7-8-12 Sermon

To listen to today's sermon, click here. It is a great message for anyone in a place where they feel like everything's dried up, used up and empty.

WHEN YOU’RE RUNNING OUT OF EVERYTHING

When You’re Hoping For A Miracle – Part 2

07-08-12 Sermon

You don’t know that God is all you need until God is all you’ve got.  That’s why God often allows a shortage, a deficiency, a lack in your life. 

If I were to ask you, “What are you lacking today?”  you might say, “I need more energy… I need more money… I need more emotional support… I need more creativity… I need more opportunity… I need a job.”  All of those things that happen in your life happen really for a reason.  Today we’re going to look at what I call what do you do When You’re Running Out of Everything?

We’re in this series on Hoping for a miracle.  For the next several weeks we’re going to look at the things that cause people to feel hopeless.  Today we’re going to look at three incidents in the life of a man named Elijah. 

Elijah lived about nine hundred years before Jesus.  He went through three experiences.  They’re all in 1 Kings 17, and they teach us lessons on how God wants to do miracles when there are things that are happening in our lives that cause us to lack what we need.

The worst king and queen in Israel’s history were named Ahab and Jezebel.  You’ve heard of her probably.  So God sends Elijah as a spokesman, as a prophet, to go confront King Ahab.  Elijah says to Ahab and to Jezebel, because of your wickedness, because you’ve led the nation to worship false gods, it’s not going to rain any more in this country until I, the prophet of God, say so.  It was sort of like Nashville at that time!

We later find out this actually ends up being three and a half years.  Three and a half years without rain in the nation of Israel which meant they were in terrible drought, and terrible famine.  But Elijah says because of your sin, Mr. leader, the nation is going to suffer for three and a half years.

This message did not sit well with Ahab.  In fact he and his wife Jezebel were furious.  They were ticked.  And they put a price on Elijah’s head.  They said, we’re going to kill you.  They authorized bounty hunters and assassins to find Elijah and kill him.

The Bible says in 1 Kings 17 “Now Elijah confronted King Ahab, ‘As surely as God lives, the God of Israel whom I worship and serve, there will be no dew or rain during the next few years unless I give the word.’” And as I said the Bible says everything in the country dried up for three and a half years. 

Maybe you feel that way in your life.  Maybe you feel like the joy has dried up in your life.  Your savings have dried up.  Your job has dried up.  During this time of spiritual and emotional and economic dryness, God did some miracles for Elijah and he taught some lessons to Elijah that you and I need to learn. 

So my question for you is, Are you ready for a miracle?

During this time of dryness God took Elijah to three different places and they represent three different phases that you go through in your life. 

For the first year of the three and a half years of drought, God took Elijah to a place called Kerith.  Kerith was a ravine and a time of obscurity. 

The Bible says this in 1 Kings 17 “Then the Lord said to Elijah, [this is after Ahab had said I’m going to kill you] ‘Go east and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan.  The Kerith brook will give you fresh water to drink and I’ve commanded ravens to bring you food there every day.’ [That’s unusual.] So Elijah obeyed what the Lord said to do.  He moved to the Kerith Ravine and lived there. The birds brought him food each morning and evening and he drank from the brook.  But after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain.”

The first stop in Elijah’s journey of faith is the ravine, the Kerith Ravine.  How would you like to live there for a year?  God says I’m going to put you in a ravine for a year.  I want you to hide there. 

Do you know what Kerith means in Hebrew?  It means “cut off.”  And Elijah is cut off from everything.  Cut off from all of his friends, cut off from social interaction, cut off from what’s happening in the world.  He’s cut off from the limelight.  He’s cut off from attention.  He is literally all by himself. 

What is going on here?  God had great plans for Elijah.  This is at the very beginning of his ministry and God did incredible miracles through this guy in the years ahead.  But first he said “You need time alone with me.  I need to narrow your focus.  You need to focus on me.  You need to develop your inner life.  You need time alone with me and nobody else.  I want your undivided attention for a year.  So I’m going to put you in a ravine.” 

God often uses private darkness in your life to prepare you for public ministry in the light of day later on.

During this time that he’s in this rut, God supernaturally provided for him – in a very unusual way.  He has ravens – birds – bring food over the top of the ravine and drop it.  This is not exactly gourmet food, friends.  Because where do birds get their food?  Off of other people’s plates.  They find a little piece of meat here and a little piece of bread there and they pick it up and take it.  So for a year, Elijah’s eating leftovers at the best.  So this is not exactly a Club Med vacation here.  But he’s in this pit and his only support is from God.  There’s no food there.  So the birds have to bring it.  He’s got water that God has provided in this brook.  His only support is from God.  Remember: you don’t know God is all you need until God is all you’ve got.

Then in 17:7 it says “The brook dried up.”  This is such an important concept, an important principle in your life.  The brook is going to dry up in your life many, many times.  So I want you to remember this phrase.  In fact I want you to remember where it is in the Bible.  1 Kings 17:7. 

Some of you right now are in a situation where the brook has dried up in your life.  The money’s not there.  The friend isn’t there.  The support isn’t there.  The energy isn’t there.  Your health isn’t there.  Things have dried up in your life. 

What do you do when the brook dries up in your life, relationally, emotionally, economically or whatever?  You do three things.  You remember three things.  There are three reasons why brooks dry up in your life and you need to know this because it’s going to happen over and over.

1.    Brooks dry up to keep me from depending on the brook. 

That’s the first reason.  Brooks dry up in your life to keep me from depending on the brook instead of God.

Elijah was in this ravine, in this rut, for a year.  It would have been very easy for him to just forget God and focus on the birds and the brook; because they are supplying his needs.  He doesn’t have to work; it’s all right there.  The birds bring the food and the brook gives the water.  Pretty soon if you depend on a bird every day to drop food down to you, then week after week, month after month for the full year, pretty soon you’re not thinking about God.  You’re thinking about, is the bird on time? 

