Grace for the Race

When I was still working in the field of personal development, I heard a story that I hope will be a source of great encouragement to you today.

A man was walking past a block-long construction site and saw some workers laying bricks. He asked one of the workers what he was doing; the man replied, “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m laying these dumb bricks!” The man walked a little further and asked another worker the same question. “I am part of the team putting up the walls,” the second worker replied. Walking a little further, the man asked a third worker the same question. This man replied with a smile, “I am building a magnificent monument to the glory of Almighty God!”

How would you respond if someone asked you what you were doing in your work today? The mark of excellence is found only on the person who can honestly respond by saying, “I am building a magnificent monument to the glory of Almighty God!” It really doesn’t matter what it is you are doing in life . . . whether you are a butcher, baker, or candlestick maker. It is not what you do that matters so much as why and how you do it that creates the mark of excellence.

Regardless of your gifting, you have the opportunity to create excellence in all you do simply by doing it all for the glory of God. If God’s glory is your goal, then the work you are doing is marked by excellence. The very first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, “What is the chief end of man?” And the answer is . . .

The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.

Notice there is no job classification or higher education indicated here. The chief purpose for you and me in everything we do is simply to glorify God.

So . . . are you glorifying God is all you are doing today? How could you bring God more glory in your current calling? Don’t be one of those people who think they will rise to the level of excellence when they finally find that perfect job in life. For one thing, there are no perfect jobs this side of heaven, just as there are no perfect people. But, more importantly, if you don’t rise to the level of excellence right now, right where you are, I can assure you that it will not suddenly appear—voila!—at your next place of employment.

I will never forget the first time I saw the motto in front of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church years ago: Excellence in all things and all things to God’s glory. That was the driving force behind everything we did at Coral Ridge under the leadership of Dr. D. James Kennedy. This goal made all boats in the harbor rise, simply because the driving force behind everything we did was to bring honor and glory to God.

Take a quick look back to the story about the three bricklayers; which one do you most identify with? Is what you are doing simply “work” . . . or is it God’s work? Are you marking time . . . or are you marked by excellence? Remember: it is always up to you!

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

One of the most common objections I hear from skeptics regarding the truth claims of Christianity is, “The stories in the Bible are no different from Aesop’s Fables.” The skeptic insists that the stories in the Bible developed over time, based on myths which were passed along orally over the years until the New Testament was completed. They believe the stories of Jesus and His miraculous healings’ simply evolved over time into what we read today.

How would you respond to a claim like that? As usual, Scripture is not silent on this subject:

We did not follow cleverly devised fables when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

(2 Peter 1:16)

Even secular skeptical historians acknowledge that the Christian church began the year Jesus was crucified (AD 30) in Jerusalem, because the apostles (who were eyewitnesses) were preaching both the crucifixion and the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. This message did not develop over time. This was not a “legend” that grew and became more fantastic as the years marched by. Peter states that he and the other apostles saw both the crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. These were not fables that the apostles were repeating; they were recording factual accounts of actual events that occurred right in front of their own eyes.

Here is how John explained it:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.

(1 John 1:1, 3)

One of the most compelling proofs of the truth of the New Testament is the fact that all of the disciples refused to change their stories about the risen Savior. Their unwavering witness caused them to endure great persecution and suffering. While historians debate how many of the original apostles were executed for their faith, we can be certain that Peter, Paul, and James, the brother of Jesus, died as martyrs. Church tradition tells us that of the 11 original apostles (Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Jesus, is not counted among that group), all but John died for their faith. If these men knew that what they were preaching and teaching was a lie, would not at least some of them recanted their “story” in order to save their own skin? Yet not one of them did. Not one.

Most younger readers are familiar with the Prison Fellowship ministry and its wonderful “Angel Tree” outreach to the children of incarcerated prisoners. Many young Christians, however, are unaware that Charles (“Chuck”) Colson, Prison Fellowship’s founder, came to faith in Christ at age 42. Prior to his conversion, Colson was known as President Richard Nixon’s “hatchet man,” who once famously boasted that he would “run over my own grandmother” to help the president. Colson pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice as part of the infamous Watergate scandal and served 7 months in federal prison. It was during this time that Chuck Colson placed his trust in Jesus Christ. The old Colson died; he was Born Again (the title of his most famous book). Chuck Colson spoke of how the Resurrection profoundly affected his thinking:

“I know the Resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because twelve men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren’t true. Watergate embroiled twelve of the most powerful men in the world—and they couldn’t keep a lie for three weeks. You’re telling me twelve apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.”

– Chuck Colson

Christianity is not a myth, legend, or fable. It is a fact as certain as any fact in history!

