July 23, Parent's Day

Lesson: Matthew 26.31-56, 69-75

Sermon Title: The Disadvantage of Being Unprepared

(Back to Study Home Page)   (Back to Sermons for 2005-2006)
(Back to Sermons Home Page)   (Back to Shultz Home Page)

INTRODUCTION:

  1. I subscribe to Mikey's Funnies

    1. This was one of his latest: (1)

Over the years, I have engaged in considerable deep thought about (among other things): Our place in the universe, ancient civilizations, human migrations, international conflicts, local and world economics, ozone depletion, the human genome, cloning, pollution, racism, local and world politics, population growth, extinctions, natural disasters, the environment, health care, MySpace, human relations, the space-time continuum and other aspects of relativity, and other factors that affect mankind's struggle to exist.

After all of that deep thought, I have arrived at this conclusion: When all is said and done, in spite of or because of what we may or may not do or think, it is just as likely as not that, for better or for worse, everything will turn out one way or another, sooner or later.

    1. This is not very funny!

    2. This is the way that a lot of people live.

      1. You could call them laissez-faire people.

        1. The expression may be understood as "leave-it-alone."

        2. It applies especially to economics and politics.

      2. It does not apply to Peter.

(Top)    (Back to Study Home Page)   (Back to Sermons for 2005-2006)
(Back to Sermons Home Page)   (Back to Shultz Home Page)

MAIN BODY:

  1. Peter is a hands-on kind of guy.

    1. He is talented.

    2. He is confident.

    3. He is bold.

    4. He does not hesitate to take action.

    5. Peter is also a prime example of the sermon title, a person who come to learn "The Disadvantage of Being Unprepared"

  2. Peter was warned of the disadvantages of being unprepared.

    1. Then Jesus said to them, "You will all become deserters because of me this night; for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you to Galilee."

    2. Peter doesn't hear, or he chooses not to hear.

      1. Peter responds: "Though all become deserters because of you.

      2. I will never desert you."

    3. Jesus said to him, "Truly I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times."

    4. Peter will not admit the possibility of denial so he says to Jesus:

      1. "Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you."

      2. And what is more remarkable this was said in the hearing of all the disciples who respond by saying the same thing.

  3. He chose to disregard the warning.

    1. Peter thinks he can, but he cannot.

    2. Peter believes that he will not, but he does.

    3. Peter believe he is strong, when he is weak.

  4. You ignore God at your peril.

    1. Interview of Kirk Douglas by Graham Fuller (2)

      1. Graham Fuller: Many of the men you played were maimed in some way...It's as if the characters you chose were men who tried to go against God.

      2. Kirk Douglas: I've thought about this. ... yes, I have argued with God and gotten angry with God, and I think it's permissible to do that. The only thing that is not permissible is to ignore God.

    2. Jake the Rancher would back-up Douglas's conclusion.

    Jake, the rancher, went one day to fix a distant fence.
    The wind was cold and gusty and the clouds rolled gray and dense

    As he pounded the last staples in and gathered his tools to go,
    The temperature had fallen and the snow began to blow.

    When he finally reached his pickup, he felt a heavy heart.
    From the sound of that ignition, he knew it wouldn't start.

    So Jake did what most of us do if we'd have been there.
    He humbly bowed his balding head and sent aloft a prayer.

    As he turned the key for the last time he softly cursed his luck.
    They found him three days later frozen stiff in that old truck.

    Now Jake had been around in life and done his share of roamin'.
    But when he saw Heaven he was shocked -- it looked just like Wyomin'.

    Of all the saints in heaven his favorite was St. Peter.
    Now, this line, it ain't needed but it helps with rhyme and meter.

    So they set and talked a minute or two or maybe it was three
    Nobody was keepin' score-in Heaven time is free.

    I've always heard, Jake said to Pete, that God will answer prayers.
    But one time I asked for help, and, well, he just plain wasn't there.

    Does God answer prayers of some, and ignores the prayers of others?
    That don't seem exactly square -- I know all men are brothers.

