1 Corinthians 15
1Friends, let me go over the Message with you one final time--this Message that I proclaimed and that you made your own; this Message on which you took your stand 2and by which your life has been saved. (I’m assuming, now, that your belief was the real thing and not a passing fancy, that you’re in this for good and holding fast.) 3The first thing I did was place before you what was placed so emphatically before me: that the Messiah died for our sins, exactly as Scripture tells it; 4that he was buried; that he was raised from death on the third day, again exactly as Scripture says;
When we think of backing up – it is usually because we have missed a turn somewhere and in order to rectify our mistake we gotta backup. Sometimes we backup to get out of our driveway or garage so that we can go in the direction that is necessary to go. When we speak of a backup plan – it is the plan we use if the main thing don’t work. Some folk got backup girlfriends and boyfriends…. The one they call when the main one messes up. Some folk have backup friends, the ones we call on only if we can’t find our partners. Backup – something used when something else don’t’ work. Well I want us to evaluate how we use the goodness of the Lord
When we think about the goodness of Jesus. When we contemplate his grace and his mercy. When we reflect on his goodness and kindness we get excited. When we think about how he keeps us. How we can go to him in the midnight hour. How he can fix our mess. Rectify our stuff. Restore our joy. Replace our hope. Rejuvenate our spirit. When we just remember to think about him. We found him to be the best backup plan to our mess ups. We found him to be the best back up plan to our screw ups. We found him to be the best back up plan to our mishaps. But I am here this morning to remind each of us that God is not A backup plan. He is the Back Up Plan. Turn to someone and tell them – its time to get up!
The word that Paul penned in this scripture is simply reminding us that Jesus got up so we could stay up. He didn’t come to always be the one to come in and make our messy junk right. He’s the one who came to help us to stay on an upward road. The reason so many times we get into so much mess is because we use Jesus as the fixer of our problems instead of the leader of our lives. We attempt to do it first. You know try to fix that marriage. Try to fix that child. Try to fix that church program. Never asking God for his advice until all is said and done and the mess is so big the only one who could fix it is Jesus. The Lord simply want us to look to Him, not after the mess is to big for us to handle – but in all we do we should seek the Lord.
Why should we – well the word of God says
Psalm 14:2
The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.
Psalm 69:32
The humble will see their God at work and be glad. Let all who seek God’s help live in joy.
We receive Joy when we seek Him before – not after. Because our own choices have done the same thing over and over again….nothing for us. When we learn that he is more than a back up for our troubles – when we learn depend on him – Romans 8:31 says if God is for us who can be against us….. Nothing and no one is greater than Him. Greater is he that is in me than He that is in the world. Meaning when you dwell in God – depend on God – lean on God – turn to God because He got you Back Up instead of using Him when you are down and out. Using him when you are sick and tired. Using him when you are depressed and despondent because your plan failed and now you need a backup plan. He gave the initial backup plan years ago so that we could have the perfect Back Up plan. He saw how his children had started making poor decisions. Forgetting who he was and what he could do. You know – Adam & Eve – Eve eating the fruit and Adam passing the blame…. Kicked out of Eden….. There children didn’t fair any better – one loved God – the other cheated God – one killed the other – kicked out of his homeland. So God had a backup plan – sent the rain – told Noah to build a boat and start all over again…. But the backup plan didn’t get the folk what they needed. Because shortly thereafter the folk started acting up again. You know the children of Israel on again = off again on again relationship with God. Doing things their way – then coming to God for the backup to their mess up. How many of us have done that – gotten to the lowest point that we could go – and could only look up – and said Father I stretch My Hands to thee….. how many of us get to the place where we can’t find any peace and we say = All to Jesus I surrender…… How many times have we foresaken God with our own efforts – stuff messed up --- stuff at home – stuff at church – stuff in general --. Look to God after we can’t get our husband to do it our way. Look to God after we can’t get our wives to see things the way we want them to see it. Look to God after we can’t deal with our children any longer. Look to God after program after program = no one will work with us – no one will support – no money is raised…. But God want us not to lean to our own understanding.. God does not want us to run off before we get direction which way to Go. God wants us to come to Him like Paul and say Order my steps. I don’t know about you – but I don’t need a backup plan because of the perfect back up plan God gave us in Jesus --- Jesus said if I be lifted up from the earth – I will draw all to me – draw us out of our mess. Out of our stuff – out of our sin. Our back up plan lifts us up out of sin. Our back up plan gives us 24/7 access to the kingdom of God. Our back up plan is better than any backup plan we could ever phathom. Our back up plan assures us a day of no more pain and no more heartache……
God is not your backup plan - He is your back up man
