Author: Mojo Ministries

You will recognize with me that Psalm 51 is a Psalm of David, and it is widely believed that David wrote this Psalm after his great sin with Batheseba.

Verse 1, “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, (If you and I could only see tonight that when we sin, it is God’s heart that we brake, it is against Him and Him alone that we sin.  You can almost sense that David is coming before God with a broken heart over the sin he has committed against God.  And David continues . . .) and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. 13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. 14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. 15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. 16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. (Now I want to draw your attention to verse 17) “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, (And what does he say?) O God, thou wilt not despise.”

Sacrifice was something that was very common in the Old Testament.  In Genesis chapter 4, Abel offered up a Lamb.  And the Bible said that God had respect unto Abel and his Sacrifice.

In Exodus chapter 12, the offering of the Passover is instituted, and God gave specific instructions on how the Lamb was to be sacrificed and his blood (hyssop) was to be sprinkled on the door post and lentils.

When Joshua lead the children of Israel across the Jordan River at Gilgal, he set up to monuments of stone, and once they were on the other side, he offered up a sacrifice.

We find in our Bibles that Job was a “Just man, who feared God and skewed evil.”  And the Bible says that Job offered a sacrifice to God every morning and evening for his children in case they had sinned.

So, in the Old Testament, Sacrifice is a very common thing.  In II Samuel chapter 24, when David had purchased the “Threshingplace of Arunah the Jebusite,” a very sacred place – David offered up a sacrifice.

We are led to believe, from reading Judges chapter 13, that when a sacrifice was offered, that when God accepted that sacrifice – they knew immediately!  The fire of Heaven would fall and consume their offering, so they knew immediately, before they ever left that altar, that God had accepted their sacrifice.

So what is it that we can Give to the Lord?  Since we do not have a lamb to offer (because Christ Himself became our “once and for all sacrifice”), what can we possibly offer God that will give us the assurance that He has accepted?   David said, “If that is what the Lord required, that is what he would give Him.”  David said, “The sacrifices of the Lord are a broken spirit and broken and a contrite heart.”

So what does that look like?  In the Old Testament, to offer the Lord a sacrifice, and to see the fire from Heaven fall and consume that sacrifice right in front of you, and to get up from that altar knowing that God has accepted what you offered and to smell the sweet savor of sacrifice.  Joy had to have flooded their souls to know that what they Offered God – and He accepted!

There is something that you and I can offer God, and folks, if you think about it, it ought to have us on shouting ground – To know that as lowly, and sinful and as ungodly as we are, to know that in this Book there is a sacrifice that we can bring to Him that He will not despise, that He will not regret – I don’t know about you, but that gives me hope!  To know that there is a sacrifice that I can offer God, that before I even finish writing this message, He’s promised that He would not refuse!

David says we can offer God a “Broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart.”  David acknowledges that he is a Sinner.  He recognizes that he has hurt the very heart of God.  So he has built and altar, and is now ready to make a sacrifice.  David says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”  David says that if he could lay the sacrifice of a Lamb on the Altar, he would – but he says that’s not what God wants.  The “Sacrifices of God are a broken spirit – and broken and contrite heart.”

So David lays  broken spirit and a broken heart on the Altar before God – because he knows that is the sacrifice that God will accept!  You see, when we think about a Broken Heart, often we think about:

• A Broken Heart because of Trials and tribulations – and that can certainly break our hearts;
• We think about a broken heart because of Death and suffering – and that can break our hearts;
• We think about the unfaithfulness of a spouse, and no doubt that can break our hearts;

And sure, all these things can break our hearts – but that is not all that David is talking about here.

David says, “Lord, I want YOU to create in me a clean heart!  Lord, I want you to break open my contrite heart and see what is in there so that YOU can create in me a clean heart!”

I’m going to tell you right now, before we can get to the place that God can use us, we are going to have to get in a prayer closest somewhere and pray to God, “Lord, break open my heart, cause I don’t even know what is in there, and God once you have broken my heart – will you create in me a clean heart?”

In John chapter 12, a woman comes up behind Jesus and she has an alabaster box of ointments.  She breaks open that alabaster box and a swell smell of fragrances was smelt all over the house.  You see, if she would not have broken open that alabaster box – they would have never known what was in there.

And until we can lay our broken hearts on the altar of sacrifice – we will never know the sweet savor of sacrifice that God has accepted.

The problem we have in our society today, and in our homes today – and in our churches today is – we believe that once something has been broken – it’s no longer any good.

• If you brake a glass – you throw it away;
• If you brake a plate – you throw it away;

David said, “Lord, here is my broken heart – now create in me a Clean heart!”