So God says whatever you’re trusting in, if it’s not me, I’m going to turn it off.  I’ve been trusting in my job for my security – we’ll just turn that off.  I’ve been trusting in my health – we’ll just turn that off.  I’ve been trusting in a friend of mine – we’ll just turn that off.

God says you must trust in me.  Anything you put before me is a false god.  It’s an idol.  It’s human nature for us to trust the brook and the birds.  Sometimes when God gives us something and then it’s taken away, maybe not even by God, but it just vanishes, like a job; then we start getting mad at God.  I don’t have the job I used to have!  What’s wrong with you, God?  I don’t have the health I used to have! 

That was a gift to you.  And no gift on earth is eternal except eternal life.  No gift is going to last forever on this planet.  It’s all just a gift and God has a right to give it or take it away if he thinks you’re depending on it for your source of joy instead of on him. 

There’s a second reason the brook dries up. 

2.    To move me to a better place.

God had no intention of leaving Elijah in the ravine, in that rut, for the rest of his life.  It was simply a one year temporary retreat for reflection.  He was protecting Elijah while there was a bounty on his head and the assassins were out to get him.  But God didn’t intend for Elijah to be born to live in a rut for the rest of his life; and God doesn’t intend for you to live in the rut you’re in for the rest of your life. 

As long as the brook was bubbling and the birds were bringing food, Elijah wasn’t going to move.  We don’t change when we see the light; we change when we feel the heat, when all of a sudden we’re forced to change.  And sometimes God dries up stuff in your life to move you.  God wants to move you to a new place in your life.

Often what we think is bad – the brook dried up!  I lost my job! – could be the best thing that happened to you.  How many times has something you thought was bad actually turned out for the good in your life?  You could think of a lot of times that’s happened.  The things that you thought were going to destroy you are actually developing you.  They’re making you the great person you are.  They’re building your character.  They’re developing you.  What you thought was going to destroy you actually develops you.

God often dries up the brook in your life to keep you from depending on the brook instead of him, to move you to a better place, and…

3.    Three, to prove that he has not forgotten you. 

To prove that God has not forgotten me, God often dries up the brook.  God could have left Elijah in that rut.  He could have left him there.  If God didn’t care, he could have put Elijah in that ravine and left him there the rest of his life.  But God did care about Elijah.  For that reason he dried up the brook so that Elijah could have something better.

When things go wrong in our lives, we often think God’s forgotten me.  No.  It means God is paying attention to you.  He’s paying attention because he wants to move you to a new place.

That brings us to the second place.  First he’s in the ravine, the rut.  The second place we see Elijah is in the next verse – he’s on the road. 

The second test of Elijah’s faith is a dangerous journey.  I call this the road of insecurity.  1 Kings 17:8-9 says “So then the Lord said to Elijah ‘Now get up [out of that rut you’re in, that ravine] and go to Zarephath and live there.  I’ve prepared a widow there [in Zarephath] to take care of you.’”  So Elijah obeys.  He went to Zarephath.  Circle ‘get up and go” and circle the word “prepared.”  God had prepared in advance the widow where he was going to take him next.

What’s happening here?  God said I want you to move.  Get ready to go on a journey, Elijah.  But who and where Elijah is being sent to does not give Elijah a lot of confidence, for a number of reasons.

At the bottom of Israel, is Kerith, that brook where he was in that gorge, in that rut.  Zarephath is at the very top.  It’s not even in Israel.  It’s in modern day Lebanon.  It is a small town on the coast of the Mediterranean.  It wasn’t even a Jewish city.  It was a pagan city.  For Elijah to get from Kerith to Zarephath he is going to have to go through dangerous territory.  It’s over a hundred miles.  It’s going to take him days to walk.  And remember he’s a marked man.  There are wanted signs for Elijah all over Israel.  He’s going to have to walk right through the heartland of Baal worship where everybody there wants to kill him.  It’s in the middle of a drought, so there’s no water. 

In fact, Zarephath, it just so happens, was the home town of Jezebel.  And Elijah says, “You’re sending me to Jezebel’s home town?  You’ve got to be kidding, Lord!  All of her friends are there.  I’ll be a sitting duck!” 

Then God says, When you get to Zarephath, I’m going to have a very poor widow to take care of you, the least likely person to take care of Elijah, a poor widow.  She couldn’t defend him or protect him, much less even feed him likely.  She’s a poor widow.  Of all the people, God says, I’m sending you to Jezebel’s home town to a poor widow.  Now he’s going from bad to worse.

Are you there?  Some of you are in the journey phase right now of life.  You’re on the road from Kerith to Zarephath and it seems like things are going from bad to worse.  And as I said, you’ve got a pile of bills sitting at home, stacked up, unpaid, and you don’t know where the money is going to come from.  Bad to worse.

When you’re on the road, when you’re on the journey phase of the test of faith, what do you need to remember?  When you’re scared to death and God’s got you on a journey and you don’t know where you’re going, you don’t know how long it’s going to take and you don’t know what’s going to happen when you get there.  You do the three things and remember the three things that Elijah did.  Three things to remember when you’re on the road.

1.    One, the path to a miracle is always through uncomfortable territory. 

Miracles never happen in your comfort zone, when everything’s going great, when everything’s copacetic, when everything’s comfortable, when everything’s convenient.  You don’t need a miracle when everything is settled in your life.  You only need a miracle when you’re on the edge, when you’re scared to death, when you’re insecure, when you’re out there and you can get hit at any angle.  The path to a miracle is always through uncomfortable territory.  He’s going to have to go through all that with people wanting to kill him in order to get to where God wants him to go. 

