Pastor Wayne Cordeiro
April 6, 2003 - W0314

Sometimes the reality of life is locked behind closed doors because we donít want to struggle with it in public. We never hear people thanking God when we fail.  In fact, many of us have learned to win well, but have never learned how to fail very well. 

On the other hand itís easy to praise God when everything is going great and weíre on top of the mountain.  Thatís when our talents are highlighted.  However, what happens when youíre struggling with failure or persecution?  It is when you are struggling in the depths of the valley that your spirit is revealed.  And thatís what God wants to get to because thatís the reality of life.  Thatís where life is really lived, not on top of the mountain.  Rather it is when we are struggling in the valleys. 

Q1:  Do you reveal a positive or negative spirit when faced with adversity?

 ìAnd he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; for it is written, ìHe will give His angels charge concerning You to guard You,î and, ìOn their hands they will bear You up, lest You strike Your foot against a stone.îí  And Jesus answered and said to him, ëIt is said, ìYou shall not put the Lord your God to the testîí (Luke4: 9-12).

Jesus came to a struggling point in His life too when He was taken out into the desert and tempted by the devil.  The devil even pushed Jesus to the edge of a cliff hoping He would jump.  The devil tried to test His faith in God.  Instead, it was during this time that Jesusí true spirit was revealed through His endurance.

Ever been shoved to the edge in your life?  You might have thought that jumping off a cliff or running away was not that bad of an option.  Of course, we all have those moments of discouragement.  However, it is during those times that the truth of our spirit is revealed.  And sometimes, that is what God wants us to see. The Bible says in Psalms, search me oh God and know my heart.  Why?  God doesnít need to know, but He reveals to us whatís going on inside of so that we will know. 

We donít often talk about failing and how to handle that.  But we need to discuss that because how will we know which way to fall becauseÖ

1.      WE ALL HAVE AND WILL FALL.

Everyone has failed at some time in his or her life.  Itís inevitable!  ìÖfor all have sinned and fall short of the glory of Godî (Rom 3:23).  However, we need to learn what to do when we mess up.  ìMy little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin.  And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteousî (1John 2:1).

Iím so glad He is always there to help us when we fall because the devil will push you to the edge.  However, listen carefully he has no authority to push you over.  The choice to jump is yours.  In the Book of Job, the devil pushed Job to the limit and wanted to take Jobís life, but God told him that he had no authority to do so.  In the end, Jobís faith endured and he was blessed because of it. 

A lot of times we donít want to deal with the issue of failing.  Adam and Eve did the same thing when they sinned by eating the forbidden fruit.  They hid from the Lord instead of dealing with the problem and asking the Lord for help and forgiveness.  We still do the same till this day.  Have you noticed that when someone in church falls, we donít have a clue about what to do?  Thatís because we ignore it instead of facing it and helping one another.  For example, if someoneís daughter becomes pregnant, a couple gets a divorce, or someone ends up in jail, instead of helping our brothers and sisters, we talk behind closed doors.  Why, because weíre too embarrassed or ashamed.  We worry about what other people might think of our church if these skeletons fell out of the closet.  We deny these things ever happened and hide them away.   You see we donít have a problem forgetting that weíre Christians.  Our problem is forgetting that weíre human.  So thatís why we need one another.  We have to be a place of healing and not condemnation.

Q2:  Is there an incident where you sinned and denied that it ever happened?  Why did you deny it?  Explain briefly.

So because we all have and will fallÖ

?        THE QUESTION IS WHICH WAY WILL YOU FALL?

We will always mess up in life.  However, when you choose sin, you separate yourself away from God.  And thatís what the devil wants ñ to destroy your family, your life, and your future.  Someone once described hell as forever falling away from the presence of the Lord, never to return again.

ìTake care brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living Godî (Heb. 3:12).  If you donít believe that the Lord is really there to help you, youíll create an unbelieving heart and no doubt youíll go over the edge.  The Lord knows everything about us, even before we were born. Yet he forgave our sins by offering His only son. 

Some people may think that God would never accept them.  They may have done something so terrible or even worse something horrible may have happened to them.  They may feel ashamed or too unclean for God to ever accept them.  I want you to know that Jesus knows you more than you know yourself and Heís not ashamed of you.  Fall upon Him because Heíll always hold your hand.  All He wants from us is a believing heart.   I encourage you to fall upon the Lord because He is and always will be our advocate.

ìWhen he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong; because the Lord is the One who holds his handî (Ps. 37:24).  What this means is that when you fall, you will not be permanently scarred.  The pain, sorrow, and bitterness will still surface, but you wonít be permanently scarred.  On the other hand, our foolish reactions will permanently scar us. 

