I don’t have time to go over them all today, but I do want to touch on a few of them.
Turn with me to Luke 22:31-32 (read). There are three things we need to realize here. First of all, Satan had to ask. That tells us that God is in control. He is sovereign, all mighty, all-powerful, and He is still on the throne. And there is nothing that happens without Him knowing about it and allowing it. Now let me explain this really quickly. God has a perfect will and a permissive will. God’s perfect will was for man to never have sinned, and for the fellowship between man and God to remain intact. God’s perfect will is for all men to be saved. However God’s permissive will is where God doesn’t necessarily approve of something and yet He allows it to happen any way. Those of us who are parents can relate to this. My perfect will for my daughters would be for them to be happy, successful, and content in life, but my permissive will is when I allow them to make their own decisions even when I know that the consequences of their decisions could be hurtful. Now I could very well stop them from going through with the decision they have made, and force them to do my will, but that isn’t love. I allow them to make their own choices and hope that they will grow and mature and gain some wisdom.
My point is that God is in control, and Satan has to ask permission before he does anything. And what Satan intends for evil, God can work for our good.
The second thing we need to realize is that Jesus is the author and the finisher of our faith. Notice what He said to Peter, (read vs. 32 Emphasize the word ‘when’). When you have returned, not if you return. I once witnessed to a person who told me that they couldn’t be saved because they had sold their soul to the devil. And I told that person that his soul wasn’t his to sell. He looked at me kind of funny so I went on to explain to him that as a Christian we have been bought with a price. The blood of Jesus has redeemed our souls from hell. I then told him that if he wasn’t a Christian then his soul already belonged to the devil. There’s no middle ground. As Christians we have been redeemed, bought back. We are not our own, Jesus bought us away from our old master. And then Jesus placed his seal of ownership on us, called the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 4:30 tells us that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption. And when you become a Christian Jesus become the author and finisher of your faith.
The Bible also tells us in Romans 8:34 that Jesus is at this very moment making intercession for us at the right hand of the Father. Just like He did for Simon Peter, Jesus is praying for us. And that’s the third point we need to understand. If God be for us, who can be against us? Did you know that Jesus never prayed a prayer that wasn’t answered? And not only is Jesus praying for us, but Romans 8:26 tells us that the Holy Spirit also makes intercession for us. Now just think about this for a second. We have two members of the Godhead, two members of the Holy Trinity praying and interceding for us. If that doesn’t make you happy then I don’t know what will.
Right now Jesus is protecting you. Right now Jesus is in the midst of your crisis. You might feel like a munchkin on a stage with a wicked witch running loose, but don’t worry. 1st Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” Peter knew that better than most people. In 2nd Peter 2:9 he says, “the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations…” Don’t take Christ out of your crisis. He will rescue you. God hasn’t kept us in the dark. He tells us that in this world we will have trouble. Disease and sickness can attack our bodies, divorce can destroy homes. Disasters and tragedies can strike us and our families, and death comes to us all. The ratio of death to life is one to one. We shouldn’t expect anything less, but just because the devil shows up and throws a monkey wrench into our lives doesn’t mean that we should panic, because even though in this world we will have trouble, lets not for get the last part of that verse, “but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.” Jesus has overcome; it’s past tense. It is finished, the battle is over. Be alert but don’t be alarmed. Satan walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, but when you submit yourself to God and resist the devil, he will flee from you. In other words, don’t take Christ out of your crisis. Revelation 12:12 tells us that the reason the devil is filled with fury is because he knows his time is short. The old devil knows that his time is running out, and he’s going to do anything he can to try and get at God. And since he can’t get at God, he tries to get at us, but before he can do that he has to ask permission.
So what I’m trying to say here is fear not. Don’t be anxious for anything. God is in control. Jesus tells us in Matthew 24, “that all of these things must come to pass, but see that you are not troubled.” See God has a plan and a purpose for our lives. And He has a plan and a purpose for the trials He allows to come into our lives. In most cases the trials and tests that we go though are in effect, spiritual growing pains. They bring our faith to maturity, and help us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now I know that there are a lot of things going on in the world these days, sometimes it’s just down right depressing to watch the news and I know that some of you might have things going on in your personal lives that are even more frustrating or disheartening but before you become anxious or fearful stop for a minute and think about the promises of the Lord given in God’s Word. Stop and think about all the other times that God has brought you through other trials and times of crisis. Just take a little bit of time to think about the faithfulness of God.
Now maybe today you do have a lot of worries and fears. Maybe today you are going through a crisis but the Bible tells us that we have the victory in Jesus Christ. However if you have never received Jesus as your Lord and Savior then you’re already defeated, but there’s good news. And that good news is that you can accept Him today. You can have peace when you come to know the Prince of Peace. So if you would like to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I invite you to come today.
