I would rather fail in a cause that will ultimately succeed than to succeed in a cause that will ultimately fail! So said President Woodrow Wilson. Our Lord knows us better than we know ourselves and is not surprised by our weaknesses. We all fall and fail, even though we may commit to standing strong. What can we learn about ourselves and our God in such valleys? Even more, what kind of restoration can we hope for after our bout with failure?
But Wait, There's More!
Greek Terms: Σκορπίζω; skorpizó - disperse, scatter abroad (as of sheep); θλῖψις; thlipsis - pressure, tribulation
Figures referenced: Abraham Lincoln; Max Lucado; Ted and Dorothy Hustead
Publications referenced: Religion Watch, published by Religioscope Institute; Peace in the Midst of the Storm, by Jack. E. Dawson
Cross references: Psalm 84:6; Proverbs 16:18; Zechariah 13:7; Matthew 26:31; Matthew 26:33-35; Mark 14:27; Luke 24:21; John 16:16-18; John 16:25; John 16:28; Acts 1:6; 1 Corinthians 10:12
Father, we stand before you as a sign of respect that we believe and we trust that you are the sovereign of our lives that not only do you hold the world in your hands, you hold our world in your hands. Where your kids and as children in their family we're all at different levels of growth, some of us are still babes in the faith, so excited about coming to Jesus and having deep questions answered. Others of us are more in the adolescent young-adult stage as John described them young man in the faith. And still others are fathers and mothers, even more mature but no matter how far we've grown, Lord next to the Lord Jesus, we see how far we have yet to grow so Lord grow us up. We pray. We pray that as faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by your word that the truth of the Gospel of John would permeate our thinking. And as the way we live our relationships, how we do business, how we worship, how we react to a world around us. These are things Lord that we trust you for; that we believe you for our faith is a real and vital one. And so we pray that this would be one more installment in growing us up to be like Christ. In His name, we pray. Amen.
Thank you. Please have a sit. I've asked you to turn in the Gospel of John Chapter 16 where we finish that Chapter today you've heard me say turn to the Gospel of John now for almost two years. It will be two years next month that we began our study in this Gospel. And I have never been more excited about going through a book like I have going to the Gospel of John. Inch by inch, paragraph by paragraph, digging deeply at least as deeply as we can, I honestly could've gone a lot slower. There's just so much in it. But for the sake of time, we would love to finish this book before the Lord comes back.
We find ourself in Chapter 16. We going to begin in verse 29 and go down to verse 33 as we finish this Chapter today. We all fail in life, all of us. Failures are real experience it's a real world for us. We fall, we struggle with certain issues but here's the deal, failure should be an instructor but never an undertaker. It should never do sand. We fall, but we can get back up, that's the good news.
You recall, some of you at least that there was a commercial some years back when I said the tag line more of you are going to remember I hope. That there was a TV commercial for a medical alert pendant and the tag line was, "I've fallen and I can't get up." Do you remember that? Anybody here, two people? Okay thank you for the rest of you engaging. So the commercial showed a woman named Mrs. Fletcher who had fallen in her kitchen. She was an elderly woman and she presses the medical alarm pendant dispatcher and the other end answers and she says, "I've fallen and I can't get up." Sorry, that was my imitation. The dispatcher assures her that somebody is on the way that she indeed will get up. You can get up again. That's the whole story of the commercial.
The disciples of Jesus were in for a fall, their faith would soon be shaking to the core, doubt would fill their minds. They would fail. But it would not be a permanent fall and it would not be a permanent failure, they would get up again. They could stand that strong again. If you think about it, we all started life as failures. The first time you tried to walk, you fell or you made it a few steps and your parents thought you were the cats, "Meow". Look three steps, you did that now you'd be considered an under failure. You fell back down. That's how you started life. The first time you'd tried to swim, you probably almost drowned. The first time you took a little baseball bat in your hands and swung a ball, I'll bet you missed. And I bet that you did not make straight A's on your first report card. If you did, nobody liked you after that point in your life.
