SW 10.23.05am

Acts 15:36-41

INTRO: Most of you know what a strike is in a labor dispute? A strike basically means that a person or a group of people refuse to work to try to obtain something.

     (1. Usually they want better wages, benefits, or working conditions.

1. There are many strikes going on across the world right now.

     (1. There is a hunger strike to improve human rights in Tunisia;

     (2. In Canada, British Columbia's 38,000 teachers have been off the job since Oct. 7 to protest against class sizes, wages and the loss of their right to strike.

     (3. Soccer players in Columbia may soon go on strike for better wages. Their annual salaries begin at $2500.00.

     (4. There is also a hunger strike going on at Guantanamo bay prison facility. The US military defines a hunger strike as missing 9 or more meals.

2. Strikes are not used as often in this country as they used to be. In the 1950s there was an average of about 400 strikes a year.

     (1. The average now is down to around 40 per year.

3. Of course there are variations of the traditional strike. Such as with government workers, police officers and teachers who are for bidden by law to strike.

     (1. So they sometimes use a method know as a sickout, calling in sick. When police officers do that it is known as the “blue flu”.

4. Another thing that workers will do short of having an actual strike is what is called a “work slowdown.”

     (1. And we have still have “hunger strikes” and “sit down strikes” as well.

I. Surprisingly enough some people go on strike against God. John Mark went on strike while on Paul’s first missionary journey.

1. No is for sure as to what happened because the Bible doesn't say much about it. Acts 15:38; Acts 13:13.

2. Some think that when the persecution became intense that Mark became afraid and fled for his safety.

     (1. Others think because he was so young that he became homesick and could no longer take the separation from his family or maybe he had a girlfriend.

3. But whatever the reason Paul notes that Mark went not to the work.

4. There were others in the Bible who went not to the work as well.

5. Jonah quickly comes to mind. God told him to go and witness to those wicked Ninevites. (EXP)

     (1. But Jonah didn't want any part of it and headed the other direction eventually ending up in the belly of a great fish.

          1. Only then did Jonah decide that he would end his strike. (EXP)

6. another famous striker was King David. It was the time of year when Kings went forth to war but David decided to stay home while he sent his army out to fight.

     (1. While David was on his King's strike he was on top of the palace surveying his domain when he saw his neighbor's wife taking a bath on a nearby rooftop.

     (2. As a result David had an affair and arranged the murder of Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, David and Bathsheba's baby died, and all kinds of troubles and problems plagued David's family for generations.

          1. All because of a little strike.

7. Then there were others like Moses who wanted to strike and had a lot of excuses.

     (1. Moses, educated as a prince, heir to the throne of Egypt, perhaps as some believe commander of the southern army of Egypt - That Moses said he couldn't speak well enough to do what God wanted. Ha!

     (2. God had an answer for that one. He made Moses' brother Aaron, apparently a good speaker, the mouthpiece for Moses.

     (3. Eventually, Moses over the years begins to do his own speaking.

8. Gideon is another on of God's choice servants that wanted to strike.

     (1. His excuse was that his tribe was the least in the nation and of the families in the tribe his was the least and he was the very least in his family.

           1. In other words Gideon thought he was the least likely person in the entire nation for God to use.

     (2. God still chose him. Ignored his excuses and used him mightily.

II. What about us? Have we ever gone on strike against God?

1. If we have, it was probably not while we were missionaries in some foreign country like John Mark.

2. Our strikes are more like "sick outs", "set down strikes", work slowdowns, or the refusing to talk when we are angry kind of thing.

3. Sometimes we are not even aware that we are on strike against God.

4. So, let's look at some of the symptoms of a spiritual strike.

III. Here's one: Refusing to talk to God. Or, if we do talk it's just for a few moments to kind of maintain appearances.

1. I think we do this because this is a common strategy in human relations.

2. Our friend, wife, husband, boss or someone else doesn't do what we want so what do we do?

     (1. We give them the silent treatment. We don't talk to them and if we do talk it is only the bare essentials of what we have to do in order to get by.

3. So, God doesn't do what we think he ought to do and "bam" "Well, God I'm not talking to you!"

4. It may work with your friend, or your wife, or husband, or boss or your parents but do you really think that is going to work with God?

5. First of all, God is only going to give you what is best for you. If the conditions of prayer are met it's like your car in the garage. It's already there waiting for you.

1 John 5:14-15, "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."

     (1. I think there are several things we can see in those verses in 1 John.

          1. First, if we ask anything according to God's will we are going to get it. And we have already talked about God's will being the best thing for us.

          2. We may not understand it until we get to Heaven but someday we will understand and see clearly that God was right after all.

     (2. Second, when we talk to God - He hears us! Amazing! The Creator of the universe hears us when we talk to Him!

     (3. Third, because of this we can have confidence in Him.

6. Why would we ever want to give God the "silent treatment?" After all He is God and He loves us (John 3:16).

Alexander MacLaren said this: "Did any of you, parents, ever hear your child wake from sleep with some panic fear and shriek the mother's name through the darkness? Was not that a more powerful appeal than all words? And, depend upon it, that the soul which cries aloud on God, 'the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,'though it have 'no language but a cry,' will never call in vain."

Carl Henry in his book "Christian Personal Ethics" speaks clearly of the results of giving God the silent treatment when he tells us, "Whoever only speaks of God, but never or seldom to God, easily leases body and soul to idols, the Christian thus places his whole future in jeopardy by a stunted prayer life."

