Download MP3 Download Outline Message Archive

Scripture: Mark 14:43-51; 15:1-15, 22-27

Key verse: 14:48-50

By: Pastor Adrian Ona

Theme: The Perspective of a believer

Objective: To see God’s plan in the middle of all the painful experiences

INTRODUCTION

You’ve heard of the expression “It’s not over until the fat lady sings.” You’ve probably said someone say “It’s not over until I say it’s over.” But I believe the best way to look at it is: “It’s not over until God says it’s over.”

Many times, things happen in our lives that make us think that it’s all over for us. We may have received a pay-reduction in a time when we need more income. We may have been told to start looking for another job. We may have been told that there’s no way you can ever pass your class, or someone in your family tells you they’ve had it, they’re leaving, and there’s nothing more you can do about it, “It’s over.”

Yes, others would have given up, they would have thrown in the towel, they may have surrendered and said “It’s over.” But when someone tells you “It’s over,” the appropriate question will be “Say’s who?” Because from our perspective, it’s not over when you say it’s over; it’s not over when I say it’s over;” “It’s over when God says it’s over.”

Illustration: I was speaking to someone, and in effect he was basically saying: in his assessment our church will be closing its doors within even within 1-3 years. If I had taken his word at face value, I would have felt really bad. But in my mind, his predictions may not necessarily be God’s plan. I was looking at our members, the beauty of the people, the giftedness, the dedication of a few, I had something else in my heart.

He may be saying that FCF is over in 1-3 years, at least in this particular place, but deep inside of me I believed, it’s not what he says that will dictate what the future of this particular flock will be, it’s what God will say. It’s not his perspective that really matters most, it’s God’s perspective. He may be saying it’s over, but in my heart I believe it’s not over until God says it’s over. And even if God closes this door for us in 1-3 years, it’s not because we can’t pay the property; it’s because this property may can no longer accommodate our growing numbers.

Instead of thinking that all of the things happening to us are reasons to give up, try to look at them on the bright side.

Illustration: There are those who paint beautiful paintings there are those who paint meaningful paintings, and there are those who paint beautiful and meaningful paintings. There are also observers who look at the see just the surface beauty of the painting; there are those who see the deeper beautiful message in the painting, and there are those who appreciate both.

The point is: even when the surface situation of your life seems to be ugly, remember that that is not all there is to it. For us, there is an underlying deeper, and much more beautiful picture than the surface. And that’s what we need to do.

PROPOSITION: In God’s perspective, He’s doing something beautiful even in the middle of painful and seemingly bad and ugly situations.

[SCRIPTURE READING]

Betrayal from Friends

One of the worst experiences we have is when someone you’ve trusted, poured life into, walked with, laughed with, taught, comes against you strong and hard and stabs you. And they have the full backing and approval of others, even people of influence and power, even from people who are supposed to be very spiritual.

In the middle of them betraying you, they would even come to you as if they are your friends and that they care about you. They extend their left hand of friendship but on their other hand, they’re holding and hiding a hammer behind their backs. They would call you with respectful, even endearing terms: Sir, ma’am, honey, brother, sister, friend, precious, love… They would show you loving gestures: a hug, a kiss, a high five, a hand shake, notes, letters… But in the middle of it all, in their hearts they are deceiving you, betraying you, and setting you up for a fall. And the only people who you know are supposed to be on your side do not know what to do and the actions they take don’t really even matter.

What they’re doing don’t make sense. You try to explain how blinded and unreasonable they have become, and how inappropriate and unfair their actions are and how they’re treating you, but they are set in their ways. They’ve been solidified in their ungodly stand that they no longer want to even consider your clarification of things.

If these things are happening in your lives, try to look at it from a different perspective. On the surface, you may be thinking, ““It’s useless, there’s no point, I’ve tried to do my best to do good to these people, but it’s been a one way street. In fact, some of them are even trying to hurt me.” But deeper, in God’s perspective, if He is allowing these things to happen, it’s because God is fulfilling His Word for your life.

Everyone Preferring Evil

Perhaps, some of us are caught in a deeper hole. From the way it looks, those who are trying to hurt you have succeeded, and you’re now trapped in the consequences of what they’ve done. You seem to lost control of situations, it seems like your life is not based on someone’s decision, and you’re just being led away and tossed around here and there, from this person who’s telling you what to do to another person who will tell you what to do.

But when it seems like you’ve lost control of your life, just remember, you’ve never lost your identity. On the surface, your hands are tied at the back, but the reality is, in God, you’re still a child of the king. They may have controlled your movement, tied your hands at the back, limited your influence, but one thing they have not and could not take away is the crown over your head. You are still a child of the king, you still wear a crown on your head. And whoever is messing up with you, they’re messing up with a royalty.

You may have felt like you’re just being accused from all sides. It’s okay, you don’t need to convince everyone. It is not because you’re a failure, or you’re wrong; there are just people who have become so blinded by their pride, their hate, their prejudice, their jealousy, their envy, that they can no longer tell which one is right or wrong, which one is better, or who is good and who is bad. Some people favor those who are guilty of being way worse than what they’re falsely accusing you of.

Although there may be those who would want to do what’s right, they get overpowered by all those who have been influenced by those who don’t like you. They get overpowered by the voices of those who don’t like you and falsely accuse you.

