Grace for the Race

For more than two thousand years, a question Jesus asked has haunted and hounded the human race . . .

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

(Matthew 16:26)

When you take a moment to meditate on this question and marinate in it, it seems to be as comforting as it is challenging. And never in the history of mankind has this question been more relevant and more demanding of a carefully and prayerfully thought-out response than it is today in the 21^st century.

What good would it do you to gain the whole world if you were to forfeit your very soul in the process?

This profound question is rooted in a single word: contentment. In our Western society, contentment seems to be as far away from many of us as the east is from the west. Everyone is seeking contentment, but few find it. From Madison Avenue to Hollywood, we are bombarded daily with advertising in print, movies, television, and the Internet—messages designed to manipulate us from the inside out, causing us to crave all sorts of stuff we don’t need, buy it with money we don’t have, in order to impress people we don’t even care about.

But this is not for you! Our Master’s words stand in stark contrast to the messages we receive through the media. Jesus knows exactly what we need and what is best for us in every given set of circumstances. Can you think of any moment in your life, right up to this moment now, when our Lord did not give you exactly what you needed?

Notice I did not way “what you wanted” in the previous sentence, because “needs” and “wants” are not the same thing. Every one of us gets caught up in the latest fads and trends; we want stuff we don’t need, which pulls us away from the godly life in order to chase after what the world tells us is “the good life.”

Yet experience has taught us well that the only truly good life we will find on this side of the grave IS the godly life, which is rooted in a right relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not sinful to desire some of the “stuff” of life, and our God graciously gives us many of those things. But when the desire for stuff dominates our lives, we are in danger of drifting away from the only One who truly matter in both life and death: the Lord Jesus Christ.

So let me close with this question: What is the deepest desire of your heart today? If it is anything smaller than Jesus, it is too small to pursue and will leave you on the wrong side of the cosmic cost-benefit analysis.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

I have a question for you: When all is said and done in your life, what do you hope will be said about all you have done? May it never be the epitaph that appeared on the gravestone of one unidentified man, which read:

HERE RESTS A MAN WHO NEVER RESTED HERE!

Let me encourage you to ponder that epitaph for a few minutes. Imagine living a life in which the greatest goal was simply increasing its speed! No time to rest . . . No time to pause and smell the roses . . . No time to soak in an early morning sunrise or an early evening sunset . . . Just running on a treadmill that never pauses.

If this picture resonates with you at any level, I have a word of encouragement for you from sacred Scripture:

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away.  

(Ecclesiastes 3:1-6)

In other words, there is a time to work and a time to rest. God Himself set the parameters for His creation order, ordaining six days of work and one day of rest. God knows exactly what we all need, and there is one thing that many people neglect in their pursuit of “success” and “living the good life” . . . and that is rest.

So . . . how well have you been following God’s perfect plan for work and rest in your imperfect life? The key to finding the rest God has called us to lies in finding the work God has equipped us to do. And what is that work? It is expanding the cause of His kingdom—right where we are, doing exactly what we are currently doing right now. You see, God has called all of His children to every imaginable sphere of life to work and serve Him, from the boardroom to the classroom to the locker room to the family room.

Regardless of where this finds you today, God wants to use you to expand the cause of His kingdom. And when you are working toward the fulfillment of His purposes in your life, you can rest in both His promises and His presence. And when you come to the end of your life you can be sure it will never be said about you . . . HERE RESTS ONE WHO NEVER RESTED HERE!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

No matter what you are facing today . . . no matter what obstacle stands in your way . . . I want you to know something: with God on your side, you are always on the winning team!

The Bible is filled with one example after another that exalts this truth for all the world to see. We might immediately think of Moses standing before Pharaoh and how God delivered the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt. Perhaps the shepherd boy David comes to mind, he who challenged the giant Goliath because every fighting man in Israel was afraid to do it.

Here’s a name that may not be on the tip of your tongue; do you by any chance remember the story of Shamgar?

Shamgar son of Anath . . . struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.