And I am sure that you, we, all of us have never maintained a perfect witness for Jesus Christ. We all know what failure is, we all know what falling is. The key though is getting up. I'm going to tell you about a man who failed and got back up and failed and got back up and failed and got back up and failed and finally got back up. He was a businessman and he failed in business in 1831. He was defeated for the legislature in 1832. He was elected to the legislature in '34. his sweetheart died in 1835, he had a nervous breakdown in '36 was defeated for speaker of the house in 1838, defeated for congress in 1843, eventually elected to congress in '46, again defeated for congress in 1848, was defeated for the senate in 1850, was defeated for the vice presidency in 1856, and for the senate in 1858. But this man, Abraham Lincoln eventually was elected as president. At fist he failed and got up, and failed, and got up, and failed, and got up.
I know that I'm speaking to people who have failed somewhere or with someone, maybe even with the Lord. Not only can you get back up, you can have a deep sense of peace in your life and have victory. And that's the trust of this final paragraph in verse 29, his disciple said to him, "See now you are speaking plainly." and using no figure of speech. And now we are sure that you know all things and have no need that anyone should question you. By this, we believe that you came fort from God. Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? Indeed, the hour is coming, yes has now come that you will be scattered each to his own and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken to you that in Me, you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation but be of good share I have overcome the world."
Let me bring you up to speed in terms of context. This has been the Upper Room Discourse in Chapters 13, 14, 15 and 16 of the Gospel of John would've the longest recorded messages that our Lord gives to His man. It has been in an upper room, part of it has been. That's why it's called the Upper Room Discourse but not all of it. It was the past overnight and half of what He spoke was in this upper room at the meal. And the end of Chapter 14 however Jesus said, "Arise, let us go from here." So they all got up and they left. So the Chapter 15 and 16 is spoken while their walking somewhere through Jerusalem down toward the garden of Gethsemane.
Now Jesus has said to them a lot of things and most of which, they did not understand at the moment. They interrupted him a few times while he spoke the message revealing that they didn't understand but now you just read it. They assert that they suddenly do understand. "We're sure." they say, "We know and we believe who you are." As sure as that sounds, Jesus immediately predicts that they're going to fail, they're going to fall or that they're going to be scattered. But, ultimately, eventually they will have his peace and his victory.
So what I want to do is go back through this final paragraph with you this morning. That's all that we'll cover just this paragraph that we read. And I want to give to you out of the text three principles, three relational principles. These are principles about human failure and divine restoration, three relational principles. We're going to look at their bragging, we're going to look at their blundering, and we're going to look at the blessing that Jesus promised.
Here's the first principle. Our faith is unreliable. I've written that for you in your worship folder today as well. You have the outline. Our faith is unreliable. Go back to verse 29 and notice the disciple speak they said to him, "See, now you are speaking plainly, and you are using no figure of speech, now we are assure." literally, "now we know that you know all things. And have no need that anyone should question you. By this, we believe that you came forth from God".
Do you hear that? Now we know, now we believe. That's their assertion. Now we know, now we believe.
In this speech so far, our Lord has told them that he is leaving but the language that he employed when he told them that was an always strait forward. It was a little bit cryptic, it was figurative language. And they didn't always understand. Now I know we've all ready read some of this but we really have to connect the few dots to really understand what did disciples are saying to Jesus. Jesus said he was leaving but he was speaking figuratively and they didn't get it.
Go back with me to verse 16. Jesus speaks a little while and you will not see me. And again a little and you will see me because I go to the father. And some of his disciple said among themselves, "What is this that he says to us?" 'A little while and you will see me and again a little while and you will see. It's not see me and then see me and because I go to the father'. They said therefore, "What is this that he says to us a little while? We do not know what he is saying".
