Message given at Grace Church,

DON'T GIVE UP ON GOD

Molokai Sept 28, 2007 Exodus 17:1-7

This will be an unusual message today. Usually I look at the day's lessons and teach from them. But today I want to teach from a life lesson. Don't worry, there will still be scripture and I won't take you off into left field. Ever since I heard this story I have wanted to share it. It seems especially important as we come into difficult times together. There is much uncertainty with the economy, with health care, with jobs, and for many of us, we always seem to be falling behind.

Quite honestly, I have often said, "Lord Jesus, things are getting pretty rough and hot here. Can You please come back soon and relive us of some of this stress?" Has anyone else wished Jesus would come back, not just soon, but now, to save us from some of this mess?

Sometimes I look at current events and shake my head. It reminds me of the time a physicist, a chemist, and a statistician were at a meeting where a fire broke out in wastebasket. The physicist said, "I know what to do! We must cool down the materials until their temperature is lower than their ignition temperature and then the fire will go out." The chemist yells, "No! No! I know what to do! We must cut off the supply of oxygen so that the fire will go out due to lack of one of the reactants." As the physicist and the chemist debate what to do, the Statistician actually did something. He ran around the room, lighting more fires. The physicist and the chemist yelled, "What on earth are you doing?" The statistician replied, "We're going to need a larger sample size to determine the proper course of action."

In our word from Exodus this morning, the Israelites stopped to camp in the desert and there was no water. They got spooked. They got angry. They got caught up in the drama of the moment. They were about ready to lynch Moses.

It's so easy to get caught up in everything swirling in motion around us. We worry about the economic bailout. And we fret over Obama vs. McCain. Paul Newman, Cool Hand Luke and Butch Cassidy, just died. Another hurricane is building while thousands are still homeless from the last 2. Chinese astronauts just finished a space walk thanks to stolen US technology. Will I have a job? Will my retirement account go away? Will the Mets find another way to lose the pennant? The sound of a trumpet blasts. Open your Bibles to Psalm 46... and read verse 10 with me…"Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth." The voice of God cuts across the noise and rings with His presence.

Stop, take a deep breath and say, "AMEN." Stop and give a thought to God. The Israelites were so bound in their fear that they forgot that it was the Lord who freed them and that it was the Lord who was leading them. They gave up on God. Giving up on God often makes us do stupid things that cause us more trouble down the line.

But I want to go a bit deeper. There are 2 more important parts to Psalm 46. Can you see them? "The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge." God hasn't forgotten His children, no matter how bad circumstances seem. His faithful love endures forever.

Does anyone see the last treasure in Psalm 46? It's the word Selah. Selah is a word found almost only in the Psalms. Biblical scholars don't know what it means exactly. But since it's found in the middle of the Psalms, which is like a Jewish music book that praises God, they think it's a musical term that can mean a pause or a musical interlude. Others think that it may mean, "a louder strain." Be still and recognize that God is still in control, take safe haven, and

Kanikapila!!!! Dance. Rejoice! Party!!! Our hope is not in things that change. Our hope is in Jesus Christ. Hebrews 13:8 tells us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and… forever. The stock market may go up and down, our tires may get flat, our hair may get gray (if we are lucky enough to have hair), events may change day by day…but the Lord who loves us and desires for us to know Him is unchanging, faithful, and true. So Selah! Be still and know that He is in control and then dance before the Lord.

I have a story. It happens to be true. Big Bob was a man who loved the Lord. He married a beautiful woman who also loved the Lord. Even though their first children were twin boys who resembled terrorists in training, this couple felt blessed. Together they prayed that Big Bob's father, named Fatso - I'm not making this up - would come to know the saving grace of Jesus. One day Fatso became gravely ill and was hospitalized. The doctors said it was cancer and that he didn't have long to live. Now Fatso was a hard charging cigar smoking man's man. And he didn't know Jesus. Big Bob loved him so much and wanted his dad to make peace with God before he died. He sat for hours by his bedside trying to convince Fatso to come to Jesus.

