Envy: the Daughter of Pride 519 s1

Living Above Life’s Losses 545

Intro. READ: Matthew 16:26 1) Let me ask you something this morning - I want you to think about this. “What do you think is the most important thing in life?” Let’s put that another way: “What is your purpose for being here in this world?” If you knew that - wouldn’t that be the most important thing? a) Acts 17:26-27 “God made every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth. God determined our appointed times and He determined the boundaries of our habitation …That we should seek God, if perhaps we might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us” b) I’m going to suggest that the most important thing in life is to Know God and Have a Close Relationship with Him. (1) If I “gain the whole world” but don’t do this - I’m ruined. (2) But if I accomplish this - yet lose everything else - I’m still blessed. 2) It’s very hard to keep this concept in perspective when we experience the losses of life. a) I’ve seen some who lost their sight or legs or loved ones; and yet … they kept life in perspective because they remembered this principle (1) They remembered what they were supposed to achieve. (2) They realized they could still accomplish this in spite of life’s losses. b) I’ve also seen some who took their own life because no one asked them to the prom. (1) That seems silly. (2) But it's all a matter of perspective. 3) Two women were once invited to the White House to meet with the president. a) They were escorted in through a side door. b) Took an elevator directly to the outer room of the oval office. c) Talked to the president about an urgent matter. d) And then were escorted directly back to their waiting car. e) On the way out the gate, each woman had a different reaction: (1) One was very pleased to have accomplished their mission. (2) The other was furious that she couldn’t take the tour. 4) We come into this life with one mission in mind: To develop an eternal relationship with Almighty God. a) Some take the tour of life and never see God. b) Some see God but miss the tour. c) Others are fortunate enough to get both. 5) Some of the fury and rage we feel when life is rough is purely a matter of Jealousy. a) We’re jealous of others who seem to have an easier life than we have. b) Yet - even as we’re raging away – there are a few things we may not understand: (1) We may not understand that they have crosses to bear that we have never seen nor imagined. (2) We may not understand that someone else could be just as envious of us as we are of others. 6) Some of the fury and rage we feel when life deals out losses is purely a matter of Impatience. a) It may be that God has some wonderful things in store for us, but we’re not patient enough to wait for them. b) It may also be that the timing would be disastrous if God granted the thing we want right now. (1) It could distract us from something that we need to keep our full attention on at this time. (2) We need to be patient and “Wait For God”. c) READ Isaiah 40:28-31 7) Most of us don’t like to “Wait”. a) Cavett Robert is the founder of the National Speakers Association b) He once said, “When my father missed a plane, he caught another one. When my grandfather missed a train, he caught one the next day. Their world didn’t come to an end. There were other trains and other planes. Today, we miss one section of a revolving door and our entire day is shot.” c) Many of us need to learn some Godly Patience. (1) But how? (2) What does it take for us to learn to “Wait For God”?

I. It takes Humility to Wait for God. A. When we wait, we admit there are some things not under our control. 1. Did you ever read “The Odyssey”? a. Even in 850 BC, Homer was trying to teach this lesson. b. When Odysseus claimed the glory for defeating Troy, Poseidon cursed him to years of wandering the earth. c. After 16 years Poseidon told him that he didn’t want to see Odysseus die - he just wanted him to understand. d. “Understand what?” Odysseus asked. e. “That man is nothing without the gods.” 2. Of course, I don’t believe in a multitude of gods. a. But I do believe in the one true God of heaven & earth. b. And I believe the principle that Homer expressed. “Man is nothing without God.” Beloved … we wander the earth for a life-time … in order to learn that lesson. 3. When I patiently wait for God, I demonstrate humility. a. I admit that some things are beyond my control. b. I admit that some parts of my destiny are in God’s hands. c. I admit that I need God to help me with some things. 1) No amount of planning … 2) No amount of working … 3) No amount of anxiety can make life work out ok without the help of God. And He will accomplish what I need at the time which He knows is best. 4. Some things are for God to bring about. a. These things can’t be hurried … 1) recovering from illness 2) dealing with grief 3) mending a family 4) maturing a child b. In these cases - we have to wait for God to help us. II. It takes Hope to Wait for God. A. You know … why wait unless there’s something worth waiting for? 1. There really is logic behind the world’s frantic grasping for physical things - “right now”. 2. If there’s no eternal reward - why not get physical gratification now? 3. This is the way the world reasons. B. Christians fight a really hard battle in this arena. 1. We verbally claim to believe in the doctrines of heaven & eternity. 2. But we often live as though the “here and now” is all we have. C. When we experience the losses of life … divorce - loneliness - poor health - no job and live as though there were no tomorrow that shines with God’s blessings. 1. We become a part of the culture around us. 2. A culture infected with “instant-itis”. Give it to me now. D. So many of the stories and plays of antiquity strike us with the stark contrast between the way they perceived of time and the way we do 1. Can you imagine keeping hope alive for 16 years while struggling to get home to your family? (Odysseus) 2. Can you imagine waiting 25 years while God withholds the child of promise? (Abraham – 100) 3. Can you imagine that God would keep His people in slavery for hundreds of years before releasing them? (Israel) E. Yet - in God’s good time - hope was always rewarded. 1. But we today are woefully lacking in patience. 2. … woefully lacking in humility. 3. … woefully lacking in hope. 4. These are the things we need to “Wait for God” … and …

III. It Takes Faith to Wait for God. A. Faith is the conviction that God is in control. 1. But … for God to be in control - we must be willing to be controlled. 2. We don’t like being in that vulnerable position. 3. It gives us feelings once again of being a little child. 4. It may be that our physical parents were not very trustworthy. 5. So … we panic when we have to yield control to God. B. Faith is the conviction … God is Love … even when it doesn't feel like love 1. Others have surely hurt us and let us down. 2. So … we raise our shield. We put on our armor. 3. “I will not be hurt again - I will not trust again”, we vowed. 4. But brethren … when God makes us wait - then rewards our hope – it’s surely therapy for the wounded soul. 5. Beloved - this is Love. This is the hand of the Great Physician. 6. This is the way God helps us achieve the most important thing in life – the only thing that really matters. C. I’ve watched through the years as many, many of my brethren have struggled in agony as God developed their patience. 1. It seemed that job - that mate - that recovery - that security would never come. 2. Fatigue and desperation weighed heavily upon them. 3. They wept - they cursed - they shook their fist at God - they would gladly have “thrown in the towel” except there was nothing for them as an alternative. 4. Then - one of two things happened if they continued to “Wait for God”: a. Doors began to open and their fondest dreams were realized – either AS they imagined, or in some better way. b. Or - they found they didn’t really need what they had wanted. 5. In either case - those who “Waited for God” developed a richer, fuller, deeper relationship with Him than they ever had before. (and - that is what we’re here for - isn’t it?) D. READ Psalm 37:3-9

Concl. 1) The word “wait” appears 106 times in Scripture. a) Sometimes there’s nothing else we can do but wait. b) Like the early Christians - we can only wait, watch, and work. c) Such waiting requires humility, hope, and faith. 2) May we all have the tenacity of the little boy who wouldn’t take his eyes off the department store escalator. a) Finally, a salesperson approached him and asked: “Are you lost?” b) “Nope” -- “I’m just waitin’ for my gum to come back around” 3) We too must wait - and watch. a) But while you wait – don’t forget the most important mission of your life. b) It’s really not to have that job - that mate - that recovery … (we’re not here to obtain those things) c) We’re here to “seek God - and find Him though He’s not far from each one of us.” 4) If we could only relax - and enjoy the blessings of today – the rewards of tomorrow will be well worth the wait.