Jesus now explains that to them more plainly. He gives an example of a woman having a baby. She's in pain and sorrow and then she has a baby and she is happy. And that's where you guys are going to be like, "I'm going to be gone, I'm going to be killed, I'm coming back, you'll see me again." Then notice verse 35, "These things I have spoken to you in figurative language. But the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language but I will tell you plainly about the father." Verse 28, "I came forth from the father." That's pretty plain and simple. "And I have come into the world. Again I leave the world and go to the father." now that they understood, that they understood. Now the fog is lifting that's why immediately they say as we read in verse 29 the disciple said, "see; now you are speaking plainly and using no figure of speech." They're going, "Oh, okay now I get it. Wow! I understand it. Now we know that you know all things, and now we believe."
Why did they make so bold to say faith? Well because when they were confused, the first time about what Jesus said, "Now you see me, now you don't". They never said that to Jesus that they were confused. They only said it to each other. Look at verse 17 more closely, some of his disciple said among themselves, "What is this that he says to us?" So picture this. John leaning over to peter, "What did he just say? I don't get it." They're probably whisper to each other in low tones. Jesus was probably far removed in distance. They thought he can't hear us; we're expressing our confusion only to each other. But look at verse 19 Jesus knew that they desired to ask him and he said to them, "Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said a little while?" So that he explains it more plainly.
So here are the disciples, realizing, "We didn't tell him, we just told each other, we whispered it to each other but he knew we did. He knows our secret thoughts, he can read our minds and now we know that you know all things. If you know that, then you know everything." That's what they're saying. "So we know that you know all things and we believed." they said, "We believe that you came forth from God." That strong assertion of faith is faulty. Here's why, because their faith is on its strong as they thought it was. "We believe, we know." immediately Jesus says, "Actually, you're going to be scattered. You're going to be confused and you're going to be scattered."
Now on that night, though it's not recorded here, there were some other bold assertions of faith. And one came from peter himself. Peter to Jesus aside this night and he says, "Jesus, I just want you to know that even though everybody else might forsake you like this other disciples. I know they are bit flaky but remember I'm Peter, I'm the rock. You called me that. I'm rocky. "I will not ever stumble because of you." Jesus said, "Well Peter actually the truth is before the morning, before the cock roars you're going to deny me three times that you even knew me." And Peter immediately reacted and said, "Even if I have to die with you, I will not be made to stumble."
Great thing to say, they all meant very well but their faith was very weak and unreliable. And here's why. They say we believe but what they believe is attached to an unrealistic expectation. What they believe is that Jesus, so he said he's going to go and go die and go to a Cross. He has said that to them. They still believe he's going to set up immediately his messianic kingdom. They are not thinking he's going to die ration but then will live for 2000 years. That is not on the radar screen. That after he rises from the death in Acts one, they say, "Will you now restore the kingdom to his real?" That's what they anticipate. Let's apply that to ourselves. We say we believe in God to great thing to say it. We say we know certain fix theological truths; it's a great thing to say. But be careful.
Paul wrote in first Corinthians Chapter 10, "Let him who thinks he stands take heed, less he fall." I just think we remember at time in my Christian walk when I thought I had really grown in my faith that it was strong but I was up for a real challenge. Because I have seen God moved and provide and my faith was fixed. I was like a movable. I had no clue how after that point my faith would be shaking to the very core of what I believed. I had spoken a bit presumptuously.
In Proverbs 16, you know it well, pride; the writer says goes before destruction a haughty spirit before a fall. Or here's another scenario. We say we believe about what we believe are things that Jesus never promised. I've met people that say, "Now that I'm a Christian, I think that everything just going to go perfectly in my life. I'm never going to be sad, all my bills are going to be paid now matter how much I spend, the sun is always going to shine, and I'm going to have perfect teeth because all the evangelist on TV look like they do. And I've had people ask me, "Have you had your miracle today?" I mean talking about having a daily miracle, first of all if it's happening everyday it's probably not a miracle. It's just what happens everyday.
