I’m SO Glad Trouble Don’t Last Always

 I’m SO Glad Trouble Don’t Last Always

Mount Hope UMC

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Isaiah 9:1-4 New Living Translation (NLT)

Hope in the Messiah

9 ^[a]Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.

^2 [b]The people who walk in darkness
    will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness,^[c]
    a light will shine.
³ You will enlarge the nation of Israel,
    and its people will rejoice.
They will rejoice before you
    as people rejoice at the harvest
    and like warriors dividing the plunder.
⁴ For you will break the yoke of their slavery
    and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders.
You will break the oppressor’s rod,
    just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.

1 Corinthians 1:10-18 New Living Translation (NLT)

Divisions in the Church

¹⁰ I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters,^[a] by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. ¹¹ For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters. ¹² Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,^[b]” or “I follow only Christ.”

¹³ Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not! ¹⁴ I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, ¹⁵ for now no one can say they were baptized in my name. ¹⁶ (Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.) ¹⁷ For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.

The Wisdom of God

¹⁸ The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.

         Like last week’s message, I felt God leading me to deliver a message connecting these two messages, so I pray that what I will share will bring comfort to someone, will resonate with someone, will pierce the heart of someone because I believe someone needs to hear this.

         Trouble don’t last always, church.  I don’t know if you’ve been following the impeachment hearings this past week.  Adam Schiff has done a fabulous job of articulating the details, laying them out in chronological order of why the Congress voted to impeach the man in the White House and drew up articles of impeachment and presented them to the Senate.  He also implored the Senate to carefully consider its actions in the matter as it pertains to the facts laid before them and the integrity of that Body of legislature and the future of conducting the business of this country.  He urged them to act with moral courage, something that seems to be sorely lacking at the highest level of our government.  Y’all better get out there and vote in November.  Now the Senate will have its opportunity to refute or ignore this advice.  What did Jack Nicholson say to Cuba Gooding, Jr. in the movie “A Few Good Men” when Cuba’s character was questioning Nicholson under oath at a military murder trial?  Didn’t Nicholson say, “You can’t handle the truth?”  That seems like what we’re witnessing with our Republican Congressmen and women and Senators.

         The United Methodist Church is caught up in divisiveness with the issue before it of ordaining, commissioning and being in ministry with our LBGTQIA brothers and sisters and this divisiveness has led to proposals to tear asunder the foundation of the denomination and split it into various groups of methodism.  And because of the uncertainty of what the General Conference will decide, various other factions of the church are preparing for the worst and no one.  No. Not. One is preparing to remain unified and in community with one another.  Everyone wants to take their marbles and go play in another yard – where after a while, as we all know and history has proven, there will still be divisiveness among them.

         In our private lives we are tossed about by every wind and doctrine that the media and other social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Tinder  place before us.  We live in a world of McInformation which is often misinformation.  See, the problem with breaking news is that there is not enough opportunity to gather the truth.  We just get the sensationalism of the moment and we run with it; often running to share devastating news with others that have not be fleshed out or the details confirmed.  We want to be the first with the news, especially if it is tragic and the more tragic, the more sensational.  From the fires in Australia to the earthquakes in Puerto Rico and India, to the infidelity of a famous person or a pastor, to the mass shootings in our schools, to our local tragedies.  Like the man says in the movie “The Music Man”, “There’s trouble.  Right here in River City.”  But, church, I want you to know, I’m SO glad trouble don’t last always.

         The rent is high, prescription drug prices are on the rise, insurance has increased, the heat bill goes up.  Ain’t nothing coming down, except our income and goods and services, which start to be stretched to the limit because we can no longer afford to pay the astronomically high the prices.

         Those of us who are seniors struggle in a day-to-day existence because we cannot afford to buy our medicine and eat.  I’m being real here, beloveds.  If you’re relying on Social Security or a pension, you do not get a raise of any significance, yet the cost of living continues to rise, while our pocketbooks and checking accounts continue to dwindle.  It seems that when things are bad and you think they can’t get any worse, they get worser.  Not just for you, but for your loved ones as well.  But, guess what?  Trouble don’t last always and it’s always darkest before the dawn.

         In Isaiah, Chapters 1-23, the prophet constantly urged Judah’s King Ahaz to defend himself by relying on the Lord, the God of Israel, rather than seeking protection from Assyria.  He assured him that God would never allow Jerusalem to be defeated.  Apparently King Ahaz didn’t listen and Judah became an Assyrian vassal.  Yet he continued to urge Judah to trust in the Lord alone for their protection.  Isaiah also opposed the rebellion King Hezekiah led against Assyria and believed that because Hezekiah did this, the Lord punished him by allow Assyria to ravage Judah and besiege Jerusalem.  Now see, I don’t know if you all are listening closely to this, but this reminds me of the man in the White House listening to people like Steve Bannon, Rudy Giuliani and not listening to the professionals and experts warning him about North Korea, China, Iran and Russia.  Instead he has formed alliances with these enemies of the United States and this has led to serious national security breaches and puts every citizen of this country at risk.  All of what we are witnessing today in this country and its affiliation with foreign governments who we typically have been averse to and turning our back on countries who have been our partners, is just history repeating itself.  And if we learn anything from history, we know how the story will end.  Or do we?  I tell you folk, I’m SO glad trouble don’t last always.

