Starting on my other blog ONE A DAY, YOUR SPIRITUAL VITAMINS on Nov
1...a 3 day series on HOW TO LESSEN ANXIETY.
click on
the link below
A different sermon is begun on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.
If you
want to share this blog with a friend go to the bottom of these comments and click on TELL A FRIEND
The sermons found on this blog are selected
sermons preached by Rev. Wyrick during a ministry of over 50 years. This syndicated columnist/minister thanks you
for visiting.
TO GO
TO NEIL’S OTHER BLOG ONE A DAY, YOUR SPIRITUAL VITAMINS and read inspiring
stories and comments to set you thinking. CLICK ON URL
BELOW
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Hebrews
10:31 “fall into the hands of the living
God.” (check new translation)
Everyone here this morning has had their
back to the wall and more than once. We all, without exception, some more times
than others, have known pain as a reality and been forced to endure. In short,
we’re all in the same boat together. Therefore, how do we learn better how to swim
rather than to sink?
Well, first
it’s important to accept the truth that most likely none of us get what we
deserve, either good or bad.
And secondly, God doesn’t run a spiritual litmus test
before he repeats the words first heard from the cross, “Father, forgive them,
for they know not what they do.”
These two truths seem elementary but
they’re not. Because time
and time again when tragedy strikes a family, I’m met with the words, “We
deserve it. Let me tell you what we did” or “Let me tell
you what we left undone.”
Have you been incredibly good or terribly bad in
your life? Unlikely. Most of us
live our lives somewhere in between.
Did God kneel down one day and draw a line in the sand of life and then
dare you to step across that line? And
if you have has he then in a sense said, “The back of my heavenly hand to you,
you deserve the punishment you’re receiving.”
I doubt it. God’s bigger than that.
Maybe the
beginning of an answer is that God has given us room to be human. To
chose between good and evil To often
make our own heaven or hell. To learn that the greatest danger to freedom
is freedom itself.
Because so much pain and suffering really
does come from our abuse of freedom.
Moral anarchy. A philosophy of life that says, “If it feels
good, it’s okay.” When it’s not okay. Because some terribly wrong decision is about
to mess things up terribly..
You see, we human beings really are just
a little lower than the angels and if we choose to sin, and then not even feel
bad about the sinning, we court chaos.
Very much like a lesson that was taught
in an old Andy Gump cartoon many years ago. Andy told Chester that he had been
disobeying him too often and that therefore, now, every time he disobeyed him
he would drive a nail into a post in the back yard. Finally, one day, the post was filled with
nails and both Andy and Chester
were very unhappy. So Andy challenged Chester. “Every time you are obedient I will take out
one of the nails I have hammered in.”
Call it repentance, a change of heart,
call it what you will. Chester decided to turn over a new leaf, to give to the
world a new Chester...and one by one, the nails were pulled out. Until one
day, the final nail was pulled out. At which time
Chester
began to cry. When asked “Why?” he promptly replied, “The scars are still
there.”
“Turn left,” says
God and we turn right for the simple reason we don’t want to turn left. “Give me
guidance,” we pray when sometimes we don’t really want guidance. Rather what
we want is clearance.
I remember when I was a little boy I would,
sometimes, ask my parents for permission to do something. And they seeing a bigger picture than I,
would, sometimes, say no.
And I not interested in bigger pictures
but what I wanted ignored their advice and followed my own foolishness. And oft times
got in trouble. We do that don’t we...with
our parents, with God, with common sense. Pays our money and takes our choice.
Ask the average person whether they would prefer to live in a
jail or a mansion and they would certainly reply, “I believe I would be
happier in a mansion.” And then some people go out and steal and end
up living in a jail.
Ask a friend of mine if he would prefer
to have two healthy lungs or the emphysema that daily clouds his days. He will
readily reply, “I would prefer
not to have emphysema.” He did, however, for years smoke more
cigarettes per day than any individual could wisely smoke.
“You pays
your money and you takes your choice.” Isn’t that the way the old cliché reads.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
+++++++++++++
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Recent articles Rev. Wyrick has written for this web site are:
·
Here Comes Summer (July 2012)
·
Spring
(May 2012)
·
Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow (April 2012)
·
Wayward and Windy (April 2012)
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C.A.Olsen (Ret.) Asbury
College (Professor Ret.)
"Wyrick has
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