I Trouble
Greg Leuenberger
Midland SDA Church
December 21, 2013
What do you want to be when you grow up? Or, What do you want to do after school ? I would say most of us have heard these questions or will hear them at some point in our life.
I’m going to sidetrack for a moment. What I’m going to say today is loosely based on a sermon I heard while on vacation this summer. We’ve found that visiting other churches while traveling or on vacation has been a real blessing to us . We’ve met some wonderful people, some with amazing and inspiring stories. If you are a visitor here today,…. again ,…… welcome, I hope your time with us is meaningful.
We were visiting a small church, maybe 30 of us were in the Sanctuary, (of which at least 3 families were visitors ) and the Pastor started by asking the question, “ what do you want to be when you grow up ? “ Almost immediately, a boy named Ben , about 4 or 5 years old , sitting by his grandmother, ( who was the head elder ) said quite loudly and clearly, “ I want to be a vampire “. Well, I quickly turned and gave LaRayne a look wondering where this was headed. The boy’s grandmother at first looked mortified then she burst out laughing. The Pastor calmly smiled, made a comment about Ben marching to the beat of a different drum, and then explained that both of Ben’s parents are medical technologists who draw blood for a living. I guess they refer to themselves as vampires in that line of work ? Ben just wanted to be like his parents.
We visited with his grandmother after the service and she had a fascinating story about how God led her to the Adventist church .
( pause )
So , what about the question, “ what do you want to be when you grow up ?”
I know the answer varies somewhat with our age and generation. But how do we answer ?
“ I want to be a doctor, or a lawyer, or an engineer. Or maybe a nurse, or astronaut , or dentist . Or a major league baseball player, or President of the United States .
Certainly , these are all worthy, important , occupations , but what is our motive ?
Is it Power?………Influence?……….Money?……
Nobody says “ My career goal is to clean dirty public restrooms for the rest of my life.” Or “ I want a career where I’ll never earn enough to support myself” or “ I want a job where they don’t pay me very much and everyone treats me poorly and tells me how incompetent I am “
( pause )
Why do we need to feel important ? ,…..to be successful in this world ?
Please turn with me in your Bible to Isaiah, chapter 14 , starting in verse 12.
( repeat )
( I’ll be reading from the NKJV today )
“ How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who have weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north ;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds ,
I will be like the Most High .”
( pause )
Lucifer, the shining one,…. son of dawn, …… light bearer,….. got a new name,….. Satan, …….a name associated with all the sin and evil we can think of.
( pause )
Pride ,…… I………….Me………Myself…………….
A dangerous way to think
I have an acquaintance, a few years older than me .When he finished his schooling he got a job in a hospital. He eventually married, and later started a family. Still working at the hospital, he started a lawn care business mowing lawns in the summer, shoveling snow in the winter. He works hard ,very hard. Recently he had a chance to take early retirement with quite a cut in his pension and retirement benefits. He considered his options, then quit the hospital ,and its security, and kept his lawn care business. Was it a good decision ? I don’t know………………...
His hospital job ?.........
He wasn’t a nurse , or doctor ,or administrator. He wasn’t a dietician, or physical therapist, he didn’t work in records or accounting…………….He was on the janitorial staff, he mopped the floors, cleaned the rooms, did the jobs nobody else wanted to do. ….School was hard for this guy . Life is hard , he gets taken advantage of , people don’t treat him fairly or kindly. This was his chance to be his own boss, to run the show.
All around us the goal is to be number 1 , the best , the one on top .” We’d better be climbing ‘ the ladder of success “, or we’re going to get stepped on by the people coming up behind us.
You’ve heard the expression, “ pecking order “. A flock of chickens has a pecking order, each hen has a definite social rank. I raised cattle , they’re not much different, the boss cow gets the best food, the most room , and the best place to lay down. The rest of the herd knows their place. Add a new cow to the herd and in about 2 days her rank is set.
Sadly , we humans aren’t much better . Put us together in a large corporation or hospital , or really any group, and pride and ambition take over. “ I want to be at the top” “ I want to make the most money “ , “ I want to boss around the most people “, “ I want to have the best office “, “ My job is more important than theirs”,” I don’t have to be nice to them, I make more money than them, I can tell them what to do.”
