“Trouble Tree”
Introduction: Philippians 4:11-13
Illustration:
I heard a story of a man named John who hired a plumber to help him restore an old farmhouse, and after he had just finished a rough first day on the job: a flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric drill quit and his ancient one ton truck refused to start. While John drove the plumber home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited John in to meet his family. As the two men walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss. Afterward he walked John to the car. As they passed the tree and curiosity got the better of John he asked him about what he had seen him do earlier."Oh, that’s my trouble tree," he replied. "I know I can’t help having troubles on the job, but one thing’s for sure, those troubles don’t belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home and ask God to take care of them. Then in the morning I pick them up again." "Funny thing is," he smiled, "when I come out in the morning to pick ’em up, there aren’t nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before."
1. Were do we hang our problems?
A. Mathew 11:29
B. The ground is level at the foot of the cross; we can hang our burdens on that tree.
C. We can learn a lot from the story of the plumber. He is a simple man who, at some point in his life he discovered that his burdens could be hung in his “problem tree”.
D. John 14:27
E. He didn’t promise that we wouldn’t have troubles or that there wouldn’t be work.
1. Jesus did, however, give us a lasting peace, real peace, which leads to contentment.
2. He said, “Not as the world gives” you see the world promises peace but only deliver sorrow, it promise relief, but only gives pain.
Illustration:
There were two large drinking glasses set out on a counter. Both had ice steaming from the rim and were that very thick kind of crystal, you know the kind you can’t see through, well there were two men who had been working hard in a field and came inside for a drink. Each man took a glass and put it to his dry, chapped lips and tipped the glass up and swallowed with great force. One mans thirst was quenched and one man became angry and frustrated because he didn’t receive anything to drink. Both glasses looked enticing, but the one was empty. It held great promise, but delivered nothing. The world offers us things like alcohol, sex, money, and other things that while they look very good at the start only end in trouble and despair. We can drink from the cup of the world for day’s weeks and years and never be satisfied, but like the other man who drank deep from the cooling and refreshing drink and was satisfied we can also choose to drink of the things that God has for us, things that bring fulfillment to the soul and lasting deep peace for the heart and lasting healing to our lives.
2. What then is the source of this peace?
A. John 4:7-14
B. Sin is fun…for a time. It’s enticing like a trap baited with sweet perfume. It’s like a promise never fulfilled or a check that bounces for insufficient funds. You see, sin and worldly pleasures empty promises that never deliver what they initially offer.
C. Philippians 1:21
D. Paul recognized the source of peace is Christ living in us. Nothing short a personal relationship with a risen and glorified savior will satisfy our longing for peace and our desire for contentment. And until we are peace in our own hearts, the peace that only Christ can bring, how can we ever be at peace with our friends…with our families…and in our lives…
E. To get to the end of the race, we must start at the beginning. To climb a mountain, we always have to start at the base.
F. Mathew 6:19
G. God desires good things for us, but first and most importantly, he desires mercy, love, and that we are not filled with fear or despair, we have to start at the heart of the matter. Which in this matter is our heart.
3. What do I have to do to have this peace
A. Philippians 3:12-13
B. The first thing is…don’t give up. We have to daily pick up our cross and take steps toward the goal that is Christ will in our lives. We have to confess our sins and hang them on that tree, we have to, like the plumber in the story, hang them on a tree… that tree is the cross of Jesus Christ. We are forgiven!
C. We have to one other thing, though, and this is the hard part…we have to repent.
D. Repent means, “Turn away from sin” It implies action, to repent is to stop at the fork in the road, consider where you want to end up at the end of the journey, and to then choose accordingly.
E. We find Peace in forgiveness. Both in God’s forgiveness of us and our forgiveness for others.
F. Luke 15:6-7
Illustration:
Somewhere in the New England States there was a painting contest and the theme was peace. It was narrowed down to two very different paintings and some were questioning when the judges announced that the painting of the
beautiful lake with an umbrella in the sand and the soft colors of the sky came in second. People were saying under their breath that they were day- dreaming just looking at the picture. The judge then held up the one that won, it was of a horrific storm. Debris was floating in the air and a roof
lifted off a house. The sky was dark and gloomy. Then the judges pointed out why the painting won, in the background was a beautiful mountain with a cove cut out of it, a bird was laying in it’s nest not bother by the storm because it was at peace. Many of times in out life it is when the world looks peaceful that we are quickly thrown back into the storm and unless we are embraced by the cove, God’ hand we will not achieve the peace He hopes for us.
Conclusion:
4. I can do all things!
A. Philippians 4:13
B. I can do all things…through Christ who strengthens me. Daily we have to decide to serve him, sometimes hourly, but we don’t have peace like the world gives, the Bible says that he will never leave us nor forsake us, we aren’t in this alone, he died for a sacrifice for an atonement and a payment for our sins, but it didn’t stop there! He rose again! The tomb is empty! The Bible says that he stands at the door of our heart and knocks, if we will let him in he will live with us, he knows all the things we’ve done and loves us anyway.
C. What happens when we take a shortcut through the grass and fall in the mud? The word has a plan for our life because God desires good things for our life, not because he wants to punish, the Bible says that it is not God’s will that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance through Christ Jesus. Our contentment flows from a spring of forgiveness.
Prayer: Call for Repentance
