A Wonderful, Magnificent, Astonishing, Very Good Life

06/12/16                     NOTES NOT EDITED
A Wonderful, Magnificent, Astonishing, Very Good Life!
Acts 9:32-43

[SIS] "No difficulty you will ever face can overcome the power of partnering with the Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ."

Many Moms and teachers are familiar with the wonderful story of  “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” published in 1972.  Every home should have a copy to peruse when trials and troubles come swooping down like a bird of prey to snatch away your joy in life.  It has been adapted for film at least twice as far as I know.  I guess the theme strums a familiar cord in the lives of many people.

From the moment he wakes up with gum in his hair, things just do not go Alexander's way. Getting out of bed, he trips on a skateboard and drops his sweater into a sink full of water. At breakfast, Alexander's brothers Nick and Anthony reach into their cereal boxes and pull out amazing prizes, while all Alexander ends up with is cereal.

On the way to school, he doesn't get the window seat in the carpool. At school, his teacher doesn't like his drawing of an invisible castle (which is actually just a blank sheet of paper) and criticizes him for singing too loud and leaving out 16. His friend Paul reduces Alexander to third best friend and there is no dessert in his lunch.

At the dentist's, the dentist tells Alexander he has a cavity, the elevator door hurts his foot, Anthony pushes him into the mud, Nick calls him a crybaby for crying, and Mom catches him in the act of punching Nick.

At the shoe store, they're sold out of Alexander's choice of sneakers (blue ones with red stripes), so Mom has to buy him plain white sneakers, which he'll refuse to wear.

At Dad's office, Alexander makes a mess of things when he fools around with everything there (the copying machine, the books, and the telephone) getting to the point where Dad tells him not to pick him up from work anymore.

At home, Alexander's bad day is far from over. The family has lima beans for dinner (which he hates), there is kissing on TV (which he also hates), bath time becomes a nightmare (too hot water, soap in the eyes, and losing a marble down the drain) and he has to wear his railroad train pajamas (he hates his railroad train pajamas).

At bedtime, Alexander's nightlight burns out, he bites his tongue, Nick takes back a pillow, and the family cat chooses to sleep with Anthony. No wonder Alexander wants to move to Australia. The book ends with his mother's assurance that everyone has bad days, even people who live in Australia.

As I continue to be absolutely engulfed by the understanding that I serve a Risen Savior, I think:  "Nobody ever had a more terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day than the Lord Jesus Christ."

He was betrayed by one of his disciples.  He was abandoned by all but one of his disciples.  He was spit on, mocked and beaten by Roman soldiers for fun. They pulled his beard out by the roots. They kept him up all night.  They pierced his brow with a crown of thorns. They beat him within an inch of his life until his internal organs were exposed. They made him carry the beam of his cross through the streets -- until he fell completely exhausted.  The stretched him out on the ground and drove nine inch nails through his hands wrists and heels to fasten him to the cross which they dropped with a thud in a hole in the ground. They let him hang in the hot sun until his tongue was swollen.  He was so tortured he could barely be recognized as a man.  Then, when death came, they pierced his side just to add insult to injury and make sure no life remained. Then, his broken, battered beaten body was laid in a cold, damp tomb and encased in pitch blackness.

Yes, I think Jesus had a "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day!"

But -- then he shattered the darkness of death with the dazzling light of resurrection.  One very bad day became a "wonderful, magnificent, astonishing, very good day!"

That's what you can expect in your life when you truly encounter the Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ -- a whole eternity of "wonderful, magnificent, astonishing, very good days" -- starting the day you get saved.

Now, I'm not suggesting that you will not face difficulties -- and some difficulties that might bring unimaginable pain and heartbreak.  What I'm suggesting is:  [SIS] "No difficulty you will ever face can overcome the power of partnering with the Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ."

Let's examine two of many examples in the Bible:

³² As Peter was traveling from place to place,  he also came down to the saints  who lived in Lydda.  ³³ There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. ³⁴ Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed,”  and immediately he got up.  ³⁵ So all who lived in Lydda and Sharon  saw him and turned to the Lord.   ³⁶ In Joppa  there was a disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas.  She was always doing good works  and acts of charity. ³⁷ In those days she became sick and died. After washing her, they placed her in a room upstairs. ³⁸ Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to him who begged him, “Don’t delay in coming with us.” ³⁹ So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the room upstairs. And all the widows approached him, weeping and showing him the robes and clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them. ⁴⁰ Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down, prayed, and turning toward the body said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up.  ⁴¹ He gave her his hand and helped her stand up. Then he called the saints and widows and presented her alive. ⁴² This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. ⁴³ And Peter stayed on many days in Joppa with Simon, a leather tanner.