You know, life can certainly break our hearts sometimes, but David is talking about more than that here.  David is saying, “Lord, here is my broken heart.  Lord take the bitterness out of my heart and make it sweet!”

Let me tell you something about a broken heart:

• When a broken heart prays – it prays doesn’t it?
• When a broken heart sings – it doesn’t sing for adoration – it sings!
• When a broken heart preaches – it preaches doesn’t it?

And folks, I’m gonna tell you that the problem with our church and many churches across this land is that we can go through the motions; we can open our mouths and say the right words; we can sing songs and put on the show – but our hearts are closed!  We have our hearts in a box.  And how can you ever know what’s in there until you lay it on the altar and ask God to brake it open?

The other day I went to our refrigerator and I ask Kim if the bologna in there was any good.  She said “I don’t know, you’ll have to open it and smell it.”  Boy, don’t you just hate that?

That’s how our hearts are .  The Bible says our heart are deceitful and desperately wicked.  Folks, we will never know what is in there until God opens it up!

That’s what’s wrong with our church today.  There are too many people walking around with their hearts closed up. And they’re just going through the motions.

David says You have got to build and Altar, because none of us deserve to be where we are today – NONE OF US.  And once we’ve built that Altar, we’ve got to bring a sacrifice.

Here’s what I know folks:

• I know that my heart is desperately wicked;
• I know that I do not deserve to be here;
• I know that I do not deserve to be a preacher or a pastor – I know that;
• I know that if I got what I deserved, I would be bound in a devil’s hell for all eternity with no way out.

BUT, I also know that I have laid a broken heart before God and asked HIM to create in me a clean heart!

Our problem is there are too many people that will not go before God and say, “Lord, I don’t know what is in my heart.  But God, I want you to brake it open and take out what’s wrong in my heart and replace it with what’s right!”

I remember we had a neighbor when I was a little boy that used to train beagles to chase rabbit’s.  And he was good at it.  I remember one time he had this dog and I remember him saying of this dog, “I will never be able to train this dog because his spirits been broken.  Oh, he may make a good house dog or a good pet, but he will never be able to train to hunt. ”  So he gave that dog to me and my siblings – and that was the first dog we ever had.

Well, what breaks a spirit?  I’ll tell you what breaks a Spirit – When the Lord puts you in a situation where you realize you are not as strong as you thought you were:

• When you think you’ve lived for Him long enough;
• When you feel like you’ve read your Bible enough;
• When you feel like you’ve prayed long and hard enough;
• When you’ve worked and done all you felt you could do.

So here you are, you think you’re strong enough and out of nowhere – God takes you to the place where you realize you’re just not strong enough – and what does that do to you?  It Breaks your spirit!

This is the place we get when we are man enough (or woman enough):

• To admit that we didn’t trust in prayer as much as we boasted we trusted in prayer;
• To admit that we didn’t read our Bibles as much as we boasted about reading our Bibles enough;
• When we admit that we didn’t live for Him as much as we boasted we lived for Him.

And you know what it does when you get to that place?  It breaks your spirit.  David said, “we need to get to the place where we have built the altar, and we have repented and ask God to create in us a new heart and renew in us the right spirit.”

David looked at his life and saw the sin in his life, and it crushed him.  He built the altar and repented before God and he laid his broken heart and spirit before God and said, “Lord – I know I ain’t no good, but will you clean my heart and renew in me the right spirit?”

There may be some reading this message that feel there is too much baggage in your past, that God can’t use or want you.  I promise you this – it you bring before God the sacrifice of a broken spirit and a broken contrite heart – GOD will accept your sacrifice – He promises it in His word.

The first mention of a Lamb is given in Genesis 22:7, where Abraham takes Isaac up onto Mt. Moriah to give a sacrifice.  God was testing Abraham’s obedience and love.

Abraham and Isaac arrive on Mt. Moriah, and Isaac asked a question.  He says, “I see the altar, and I see the fire and wood, BUT, where is the Lamb?”

And for the first time, the word LAMB is used in the Bible.  Abraham then makes the second statement in the Bible concerning the lamb and says, “God Himself shall provide a sacrifice.”

The third time the word LAMB is used is in Exodus 12:3, where God tells Moses, “Moses, I want you to go to all the people and tell them something for me.  Gather all the people and tell them, that on the 1^st day of the first month, the Angel of Death is going to pass over the land of Egypt.  And when the Angel of Death passes over, the first born of every household will die.  So Moses, you tell the head of each household to get a LAMB, without spot or blemish, I want them to sacrifice the Lamb and take the blood of the Lamb and place it over their door post.  And when the angel of death passes over, hose that have kept my word, the Angel of Death will pass over them.”