(Judges 3:31)

God had delivered the Israelites into the hands of the Philistines, who were greatly oppressing them in every imaginable way, including leaving the Israelites defenseless by taking all of their weapons of war. So, lacking the customary weapons used in battle to defend one’s nation, a farmer named Shamgar was raised up by God. Shamgar plowed his fields with a team of oxen day after day, knowing that when harvest time came, the Philistines would plunder all that he had labored for. And so, with God on his side, armed with only an ox goad (a pointed stick used to “encourage”—or goad—the oxen to continue going in the right direction), Shamgar struck down six hundred Philistines and won the day.

Shamgar understood that with God on your side, you are always on the winning team, regardless of the circumstances you are facing. Imagine this farmer, armed with only a sharp stick, striking down one sword-wielding Philistine after another! When the dust had settled, 600 soldiers lay dead on the ground, and Shamgar went back to his harvest and his God.

What are you dealing with today? What obstacle stands in your way . . . personally . . . professionally . . . relationally? Shamgar could easily have said, “I don’t have the right weapons of war to defend my land” or “There are far too many enemies for me to stand against today!” But he did not! Despite the incredible odds he was facing, he knew that God was with him, and that was all he needed to know.

Do you know this truth today? Remember, whatever you are facing, God is facing it with you. He has promised—and it is impossible for God to lie—that He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 6:18, 13:5). You have everything you need to do everything He has called you to do, and you have today’s promise to encourage, inspire, and motivate you: With God on your side, you are always on the winning team!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Jesus taught some very counterintuitive things, to be sure. But I cannot think of anything more counterintuitive and more difficult to actually do than this truth from Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount:

I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.

(Matthew 5:44 KJV)

I want you to consider some of the responses you have made to others lately. Are your responses in line with these words of our Redeemer? I think we would be hard pressed to find any more “out-of-this-world” responses than what Jesus commands here.

• When was the last time you blessed those that curse you?
• When was the last time you did good to those that hated you?
• When was the last time you prayed for those who despitefully used and persecuted you?

Returning good for evil is just not natural! The devil returns evil for good, and that is the way he would like everyone in the world to behave. But the child of God is to return good for evil, which, quite simply, is a response that is not of this world!

As hard as this instruction seems to be to follow, when we keep in view the One who has given it to us, it empowers us to actually live it out. No one ever received more evil for good than our Lord Jesus Christ. Never did our Lord sin—not once—and yet we scourged Him and spit on Him and nailed Him to a cross. Even on the night He was to be betrayed, He washed the feet of all of His disciples, knowing exactly what they would do that night: Judas would betray Him for thirty pieces of silver; Peter would deny Him to a servant girl three times; all the disciples would run from Him like men fleeing a burning building (Mark 14:50-52). And what did Jesus return for such evil? He gave love, forgiveness, and a cosmic compassion that went to a cross to pay the penalty for their sins . . . and yours and mine also, if we will but trust in His atoning work on our behalf.

So . . . the next time someone denies you or attacks you or betrays you, how will you respond? Remember, you can’t control how people will treat you, but you can control your response to their treatment. As Dr. Charles Swindoll famously said, “Life is ten percent what happens to us and 90% what we make of it.” You always have the choice in this life to return evil for evil . . . or to offer good for evil. The first response is the natural condition of fallen man; the second is the condition of the new man who has been raised from death to life by the mercy and grace of God. Which are you?

You can make an out-of-this-world response if you remember the One who always returned good for evil and who one day will call you out of this world and into His glorious eternal kingdom in the new heavens and the new earth.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

The troubling truth about trouble is that we all have to deal with it on this side of the grave. No one gets a pass from trouble; no one is exempt. Trouble has been promised to us all by the One who spoke only truth:

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

(John 16:33)

As much as this direct statement that we will have trouble is a troubling truth, Jesus commands us to take heart, because He has overcome the world. His ultimate victory, demonstrated through His Resurrection from the grave, is the assurance we have that He has overcome every trouble ever He confronted. And one day soon, when we are received into glory, we will be in a place where there is no more trouble . . . “no more death or mourning or crying or pain (Revelation 21:4). But until that day, trouble will follow us everywhere we go.

