The Lutheran Hour
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"When Life Overwhelms, God Provides"
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Text: Jeremiah 1
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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you in Jesus’ Name, the Lord who provides real strength to face the challenges of life!
Can anybody tell me what day it is? If you are living in the United States and don’t know that today is “Super Bowl” Sunday, well, you must be living in a cave, and I don’t mean a man cave. I mean, each year the promotion gets longer and longer and crazier and crazier. They say that over one-third of the country will tune in to watch one game, the so-called, Big Game–that’s over 100 million people, with millions more around the world. That potential impact alone changes things, like advertising costs for instance. Did you know that a 30-second commercial spot during the game will cost between three and four million dollars? That’s over $100,000 per second! Or, think about this, the sale of TV sets explodes this time of year. Over five million people have purchased new TV sets just for the occasion. People will spend an estimated eleven billion dollars on Super Bowl-related merchandise. Yeah, I said it; eleven billion dollars! That figure includes the consumption of about 1.25 billion chicken wings! That’s a lot of wingless birds running around.
So, Super Sunday is no ordinary day.
I don’t think I’ve ever thought about it too much, but can you imagine the pressure on the players? You might say that Super Bowl is football’s ultimate job performance review. Careers are made and broken by one’s performance during this one game. The pressure is on! Sure, some of the players are cool veterans, but do you realize that the average age of an NFL player is 27 years old? And, very few of them even get a chance to play in the Big Game. Add a hundred million people watching a high-pressure championship game, and the intensity builds, doesn’t it? Normal jobs allow a worker’s performance to be measured Monday through Friday during a series of regular work weeks, even years. An NFL player’s future is based on just sixteen outings on the field, with it all coming down to this game. He’s got to perform every week at the highest of levels or he may be out of a job.
I know there are big salaries and I know there is a lot of attention given to them; but with the perks comes some high anxiety, comes the threat of real injury and the pressure to win, now. This may be a Super Sunday for fans, but it can be a pressure cooker Sunday for players.
Where do you go? Where do you go when the pressure mounts, when the expectations rise above your abilities and strength? The Prophet Jeremiah reminds us that no matter what day it is, when life is beyond hard, God provides real strength.
Maybe the pressure cooker is rising for you today. Maybe you’re saying, “Super Bowl pressure, they don’t know the half of it.” Maybe you’re feeling that kind of pressure right now. Maybe you’re feeling like it’s all come down to this and you’ve got to perform, you’ve got to get through, you’ve got to make it, or it’s all over, right?You may be feeling that Super Bowl Sunday pressure right now with what you are up against!
If you are a parent, your life may be really challenging right now. Maybe it’s dealing with diapers and no sleep. Or maybe, it’s making sure that the kids have enough food and clothes. Maybe you’re dealing with the hard work of parenting, disciplining in love, molding the hearts and minds of your kid in the face of complete rebellion and lots of worry. Being a parent can be a great blessing, but it can also stretch you, emotionally, physically to the limit. Life can be hard!
Or if you are a spouse, maybe your marriage is difficult now. What was once a fun and carefree relationship may now be filled with the stress of disagreements, money struggles, or even betrayal and hurt. Now you’re trying to figure out your future. You’re hoping for change. You’re praying for relief to your heartbreak. Marriage is a wonderful gift. But, even with the best spouse, life can be hard!
Or, perhaps you are enduring the challenge of being alone. You would love to have someone special to enjoy life with. Your heart aches for a special relationship. But, right now, in this season of your life, you’re alone. Maybe you have never found that special person to share your life with. Or, maybe you’ve even lost the one you love. Being alone is a challenging journey. Life can be hard.
I think you get the idea. There’s Super Bowl pressure in many aspects of life, important aspects of life. What you’re up against is as big as the Big Game or bigger. You might not feel up to the task. Maybe you’re struggling with depression or feelings of inadequacy. Do you feel like millions of critical fans just saw you fumble on the first play of the Big Game of your life or that everyone watched you blow your offensive or defensive assignment allowing the other team to score?