And let me just say right here, right now, when the Angel of Death passes over our lives, it is not looking to see:

• Whether we were good Baptist,
• Whether we were good Methodist,
• Whether we were good episcoplians,
• Its not looking to see whether we lived by the Law.

He is looking to see whether or not we have applied the blood of the Lamb!

So the question comes – Why the Lamb?  Why was the Lamb chosen for Abraham and Isaac?  Why was the Lamb chosen for the Passover?

In Leviticus 14:12, at the cleansing of the leper, the Priests shall take a Lamb, and the priests shall sacrifice the lamb and sprinkle the blood on the thumb and big toe of the leper for healing.

• Why a Lamb in the life of Abraham and Isaac?
• Why a Lamb for the Passover?
• Why a Lamb for the cleansing of the Leopard?

Because according to Levitical Law, Leviticus 14:24, says that the Lamb was a Trespass Offering.

The Prophet Isaiah gives us a little hint as he looks through his prophetic telescope as he sees Jesus Christ being led as a Lamb to the slaughter.

700 years later, we begin to get glimpses of this Lamb in the New Testament.  In Luke Chapter 2 and beginning in verse 7, we find that Mary truly did have a “Little Lamb whose fleece was white as snow.” The Bible says, “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people (red and yellow, black and white – they are precious in His sight). 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

On a dusty road in Acts 8:32, the deacon Philip echoed those words as he saw Jesus Christ, “as a lamb dumb before his shearer.”

Don’t miss this now:

• A lot of people have trusted Jesus as a King – but that will not get you to Heaven.
• A lot of people have trusted Jesus as the Great High Priest – but that will not get you to Heaven.

In John 1:29, John the Baptist stood on the banks of the Jordan River, as a “voice crying out in the wilderness,” as he saw Jesus coming, he didn’t say:

• “Behold the King of Kings and Lord of Lords that taketh away the sin of the world.”
• “Behold the Great High Priests that taketh away the sin of the world.”

He said, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.”

Folks you and I didn’t need a King – we needed a LAMB.  In I Peter 1:19, the Bible tells us, “Jesus was our Lamb without blemish.”

Paul says in I Corinthians 5:7, “Christ our Passover is given for us.”

• You and I are sinners. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
• We have spots – we have blemish.
• We need a sacrifice
• We need a Lamb.

As we get to the Book of Revelation, the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy:

• You would think we’d see Christ as King;
• You would think we’d see Christ as the Great High Priest.

But over and over again, we find Him as the Lamb.

Why not a King?  Why not a Great High Priest?  Well, I think because as a sinner – I didn’t need a King:

• I needed a sacrifice.
• I needed the Blood applied.
• I needed a Lamb without spot or blemish.

No wonder the Bible tells us, “WORHTY IS HE LAMB.”

I think if there is one word that describes the American Dream – I think that one word would be SUCCESS!

• Everybody wants to be associated with success;
• Everybody wants to be successful;
• Every parent wants their children to be successful;
• In High School, the one who did the best was usually voted the “Most Likely to Succeed.”

However, depending on who you talk to, you can get varying definitions of what SUCCESS actually means.  For example:

• Somebody said “Success is what every person wants to buy, but nobody wants to pay for.”
• Somebody else said, “The person that is successful in business is the person that can delegate the most, shift all the blame, and get all the credit.”
• Another said, “The successful person can shoot-the-bull, pass-the-buck, and make 7 copies of everything.”
• And finally, someone else said, “Success is getting your mother-in-law to go home early.”

Now I am not going to say AMEN or O ME to that one!  But I want you to realize that not only is SUCCESS hard to DEFINE, it is also hard to FIND.

I often feel like the person that said, “Just when I found the keys to success, somebody changed the lock!”

For whatever reason, I have always enjoyed biographies and autobiographies.  When I was in Bible College, one of my assignments in a Missions class was to read a book called “Through the Gates of Splendor,” written by Elisabeth Elliott about the life of her husband Jim Elliott, and four other missionaries as they took the Gospel message to the “head-hunter” in South America and actually ended-up losing their lives being viciously murdered by the very people they wanted to reach.

I enjoy reading about C.H. Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers, and about his life and ministry.  I enjoy reading about Billy Graham and how God brought a great revival to America through his ministry.  I enjoy reading about the great Methodist preacher John Wesley, and about the Protestant Reformation.

And I like reading these types of books for several reasons:  1) They inspire me to do more.  They make me want to press on and do greater things for God.  But 2) I read them because I want to know what it was about their lives and ministries that made them so successful.  What was the Secret to their Success?

