Easter 2020: It Ain't Over 'til It's Over

Easter 2020                  NOTES NOT EDITEDIt Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over

Luke 24, esp v6

SIS—From the beginning of time the Devil has tried to convince God’s people that the game is over and he has won, but he learned at the Resurrection, “It Ain’t Over ‘til It’s Over!”

One of the most popular phrases in the English language, outside of the Bible is, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over!” Immediately that connects with you, even if you don’t know who said it or the circumstances that prompted it to be said.  If you are a bit older, and you are a baseball fan, especially a New York Yankee fan, you will recognize that as a “Yogism,” rising out of the commonsense wisdom of Hall of Fame catcher, Yogi Berra.  This is a positive bit of irrepressible wisdom from a man who quit school when he was thirteen years old to become one of the greatest baseball players of all time. 

Yogi’s phrase summons hope from the dark recesses of human tragedy and trials.  Yogi’s phrase springs like a lightning bolt out a dark storm night, lighting up everything for miles around. 

Yogi was typical of an eternal optimist.  Baseball teaches a person to be an optimist.  Hundreds of times, perhaps thousands of times, a team has come to the bottom of the ninth and final inning.  They trail the opposing team by two runs and there are two outs.  They have one out to score one run and nobody is on base.  The situation seems hopeless.  The next two batters are the weakest on the team, and the tying run is the team’s almost mythical Sultan of Swat.

This is exactly the situation that is staged in the most familiar poem in Baseball, “Casey At the Bat.”  [POEM]  The Mudville Nine are down 2 runs to 4.  It is the last inning.  It is the last bat.  There are two outs runners on second and third.  A homerun from the “Mighty Casey” would win the game.  Casey lets the first pitch go by for “Strike One.”  He lets the second pitch go by for strike two.  One more pitch for a chance to win the game with a homer.  I’ll pick up the poem there:

They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.

The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate,
[Casey] pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate;
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.

Oh, somewhere in this favoured land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout,
But there is no joy in Mudville—mighty Casey has struck out.

Well, it didn’t work out for Casey and the Mudville Nine that day.  When it was over, it was over, and the team fell short of runs.  This is eerily similar to the story of the Cross and Easter.  The difference is, with God, when it is over, we His people ALWAYS come out the winners.  Let’s read the story of Easter together and then we will examine how Easter teaches us, “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over.”

Let me restate my sermon in a sentence once again as we start:  “From the beginning of time the Devil has tried to convince God’s people that the game is over and he has won, but he learned at the Resurrection, “It Ain’t Over ‘til It’s Over!”

Throughout the life of the Lord we see His victory of circumstances.  At no less than seven points in the life of Jesus we learn what Paul declares:  “We are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ” (Rom. 8:37).  As conquerors in Christ, even when the chips are down and the way ahead looks impossible, we know, with faith “It Ain’t Over ‘til It’s Over!”

1.  It Ain’t Over Because Circumstances are Bad (Lk. 2)

Let’s back to the birth of Jesus.  ⁶ While they were there [Bethlehem], the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Here’s a young couple who were engaged.  The government called for a tax audit. Mary was a young woman (maybe a teen) and was nine months pregnant.  And, she WAS NOT MARRIED! They had to make a trip of just under twenty miles to Bethlehem, there city of birth—a city I might add that was so insignificant it would have never been known to history if it were not for the Christmas story.  When she gets to Bethlehem, nearing nightfall I would suspect, there are no rooms in the local inns.  Jesus, the King of Heaven, was born in a stable with a feeding trough as his crib.

The circumstances of Jesus’ beginning of His life on earth were bad.  But, nobody’s success in life is determined by “how one starts, but how one finishes!”  Keep that in mind as we move through the life of Jesus and see that at every turn, “The Lord conquers life, He doesn’t surrender to it!”

2.  It Ain’t Over Because Temptations Are Many (Mt. 4:3)

Then  Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil.

Heb 4:15  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are,  yet without sin.

The character of Christ was tried and tested in the crucible of temptation just like you and I.  At the very inauguration of the Lord’s ministry He was led into the wilderness to be attacked, challenged, and tempted by the Devil himself.  Three times the Devil raised a morsel of enticement before the Lord, and three times the Lord stood on the Word of God and denounced the evil designs of the Devil.  It is part and parcel of what it means to be human to be tempted.  This challenge never goes away and it never gets easier. 