Where do you go when the pressure mounts, when the expectations rise above your abilities and strength? The prophet Jeremiah reminds us that no matter what day it is, when life is beyond hard, God provides strength.
You see, God’s strength is different than ours. God’s strength shines when you are weak. When you realize the real weight of your guilt and sin, when you feel the shame of failure, that’s when God’s hope for you is at its best! But God, through His Word today, lets you know that if your life is hard, you don’t have to be discouraged. He is still with you; He has a purpose for you; and He will give you His strength.
Today you are hearing words from the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah. He spoke thousands of years ago, yet God’s message through him is still as relevant today as then. He was a young priest, from a long line of priests, you know, the people in charge. Jeremiah could have been in line for a smooth life of service, respect, and prestige. Instead, God decided to give him a different job, a difficult one. In Jeremiah chapter one, we hear Jeremiah describe how God changed the course of his life:
“Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.’ Then I said, ‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.'” (vs. 4-6).Jeremiah knew what he was in for. As a prophet to the nations, he would not be a popular person. He would not be revered by the people. No, he would be the person nobody wanted to hear from. He would be lonely. He would be despised. He would be thrown in jail by kings. He would be banned from the temple area where he grew up. His writings would be burned publicly.
Nobody wanted to hear him pointing out how they had been hurtful to others and unfaithful to God. But that’s the message he had to deliver. His job was to call people back from the brink of danger. They were excluding God from their lives. If they continued, the Babylonian kingdom in the north would come down, take them captive, and destroy their land.
This was not an easy life. And, honestly, Jeremiah didn’t want it. He didn’t feel qualified for the job. He was too young and unskilled. He didn’t want this hard life.
But sometimes God gives you a job you didn’t ask for, but one that is really needed more than ever. Sometimes He calls you to serve in a way you don’t feel qualified to do. Sometimes your calling in life is very difficult. God reminds Jeremiah of the source, then, of real strength in all things in his life. He says:
“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth;’ for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 1:7-8).God provided real strength to Jeremiah, for the work he had to do. Jeremiah would make it through the difficult challenges. God will do the same for you, dear friend. Life may be very hard, but God provides real strength.
Super Sunday. Today’s a day when sports heroes are born. But I want you to know that not all Super Bowl heroes have had it easy. For many of them, it has been a long journey just to play this game that so many love. In fact, for many, just making it to the NFL has been a struggle, and even at the height of that success there are still personal struggles, family issues, and physical pain beyond what most of us can imagine. We’re seeing more and more tragedy in the lives of people who seem to have it all. But did you know that more and more of those supposed tough guys rely on the same strength available to you today, the strength that comes from knowing God by faith!
Have you heard the name Kurt Warner? He’s one of my favorite modern football players, although some of you might know him as the football guy on “Dancing with the Stars,” or the CEO of the kid’s foundation, “First Things First.” However you might know of him, did you know that he was a guy who overcame adversity, a guy who was never given a shot early on in his career. He was a guy who was tough (in fact, sometimes to his detriment since he suffered several concussions in his career); and yes, he did become a Super Bowl MVP, but did you know that he almost didn’t make it to the pros at all? Out of college, he wasn’t even drafted; he was cut by the Green Bay Packers in 1994. He was bagging groceries, even working the night shift at $5.50 an hour, trying to support his wife and her two children from a previous marriage, one of which was a boy who had suffered brain damage as a child. No one gave him a shot. He tried everything to make it, but nothing seemed to be working. The pressure was mounting, not just to be a football player, but to be a good husband, a good father.
Well, he played arena football to pay the bills as well as to keep the dream alive. Finally, the St. Louis Rams, out of desperation, signed him in 1999. He was the second-string quarterback, and suddenly, due to the injury of the starter, he was thrust into the limelight at 28 years of age. Adversity, struggle, days and nights when he didn’t know if things were ever going to change; what was the strength that kept him going? What was the fuel for the fire to keep competing? What was the power to keep those commitments to be a good father, a good husband, and a trusted leader when no one really believed in him?
Well, listen to how he tells it…. “If you ever really want to do a story about who I am,” says Warner, “God’s got to be the center of it. Every time I hear a piece or read a story that doesn’t have that, they’re missing the whole lesson of who I am.”