Here are some considerations to keep in mind if you want to have a Wonderful, Magnificent, Astonishing, Very Good Life:

1.  Jesus followers have absolutely NOTHING to FEAR (32, 37)

³² As Peter was traveling from place to place,  he also came down to the saints  who lived in Lydda.  ³³ There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years

……………………………………..

³⁷ In those days she [Dorcas] became sick and died.

Here we encounter to typical people having a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day,” just like we described with Alexander, but worse.  We all face these types of difficulties eventually – both disease and death.

Aeneas was lame and Dorcas was dead.  Not particularly encouraging circumstances in life.

We find Aeanas lame on a mat and Dorcas dead in an upper room.  Normally, burial took place immediately (required in Jerusalem) . Three days were permitted elsewhere. The delay is a sign of God's Providence. (See also Jesus' intentional delay with Lazarus).

            Point:  we should always be looking for where
            God is working, or may soon be working.

Verse 36 describes Dorcas as a woman "absolutely filled up with good works."  Thus, she was a highly influential person which accounts for "many believers" in Christ. This is a very, very important event in the life of the church.  What is about to take place will send shock waves through the region calling many people to Christ.  She was highly influential – but, she had one problem:  she was dead.

The situation of these two people remind us:

            Disease is nothing more than a detour in life.
            Death is nothing more than a doorway.

If disease and death are conquered, what is left to worry about?

I'm absolutely sure of two things: 1) I WILL die of something; and 2) I won't stay dead!

⁴ Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death,  in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead  by the glory of the Father,  so we too may walk in a new way  of life.  ⁵ For if we have been joined with Him in the likeness of His death,  we will certainly also be  in the likeness of His resurrection. ⁶ For we know that our old self  ^s was crucified with Him  in order that sin’s dominion over the body  may be abolished,  so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin

F.D.R. was right,  "We have nothing to fear but fear itself."

Think about this:  if death can’t beat you—what can?

Many people have trouble dealing with death.  It is a source of real fear. It is generally assumed that when a person dies, they stay dead.  But, let’s think about that:

Years ago, before this age of modern medicine, there was a story about a judge in Yugoslavia who had an unfortunate accident.  I cannot independently verify this story, but the source seemed reliable. This man was electrocuted when he reached up to turn on the light while standing in the bathtub. His wife found his body sprawled on the bathroom floor. She called for help, friends and neighbors, police, the whole shebang showed up. He was pronounced dead and taken to the funeral home. The local radio picked up the story and broadcast it all over the airwaves. 

In the middle of the night, the judge came to. He realized where he was, and rushed over to alert the night watchman, who promptly ran off, terrified.

His first thought was to phone his wife and reassure her. But he got no further than, "Darling, it's me," when she screamed and fainted. He tried calling a couple of the neighbors but they all thought it was some sort of sick prank. He even went so far as to go to the homes of several friends but they were all sure he was a ghost. Finally, he was able to call a friend in the next town who hadn't heard of his death. This friend was able to convince his family and other friends that he really was alive.

Consider this: in the judge’s case, death was assumed to be permanent and it was not—the judge was extremely lucky to be alive.  Consider further:  the death of Jesus was ASSUMED to be permanent—but in a very real way, Jesus conquered death.  As a result, for a follower of Christ, death is a conquered foe and there is absolutely nothing to fear.

As we meditate on what it means to serve a Resurrected Lord, consider this:  not only does that mean a believer has absolutely nothing to fear, it means:

2.  Prayer Makes Bad Days Better and Good Days Great (v. 40)

Now these next verse absolutely blow me away:

⁴⁰ Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down, prayed, and turning toward the body said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up.

Friends, that’s how prayer works when we are living in a partnership with the Resurrected Lord:

STUFF STARTS HAPPENING!

Here’s what I am learning in my life:  when I pray, things start to change. Bad days get better and good days become great.  It is an easy, immediate fix, but is a sure, eternal fix.

Now, I know you expect a pastor to say this. Christians talk about prayer all the time.  We talk about what God “can” do.  Well, I’m trying very hard in my life to stop “talking about prayer” and start really getting down to praying.  And, I’ll tell you this:  when I pray specifically, I see God answer specifically.  I’ve learned that the most important action I can ever take when facing a difficulty is to “get down on my knees!” 

Just recently, I was faced with a situation that was tearing my heart out (one of several, actually).  In this situation I was powerless and extremely troubled.  I needed a miracle and I needed it in a very short period of time.  So, I went into my prayer closet (a little room upstairs in the church) and I prayed. I confessed that I did not need a “coincidence,” but I needed “Providence.”  I needed God’s hand to move.  When I opened the door and came out, God had already answered my prayer.  All praise be to God.

Friend, too many Christians talk to people about their problems but fail to talk with God.  Many people who claim to be believers spend little or no time in prayer.  They’ve given up on prayer.  This is an act of surrender to the enemy.

When a person stops believing in prayer, he
or she has begun to give in to problems.