I once read that the reason so many convicts go back to prison after serving their time is because they cannot deal with the number of “choices” that we have to make in a day.  The article I read estimated that the typical person—you and I—have to make about 12,000 decisions every day.  In prison, a convict never has to make more than a couple thousand.  

Every choice is a temptation.  Every choice either brings blessings or it brings cursings.  At the very least every choice requires we choose between the “good” and the “best,” which is itself a temptation.  Temptations abound. The battle for holiness is 24/7.  It can become wearisome to constantly be on guard against the evil traps of the Devil.  Christianity is NOT FOR SISSIES!

But, It Ain’t Over simply because we face many temptations.

3.  It Ain’t Over Because Our Faith Is Small (Mt. 17:20)

Everywhere the Lord went He was teaching His disciples. That must have been a very taxing responsibility—always on the job.  But, the Lord conquered that challenge in His life just like all the others.  He never gave in; He never gave up.

On one occasion Jesus was teaching and healing and man brought his son to Jesus.  His son was possessed by a demon and would jump into fires or try to drown himself.  The man complained to the Lord, “I brought him to Your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.” (v16). 

Jesus rebuked the disciples charging them with having “little faith.”  This is a common term in Matthew and can be easily misunderstood as a reference to the “quantity” of faith, rather than the “quality.”  Of faith.  The use of the mustard seed as the minimum measure of faith indicates the Lord is not talking about the “size” of our faith, but the “source” of our faith—quality, not quantity.  In the ancient world there was no seed smaller than the mustard seed.  The only step down from the size of a mustard seed was no seed at all—hence no faith at all.  Jesus was saying in affect, the problem is not the “size” of your faith but the “source” of your faith.  You are trusting in what “you” can do instead of what “I can do THROUGH you.”  When our abilities, skills, ingenuity, or cleverness becomes the measure of our faith it is “no faith at all.”  It is smaller than a mustard seed.  When we rely our faith in our clever plans, it is “Game Over!”  The demons just laugh at such presumption.  Demons know real faith when the see it, not because of its “size” but because of its “source”—The Lord Jesus, Himself.

When things look bad and the Devil is shouting at you, “Game over, buddy!”  We need to turn to him, in faith, and say, “It Ain’t Over ‘til It’s Over.”  It ain’t over because circumstances are bad.  It ain’t over because temptations are many.  It ain’t over becaue our faith is small.  And . . . , while we are on the subject of the Devil let me mention:

4.  It Ain’t Over Because the Devil is Big (Eph. 6:11-12)

There are two equal but opposite errors Christians can make in regard to dealing with the Devil.  One, to make too much of the Devil and err on the side of impotence; or two, to make too little of the Devil and err on the side of arrogance. 
I know people who see a demon behind every bush—they are literally paralyzed by the understanding that there is a literal, evil being we call the Devil. This point of view will never allow you to be “more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus.”  You will always be a victim.  The Bible warns us that, by faith, we have absolute power over the Devil.  James says, “Resist the Devil and he . . . get this, MUST flee from you!” (Jam 4:7)  The Devil was absolutely defeated at Calvary.

On the other hand, many people get in trouble by not recognizing that although the Devil is defeated, he has not yet been banished from this world.  We must learn how to conduct “spiritual warfare” so we do not become a Prisoner of War in this battle we call life.  Eph. 6:11-12 instructs us:
¹¹ Put on  the full armor  of God so that you can stand against the tactics  of the Devil. ¹² For our battle is not against flesh  and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,  against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil  in the heavens.

The Devil is defeated, but he has not yet been banished into the final pit of eternal fire.  We must not give him too much credit and we must not give him too little.  Sometimes, oftentimes, in prayer we have to stand boldly and rebuke the Devil in the Name of Jesus!