Once, there was a man who came into the ministry center asking for money because he and his family were homeless and living in their car.  He began grumbling to me about having to fill out forms in order to receive help.  He became angrier and louder as our conversation continued and condemned the church for not helping him.  Finally, I had to tell him that his family is fine living in the car, but they wonít be if he keeps up his negative attitude.  In the end, he threw the application on the ground, blamed us for his misfortunes, and stomped out of the center without the help he and his family needed.

We tend to get ourselves in predicaments and blame others instead of ourselves.  We will fall at times, but weíll be okay.  However, it is our own bitter attitudes that will permanently scar us.  In the case of the angry man, it is his attitude that will cause a permanent scar, not his circumstance.   Even worse, he'll scar his family in the process.  Remember that itís when we fail that we reveal our spirit.  God allows us to fail, so that we will see what really lies inside of us.

Q3:  Have you ever blamed others for your problems?  Explain one incident briefly?

We live in a society who easily blames each other for our problems or circumstances.  So not only must we choose which way we will fall, we have to be mindful ofÖ

?        ONE MAJOR CAUSE FOR TEMPTATION.

"Öno one who wants to do wrong should ever say, ëGod is tempting me.í  God is never tempted to do wrong, and He never tempts anyone else either.  Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires.  These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to deathî (James 1:13-15). 

What the Bible is saying here is that lust and desire already resides within us.  Itís just been in remission.  And thatís how the enemy gains a foothold.  He baits (tempts) us to draw those desires out to the surface. 

This reminds me of an incident on the freeway.  I was trying to merge into another lane, so I turned on my blinker, checked for clearance and proceeded into the left lane.  Little did I know that a truck was ripping down the road also trying to get into the same lane at the same time.  The truck driver had to slam on his breaks to keep from hitting my car.  He was very mad and started blaring his horn behind me, so I pulled back into the right lane to let him go.  He then pulled up to my car, rolled down his window and flipped me ìthe birdî.  Before I even thought about it, I returned the favor.  Immediately, I screamed for forgiveness to God.  God then spoke to me and helped me realize that my anger was already inside of me.  The trait to fight back was within me from the past.  Therefore, I canít blame anyone else for my actions but myself.  The other driver pushed me, but I chose to go over the edge. 

So realizing your problem is the first step.  Next you must deal with it and not lock it up again.  Donít just take Godís forgiveness and forget about the problem becauseÖ

2.     FORGIVENESS IS A MEANS, NOT AN END IN ITSELF.

Just because youíre forgiven doesnít mean you should keep committing the same sin over and over again.  Itís like those Etch-A-Sketch boards where you can erase your mistakes and start over again.  The goal is not to always end up with a blank screen.  The goal is to end up with a wonderful picture.  In the same way, forgiveness is meant to give you a clean slate so that you will end up with a beautiful picture. 

ìAnd she said, ëNo one, Lord.í  And Jesus said, ëNeither do I condemn you; go your way.  From now on sin no moreíî (John 8:11).  Jesus Christ forgave a woman who was condemned for adultery.  He gave her a clean slate and asked her to never sin again. 

Q4:  Using the incident from question #3, how could you have dealt with your problem?

So forgiveness will give us a clean slate, but not just to clear our conscious so we donít feel guilty.  Like the condemned adultress, Jesus asks to sin no more becauseÖ

?        THE GOAL IS LIKENESS.

Forgiveness is not just to come clean, but to change and transform into someone better and into His likeness.  If youíre still stumbling over the same problem year after year, then you have yet to understand the concept of forgiveness.

ìLike a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool who repeats his follyî (Prov. 26:11).  You might ask for forgiveness about cheating on your spouse or gossiping at work, but if you continue to do the same thing after the Lord has forgiven you, you are like the dog who returns to his vomit.  When you transform yourself into His likeness, you will please Him even more

ìBut we ChristiansÖcan be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord.  And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Himî (2 Cor. 3:18 LB).

We will all fall throughout our lives, but I encourage you to fall upon the Lord.  Donít let your problems make your spirit bitter and blame others.  Exchange your yoke for His and allow Him to take care of your mistakes and use them to make you more like Him.  Forgiveness is what the Cross is all about.  Itís the very reason why Jesus gave His life for us. ìFor this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.  And they began to be merryî.  Luke 15:24 When the sinner understands forgiveness, such a transformation is a reason to celebrate.  Thereís even a celebration in heaven.  So letís make it to the party! 

Q5:  What most impacted you about todayís lesson and how will you be changed because of it?

Mahalo to Christy Itamoto who is becoming more and more like HIM!