As Christians, we are to be “ in the world , but not of the world “, but that temptation is there. To make matters worse, we often work with others who could care less about the “ Golden Rule’, or ethics , for that matter.
This problem with pride isn’t limited to big business. I’m going to pick on myself for a minute.
Most of you know that I’m a farmer. Farmers tend to be an independent bunch, we work by ourselves or with only a few people,……. and we like it that way.
Often we work with family which brings up a topic for another day……..How do we treat family when we work together ?
( pause )
We may work alone but there’s plenty of room for pride to rear its ugly head. We have peers……………
.” My combine is bigger than his combine “
“ I farm more acres than they do “
“ My cornfield looks better than their cornfield “
“ Look at the weeds in his field, I don’t have weeds like that “
Did you know that farmers notice how straight the rows are planted in each other’s fields ? ( I’m safe on this one , I have lots of wiggles .)
I don’t make the sun shine, I can’t make it rain , the wind doesn’t consult me , so perhaps I should be careful about my importance in the big scheme of things.
( pause )
It’s not just work either, it’s everywhere.
Who’s got the nicest clothes, the biggest house , the best car , biggest bank account , most successful kids , cutest grandchildren…………. The list goes on.
Satan really got something started, didn’t he ? He’s got a grip on this world and it’s a battle. As believers , we know how it’s going to end , but it’s a battle nonetheless .
There is plenty of warning and counsel in the Bible . Here are a few passages.
Proverbs 16: 18,19
Pride goes before destruction , and a haughty spirit before a fall,
Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly , than to divide the spoil with the proud.
Proverbs 29 : 23
A man’s pride will bring him low , But the humble in spirit will retain honor.
1 John 2 : 15,16,17
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world , the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh , the lust of the eyes , and the pride of life – is not of the Father , but is of the world. And the world is passing away , and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
1 Timothy 3 : 6 ( at the end of a list of qualifications of overseers )
Not a novice , lest being puffed up with pride , he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
( pause )
Satan wants to lead us off on the chase for money…… and power……….and glory ……,the things of this world. Like drivers in a tunnel or the horses wearing blinders pulling Amish buggies , he wants our vision is restricted , Satan doesn’t want us to see the big picture , to see Jesus . He wants to lead us off , away from God .
( Pause )
If “ I “ ……and “ Me “ ….are dangerous words , how about “ We “ ?
Please turn with me in your Bibles to Romans 12 : v 1-8
( pause ) repeat ( pause )
Read passage
Also 1 Corinthians 12 : 12 – 27
Read passage
And Ephesians 4 : 7,8 , 11-16
( Read passage )
If we walk with Jesus, we’re part of the Body , the Body of Christ . We don’t all have the same abilities , the same function in the body , but we have the same purpose , the same goal .
The human body is an amazingly complex thing . Scientists are still trying to figure out all the intricacies of what happens when , and how , and why . But how much more amazing is the Body of Christ , his many followers joined together here on earth, for one purpose, ---- to tell everyone how much God loves them.
Look at what we have here in our church. There are many gifts and abilities evident here today. People doing different parts of the service ; speaking , music ,decoration, a bulletin, we’ve united in song and prayer. We’ve had Sabbath school with teachers and participants , both young and old. There is Vespers , and Prayer Meeting , Pathfinders , outreach efforts, things get fixed around the church. There are Bible Studies , Community Services, Nursing home and Shut-in visitations . There is prayer and encouragement for one another……..I know there is much , much more , I’m not mentioning . In our own lives we have our influence and outreach with family , friends , and co-workers. Individually we don’t see it all but the Body is working , things are happening .
We’re all different with different abilities . You might not want me in the kitchen , you don’t want me playing the piano , you certainly don’t want me leading song service . You may not want me speaking up front again,… I’m OK with that . There are endless ways to be a part of the Body of Christ . Each one of us has things to contribute , like pieces of a puzzle making a whole picture . We each contribute as we are able , with what we have.