Paul tells us in Philippians 3:10-14, “¹⁰ That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; ¹¹ If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. ¹² Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. ¹³ Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, ¹⁴ I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

As I think about this passage of Scripture from Philippians 3:10-14, I realize that Paul is an excellent example, and in my opinion, outside of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, possibly the greatest preacher and missionary in all the Bible.  I think it is safe to say, Paul was a success!

I love to read the Pauline Epistles, I love to see how Paul responded to the challenges of his ministry.  And I believe the things that made him such a successful servant for Christ are the same ingredients that you and I need to apply in our lives if we want to succeed.  And perhaps one of the most simple ingredients is found in these verses.  Look at what Paul says in verses 10-12, “¹⁰ That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; ¹¹ If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. ¹² Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect:”  Then in verse 13 Paul says, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended:”

You know what Paul is say here?  Paul is saying:

• I know I am saved;
• I know I am sanctified;
• But I am not satisfied.

Paul says, “I know Him, I know the Power of His resurrection and the Fellowship of His suffering, and I know I am being conformed – BUT – I have not attained, I have not apprehended – I have not arrived!”

• Even though Paul is probably the greatest Christian that ever lived;
• Even though Paul had a prayer life that was second to none;
• Even though Paul was possibly one of the greatest preachers ever;

Paul says, “I have not arrived.  I am not satisfied.”  Paul, at the time of this writing, was unparalleled as a missionary, yet Paul says, “I’m still not what I ought to be.”

The one thing you will find that every successful person has in common – whether it is in ministry, or business, or school or even athletics – the one thing they all have in common is that they are not SATISFIED.  When they achieved success, they felt like they had not yet attained!

Now Paul, when you look at his life and ministry – Paul was very Satisfied with Jesus – but he was not Satisfied with his own life.

And you know what that says to me?  It says to me that I should NEVER become satisfied in my life.  Never be satisfied with where I am right now.  Paul said, “I have not attained – I have not apprehended – I have not Arrived.” And folks, WE haven’t either.

Someone once said, “I am satisfied with Jesus – but when I look at the Cross, I wonder if Jesus is satisfied with me?”

I’ve heard it said that success is not determined by what you are – but what you could be!

One of the things that made Paul a Success for God was based on the fact that he never got to the placed that he felt like he had arrived, that he had done so much for God that he didn’t need to do anymore.  Paul said, “I have not attained, I have not apprehended.” And folks, we haven’t either!

Deuteronomy 11, verse 10-12 says, “10 For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs: 11 But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven: 12 A land which the Lord thy God careth for: the eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.”

We understand that Moses is telling the children of Israel that they will one day pass into Canaanland, the Promised Land; the land that God had espied for them; the land flowing with milk and honey, the land that was the glory of all lands for the children of Israel.  But Moses tells them that when they get there, it will be a land with both hills and valleys.  Although Canaanland is a picture of victorious Christian living, the Bible tells us here that there are not only hilltops in Canaanland, but there are also some valleys.

In I Kings chapter 20, we are going to find a wicked King by the name of Benadad (he is the King of Syria). King Benadad comes up against another wicked King by the name of Ahab, (he is the King of Israel).  But God has chosen to give Israel the victory.

Look at verse 22, “And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest: for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee.”

The prophet of God in verse 22 is telling King Ahab that although he has won a great victory here, the enemy is not finished – the are going to come again. Now isn’t that the way it is in our lives? Now look at verse 23, “And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.”

Here we find that the advisors to King Benadad tell him, “King, their God is a God of the Hilltops; He’s a God of the Mountains. But if we can get them down in the plains; if we can get them down in the lowlands – down in the valley – we can defeat them there.”

But notice with me verse 28, “And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the Lord, Because the Syrians have said, The Lord is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.”

Now I believe that Satan and his crowd would like you and I to believe that our God is only a God of the Mountains, and if they can get you and I down in the lowlands, down in the valley, then they can defeat us.  Now they are right about one thing – GOD IS GOD OF THE MOUNTAINS. And I’ll tell you, I’ve had some mountaintop experiences in my life. And I love being up on top of that mountain.  I enjoy feeling the presence of God in my life.  But the truth is, mountaintop experiences do not tend to last to long.  You can go from having one of the greatest spirit experiences one day to having one of the worst the next.

But I have a consolation to share with you – the same God that is with you up on the mountaintop, is just as big a God with you in the Valley!  If you have been a Christian for any length of time, you have either been in a valley, going through a valley, or about to enter a valley. You can be assured of it.

But I want you to know that your valley experience didn’t take God by surprise and He has allowed that valley to come into your life.  If you are in the valley right now, I can I can confidently say to you:

• God knows where you are at!
• And He hasn’t lost sight of you in the valley!

