Stage Four: Facing the Unexpected

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Opening

We are on our fourth of six messages on things I learned when renovating my house back in 2006, and making some parallel applications to our spiritual lives. Tonight, our title is “Facing the Unexpected.”
How does it feel when something unexpected happens?
How does it feel when something unexpected happens?
· How does it feel when something unexpected happens?
Well, in our renovation project at the house, unexpected things happened.
Tell sewer story
Show pictures
Tell dryer story
It would be great if we knew everything that was going to happen. Unfortunately, there are all kinds of things that affect us…and many of them aren’t even our fault! Sometimes it’s what other people have done in the past. Sometimes it’s the choices that we’ve made in the past. Sometimes stuff just…happens.

Message

POINT 1: Unexpected things happen.

In this world, do we have the option of deciding whether unexpected things happen or not? No… that’s why they are called “unexpected.”
· I didn’t know that the sewer was going to back up into the room.
I didn’t know that the sewer was going to back up into the room.
I didn’t know that the sewer was going to be all broken up.
I didn’t know that the main sewer line was broken too.
I didn’t know that the main sewer line was made of the worst kind of “pipe” possible.
I didn’t know that the dryer was going to break.
These things just happened.
In our being renovated by God, unexpected stuff will happen. Just like with my sewer and dryer.
Sometimes it will be “bad” stuff that God works out for our good (the sewer).
Sometimes it will be “good” stuff that is a tremendous blessing (like Wayne Whitlock helping with the electrical and phone… I hadn’t known him all that well before then).
But we shouldn’t be overwhelmed with surprise when that unexpected stuff happens. Here are three verses that tell us that we should expect the unexpected:
James 1:2 CSB
2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials,
(Operative word here is WHEN)
(Operative word here is WHENEVER)
Philippians 1:29 CSB
29 For it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,
(it has been granted…it is actually a blessing that we need, and it’s going to come)
(it has been granted…it is actually a blessing that we need)
1 Peter 4:12 CSB
12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you as if something unusual were happening to you.
(It’s not strange…it’s supposed to happen)
(It’s not strange…it’s supposed to happen)
Even Jesus said that He would return unexpectedly:
Matthew 24:43–44 CSB
43 But know this: If the homeowner had known what time the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into. 44 This is why you are also to be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
·
1 Thessalonians 5:1–3 CSB
1 About the times and the seasons: Brothers and sisters, you do not need anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 When they say, “Peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
·
2 Peter 3:10 CSB
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed.
·
Since we don’t actually have a choice as to whether or not unexpected things happen, the only thing that we actually DO have a choice in is how we respond to those things.
Since we don’t actually have a choice as to whether or not unexpected things happen, the only thing that we actually DO have a choice in is how we respond to those things.

POINT 2: We choose how we respond to the unexpected.

We have a choice when unexpected things happen to us.
With the sewer, I had a choice how to respond:
· With the sewer, I had a choice how to respond.
I could freak out, give up, stop the renovation, blame God, and wallow in my self-pity.
I could just ignore the problem, and hope it went away.
· I could just ignore the problem, and hope it went away.
OR I could get a shovel, and start digging.
· OR I could get a shovel, and start digging.
With the dryer, I had a choice how to respond.
I could freak out, give up, blame God, and wallow in my self-pity.
· I could keep putting wet clothes in a broker dryer, hoping that they’d dry.
I could keep putting wet clothes in a broker dryer, hoping that they’d dry.
· OR I could go to Sears, get a new dryer, and keep moving forward.
OR I could go to Sears, get a new dryer, and keep moving forward.
You have a choice when these unexpected things come! Give up or keep going. Look at Philippians 4:
Philippians 4:6–8 CSB
6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.
(Take it to God, don’t give up. Don’t dwell on it.)
(Take it to God, don’t give up. Don’t dwell on it.)
1 Peter 5:6–7 CSB
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.
(Give YOURSELF to God, not just your problems)
(Give YOURSELF to God, not just your problems… take your cares as well...)
1 Peter 4:19 CSB
19 So then, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator while doing what is good.
(Commit yourself to God, continue to do good)
(Entrust yourself to God, continue to do good)
Hebrews 2:18 CSB
18 For since he himself has suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.
(Jesus understands and is there with you)
(Jesus understands and is there with you)
2 Thessalonians 1:6–7 CSB
6 since it is just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted, along with us. This will take place at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels,
(God will deal with it eventually. It’s a promise)
(God will deal with it eventually. It’s a promise.)
Choose to respond to the things that happen in faith. Trust that God is still in control, even if it doesn’t FEEL like it. He may have something great planned as a result of what you’re going through.