Miracles don’t happen when things are comfortable.  Miracles happen when things are uncomfortable.  Elijah didn’t say to God, “God, this is a great plan.  There are only three things wrong with it.  One, you’re sending me in the wrong direction.  You’re sending me right through my enemies’ territory.  Two, you’re sending me to the wrong location.  Jezebel’s hometown.  I’ll be a sitting duck there.  And three, you’re sending me to the wrong protection.  A poor widow can’t take care of me.”

No.  He just obeyed.

The second thing you need to remember when you’re on the journey and it’s a little scary:

2.    The source of a miracle is always unexpected. 

In your life the source of a miracle, where it comes from, will not be where you think it’s going to come from.  It’s always unexpected.

Why does he do it that way?  So that God gets the glory.  That’s why you can’t figure it out.  So stop trying. Some of you, you’ve got some need in your life that you want met.  And you’re trying to figure it out.  You’re looking around saying maybe God could do it that way… maybe God could do it that way… maybe I could help God along with this...  maybe I could drop a few hints… maybe I could manipulate the situation…maybe I could give a suggestion here.

God does miracles in illogical ways.  Why?  God says in Isaiah 55 “My thoughts are completely different from yours.  My ways are far beyond anything you can imagine.”  The way you want to meet the need in your life is not the way God wants to meet the need in your life.  Your way is second best.  God’s way is best. 

The path to a miracle is always through uncomfortable territory.  The source of a miracle always comes in an unexpected way. 

So what do you do when you’re on this road?  You don’t fret.  You don’t fear.  You don’t forget.  You don’t try to figure it out.  You don’t try to formulate. 

You just have faith.  You just trust God.  I don’t know how God is going to do it but he’s going to do it.  If God tells me to do it, even if it doesn’t make sense, even if it’s illogical, even from a human standpoint it doesn’t make sense for me to go that direction, to that location, and talk to that person, I’m going to do it.  Because God said do it; and then you’re being set up for a miracle. 

3.    The third thing you need to remember on the journey, the pattern for a miracle is always CPR.  Command – Promise – Risk. 

This CPR will really get your heart going.  Command – Promise – Risk.  You need to realize that every time God does a miracle, anywhere, it always comes in this format.  God gives you a command, he tells you to do something.  Then he gives a promise and says, if you do it here’s what I’ll do.  There’s command and then there’s a promise.  Then you take the risk.  You step out in faith, because this does not make sense.  This is illogical.  I can’t afford to do this.  It doesn’t make sense at all.  But God says here’s the command, here’s the promise.  Now you take the risk.

Then comes the miracle; then comes the fulfillment; then comes the answer.  God always works with cpr.  It’s how he starts your heart spiritually. 

Now we come to the third place of Elijah in the test of his faith.  First he’s in the rut, the ravine; then he’s on the road.  Now he comes to Zarephath.  Zarephath, when he arrives in the city, this is a time of scarcity. 

“When he reached the town gate, Elijah saw a widow gathering firewood.  He asked her, ‘Would you please bring me a drink of water?’  As she was going to get it, Elijah added, ‘and please bring me a small piece of bread, too.’”  

This is absolutely hilarious.  Can you imagine walking up to a total stranger who’s obviously poor like some homeless person on the street saying, “Can you give me a drink of water?  And by the way, bring me a sandwich.  Or bring me some bread and if you don’t mind put a little of that garlic sauce on the top of it.  Bring me some oil and vinegar, I like to dip it.”  Would you say to a stranger who is obviously poor, a homeless person, I need you to help me?  No.  You wouldn’t. 

Why would Elijah do that?  Because God did cpr – I’m going to command you to do this and I promise if you do it it’s going to work out.  I’ll take care of you.  So Elijah takes the risk.  It did not make sense for him to say to a poor widow, Can you help me?  Can you do something for me?  That just did not make sense.

But now he’s in the place of scarcity. 

“The woman answered, ‘As surely as your God lives, [Notice she said “your God”.  It wasn’t her God because she wasn’t Jewish.  She was an idol worshipper.  She said as surely as your God lives] I swear I have no bread.  I only have a handful of flour left in a small jar and a little olive oil left in a jug.  I came here to gather some wood so I could go home and cook our last meal.  My son and I will eat it and then we’re going to die of hunger.’”

Elijah’s thinking, “This is who you sent me to, God?  You’re sending me to a woman who doesn’t even have food for her own family.  She’s got one meal left and you’re asking me to ask her for it?”  This is illogical.  This is a test. 

The test is do you believe God or do you believe yourself.  Do you believe you’re smarter than God or do you believe God wants to do a miracle?  She says, “I’m telling you!  I’ve just got a little bit of oil and a little bit of flour.  I came out here to pick up some sticks.  I’m going to make a pancake dinner for me and my son and we’re going to die.  Because we’re like everybody else.  We’re in the famine!  And there’s nothing left.  So we’re going to eat our last meal and then we’re going to starve to death.” 

Then here’s what Elijah says, “‘Don’t be afraid!  Go home and first make a small loaf of bread from what you have, and bring it to me.  Then cook something for yourself and your son.  [Hello!  This does not sound right does it?  It just does not sound right.  You go home and you take whatever you got and I want you to give it to me.  God wants you to give it to me.  Then he says, then cook something for yourself and your son.] God says, [here’s the promise] 'I assure you that jar of flour will never be empty, and the jug of oil will never run out, until the day I send rain to the land.' [He says God will supernaturally replenish it.  That bowl and that jar, you’re going to make stuff out of it and supernaturally it’s going to fill up again.  You’re going to make some more and it’s going to supernaturally fill up again.  You’re never going to run out and you’ll always have reserve.  If you’ll do what I tell you to do on the promise of God, you’ll never run out until the day I send the rain to the land.]