7. If you're not on speaking terms with God - it is your fault not His because you have gone out on strike!

IV. Another way we go on strike against God is by refusing to read His Word, The Bible.

1. Matthew 4:4

2. And how does faith come? By reading, studying, and hearing the Word of God. Romans 10:17, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

2 Timothy 3:16-17, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."

Joshua 1:8, "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."

Psalm 119:9,11, "How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You."

3. Dwight L. Moody once said, "The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible. The study of God's Word brings peace to the heart. In it, we fingd a light for every darkness, life in death, the promise of our Lord's return, and the assurance of everlasting glory."

4. The fact of the matter is this: If you are not reading the Bible on a daily basis you are on strike! You are on strike against God.

V. Here's another common method of striking against God: Refusing to attend church or if we do, we attend infrequently or only a minimum number of services.

1. We know what the Bible says:

Hebrews 10:24-25, "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them."

2. One day the telephone rang in the Pastor's office of the Washington church where President Franklin Roosevelt attened.

     (1. An excited voice asked the pastor, "Tell me, do you expect the President to be in church this Sunday?"

     (2. The Pastor explained patiently, "That, I cannot promise, but we expect God to be here, and we fancy that will be incentive enough for a reasonably large attendance."

3. So, if you don't want to be where God is and where God wants you to be as frequently as you possibly can and you are physically able...

     (1. Then, you must be out on strike against God.

VI. And then some go on strike aginst God when it comes to money and their material possessions.

1. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, "But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver."

Malachi 3:8, "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?'  In tithes and offerings.  You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it."

2. Of the churches in Macedonia the apostle Paul says (2 Corinthians 8:2-4), "...in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints."

3. For the Macedonian Christians, giving was not a chore but a challenge, not a burden but a blessing.

     (1. Giving was not something to be avoided, but a privilege to be desired.

4. When we come to the end of life, the question will be, "How much have you given?" not "How much have you gotten?"

5. The fact is that if you are hoarding your money and possessions and not being rich toward God and His work that you are on strike.

VII. Here's another way some are on strike. There are many who may come to church, they may read God's Word and pray -

1. Just don't ask them to serve, witness, help or do anything else of a tangible nature that involves some kind of action.

2. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20)  is not the Great Suggestion. No it is a command and Jesus says, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptising them...teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you...."

3. The going, and the disciple making, and the teaching was and is for all not just a select few. We are alll to be a part of the fulfillment of the Great Commission.

4. Henry Trumbull wrote a great little book in the late 1800s about personal witnessing that I stumbled onto at a garage sale. In his book "Individual Work for Individuals" Trumbull says: "I saw that it were better to make a mistake in one's first effort at personal religious conversation, and correct that mistake afterwards, than not to make any effort. There can be no mistake so bad, in working for an individual soul for Christ, as the fatal mistake of not making an honest endeavor. How many persons refrain from doing anything lest they possibly should do the wrong thing just now! Not doing is the worst of doing."

5. If you are not willing to witness, teach, help, serve or do anything of a practical nature to help the Kingdom of God besides warm a pew - then you are on strike!

6. And in its worst manifestation the spiritual striker even works against the Kingdom of God by helping the enemy through their willful sins.

VIII. Are you on a spiritual strike? I don't know why and maybe you don't even know why you went out on strike.

1. I believe, however, if you are honest with yourself you will see that you have just been hurting yourself - You're not hurting God.

2. And, You are certainly not impressing God by being on your little strike.

3. I love this story I found once about a couple when they first began ministry with youth.

4. Rob and Krista Culler left their home church in Delaware to enter the ministry. Rob says that at their home church in Delaware that they had a wonderful worship leader, an excellent choir, orchestra, and worship team.

5. Rob describes how all of this affected them by saying: "The music was always appropriate whether it made you want to jump to your feet and clap your hands or just quietly wait in God's presence. The worship team always provided a terrific atmosphere for our services. Then, we went to a tiny church in Virginia where the pastor's wife did her best to play the organ and a gentleman from the congregation occasionally accompanied her on the out-of-tune piano. After our first service, I was horrified. I thought, 'How in the world will I ever be able to worship God here? These people have no idea what they're doing!' As the weeks rolled by, my attitude during 'worship' got worse and worse. During my little pity party one week, I sensed the Lord speaking to my heart. He said, 'Who do you think this is all about, you or Me? Why does everything have to meet your expectations? I am God. I did not decree a certain worship style in My Word. The forms may be different, but I am still the same God. Is that going to be good enough for you or not?"

3. If you are on strike I think that is exactly what it comes down to. God is still the same God. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

     (1. Is that going to be good enough for you or not?

4. When Queen Elizabeth was a little girl, she threw a temper tantrum and her nanny told her, "Do you know who your are?"
     "Of course, I am Elizabeth."

     (1. "No," her nanny scolded, "you are the heir apparent to the throne of the British Empire and the future Queen of England."

     (2. To that the little girl responded, "In that case I had better dry these tears and act like the Queen, hadn't I?"

5. Do you know who you are? If you know Christ as your Savior you are part of the royal family of the King of kings.

CONCLUSION:

1. We do not know how it happened but John Mark ended his spiritual strike because in 2 Timothy 4:11 while Paul is in Rome he writes, "Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry."

2. In a labor dispute striking is difficult for the worker and for the company they are striking against.

     (1. The hope is that the company will give in to their demands and they will soon be back at work.

3. Striking spiritually will not work in that way because God will not change His Word to suit our personal desires.

     (1. Striking spiritually only serves to make life more and more difficult for us.

4. Isn't it time to end your spiritual temper tantrum, end your strike, and get back to work?