5.  It Ain’t Over Because the Enemies Are Loud (Ps 22:6-8)

Psalm 22 is considered a “Messianic Psalm,” meaning it was a prophetic picture of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. Depending upon which date is picked for the psalm, that is whether it was written by David or later during the exile, it was written at least 500 to 1000 years before the death of Jesus.  It is an ugly verbal photograph of the Lord’s anguish.  In part it reads:

6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by people. 7 Everyone who sees me mocks me; they sneer  and shake their heads: 8 “He relies on  the Lord; let Him rescue him; let the Lord  deliver him, since He takes pleasure in him.” . . . . . 12 Many bulls surround me; strong ones of Bashan encircle me. 13 They open their mouths against me— lions, mauling and roaring. . . . . 16 For dogs have surrounded me; a gang of evildoers has closed in on me.

Beyond the obvious physical pain of crucifixion, Jesus endured the mental anguish of the scoffing of His enemies.  The Psalm says, “everyone who sees me mocks me; they sneer and shake their heads.”  This scoffing of His enemies makes the Lord feel like “a worm and not a man.”  The enemies scoffing at the cross are compared to “raging bulls” and “lions , mauling and roaring” hoping to tear at His flesh.  There is a “gang of evildoers closing in on the Lord.”

I’ve never been “booed” by the crowd when stepping on to a court of field to play a sport.  I’ve been cheered—well, not me personally but the team—when we’d take the basketball court in college for pre-game warm-ups.  Jesus was “booed” to an eternal degree at the cross.  At the cross, His enemies were many and his friends were few. It certainly looked like “GAME OVER!” as the enemies of Jesus cheered and jeered in the crowd.

But, it ain’t over because our Enemies are Scoffing.  We see this in our world today many times, especially in social media where everyone has at least three opinions on any one issue.  Christianity is despised for the most part in our nation today.  The Democrat Party even passed a resolution declaring them to be the “No-Religion Party.”  Of course, they only mean, “No Christianity.”  Islam and nearly any other religion is welcome.

If you give too much weight to the “negative voices” crowding around you, especially in a time of deep personal challenge, you are finished before the game begins.  You need to reject the negative voices of the “Enemies Scoffing at Your Faith,” and listen only to what the Lord says—His voice is all that matters.  I will repeat what the Lord said through Paul:  “³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Rom. 8:37, ESV).

In reality, the game of life is won or lost dependent upon whether you are going to listen to the sound advice of the Coach Jesus Christ, or the scoffing of the opposing team.  Choose to listen to Christ.

The Devil has been shouting at God’s people since the Garden of Eden:  “you are lousy at following God.  You are losers.  The game is over for you.”

We simply need to reply:  It Ain’t Over ‘til It’s Over!  It ain’t over because circumstances are bad; it ain’t over because temptations are many, it ain’t over because our faith is small; it ain’t over because the Devil is big; it ain’t over because the enemies are scoffing, and 

6.  It Ain’t Over Because the Grave Was Sealed! (Mt. 27:64-66)

⁶⁴ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” ⁶⁵ Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” ⁶⁶ So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

Now here’s the deal.  Listen carefully.  This is what Christianity is all about.  Here’s what Easter is all about.  AN EMPTY TOMB!

Even the Roman leaders knew the prophecy that the Messiah would rise from the grave.  The Enemies of Jesus KNEW that the one thing they could not let happen was for that grave to come up empty on Sunday morning.  The posted an elite Roman guard, and probably also the elite Temple guard.  They probably even installed a Ring Doorbell.  That grave HAD TO REMAIN SEALED!

Guess what:  It Ain’t Over Because the Grave was sealed. 

The Word of God declares this (I can hardly contain my excitement as I write this in my notes):  Luke 24:1:  But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. ² And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

When the Roman authorities “sealed that grave” they thought they sealed the fate of God’s plan of redemption for all mankind.  Had Jesus stayed in that grave, every one of us as His followers would stay in our graves.  BUT JESUS DIDN’T STAY IN THE GRAVE.  IN FACT, HE DIDN’T STAY DEAD! Luke 24:4-6:

⁴ While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. ⁵ And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? ⁶ HE IS NOT HERE, BUT HAS RISEN.

7.  It ain’t over because: JESUS IS ALIVE!

From the beginning of time the Devil has tried to convince God’s people that the game is over and he has won, but he learned at the Resurrection, “It Ain’t Over ‘til It’s Over!”

It Ain’t Over because circumstances are bad; temptations are many; our faith is small; the Devil is big; the Enemies are Scoffing; or the Grave was Sealed.  IT AIN'T OVER BECAUSE JESUS IS ALIVE!