But my question to these people that are expecting their miracle everyday is what if the miracle doesn't happen one day. You take your ball and go home? You'll be only disappointed and you believe something he never promises that you'd ever have. I read something, I want to just share with you this morning. No casting any stones and any belief system this is just article out of the paper. It's called religion watch. And this article says, "Pentecostals are three times more likely than other Christians to experience major depression." according to Vanderbilt University study.
The overall group in this case 2850 north Carolinians over a six month period experienced serious depression at the rate of 1.7% whereas the rate among Pentecostals was 5.4%. Researchers summarized that the higher rate maybe partly because people who are all ready depressed are attracted to Pentecostalism's emphasis on spiritual and physical healing.
So when we say we believe, the question is, "What exactly do you believe?" Do you believe what he said? Do you believe all of the promise that you said? Or do you believe just certain select ones and make that say something he never really said? And so that if your expectations aren't met, you will be surely disappointed and take your ball and go home. So Jesus immediately -- looks at verse 31 after they make that statement, he answer them, "Do you now believe?" and then predicts their fall.
So let's move from the first principle to the second one. And the second one is our failure is understandable. He asked him the question. And then he says in verse 32, "Indeed the hour is coming." You could substitute the word, "indeed." for the word, "in fact". Now you say you believe, you say you know, do you really? Because in fact the hour is coming yes says now come.
And I don't know that perhaps Jesus lifted up his eyes and so them to distance coming across Jerusalem, holding torches Judas and the roman soldiers. And he said, "The hour is coming, in fact it has all ready come that you will be scattered each to his own and will leave me alone. And yet I am not alone because the father is with me."
So get the picture. For these disciples, it was like the fog was lifting finely, that's how they felt. They felt this have been a very dark and confusing night but now we understand what you just said and we know that you know all things in we take our belief in you. The fog is now lifting and Jesus then immediately then predicts, "Well that's wonderful however, a storm clouds are about to brew over your heads. That's going to cause you to run away. They're going to flee." And that instinct of self preservation is going to kick in. So two things are implied here. Number one: you, my, disciples are about to be very confused. And that's implied in the question of the verse 31. They say, "We believe." Jesus said, "Do you now believe?" because within hours, they're going to doubt again. And once Jesus was put on the Cross, and even on resurrection day when many don't know he has risen from the dead. Those doubts will take over.
Let's fast forward to Jesus walking on the Emmaus road. This is after the resurrection. There's two disciples walking on the road who don't know that He has risen from the dead. Remember the story? Jesus walks up to them incognito they don't recognized them. And Jesus comes up to those, "Hey guys, what's happening?" I'm paraphrasing. What's happening is isn't in the text. And they go, "Yeah you're like a stranger around here, don't you know what's been happening? How that Jesus, this one that we believed in, the one that we hope would redeem Israel, how he died. And it's been three days since he died? " And listen to what they said, "We had hoped that he would be the one." Did you hear that? That's past tense. Not, "We we're hoping that any moment he's going to rise from the dead." No it was over for them. They're hopeless dead, when he died, their hope died. When that tomb was sealed, their hopes were gone. "We had hoped he would be the one."
We believe, do you believe? Do you really believe? In the few hours they would be utterly confused. I know that I'm speaking this morning to some very confused disciples of Jesus Christ. And one time, everything was clear. You had handle, you knew theology and you knew the truth and it was laid out and you could go to bed every night. I know this.
But something happened along the way. I mean put it the way one author puts it he says, "There's a window in our hearts through which we view God. And one time the window was very clear and God was very crisp in our view." But he said something happened. A pebble struck the window and it shattered a pebble of pain. And now everything is seen through that fractured lens it's not as clear anymore. Some of you are in that kind of a storm. You believe so clearly, you could see so crisply not so much today. And I just say please hold fast, hold on.
