By Gobel Brockman
We've all seen that famous game show moment: the music is playing, the fans are cheering wildly, and then the announcer says someone's name, followed by those famous words – "Come on down! You're the next contestant...." But by the end of the show, a sad thing happens: the camera pans over three individuals - applauding but sadly smiling - who are then assigned a horrible name:
"Contestants not appearing on stage."
These not–so-lucky people, who have spent the last hour watching others win cars, vacations, and experience the unimaginable joy of playing Plinko, are then told that they have won such fabulous prizes as electric nose hair trimmers and Rice-A-Roni, "The San Fransisco Treat." Something just doesn't seem fair about that.
Have you ever felt like one of those unfortunate three? Do you ever feel like life has left you behind while you watch others enjoy successes and garner all of the attention? I think that's an easy trap to fall into. We all want to feel like we're accomplishing something in life. I think everyone likes to be noticed and appreciated for what they do. However, life sometimes just doesn't happen like that. Sometimes it may seem like we put in all of the sweat, effort, and elbow grease, while someone else who seemingly barely lifted a finger gets all of the praise.
When I think of this, I am reminded of something I heard someone say in church years ago. He said that during his time of serving in the Navy he worked in the boiler room of the ship. He stated that his work was hard, hot, sweaty, and very dirty and grimy. He never got any attention or praise for it. He rarely got pats on the back or "Good job, sailor!" from his superiors. But he said one day a thought dawned on him: "If I didn't do my job, the guys up on deck who get all of the praise would not be able to do theirs either." He said he knew that the people who enjoyed "Top Gun" would never go see a movie called "Top Boiler Man", but he also knew that the success of the "Top Gun" crew was partially dependent upon him being successful at his job.
I said all of that to simply say this – never underestimate your contributions to the work of God. No, your name may never be in lights. No one will probably ever ask for your autograph. Maybe you won't even get the appreciation that you actually deserve. But we all need to know that in each one of our cases, God only made one of us, and only we can do what God made us to do. If your gifts and calling don't get you public notice, don't sweat that. Know that without your contribution, the task might not get done. As you've heard me say before, God uses some people to feed the hungry, and he uses others to put food in the hands and gas in the tanks of those who are going and feeding them. Both are necessary.
YOU are necessary.
So take heart, do your best at whatever God has given you to do, and realize that you are really doing it for the Lord Himself and not for the applause of man. Remember that the greatest praise we'll ever receive is when we hear our Father say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." And look on the bright side – being on stage can actually be quite dangerous. The ones who do make it onstage usually have people all over America screaming at them through their TVs because they don't know the right price of that jukebox they're trying to win. At least the "Contestants not appearing on stage" can eat their Rice-A-Roni in peace.
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Have a Merry and Merciful Christmas
By Gobel Brockman
Everyone has their own childhood Christmas memories. Sadly, I know that some people's memories aren't very pleasant. Mine would fall under the category of "normal but good." My parents weren't overly fond over the whole 'commercialization of Christmas' but they still always tried to get me the presents I wanted – as long as they were reasonable. The thing is, they didn't have to – it wasn't my birthday. But parents love giving gifts to their children. As a parent (and a grandparent) I know the absolute joy of giving good gifts to your children.
There's a verse of Scripture in the book of James that we may not consider to be part of the Christmas story, but I think it's appropriate: "Mercy triumphs over judgment." That babe in a manger was a perfect picture of that. Mankind had fallen into sin in the garden of Eden and rebelled against God. As a result, we were separated from Him. Judgment was our destination, because a holy God must judge sin. God didn't have to give us a gift, but His love demanded it, because love has to act. That baby in a manger wasn't there so that we could put lights on our houses and presents under our trees, He was there because "mercy triumphs over judgment." He was there to show us all His goodness.