God sent His Son 

They called Him Jesus

He came to love, heal and forgive 

He lived and died to buy my pardon

An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives

Because He lives I can face tomorrow

Because He lives all fear is gone

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living just because He lives

My dear friends, regardless of how bad things might look at the time, with Jesus, “It Ain’t Over ‘til It’s Over, and When It’s Over, It’s Just Begun.”

ADDITIONAL POEM REFERENCED IN SERMON

CASEY AT THE BAT

The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day:
The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play,
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
A pall-like silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to the hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought, "If only Casey could but get a whack at that—
We'd put up even money now, with Casey at the bat."

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
And the former was a lulu, while the latter was a cake;
So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance of Casey getting to the bat.

But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
And Blake, the much despisèd, tore the cover off the ball;
And when the dust had lifted, and men saw what had occurred,
There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.

Then from five thousand throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
It pounded on the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile lit Casey's face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt;
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance flashed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped—
"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one!" the umpire said.

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore;
"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone on the stand;
And it's likely they'd have killed him had not Casey raised his hand.

With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the dun sphere flew;
But Casey still ignored it and the umpire said, "Strike two!"

"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered "Fraud!"
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.

The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate,
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate;
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.

Oh, somewhere in this favoured land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout,
But there is no joy in Mudville—mighty Casey has struck out.

The Meaning of Life

March 1, 2020               NOTES NOT EDITED
The Meaning of Life

Jer. 29:11; Ephesians 3:8

SIS: A person cannot find meaning and fulfillment in life, until they discover the purpose for which God created them.

      

Miillions of people today–some old, some not so old–who feel discouraged.  Many, would say if they are honest,  I am afraid to die, but having nothing to live for.  Many, many people are alive today that really do not feel they are living a meaningful life.  Most, really could not tell you what makes a meaningful life.  Fortunately, God’s Word tells us that God has a plan for every individual that will give their lives meaning and bring fulfillment.  God’s Word gives us the “Meaning of Life,” and teaches us how to achieve a meaningful life.

The “Meaning of Life” may not be understood well, but it is a popular issue among people.  One person (and actually there are many others) has a web page called the “MeaningofLife.com.”  The premise of this page is that meaning equals happiness.  Certainly, there is a connection between the two, but meaning seems to be something much deeper than a feeling of happiness.

Even Monty Python–that odd ball English comic–has a web page

devoted to the “Meaning of Life” taken from one of his comic films.  Listen to the lyrics from one of the songs used in this film.  I would have used a clip from the film, but Monty isn’t always rated “G.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAwDWZoETk4) 

The Meaning of Life

Why are we here? What's life all about?
Is God really real, or is there some doubt?
Well, tonight, we're going to sort it all out,
For, tonight, it's 'The Meaning of Life'.

What's the point of all this hoax?
Is it the chicken and the egg time? Are we just yolks?
Or, perhaps, we're just one of God's little jokes.
Well, ça c'est le 'Meaning of Life'.

Is life just a game where we make up the rules
While we're searching for something to say,
Or are we just simply spiralling coils
Of self-replicating DNA.

In this 'life', what is our fate?
Is there Heaven and Hell? Do we reincarnate?
Is mankind evolving, or is it too late?
Well, tonight, here's 'The Meaning of Life'.
For millions this life is a sad vale of tears
Sitting round with nothing to say
While scientists say we're just simply spiraling coils
Of self-replicating DNA

So just why, why are we here?
And just what, what, what, what do we fear?
Well çe soir, for a change, it will all be made clear
For this is the meaning of life
See'est le sens de la vie, this is the meaning of life

Well, you can search the web or dial up Monty Python, but you won’t find the meaning of life until you look in God’s “Instruction Manual”–the Holy Bible.  Today, I want to show you from God’s Word how you can find meaning and fulfilment in life by discovering God’s plan for your life.  We find God’s purpose for our lives by answering three important questions: 1) WHO am I;  2) WHY am I here; and 3) WHERE am I going?

As a background for our lesson this morning, let’s establish that God DOES INDEED have a meaningful plan for our lives. Will take one text from the O.T. and one from the N.T.  Let’s read.

(Jer 29:11)   ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you” —this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

…………………………………

(Eph 3:7-8)  ⁷ I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of His power.

