I do not want to talk about it!

2 Corinthians 4: 7- 10; Mark 6: 1- 11
July 9, 2006
The Rev. Kong Namkung

A cat was trapped in a deep hole and Firemen came and rescued the cat. The owner of the cat was so grateful that she invited them all in for cookies and milk. When it was over, they backed down the driveway, waved their goodbyes. . . and ran over the cat.

Here is another joke.  Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary were driving through a city in the northeast and noticed they were low on gas.  They pulled over at the first exit and came to a dumpy little gas station with one pump.  There was just one attendant working at the place, and as he began to pump the gas, the President went to the bathroom.  Then it happened.  Obviously the gas station attendant and Hillary recognized each other.  They began to talk and laugh and were having a very good conversation when the president came out of the bathroom.  He was surprised and this embarrassed the attendant.   The attendant walked away, pretending that nothing had happened.  The president followed him, paid for the gas and as they pulled out of that seedy little service station, he asked Hillary how it was that she knew that attendant and what they were talking about.  She told him that they had known each other in high school, in fact they had been high school sweethearts and had dated rather seriously for about a year during her first year in college.  Well, the President could not help bragging a little and he said, “Boy, were you lucky I came along, because if you had married him, you would be the wife of a gas station attendant instead of the wife of the President of the United States.”  Hillary replied, “My dear, if I had married him, you would be the gas attendant and he would be the President of the United States.

I am sure that the President does not talk about it any more.  You and I have some things that we do not want to talk about it.  We hide them under the ground and we do not want to bring it out.  Most of us have family secrets. 

One thing that I do not want to talk about is my failure to go to college.  I thought I could go to one of the best universities in Korea because I made good grades.  However, I failed to go to college. I failed!  The disappointment and frustration began to appear by smoking two packs of cigarettes a day and drinking, and fighting on the street.  I did not know how to handle my failure.  How a person handles failure can mean the difference between living a life of victory or living a life filled with bitterness, hostility and anger.

When you go through failures what are your first questions? “Why are people doing this to me?” “Why is God allowing this to happen to me?” Or you may think: “I have been keeping my prayer life up to date and I have been walking with the Lord and have been obedient to His Word, so why should this happen to me now?” Better questions to ask might be: “What can I learn through this experience?” “What is God teaching me through this failure?”

I do not want to talk about my failure any more, but I want to talk about failure.

1.      Failure is universal.     

In today’s gospel lesson, Jesus experienced failure. Mark 6:1-6 is an account where Jesus experienced failure from a human point of view. “He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith.”   From the world’s view Jesus was a failure. He didn’t set up an earthly Kingdom and bring peace on earth. He died on a cruel cross and was rejected by the religious and non-religious leaders of his day.

The same Jesus teaches his disciples that not all people will accept the gospel.  In other words, there will be a time that you fail.  “If any place will not welcome you or listen to you.”  (Mark 6:11)  Do not forget failure is universal.

2.      Believe that failure is not final.   

Thomas Edison said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize
how close they were to success when they gave up.” 

Proverbs 24:16, “For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.”

George Washington lost 2/3 of all the battles he fought during the American Revolution, but eventually won the war and became the first President of the United States.

Napoleon graduated 42nd in a class of 43 students. Brilliant! Then he went out and conquered Europe. Failure doesn’t have to be final.

Billy Graham said that when he was asked to preach his first sermon, he had 4 sermons prepared and he was so nervous he preached all four of them in under 10 minutes. Can you imagine if Billy Graham had said, “You know, I’m just not cut out for this. I don’t want to endure that kind of embarrassment again?” The world would have missed one of the greatest preachers of all time. Failure doesn’t have to be final. 

The late novelist, John Gardner said, “One of the reasons why mature people stop growing and learning is that they become less and less willing to risk failure.”

Failure is not the worst thing that can happen and the worst thing is to quit everything. 

3.      Acknowledge your failure. 

Michael Jordan did a basketball commercial where he walks in the arena and the people are chanting, “Michael! Michael!” He says, “I’ve missed 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and I have missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life.” Then he says, “That’s why I succeed.” Michael Jordan didn’t focus on his failures he focused on his strengths.

Peter acknowledged his failure. A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times." (Mark 14:72)

Many people never recover from failure, because they don’t want to admit that failure has happened. Peter remembered what Jesus had said. He realized what he had done, and knew it wasn’t right.   When you fail, wicked forces will try to tell you, “What you did is not wrong.”

4. Make an apology.  We should be sorry to God, others, and ourselves.  “So Peter went out and wept bitterly.” (Luke 22:62)   Peter had the right reaction.

When you fail, again the wicked forces will try to tell you, “It was wrong, but it’s no big deal.”