Now, I used to think God was big up there on that mountaintop, but I’ve learned He’s awfully big down there in the valley as well.  So, rather than praying that God will get you out of the valley experiences of your life, maybe ask Him what you can get out of those times in your life!

Our church is managing to cram Matt Batterson’s 40 Day Devotional entitled “Draw the Circle” into a 40 week Small Group study.  Last nights lesson was from Chapter 26, which I have affectionately re-titled “From Lion Chasers to Prayer Pistols.”

“Lion Chasers” comes from a reference by Coach Buzz Williams to his players at Marquette University.  The premise of the lesson was that our intensity for Jesus should match the intensity for all other areas of our lives.

This weeks lesson was based on a story about Frank Laubach, who in the 1930’s began a prayer experiment.  The driving motivation behind the story was based on a question that consumed every waking moment, and the question was this:  Can we have contact with God at all times?  He then set out on a quest to answer that question.

The Bible verse for this weeks lesson was from I Thessalonians 5:17, “pray without ceasing.”  However, the real emphasis was on I Timothy 2:1, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;” (KJV).  I like the way the New Living Translation puts it, “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.”

One of the ways he learned to spend more time with God was by “shooting people with silent prayer.”  Every one that you and I come in contact has a story.  Their story may not be something we know – but they have a story none the less.  Some are hurting through physical ailments, some through marital problems, others through the loss of a loved one, or financial devastation.  We do not know what issues those we pass may be facing, BUT, we can pray for them to the One who does know.  The distance between us and God is simply a prayer away.

So, if you really want to learn to spend more time with God, I would challenge you today with this thought:

• Rather than get angry at the driver that just cut you off on the way to work, shoot him/her with your prayer pistol;
• Rather than get stressed out over issues at work, shoot your co-workers with the prayer pistol;
• Rather than hold anger against your brother or sister in Christ, shoot them with the prayer pistol;
• Rather than spend another second being angry at those you love, whether a spouse or a child, shoot them with the prayer pistol.

And if you are unlike the rest of us and have no one to shoot a pray at – shoot me with the prayer pistol – I need all I can get!

Daniel 3:16-18 says:

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.” 

• We’re not afraid of this;
• We’re not scared of this;

17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”

I love that – “BUT IF NOT . . .”  They were saying, “We want you to know something King, we’re not going to back down – we’re not going to bow down – we’re not going to do what you ordered us to do because we already know what God wants us to do!”

They had Confidence as they went to that Fiery Furnace.”  And I’m telling you today that you and I can have that same confidence when we face our Fiery Furnace, because the same God that walked with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego is still God today!

Don’t you know it took a lot of faith for them to say, “You know what, we see that furnace over there heated 7 times hotter.  We know what you’re going to do to us if we don’t bow down.  But we’re still not going to give up on the faith we have in the God who will walk around in the Fiery Furnace with us!”

Friends, trust me when I say this, when you are walking around inside the fire, God isn’t on the outside watching – He’s in the fire walking with you!  We serve a God that is not going to abandon us when we face our trials; He’s not going to leave us alone when we face our problems in life.

• You may be having physical problems;
• You may have some financial problems;
• You may have some marital problems;
• Spiritually, you may be struggling.
• Maybe the devil has tested you;
• Maybe you are deep in the fire.

But child of God, you hold on, cause I’m here to tell you this morning “You’ve Got a Friend in the Fire!”

They determined in their lives that even if the Sovereign God put them in the Fiery Furnace and they lost their our lives, they were still going to trust Him.  They decided to Follow Jesus – No Turning Back – No Turning Back.

• You and I can be confident that God sees us in our lives and He is not caught by surprise;
• You and I can be confident that God can save us from the fire in our lives if He chooses;
• And we can be confident that if God puts us in the fire, and keeps us in the fire, then He knows what He’s doing.

Now, that is easy to preach; and it is easy to listen to and to Amen – but it’s not so easy to live!  BUT IT SHOULD BE.

Trust and Obey For there’s no other way;

To be Happy in Jesus;

But to Trust and Obey.

Years ago, our family had the opportunity to spend several weeks in Venice, Italy.  Venice is a city rich in both history and architecture.  We visited the Mirano Glass Factory.  We ate lunch many times in the Piazza San Marco, and watched in amazement as pigeons landed all over Jenni.  We saw magnificent feats of architecture, such as the Rialto Bridge (created by Antonio da Ponte in 1588), the Bridge of Sighs (built by Antonio Contino, nephew of Antonio da Ponte, in 1600), San Marco Basilica (originally built in the 9th Century and housed the remains John Mark, one of four disciples of Jesus Christ who were chosen to give us one of the four Gospel accounts.  Though the architect is unknown, it stands as a grand structure even today).  We toured the Doges Palace and walked from the interrogation rooms there, across the Bridge of Sighs (which crosses the Rio di Palazzo), to the Prison.   It was this “crossing” that caused the Bridge of Sighs to gain its name.  While riding the gondolas, we passed the birth place of Marco Polo. These are just a few of the structures that immediately come to mind as I think about that unforgettable trip.  Yet, there were so many other things we saw that were just as old, and just as amazing that I can’t name.  And though the architects of many of these structures are unknown, these structures stand hundreds of years later as a testament of their work.

