Building A Better Life – Withstanding the Winds pt. 2
All Scripture reference taken from the New Living Translation
We are completing our series titled, “Building A Better Life.”
Last week we looked at what the process of starting over looks like and some of the things we can expect when we are serious about a reset in life.
Today, we are going to look at another part of the process to building a better life…
Because here’s the deal… After starting over, we need to expect distractions…
Expect opposition… Expect unnecessary change… Let’s call these the winds of life…
How do we withstand the winds of life?
Wind can be a powerful force… Winds can cause damage… They can knock us off balance… Blow us off course… Wear us down… Winds can force us to change direction… Wind is a force we need to be ready for and able to stand against!
Once we do a reset in life and things are turning around for the better
How do we mange the unexpected things that come our way… How do we handle the storms of life…
How do we withstand the winds that wreak havoc?
Proverbs 10:25: “When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation.”
What we talked about last week is how we build a lasting foundation…
The Bible often uses storms and winds as metaphors… And in some cases literal storms and winds to make a point…
Before we get into this, my question for all of us to ask ourselves is this…
What kind of winds are blowing in my life right now?
Winds of change? Winds of temptation? Conflict, trouble? Winds of opposition? Physical, mental, emotional, spiritual… financial troubles? Are they uncontrollable?
Relational, marital, job related… The list could on…
To withstand means to stand strong in the face of opposition… Can we withstand the storm? Can we withstand what we’re going through…
Can we withstand what appears to be blowing us off course… And what is the best source of strength to help us withstand the winds?
Ephesians 4:11-15: “11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.”
There is a lot to unpack in this passage, but for the sake of time, what we are told here is that Jesus has appointed leadership positions in the church…
And these leaders all function in certain areas… I believe a person can function in just one, two, or all five roles as the Holy Spirit sees fit…
And then there are other roles each person in the church fills for the body of Christ to function as it should: 1 Corinthians 12: “1Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this. 2 You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols. 3 So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice[b]; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.[c]9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages,[d] while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. 12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles,[e] some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.[f]
14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?
18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” 22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 28 Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:
first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who have the gift of leadership,
those who speak in unknown languages.
29 Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? 30 Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! 31 So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.
But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.”
All this is so we can do the things Jesus has called us to do within the church, that fulfill what is needed for His church to function in a healthy manner…
But look at verse 12… The responsibility of these leaders is to equip God’s people and build up the church (Equip the saints and build up the church) …
Since we’re talking about building a better life, and standing strong in the face of opposition…
Isn’t it nice to know Jesus as anointed people with the gifts to equip others and build others up with the wisdom, the tools, the resources, and the help needed to stand strong in life?
How are we built up as followers of Jesus? Together… We build each other up as we do life together…
As we are built up, we take what we learn and build others up… So that we can do the work Jesus has called us to do as a healthy church body!
But most importantly, the end goal is so we won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching…
Or influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth!
Twenty years ago, I tried to imagine what this day would look like, but now it appears we are living in these days… And it’s only going to get worse!
This “building up and equipping” will continue until we come to such unity in our faith that we will be mature in the Lord and no longer blown about by every wind of new teaching….
This is an ongoing process… And the point to be taken here is that God has placed people in our lives who are anointed to equip…
As well as people to do life together… So that together we build up and equip each other as we go through life together as one body… A body of believers…
Hebrews 10:24-25: “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.”
Motivating each other to do acts of love and good works is a form of building each other up.
And especially… Let us not neglect our meeting together… This is much more than just Sunday mornings…
I think Sundays are for going wide… And Bible studies are for going deep… Making connections… Building up and equipping as lasting relationships are formed…
When we stay connected to our church family and put into practice the things that we learn we will be able to withstand the winds that blow our way… The storms of life that try to blow us off course.
If we want to stay the course… If we want to stand strong… If we want to plant our feet, build our life, on solid ground…
We must stay connected to our church family and stay rooted in God’s Word!
Matthew 7:24-29: “24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” 28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.”
This was the closing statement of Jesus’ famous sermon on the mount that starts in Matthew chapter 5…
This “sermon” goes for two chapters and hits pretty much every topic a follower of Jesus needs to hear… And then He ends it with this!
When we listen to the teachings of Jesus and follow what He says… Do what He says… Apply what He says… We are building our lives on solid ground…
So that when the storms of life come… When the winds of deception come… When lies about the truth try to trick us… When we are standing in the face of opposition… When our life seems to be falling apart…
We can withstand all that comes our way… This is what Jesus is saying!
Jesus isn’t just talking about a few setbacks we may have here and there…
He says, “When you listen to My teaching and follow it, you will be like a person who builds a house on solid rock.”
Then He proceeds to tells us what happens when a house that is built on solid rock experiences storms… This house He’s talking about is our life… It’s us!
And He talks about a serious storm and the serious damage storms and winds can do… Heavy downpours of rain… Floodwaters… Winds beating against the house…
But when our house… Our life… is built on His Word, built on His teachings, the Bible, we will be able to withstand anything that comes our way… ANYTHING!!
But for those who hear Jesus’ teachings and refuse to apply His Words to their life…
They are like a foolish person whose house, whose life, will come down with a mighty crash when facing the winds and storms of life!
James 1:22-25: “22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.”
This is a key passage to being set free and blessed… Who wants to live in freedom and be blessed?