Dear Christian; when you whether those kind of storm that kind of faith shaking endeavor or storm. Will you come out the other end? And you after of a period of evaluation, what do I really believe, who really am I? It's cleared at the other end. It's better, you're settled. When you go through enough stuff and you see God's promises and you push away the false expectations, you'll see just like today, it rain last night and it's clear in Albuquerque but after a rain, it's really clear, right? That's what is like after one of these trials.
The second thing Jesus predicts is that there are going to be scattered. Look at it. Indeed the hour is coming, now it's come and you will be scattered. Escorpizo(ph) means to run away like scared little sheep dispersed in all directions. You're going to high tail it; you're going to think only about yourselves. That's the idea here.
Now right now, they're together, all the disciples in this wonderful fraternal fellowship.
But as soon as those soldiers come and they arrest Jesus and they're looking around and who else to get bailed just all run away in different directions. And they will be fulfilling the scripture actually from the Prophet Zechariah and both Matthew and Mark will speak to that in their accounts that when the disciples scattered, this is to fulfill what was written by Zechariah, strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. And these disciples will be scattered.
Another word I want to draw your attention too in verse 32. Look at the word alone, Jesus said, "And you will leave me alone." I want you to compare of that to what they said. "We know you know everything and we now believe that you came from God." Jesus said, "You're going to leave me alone." See the way of those statements post to one another. You're going to leave me alone, now when they scatter in all directions and leave Jesus alone, they're going to leave Jesus to his enemies. What then if they're love for him, what then if there belief in him, what then if there commitment and knowledge of him? Where is -- no I'm sure of the Jesus didn't castigate them like I just castigated them. I think that Jesus tone was probably though I can't prove it was probably very compassionate when he said, "In fact, you're all going to be scattered." He answer his heart was breaking as he knew what failure that they would experience coming on.
Here's the point. Jesus knew they would fail him. Now here they say, "We know that you know everything." And Jesus said, "You're right. I know everything. I am a mission, in fact I know so much and what I really know is your faith was week and you're going to run away. That's what I know." But then he goes on to predict their recovery and their peace.
Something I need to be set before I move on to the last and final point. Whatever you do, when you're on a trial do not run away from the company of God's people. These guys who were together run away, they ran away in all different directions, apart from each other, never in a trial or at temptation run away from God's people. I've speak to who will say, "I haven't been in church like for two years because I've been going through some deep and dark and hard trials." And I go I just -- it's unbelievable to me. Because when I go through to deep and dark and hard trials, I need to run to God's not away from them.
Soldier in a fierce battle. If he goes out on his own he runs away, he's either killed or captured. He's not safe; you need other soldiers and so run to the company of other believers. Run to those who can help hold your faith up at that time.
Let's look at verse 33 and we'll close this off. And here's the third principle. Our future is unmistakable. Now we come to the blessing part. After the bragging, after the blundering comes the blood stink. Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace." In the world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world. I love that verse, its one of my favorite verses. I know you hear that a lot. I have a lot of favorite verses. This is one of them.
This is Jesus wrapping up the entire Upper Room Discourse. This is the final cap, this is the final word. After all that he has said in four Chapter, he leaves them with this. After predicting their failure, he now bides them in a promise. That their faith is well said but boating in something that's really not there in fact you're going to fail and you're going to leave me alone but I'm telling you all this because you can be peaceful and you can have victory and me, I've overcome the world.
Now when Jesus says these things I have -- what does he talking about, what things? Actually I think he means all that he spoken that entire nigh in this Upper Room Discourse. So now is the time to go over them briefly before we closed.
One of the things Jesus said in Chapter 13 is how much he loved them. And he showed them by washing their smelly feet that night. They got down and start washing their feet. And that was a metaphor of his servant's heart for them.