What is Elijah doing here?  He’s doing the very thing God did with him – cpr.  God didn’t just want to bless Elijah.  He wanted to bless this widow too.  So she had to go through the same steps of faith he did.  He’s giving the widow a chance for a miracle.  He gives her a command that seems impossible – I want you to go home and I want you to make whatever you’ve got left and I want you to bring it and give away your last meal.  Hello!  You’re asking me to give away my last meal?  Yes, I am.  This is a test of faith.  I want you to give away your last meal.  Don’t eat it yourself.  If you do God says, I promise you’ll never lack.  I’m going to take you through this recession.  I’m going to take you through this dry spell.  I’m going to take you through this famine, if you put me first.  And that’s exactly what the widow does.

“So the widow did what Elijah told her to do, and she and her son and Elijah had enough food every day.  [Elijah went ahead and lived with her the next couple of years] The jar of flour and the jug of oil never ran out, just as God had promised.” 

This is the third place Zarephath.  Do you know what Zarephath means in Hebrew?  It means the refinery.  God is refining his faith – Elijah’s, and her faith – the widow, and the son’s faith in the refinery. 

What is a refinery?  A refinery is a place where they take heat and pressure to purify and shape raw metal into something useful.

Some of you are in the refinery phase right now, where the pressure’s on in your life.  The heat’s on in your life to purify your motives, and to shape you to be used by God in ways that you cannot even imagine. 

God had prepared a widow.  It’s interesting that when God plans a miracle in your life he works both ends at the same time.  He was working on Elijah’s end, but he was also already working up in Zarephath on the widow’s end.  Because she had to be out there picking up sticks at the exact time that Elijah arrived.  God’s timing is perfect.

And God is working in your life.  While you’re waiting for the miracle, God is working.  And right now the person who’s going to meet or the situation that’s going to meet that need in your life, God’s always working on that end, while he’s working on your end.  He’s giving you the cpr while he’s giving the other person at that end, God wanted to bless both the donor and the donee.  He wanted to bless both ends at the same time.  Both the need and the supply.  He works all the angles. 

What do you need to remember when you’ve run out of resources?  What do you remember?  You need to remember three things.

1.    One, whatever I need more of, give what I have to God. 

In fact, give it all.  She didn’t just give a little.  She gave it all.  Whatever I need more of, give what I have, all I have to God.  She needed more flour and oil.  She gave flour and oil to God.

From a human standpoint we would have said, “Woman, you’re poor.  Keep your oil.  Keep your flour.  You can’t afford to give it.”  There is a myth that sometimes I cannot afford to be generous.  Wrong!  You can always afford to be generous.  You can always give something.  It may be your last meal.  But you can give something.  It is a myth that says I cannot afford to give.  You can’t afford not to give. You can always afford to be generous.

God wants to teach you to be generous because it teaches you faith.  God doesn’t need anything from you.  He doesn’t need your time.  He doesn’t need your money.  He doesn’t need your effort.  God has everything.  He doesn’t need it.  He wants to teach you to be like him.  He wants to teach you to trust him.

The point is, when God says I want you to put whatever you’ve got and give it away and then I’ll multiply it – this is a test of faith.  He praised the widow.  We think that God looks at the amount we give.  He doesn’t.  God does not look at the amount you give away – time, money, energy.   He looks at what’s left.  He looks at what you gave in relationship to what’s left over.  You can give a million bucks to help the poor but if you’ve got two million bucks in the bank it’s not a bigger gift than the woman who had five cents and gave five cents but that’s all she had.  It’s not equal amount, it’s equal sacrifice.  God’s saying I want your heart.

So whatever I need more of I give it to God.  She needed more oil and more flour.

2.    Two, the second thing, whatever I have the least of I give to God. 

Whatever I have the least of, I give that to God.  Why?  It’s a test.  We’re taught to give out of our extra.  We’re taught to give out of our leftovers.  That’s better than nothing.  But God says if you want a miracle, you give what you don’t have to give.  You give when you really need to hold on to it.

That’s what puts you in the cpr line for a miracle – command, promise, risk. 

So there are some people who are very wealthy who can give real easily.  They can give a lot of money to help the poor.  But what they really need to give is not their extra money.  They need to give their time.  Why?  Because they don’t have enough time.  So they need to give their time. Whatever I have the least of, I give it to God.

3.    The third thing I need to remember is, I don’t give to get a blessing, but to be a blessing. 

If I am generous will God bless me?  Of course he will.  There are more promises in the Bible about giving than anything else.  But that’s not why I do it.  I don’t give to get a blessing.  I give to be a blessing.  If I am generous with my time, with my money, with my energy, with my tithe, if I become a generous person and I’m a giver instead of a taker in life, will God bless me?  Absolutely.  But that’s not why I do it.  I do it in order to be a blessing. 

Let me close by giving you some advice, some Lessons for Famines. 

1.    One, God is all I need. 

2.    Two, where God guides, God provides.

3.    Three, the third thing to remember is I must trust him one day at a time. 

4.    Four, the last thing you need to remember.  God’s promises hinge on my obedience. 

Command-Promise-Risk.  Take that step of faith.  It doesn’t seem logical.  But you do what seems illogical and you follow God.  And God says I’ll take care of you.  CPR.

Why?  The Bible says this “My God will meet all your needs…”  Notice it doesn’t say God might, God hopes, God maybe. “… God will meet all [not some, all of] your needs…”  This is a promise from God.  God does not lie.  Here’s the promise – Command-Promise-Risk.  “My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Notice he doesn’t say God will meet all your greeds.  God has not promised you a Bentley and a nine million dollar home.  God has said I will meet all your needs in Christ Jesus.