So . . . how have you been dealing with trouble lately? Without this promise from Jesus, trouble really could easily get the best of us. We might convince ourselves that our situation is unique to us. As a pastor, it is not uncommon to minister to people who think this way. Some I’ve met even believe they are cursed and that trouble dogs their steps. But this notion simply doesn’t square with truth; Jesus said all of us will have trouble in this world. Everyone who still takes a breath and has a beat in their heart should expect to deal with trouble.

There are countless individuals who seem to be walking around buried under the weight of the whole world. Trouble has them trapped and tethered to a past littered with one burden after another. But we’ve seen that Jesus tells us to take heart in the face of every trouble because He has overcome all of it. He has put to death even death itself. And there is no greater trouble in the mind of man than death. Death has lost its sting, it has no victory (1 Corinthians 15:55) because our Savior conquered it by walking out of the tomb alive and well.

Here are two quick tips to rising above the troubles you will face in this life:

Education: There are some things that can only be learned in trouble. God allows troubles in our lives to teach us and grow us into the person He is calling us to be. I frequently remind our congregation that Romans 8:28, which states that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him,” does not mean that all things that come to us will feel good; obviously they do not! But God is using all those things to conform us to the likeness of His Son . . . and that’s a very good thing indeed!

Revelation: Trouble reveals what is truly going on inside. When you squeeze an orange you get orange juice. When you squeeze a grapefruit you get grapefruit juice. When the world of trouble squeezes you, what do those around you get? Our response to trouble can be quite revealing. To mix metaphors, Dr. Kennedy used to say that the same sun that bakes brick melts butter. We are being built into solid, spiritual Christians by the troubles we face.

Paul wrote to the church at Philippi, “It has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him” (Philippians 1:29 emphasis added). Knowing that trouble has been promised to us, the best thing we can do is receive it in light of the truth that Jesus has overcome it all, and He desires to teach us and grow us by revealing to us who we currently are when trouble comes knocking at our door.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

The Tank (our youngest child) returned from a party the other day with the typical party gifts, including a glow stick. I thought, “Now there’s an idea for a word of encouragement!” Let’s see if I was right . . .

A glow stick is a self-contained, short-term light source that, once activated, cannot be turned off. This means that the glow stick can be only be used once until the light dies out. That seems like a great description of the call God has placed in our lives!

Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

(Matthew 5:16)

Here we have a command as strong as any other command in sacred Scripture. This is not a “suggestion” for the saints of God; it is what theologians call a “divine imperative,” and it is given to every child of God. Everyone who, by grace through faith, has put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, is commanded by God to be GLOW-STICK SAINTS!

How brightly have you been glowing for the glory of God lately? In our definition of the glow stick, we see some strong parallels that can be applied to the life of the Christian.

• Short-term – Even if we live to the ripe old age of 100, it is still short-term in light of eternity. Life is brief and fragile, and no one knows when they will take their last breath. Keeping the short-term aspect of life in view will keep us shining more brightly more often.
• Cannot be turned off – This is a biblical truth that cannot be denied. Once the Holy Spirit takes up residency in the heart of the believer, there is no “off” switch. To be sure, there are seasons when our light may not shine brightly; but make no mistake, the light is still there and simply cannot be turned off, because it is the light of the Spirit, not the light of the flesh.
• Can only be used once – The next time you are driving down the road and see a funeral procession, notice there are no luggage racks on top of the hearse. The reason, of course, is because that person is not coming back. We get one shot at this thing called life. Birth, death, and rebirth (reincarnation) is not part of the process. The Bible tells us, “People are appointed to die once, and then to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27 NET).

God has called every Christian to shine His light in a dark world. We do this by living for nothing smaller than Jesus . . . and by doing so, we glorify our Father in heaven. This is what it means to be a glow-stick saint. And there is no greater thing we could be in this world!

I pray this message has encouraged you today, and that you will let your light “so shine” for the glory of God that the world will see and will glorify your Father in heaven.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

When you review surveys asking what people fear most in this life, death is often at the top of the list. But this is not true for the Christian. Why? Because our Lord Jesus Christ conquered death, once and for all!

Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

(1 Corinthians 15:54-58)

To be sure, death is a difficult thing to deal with on this side of the grave. And death affects every one of us. We have all lost loved ones, and one day we ourselves shall all die. But we have a promise that provides great comfort to us right now, even as we advance toward the inevitable day when we will take our last breath on this earth. This promise is rooted in the greatest event in the history of mankind: the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because Jesus rose from the dead and His tomb is empty, we are assured that we too will rise from the grave and live with Him for all eternity.

Unbelievers reject the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus. They present with naturalistic explanations to brush off the empty tomb and the eyewitness accounts of a risen Savior. They tell us the body of Jesus was stolen by His disciples (a story first concocted by the Jewish religious leaders, as Matthew 28:13 records). Or they will insist that the women went to the wrong tomb on that first Easter morning . . . a preposterous claim to which I respond, “Everyone in Jerusalem went to the wrong tomb? The women, the Twelve, the religious leaders, the Roman soldiers? No one in Jerusalem was ever able to locate the tomb of Jesus a second time?” Every empty tomb theory is still exactly that: both a theory and empty!

On the third day, a dead man really got up and walked out of His grave. He walked and talked with His disciples; He even ate with His disciples. They touched Him and examined His wounds from the crucifixion.

Jesus conquered death and the same will be true for everyone who has, by grace through faith, trusted in Him for salvation. The foundation upon which we stand could not be more solid or certain; we know that Jesus rose bodily from His grave, and no one has ever offered an even remotely credible rebuttal of that historic event.

Today Jesus Christ is seated in the position of power and authority at the right hand of God the Father. And one day soon, He will come again at the end of the age. When He does, our resurrected bodies will be reunited with our spirits and we will enjoy unbroken and unending fellowship with our God in the new heavens and the new earth.

Do not fear the prospect of death, you beloved of the Lord! For the Christian, to be absent from the body means to be present with the Lord, and there is no greater place in the universe to be than in the presence of the One who has made a way for us to enjoy life eternal.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

That seems like a strange title . . . “Withdraw to Advance!” How in the world can we withdraw from something and still be advancing at the same time?

Let’s look at a verse that offers great encouragement to all of us today:

Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

(Luke 5:16)

I’m sure we would all agree that for the brief, three-plus years of earthly ministry in the life of our Lord, He was constantly making forward progress. The ministry of the Almighty was marked by continual advancement in the direction of His intended destination. And this verse offers us some very necessary insight into the process and pattern in the life of the One who withdrew to advance.

Do you remember the Energizer Bunny commercials? That Bunny kept going . . . and going . . . and going! There was no “Off” switch, so there certainly was no “Withdraw” switch either. Sadly, far too many of us are just like the Bunny. We have so much going on in life, we simply keep going . . . and going . . . and going . . . but this certainly is not God’s plan for our lives!

Jesus set the perfect example for all of us to follow. Take another look at Luke 5:16 above; it says Jesus withdrew . . .

OFTEN!

This was not a one-time event in the life of our Lord, nor was it occasional. Jesus often withdrew to commune with His Father in heaven. Can the same be said about you? What would those closest to you say about your “often withdrawing” to spend time alone with Jesus? Make no mistake: this is as important in the life of the Christian as water is to a fish and air to a bird. No man ever had more to do in life than Jesus! Yet He knew when to work and when to withdraw . . . and by doing so He was able to make continual forward progress.

No matter where this message finds you, let me encourage you to withdraw often to be with Jesus. Notice something else that is very important. Jesus withdrew to quiet, “lonely” places. He did not go to the center of Jerusalem, surrounded by people pressing in on Him. He went off by Himself to quiet places where He could simply commune with His Father in heaven. Let me close with a wonderful promise from the prophet Isaiah for those who will discipline themselves to “often withdraw to lonely places and pray.”

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

(Isaiah 40:30-31)

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

No doubt you’ve heard the saying, “Don’t sweat the small stuff!” Well, I have news for you: It’s ALL small stuff. and it is the “small stuff” that ruins the vineyard!

Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.

(Song of Solomon 2:15)

So the question before the house is this: In the Song of Solomon, we read about “little foxes” that ruin the vineyards that are in bloom; what are these little foxes that have so much potential to bring us problems?

