Everyone in the church is not always at the same level of reception during the preaching of the Word.  We know that everyone learns in different ways and at different paces.  However, it is easy for a preacher to become discouraged by his perceived lack of enthusiasm for the Word being brought forth. 

Consider this.  The congregation has successfully navigated another week and made it in, maybe by the skin of their teeth, to hear the Sunday morning message.   The church body goes through the motions of prayer requests, announcements, the music program, and so on.  A lot of the time they enter the church tired and beat down.  Many have physical ailments which hinder their involvement in the program.  

By the time the minister walks behind the podium with his fresh new Word from the Lord, he expects the attention and enthusiasm for the message that he has.  As the anointing flows through the speaker, he expects the anointing to miraculously stir the hearts of every believer until they arise to a heightened sense of excitement.  He feels like, “They aren’t getting this Word like I got it from God.  They should be more excited than this.”  Remember, folks are already tired. 

Preacher, as you are preaching up a whirlwind, pacing back and forth on the platform, shouting, jumping, and running, these folks are sitting in their seats listening.  Their blood isn’t flowing through them like it is you right now.  They mean well.  They are enjoying the message.  But they’re tired.  After an hour, or hour and a half, they’ve had enough.  Good as it was, enough is enough.  You’ve gone past the threshold for acceptance and entered the realm of resistance.  That’s not the point where you can say it’s all over but the shouting.  You already took care of that earlier.  Now, it’s time to just end it.  

But think about this.  What if you had attacked your point within the first, say, 10 minutes, and preached it good and hard for another 10 minutes?  Then attack your next point for 10 minutes and beginning the descent.  Bring it home with a lead up to the surrender and salvation portion of your message. If you can’t get it done in 40 minutes, you’ve already wasted too much time.  You don’t have to chase every rabbit that hops through your mind during the message.  Preach the Word, open the altar, pray, go home.  Easy peasy.

 

 

Hey there I'm Jack. Everybody knows Jack. You know, Mr. Jack In-the-Box. The guy who can’t seem to escape that little, metal cube.

He always has a smile on his face, painted on, though it is. Jack’s smile is meant to be a spark of joy and fun for everyone that coaxes him out of the box.

How about the music that plays as the crank is turned on the side of the box, drawing Jack out of the darkness, ever so excitedly? The anticipation grows and grows as the heart beats faster and faster. It’s almost time.

“Oh my gosh!!! I don’t think I can take the suspense! When is he going to pop out?”

Easy does it. Just listen to the music. That old, familiar song plays the same tune, every single time. If you listen, you’ll know the exact note that brings the lid flying open. You can predict his arrival without fail.

The crank turns. The music plays. The excitement builds. The heart races.

POP!!!

The lid flies open and out pops Jack! With a smile on his face, he bounces every which way. He can’t control himself. No matter which direction the springs toss him, Jack keeps smiling. When his head hits the lid, he keeps smiling.

But that’s what he’s supposed to do, smile. Joy and fun. That's what it's all about. Making everyone feel better. That’s why he pops out, right? Even though he might look kind of goofy. Just so everybody else feels better.

And what about those springs? Those springs that attach his body to the bottom of the box. The springs that insure Jack never escapes the box. He knows he can never be free. But each time that lid opens and he shoots up out of that darkness, for a brief moment, Jack feels free.

There are many Jacks and many boxes in this world. They may look different. They may be sized different. Paint schemes and handle styles on the boxes. Clothing styles and skin tones on Jack. But the story remains the same.

Somebody, somewhere took it upon themselves to devise a box to keep Jack in that would make sure he could not escape on his own. They incorporated just the right springs and pulleys that would assist with controlling Jack’s every move; a puppeteer, so to speak. And to prove that they weren’t totally heartless, they allowed him enough space to bounce around outside the lid, giving the illusion of freedom.

Then, so that no one would feel sorry for Jack, a smile was painted on his face. He was also given bright clothes. Jack always looks happy. He’s doing what he is supposed to do.

But, sadly, there is no real freedom for Jack. He spends most of his time in the darkness, waiting for the opportunity to spring forth into the light. Once that lid pops open and he leaps out of the box, after a few seconds of bouncing and hearing the giggles of children, right back in the box he goes. In and out. In and out. In and out. Does life not get any better than that?

Many of us feel the same way. We have been relegated to boxes that have seem to limit our hopes, dreams, and feelings of usefulness in this world. Makes it difficult to get out of bed some mornings knowing that it’s just going to be another day of in and out, in and out.

When it seems as though any potential for growth you may have had in the past has been stunted due to your time in the box. All that time cooped up between those brief opportunities to stretch your ‘legs’ for a few seconds has a tendency to stifle any hopes of a bright future. The thoughts of any type of meaningful accomplishment seem kind of far-fetched.

Those springs that are keeping us attached to the box become rusty and creaky after a while. That creaking sound is saying to you, “You’re better than this.” All the while, the puppeteer continues working the box, turning the crank, allowing us to stick our heads out for just a moment once in a while.