And yes, you may have people who have rallied others into what is so wrong, and no matter what kind of explanation, they no longer want to consider anything. They are now motivated in trying to prove themselves right, and trying to prove you evil. And they won’t settle for anything less, they want to inflict as much damage to you. They want you out of the scene, they want you humiliated, they want you hurt, some of them want you out, some of them may even want you dead.

Remember, if these things are happening to you, or when these things happen to you, don’t despair, you’re not fighting a losing battle. Instead of saying, “Nobody likes me; everybody hates me, everybody wants to hurt me, no one wants to help me.” Don’t forget, you wear the crown. Nothing they say, nothing, they do, no amount of people they gather can change the fact that you wear the crown; you are a child of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, He is your Savior and Your Lord.

God is your Father and Manager. Everything that’s happening to you are within His ways of managing things. He loves you, and He will allow nothing to come in your life that He won’t use for your ultimate good.

Those oppositions, those who hate be saying to themselves “We’ve destroyed him, we’ve accomplished our evil schemes against him.” But say to yourself: “No, the reality is, when everyone else is think they are destroying me, God is using all those blows to make me stronger and to build me up. When they think they’re accomplishing their evil schemes against me, God is actually accomplishing His good, pleasing, and perfect will in my life. You see it one way, but I see it another way. I see it God’s way. I have the bigger picture.”

Differing Reactions in One’s Worst Moment

Many of us may actually find ourselves in situations when are at the worst and lowest moment of our lives and during those times, there seems to be no one who really wants to help. You may be thinking, “It’s hopeless.” You maybe amazed at how some show the gesture of wanting to help, but their hearts are really not in it. They don’t ask us what we need, or what we want, they just do what they want to do. Some of them could care less; they’re actually after what they can get from us – how they can take advantage of our adversity or tight situation.

You may be thinking: “Even in my darkest moments, they still continue to pin me down. They won’t stop. And there are more and more people who are insulting me, embarrassing me, challenging me without pity and without shame. They’re mocking me. No one who can help me is on my side. Where is God in all this? My friends have deserted me, the authorities have given up on my case and have given in to those who are continually hurting me, God seems to be so far away, and those who want to help me don’t know what they’re doing, some can do very little, others can’t do anything, others are just watching me fall, and others don’t care.”

Start looking at the bigger picture or the deeper meaning. Look at it from God’s perspective. You must say to yourself: “It may look so bad, but of all those things that happened, all the actions and reactions of people, all of God’s dealings – some of them either did not have any bearing on God’s wonderful plan for my life or those who have bearing are all working for my best.”

CONCLUSION:

Illustration: Someone stole Big Jim lunch. Prior to this the class had an arrangement. They class of wild kids made their own class rules. The tenth and last of the rules was suggested by Big Jim, and that is “No one should steal lunch.” The punishment for breaking any of the rules is to be hit at the back with a rod without their coats on. A day came and someone stole Big Jim’s lunch. They found out it was Little Joe.

The professor asked Little Joe to remove his coat. Little Joe, embarrassed requested if he could keep his coat on. The teacher denied it and wanted to enforce the rules, else, no one will respect it. Taking off his coat, the class started laughing because he had no shirt on and it showed his skinny body frame. Big Jim felt pity and told the professor to let him go since he wasn’t too hungry anyway.

The professor denied it. So he was ready to whack Little Joe when Big Jim told the professor that there’s nothing in the rules that prohibits substitution. Big John volunteered, took off His big coat, and the professor starting whacking his behind. After 4 times, the rod broke, and many of the class were sobbing, especially Little Joe who saw the person he stole from, taking the punishment for him.

Illustration: Barabbas: Son of father. That’s a very generic term. It may have deeper meaning. Jesus died for Son of father. Jesus may just be showing us that His death was for the sons of God who were lost, and He was dying for us to bring back the sons of the Father to the arms of their heavenly dad.

Illustration: It’s been recorded that what they carried was a plank of heavy, rough wood as they to toward the place of their execution. It was on that mountain of execution and crucifixion where the beam they were carrying were attached to the other beam that was already standing straight up. The horizontal beam which looks like a minus in itself ended up in a figure of a cross which looks very much like a plus sign.

On that cross, Jesus turned the minus into a plus. The cross for some may be a symbol of humiliation, but in Jesus, it has become a symbol of the greatest triumph a man could ever have. Some may say, “Was it triumph that the Father forsook Him?” No, but that was not the big picture. Right before Jesus died, He prayed “Father, into Your hands, I commit My Spirit.” There was a reuniting of the Father and the Son after His mission was accomplished. And yes it was, that’s why Jesus said “It is finished.”

What attacks, humiliation, persecution, disapproval, pain, hurts we may be experiencing right now, Jesus experienced – more, worse. And this is because of the bigger picture: He was saving mankind. And save mankind He did. That’s why anyone may now receive the gift of eternal life because of everything He’s done, everything He suffered, and everything He accomplished. He went through hell because He saw the big picture: men and women getting saved.

Would you like to be a part of that big picture? Do you want to have the assurance that you’re saved? Believe and receive Jesus as your only Lord and Savior. And you will see how everything in your life that looks like a minus will be turned to a plus.

And those of us who are suffering so much because of what other people has done to you, don’t despair. Would you look at the bigger picture, the deeper meaning? Everything is to accomplish God’s promise in your life.

God is helping you see beyond the surface. Would you like to?