Faith in God’s Word, God’s plan was the power for his life when he was bagging groceries and when he was throwing Super Bowl winning touchdown passes. He had learned a lesson early on, that Jeremiah is teaching us today, life can be very hard, but God provides strength.
You may be at a very difficult place right now. You may be feeling weak and discouraged.
And, unlike the Super Bowl players, even Super Bowl heroes, you don’t have crowds cheering you on. No one’s doing the wave as you change a diaper or struggle with loneliness. A shoe company isn’t giving you an endorsement deal as you pound the pavement looking for a job. You just have hard tasks to tackle.
But the Lord of heaven and earth wants me to encourage you today, right now. It’s true, life can wear you out. It can be a difficult struggle. It can weaken you. But there is an answer: God provides strength.
The pressure can be strong. The tasks can be tough. The burden can feel heavy. But you’re not alone. It’s not all on your shoulders. God provides strength.In fact, God doesn’t merely provide strength, He sends it. We hear Jeremiah say:
“Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, ‘Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant'” (Jeremiah 1:9-10).Literally, the text says that God sent out His hand and touched Jeremiah’s mouth. You see, God always sends.
It’s not unlike what you will see in the Super Bowl, when extra defensive strength is needed for a goal-line stand, the coach will send in some beefy defensive linemen. When long yardage is needed to get a first down, the coach will send in extra wide receivers or blockers.
When God’s people need help, strength, and rescue, God sends. He sent His prophets. He sent His angelic armies. He sent His Word. He sent His only Son. That was the ultimate substitution play. Helpless in our weakness and sin, God sent Jesus to shoulder our weakness, guilt, sin, and failure. God sent His Son to the cross on our behalf. God sent Jesus the Savior to pay the price for our sin and win the victory over death for us. Jesus won the ultimate Super Bowl and gives each one of us the victor’s ring. He declares each of us champions through the gift of forgiveness of our sins. God sent Jesus onto the playing field of your life to save you, to save me. “As St. Paul says, ‘Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor. 15).
Life can be very hard. It can drain you of your strength; but God is always sending. He sends His Spirit into your life through His Word just as He did with Jeremiah. He sends the forgiving and strengthening presence of Jesus through the Lord’s Supper. He sends His encouragement through the gathering and fellowship of believers. He sends His gifts to His people to build one another up. Life may be hard, but God provides strength” The very Good News of Jesus Christ; the power of God for our salvation” (Romans 1:16).
Do you need to receive that strength today?
Then know this. Whatever is fighting against you, it will not prevail! Whatever is draining you will not win the day. Jesus has already won that battle. He guaranteed the eternal outcome. You can do your work. You can fulfill your calling. You can face your day because, in Christ Jesus, God provides strength. He even promises in 2 Corinthians 12 that His grace is always sufficient for what you face.
You’ll see reminders of God’s strength even on Super Sunday. You’ll see players praying together. You’ll see others cross themselves or point to heaven after a good play. One way that Kurt Warner stayed grounded was to carry a small Bible with him to every interview. It reminded him, to give our very best glorifying God in what we do, but it also reminded him that life was bigger than any game, win or lose. Such reminders help all of us remember that life can be difficult, but God provides strength. Will you receive it? Will you remember it when your life is hard?
Don’t just cross yourself for good luck, cross yourself to remember the day when God poured out His grace and protection on you in your Baptism! Don’t just read the Bible as another book among many, remember, every time you read the Bible, to think of this Word as promises that you can be sure of in and for your life! And remember to make Sunday worship a regular activity. In fact, because of Jesus’ resurrection, that’s what Sundays are really for to all those who know Christ by faith; they are Super Resurrection Sundays that remind us that when life overwhelms us, God provides, through our Risen Savior Jesus, real strength to face the day! For if God is for us, then, in Christ, nothing can stand against us! Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for February 3, 2013
Topic: How Can The Church Engage Young People?ANNOUNCER: Now, Pastor Gregory Seltz responds to questions. I’m Mark Eischer. Pastor, many young people are captivated by things like sports, video games, and popular culture, anything except the church. How can the church better connect with young people?