And he said, "I've done this for you, do you want to do that for one -- that's one of the things. Another thing in Chapter 14 is He told them about have any called at my Father's? He said, "I've come from there; I'm going to there and it's there that I am preparing a place for you." I told them about heaven. He then told them one of the other things is that, "all the works that I've done I'm about to leave but greater works that I have done, you're going to do it.
And then He told them about the Holy Spirit who is going to be inside of them to enable that to happen. And the Holy Spirit would be moving powerfully through them and the spirit of God would convict the world of sin and righteousness and judgment because of them. Finally you told them how to talk to God. You've come to me and every time you had a problem, you talk to me but now you can go directly to the father in my name, all of that or these things that Jesus has spoken to them.
So the bottom line then here's what we get to at the bottom line. Despite all of the hostility and persecution and tribulation that is in the world that they're about to walk out into and all of the confusion that's on their minds at the present and will come in the near future. They can still have a sense of peace and eventually be victories over it.
Now listen, a lot of people think that peace is the absence of conflict. Do you ask people, "Define peace?" He would say, "It's the absence of conflict." Because in their minds, they say, "I just need a little peace." You know I mean, "Get the dogs out of here, get the kids out of here. Don't let anybody call me. I need peace man, I need space." That an inadequate definition of peace. It is not the absence of conflict. Here's the better definition, "Peace is the presence of God even in the meets of conflict."
In the world you will have tribulation but cheer up boys I've overcome the work. I've spoken these things to you that you might have peace. I love that. There's a painting in the museum, its labeled peace. When you look at it, you wonder where's the peace? It's a storm setting, it's ocean with waves bouncing up high, and lightning is in the entire seen. The waves are crashing on the rocky shores. Spray is everywhere, it's a violence seen and it's called peace.
You have to look closely to understand because half way up the cliff and a little whole in the rock is a bird, a mother bird with her baby birds all sleeping in the nest. They're sleeping, she's watching. It's called peace. The reason they're sleeping is because she's there. It's her presence that brings them peace. I don't care what's going on around them but right there with them in the nest is mom.
In this world you will have tribulation "thlipsis" it the Greek word that means to be squeezed, pressured, and distressed. But he says, "I've overcome the world, I've concurred the world." Notice how we puts up -- he speaks of it in the past tense in that interesting. Because it really has and yet been accomplish, he's going to go to the Cross and concur the world by concurring people sin and bringing peace spiritually. He will one day concur the world physically by his second coming. That's still some time off.
But he speaks up that's all ready done. I've overcome the world, I've concur the world. In other words, I guarantee it; it's as good as done. That's what he is saying to them. And this is be of good cheer, I've overcome. Satan and the world. Now the world Satan is the world to overcome you. Jesus has overcome the world. I know you're thinking, well it that's true how come I'm still getting attacked if Satan and the world are still concurred, why do I still feel this way?
And go through these things. I'm going to give you the answer. Have you ever seen a mortally wounded animal? Just before it finally dies, it goes after something around it. I have a friend of mine who is a hunter loves it and he has hunted bear before and he told me a story that he fired a shot at a bear, pretty close range got it right in the heart. The bear kept coming at him. Shot it again in the heart, bear kept coming at him, shot her the third time, about two feet before him, the bear fell down.
I think I would have falling down on that point. I all ready lost them. That's the death rows of a morally wounded animal.
All that is happening around you and the world, all of the hustles you get those are the death rows of the defeated enemy. Jesus said, "I've overcome the world." I want to close with this topic. How do we live overcoming lives in a world that gives us tribulation? Because you only have one of two choices either you're going to be a victim or the victor. You're either going to be overcome by the world or you've overcome the world. Those are your choices.
So how do you overcome the world? Well there's two ways Christians have done this in the first way I find inadequate. I'll call back compensation. Compensation is where the Christian says, "the world is really bad and normally and filled with bad things and tribulation and so what I'm going to do is I'm going to compensate by I'm just going to clench my fist and grip my teeth and think heaven is in the end. And I'll just make it through because there's haven and maybe I'll dies soon and I'll just go to heaven.