As we celebrated Mother’s Day yesterday, I thought about what our daughters and daugther-in-law were building in our grandchildren.  As a parent, I know that much of what they do behind the scenes may never be known to those on the outside.  Much of what they do will go unrecognized.  Yet, though you and I may never know their sacrifices or the work they are doing to build up those little cathedrals God has entrusted to their care – God Himself knows.

Matthew 7:24-27 (KJV) says:

²⁴ Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: ²⁵ And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. ²⁶And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:  ²⁷ And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” 

My prayer for our children and grandchildren, and for your children and your grandchildren is that as we are building these young hearts and minds, that we are building them to last, to stand the test of time, to weather the storms that will come in their lives.  To do that, we have to ensure that we begin on the right foundation.  And if we do, when our lives are done, may they say of us, “. . .  Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.”

Matthew 26:36-46, “³⁶ Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. ³⁷ And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. ³⁸ Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. ³⁹ And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. ⁴⁰ And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? ⁴¹ Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. ⁴² He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. ⁴³ And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴ And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. ⁴⁵ Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶ Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.”

There were three times, at least, in the life of the Savior where He was under a tremendous burden. In the wilderness, He won the victory over Satan. On the cross, He won the victory over sin. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He won the battle over self-will. Every time He was faced with extreme pressure, He taught us what to do. This garden experience was very different from the other two accounts. In the wilderness there is a devil you can see. At Calvary there is a cross you can see. However, in the garden there is nothing visible as the source of this battle. What a lesson for us all!

Sometimes we are feeling great stress and pressure. Often times, as I talk with people about their problems, they tell me they are really not sure what is even causing them to feel like they do. It is one thing to be under a load and it is something else not to be able to point to any one single cause. The pressure is still just as real to the person going through it even if they can’t touch it or put a name on it. The burden is still there.

As we look at these verses, the first thing I see is the grinding in the garden. The word Gethsemane means “oil press” or “olive press.” In this garden, the olives were placed onto the millstones to be crushed by the weight of the press to extract their oil. There were four different pressings of the olives. The first produced the oil used for holy things associated with the Temple. The second provided the oil for home cooking. The third pressing yielded oil for medicine. The last was used for soap, beauty aids or household applications. In short, everything in the olive had to come out under the load of the press. Olive oil may only cost us a few dollars but it cost an olive everything that was is in it!

We see the pressure upon the Savior in His sweating. Luke records the account and says, “his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling to the ground” (Luke 22:44). What a strange place to bleed. In a beautiful garden the crimson color is no longer seen on the flowers but it now covers the ground. How awful that sight must have been to those who were with Jesus! It teaches us that sometimes we can have an ugly problem in a beautiful place. You go through life and just achieve what you always worked for only to  face illness, pain or loss. The pressure can make us sweat but none of us have ever sweated like Jesus did in the garden.

The burden is also seen in the separation by the Savior. The disciples tarry at the appointed place but Jesus, “went a little farther, and fell on his face” (vs. 39). He kept on going when those He loved had stopped. Pressure will drive us to a place where we feel others are not able to go. There is a loneliness involved with real stress. There are some things that we must go through alone.

Again, the pressure is visible in the sleeping disciples. Jesus leaves them and returns on three occasions only to find them asleep each time (vs. 40, 43, 45). Three times Jesus asked His closest disciples to cover Him while He went further into the Garden.  What makes us keep going back to things that don’t work when we are under pressure? The results are the same but still we think our friends or family can help us somehow. We
know only God knows and can give us relief.

Finally, you see the pressure in the seeking of the Savior. The text teaches us that Jesus, “prayed the third time, saying the same words” (vs. 44). You know it is real when you keep praying the same thing. The need is so great that all you can do is speak the same words over and over again. Nothing else matters and you must get an answer from God!

