A Thief Never Robs Goodwill
John 10:10
You will not fully understand the title of this message until we get further into it. So I am not going to dwell on it much for now.
But just keep in mind: A Thief Never Robs Goodwill.
Read John 10:10
You know I am a sports fan and I love football. There is one thing that I have noticed from the teams as they prepare for each week’s game.
They focus more on the other team than their own.
You have Spring Training just before school lets out.
You work on getting into shape, getting faster in your running.
But once the season starts, the focus of the coach changes from his team to focus more on the other team.
When it comes time to watch film, the coaches will study the other team in:
Their formations – how they will line up
Their plays – how they move the football
Their “key” players – those who you need to stop
They watch these films, take notes and then put a plan together that they teach their players.
So the game is not just about our team and our strong points, it’s finding the weak spots of the other team and catching them off guard.
We as Christians should be doing the same thing. But instead we would rather read and study
About Heaven
About our future
About our Savior
And this is not bad – but we must know what the enemy is up to.
Why? He knows all about you.
He was there to see how you reacted when:
In first grade that kid made fun of you
When that sixth grader made fun of your clothes
(Girls) When your first love broke your heart
(Guys) when you saw your first playboy
When you were tempted in high school
When you lost your husband to divorce
When you lost your wife to cancer
He was there. He saw what it did to you. He took notes.
He knows your weaknesses. He knows what to throw in your way to cause you to stumble.
Jesus tells us here in John 10:10:
“…The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy…”
The only reason Satan is here is to do whatever it takes to get rid of you.
It’s great to read and study about:
Heaven
Your future mansions
David and his accomplishments
But sometimes you have go to get your bible down and see what the enemy is up to.
You are doing well until all of sudden “BAM” something happens and since you are not aware of how the devil works; his attack almost does you in.
· He blind-sides you.
· He catches unaware.
· He gets you while you are not looking.
· He sneaks up on you while you are thinking about heaven.
So let’s see what kind of warning that Jesus is giving us here: and don’t forget, “A thief doesn’t rob Goodwill”
1. Steal – your joy
If the enemy is after one thing in your life, it’s your joy.
Because if you have perfect joy in your life:
· You’ll be dancing even though you have no job
· You’ll be singing God’s praises even though things are not going your way.
· You’ll be smiling while someone else if stabbing you in the back…
Why? Because you have the joy of the Lord living within you
Psalms 5:11
“But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy…”
Psalms 30:5
“…Weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning…”
Psalms 126:5
“…They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.”
Satan knows that: what you have joy about you are going to share with others. You are going to talk about the things that make you happy.
He also realizes that when you have the joy in your heart, it will be harder to get you to stumble.
Because if I have joy in my heart and I am in constant praise to my Heavenly Father, when the enemy tries to throw something in my way, without even knowing it, I will just skip over it as I continue to worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
For the Christian, Joy is more than an emotion. Joy is a tool God gives us to overcome our circumstances, to empower us to rise above the pain and the sorrows of this life.
So he is after my joy.
2. Kill – Your aspirations
Satan knows that you are here for a purpose. He is trying his best to keep you from achieving the “dream” that God has birthed into your being.
He is not concerned where you are now; the enemy is more concerned about where you are going.
Illus. Dave Dravecky
In his 7th year as MLB pitcher for the San Fran Giants, a cancerous tumor was discovered in Dave’s pitching arm. The next years were a whirlwind of surgery, radiation, pain and depression, all in the glaring light of the media. Eventually, Dave’s arm was amputated to stop the spread of the cancer and save his life.
HIS WORDS:
When I look back over my cancer battle and see all I’ve learned from other people who have suffered, all I’ve experienced of other people’s love, all God has shown me of his mercy and comfort, all the encouragement my small measure of suffering has given to others, I think: If I’d have continued on as a ballplayer and missed that, now that would have been a tragedy.
For Dave, his arm was taken from him.
For you it could be:
Your current position in business
An illness that takes you off your feet
A sick family member that requires your attention
· Thomas Edison was told – “he was too stupid to learn”
· Bill Wilson, founder of Alcoholics Ann. – he was hopeless alcoholic that was told he would never amount to anything.
· James E. West – first chief executive of Boy Scouts of America – was a crippled child whose only home was an orphanage.
What the devil has meant for bad, God meant for good
The enemy is giving you some false information:
He’s saying:
· You’re too old now to fulfill your dream
· You’re too bad of a person to be in church
· You have blown it bad – no need to fight back
· You are just hurting yourself the more you try
Illus. Gastava-Bennett Burrus
97-year old who went back to school and got her diploma after dropping out of the fourth grade to pick cotton.
