-Part 4-

ELCOG 7/29/07

Text: Matt. 6:34

Today we continue in the sermon series Everyday Deserves a Chance. Let me remind you that this is the day the Lord has made. We must learn to rejoice and be glad in it. There are times in our lives where everything doesn’t line up the way we think it should. There are many times when we have to keep our chin up just to survive the over-flow of water that is pouring over the bow of our boat. I realize that some of you have had terrible situations in your life that has caused you to worry and to become confused with life’s situation, but let me ask you a very important question – isn’t God still in control? Isn’t God still looking out for your best well-fare?

Paul could have easily given up, but instead he trusted God. Paul is the man in prison. He is the one chained to a guard or chained to the wall. Paul is man who has been mistreated, his rights have been violated. He has been bitten by a snake, stranded on an island for 3 months, imprisoned for 2 years waiting trial. He has been beaten, lied about, storm tossed, rejected and neglected. The church isn’t really helping. The Roman congregations have preachers that are preaching for their own persona; gain. They are preaching out of self motivation and not for God, but Paul doesn’t give up. He doesn’t throw in the towel, he trust God. Instead of turning his focus on all the negative in his life, he turns his focus on the faithfulness of God. God is still faithful.

Your day may be negative, but God is still positive. You may be looking at a mountain of stress, but try to look up to a God that is faithful to his children. Trust your God!

Let our testimony be that of Job…

Job 13:15

15Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

Trust the oversight of God. I need to remind you that God is watching over you. I need to remind you that he knows everything about you. He knows what you have been through and things that you are going to go through. He knows what you can handle and what you can’t. Trust him. Today has the chance to be a good day, but you must trust God.

1 Cor. 10:13

13There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

He is still faithful. I know that your day maybe filled with situations that are not in your play book, but God know you were going to be able to make it, so turn your trust to him.

Don’t forget to carry your problems to Jesus like the disciples did one day when a large crowd had followed them out into a place to hear Jesus speak. You remember the story. Five thousand men and their families had surrounded Jesus. They are getting hungry and time is getting late. The disciples begin to worry what was going to happen to all these people when it was dark.

Mark 6:35

35And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:

Mark 6:36

36Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.

Let me point out a couple of things about this scripture. "His disciples came" This implies that the disciples had meet and decided what needed to be done. They all met, but they left out one important person in the process. They left out Jesus. They did not talk with their leader. They did not get his advice instead they just told him what to do. Hey Jesus, send these people home. It is late and no one lives in this place.

I wonder why they didn’t ask Jesus what they should do. I also wonder why we often make decisions without asking God what to do. How many times have we told Jesus what the best plan was? How often have we told him to send the people home without ever asking him what we should really do?

As we look at this situation, let me remind you that this is not the first time the disciples have seen Jesus fix a problem or two.

They have seen him…

Turn water into wine,

Heal a boy in Capernaum,

Over-flow a boat with fish at Galilee,

Raise a little girl from the dead,

Banish at least one demon,

Heal several paralytics,

He has stilled a storm,

Resurrect a widow’s son,

Stop a 12 year hemorrhage.

As a matter of fact that is just the beginning…

Mark 1:34

34And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.

Matt. 4:23

23And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

Matt. 4:24

24And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

Luke 6:19

19And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.

The disciples have witnessed all of these great miracles, but forgot to ask him what they should do with the people at dark. Why didn’t one of the disciples say, "Hey, lets go talk to the one who raises the dead and calms the storms". They forgot to include Jesus.

The problem the disciples have was not calculating the problem, but doing it without Jesus.

If your father is Bill Gates and you have a computer problem who are you going to ask for help?

If you have a problem today, trust God and ask him to help.

Eph. 3:20

20Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

2 Cor. 9:8

8And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

Heb. 2:18

18For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to help them that are tempted.

Heb. 7:25

25Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Jude 1:24

24Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

Phil. 3:21

21Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

God is able to accomplish, provide, help, save, keep, and subdue. He is able to do what we can’t. Jesus already knows the plan. He already knows where the boy and the bread are located, we just need to ask. The crowd may seem too large for us, but trust God and look to him for help. He knows what is best for you today. You may be wondering how all the people will be fed, but Jesus just needs a couple of fish and a few loaves of bread. Now, you trust him and ask him to help. This is the day the Lord has made. Rejoice and be glad. This day deserves a chance to be a good day!