“LOOKING FOR THE BEST...”
I. ALL OF US REMEMBER THE STORY...
A. There
were three groups involved...three groups of antagonists:
1. On
one side were the tax collectors and “sinners,”
while on the other side were the Pharisees and the scribes. In the middle was Jesus.
a. He
got involved because he didn’t limit his audience to those on the Jews approved
list. And because he didn’t limit his audience to those the Jews thought to be
righteous, the antagonism on the part of the Jews for those they considered
sinners filtered over to antagonism toward Jesus, too.
1) The
fact is that Jesus was already on their “off” list to begin with and this was
just another opportunity to say, “See! We
told you what kind of a man this Jesus really is. Why He will even allow known sinners, even
tax-agents to be in his audience. If the
truth were known, I wager he even eats and drinks with them!”
B. Jesus
was good about telling stories to convict bad hearts, and especially the evil,
negative, self-righteous hearts of the Jews:
1. First
of all, he talked about a man having 100 sheep:
a. But
one of them is lost! Leaves...seeks...
finds... rejoices...friends & neighbors... “Rejoice with me for I have found my sheep that was lost!”
2. Then,
he tells the story of the woman who had 10 silver coins and then lost one of
them...
a. Lights
a lamp...sweeps...searches carefully... until she finds it...
1) Like
the man with the lost sheep, she too shares her joy with her friends &
neighbors!! “Rejoice! I have found the piece that was lost!”
C. But
then, he tells a more extended story about three people that likewise were
antagonists:
1. We often call it the story of the prodigal son...
a. Two
sons...younger...property...far country... wild living...broke!...pigs. “came to himself...” returned.
“far
off...” ring, robe, fatted calf...
party! rejoicing!!
forgiveness!! Lost is found!
b. Everybody
rejoiced except one!! The older son!!
c. Confrontation!!
D. Who
was he talking about??! Wasn’t he
contrasting the heart of God toward the lost with those of the scribes and
Pharisees?!! What was the difference??!!
1. God looked for the best
and the Jews didn’t!
a. A
forgiving, gracious disposition always looks, seeks and brings out the best in
others!!
II. I LOVE TO BE AROUND OPTIMISTS, DON’T YOU?
A. Now,
I must honestly admit that I have not always been optimistic...
1. At
times, I have gotten in the habit of nay-saying!!
B. But
I like to breath the “clean air” of optimism a lot more than the “smog” of cynicism and
pessimism...I had rather “groom” &
“bloom” than live constantly with “doom” & “gloom.”
C. Several
descriptions of the optimist and the pessimist:
1.
“The
pessimist majors in mistakes, misfortunes & misery; The optimist accentuates assets,
abundance & advantage...
“The pessimist preaches limitation,
liabilities & losses; the optimist promotes progress, prosperity &
plenty...”
“The optimist pleasantly ponders how high his
kite will fly; the
pessimist woefully wonders how soon his kite will fall...”
“The pessimist peers into the distance and
fears a problem; the optimist looks at the horizon and sees an opportunity...”
“The optimist
turns the impossible into the possible; the pessimist turns the possible into
the impossible...”
“To the
pessimist, all doors have latches and locks; to the optimist all doors have
handles and hinges...”
“The optimist has a reason for every success;
the pessimist has an excuse for every failure...”
“The optimist
makes opportunities out of calamities; the pessimist makes calamities out of
his opportunities.”
B. Pessimism
is a faith problem!!
1. Remember the one talent man in Matthew 25?!
a. “Lord,
I knew you to be a hard man...”
1) His
negative attitude and basic laziness resulted in his rejection!!
III. GOD BLESSES OPTIMISTIC FAITH:
A. He
blessed the optimistic faith of Abraham that God would make him a father when he was beyond the age of child bearing and
his wife Sarah was too old by human standards to have a baby.
B. He
condemned the pessimism of the 10 spies who brought back a discouraging report
to the nation of
C. He
blessed the optimism of David when he went out to face Goliath with only five
smooth stones and a sling shot.
D. He
condemned the faithless pessimism, envy, dishonesty
and
disobedience of King Saul.
IV. WHERE DO WE NEED TO LOOK FOR THE BEST?
A. Paul was an optimist:
1. One
modern speech paraphrase of his statement to Titus in
a. “A person who is pure of heart sees goodness
and purity in everything; but a person
whose heart is evil and untrusting finds evil in everything...his dirty mind
and rebellious heart colors all he sees and hears...”
2. He
told the Philippians to focus their thinking on:
a. “Whatever
wins respect, whatever is just,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovable,
whatever is admirable, whatever is
virtuous or worthy of praise...”
1) One
translation says “cherish the
thought of these things...”
B. Where
did Paul look for the best?
1. In himself -
a. He
was not unaware of his previous life and the sin and sorrow he had committed
and brought down on the families of others... but he was forgiven and given a new purpose and a living hope.
1) I Tim 1:12-15. “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because
he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a
blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I
had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me
with faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. This saying is trustworthy and
deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners, of whom I am foremost.”
2. In fellow Christians -
a. About
the Philippians spiritual development, he said, “I have confidence in what God can do with and through you!!”
1) Phil 1:6. “I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it
to completion at the day of Christ…”
b. He
commended the Colossian faith, hope and love and tells them how proud he is of
them for their fruitful lives in the gospel!!
1)
c. He even says to the troubled church in
in every
way...” and he expresses his
confidence that God will “…confirm you to
the end...”
C. In circumstances -
1. When
in prison he wrote about his guards being reached with the gospel, and others
had been encouraged to preach because he was in prison, and even when folks
preached with false motives, such as “envy
and rivalry,” even then Christ is
being preached (Phil 1:12-18)!!
2. In
Philippi, when he and Silas were thrown into jail for preaching the gospel,
they prayed and sang at midnight, even though they were in stocks (Acts 16:25)!
a. Their
faith and optimism were contagious: “The
others prisoners were listening to them.”
2. Even when he faced the time of his execution,
Paul filled his
mind and heart with the “crown of
righteousness”
he was about to receive!!
V. I CAN THINK OF
“I am born of
faith...I dwell in the soul of the worker...I believe in God...I believe in
God’s people...I believe in the ultimate triumph of good over evil...I look
into the heavens and see God there...I look upon the beauties about me and see
God in them...I look into the lives of God’s people and see God in them...I see
God everywhere...I dispel gloom...I dispense sunshine...In all my tribulations
I am patient... I rejoice in hope...I plant...I water...I wait...I reap...during
dread winter days, I anticipate spring...when the day fails and the night
mounts the skies, I walk in the starlight until sunrise... God is my father---I
do not murmur, or complain...I do my best, then trust kind Providence...In a
world of evil, I search out and find the good...I know that beyond the cloud,
the sun is shinning...I know that if the earthly house of my tabernacle be
dissolved, I have a building of God, a
house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens...I AM CHRISTIAN OPTIMISM!!”
A. Brothers
and Sisters, let’s look for the best, and we’ll probably find what we’re
looking for!