    Or does he randomly reply, without good rhyme or reason?
    Maybe, it's the time of day, the weather or the season.

    Now I ain't trying to act smart, it's just the way I feel.
    And I was wonderin', could you tell me -- what the heck's the deal?

    Peter listened very patiently and when Jake was done.
    There were smiles of recognition and he said, So, you're the one!

    That day your truck, it wouldn't start, and you sent your prayer a flying,
    You gave us all a real bad time, with hundreds of us a trying.

    A thousand angels rushed to check the status of your file.
    But you know, Jake, we hadn't heard from you in quite a while.

    And though all prayers are answered, and God ain't got no quota,
    He didn't recognize your voice, and started a truck in North Dakota

(Top)    (Back to Study Home Page)   (Back to Sermons for 2005-2006)
(Back to Sermons Home Page)   (Back to Shultz Home Page)

    1. Peter believes that he is knowledgeable, when he is ignorant.

      1. He does not fully understand the teachings and intentions of Jesus

    When Jeffrey Wisdom's daughter was younger he thought it would be a good idea to build her a swing set. (3)

    This is what he writes:

    I closed off the garage, spread out the hardware, unfolded the instructions, and got ready to build. After building the swing set, I stood it upright to move it outside. When I raised the garage door, I saw a problem. The swing was too tall to clear the door. I had to take the set completely apart and move it outside.

    Without reading the instructions to my daughter's swing set, I found myself completely lost and unprepared to do the job correctly. Likewise, the Parable of the Virgins offers a glimpse into what happens when you want to live your life your way, instead of waiting for God to properly prepare you for what comes next.

    Outdoors, I looked at the instructions and again put the swing set together. When I finished, I could not attach the hardware for the seats, rocking horse or slide--I had built the swing set upside down. I had to take it apart for a second time and reassemble it. The third time I read the instructions ....

      1. He is ignorant of the condition of his life that is not all that it's cracked up to be.

    1. Peter has his opportunity but he sleeps it away.

      1. He does not recognize the line between good and evil.

    Dr. David Kundtz, in Stopping, writes: (4)

    When I was a boy, my brother and I would listen to The Shadow on the radio. The part of the program that I remember vividly is the beginning with the scary music and a man's deep, sinister voice asking, What evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows! The voice would trail off in menacing and foreboding laughter. It scared us. It still scares people. What indeed does my Shadow know? Do I also know it? Will it surprise and scare me? What if I can't handle it? That's where courage comes in.

    Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Russian dissident and novelist, said, If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. That includes mine and yours. If we could have the courage to embrace our scary shadows, we would thereby take a giant leap to heal our deep and lasting pain...

    M. Scott Peck, speaking of evil in The Road Less Traveled and Beyond, says, the central defect of evil is not the sin but the refusal to acknowledge it. The refusal to acknowledge our dark tendencies is the central defect, not the dark tendencies. As Solzhenitsyn said, those tendencies are always with us; both good and evil are in all our hearts. Only when I can acknowledge all parts of me, can I move from childhood to maturity, from isolation to community, and from running and cowering to peace and equanimity.

      1. Could you not watch with me for one hour.

      2. The spirit is willing.

        1. The spirit is the rational soul, but in this case with added ingredients.

        2. What is added is the Holy Spirit is who is willing to empower the individual to accomplish more that one can individually.

          1. Spirit: ðíå™ìá, pneum, pnyoo'-mah

    From Strong's G4154; a current of air, that is, breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively a spirit, that is, (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, daemon, or (divine) God, Christ's spirit, the Holy spirit:--ghost, life, spirit (-ual, -ually), mind. Compare G5590.

      1. The flesh is weak.

        1. Flesh is not flesh like the flesh of an animal.

        2. Flesh refers to human nature, the carnal nature, the sinful nature with all its frailties.

          1. Flesh: óÜñî, sarx, sarx

    Probably from the base of Strong's G4563; flesh (as stripped of the skin), that is, (strictly) the meat of an animal (as food), or (by extension) the body (as opposed to the soul (or spirit), or as the symbol of what is external, or as the means of kindred, or (by implication) human nature (with its frailties (physically or morally) and passions), or (specifically) a human being (as such):--carnal (-ly, + -ly minded), flesh ([-ly]).