⁸ This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches  of the Messiah,

There are 3 powerful lessons that will lead to powerful living as we learn the “Meaning of Life.” Beginning with the Book of Epehsians,

❶ you must answer the question: “WHO Am I?”.  (Eph. 3:7b)

Verse 7 teaches clearly who you are:“You are the miraculous work of an Infinite God.” ⁷ I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of His power.

Paul reminds us in verse 7: “I am who I am ① BY THE GIFT OFGOD’S GRACE and ② THE WORKING OF HIS POWER.”

You are UNIQUE . You are a masterpiece.  I read recently somewhere that every person who is born today is the result of billions upon billions of possibilities.  If you take all the possible genetic possibilities of all your ancestors the possible combinations would be 240 followed by 45 years of zeroes .  That’s right 45 “years” of zeroes.  It would take you that long to write all the zeroes.  You are not “one in a million.”  No, no–you are many, many, many times more unique than that.  If you take the number 240 and you spend 40 hours every day for 45 years, that’s how long it would take to describe all the characteristics you could have had.  That’s how much God had to work with when he made you.  Listen to this verse that describes the “personal touch” God took making you – you:

(Psa 139:13-14)    13 For it was You who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.  14 I will praise You    because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well.

That’s pretty unique.  God personally made you who you are and nobody can be you–but YOU!  I read a book a while ago title,  You’re Born and Original, Don’t Die a Copy .   The author reminds us: “Don’t just look for miracles.  You are a miracle.  You are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” . . . Nobody can be you as efficiently as you can.  When you use the gifts you have, people call you gifted.  One of the hardest things about climbing the ladder of success is getting through the copies at the bottom .”

Most people miss the bliss in life because they never come to grips with their God-produced giftedness.  Paul found meaning and purpose because he discovered his unique giftedness.  He said in our text here in Ephesians,  I serve God according to the gift he gave me by His grace.

As I said earlier, “No one is better at being you, than YOU.”

Therefore, you are spiritual, one-of-a-kind masterpiece created in the very image of God, by His own hand.  The NLT version of the Bible says this beautifully just a chapter earlier in Ephesians (2:10):

¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

The word, “masterpiece” translates the Greek noun, “poiema ποίημα” which comes from the verb, poieō, “meaning to make or do,” as with building something or creating something with one’s hands.  In the Greek period (Plato, for example) it poiema referred to that created by the gods.  Plato used poiema to refer only to the “spiritual essences, or ideals” created by the Ideal, or primary god.  He did not consider the souls and certainly not the bodies of man to be poiema.  These “secondary” creations were relegated to lesser gods, or demiurges.  When poiema is found in the Greek translations of the O.T. (over 3200 occurences of the noun and verb) it refers to the direct action of Yahweh a considerable number of times.  The Bible knows no other “Creator” than Yahweh of the Bible, and everything Yahweh created was “good.” Mankind was, “very good.” Mankind, you and I, are the “masterpieces” of Almighty God.  When you looked in the mirror this morning did you say, “Wow! What a masterpiece!”  Well, that is “who you are!”

From masterpiece to major mess – created to be a thing of beauty, preserved over the centuries – in one careless move it went from timeless treasure into tiny pieces of trash - what a tragedy!

The body is a masterpiece of exquisite design. Beautifully "engineered," it is governed by several hundred systems of control -- each interacting with and affecting the other. The brain has 10 billion nerve cells to record what he sees and hears. The skin has more than 2 million tiny sweat glands -- about 3000 per square inch -- all part of the intricate system, which keeps his body at an even temperature. A "pump" in his chest makes his blood travel 168 million miles a day -- equivalent of 6720 times around the world! The lining of his stomach contains 35 million glands secreting juices, which aid the process of digestion. And these are but a few of the involved processes and chemical wonders, which operate to sustain his life.

A person will never comprehend the meaning of life until one comes to understand just how “precious and perfect” God created you.  This is the great tragedy of teaching evolution to multiple generation of young people.  Why is life so cheap?  Why is Chicago the murder capital of the world?  Why is a little baby killed in the womb every 90 seconds in this country?  Life is cheap because generations of school boys and school girls have been taught that they are just the random result of chaotic events and nothing unique or special.

That is not true.  God created each and every one of us to be a masterpiece.  That’s “Who” you are.