Prayer:

Would you pray this prayer in your heart?  Dear God, today I’ve learned that the things that I’m lacking in my life – the deficiencies, the shortages – are really proof that you love me, that you care, that you’re paying attention to my life.  I thank you.  Thank you that you want to keep me from depending on the brook.  Forgive me for when I’ve depended on my job and other people instead of you.  Thank you that when the brook dries up, you want to move me to a better place.  Thank you that you haven’t forgotten me.  Lord, in the days ahead which may seem a little scary sometimes, help me to realize that the path to a miracle is through uncomfortable territory.  That you’re stretching my faith and that the source if a miracle will be unexpected so I shouldn’t try to figure it out.  I should just trust you.  That the pattern of a miracle is always cpr.  You told me what to do and it doesn’t always make sense.  It sometimes seems illogical to give away what little I’ve got.  But help me to take the risks.  Help me to give away whatever I need more of, whatever I have the least of.  Lord, I don’t want to give just to get a blessing.  I want to give to be a blessing.  Help me to remember that you’re all I need, and that where you guide you’ll provide.  Jesus Christ, I want to open my life to you.  I want to learn to trust you one day at a time.  I want to go your way not my way.  I want to follow you and ask you to save me and come into my life.  I want to claim the promises that you’ve given that if I trust you you’ll meet my needs.  I pray this in your name.  Amen. 

7-1-1 Sermon

There is no audio of this sermon but the manuscript appears below. We pray it touches where you are in your walk.

IT’S NOT TOO LATE!

When You’re Hoping For A Miracle – Part 1

07-01-12 Sermon

You can exist for weeks without food.  You could exist several days without water.  You can exist a few seconds without air.  But you can’t live without hope.  You need hope to cope.  Hope keeps your soul alive. 

Most people don’t understand hope.  Hope is not some wishful thinking about the future – pie in the sky in the by and by.  You need hope now.  You need hope today.  You need hope, not because you’re going to die tonight, but because you’ve got to get up tomorrow and live. 

Hope is not optimism.  Optimism is psychological; hope is theological.  Optimism is personal trust in yourself; hope is personal trust in God.  Optimism is what you think you can do.  Hope is what you think God can do.  Optimism is often a denial of reality.  It’s positive thinking, not permanent trust.  Optimism is often kind of a pat Pollyanna attitude that says the sun will come out tomorrow; it’s not that bad, it’s ok; it’s not really as bad as we think it is.  Sometimes optimism just denies the fact that, yeah, life really is bad as your life is at this particular moment. 

Hope never does that.  Hope is always reality.  Hope says, yep it’s bad; it’s really, really bad.  In fact I don’t think it’s been any worse than it is right now.  But I believe God can bring us through this.  I believe God is in control.

Where do you get real hope?  You get it from the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the central event of all history.  When Jesus rose from the dead it was the most important event ever to happen in history.  So today I want us to look at hope.  And what the Bible says about hope.

The reason we need hope is because we live on a broken planet.  Nothing works correctly on this planet.  Nothing works perfectly.  The weather doesn’t work perfectly.  The economy doesn’t work perfectly.  I don’t know if you’ve noticed this or not, your body doesn’t work perfectly.  No relationship works perfectly.  Your marriage certainly doesn’t work perfectly.  Your career, your plans have not worked perfectly.  Nothing is perfect on this planet.  We live on a broken planet.  Because of sin this planet is out of order.  And because of that you can look around and see brokenness everywhere – broken families, broken lives, broken homes, broken dreams.  Where do you get hope for that?  You get it from the story of the resurrection.  The resurrection is not just for Easter Sunday.  The resurrection is for every day of your life.

On your sermon outline this morning there are three passages of Scripture from the Bible that we’re going to look at that talk about three people – Mary Magdalene, Thomas, and Simon Peter.  Three people, who went through hopeless situations, who thought it would never turn around, and yet, when they had an encounter with Jesus he did a miracle. 

If you’ll look at that outline, the very first verse is a verse out of the Bible from the book of 1 Peter, written by Simon Peter.  I Peter 1:21 “Because God raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory, your faith and hope can be placed confidently in God.” 

You know the reason why people are hopeless today is because they’re putting their hope in all the wrong things and they’re looking for hope in all the wrong places. 

If you put your hope in success or status or your salary or sex or position, possession, privilege, power, popularity – every one of those things will disappoint you.  You’ve got to put your hope in something that cannot be changed.  And that is God’s love for you.  That’s never going to stop.  It’s never going to change.  Today I want to show you how no matter what you’re going through right now, there’s a reason for hope.

On Easter Sunday morning the very first person that Jesus showed himself to at the resurrection was not a disciple, was not one of his twelve followers.  He showed himself first of all to a woman named Mary Magdalene. 

One day she meets a man named Jesus Christ.  Jesus didn’t just love her.  He liberated her.  He set her free from habits and hurts and hang-ups that messed up her life.  He set her free from addictions and abuses, from patterns and habits that kept her stuck in one bad relationship after another.  He set her free.  He liberated her from the demons of her past that haunted her. 

So when Jesus was crucified on the cross, all of the disciples left him.  They all ran and hid.  The only people who showed up at the crucifixion were the women in Jesus’ life.  Mary, his mother, his aunt, Salome, Mary Magdalene, this woman we’re talking about right now.  She was at the foot of the cross with Jesus’ mother.  She saw Jesus brutally murdered.

Because it was the Sabbath, Jewish law didn’t allow them to prepare the body for burial.  They had to just stick it in the grave.  So on Sunday morning Mary goes to the tomb.  She gets up early.  It’s still dark.  And the Bible says this from the book of John “Mary Magdalene stood crying outside the tomb.  While she was still crying she bent and looked into the tomb and saw two angels dressed in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been.  They asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying?’  She said, ‘They’ve taken away my Lord.  I don’t know where they’ve put him.’  Then she [Mary] turned around and saw a man standing there.  But she didn’t recognize that it was Jesus.  ‘Woman, why are you crying?’ Jesus asked her.  ‘Who are you looking for?’  She thought he was the gardener so she said to him, ‘If you took him away sir, tell me where you’ve put his body and I’ll go and I’ll get him.’  Then Jesus simply said to her, [one word]‘Mary.’ [He just calls out her name – Mary.]  She turned toward him and she said in Hebrew ‘Rabboni’ which means teacher.  Then Mary ran and found the disciples and said, ‘I have seen the Lord!’”