But we need to remember that the story of Christmas isn't about us, it's about Jesus. It's about God's love and compassion. It's about mercy triumphing over judgement. More than that, it's about God's glory. If you'll remember, when the angels appeared to announce His birth, one of the first thing they said was "Glory to God in the highest." God's glory can be seen as His nature and character revealed to us and through us.
Simply put, Christmas is a great time to spend with family and friends. It's a great time to express love to those in your life. But I encourage us all to also look at Christmas as the perfect example of mercy triumphing over judgment - and to remember that it's a gift He didn't have to give. This would also be a good time for me to give you the entire verse I've been quoting in James: "For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgement." Christmas is also a time to remember that as God has been merciful to us, He requires us to share that mercy with others. I encourage you to take a moment and read Matthew 18:21-35 for a great picture of that.
I do hope and pray that all of you have a fantastic Christmas. May the glory of God and the love of Jesus Christ be evident in your lives. May God bless you all.
Everyone has their own childhood Christmas memories. Sadly, I know that some people's memories aren't very pleasant. Mine would fall under the category of "normal but good." My parents weren't overly fond over the whole 'commercialization of Christmas' but they still always tried to get me the presents I wanted – as long as they were reasonable. The thing is, they didn't have to – it wasn't my birthday. But parents love giving gifts to their children. As a parent (and a grandparent) I know the absolute joy of giving good gifts to your children.
There's a verse of Scripture in the book of James that we may not consider to be part of the Christmas story, but I think it's appropriate: "Mercy triumphs over judgment." That babe in a manger was a perfect picture of that. Mankind had fallen into sin in the garden of Eden and rebelled against God. As a result, we were separated from Him. Judgment was our destination, because a holy God must judge sin. God didn't have to give us a gift, but His love demanded it, because love has to act. That baby in a manger wasn't there so that we could put lights on our houses and presents under our trees, He was there because "mercy triumphs over judgment." He was there to show us all His goodness.
But we need to remember that the story of Christmas isn't about us, it's about Jesus. It's about God's love and compassion. It's about mercy triumphing over judgement. More than that, it's about God's glory. If you'll remember, when the angels appeared to announce His birth, one of the first thing they said was "Glory to God in the highest." God's glory can be seen as His nature and character revealed to us and through us.
Simply put, Christmas is a great time to spend with family and friends. It's a great time to express love to those in your life. But I encourage us all to also look at Christmas as the perfect example of mercy triumphing over judgment - and to remember that it's a gift He didn't have to give. This would also be a good time for me to give you the entire verse I've been quoting in James: "For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgement." Christmas is also a time to remember that as God has been merciful to us, He requires us to share that mercy with others. I encourage you to take a moment and read Matthew 18:21-35 for a great picture of that.
I do hope and pray that all of you have a fantastic Christmas. May the glory of God and the love of Jesus Christ be evident in your lives. May God bless you all.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Finding a Sermon In BBQ Sauce
By Gobel Brockman
Most of you that know me know that I've been a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL for most of my life. In fact, my son and I, both life-long Hoosiers, are season ticket holders for the Chiefs. We usually go to 2 games a year and sell the other tickets. The reason I mention it is because a couple of years ago, after a rather disastrous season, the Chiefs gave all of their season ticket holders a free replica jersey, personalized with the number and name of your choice (thankfully they even offered them in my size.) I've worn mine to every game we've went to since. On our last trip there, we went to a BBQ place the day before the game, as you DO NOT go to Kansas City and NOT get BBQ. The bad thing is, BBQ can be quite messy - not a good thing when you're wearing your favorite jersey. Sure enough, I dribbled some sauce on the "1" of my #14 Ed Podolak jersey. (Sorry, Mr. Podolak.)
The reason I'm telling you this (and yes, there is a reason) is that when I got home, I treated the stain as directed by the label and washed the jersey. (I first tried to "shout it out" but soon realized that's just a slogan.) When I took it out of the washer, I looked carefully at the "1" to see if the stain was there. I couldn't see it, but I kept looking closer and closer just to be sure, as if I couldn't believe my KC jersey was no longer tainted by KC sauce, when a thought finally hit me:
If you have to look that close to see the stain, the stain's no longer there.
