GRG 1
Punching Holes in the Darkness
(slide) There was a particular wife whose hobby was gardening, and it became
necessary for her to leave town, which meant her husband would be in charge of her
plants. So she gave her husband specific instructions in caring for her plants as far as
watering and needed light, and also explained her plants needed some
encouragement. So she asked him if he would please talk to her plants occasionally.
Well the husband was not particularly overjoyed that he would have to take care
of his wife’s plants. He was just not a plant person, and he was not about to talk to a
bunch of plants to give them encouragement--he would feel like a fool. What if his
buddies got wind of this?
When the wife returned, she found everything just fine, and asked he husband -“Did you talk to the plants?”
“No, I did not,” he answered. “I simply read the newspaper out loud in the
morning and in the afternoon, and if they wanted to listen it was up to them.”
I don’t know if you talk to your plants to (slide) encourage them or not, but this
morning’s message is about encouragement, in particular the words of
encouragement we can offer to others. Listen to these verses of Scripture I found in
the book of Proverbs regarding our words. (slide)
“Anxiety in the heart of man (a person) weighs it down, but a good word makes
it glad.” Prov.12:25
“A man (person) has joy in an apt answer, and how delightful is a timely word.”
Prov.15:23
“Bright eyes gladden the heart; good news puts fat on the bones.” Prov.15:30
(slide)
“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”
Prov.16:24
“Like cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a distant land.”
Prov.25:25
I think that last verse I read is my favorite description. For I can envision myself
(like all of you), working diligently out in the yard during the hot summer months,
sweating like crazy and my mouth feels parched and my body is somewhat dehydrated,
and then I take a break and get something cold to drink, like lemonade, or maybe the
really hard stuff, you know, diet Pepsi or Coke. (blank) But have you ever noticed how
after working in the hot sun nothing tastes as wonderful as ice water to refreshen and
revitalize? Water is something that the body needs to stay hydrated isn’t it?
I remember one time at camp we had a camper who wasn’t drinking enough and
became dehydrated. We actually had to take this person to the hospital. The first thing
they did was start an IV line to pump fluids into their system. Within a short time the
person was feeling better, revived.
As I read this verse – “Like cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a
distant land,” I envisioned a time well before radio and television and telegraph, when
information was sent by courier, in particular by horse, or chariot, or a runner thousands
of years ago. The runner traveled mile after mile, making his way around mountains
and through forests, to finally bring back news to the king who was waiting for a report
about the state of battle. To share good news from a distant land, such as “all is well”
GRG 2
was very encouraging, it was like a cold drink of water to someone who was tired and
thirsty.
The Scripture reminds all of us, our words we speak to others, the good and
encouraging news we can pass along, can be refreshing to someone else’s spirit like a
cold drink of water. You see, we have the option dear friends and the power, to choose
to criticize or encourage, and I believe you will agree with me, encouragement is
much more valuable and does more good in the long run.
(slide) Charles Schwab, an American Industrialist, who lived from 1862 to 1939,
graduated from college at age 16 and later became the first president of the U.S. Steel
Corporation from 1901 to 1916. He was the first man in history ever to receive a salary
of one million dollars. [slide Now keep in mind, the average wage in the United States
in 1900 was $9.70 per week or roughly $500 per year. So Schwab’s income was
almost 2000 times greater than the average person. That would be similar to someone
today making an average of $50,000 a year compared to $100M. Do any of you think
you might be able to squeak by on $100M year after year?] Well Schwab said and
believed this about encouragement: “I consider my ability to arouse enthusiasm
among men the greatest asset I possess and the way to develop the best that is in a
man is by appreciation and encouragement. (blank) There’s nothing that kills the
ambitions of a man as criticisms…I never criticize anyone. I believe in giving a man
incentive to work. So I am anxious to praise, but loath to find fault. If I like anything, I
am hearty in my approbation (approval) and lavish in my praise.” Schwab believed a
good portion of his success was encouragement.
Baptist Minister, Peter Flamming, tells this story about Robert Lewis Stevenson,
best known for his adventure story Treasure Island, who was in poor health much of his
childhood and youth. One night his nurse found him with his nose pressed against the
frosty pane of his bedroom window. “Child, come away from there. You’ll catch your
death of cold.”