( pause )
I’ve talked a lot about pride today ,………….. the I can do it myself , attitude…….. But many of us are filled with worry , doubt , and discouragement ,…………the I can’t do anything attitude.
As a child I was a terrible worrier . It got better as I got older, improving as I asked Jesus into my life as a teen . But the biggest change came when I put God in control of my life . Believing God will take care of you and putting your trust in Him makes a difference.
I’ve known a super worrier who struggled with it all her life………. Worry she wasn’t pretty enough, wasn’t smart enough , her house wasn’t nice enough , her food wasn’t good enough , the dishes weren’t nice enough for company .She worried her children didn’t measure up , that her husband didn’t measure up,…………. it didn’t end , the worry was paralyzing and debilitating .
Right along with worry often comes doubt and discouragement . The devil loves that just as much as pride . He doesn’t care whether we think we don’t need God or that God doesn’t need or want us, the result is the same , When we allow ourselves to doubt and be discouraged , it pulls us away from God , we can lose our focus on Him . Of course , bad things happen ,sometimes really bad things , life isn’t always a bed of roses . Life on this sin-filled earth can be very hard . We need to keep our eyes on God and His promises.
We have a hymn we sing , “ What a Friend We Have in Jesus “ ( #499 ) . We’re not going to sing it today , but there’s a lot of message there for us. ( Read Lyrics )
The Bible is full of Promises we can cling to in times of discouragement. How about the 23rd Psalm ? ( Read )
That’s good advice for both prideful ambition or feelings of discouragement .
How about what Paul tells us in Philippians 4, verses 11-13 ,
“ Not that I speak in regard to need , for I have learned in whatever state I am , to be content: I know how to be abased , and I know how to abound . Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry , both to abound and to suffer need . I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me . “
The Bible is full of promises ,……. support ,……. comfort ,…….. instruction . What a privilege to have the Word of God with us.
( pause )
Let us not underestimate our abilities . Let us not allow the devil to plant seeds of doubt and discouragement . Maybe I can give a Bible Study , or share Jesus in the check-out line , or have that meaningful conversation with a family member . After all , it’s not just me but Christ in me and with me . As it says in Romans 8 :31 , “ If God is for us , who can be against us ? “
( pause )
I’m special . But so is __________ , and __________ , and ____________ . And I could keep going , naming each one of you.
It doesn’t matter what we look like or how we dress or what we drive . It doesn’t matter where we live or what we do or how much money we have in the bank .It doesn’t matter how our children or grandchildren turned out. It doesn’t , …. It really doesn’t . ………Whether we are the CEO or the janitor we can win the same number of souls for God .
We get caught up in this world’s idea of what is important , and successful , and special . Satan has his hands in a lot of the things of this world…………. and we must remember this is such a short time , in view of eternity.
We need to measure our value with God’s measuring stick . How many people am I studying the Bible with ? How many people have I led to Christ ? How nurturing have I been to my family ? How close is my walk with the Lord ?
We are special to God . In Genesis 1 : 26,27, 28 it says “ Then God said, “Let us make man in our Image , according to Our likeness “ “ So God created man in His own image , in the Image of God he created him , male and female He created them .” Then God blessed them.”
God created this world and all that is in it and on it , and on the sixth day , in His final act of creation , He created us, in His own Image . We’re special to God .
God knew we would make mistakes , we would sin , but He had a plan.
Jesus came to earth to do what He did for us , each one of us .
As I’ve stood here talking , many people have went by outside . Some will go to church and worship God tomorrow , I used to do that . But sadly ,many don’t care, or don’t know , or may have rejected the God that loves them and thinks they are special . So , we must keep showing them and telling them about our God who loves us all , more than we can understand.
God created us out of love , for He is love. All He has ever wanted is for us to choose to love Him Back …….. AND THAT is what makes us special .
Prayer
Dear God , thank you for another Sabbath day. I pray that what I say today is acceptable and within Your Will . If I err or misspeak I pray that people will hear what You want them to hear . And I also pray that at least one of us might draw closer to You through this service.
In Your Holy Name I pray, Amen