Jesus asked Mary two very important questions: why are you crying and what are you looking for? 

Why was Mary crying?  It was obvious.  She was grieving a loss.  She had seen Jesus be murdered and she’s grieving the loss of the only person who ever loved her unconditionally.  The Bible says it was still dark.  But it wasn’t just physically dark.  She was still in the dark about the resurrection.  She didn’t know Jesus had come back to life.  In fact, she didn’t realize how close she was to Jesus.  He was standing right there with her. God was standing right by her and she didn’t even see him.  When you’re going through the dark, Jesus is standing right next to you.  You often can’t see him. 

And Mary thinks it’s hopeless.  She’s saying, it’s over.  He’s dead.  It’s finished.  He isn’t coming back.  But Jesus changes everything with one single word.  He doesn’t give her a big sermon.  He just says one word.  He calls out her name – Mary. 

And Jesus does the same thing to you today.  I don’t know where you’re hurting but he’s saying to you, “I know who you are.  I know your name.  I know where you’re hurting, and I can do something about it.” 

The first thing I want you to get is this: it’s never too late for a miracle.

 It is never too late for a miracle.  Even death doesn’t mean it’s over.  It’s never too late.  You may not be aware of this but today, around the world, hundreds of people are being raised from the dead.  Just like in bible times.  Even death doesn’t mean it’s over.

The Bible says in Luke 18:27 “What is impossible for people to do is possible for God.”  What is it in your life you’re saying right now, that’s impossible?  It’s never going to happen.  It’s over.  It’s dead.  It’s done.  It isn’t going to happen.  Every time you use the word “impossible” listen for laughter from heaven.  It’s not in God’s vocabulary.

I want to ask you the two questions Jesus asked Mary.  What are you grieving over?  And what are you looking for? 

What makes you sad?  What causes you disappointment?  What has caused grief in your life?  Where’s the big loss in your life, that when you think about it you can get a little melancholy.  You can get a little sad about it.  The loss of a job, the loss of a friend, the loss of a dream. 

And, what are you looking for?  What do you think will make you happy?  What do you think is going to meet all your needs?  What do you think is going to take away your pain?  What do you think is going to heal that hole in your heart? 

If the answer is anything besides God, I want to respectfully submit to you you’re going to be disappointed once again.  Regardless of who you are, regardless of what you’ve done, regardless of how many relational failures you’ve had, Jesus says to you like he says to Mary: “I know who you are, I know your name.  I care about what you’re going through.  It’s never too late for a miracle.  It’s not hopeless.  And I will be your healer.”

When Jesus was crucified none of his followers understood it.  Nobody got it.  He’s been telling them for three and a half years, I came to earth to die on the cross for the sins of mankind.  Three days later I will come back to life to prove that I am who I say I am.  But no matter how many times he said it, they didn’t get it.  So when Jesus died on the cross, the disciples were not just disappointed; they’re devastated.  They’re demoralized.  They’re defeated.  “What’s going on?  We thought Jesus was the Messiah.  But the dream is dead.  He’s hanging on a cross.” 

One of those twelve disciples was a guy named Thomas.  I really like Thomas a lot because he had honest doubts.  Thomas was a thinker.  He was a guy who just didn’t accept whatever you told him.  He wanted to check it out himself.  He was very intelligent – like many of you.  He would check it out.  He didn’t just say, somebody said it, so I’m going to believe it.  He didn’t automatically believe everything he heard from everybody.  And, by the way, neither should you.  A healthy skepticism is a good thing in life.  The Bible says it’s dumb to believe everything you hear.

Thomas had doubts.  And when he heard about Jesus being raised from the dead he goes, “Oh really?”  He’d followed Jesus for three and a half years.  But he said I’m not going to believe it until I see it. 

This is not a bad thing.  It’s somebody who’s saying, I just need to see a little proof.  There’s nothing wrong with that at all.  The Bible tells the story of Thomas in the book of John, chapter 20.  It tells us that after Jesus died on the cross, all of his twelve disciples minus Judas and Thomas, got together in a room and they said, we need to get together and support each other in this crisis.

The Bible tells us this about Thomas: “That evening, the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the religious leaders.  [Fear always causes you to lock the door.  Fear locks you in a self-imposed prison.  I don’t know what fears you’ve got, but you’ve got them and they limit your potential.  The disciples were locked behind closed doors.  It was a self-imposed prison because of their own fear.]  Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them!  [This is Easter night.]  ‘Peace be with you!’ he said.  As he spoke, he held out his hands for them to see, and he showed them his side. [where he had been stuck with the spear.]  They were all filled with joy when they saw their Lord.  But one of the disciples, Thomas, was not with the others when Jesus came.  [He’s off by himself] They told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he replied, ‘I won’t believe it’ [Notice he didn’t say I can’t.  He says I won’t.  It’s a choice.  I won’t believe it…] unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hands into the wound of his side.’  Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them.  Again the doors were locked but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. He said, ‘Peace be with you.’  Then he said, ‘Thomas, look at my hands and put your finger here.  Then put your hand into the wound in my side.  Stop doubting and believe!’ Thomas said, ‘My Lord, and my God!’  Then Jesus said, ‘You [Thomas] believe because you have seen me. But blessed are those who have not seen but believe.’”

There are a couple things I love about this.  One, Jesus did not criticize Thomas for his doubts.  Doubt is a good thing if it drives you to the truth.  If doubt just causes you to be arrogant, stubborn, prideful, make up your own mind, prejudice, already got your mind decided, it can’t happen, it’s never going to happen.  That’s not doubt.  That’s ego.  Doubt says, I don’t know but I’m open.  Doubt is a good thing if it drives you to the truth. 