I believe those foxes could be just about anything in life that we see as small or insignificant, but has a tendency to mess us up. Perhaps it is years of forgetting to say “Thank you” or “I love you” or “You’re doing a great job” or “I appreciate you.” Or it could be neglecting to care for your body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, with sound nutrition, consistent exercise, and adequate rest. For some, it is skipping that yearly check-up . . . for YEARS! Perhaps it is prioritizing your career over your personal life with your family. Or maybe you find yourself in the predicament of those who have too much month left at the end of the money?

What are some of the “little foxes” that are running around in your vineyard right now . . . things which, if left unchecked, will ruin the good grapes? They may be things . . .

• In your school life
• In your marriage
• With your children
• With your friends
• At the office
• In the area of your health
• In your finances
• In your personal walk with Jesus
• In the area of your life vision, hopes, and dreams

Michelangelo, the famous Renaissance artist, was sculpting a figure out of a block of marble as a friend looked on. Later, after a time of absence, the friend returned and remarked, “I can see that you have not been spending time working on your statue Michelangelo!”

“Not true,” Michelangelo responded. “I have been busily working on this statue each day.”

Surprised, his friend objected, “I don’t see how this could be!”

Michelangelo thought for a moment and replied, “I have softened this line here—the hem of this garment there. I have straightened the lip and brought out this muscle more clearly . . . polished this . . . sharpened that.”

“Well,” said his friend, “those are just trifles.”

Michelangelo replied, “Trifles they may be, but you will remember that trifles make perfection; that perfection is no trifle.”

To be sure, “trifles” are the “small stuff” of life. They are the “little foxes” which, if left to their own devices, will wreak havoc in our vineyard and eventually ruin all the good grapes our God has given us. By all means, “sweat the small stuff” . . . and serve our Savior more faithfully for His glory and the good of all those around us.

As my friend and mentor, Dr. D. James Kennedy, always said: “Excellence in all things and all things to God’s glory!”

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

A long time ago I learned we cannot control everything that goes on around us, but we can control what goes on within us as it relates to our attitude. Dr. Charles Swindoll, founder of the “Insight for Living” radio ministry, famously said: “Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% what I make of it.” Dr. Swindoll was beautifully confirming a biblical truth, which tells us that to rejoice is a choice!

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

(Philippians 4:4)

So . . . what have you been choosing lately? Regardless of the circumstances that are going on around us, we really do have a choice to rejoice. But make no mistake, if you have developed habits of “less than rejoicing” over the years, it will take some time to break those habits and replace them with a new habit of rejoicing.

You see, rejoicing is what we call an “inside job.” Rejoicing is rooted in a right relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. And the more deeply the roots go into the soil of our Savior, the less we will be disrupted by the circumstances we face in life.

I can remember as the service at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church was about to begin each Sunday morning, the deep, booming voice of Dr. D. James Kennedy would fill the sanctuary, proclaiming these words from Psalm 118:24:

“This is the day the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

What a wonderful reminder we heard every week! God has given us the gift of life, and our response to that gift should be to “rejoice and be glad in it,” regardless of the circumstances we might face. We must remember that nothing happens to us that doesn’t first pass through His nail-scared hands; if God has allowed it, we can be certain it was allowed for two reasons: our good and His glory.

Often, when the circumstances of life seem to be stacking up against me, I remind myself that this is the day the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it. To rejoice is indeed a choice, and it is a choice the Christian should make on a daily basis.

Now, this doesn’t mean that some bad things won’t happen to us in life. Bad things—sometimes truly dreadful things—do happen and the Bible makes that clear too. Jesus told us that we will have trouble in this life. The Scriptures tell us that all things work together for our good . . . not that all things are good. But in all of it, we choose our response to everything that happens to us.

When circumstances seem to be against you, what is your usual response? Fear? Anger? Disappointment? Depression? Do you have a tendency to retreat? To sulk? Whatever your response, you can change it over time by remembering that to rejoice is a choice—your choice. The power at work within you is greater than any power that comes up against you.

So regardless of what you are currently facing, take it to Jesus and ask Him for the strength to find the pathway to rejoicing. It is a path worth finding and following, wherever it may lead.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!