5. Have faith that God still loves you.

If you fail in your marriage, finance, health, fidelity, your responsibilities as patents, Satan will try to tell you, “God doesn’t love you any more.”  I have seen many people, who left the body of Christ, because of their failure in marriage. 

A children’s story tells about an old goat who fell down a well. They couldn’t get the goat (who was still alive) out, so they decided to simply fill the well in. They began to shovel dirt down the well. They got almost to the top, and suddenly, the goat jumped out of the well. The goat had simply stayed on top of the dirt as they shoveled it down. The moral of the story: When you get dirt on you, shake it off, and step up.

6. Commit yourself to follow Jesus.

Jesus said to him, "If I want him to remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me." (John 21:19,21-22)

If you fail, Satan will try to tell you: It’s no use trying again.

7. Know that God is Interested in How You Respond to Failure.

What you call failure God may call a window of opportunity for learning. In times of failure and change:

• You may be given a new opportunity
• A new open door
• A chance to more out of your comfort Zone
• Respond in love and good will

Do NOT respond in:

1. Anger --”I’ll get you”
2. Revenge – “God, cause that person grief”
3. Gossip – “poor me, pity me, look what happened to me”
 

Jesus was spit upon, beaten, suffered pain, crucified on a cruel cross, but he did not retaliate. He said: “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”

Here is the poem about concerning what God’s people prayed for and how God answered:

I asked for health that I might do greater things;
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked God for strength that I might achieve;
I was made weak that I might learn to obey.
I asked for riches that I might be happy;
I was given poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power and the praise of men;
I was given weakness to sense my need of God.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life;
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing I asked for but everything I hoped for;
In spite of myself, my prayers were answered—
I am among all men most richly blessed.

On New Year’s Day, the year of 1929, Georgia Tech played University of California in the Rose Bowl. In that game a man named Roy Riegels recovered a fumble for California. Somehow, he became confused and started running 65 yards in the wrong direction. One of his teammates, Benny Lom, outdistanced him and downed him just before he scored for the opposing team. When California attempted to punt, Tech blocked the kick and scored a safety, which was the ultimate margin of victory.

That strange play came in the first half, and everyone who was watching the game was asking the same question: "What will Coach Nibbs Price do with Roy Riegels in the second half?" The men filed off the field and went into the dressing room. They sat down on the benches and on the floor, all but Riegels. He put his blanket around his shoulders, sat down in a corner, put his face in his hands, and cried like a baby. If you have played football, you know that a coach usually has a great deal to say to his team during half time. That day Coach Price was quiet. No doubt he was trying to decide what to do with Riegels. Then the timekeeper came in and announced that there were three minutes before playing time. Coach Price looked at the team and said simply, "Men the same team that played the first half will start the second." The players got up and started out, all but Riegels. He did not budge. The coach looked back and called to him again; still he didn’t move. Coach Price went over to where Riegels sat and said, "Roy, didn’t you hear me? The same team that played the first half will start the second." Then Roy Riegels looked up and his cheeks were wet with a strong man’s tears. "Coach," he said, "I can’t do it to save my life. I’ve ruined you, I’ve ruined the University of California, I’ve ruined myself. I couldn’t face that crowd in the stadium to save my life." Then Coach Price reached out and put his hand on Riegel’s shoulder and said to him: "Roy, get up and go on back; the game is only half over." And Roy Riegels went back, and those Tech men will tell you that they have never seen a man play football as Roy Riegels played that second half.

If you have failed, and you feel like you’re sitting at halftime with your head in your hands, you cry bitterly.  But there is a great Coach, Jesus, who is leaning over you. And he’s saying, “The game is only half over. . . go on back out there!”

How you handle failure is critical to your life today and in the future. A common truth is that everyone experiences some kind of failure and change. To God the important truth is how you respond to failure and change. Failure is a blessing if it pushes you to humble yourself before the Lord and begin to live in the light of eternity.  You might have some spiritual failures. God wants to do so much in your life, but He won’t if you don’t allow Him. You might be afraid of committing your life to Jesus Christ. Maybe you’re even thinking, “If I commit my life to Christ, I’ll probably blow it and fail.” Guess what? You will. But your eternity doesn’t depend on you. It depends on what Jesus has done for you. The only failure that is complete is when we fail to respond to God’s love. If you’ve never responded to the love of Jesus Christ, I invite you to do that today by placing your faith in Him as your Savior from sin. You might be afraid of committing to this church. Maybe you’re afraid to commit to membership, or a life group, or a ministry. You know, you can miss God’s blessings in your life if you allow fear to control you. You can’t play it safe and please God.  Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Amen

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2 Corinthians 4:7-10

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  NIV

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Mark 6:1-11

6:1 Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.

"Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! 3 Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.

4 Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor." 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 And he was amazed at their lack of faith.

Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7 Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.

8 These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff — no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. 10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them."  NIV

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