No way Jose was Fatso going to turn his life over to Christ. So Bob asked the whole church pray that Fatso would know Jesus before he died. No matter how Bob pleaded with his father and pressed on in prayer, Fatso would blow him off and say, "I don't need God."

Then Fatso died. Big Bob was devastated. God had not answered his prayers and now his dad was doomed to spend eternity without God. He became depressed. He figured it was because he wasn't good enough for God to answer his prayers. He thought that somehow he had angered God and that this was his punishment. His feelings of being unworthy touched every part of his life. Bob had been gifted with humor, love and a giving heart like no other. But sadly Bob never could see or feel how deeply people loved him. His sorrow was like a wall that kept him from experiencing the fullness of life and love. Externally he was jovial and successful. Internally, he was so brokenhearted that he isolated from everybody, especially the other Christians who had prayed for Fatso and tried to reach out to him. He gave up on God and thought that God had given up on him. His idol of unworthiness caused him to forfeit knowing God's grace while he was alive. So he tried to cure his depression with food. After gaining over 150 lbs, Bob died 10 years later.
A few years after Big Bob died, there was a family get-together. When the subject of Fatso and salvation came up, Grandma spoke up. She got animated and said, "Didn't you know what happened?"

As the family sat dumbstruck she related the rest of the story. Fatso had always been a pretty tough and independent guy. Having nurses fuss over him was embarrassing and frustrating. All he really needed was a stiff drink and a good cigar. But there was one nurse who was like an angel. He loved her because she gently took care of his dying body and didn't put up with any of his bluster. By the way, she was a lover of Jesus. She ministered to Fatso with the hands and heart of Jesus Christ.

One night Bob spent hours pleading with his dad to get right with God and left frustrated. But Fatso refused to budge. After Big Bob left, the nurse said, "Fatso. You know he is right. You're just being stubborn because Bob is your son." Fatso looked at her and said, "You're right."

That night he gave his heart to Jesus. He received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Bob's prayers had been answered!, Fatso never told his son about turning to Jesus and within a short time he died. He never got to thank his son for all his love and the prayers. Bob never knew that God had answered his prayers for his father. In her grief, his mother never thought to tell anyone. She somehow assumed that all the kids knew. The entire family was blown away… except for Big Bob. He had lived and died feeling unloved.

Bob spent the last years of his life missing out on God's daily promises because he felt unworthy of God's love. He couldn't see the many ways that God's ways are different from our ways. What a surprise waited for him in heaven!

I know this story well. Big Bob was Scotty's dad. Fatso was his grandfather. I was there when Scotty heard this story for the first time. He said, "Now I will get to see Fatso in heaven." And then he wept for his dad who had missed out on so much joy and love. Bob Schaefer was a legend when it came to supporting activities and sport for kids. He was an incredible booster. They even built and named a football stadium after him. Scotty said, "Imagine what he could have done if he was focused on God's grace for instead of thinking that God had turned his back on him."

After Auntie Noe heard this sermon at the early service this morning she thanked me for sharing this story. And she said she never had any idea how much God loved her until she had cancer. Then people came up to her, gave her a hug and asked how she was doing. They told her they were praying for her and they shared stories of how God was at work in their lives. She wanted to let you all know she is so grateful for your prayers and for this miracle in her life. She knows God has blessed her so she can celebrate her 85th birthday on October 5.

By the way, just when the people in the wilderness were ready to give up, God gave them water in a miraculous way. He gave them water from a rock! Really. A rock. Expect the unexpected.

So what are the lessons we can take away from this passage in Exodus and from the story of God's intervention in the Schaefer ohana?