Do you ever feel like saying, “Enough”? I have more to offer than just a spring, a spin, and a smile. If you’ll stop turning the crank, unhook these springs, and let me wear my own clothes, I’d be a lot more productive and a whole lot happier. Just because I suit your idea of what I should be; just because I fit the box you made for me; just because I’ve been bouncing to the beat of YOUR drum for so long; that does not mean that I am finished with being me. I am not ready to give up who I am for the sake of who you want me to be. There is more in me than what you are comfortable with having let loose on this world.

Is it possible that my potential actually scares some folks, pulling back the blinders on their own faults, failures, and fears? Could it be that this box was meant to hide me from those who could foster my growth and advancement?

Up until now, I’ve been good for a laugh or two. I have been a pretty good sounding board for some. I’ve made a few people smile. Sure, I have made some mistakes. Who hasn’t? Go ahead. I’ll wait.

But the darkness and cramped space of the box has taken it’s toll on this ole boy. I’m tired. I’m frustrated with the puppeteers.

I know I’m not the only one.

No more boxes.

It’s time to stretch my legs. It’s time to straighten up my back. It’s time to get my head on straight. It’s time to walk tall. It’s time to flee the darkness and live in the light. It’s always time to smile. Not the painted on kind but the real deal.

I know it’s going to make some folks uncomfortable. That’s ok. There are some who don’t want us out of the box at all. But there are a few that will celebrate our coming out with us.

No more Jack in the Box!

Hallelujah, Anyhow!

I need to make this statement just to get it out of the way.  It may come as a surprise to some; but, others, not so much.  Here it goes: Being a Christian does not mean that from the point of your salvation experience, life becomes a bed of roses.  Just because you have been saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost, you are just as susceptible to pain, trouble, and strife as anyone else.  Job 14:1 says, “Man that is born of a woman is of a few days, and full of trouble.”  That covers every one of us.  You and I. Our neighbors.  Our families.  Our co-workers.  Even our pastors are included in this scripture reference.


All of us experience tough times.  We all face struggles from time to time.  Everything doesn’t always operate as smoothly as we would like.  Our plans don’t always work out as we envision them.  We attempt to comfort one another with, “I know what you’re going through.”  “I’ve been there before.”  But it usually doesn’t help much while we are in the middle of a mess.


We watch folks who aren’t even trying to live for Christ, but prospering anyway, and we feel like throwing in the towel.  We sometimes become angry and judgmental because we’re struggling to do the right things and falling flat on our faces.  It would be so easy to simply give in, give up, and walk away from God and the church.  But, how would that help?  Hard times are hard times, I don’t care who you are.


Habakkuk 3:17 gives us a pretty good sense of utter failure and how it can brutally affect our lives.  The scripture states, “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls.”  A perfect case of nothing working out right.  Everything falling apart. 


What do you do when absolutely nothing is working?     

What can we say to all these things?


Hallelujah, anyhow!


There may be times when the people we have trusted the most suddenly turn their backs on us and walk away just when we need them most.  When the factory that has been experiencing phenomenal growth announces a layoff out of nowhere.  When it looks like your marriage is getting back on track after some major complications and you and your spouse are getting along better than ever, but they suddenly walk out the door.  When you’re about to lose your house or your car because you are so far behind on your payments.


Hallelujah, anyhow!


When it looked like your son or daughter was finally going to surrender to Jesus, they get mixed up with the wrong crowd, again.  When everything and everyone lets you down.


Hallelujah, anyhow!


Verse 18 says, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”  The Hebrew word for ‘YET” means to protest, testify, to encompass, stand upright, restore, give warning, and call to record.   Even though it looks like everything is about to be lost forever, YET, I will rejoice in the Lord!


Just because success seems to be out of reach, you’re not counted out of the fight.  Now is the time to lift your voice in protest against everything the enemy is throwing at you.  It’s time to let him know that enough is enough. 


I’m going to rejoice in the Lord anyway.  I’m going to stand up in the face of trouble and boldly proclaim that the Lord God is my strong tower.  He alone is my shield and buckler.  He alone is my provider; my strength and my joy.  He alone speaks peace during my troubled times.  He alone stocks my cabinets when groceries are getting thin. 


While I’m standing against all odds proclaiming the Name of the Lord, I’m also warning the enemy that he’s got another thing coming if he thinks I’m going to give up.  I’ve come too far to quit now.  I’ve been through too much to throw in the towel.  I’m done bowing to the shadow of fear and the weight of worry.
  

As I stand on the Rock with a praise on my lips, the Lord will fight my battles.  He will quench the fiery darts of the enemy.  I might look like a mess to everybody else.  I might not look like I’ve got it all together.  But I have somebody on my side that will ensure that I won’t be crushed by my circumstances.  I may have lost some things in my life.  I may have lost some friends.  But I have not lost the one thing that makes me complete.  And that, my friend, is Jesus!


Jesus has never left me, nor has He forsaken me.  He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore.  He does not change.  He doesn’t look at us cock-eyed when we do something stupid and turn His back.  No, sir.  No, ma’am.  He is faithful.  We have nothing to fear when stuff ain’t going just right.  Simply lift a praise to Him.


Hallelujah, anyhow!


Who is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords?

Who is the Rose of Sharon and the Lilly of the Valley?

Who is the Author and the Finisher of our faith?

His name is Jesus!


Now, say it with me – Hallelujah, anyhow!