The first question–WHO am I is really quite simple. YOU ARE A UNIQUELY GIFTED MASTERPIECE DESIGNED AND PRODUCED BY GOD HIMSELF!

Don’t become a cheap copy by following the crowd –God made you to be an “original work of art.”  Jesus didn’t shed His precious blood and die a horrible death to buy back a piece of junk—Jesus died to redeem His masterpieces.

❷ The second question you must answer in order to find meaning and  happiness is: WHY AM I HERE? (V7a-8)

⁷ I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace. . .⁸to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of the Messiah

Again, the answer is so simple.  God made you so that you could love Him and  “serve Him with your  unique and special gifts.”   God made you to know Him . . . and make Him known. In other words, God made you so you could love Him and show His love to others.  

God didn’t create us all to be pastors or teachers or evangelists, but he did create us all to be missionaries serving God by spreading the good news about Jesus Christ. The word “missionary” comes from a Latin word meaning, “sent.”  A missionary is someone who is sent with a message – that is the gospel, or good news of God’s salvation through Jesus Christ.

We have all been called by God to serve as “missionaries.” There’s an old Southern Spiritual that says, If you can’t preach like Peter, If you can’t pray like Paul, // Just tell the love of Jesus, And say He died for all.

God made you in a unique and special way so that you could reflect His love as brilliantly and as uniquely as a diamond individually cut by a master craftsman reflects the light.  You can reach people with God’s love in a way than no one else can.  You will meet people in your life that I, as a pastor and preacher, will never meet.  You can share your unique story of salvation with people in ways that no one else can.  That’s WHY you are here on this earth, and until you start serving God with “all your heart, and all your strength,” you will never discover the meaning of life.  The meaning of life is grounded in pursuing God’s purpose for your life.

St. Augustine confessed over 1600 years ago, “A soul is restless until it finds its rest in God.” It is impossible.  It is futile to find meaning in life until you discover the purpose for which God created you–that is, to serve God faithfully until the end of your days.   To try to find peace and happiness apart from God is impossible as it was FOR TWO HUNTERS to find their way out of the woods.  The game warden approached the truck of two hunters who were getting ready to hunt in a very remote area.  The warden warned them of the dangers of getting lost in the thick back country.  He said, “If you get lost, fire three shots in the air and we will come and rescue you.”  The confident hunters thanked the warden but told him they were expert woodsman and would not get lost. Guess what?  They got lost in the thick brush.  One hunter said, “Fire three shots in the air so the warden can come find us.”  The other hunter fired three shots in the air.  They waited about an hour.  One hunter turned to his friend again  and said, “It’s been an hour.  Fire three more shots in the air.”  This time they waited two hours.  It was getting dark and they were getting a little concerned.  The hunter turned to his friend a third time and said, “Better fire three more shots.”  The other hunter replied, “You better fire them this time.  I’m all out of arrows!”

That’s the same results you will get if you try to find meaning and fulfilment in life without realizing that the reason God put you on this earth was to “know him and then make him known” as a servant of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Now, “how” you do that is as unique as “who” you are.  We are all part of God’s body, the church, but we are not all the same member.  1Cor 12:17-18:

¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But now God has placed each one of the parts in one body just as He wanted.

Failing to grasp the “purpose God has for your life” will result in making a mess of God’s masterpiece.  A visitor to a British museum destroyed a set of priceless 300-year-old Chinese vases after tripping up on his shoelace, the Daily Telegraph reports. The three Qing vases, dating from the late 17th or early 18th century, had stood on a windowsill at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge for at least 40 years. Their prominent position made them among its best-known artifacts, the paper said. The report was accompanied by a photo, taken by another visitor, of the culprit, an unnamed man in his 40s, attempting to pick himself up among the porcelain debris after last week’s accident. Steve Baxter, another visitor who saw the accident, was quoted as saying: "We watched the man fall as if in slow motion. He landed in the middle of the vases and they splintered into a million pieces." "He was still sitting there stunned when museum staff appeared. Everyone stood around in silence, as if in shock. Then the man started talking. He kept pointing to his shoelace and saying, ’There it is; that’s the culprit!’ (ABC News Online, 1/30/06).