Then we must listen to what the Word of God says… Pay close attention to it… Study it… And put it to practice in our lives… By doing what it says…
If we don’t, we are only fooling ourselves that freedom will come… We are only fooling ourselves that a blessed life will be experienced…
We must be intentional… If we do what the Word of God says and don’t forget what we heard, or what we read… Then God will bless us for doing it.
This isn’t just me saying this… This is a promise from God… It’s a biblical principle!
This is how we withstand the winds of life… The storms of life!
There is a saying that a pastor that I listen to says… He says, “When going through a trial, when life gets tough, don’t tell God how great your storm is… Tell the storm how great your God is.”
There’s a story in Matthew 8:23-27 where Jesus and the disciples are in a boat on the Sea of Galilee and all of a sudden, a fierce storm comes out of nowhere with winds and waves breaking into the boat…
The disciples are panicking, and Jesus is sleeping… They wake Him up by shouting, “Lord save us! We’re going to drown!”
Jesus wakes up (C’mon guys, chill out, where is your faith?)
He gets up and rebukes the wind and waves and suddenly there was a great calm… And the disciples are amazed!
Isn’t this just like us when something rocks our world? We panic and call for Jesus…
I wonder how many times He responds to us like He did to the disciples… Where is your faith? (As He is calming the storm around us).
“Don’t tell God how great your storm is… Tell the storm how great your God is.”
I like to think that there is more to it than just a great calm the disciples are experiencing… It’s more than that… It’s a calmness surrounded by deep peace…
A deep peace that Jesus will calm the fiercest storms that we face…
And only Jesus can bring a great calm when winds and waves are rocking our world!
And then in their amazement I wonder, without saying it out loud, or actually doing it… If the disciples began to worship Jesus…
Picture this… They think they’re going to die on the lake… Jesus rebukes the storm… There is a great calmness… A deep peace felt… And they are amazed…
How could they not worship Jesus in their hearts at that moment…
I want to close with this…
Here’s the deal… Jesus is in your boat… Whatever you’re going through…
Our boat is not going to sink… The house that we build is not going to crumble…
If, and this is the key… If we stay connected to a body of believers… Allowing those who God has anointed to build us up and equip us for all that is going to come our way….
Our boat is not going to sink, and our house is not going to crumble…
If we put into practice all we learn from God’s Word… If we put into the practice the teachings Jesus has for us…
If we listen to and press into the promises God has for us in His word…
If we do this, then we will live a blessed life… Free from all the world’s bondage…
With a great calm and deep peace knowing that Jesus is in the boat with us!
I want to leave you with this prophetic passage from Psalm 107
Psalm 107:29-31: “He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves. What a blessing was that stillness as He brought them safely into harbor! Let them praise the Lord for His great love and for the wonderful things He has done for them.”
History of Labor Day (U.S. Department of Labor)
Observed the first Monday in September, Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers. The holiday is rooted in the late nineteenth century, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being.
Early Adopters
Before it was a federal holiday, Labor Day was recognized by labor activists and individual states. After municipal ordinances were passed in 1885 and 1886, a movement developed to secure state legislation. New York was the first state to introduce a bill, but Oregon was the first to pass a law recognizing Labor Day, on February 21, 1887. During 1887, four more states – Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York – passed laws creating a Labor Day holiday. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday, and on June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday.
McGuire v. Maguire: Who Founded Labor Day?
Who first proposed the holiday for workers? It’s not entirely clear, but two workers can make a solid claim to the Founder of Labor Day title. Some records show that in 1882, Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, suggested setting aside a day for a “general holiday for the laboring classes” to honor those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.”
But Peter McGuire’s place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that machinist Matthew Maguire, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday.
Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, New Jersey, proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York.
According to the New Jersey Historical Society, after President Cleveland signed the law creating a national Labor Day, the Paterson Morning Call published an opinion piece stating that “the souvenir pen should go to Alderman Matthew Maguire of this city, who is the undisputed author of Labor Day as a holiday.” Both Maguire and McGuire attended the country’s first Labor Day parade in New York City that year.
The First Labor Day
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.
By 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday, and on June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a law making the first Monday in September of each year a national holiday.
A Nationwide Holiday
Many Americans celebrate Labor Day with parades and parties – festivities very similar to those outlined by the first proposal for a holiday, which suggested that the day should be observed with – a street parade to exhibit “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations” of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day.
Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.
American labor has raised the nation’s standard of living and contributed to the greatest production the world has ever known and the labor movement has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pays tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation’s strength, freedom, and leadership – the American worker.
Christ, Our Rest
(Taken from Bible & Theology, “The Story of Ruth and the Secret to Rest”, 12/22/20; David Schuman)
Jesus Christ is the promised redeemer, the true Servant of the Lord, whose costly marriage to his people—a marriage that cost him his life—restores our life and brings us rest. He gives us rest from our sin and striving, and he welcomes us into the security of his family.
Jesus Christ is the promised redeemer, the true Servant of the Lord, whose costly marriage to his people—a marriage that cost him his life—restores our life and brings us rest.
One day he will also remove every trial from our lives. He will transform our weak and weary bodies into new, glorious bodies. He will satisfy all our deepest needs and desires.
If you trust in him, you can experience rest even now. If you place your confidence not in your own ability to control your life, but in this Redeemer—if you seek peace not in your circumstances, but in this Redeemer—then you can sleep at night no matter what the day ahead has in store, because your Redeemer has given you rest.
As the psalmist says, “Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you” (Ps. 116:7).