SELTZ: Now Mark, one thing I want to make clear, there is one consistent desire that I have seen as I’ve visited churches around the country. The adult generation wants to share its faith in Christ and its devotion to the church with young people. They already want to pass along this treasure that lasts forever.
ANNOUNCER: But with so many other activities, why would a young person want to bother with church?
SELTZ: Well, one thing we need to remember is that even though there is this glitz, and glamour, and the gizmos that fill our lives these days, what all people need are relationships–authentic and caring relationships. Young people crave these healthy relationships, too, Mark; and so the first essential step to reaching them is: genuine relationships. Becoming a mentor, a Sunday School teacher, or simply an encourager in a young person’s life, that’s a way to show them that the church is not just a building or an organization; it is people loved by Jesus, sharing His love with each other.
ANNOUNCER: In that sense, reaching the youth starts with the self-sacrifice of adults and that involves real sacrifices of time and energy.
SELTZ: You’re right and you’ve probably heard the saying: “People don’t care much what you know until they know that you care.” That’s true of any relationship. It’s true when it comes to young people. We need to invest in the coming generations. So, in addition to supporting the fine youth ministries of our churches, we also need to get personally involved. In fact, your word “sacrifice” may be a good summary for the answer to this question.
ANNOUNCER: Now, what kind of sacrifice do you have in mind?
SELTZ: In addition to respecting young people and taking a personal interest in their lives by spending time to encourage and disciple them; we adults need to be open to certain kinds of change. Now, I realize this might be a very hot topic for folks.
ANNOUNCER: And would start a good number of debates.
SELTZ: True, but I’m not talking about changing the essential and foundational tenets of our faith. I’m not talking about changing the solid Biblical confession of our churches. I’m talking about making some outward adjustments so the next generation can make this message their own.
ANNOUNCER: For instance?
SELTZ: Well, each generation has unique needs. Some of my relatives communicated best in German or Finnish. Today, almost none of us speak a word of those languages. The church had to change to English to effectively reach English speaking people. Or, consider that a long time ago; people were not even able to read. But with modern educational advancements, that changed. Now people read and sing from hymnbooks, printed bulletins, and screens. The church changed. Today’s generation resonates to new communication methods and new practices. They’re not unscriptural. They are just new and different. When people make the Gospel their own, there’s bound to be some healthy change. And, as I said, this will call for self-sacrifice.
ANNOUNCER: It sounds like you’re advocating a balanced approach in all of this. In some ways, the church should never change. In other ways, change must happen.
SELTZ: Mark, think about it this way, we know the unchanging Gospel message because the church implemented that balanced approach over the years. We confess the same Biblical faith in our Savior that the first-century did. But the church has also had to change over the years in order to reach each new generation–including us!
ANNOUNCER: What other sacrifices did you have in mind?
SELTZ: Well, in order to reach young people effectively, people of the adult generation must hand off leadership to young people. Young people need to rise to the occasion too, and we need to share the joy and privilege of serving Christ and His church.
ANNOUNCER: That’s not always easy. It’s hard to give up something you enjoy doing yourself.
SELTZ: But if you want to reach young people, though, we need to include them, to entrust leadership to them as well. And hear me clearly on this; this is not a frightening task that puts the church at risk. What I’m talking about is the joy of forming a young person into a faithful servant of the Lord and a capable servant in the church. That’s a beautiful and exciting journey of preparing the church for the next generation and seeing new disciples in joyful, effective, and faithful ways.
ANNOUNCER: We pray that the church will not only desire the interest of young people, but also help them become a central part of this wonderful Gospel calling we all share. Thank you Pastor Seltz. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music Selections for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by Chris Bergmann. Used by permission.
“I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus/ If You But Trust in God to Guide You” arr. Henry Gerike. Used by permission.
“God Has Spoken by His Prophets” From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)
“Son of God, Eternal Savior” by Michael Burkhardt. From Hymn Improvisations, vol. 1 by Michael Burkhardt (© 1993 MorningStar Music Publishers, Inc.)