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

When was the last time you thought about just how much Jesus cares for you? Now, I’m not talking about the last time you thought briefly about God’s provision during a prayer offered before a meal; I mean really meditating on the message of the Scriptures regarding how much God cares for you.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

(1 Peter 5:7)

God instructs every believer to do some “cosmic casting” of the cares that are confounding us. And Scripture makes the reason for this clear: Because God cares for you!

Whatever care you may be facing today . . .

• Struggles in school
• Difficulties in your singleness
• Trouble in your marriage
• Prodigal child
• Challenges at work
• Financial shortfall

. . . the Word of God instructs you to do some cosmic casting in the direction of the Christ.

So how do we cast our cares on our God? We do it by earnestly praying for God to intervene on our behalf. We should never feel like we are “bothering” God with those prayers, because He delights in hearing from His children. No doubt you’ve heard these inspired words dozens of times: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV). You’ve heard God’s encouragement to come to Him with every care . . . but do you still feel like some of your cares are too trivial to bring before the Sovereign Lord of all the universe?

Let me encourage you to banish that notion! As a father of four, I can tell you that I delight in hearing from my children at all times, but especially when they are dealing with some difficulty in life. What father doesn’t want to help shoulder the burden of his child? And Scripture assures us that our Father in heaven delights even more in meeting us in our place of need! Jesus said, “If you, then, though you are evil [sinful], know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11).

Let’s take a second look at 1 Peter 5:7 and see what it does not say: it does not say, “Cast some of your anxiety on God,” but rather, “Cast all your anxiety on Him.” Why? Because God cares for you! He cares for your small irritants and He cares for your dreadful fears too. God cares for you regarding every aspect of your life. Think about that for a moment! Can you think of any greater love than that the God of the universe—the God who created everything out of nothing, who sustains all things by the power of His word—cares enough for you to command you to cast your cares . . . all of them . . . upon Him?

So how well have you been doing with your cosmic casting of cares lately? Have you been dealing with the struggles of life in your own strength, rather than in the strength of the Almighty? Remember, with Omnipotence on your side, there is nothing you can cast His way that He will not carry on your behalf. What an incredible privilege we have been given, to be tenderly invited into the throne room of heaven to call upon the God of the universe!

Take a moment to consider some of your cares today. Why not cast them upon your God, who cares enough for you to remove your sins from you as far as the east is from the west . . . the God who cares so much for you that He gave His only begotten Son so that you would not die, but have everlasting life with Him?

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

I don’t know about you, but every time I have used Super Glue, it never really sticks or delivers on its promise. But I have a word of comfort for you today about a bonding agent that actually does deliver on its promise.

In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loves us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Romans 8:38-39)

In spite of the fact that we have been promised trials and troubles on every front in our personal and professional lives, we have this Supernatural Super Glue promise from our Savior, Jesus Christ. Nothing can separate us from the One who loved us and gave Himself for us!

If you meditate on this promise for even a moment, you will find yourself swimming in a sea of unimaginable comfort. Your sin cannot separate you from your Savior. Your adversary Satan cannot separate you from your Savior. Your own strongholds cannot separate you from your Savior. If you have placed your trust in Jesus Christ, nothing you have done or will do is able to separate you from the love of God! When connected to the Word of God, “nothing” really means NOTHING!

Now, notice that Scripture does not say we will be protected from the struggles and challenges of life. What it does promise is that we will be protected in them. In my work as a pastor, I counsel with far too many people who believe God is angry with them because they are currently facing some of the storm winds of life. That is simply not true! I have noted here on more than one occasion that Jesus promised us that we will all be confronted with storms. Just a cursory glance through the New Testament will reveal the many difficulties that even the most faithful followers of Jesus faced. Yet God’s promise is sure: nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

That truth should empower us to advance confidently in the direction our God is calling us to go. If nothing can separate us from our Savior, what have we to fear? We need only to fix our eyes upon Jesus, knowing that we are held firmly in His nail-scarred hands.

Remember, regardless of the circumstances you are facing today, Jesus always gets the last word! “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” He assures us, “the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13). And His last word over your life is VICTORY, because He has made you more than a conqueror.

Peter knew this truth after he denied Jesus three times. He was convinced that he had blown it, but he learned the truth of this Supernatural Super Glue promise just a few days later: nothing—not even calling down curses on himself and denying Jesus three times—could separate him from his Savior and Lord.

Do you know this truth today? Are you living it out in every area of life? If not, what’s stopping you? When God makes a promise you can take it to the believer’s bank and rest assured that your check will be cashed for the full amount. You have His Word on it!

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

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!