         But here’s the good news.  God would not let Jerusalem fall and he won’t let the United States fall either.  Since World War I, we have become a major world leader.  Other countries were once leaders in the world.  Rome was a world leader and it fell because the leadership was not grounded in faith in the one true God.  They worshipped Rah (the sun god), not Jesus the Son of God.  That’s why Pontius Pilate allowed the Jews to vote to crucify him.  Assyria (now Syria) was a world leader with the best mathematicians and scientists the world has ever known, whose inventions and discoveries we are still using today.  But they worshipped the prophet Mohammed more than they worshipped Allah.  The Incas were a powerful nation, but they worshipped pagan gods and not the God of every nation and they fell. 

         The United States needs to take a lesson from these former world leaders if they want to remain the world power they have become.  This is an election year and I am confident that our present afflictions are just for a moment and trouble will not last always.

         Isaiah prophesies that those who were in anguish will experience no gloom.  That those who walked in darkness have seen a great light and those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them a light has shone.  That God will defeat its enemies and restore them to glory once more.  Isaiah is telling the people of Judah and Jerusalem that trouble will not last always.  There will be restoration.  God will never leave them nor forsake them and, beloved, he will not leave us or forsake us either.

         Paul was dealing with the church at Corinth.  I shared with you that a lot of the division in that church was that there were very rich folk in the church and very poor.  And the rich thought they were more important than the less fortunate.  They were fighting for power within the church – who was worthy and who wasn’t.  We don’t experience this at Mount Hope, but church, you know there are churches today where some think they are holier, better and more important because they pay more tithes than others and therefore should have higher positions in the church than their brothers and sisters who pay less.  I recently heard of a church that in this day and age, does not allow women to preach in its pulpit.   But let me tell you something, Jesus lifted up the ministry of women.  It was a woman named Anna who first testified to Jesus’s ministry in the Synagogue.  It was Martha’s sister, Mary, who sat at his feet as he taught the disciples.  It was the Samarian woman at the well who went back and told the men about the man who knew everything about her.  It was Mary Magdalene and the other women at the tomb who ran back to testify to Jesus’s resurrection.  It was the woman with the vial of oil who spent a year’s wages to anoint him for his burial and whom he said wherever this gospel is preached what she has done will be told.  Jesus knew the ministry of women and he did not prevent them from preaching the Good News.  But I tell you now, I’m SO glad trouble don’t last always, church!

         Paul battled divisiveness in the Corinthian church.  Isaiah battled the Jews distrust of God.  We battle powers and principalities and evil forces of wickedness in high places.  But I’m SO glad trouble don’t last always.

         Paul is telling us not to worry about the bitterness and divisiveness we witness in the world and in our communities.  The battle is not ours, it’s ‘the Lord’s.  Let us continue to worship in the beauty of holiness.  Don’t let the tricks of the enemy distract or entice us but let us be beacons of light to those who are not strong in the Lord, sharing his love by our words and actions.

         Robin Mark wrote, “These are the days of Elijah, declaring the word of the Lord.  And these are the days of Your servant Moses, righteousness being restored.  And though these are days of great trial, of famine and darkness and sword, still, we are the voice in the desert crying, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord!”

         Wednesday night, as we were leaving for Bible Study, Sister Charvon passed me like a whirlwind, stepping quickly.  For years, Sister Charvon couldn’t walk very fast, if at all, because she would become easily winded.  God didn’t desert her.  He kept her until a heart became available and he gave her a new heart.  Although she walked in the shadow of death, nothing came near her to harm her because God held her in the shadow of his wings and then he healed her.  Now she can run with the wind, knowing that for her, trouble didn’t last always.

         Last year Sister Dale was knocked down by a student at work and broke her elbow.  Then the next week or so, she had to be taken to the hospital to have open heart surgery.  It was a dark time for her, but she knew that trouble don’t last always.  Look at her now!

         Sister Sally and Sister Laura Ann are recuperating from their setbacks because they know trouble don’t last always and their little setbacks are a setup for a comeback.

        

         Friday night I was in a dark place emotionally and I began to sing a song I hadn’t heard in a long time.  As I walked around the house, the song was ministering to me and I sang softly at first, then going to my room, I sang louder and asked God to “hold back the night.  Give me strength to fight.”  Jesus was letting me know that God said trouble don’t last always. 

         Jesus wanted to remind me that he’s a burden bearer, a heavy load sharer.  He’s a comfort to the comfortless, a father to the fatherless, and a mother to the motherless.  He’s a friend that sticks closer than any brother, a lover like no other.  He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last; Beginning and the End.  Some call him Rabbi, some call him teacher; some call him Lily of the Valley, some call him bright and morning star; some call him Master; some call him the Lion of Judah.  But I come to tell you, I call him All That because he is all that and more to me.

         Though we get knocked down by life’s turmoil and our normal routine is disrupted, often by circumstances beyond our control, take comfort from the work of God in 1 Peter 5:10-11 in The Message Bible which reads, “Keep a cool head.  Stay alert.  The Devil is poised to pounce and would like nothing better than to catch you napping.   Keep your guard up.  You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times.  It’s the same with Christians all over the world.  So, keep a firm grip on the faith.  The suffering won’t last forever.  It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are - will have you put together and on your feet for good.  He gets the last word; yes, he does.”  And 2 Corinthians 4:18 which reads, “So we’re not giving up.  How could we!  Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.  These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times; the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye.  The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow.  But the things we can’t see now will last forever.  So, we’re not giving up.  How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.  These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times; the lavish celebration prepared for us.  There’s far more here than meets the eye.  The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow.  But the things we can’t see now will last forever.”

        

Then remember the words of Rev. Timothy Wright – “He may not come when you want him, but he’s always on time.  In times of trouble, I found him to be a friend of mine.  In time of storm clouds rise, he’ll be there.  All your burdens I know the Lord will help you bear.  I’m SO glad trouble don’t last always.”