1. Always believe that God is at work. His ways are different. His timing is different. We are told that a day to Him is like a thousand years and a thousand years can be like a day. And check out His timing and His intentions for us as found in 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." His intentions for us are for our character and not necessarily for our comfort.
2. Trust He is working. Look for His fingerprints! Don't give up hope no matter how bleak things look. As Philippians 2 tells us, the fact that we desire, that we will, to see God's hand is evidence that He is at work in our hearts. Remember that God can bring good from any situation. And remember His hands are at work even when we can't see them. When you recognize the Lord's hand and can learn to hear His footsteps, it is easier to be confident in Him. But when it seems He is silent, that's the time when we have to grab on to the Jesus' robe and just hang on for dear life. Keep reaching out to Him. Keep talking to Him!
3. That brings us to # 3. Share your hurts, share your praises and share your hope in Jesus with each other. Did you know that Galatians 6 tells us to help bear each other's burdens, to help carry each other's loads? Now no one wants to be seen as a complainer. Nobody wants to be an anchor for their friends. And when we do ask, people are too busy, right? They can get grouchy like bears when we share our burdens with them. Well change those habits. Don't be afraid to share and don't be so distracted as to not help. Just in case you didn't notice, Jesus wasn't too busy to carry your load. And one of the marks that shows who is a believer in Jesus is how we reach out and help each other. As we carry the load, we can share praises of what the Lord had done in our lives. It can be such an encouragement to see how the Lord is at work in all the details around us by how He is moving in other people's lives. There is no better hope than to hope in Christ. He is the true north that we can set the compass of our lives by. Imagine how Bob's life might have been totally different if he knew how God had answered his prayers. Imagine the difference if Moses told the Israelites, "God didn't take you out of slavery to have you die here in the wilderness. Believe that God will solve this problem and then watch for it to happen expectantly. Selah. Dance before the Lord and wait on Him.
4. Finally, but definitely not the least. Never pass up the opportunity to pray with or for someone. Keep going to the Lord together. He is the Source. He is the strength. He is the unmovable rock. A humble nurse who prayed with a patient changed eternity for one family.

Often, when we are faced with people's burdens we do what? We give them advice on how to get them fixed. But how much do we lead them to the source of life? Not too often. Do we think we have a better answer than God?

Here is a test. There is only one question in this test so listen carefully. Ready? You are taking pictures at Maurice Point when you hear a scream for help. Right out in front of you is a 10-foot tiger shark heading at someone. You look and see that the person screaming is your worst enemy. Suddenly you see a kayak right next to where you are standing. You realize that you have to make a decision in an instant to decide whether to take an award-winning picture and be famous or get in the kayak and help your enemy. So in a split second you have to answer this question … do you use the camera to shoot a color picture or just black and white? No… that's not the question. But far too often Christians are represented as seeing the world in black and white, as judgmental and unhelpful to people who are suffering. It's not fear of the shark. Often we just don't want to get our feet wet

When Job lost everything, his friends tried to be helpful by blaming Job for all his problems. Did they pray with him? No. Did they help him bear his burdens? No. They could have saved 37 chapters of arguing if they would have fallen on their knees together and turned to the Lord.

Listen to how the NLT translated James 5:16, "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results."

If we pray for each other we can be healed. Not only the person being prayed for, but also the one doing the praying! There is power and wonderful outcomes when righteous people pray. Pray for the unsaved. Pray for those who have strayed and fallen away. Pray for the person next to you in the pew. And every day look for opportunities to pray WITH people who need God's touch. Don't just assure them of your prayers as you wave and walk away. Pray in person. Pray on the phone. Pray in an email. Pray online. Take all you burdens, all your cares, and turn them over to God. He isn't finished working. And miracles are His specialty.

Wednesday night our Bible study was asked to pray for George Will. He fell 20' Tuesday from a roof onto his back. We prayed that night and every day since. His wife just sent this email "George really wants to thank you for your prayers, and so do I. I know some of you really got on your knees and for that we are incredibly thankful for you! Mahalo nui for your kinds words of concern and helpful spirits. Things could've easily turned out tragically, but the spirit of God was there to embrace him during his fall. His T-12 disc was crunched and his internal organs jolted which produced some blood but not to the point where he needs surgery. We will continue to monitor the situation, which may call for more testing. He can now walk but only when heavily medicated. There are little blinks of hope as he gets better every day. Hallelujah!
Tania" Amen? Amen!

Return to Sermon page.