The wonderful thing about this teaching from the life of Christ is we also find there is grace in the garden. When Jesus came the third time and found the disciples still sleeping, He speaks to them and says, “Sleep on now” (vs. 45). Something happened on His third trip in prayer. Nothing had changed concerning the will of the Father. The pressure was there but it just didn’t bother Him anymore. When I read those words spoken by the Master, I could not help but think of all the things that had bothered me so much throughout my ministry. It was a sudden reminder that there are some things we all just need to “put to bed.” Things are not going to change. We just need to let it sleep and find peace in Him. When someone that you have depended on, has let you down don’t let bitterness grow in your heart. When disease comes and your spouse has lost their memory of your life together, don’t argue with the Lord about it. As you care for that child who is disabled, please don’t get angry with God. If a church members have broken your heart, don’t try to get even. The best thing we can ever do with anything putting a burden or distress on us is to “put it to bed!”

How long will your pressure continue? I am not able to answer that completely. I know Jesus prayed three times but He was the Christ! Paul prayed three times before he found His grace sufficient to overcome the thorn in his flesh but he was an apostle. If they both prayed three times then we may have to intercede 300 times. However, grace will come and it will be enough for you to “sleep on” and get rest over it.

There is one other thing that I see here – the gardener in the garden. Jesus goes from this garden and faces the cross. From Calvary, He is taken to a tomb. On the third day, Mary has come to see her Lord. When she looks in she sees two angels at the head and foot of where Jesus had laid. She turns aside and hears another voice of comfort. The voice of Jesus! The Bible then records that “She, supposing him to be the gardener” (John 20:15). When He spoke her name, she knew it was Jesus! She thought Jesus was the Gardener because He was! He had cultivated the Garden of Gethsemane to give us hope in the hour of pressures in our life.

You may be going through one of the most difficult times ever. All hope is not gone. Others may not be able to lift the load. I just want to remind you during your time of pressure, “This is only a test.” Jesus knows and understands so just keep saying the same words. The Gardener of Grace will give you all you need to get to the point where you can “put it to bed.”  Praise God – Jesus has not lost sight of you!

As I near the sunset years of my ministry, there is one thing I desire more than ever before in my life. I just want to finish well. I don’t want to grow bitter or become discontented in my final years of life, but I want to grow sweeter as the days go by.  What a message in itself!

I seem to think more and more about those that I know who have lost the desire to finish well. In fact, I’ve been there before.  I think the world is filled with more “quitters” than “over-comers” today.  Let me give you just a few examples to confirm my concern for a determined people to rise up in the church.

Have you ever made a commitment to do something and not followed through with it? As simple as it might seem, many have always wanted to read the Bible through entirely but somewhere along their journey they stop. We all know people who can’t hold a job for more than a year or two. After the newness wears off, they move on. It is almost like quitting is more enjoyable than the work they accomplish. I know of people who can’t attend the same church for more than a year or two. They are not able to settle in a place when things get normal. They expect every service to be spectacular. However, we all know that we have more normal days than special days in our life. If every day were special then we would have no special days.

It is easier to start things than to finish them.  A couple can have a child but it takes a parent to raise the child. The birth is not the finished plan. It is only the beginning. I don’t like to see people start anything without the fortitude to finish it. If you lack that desire, then you can fall into a habitual lifestyle of never completing anything.  The unfinished things in our lives bring frustration, intimidation and interruption to our purpose of serving God.

Nobody likes stuff hanging over his or her head. In fact, the Bible gives us great consolation in knowing that the Lord always finishes what He begins. He is the “Author” and the “Finisher” of our faith. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is the beginning and the end. Therefore, He gives us some simple instructions in His Word to help us finish well!

One thing we should always remember in our journey of faith is to finish our course in steps.  A baby does not start eating meat or walking in the first day of life. There is a process of life. We finish all great projects by taking them one step at a time. I was hospitalized a not long ago and learned I had blood clots caused from an injury, and they had spread to my lungs (pulmonary emboli).   The doctor told me I would need to take blood thinners for 3-6 months (maybe longer).  Realizing this was going to be a long process, I developed a mental a plan to follow through in a process where I could rejoice in phases of recovery.  In time, I will reach the final goal but in the meantime I move toward the ultimate finish line.

The same plan I followed physically to reach the goal can also be applied spiritually. The Lord shows us in the creation process that He took five days to make this world in steps. Then on the sixth day He created man. After each step of the process was completed then He told us in His Word that it was good. In other words, praise God for each step you complete by His grace. You are not finished yet but you are still moving toward His final plan. So take things in steps and rejoice when you finish each phase. Don’t try to pay all your debts off at once. Pay the smallest debt off first. Then apply that payment to the next debt and so on. Before you know it you will cross the finish line and you are able to praise the Lord for His help through the entire process. Finish it in steps.

Second, finish YOUR course! You can’t finish another person’s course. The Apostle Paul
wrote, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished [my] course, I have kept the faith” (II Timothy 4:7). He did not run the course of another person.  God wants you. He has something in His purpose that only you can do. Contrary to popular preaching and teaching, life gets tougher as you get older.