Let me add:  I’m not suggesting we can “name it and claim it” and somehow bend God’s arm to our will.  That kind of “health/wealth” mindless babble is a lie of the Devil.  

I’m simply saying, here in this passage as in passages throughout the Bible, a believer faced an impossible situation by falling on his knees and “things changed.”

ALL THE WHAT IF’S AND WHAT ABOUT’S in the world cannot change the clear teaching of this passage: “Peter overcame an impossible situation through prayer.”  

One of the great men of the 20^th Century was the beloved Chaplain of the U.S. Senate, Peter Marshall.  He was twice appointed chaplain of the Senate (circa 1946) and became one of the most beloved preachers in America until his untimely death at the age of 46.  Through his wife’s biography, “A man called Peter,” (a devotional classic) his deep insights have been passed on.  Here is one statement he made in a prayer before the Senate of the US:

Peter Marshall once began a Senate session with this prayer, "O Lord, forgive us for thinking that prayer is a waste of time, and help us to see that without prayer our work is a waste of time."

There’s no experiment I can concoct to give you scientific proof that prayer changes things.  I can only offer you the simple message of the Bible that transcends all science or reason.  That message is this:

“Prayer changes things!”

True believers in the resurrected Lord have absolutely nothing to fear and prayer changes things.  Now, in light of these considerations, let’s sum the matter up by showing:

3.  There is more to life than health and wealth. (v 42)

⁴² This became known throughout Joppa,
and many believed in the Lord.

What exactly are we to make of those words so oft cited in one form or another in the Word of God:

“people believed.”  Believed what?

They believed simply that there was something more “wonderful, magnificent, and astonishing” than health or wealth or any worldly pleasure.  They believed, “the gospel.”  This show of power through a partnership between Peter and the Resurrected Lord, changed the perspective of people throughout the region.  The gospel is still doing that everywhere the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is preached.

The primary key to living a “wonderful, magnificent, astonishing, very good life” is to change your perspective on material things – including health, wealth, and worldly pleasures.  

I mentioned earlier the famous words of FDR earlier:  "we have nothing to fear but fear itself."

Many people are familiar with the phrase.  Fewer people can even tell you that it was FDR that said it.  Even fewer alive today, heard him actually say it.  What even fewer people know is the context of what he meant by those words. 

FDR was a very private person. Besides his wife, Eleanor, there were very few who ever indicated they knew him well. Normally, during his speeches he was very reserved and kept people at a distance using a fatherly tone and witty humor.  But, when he defeated Hoover in 1932, the Great Depression was beginning to really threaten the future of America. In this context, FDR used those words "we have nothing to fear but fear itself" and they took on a very religious tone.  In paragraph two FDR declared, "we face our common difficulties. They concern, thank God, only material things."

Herein lies the real secret of a "wonderful, magnificent, astonishing, very good life":  it consists of more than this material world and the things thereof.  FDR's speech could describe our situation in America today, as it did 8 plus decades ago. Here’s more of FDR’s depression era inaugural speech:

Values have shrunken to fantastic levels; taxes have risen; our ability to pay has fallen;. . . the withered leaves of industrial enterprise lie on every side; farmers find no markets for their produce; the savings of many years in thousands of families are gone. . .

More important, a host of unemployed citizens face the grim problem of existence, and an equally great number toil with little return. Only a foolish optimist can deny the dark realities of the moment.

It’s hard to read the newspaper and not be discouraged. With all the bad news, it seems like there is no alternative but to give in to "a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad life!"  

But, you will not fall into despair if you keep your eyes fixed upon your future.  As a believer the promise of heaven should be so bright that even the darkest of circumstances in this life dissipate in heaven's brilliance.

To experience a "wonderful, magnificent, astonishing, very good life" we must realize that there is more to life than health and wealth. 

I really don't think you can stand in the blinding Presence of the Resurrected Lord and not experience "a wonderful, magnificent, astonishing, very good life!"  If you can -- something's wrong.

To live a "wonderful, magnificent, astonishing, very good life" does not mean we ignore any present sorrow or circumstance, but that we always view any difficulty or sorrow through the "lens of eternity." Eternity has a unique power to make almost any problem look smaller -- if not totally insignificant.

 Have you ever noticed that if you take some magnifying lenses and turn them upside down they make things look smaller.  That's sort of how the lens of Eternity works—it makes problems look smaller.

The MOST "wonderful, magnificent, astonishing, very good days" do not take place this side of heaven.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ changed everything forever.  It squashed the fear of death.  It guarantees the power in our prayers, and it gives us hope that a better life awaits just over the horizon of time. 

This is what Jesus meant when He said, “I have come to give you life, and that more abundantly” (Jn. 10:10). Not just “life,” but “wonderful, magnificent, astonishing, very good life—FOREVER!