sermon 4.
Courage, Don’t Stumble
A
Sermon Preached on Sunday 15/07/2018.
Text: Matthew
11:1-6
I
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llustration:
There was a young man whose mother was seriously ill, he then fasted and prayed
for God to heal his mother, and yet, his mother did not survive. On that day
the man’s mother died, he regretted ever going to church. Since then his life
became terrible, he found solace in drinking alcohol and smoking until he was
diagnosed of lung cancer and pneumonia.
The spiritual problems of the man
1. He
worships God when things are well with him.
2. He’s
not a core Christian, he’s like a dry leaf or a chaff that can be tossed by
wind at a moment of trials.
3. He
fails to realize the word of Christ that anyone who believes in him, even if he
dies will live again.
The
man’s reaction to life challenges reminded us to the teachings of Christ in
Matt. 7:24-27 about the nature of people that adhere to his teaching, and
people that do not follow it up. Christ states that people that listen to his
teaching and follow it up are wise, like a person who builds a house on solid
rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds
beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But
anyone who hears his teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who
builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat
against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.
I
want to tell you that if you pray without any positive answer from God, it does
not mean that you don’t know how to pray or you are not a true child of God.
Everything is under the control of God, your survival is under his will, and so
do not stumble even in the hard time of life.
John
the Baptist did not stumble when he was in the prison because he preached to
Herod to leave his brother’s wife, it’s against the law of God. Out of hatred,
Herodias demanded for the head of John the Baptist in the prison. Are you in a
prison now because you said the truth or somebody accused you falsely? Wouldn’t
you look up to Jesus?
A
woman was accused of stealing in one community. It happened that she was a deaconess.
She said she was not the culprit, but the community members insisted she should
come before their juju─ their shrine to swear that she was free from the crime.
Because of her faith, the woman accepted to pay the fine as the criminal due to
the pressure on her. Everyone in the community including her church members
then believed that the woman was responsible for the crime committed. She was
suspended from fellowship, and her community members isolated her. She then
lived in the debris of broken heart. She felt the injustice. But she looked up
to Jesus. Since her church had suspended her, she used her room for personal
fellowship with God, calling God to vindicate her. Six months later, God began
to torment the real criminal, the man responsible for the crime. Should I say
he became mad? A mad man is far better than him, and most of the wicked men and
women who were against the innocent woman suffered tremendously. When the
church had known that God had justified the woman’s innocence, they called her
back, and encouraged her for her strong faith by giving her a token of gifts.
Now
if you were the woman falsely accused, would you maintain your faith? Would you
stand on the truth? Though truth may be bitter, but that is what can set you
free at last.
Many
people have stumbled at their darkest time of life, some have gone extra miles
to ensure that they are out of troubles which have dwindled their faith. Some
people in the position of that woman might not continue worshiping with her
church because of the attitude of the church members towards her at that time
she needed courage and consolations from them. Nevertheless, the woman did not
stumble even when friends abandoned her, despised her for a crime she knew
nothing of, but she stood firm in her faith.
Brethren, let us be courageous, and serve our LORD. He is
able to carry us through. As we heard his word today, he will justify us from
every accusation of the enemies, and save us from the grip of death, and
trials. God bless you!
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