Can you imagine the negative thoughts?
What would the kids say?
Why should I waste my time?
I am not able to work
It will not secure me a job
50 grandchildren / 37 great-grand children
But that didn’t stop Gastava from going after her aspiration of getting her high school diploma.
Don’t let the devil kill your aspirations.
Stand firm. And while you maybe down on the outside, stand up on the inside.
Make up your mind to not let anything get you down or keep you from fulfilling the purpose that God has for you on this earth.
Get rid of the mind-set that’s saying you can’t do it; you can’t be happy; you have too much to overcome.
Those are all lies from the enemy.
Those are steps that thief is taking to Kill your aspirations.
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Not only do we have a warning of the thief stealing and killing but we also get another heads up.
And don’t forget: “A Thief doesn’t rob Goodwill”
3. Destroy – your testimony
Satan thinks that if he can destroy your testimony that God will no longer need you here.
IF he can’t steal your joy or kill your aspirations – This one might just do it.
We get saved and we get into church and we start sharing the joy we have with other people.
· Look at what God has done for me
· Notice where He has brought me from
And while we are sharing that joy, things will begin to happen to us that will test our faith.
Because we think that once God saves us that we are where He wants us to be. Keep in mind - that is just the starting point.
Illus. Potter and the Clay
The potter can’t start sculpting his design until he first gets the clay on the pottering wheel. Just because he accepts that clay and has it in place doesn’t mean he is finished with the clay.
The potter knows in his mind what he wants to create. The clay doesn’t know. All it knows is that his world is filled with a lot of twists and turns, a lot of grinding and pushing out the unnecessary particles.
Oh but when the creator finally displays the finished product. What a testimony. I was once just a lump of clay, look at me now. Not because of something I have done, it was all due to the potter, the creator of this masterpiece.
Isn’t that just like God?
I am just a lump of clay and God (the potter) knows what he wants me to become. I am just seeing a lot of twist and turns in my life.
I am about ready to fall of the wheel but God quickly puts his hand down to catch me so I don’t hit the ground.
When these times come, we immediately think that we have done something wrong to deserve these testing times.
We have to realize that God has a divine purpose for you and your testimony. And while He may not be the one sending you the problems, he is allowing them to happen to help strengthen our spiritual muscles.
1st Peter 4:12
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you.”
1st Peter 1:6
“In this you greatly rejoice even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, (7) that the proof of your faith (testimony) being more precious than gold which is perishable, even thought tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Your testimony is not just the time that God saved you. It continues to grow each day.
Your testimony is not just:
Once I was lost but now I am found
It also includes:
· I once was blind but now I see
· I was ready to give up on God – but He wouldn’t let me
· When I couldn’t stand by myself, the Lord let me rest myself up against Him
· When I thought I had hit rock bottom, I was actually laying in the palm of the master’s hand
· When I thought I was too tired to continue, I noticed that I was still moving – it was God carrying me until I got my strength back to walk on my own.
Don’t let the thief come in and:
Steal your joy
Kill your aspirations
Or Destroy your testimony.
Oh, and what about the message title:
“A Thief Doesn’t Rob Goodwill”
Out of all my days of covering the news. Out of all the days that you have watched the many stories of robberies and burglaries on the news…
There is one story you have never heard.
You never hear of a thief breaking in to Goodwill. Why?
There is nothing of value to him in there. If he is going to go after something that is not his, then he is going after the valuable items.
The precious jewelry - The expensive clothes
The thief wants things that are valuable to other people so he can get more for his work.
If you are going through a time where you feel as though the enemy is coming after you full force…
I want you to put a smile on your face. Because you must be of great value for Satan to be working extra hours on trying to bring you down.
· God must have something great for you…
· God must be getting ready to lift you up…
· God must have something in store for your life…
The thief is only going to go after the most valuable commodity.
Galatians 6:9
“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time, we shall reap if we do not grow weary”
· Could it be that the enemy knows that it is almost your reaping time?
· Could it be that you are almost completed and the potter is about to display you?
· Could it be that God is about to take you to new places?
The enemy knows he is running out of time.
Don’t let him –
Steal your joy
Kill your aspirations
Destroy your testimony…
But also keep in mind:
A thief doesn’t rob Goodwill.
You must really be of value if you are going through some tough stuff.