(Top)    (Back to Study Home Page)   (Back to Sermons for 2005-2006)
(Back to Sermons Home Page)   (Back to Shultz Home Page)

  1. Peter believes that he is brave, but he is a coward.

    1. He is afraid.

    2. In their book, The Aladdin Factor, authors Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen (best-selling authors of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series), devote their entire book to the importance of asking for what we want in life. They list five barriers to asking: (5)

        1. Ignorance

        2. Limiting and inaccurate beliefs

        3. Fear

          1. Fear of rejection

          2. Fear of looking stupid

          3. Fear of being powerless

          4. Fear of humiliation

          5. Fear of punishment

          6. Fear of abandonment

          7. Fear of endless obligation

        4. Low self-esteem

        5. Pride.

  2. If he had not slept, he might have had enough spirit to overcome the temptations of the flesh.

    1. Peter learns the hard way.

      1. This is the way of most of life.

      2. Why do we need to learn the hard way when there is sufficient knowledge and examples to help us find a better way?

      3. He did it! He said that he wouldn't, but he did. What if he had been prepared? Would it still have happened? Is there an answer?

      4. Do we have our answer?

      5. Peter serves as an excellent example, not only of desertion and betrayal, but also of forgiveness and restoration.

(Top)    (Back to Study Home Page)   (Back to Sermons for 2005-2006)
(Back to Sermons Home Page)   (Back to Shultz Home Page)

CONCLUSION

  1. On November 25, 2005, Hollywood film star, Pat Morita, died at the age of 73. He was best known for his portrayal of Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid for which he garnered an Oscar nomination.

The Karate Kid is about a teenager who feels alone and unprotected in the hostile environment of his school and community. He is scared--unable to defend himself against the hoodlums of his neighborhood. He is afraid.

It happens that the lad--whose name is Daniel--meets an old man, Mr. Miyagi, who has a black belt in karate--and the old man agrees that he will teach him what he knows so that he can protect himself.

On the first day of his lessons the old man asks Daniel to wax and polish several old cars that he owns--wax on--wax off. All day the lad labors to follow these instructions: wax on--wax off.

On the second day the old man asks the boy to paint his fence--paint up--paint down. Again it takes all day.

On the third day the old man asks him to sand the wooden floor of his verandah in a circular fashion, and again it takes all day.

At the end of the third day the boy is very angry--"I've done all this work for you," he says, "and you still haven't taught me anything."

At this point the master tells Daniel to stand in front of him and do the motion for wax on--wax off--and lo--as he does this--the master makes to hit him--and his blows are deflected by the boy's arms.

The boy's work for Mr. Miyagi--his obedience--has made him ready for his first lesson in how to face danger; it has prepared him for the lessons, and the dangers, to follow.

  1. So here we are

    1. The blurb for this sermon reads: "He did it! He said that he wouldn't, but he did. What if he had been prepared? Would it still have happened? Is there an answer"

    2. What if Peter had watched and prayed

  2. Jesus came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, "So, could you not stay awake with me one hour?

    1. Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.

    2. Peter probably would not have deserted Jesus.

  3. Does this work for you and me?

    1. You bet it does!

    2. Watch, pray, and work.

Amen!

1. Mikey's Funnies is brought to you by...Mike Atkinson @ http://www.uneekNet.com

2. Interview of Kirk Douglas by Graham Fuller, The not-so-rough-cut, Interview, January 2000, 47.

3. Jeffrey Wisdom, "Do-it-yourself faith," January 14, 2005, Biblical Recorder Web Site, biblicalrecorder.org.

4. Dr. David Kundtz, Stopping (Berkeley: Conari Press, 1998), 156.

5. Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, The Aladdin Factor (New York: Berkley Books, 1995).

(Top)    (Back to Study Home Page)   (Back to Sermons for 2005-2006)
(Back to Sermons Home Page)   (Back to Shultz Home Page)