I DON'T DESERVE THIS
Introduction:
1. Have you ever heard anyone say, "I don't deserve this!!"
2. Perhaps at times we also have had the same feelings, either
expressed or not.
3. And perhaps we are right.
4. Maybe out lot in life has not been fair.
5. We expect life to be easy; it is not.
6, We expect life to be comfortable; yet, we experience pain.
7. Often we become disillusioned, even shocked; and we reason
"What did I do wrong?" "This just isn't fair, not right."
8. But, who said life is fair? Who promised us a bed of roses?
One without any thorns?
9. As we look about us, as we consider out lot in life, we reach
the conclusion that LIFE IS UNFAIR, it has always been like
that.
BODY:
I. LOOK AT SOME EXAMPLES OF THIS PRINCIPLE:
1. Did Joseph deserve to be sold as a slave in chains? Did he
deserve to be thrown into jail? Did he deserve to be
forgotten for years after he helped the King's butler?
OF COURSE NOT!!! But that did befall him.
2. Did Daniel deserve to be shipped off to a foreign country?
Did he deserve to be cast into a lion's den? Did he
deserve to be despised by his peers while he served the
King?
NO!! But he was!
3. Did Paul deserve to cast into jail? To be stoned? To be
beaten with rods? Did he deserve his scars??
NO!! But, that was his life's story. Over and over
again, he suffered for no other reason than his
desire to serve his Lord and Savior!!!
4. What about Job?? Elijah?? Jeremiah??
5. And then there was James, who was killed by Herod's sword.
John the Baptist!!
6. Look at the innumerable host of good people who have
suffered unjustly in life, who were not treated kindly as
they should have been treated.
7. SO, when you find yourself a victim of injustice, or some
wrong doing, resist whimpering and whining. Just remember,
you are in pretty good company!!!
II. DO PEOPLE DESERVE WHAT THEY GET?
1. Look around us. Do we see people deserving what they get?
2. Does that crippled man deserve his limp?
3. Does the blind man deserve darkness?
4. Or does that deformed man or woman deserve being twisted?
5. Do all those sick people in the hospitals deserve their
illnesses??
6. Well, SOME OF THEM DO!!! Many are sick or suffer calamities
as the direct result of something which they have done. It
may be bad choice they made, it could be their lifestyle
they have chosen to live, it may be the direct result of
some sin which they have committed. But, surely, not all of
them!!!
III. MANY CONSIDER CALAMITIES AS PUNISHMENT FOR WRONG:
1. The friends of Job assumed that his calamities were
deserved. Even his wife accepted this conclusion.
2. When Jesus passed by the blind man, his disciples asked,
"Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was
born blind?" (John 9:2).
Jesus left no uncertainty. "Neither this man nor his
parents sinned." No one is to blame!! This is not because
of anyone's sins, neither this man nor his parents. He did
not deserve to be blind!!
3. Look at the man at the gate of the temple who was born as a
cripple. (Acts 3). What did he do wrong? As far as the
Divine record goes, nothing. He did not deserve to be a
cripple, yet there he was.
4. Many are born with infirmities or deformities, which are
not the fault of either them or their parents.
5. Many are gone poor and never seem to have a door of
opportunity opened to them to be otherwise. They do not
deserve poverty, but there they are.
IV. LOOK AT THE OTHER SIDE:
1. On the other side, perhaps we do deserve what we get!!!
2. Did not Jesus say, "Not everyone who says to Me, Lord,
Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who
does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say
to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in
Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many
wonders in Your name? (Matt. 7:21-22).
They protested their punishment, "We did good." "We do
not deserve this." Jesus responds, "I never knew you,
depart from me, you who practice lawlessness."
They were receiving exactly what they deserved, no more,
nor any less.
3. Some rebels frequent the beer joints and bars.
4. Other rebels go to church, yet, they are still rebels
because they have not done what the Lord asks of them.
5. They eventually will get their just deserts from the Lord.
V. WE JUST DO NOT GRASP THE ENORMITY OF SIN:
1. Man says, "I don't deserve this," because they do not
comprehend the enormity of sin. SIN IS EXCEEDINGLY SINFUL!!
(Rom. 7:13).
2. Our sins just do not look too bad to us.
3. A bottle of beer, a glass of wine, really no big thing.
4. Fornication is no big deal, just fulfilling the desire
which the Lord put in us.
5. I do these things, but I am not so bad a person. So, we
conclude, we do not deserve to be punished.
6. We simple miss how bad sin in!!!
7. Hell, and all of its horrows, should show each one just how
bad sin really is.
8. Jesus, the sinless Son of God, suspended between heaven and
earth, as he was nailed to the cross, demonstrates just how
bad sin really is.
9. One thing for sure: JESUS DID NOT DESERVE THE CROSS!!!!!!
10. Even Pilate could find no fault in Him
11. Jesus was there solely because you and I deserve to be cast
into a devil's hell.
12. But, God's grace stepped in and made provision for our
salvation. Christ died on the tree that we not receive what
we truly deserve.
Conclusion:
1. Look at our lives. We are rich and prosperous. We do not
miss many meals, live in comfortable houses, do the things
that we wish to do. DO WE DESERVE ALL OF THIS?
2. We are surrounded by friends, family and brethren in Christ.
3. We enjoy the spiritual blessings which are in Christ.
4. Do we deserve all these things????
5. Jesus died to free you and me from the guilt and consequences
of sin; we have received mercy, forgiveness, and the love of
a Heavenly Father. Do we deserve these?
6. Do we deserve to be a SON OF GOD, a JOINT HEIR WITH CHRIST?
7. I think not!! HOWEVER, I EAGERLY ACCEPT IT ALL.
8. And, how thankful we should be that we are not getting what
we deserve.
9. On bended knees, "THANK YOUR LORD, FOR YOUR RICH BLESSINGS.
(Taken from an article by Joe Fitch)
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