Introduction
Many people today say, “Why should I win souls?” “Isn’t the preacher supposed to do that?” Yes! He is but so is every Christian. There are six basic reasons why every Christian ought to win souls.
Introduction
Daniel was probably 16 years old when he was taken captive by Babylonia. He died there at the age of 85. He never saw his family, friends, or homeland again. What matters most about his life is how he remained faithful to God throughout his life, while living in a land where its inhabitants had not even heard of Jehovah.
The name Daniel means “God is my judge”. The life he led indeed reflected his name. In today’s sermon, I want to place before you 3 valuable lessons I learned from the lives of Daniel and his friends.
Introduction
St. Valentine’s Day reminds me of a true story about a young broken-hearted man who wrote a letter to his fiancée in blood. It is said that he died after writing the letter. The story of this lover and his message written in his own blood is a moving one, especially at this time in which we celebrate human love or St. Valentine’s Day. There is another moving love story written in blood, one I want you to consider now. That love is the love of Jesus Christ for a lost world. [Original sermon by: Robert L. Cobb – Administrator of News for Christians.]
Introduction
How many of you here have been a participant in a divorce or you are the child of divorced parents? The sheer number of raised hands is all the justification that is needed for this sermon today. There is a grieving process that is, in many ways, worse than the death of a spouse because it goes on and on. Lest you think I am going to beat you over the head, rest easy. Before this sermon is ended, I plan to offer you a ray of hope out of your pit of despair. [A sermon preached by Dr. Arnold Lastinger. Used with permission]
It is quite common to come across Christians who proudly assert that the sinking of the Titanic was a deliberate act of God. Their claim stems from the fact that just days before its maiden voyage, an employee of the White Star Line, the company that built the Titanic, arrogantly declared that not even God Himself could sink the ship. Additionally, they argue that the name “Titanic” is derived from the term “Titan,” which refers to giants born of gods in Greek mythology, and therefore consider it blasphemous. Surprisingly, even seasoned preachers and pastors with years of ministry experience can be found passionately proclaiming this belief from rooftops. However, I strongly disagree with this viewpoint because it contradicts the teachings found in God’s Word and distorts His true character. Allow me to elaborate on the reasons for my argument.
Introduction
Speaking of disappointments, they are an inevitable part of life. If I asked each one of you to share with us tonight about the last time you were disappointed, I am certain every one of you will have a story to tell. Not just how you were disappointed many years ago but how you were disappointed as recent as yesterday, the day before, or the last week may be. Disappointments are such a common and frequent experience in human life.
It’s the reason why I decided to speak about disappointments tonight. We must handle our disappointments very carefully lest they could cause other problems. I thank God because he is not only the ultimate physician, but he is also the best psychiatrist. In His word, he has given many directions to help us get over even the greatest disappointments in life. Tonight I want to share three truths to help you deal with your disappointments.
1. When disappointed watch your Emotions
(A) Disappointments can cause many undesirable emotions depending on the gravity of the disappointment. You must watch over them lest they transform into behavior harmful to you and the others, (Genesis 27:41).
(B) Examples of such emotions include but aren’t limited to anger, un-forgiveness, frustration, hopelessness, and grief. Elijah for example ended up on the verge of giving up even after a great victory, (1 Kings 19:3-4).
(C) In the Bible we meet people who actually watched over their emotions. Naaman is one such man. He was disappointed when Elisha told him to dip himself in the river Jordan but later on obeyed, (2 Kings 5:9-12; 13-14).
2. When disappointed don’t shift the Blame
(A) The blame game is an indispensable quality of our sinful nature. Even Moses blamed the Israelites when he realized he will never set his foot on the Promised Land, (Deuteronomy 3:21-26).
(B) Some people when disappointed blame not just man but also God. Naomi made a decision that turned out to be unwise in the long run and later blamed God for her misfortune, (Ruth 1:20).
(C) We can shift the blame for our misfortunes to other people or even God. It is noteworthy however nobody has found hope in blame shifting. It rather keeps us from experiencing the goodness of God, (Jonah 4:1-3).
3. When disappointed respect the Reality
(A) People who shouted Jesus is blessed when he entered Jerusalem later shouted Jesus be crucified because they missed the reality that Jesus didn’t come to establish an earthly kingdom, (Luke 19:38; Luke 23:21).
(B) When examining scripture it becomes clear that not just the common folks but even the disciples of Jesus had greatly unrealistic expectations, (Matthew 20:20-28; Acts 1:6).
(C) Our expectations will not always be the best or even right. After all, it’s human to make mistakes. However, when disappointed we must not drift away from reality because it’s in the realm of reality we shall experience God’s power, (1 Kings 17:17-24).
Application
I shared the above because they are the three keys to finding hope even when we are overwhelmed with disappointments. Let’s consider what does the word of God tell us about finding hope in the midst of our disappointments?
(A) When disappointed we are to seek God. David wrote these words in the book of Psalms chapter 51 verse 17: “My [only] sacrifice [acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; A broken and contrite heart [broken with sorrow for sin, thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.”
(B) When disappointed we are to remember that God doesn’t abandon us to our disappointments. Once again David wrote these words in the book of Psalms chapter 34 verse 18: “The LORD is near to the heartbroken And He saves those who are crushed in spirit (contrite in heart, truly sorry for their sin).”
(C) Finally we can call upon the name of the Lord when we are overwhelmed with our disappointments. David said in the book of Psalm, chapter 145 verse 18: “The LORD is near to all who call on Him, To all who call on Him in truth (without guile).”
From now on, prayerfully remember these truths when disappointments threaten to overcome your heart and overrun your relationships with people and your relationship with God because God will give you the strength and grace to move on. (Finish with the song “Give them all to Jesus”)
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