Notice the contrast painted by this tragic accident.  On the shelf we have the picture of what a master creator can do—a priceless masterpiece.  On the floor, we see what happens when a man, or woman takes charge of their lives.  It is a mess.  God’s purpose for our life is to created a masterpiece, as we saw early in this message.  When we take charge of our lives, seeking our own pleasures and purposes, we become a mess. 

The answer to the question--WHY are you here?-- is also a simple one.  God placed you here to be a “servant of God.”  Ask yourself: what is my unique place of service in my church?

❸  A third question must be answered if you hope to find meaning and happiness in life.  You must find out WHO you are.  You must discover WHY you are here.  And, you must know WHERE you are going.  (8)

⁸ This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches  of the Messiah,

What are the “unsearchable riches of Christ?” There is a hint up in verse 6:  This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

It is indeed a great mystery to me when I wonder HOW God does what He does, but it is NO MYSTERY to me WHAT God does.  He made a promise through Jesus. Here’s that promise.  Jesus comforted the hearts of His disciples right before the night he was arrested and later crucified.  Jesus said,

(Jn 14:1-6)  "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me. {2} In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. {3} And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. {4} You know the way to the place where I am going." {5} Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" {6} Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

The answer to the question, WHERE AM I GOING, is extremely simple, and extremely important—in fact it is “eternally” important.  Get this question wrong, and you are wrong for eternity.  Today you are  EITHER HEADED FOR HEAVEN, or YOUR HEADED FOR HELL.  At one time or another, to one degree or another, this question is on everybody’s mind—“Where” do I go when I die. 

Years ago there was a game show called “The $64,000 Question.” This was back in the days when $64,000 was a lot of money—just under $700,000 in 2020.  After winning a few preliminary rounds by answering questions the contestant came to the GRAND FINALE – THE BIG ENCHILADA. Answer this question correctly – take home a barrel full of money.  Answer incorrectly – go home a loser with nothing.

Well, the question of life-after-death is worth much more than $64,000.   If you don’t get the answer right to WHERE YOU ARE GOING – you lose more than a stash of cash – you lose your soul!

Are you a gambler?  Maybe there isn’t life-after-death? But, then again . . . maybe there is.  One thing’s for sure–ULTIMATELY everyone is going to die and go somewhere.  The Bible says, we can BE HEADED FOR HEAVEN or HEADED FOR HELL.  I can guarantee that you will never reach happiness and fulfilment if you are traveling the highway headed for hell.

 

Are you headed toward the unsearchable riches of Christ or the unimaginable horrors of eternity without God?  Are your loved ones headed for “heaven, or headed for hell?” The question of “Where” I am heading is an issue of enormous proportions! It is a simple question–but extremely important.

Let me ask you – do you want to risk ending your life as an unfulfilled old man or old woman?  Some time ago-I don’t remember when exactly—I turned on the TV.  An elderly man was sitting in a recliner reflecting on his life.  I believe he was about 80 years old.   I was moved—actually troubled—by his assessment of his life.  He had never married, had no children or living relatives, and he lived in a very sparse one bedroom apartment.  I remember his haunting words of despair.  “My life is a shambles.  I have no wife, no children, no relatives, no friends.  I’m scared of dying but I don’t have anything to live for.”   I’m scared of dying, but I don’t have anything to live for.

His life was completely meaningless in his eyes.  That my friends, is a very troubling situation.

Without Christ life is a hopeless end; with Christ it is an endless hope.

You don’t have to be like the old man on the TV: afraid to die but having nothing to live for.  As we have learned today: faith in God will give our lives meaning and purpose by helping us to discover WHO we are, WHY we are here, and WHERE we are going.

The Bible answers Monty Python’s question: 

In this 'life', what is our fate?
Is there Heaven and Hell? Do we reincarnate?
Is mankind evolving, or is it too late?

No, it is not too late.  Surrender to Jesus and you will discover, “The Meaning of Life!”

Evel Knievel Testimony
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr0I62k4gPE

G.W. Carver Found God’s Purpose in the Peanut

https://providencefoundation.com/george-washington-carver-transformed-the-economy-of-the-south-by-applying-biblical-truth-2/?fbclid=IwAR1XkbDVTtK-PSu_kGUheWNUvhfl9nv2dQyBasw_sJf6vLNgHxA4nDK86Qo