The Bumps

THE BUMPS

Introduction: A little boy was leading his sister up a mountain path and the way was not too easy. “Why, this isn’t a path at all,” the little girl complained. “It’s all rocky and bumpy.” And her brother replied, “Sure, the bumps are what you climb on.”

What do you do with the bumps on the path to life?

I. IS A LIFE OF SUCCESS FREE FROM BUMPS?

A. Successful People

1. From a distance you might think they had it made.

2. Closer inspection often reveals otherwise.

B. Great Biblical Personalities

1. Abraham

a. Everyone with any religious education knows that Abraham was a

man of faith.

b. Was he always a man of great faith?

Genesis 12:1 “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

c. God gave him the land of Canaan.

Genesis 12:7 “Unto thy seed will I give this land:”

(1) There was famine in the land.

Genesis 12:10 “And there was a famine in the land:”

(2) Traveled to Egypt Genesis 12:11

(3) Lied about his wife Sarai.

d. Then there was Lot.

(1) Strife

Genesis 13:7 “And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle:”

(2) Captive

Genesis 14:12 “And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.”

(3) In Danger Of Judgment

Genesis 18:32 “And he said, Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.”

e. Helping God

(1) Did God fall asleep at the helm?

Genesis 16:1 “Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.”

(2) Bad counsel from his wife.

Genesis 16:2 “And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath

restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her.”

(3) The rage of a woman.

Genesis 16:4 “And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.”

f. Isaac

(1) The Promise

Genesis 17:16 “And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her:”

(2) Abraham Laughs

Genesis 17:17 “Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed,”

(3) The Problem

Genesis 17:17 “Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?”

(4) The Sacrifice. Was God kidding?

Genesis 22:2 “And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.”

g. Abraham used the bumps to climb higher. Warren W. Wiersbe pg 10

2. Joseph

a. Scorned and hated by his brothers.

b. In a pit.

c. Sold as a slave --> Potiphar

d. In a prison

e. In a palace --> Prime Minister in Egypt

3. Daniel and the den of lions?

4. Paul?

They accepted the difficulties of life and used them as stepping-stones to the top of the mountain. W. W. W. pg 10

II. WHAT ABOUT YOUR BUMPS?

A. What does it feel like when things are going great and then there’s a bump?

1. Do you feel like quitting?

2. You can’t understand why this should happen to you.

3. Did God fall asleep at the helm?

4. Are you kidding God?

B. Why doesn’t God remove the stones and straighten the path?

1. You would never learn to climb.

2. You might become self-sufficient.

Daniel 4:30 “The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?”

3. You might never get to the top because the bumps are what you can climb on.

C. God is always watching.

1. If we are in His shadow.

Psalms 91:1 “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide

under the shadow of the Almighty.”

2. He guides and protects through the difficulties as we learn . . . to climb.