• You are not taught calculus in the first grade.
• A mountain is wider at the bottom than it is at the top.
• The closer you get to the top then the steeper the climb might be.

Always remember, this is your course and you must finish it for the glory of God. No matter how much sorrow you face, how sad you become or how sick you are ~ just finish your course. There is a beautiful passage of Scripture which says, “As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” (Deuteronomy 33:25).  You may face hard days but He gives you strength for the day. He will always give beauty for your ashes. However, the only way you have ashes to offer Him is to go through a fire.

Finally, there is a simple fact that we all must face when we come to the end of our course. We will be able to see further than we can go. Our vision should be greater than our days. When Paul said he finished his course that did not mean the entire world had been saved. There were still great numbers of lost people in the world at that time. He is a great example of how our course is finished but the work of God is not. We go to meet the Lord but God’s program still goes on.

I love working for God but I must always remember His plan does not rest entirely on me! Never get to the point where you feel that the church can’t make it without you. If I die today, I promise you they will still have church on Sunday. I am honored to be a part of the pattern but I am not the entire ingredient in His plan.

When I was in school, I used to run in a lot of relay races. For some reason, it seemed like I always got stuck running the third leg of the four-man relay team. The total distance of the race was one mile. Each runner had to race a quarter of the mile. When the runner came toward you in the race, you had to find his rhythm so he could easily pass the baton on to you. Once I had the baton in my hand then I was determined to run as though my life depended on it. However, not one time did I get to cross the finish line. I could always see the finish line but never got to personally cross it. I was not supposed to cross it. My job was to pass the baton on to the next runner.

We were a team. If we won the race, no one man could take the glory for himself. It was a team effort. When we won, the team won. Moses, the servant of the Lord, was on top of Mount Nebo. The Lord allowed him to see a promised land that his foot could not touch before he died. He saw further than he could travel right then. He saw with his eyes what he could not walk in. By the way, he did not possess the land but the people he led did! We may not be able to do all we want but may we all finish well and may our
vision be greater than our days!

Having grandchildren reminds me of how trusting they are of their parents and grandparents.  No matter what the situation is, they just put their complete trust on you.  As long as Lucas has his parents or grandparents with him, he has no fear – of anything!  He will jump into a boat and eagerly want to get across the lake to the other side.  So, who cares if the boat has holes in it?  As long as “papa” is with him, he has nothing to fear – right?  I mean, after all, what could possibly go wrong?

Reminds me of the disciples – on a boat – with Jesus – in the midst of a storm, in Mark 4:35-41.

“³⁵ And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. ³⁶ And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.  ³⁷ And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. ³⁸ And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? ³⁹ And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? ⁴¹ And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

So here are the disciples, who have walked with Christ, who have been taught personally by the greatest Teacher of them all, and the minute a storm comes up, they cry out “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” 

Understand that many of these men grew up on the Sea of Galilee, they were fishermen by trade.  They knew what to do in the midst of a storm and I believe they did everything they knew to do before they finally went to the Lord and cried out “MASTER.”

Now, I can’t help but wonder if it would have been much easier for them if they would have just went to the LORD in the first place.  Maybe He should have been their first resource rather than their final recourse!

Look folks – Jesus is asleep!

• The wind is howling across that ship;
• The waves are crashing into that ship.

AND JESUS IS ASLEEP!

• The ship is full of water;
• It should be sinking.

AND BY THE WAY, a ship full of water is supposed to sink isn’t it?  But this ship didn’t sink.  And I might just add, there wasn’t enough water in the whole Sea of Galilee to sink this Ship.  WHY?  Because Jesus said, “LET US PASS OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE!”  He gave them His Word!

• When this ship was rocking back and forth – it didn’t wake Jesus!
• When the waves were crashing into the ship – it didn’t wake Jesus!
• When the ship was full of water – it didn’t wake Jesus!

But when they Cried “MASTER,” verse 39 said “And He arose!”

• It only took one cry!
• It only took one plea!
• It only took one call!

THEN “He arose and rebuked the wind and the sea and said “PEACE BE STILL.”

And the Bible says, “There was a great calm!”

Now folks, don’t miss this:  When the disciples were sitting there looking at each other in amazement, they didn’t say:

• What manner of storm is this;
• What manner of waves is this;

No friends, they said, “WHAT MANNER OF MAN IS THIS”

I think they were shouting “What a God!  What a God!”  And folks, I am here to tell you today:

• Our God is bigger than your storms;
• Our God is bigger than the waves crashing into your ship!
• Our God is bigger than your valleys!

Father, give me the child like faith of my grandchildren, to trust you NO MATTER WHAT!