That immediately got me to thinking of what I consider to be one of the greatest verses in the Bible, Psalm 103:12 - "As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us." What a great, undeserved promise. Look at a globe, start at the North Pole, look down and you're going south. Once you hit Antarctica and continue, you begin going north. But if you look at the middle of the globe and start going east, you'll never keep going the same direction and start going west. THAT'S how far God says He removes our sins from us. Talk about a "stain remover."
I don't know about you, but there have been many "stains" in my life. Before I committed my life to Christ, my biggest concern in life was where my next beer, joint, or tab of LSD was coming from. I was an absolute mess, But God took those sins - those "stains" - and removed them "as far as the east is from the west." I am free from the guilt of those transgressions. Since committing my life to Christ, I have failed Him many times over the years. But as I have confessed and repented of those things, God's grace has yet again given me freedom from condemnation. That same gift is available to YOU.
But we must remember that it came at an unimaginable cost - the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. He had to lay down His life so that we could have ours - or more specifically, that we could begin to have our lives in Him. Here in this Christmas season it's good to remind ourselves of His real reason for coming - to suffer God's wrath for sin on our behalf. In the words of a great old hymn:
There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Emmanuel's veins
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains
If there is sin in your life, I offer you hope. Jesus is there to remove your sins as far as the east is from the west. That means they're gone. You do not have to live in guilt and condemnation, because the price has already been paid. As Jesus said in John chapter 8, "Whom the Son has set free is free indeed." Confess your sins, repent (turn away) from them, and allow His forgiveness to make you free indeed.
(And if you get BBQ sauce on your clothes, read and follow all label directions carefully.)
Most of you that know me know that I've been a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL for most of my life. In fact, my son and I, both life-long Hoosiers, are season ticket holders for the Chiefs. We usually go to 2 games a year and sell the other tickets. The reason I mention it is because a couple of years ago, after a rather disastrous season, the Chiefs gave all of their season ticket holders a free replica jersey, personalized with the number and name of your choice (thankfully they even offered them in my size.) I've worn mine to every game we've went to since. On our last trip there, we went to a BBQ place the day before the game, as you DO NOT go to Kansas City and NOT get BBQ. The bad thing is, BBQ can be quite messy - not a good thing when you're wearing your favorite jersey. Sure enough, I dribbled some sauce on the "1" of my #14 Ed Podolak jersey. (Sorry, Mr. Podolak.)
The reason I'm telling you this (and yes, there is a reason) is that when I got home, I treated the stain as directed by the label and washed the jersey. (I first tried to "shout it out" but soon realized that's just a slogan.) When I took it out of the washer, I looked carefully at the "1" to see if the stain was there. I couldn't see it, but I kept looking closer and closer just to be sure, as if I couldn't believe my KC jersey was no longer tainted by KC sauce, when a thought finally hit me:
If you have to look that close to see the stain, the stain's no longer there.
That immediately got me to thinking of what I consider to be one of the greatest verses in the Bible, Psalm 103:12 - "As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us." What a great, undeserved promise. Look at a globe, start at the North Pole, look down and you're going south. Once you hit Antarctica and continue, you begin going north. But if you look at the middle of the globe and start going east, you'll never keep going the same direction and start going west. THAT'S how far God says He removes our sins from us. Talk about a "stain remover."
I don't know about you, but there have been many "stains" in my life. Before I committed my life to Christ, my biggest concern in life was where my next beer, joint, or tab of LSD was coming from. I was an absolute mess, But God took those sins - those "stains" - and removed them "as far as the east is from the west." I am free from the guilt of those transgressions. Since committing my life to Christ, I have failed Him many times over the years. But as I have confessed and repented of those things, God's grace has yet again given me freedom from condemnation. That same gift is available to YOU.
