[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 28C: "Tough times never last. Tough people do.” (Robert Schuller)

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-------- Original message --------From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org> Date: 16/11/2019  9:39 pm  (GMT-04:00) To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org> Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 28C: "Tough times never last. Tough people do.”  (Robert Schuller) 

Dear Friends,

 

This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Tough times never
last. Tough people do.”  (Robert
Schuller) and is based on the gospel (Luke 21:5-19).  Here it is:  

 

We just heard Jesus warn his
disciples about terrible things that were about to take place- false messiahs,
wars, riots, earthquakes and other natural disasters, starvation, disease,
people being arrested and put in jail for following him, being betrayed by
loved ones- why would he say things like this? 
Because the disciples were going to have to face them and remain
faithful if the Gospel was going to be spread, if the church was going to survive.  He was just telling them the truth.  Even if it’s hard, knowing what you’re going
to have to face at least prepares you for the struggle.  He was simply getting them ready for hard
times.  He could have told Christians in
Iraq, Iran, and Pakistan the same thing- false messiahs, wars, riots, natural
disasters, starvation, disease, people being arrested and put in jail for their
faith, being betrayed by loved ones- many Christians throughout the world live
their lives every day facing these threats. 
He tells them the same thing- be ready. 
We never know what we are going to face in our lives.  Where will the next school shooting take
place?  Where will the next hate-crazed
gunman appear to shoot innocent people? 
What will the next racest, sexist, homophobic say and who will it
attack?  He tells us the same thing- be
ready.  I want to talk to you this
morning about being ready.

 

Do you remember a long time
ago when I used to make our own pictures for the bulletin cover?  Do you remember the picture of the blowfish
(or puffer) I used to use on the bulletin covers? That species of fish reminds
us of the world’s way.  They face stress
like some of us do.  They blow themselves
up so they look big and tough so no one will mess with them. (Don’t we know
people like that?)  They have very sharp
teeth and are poisonous.  (How many
people are sharp-tongued and spew poison if you tread on their territory?)  Yet, in spite of their attempts to look
fierce, they really don’t handle stress well; in fact they sicken and
frequently die under stressful conditions. 


 

Did you hear the story about
the teacher asking the students about George Washington?  “TEACHER: “George Washington not only chopped
down his father's cherry tree, but also admitted doing it. Now do you know why
his father didn't punish him?”  JOHNNY:
“Because George still had the axe in his hand.” 
It’s not just George Washington who had the axe in his hand, it seems
the world does too, and it aims that axe at us sometimes.  If the world’s way doesn’t work when facing
trouble, what will work?  The thought for
the week, “Tough times never last.  Tough
people do.” (Robert Schuller) points out a better way- God’s way.

 

1.  DO YOUR
HOMEWORK!  Be faithful to God.- don’t
just come to church when you feel like it. 
Receive your Holy Communion every week. 
Read your Bible.  Listen to
sermons and read your Forward-Day-by-Day and any other materials of a spiritual
nature.  Sing God songs.  Put God first in your life.  I do not ever want to see someone I love from
this congregation in emotional agony because they misunderstand God or his love
for them as they go through trials.  When
we’re extremely sick or suffering- it’s too late to understand.  Illness, grief, pain, worry, etc. limit our
understanding.

 

2.  DON’T BE
SELFISH- SHARE JESUS WITH THOSE YOU LOVE AND ANYONE ELSE YOU CAN.  Don’t let someone else struggle through life
without Jesus.  Life without Jesus is
hard; dying without Jesus can be pure hell.

 

3.  LIVE UNTIL
YOU DIE- thank you, Thomas Hall (Ellen William’s son).  Don’t do what some of the Thessalonian
Christians did and sit around waiting for Jesus.  Live your life, whether it’s one hour or 100
years.  Every minute is a gift.

 

4.  SPEAKING
OF EVERY MINUTE BEING A GIFT, LIVE WITH A SPIRIT OF GRATITUDE.  Stop looking at what you don’t have- whether
it’s time left on this planet or the love of a special person or health or
money or whatever.  God doesn’t owe us
anything, but he can be counted on to keep his promises and give us what we
need.

 

5. NEVER WASTE TROUBLE OR STRESS.  Do what must be done for God. What would
happen in my knee therapy if I avoided stress? 
(My knee would not heal and get stronger.)  That’s how we grow.  No stress, no trials, no temptations= no
spiritual growth.  Please note the
graphic on p. 16: “There are some things you can only learn in a storm. 

 

6.     LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST-
DON’T HOLD BACK ON GOD.  The old poem has
great wisdom: “Only one life- ‘twill soon be past.  Only what’s done for God will last.”  The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther’s quotation of the
old hymn says it all: “If I can help somebody as I pass along;

If I can cheer somebody with a word or song;

If I can show somebody that they’re traveling wrong;

            Then
my living will not be in vain.

 

If I can do my duty as a Christian ought;

If I can bring salvation to a world once wrought;

If I can spread the message as the Master taught;

            Then
my living will not be in vain.

Do
what God calls you to do and don’t be too easy on yourself.  You WILL have the courage or energy or
whatever else you need at the time- notice Jesus’ promise in the Gospel.  Remember C.S. Lewis when he taught that God
doesn’t give us grace to handle what might happen in the future.  God gives us grace to handle what’s happening
now.

 

7.  TRUST
GOD.  He’s got the whole world in his
hands, and you know that means you.  A
friend gave me a poem some time ago, and it fits here perfectly.  The poem, by Annie Johnson Flint speaks to
trusting God and what we can expect from our Lord.  Here it is: 

God has not promised skies always blue,

Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through;

God has not promised sun without rain,

Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

 

But God has promised strength for today,

Rest for the labor, light for the way,

Grace for the trials, help from above,

Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

 

For anyone who
is interested, this sermon and updated African-American wisdom statements are
posted on our parish’s web site under “Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: http://www.stpaulsepisag.org .

 

Blessed preaching,

Judy Boli

St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Saginaw, Michigan





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