Jesus doesn’t put Thomas down for his doubts.  He doesn’t say, “Come on!  Thomas!  You were with me three and a half years.  Surely you must have heard me say I was going to come back to life in three days.  And I did.  And you didn’t believe it!  Come on, man!”  He doesn’t scold him.  He doesn’t rebuke him.  He just says, “Here’s your proof.  Put your hands in my hands and in my side.  See the wounds.  It’s really me.  I’m not a ghost.”

Thomas is a little late, but eight days later he goes, “My Lord and my God!”

Here’s the second point: It’s never too late to start believing. 

You may be five, you may be fifty, you may be a hundred fifty.  You may have gone to church all your life or never been in a church.  It’s never too late to start believing. 

One of the reasons why we often are filled with doubt is because we don’t understand how God tests our faith.  Did you know that God is constantly testing your faith?  Faith is like a muscle.  The only way it grows is when it’s tested.  You strengthen a muscle by testing that muscle.  By pushing against something.  The only way you grow in faith is when God tests it. 

When God tests your faith he often takes us through six phases.  This will make a whole lot of sense and save you a lot of problems when you understand how God works in your life. 

When God wants to do a dream, a miracle, something really cool in your life, he always starts with phase one. 

1.    Phase one is a Dream.

God gives you a dream: a dream of what you could become; a dream about your career; a dream that you would have a family; a dream that you would accomplish a certain goal; a dream that you would get married.  God always starts by giving you a dream.  And nothing is more powerful than a God given dream. 

But then you have to go to phase two. 

2.    Phase two is Decision.

In phase two you have to make a decision to go after that dream, because dreams are worthless unless you do something about them.  At some point you have to wake up and go to work on your dream.  Dreams are really a dime a dozen.  They don’t really matter unless you go to phase two and make the decision; I’m going after that dream.

Some of you are stuck at phase one.  You have a dream.  God’s given it to you.  And you’re scared to death to step out.  Do it.  Make the decision.

Once you make the decision you come to phase three.

3.    Phase three which is Delay.

There is often a delay between God giving you a dream and it becoming fulfilled.  Why?  Because God’s more interested in you than he is interested in the dream.  He wants to grow you up.  And in that delay God is testing your faith.  A delay is not a denial.  A delay in a dream doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen.  You must learn, like every little child has to learn, there’s a difference between no and not yet.  A lot of times little kids think not yet means no.  No, it doesn’t mean no; it means not yet.  Dream, decision, delay.

4.    Phase four in the six phases of faith is Difficulty.

Now, while you’re waiting on your dream you start having problems.  You’re not only waiting but you get difficulties as well too.  So you have problems.

Nothing is more difficult than handling phase three and phase four where we say, I’m waiting on God.  I’m in a hurry and God’s not.  And I get all these problems in the meantime.  Just about the time you’re ready to give up and you start doubting.  Maybe I missed it.  Maybe I shouldn’t be doing this.  Maybe it was stupid of me to have a dream.

Then you come to phase five which is the most difficult one of all. 

5.    Phase five is Dead End. 

What is a dead end?  It’s when it looks like it’s over, the deal isn’t going to close, the wedding isn’t going to happen, the job isn’t going to be offered, the economy is not going to turn around, all my ideas are falling apart.  That’s the dead end.

If you’re at the dead end of life right now and you think, I’m at the dead end, I’m facing a wall… Congratulations!  You’re getting ready for a miracle.

6.    Phase six is Deliverance. 

In phase six, deliverance, God turns a crucifixion into a resurrection.  He specializes in that.  He brings new life out of something that is dead, dead, dead.  If God can raise a dead Son of God, he can raise a dead marriage, he can raise a dead career, he can raise a dead dream.  He can do anything because all things are possible with him.

A lot of times we think we’re waiting on God.  But actually God is waiting on us.  He’s waiting on us to make the decision to go his way.  “The Lord isn’t late with his promises as some measure lateness…  He is being patient for your sake.  He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time to everyone to repent.”

You see a lot of bad stuff going on in the world today, and go, why hasn’t God just stopped that?  If God stopped all the bad things in the world he’d have to stop you and me from living too, because we’re not always doing the right thing.  One day God’s going to settle the score.  He’s going to even the odds.  He’s going to balance the books.  He’s going to administer justice.  What is the delay?  Why is he waiting? 

He’s waiting for you to decide for him.  The Bible calls it repentance.

What does it mean to repent?  The word in Greek means “to turn your mind, to change your mind.”  It means to do a one-eighty.  To repent means I’ve been going my way and I’m walking my way doing my thing, my way, my plans, my dreams.  Then all of a sudden boom.  I’m going to do a one-eighty and I’m going to go God’s way, go his vision.  I’m going to go his plan for my life. 

To repent means to do an about-face.  Attention – halt – about face!  It means now I’m going to make this change.  I’m going his way.  God, I’ve been running my life now for all these years.  It hasn’t always worked out that good.  I don’t like the way we’re headed.  So God, I’ve tried my plan.  I’m now going to go with yours.  That’s called repentance.

There’s one other person I want us to look at before we close.  His name was Simon Peter.  Everybody has pretty much heard about Peter.  He is the most famous of the twelve followers, disciples of Jesus. 

You had to like Peter. The guy was unbelievably nice.  He was lovable, he was enthusiastic, he was energetic.  Peter was a risk taker – he jumped out of the boat.  He was always the first one there.  Peter had this energy, creativity about him. 

But Peter got a little overconfident.  One time Peter’s talking to Jesus and he says “Lord, I’d die for you!  I’d do anything for you, Lord.  I would never, never, never deny you.”  And of course he did.  When put on the line, at the cross, Peter was scared for his own life and he denied Jesus three different times. 