But we must remember that it came at an unimaginable cost - the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. He had to lay down His life so that we could have ours - or more specifically, that we could begin to have our lives in Him. Here in this Christmas season it's good to remind ourselves of His real reason for coming - to suffer God's wrath for sin on our behalf. In the words of a great old hymn:
There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Emmanuel's veins
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains
If there is sin in your life, I offer you hope. Jesus is there to remove your sins as far as the east is from the west. That means they're gone. You do not have to live in guilt and condemnation, because the price has already been paid. As Jesus said in John chapter 8, "Whom the Son has set free is free indeed." Confess your sins, repent (turn away) from them, and allow His forgiveness to make you free indeed.
(And if you get BBQ sauce on your clothes, read and follow all label directions carefully.)
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Is It Really a Wonderful Life?
By Gobel Brockman
I begin this week by telling you a couple of things that you may find hard to believe:
1) I was in my 40's before I saw "It's a Wonderful Life" for the first time.
2) I actually consider it to be one of the most depressing movies I've ever seen. (I'm prepared for the dissenting opinions on point #2.)
Yes, the ending is great, with a wonderful (pun intended) conclusion. However, getting to that conclusion was an absolute labor. I watched as George Bailey continually had his hopes dashed and his dreams shattered, to the point that he was ready to give up on life itself. He had his plans for the future crushed while simultaneously having to do battle with the evil Henry F. Potter. No matter how hard he tried to do the right thing, wrong seemed to be his constant reward.
As I thought about that I was reminded of what the apostle Paul said in I Corinthians 15:19 - "If it's in this life only that we have hope in Christ Jesus, we are of all men most miserable." Before you judge Paul too hastily for saying that, consider his life: he was stoned, beaten, shipwrecked, falsely accused, lost at sea, and suffered many other distresses. And for what? Being a minister of the gospel of Jesus. He went around trying to speak life into people and constantly faced death as his reward.
I dare say that most of us haven't faced death for our faith, but have you ever felt like the harder you tried to do the right thing, the harder things got? Which may lead to the question, "Why do the right thing at all? Why live for Jesus if life is going to be one constant battle?" The psalmist David addressed this in Psalm 37 when he said:
"Fret not yourself because of evil doers, and do not be envious of those who do wrong, for as the grass withers, they will fade away. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness."
The point is pretty simple: we do the right thing because it's the right thing to do.
Yes, being a Christian can be a struggle. We face opposition both from the physical world we can see and the spiritual world we cannot. Just like George Bailey, we sometimes suffer in the midst of trying to do good. But the Bible says in Hebrews that Jesus endured the cross because of "the joy that was set before Him." Brothers and sisters in Christ, there is joy set before us. We have the hope of being with Christ in the future, and the promise that nothing can separate us from Him. Not only that, but we have the promise that He is with us in the now. His peace, His joy, and His strength is much greater than any problems we may face. We can have "peace that passes understanding" and face our trials with expectant joy that our God is with us. As the evening news continually tries to scare us, the "good news" that we have believed in can give us hope and security that in Jesus, all is well.
I'm glad George Bailey found out that it really is a wonderful life. In Christ, so can you.
Yes, being a Christian can be a struggle. We face opposition both from the physical world we can see and the spiritual world we cannot. Just like George Bailey, we sometimes suffer in the midst of trying to do good. But the Bible says in Hebrews that Jesus endured the cross because of "the joy that was set before Him." Brothers and sisters in Christ, there is joy set before us. We have the hope of being with Christ in the future, and the promise that nothing can separate us from Him. Not only that, but we have the promise that He is with us in the now. His peace, His joy, and His strength is much greater than any problems we may face. We can have "peace that passes understanding" and face our trials with expectant joy that our God is with us. As the evening news continually tries to scare us, the "good news" that we have believed in can give us hope and security that in Jesus, all is well.
I'm glad George Bailey found out that it really is a wonderful life. In Christ, so can you.
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