Okay if you want to live that way, have at it. It's inadequate in my view. That's compensation a better way is transformation. Transformation is defined that even in the myths of the tribulation itself, your roots can go deep in the ground and find refreshment even in the fire. In the world, you will have tribulation. And me he says same verse you will have peace.
See those two phrases in the world in me, in the world in me. These disciples would have all of this tribulation of the world happening around them. Jesus is promising that none of it has to happen inside of them because they are in Christ wild in the world. And when you're in Christ, you're on the one who is concurred all and gives refreshment now.
There's of psalm it might be psalm maybe four, I just don't have it at the tip of my mind. But I think it psalm maybe four David is described being people going up to pilgrimage in Jerusalem for the festivals. And he says something interesting and he says, "As the pilgrims are walking up towards Jerusalem, when they go through the valley of Baca they make it to spring. I've always wondered at that verse. Baca means dry, bearing and around Jerusalem, before you get there, you go through some pretty hot dry desert. No water. He doesn't say who and going through the valley of Baca find a spring. He says, "They make that dry place a spring." That's transformation. That's transformation. I'm in Christ and the Lord is with me and the myths of the fire. That's a better way.
I close with this I know I've said I close a couple of times but you know Paul the Apostle would often say finally my brother and then keep writing so I have a scripture present.
In 1832, there was a sever drought and a famine in South Dakota. Locust had come in and strip the crops bare it did not rain for a long time, temperature sort over 100 degrees for weeks. The people were economically depressed. In South Dakota is the little town called wall South Dakota. On a good day, there are about 800 people that live there. In wall South Dakota, I've been there. What's interesting about the town is there's a drugstore call Wall Drug. It's been there for years.
And back in the 1930's Ted and Dorothy Hustead who owned them were believers in Christ. They knew the time is economically depressed. And they thought, "How can we get people to our drugstore?" And so they thought of something in genius that they made road signs and went out 25 miles in each direction and put up a sign that said, "25 miles ahead Wall Drug free water." Now drug has been giving out free water for generations it was not any big thing. But nobody advertise them. They advertise it, "25 miles. Free water. Free ice water". And people look to the sign, "that's kind of weird, let's go find out what's that about." so more people showed up. So they though, "This is cool let's put more sign, so 10 miles out, 5 miles out and you get put up signs like, "hold on, just five more miles, free water, Wall Drugstore, wall south Dakota." So people are just like, "Okay I got to check this place out." Well they got so carried away and so crazy with the signs. They put a sign in the Albany New York. Wall Drugstore, 1250miles, something like that.
1725 miles, that's the mileage. Could you not, I saw a sign in Paris France that said, "Wall Drug." and like 12,000 miles that direction. Crazy but here's what happens. Today in that town of 800, 15,000 people a day come to Wall Drug. It's enormous. Ted and Dorothy Hustead live by a motto. Here it is. "Pain is inevitable misery is optional". In the world you'll have tribulation pain is inevitable but you can have peace in misery is optional.
Are you in Christ? Make sure you're in Christ. Some of you are in church but who are not in Christ. Some of you are in denomination; "I grow up this way." you are not in Christ. Some of you are in a theological belief system who are not in Christ. Make sure you're in Christ.
Father we thank you that in Jesus Christ are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. All that we need is found in him. He is the fountain head of every blessing, of every good thing. And that's why Paul said, "I've shined my own righteousness that I might be found in Christ in him. So Lord I pray that your people as we bring this Chapter to a close, all of those who have gathered with evaluate their lives and make sure that they're in Christ. And then we would all further evaluate and for going through a confusing time during the storm what it is we really believe. What it is you really said? What it is you've really promise to come up the other end stronger and clearer. Please father, strengthen the hands and live of you flak. It's for Christ's sake we pray. Amen.