July 9, 2000 Humble Messenger
Humble Messenger
Volume 8, Week 28 July 9,
2000
"I Donıt Deserve This" Joe Fitch
The lament‹a complaint of
lifeıs lot is often, "I donıt deserve this!" Perhaps you are right!
Maybe your lot in life is unfair. We expect things to go right; things often go wrong. We
expect life to be easy; it is not. We expect to be comfortable; we experience pain. We are
disillusioned!‹ shocked! "What did I do wrong?" Nothing!
"This is just not fair!" Right! Who said life is fair? Who said people would
treat you as you deserve? Who said lifeıs events would represent what you deserve? If you
know who said such, tell him he is crazy! Life is unfair‹and always has been that
way.
Did Joseph deserve to be sold as a slave in chains? Did he deserve to be in jail? Did he
deserve to be ignored‹ forgotten for years after he helped the kingıs butler? Of
course not!‹but that was his case.
Know also that Godıs longsuffering has limits. Do you remember the
flood‹Sodom‹Nineveh‹and not a few others. Godıs wrath‹his
option‹has its place!
Did young Daniel deserve to be shipped off to a foreign country? Did he deserve to be in a
lionıs den? Did he deserve to be hated by his peers serving the king? No! -but he was.
Did Paul deserve to be jailed?‹or stoned?‹or beaten? Did he deserve his scars?
No!‹but that is his lifeıs story.
What about Job?‹Elijah?‹Jeremiah?‹James killed by Herodıs sword? - John
the Baptist? And then add the innumerable host of good people who suffered unjustly in
life‹who were not treated kindly as they deserved? So‹ when you find yourself a
victim of injustice, resist whimpering and whining. Just remember, you are in good
company!
Look around you. Do people you see deserve what they get? Does that crippled man deserve
his limp? Does the blind man deserve darkness?‹or that deformed man deserve being
twisted? Do all those sick people deserve their illness? Well, some of them do! Surely
some are sick or suffer calamities as a direct result of what they did‹of their
lifestyle‹of their sin. Surely not all!
The disciples assumed that calamities are deserved. Jobıs friends agreed. When Jesus
considered a blind man, his disciples asked, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his
parents, that he was born blind?" (Jno.9:2). Jesus leaves no uncertainty.
"Neither this man nor his parents sinned,...." No one sinned! He did not
deserve to be blind! Consider also the man at the gate of the temple (Act.3:1-) - born
crippled. "What did he do wrong?" Nothing! He did not deserve to be a
cripple. Many are born with infirmities ‹not the fault of either them or their
parents. Many are born poor‹and never have a door of opportunity to be otherwise.
They do not deserve poverty.
On the other hand, maybe you do deserve what you get! "Not everyone who says to
Me, OELord, Lord,ı shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My
Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, OELord, Lord, have we not prophesied in
Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?"
(Mt.7:21-). They protest their punishment - "We did good! We do not deserve
this!" Jesus responds, "I never knew you"‹never approved
you "depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" They got just
what they deserved‹no less. Some rebels go to bars; some rebels go to
church‹rebels all! And all eventually get their "just deserts"
before God.
We think and say "I donıt deserve this" because we do not comprehend
that sin is "exceeding sinful" (Rom.7:13). Our sins do not look bad -to
us. "Beer drinking is not really so bad." "Fornication is really no big
deal -just making love." "I just want to .... That canıt be so bad"
"Though I do these things, I am not a bad person." So we conclude:
"I do not deserve" to be punished. We miss how bad sin is! Hell shows you
how bad your sin is - shows what you deserve! Jesus hanging on the cross demonstrates how
bad sin is -shows what you deserve! One thing for sure, Jesus did not deserve the cross!
All agree. Even ask old Pilate‹"I find no fault in him." Jesus was
there solely because you really do deserve -and would surely get‹hell.
One last look at "I donıt deserve this." Shut down the complaints
counter! We are rich and prosperous- eat sumptuously‹live in fine homes‹have
plenty of money. Do we deserve all this? We are surrounded by friends, family, and
brethren in Christ. We enjoy "all spiritual blessings in Christ." Do we
deserve all this? Jesus died to free you and me from the guilt and consequences of sin. We
received -continue to receive abundance of mercy, forgiveness, and love from God. We
deserve all this? We deserve to be a "son of God" and a "joint
heir" with Jesus? I think not! However, I eagerly accept it all! And boy, am I
glad I am not getting "what I deserve!"
Say, do I hear someone praying? "Thank you Lord! I know I do not deserve what you
do for me, but...."
Elaine Cannon was taken to LBJ
emergency room again last week for the same problem she experienced a week or so earlier.
Again, they did not find the problem in the CT Scan. She will need to go back in
August for an MRI. She is also having other tests run by her various doctors . . .
Gospel Meeting: Cleveland, TX, July 10-14, MondayFriday. Address, speakers and topics
are posted in the foyer . . . July 10-14, MondayFriday, 9:30-11 A.M., the Pruett &
Lobit congregation in Baytown will be having Bible classes for all ages. More information
on the announcement in the foyer . . . Jason Swann has left TIRR and for the next
thirty days will be staying in a room provided by TIRR at the Holiday Inn, 6800 Main St,
Houston, 77030, Room 617 (713/528-7744). He will continue daily therapy at TIRR . . . Kelly
Wilborn had angioplasty and is home doing well. Her mailing address is the same
as Margaret Wilborn . . . Ralph and Toy Robinson are providing
transportation for Zelma Bobbitt in the month of July. If you can assist in the
month of August, please sign the list in the foyer . . . The church here is beginning a
new effort to teach Godıs Word in this community‹articles in the local newspapers.
The first article should be published in the Humble/Kingwood editions of the Observer this
week. Look for it . . . Visitation group two will meet briefly after evening assembly.
This is but one way you can "be a Barnabas" (Acts 4:36). Barnabas is an
interesting case study in being an encourager, and if you are interested in a further
study of him, that was the subject of the lesson Sunday morning, July 2 . . . Gianni
Berdiniıs May/June report is available in the foyer . . . Friday night at the meeting
at Greenwood Village I met a couple who had visited with us last Sunday. They commented on
the friendliness of the congregation and the level of knowledge displayed by the class
members. Keep up the good work!
Transportation for Zelma Bobbitt
AUGUST
Wed. 2 pm
Sun. 6 pm
Wed. 9 pm
Sun. 13 pm
Wed. 16 pm
Sun. 20 pm
Wed. 23 pm
Sun. 27 pm
Wed. 30 pm
Wednesday Evening Close
July 12 - Ralph Robinson
July 19 - Kris Emerson
July 26 - Randy Smith
Aug 2 - Charles Tu
July 12 - Wednesday
Song Leader: Charles Tu
Close: Ralph Robinson
July 16 - Sunday
AM
Announcements: Jeff Bogs
Song Leader: Boyd Hurst
First Prayer: David Osteen
Preaching: Steve Fontenot
Closing Prayer: Derek Huddleston
PM
Song Leader: Craig Ottersbach
First Prayer: Craig Moore
Preaching: Steve Fontenot
Closing Prayer: Jay Lietka
Lordıs Table, AM & PM
Bread: Dwight Osteen
Fruit of the Vine: John Knudsen
Contribution: Larry Legg
Assistant: Mark LaBurt