POINT 3: These things have a purpose.

Remember that we were renovating the back room so that Linda could move in and live with us for a time.
What would have happened if the sewer problem at my house was not discovered before Linda moved in? What would have happened?
· What would have happened if the sewer problem at my house was not discovered before Linda moved in? What would have happened?
What about the dryer?
The Emperor Moth
A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth and took it home so he could watch the moth come out of the cocoon. One day a small opening appeared. The man sat and watched the moth for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. To the man it appeared as if the moth had gotten as far as it could in breaking out of the cocoon and was stuck.
Out of kindness the man decided to help the moth. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon so that the moth could get out. Soon the moth emerged, but it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the moth, expecting that in time the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would simultaneously contract to its proper size.
Neither happened. In fact, that little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It was never able to fly.
The man in his kindness and haste didn’t understand that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body into the wings so that the moth would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.
The struggle that the moth had to undertake was ultimately for its good.
With God, sometimes we wish that He’d remove our struggles and unexpected things, but if He did, it would cripple us and keep us from being all we were designed to be.
We’ve got to trust that God knows what He’s doing, and have a right mind-set in allowing Him to do it.
·
2 Thessalonians 1:3–4 CSB
3 We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, since your faith is flourishing and the love each one of you has for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore, we ourselves boast about you among God’s churches—about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and afflictions that you are enduring.
(Thessalonians’ faith is flourishing in the face of persecutions and afflictions, and now Paul is telling others about their faith as well)
·
Romans 5:1–5 CSB
1 Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, 4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. 5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
(Affliction produces endurance, which produces proven character, which produces hope, which will not disappoint because of God’s love through the Spirit’s presence in our hearts)
James 1:2–4 CSB
2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
·
(This is the second time I’ve used 1:2, but now adding 3 and 4: testing produces endurance, which produces maturity and completion)
Ultimately, if take this view of the “unexpecteds” in our lives, then we won’t be so troubled when they actually show up. Our way of looking at them becomes one of faith, not fear, frustration, or futility. We don’t feel defeated by them, we feel strengthened by them. We can and should have joy through them.
Ultimately, if take this view of the “unexpecteds” in our lives, then we won’t be so troubled when they actually show up. Our way of looking at them becomes positive, not negative. We don’t feel defeated by them, we feel strengthened by them. We can have joy through them.

POINT 4: We can take joy in living through the unexpected.

In the middle of dealing with the sewer, it was hard. I’ve never dug so much in my life. But when it was all done, I had great satisfaction in the following facts:
My sewer line (at least the part that we replaced) was going to be good for at least the rest of the time I owned the house (and is still probably just fine as we speak).
I had prevented a future problem that would have affected the ENTIRE house, not just the back room.
I had learned how to fix a damaged sewer line.
I had done so without spending $8,000 to do it.
I would probably never been intimidated by a sewer problem again for the rest of my life.
I felt stronger physically from all of the work we had done.
I could take joy in the fact that my knowledge, my body, and my home had all been improved by this unexpected occurrence.
If I had just gotten all depressed and frustrated by it, I would not have had that joy.
As you persevere through your trials and unexpected happenings for the right reasons and with the right attitude, you can take great joy in what God is doing in the renovation of your life.
James 1:2 CSB
2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials,
again
·
1 Peter 1:3–9 CSB
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. 5 You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials 7 so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
(We praise God because He is doing a work in us, even though right now we have to go through certain trials to refine our faith)
1 Peter 4:13–16 CSB
13 Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 Let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler. 16 But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God in having that name.
·
(Rejoice in bearing the name of Jesus, even if we have to face some of His sufferings as a result.... we are blessed in that)
CLOSING:

Closing

Unexpected things are just going to happen. We can live through them, or cave. We can honor God in them, or have a pity party.
What about the next time some unexpected thing happens in your life, no matter how major or minor? What are you going to choose?
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