Jesus knew this was going to happen.  In fact when Peter said “I would never deny you Lord,” Jesus looked at him and said, “Peter, you’re going to deny me three times tonight before the rooster crows in the morning.  But don’t worry about it.  I’ve prayed for you.  And Peter, when you get through this crisis, use it to encourage other people.”

Of course, that’s what happened to Peter.  When Jesus was taken in trial, arrested, beaten, scourged and then crucified, Peter is following at a distance.  And he denies Jesus three times.  When he hears the rooster crow that next morning, it reminds him of what Jesus had said. And now he’s broken hearted and he’s bitter with tears. 

This is the biggest failure in his life. 

What’s the biggest failure you’ve ever had?  What is the thing in your life you go, man, I wish I could do that one over.  This is what it was in Peter’s life.  He had denied the man he’d lived with for three and a half years as follower of Jesus Christ, followed him everywhere.  Then when it came to the crunch time he denies him three times. 

And Peter is devastated by his failure.  He is filled with guilt.  He’s filled with remorse.  He’s filled with regret.  Just like you are with some of the things in your own life.  That if we brought them up and we showed them on this screen you’d be filled with regret and remorse and guilt. 

Mary was hopeless because she said it’s too late.  It’s never going to happen.  It’s over.  Thomas was hopeless because of the doubt and the fear in his heart. Peter felt hopeless because of the guilt and the regret he was carrying, and he thought I could never be forgiven.

But Jesus had a word of hope for Peter.  And after the resurrection he said, Peter, I’m not through with you.  He said to Peter after his denial, in John 21 “Later Jesus appeared a third time to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee.  [This is the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.]  After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me more than these?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ Peter replied, ‘You know I love you.’  ‘Then feed my lambs,’ Jesus told him.  Then Jesus repeated the question, ‘Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ Peter said.  ‘You know I love you.’ ‘Then take care of my sheep,’ Jesus said.  Then Jesus asked Peter a third time ‘Simon, son of Jonas, do you really love me?’  Now Peter is grieved that Jesus asks the question a third time and he says, ‘Lord, you know everything.  You know I love you.’  And Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.’”

What is that all about?  I want to point out that whenever God asks you a question, he already knows the answer.  Whenever God asks you a question it is for your benefit not for his.  God already knows everything.  So when Jesus asked Peter, “Peter, do you love me?” obviously he knew the answer.  He wanted Peter to know the answer.  Peter had denied Jesus three times, so what does Jesus do?  He gives Peter three times the opportunity to affirm his love.  That’s cool!

When you come to God and you say, “God, I’ve blown it.  I’ve made this mistake.  I’ve done this wrong.”  God doesn’t rub it in.  He rubs it out.  Some of you have been afraid to come to Jesus Christ because of things in your life you know are wrong and you think God’s going to scold you. 

God isn’t mad at you.  He’s mad about you.  He’s mad about you!  And he wants you to know him and he wants you to love him as much as he loves you.  And he doesn’t rub it in; he rubs it out. 

Jesus is giving Peter three opportunities to show his love.  Then he says three times, “Feed my sheep.”  What is that all about?  What is he saying?

He’s saying this: the way you show love for God is by caring about other people.  The way you show love to God is by loving other people.  Jesus said, “Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.”  That’s the whole Bible summed up. 

We’ve got three people here with three different reasons for hopelessness.  Mary was filled with pain and grief over her loss.  She said, it’s over and I’ve lost it all.  Maybe you feel like that.

         Thomas was filled with hopelessness because of his fear and his doubt.  What did he doubt?  He was doubting because a lot of times doubt is just a fear of disappointment.  I don’t want to believe because I don’t want to be disappointed.  He said it’s never going to happen.  Have you ever said that about something in your life?  It’s never going to happen?

         Peter was filled with guilt and shame.  That caused guilt.  That caused hopelessness in his life.  He thought he could never be forgiven.

But all three of these people were transformed by hope. 

Notice 2 Corinthians says this “Whenever anyone puts their total trust in Christ, they become a new person.  They aren’t the same anymore.  The old way of living disappears.  They get a fresh start and a brand new life.”

Peter’s story tells us It’s never too late for a fresh start. 

How would you like to have a fresh start?  How would you like to have a brand new life?  Have you ever been halfway through painting a room and wish you could start over?  Ever been halfway climbing up a mountain and wish you could go back and start over?  Have you ever been halfway through life and wish you could start over? 

The Bible calls it being born again.  It’s not turning over a new leaf.  It’s getting a new life.  What I say to you today confidently, it’s never too late for a miracle in your life.  It’s never too late to start believing.  It’s never too late to get a fresh start.  It’s never too late to be forgiven.  It’s never too late to have your past forgiven, get a purpose for living, get a home in heaven. 

Prayer:

      God wants to say this to you.  You matter to me.  If you’re serious and say I’d like that fresh start.  I’d like that new life.  I’d like my past forgiven, I’d like a purpose for living, I’d like a home in heaven, I want you to pray this prayer and sincerely mean it in your heart.  You don’t have to say it aloud.  God knows what you’re thinking right now.  “Dear God…” say that in your heart.  “Dear God, I don’t understand it all but as much as I know how I open my life to you.  Jesus Christ, thank you for loving me, for knowing everything about me.  I need new hope.  I need new direction.  I need new strength.  I need you.  Forgive me for looking in all the wrong places to have my needs met.  Thank you for creating me, God.  Thank you for loving me.  Thank you for sending Jesus to die for me.  Today, as sincerely as possible, I say come into my life.  Make me a new person.  I want to follow you.  I want to repent and turn your way from this day forward.  Amen.”

6-17-12 Sermon

Today's sermon was shared by Rhonda Rose, as Pastor Frank took it easy following his heart attack Monday, June 11th. He is doing better but appreciates continued prayers for him to regain energy. To listen to Rhonda's Father's Day message, click here.