But young Robert would not budge. He sat, mesmerized, as he watched an old
lamplighter slowly working his way through the black night, lighting each street lamp
along his route. Pointing, Robert exclaimed, “See, look there, there’s a man poking
holes in the darkness.”
When I read that story, I was intrigued by the idea of poking or punching holes in
the darkness. It made me think of encouragement, of bringing light and life where
there is gloom and despair. For it seems to me, every time we share a good word with
someone else, we have the opportunity to encourage them, to lessen their load, the
burden they carry, and poke a few more holes in their darkness with the light of Christ’s
grace and hope.
Do you remember earlier when I read the Scripture from Proverbs 15 (slide)
which said: “Bright eyes gladden the heart; good news puts fat on the bones?” Seems
like an odd way to describe encouragement don’t you think? But the idea of putting fat
on the bones, was a Hebrew expression, it was a symbol of health and prosperity. For
example, some people when they are stressed out or worried, are too nervous to eat
and relax, so they lose weight, they lose the fat on their bones. The converse of this
expression we can find in (slide) Proverbs 17:22 - “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a
broken spirit dries up the bones.” So good news gladdens the heart, which is good
medicine, putting fat on the bones, while a broken spirit does the reverse, drying up the
GRG 3
bones where no fat is present. (blank)
Even thousands of years ago, wise ole Solomon knew our psychological health
could impact our physical health. A positive attitude can foster good health, while a
depressed spirit can ruin our health.
Do you remember the story in Genesis 45, when Jacob, the father of 12 sons, at
age 130, is told that his son Joseph, whom he thought was dead for the last 22 years,
was alive and well and was the prime minister of Egypt second only to Pharaoh?
(vv.25-27) The Scripture says Jacob’s spirit was revived. Or how about the story in
Exodus 4 when Moses and Aaron speak to the sons of Israel for the first time and tell
them that God is concerned about their situation after 400 years of waiting? (vv.28-31)
The Scripture says the people heard and believed that God was concerned about them
and they immediately bowed low and worshipped the Lord. In other words, their spirits
were encouraged and they thanked and praised God.
The words which Jacob and the people of Israel heard punched holes in their
darkness. They saw a glimmer of light where there was no light before. They were
encouraged. They felt re-energized. They felt revived. They had new vigor. They felt
life had meaning once again.
Lee Roy Caffey was traded from the Philadelphia Eagles pro football team to the
Green Bay Packers in 1964, where Lee Roy played right linebacker. The year was now
1965, and a fellow teammate, Ray Nitschke who played middle linebacker, was at the
peak of his game coming off an All-Pro and Pro Bowl season. But as Nitschke was
warming up before a game against the Detroit Lions, he pulled a hamstring muscle and
was out of the game. No one could believe it had happened. Nitschke was considered
indestructible. With only a few minutes before the kickoff, Coach Vince Lombardi turned
to Caffey and said, “Ray’s hurt. You’re going to have to play the middle.”
Caffey was not a middle linebacker and Detroit knew it. Try as he may, Caffey
could not do anything right as Detroit worked on his inexperience in that position. At the
half, the Lions were ahead 21 to 3. (Sounds like the Lions doesn’t it, they always jump
ahead in the first half?) When Lee Roy went into the locker room he believed he was
losing the entire game for the rest of his team and tears were streaming down his face.
[Makes you wonder how Michigan’s punter slept last night. Did he feel he blew the
entire game for his team in those last 10 seconds?]
The first player who walked up to Caffey was Ray Nitschke and he gave Lee Roy
a condensed course on middle line backing. Then Bart Starr, the quarterback, came up
to Lee Roy and patted him on the back and said: “Don’t worry, we’re going to win.”
One by one, with words, or pats, or glances, the entire team let Lee Roy know they
shared his agony, appreciated his effort out there on the field, and supported him. They
were a team. And win or lose, it would happen as a team.
In the second half, with renewed vigor and confidence, Caffey went wild on the
field, blitzing, making tackles, doing everything right as a middle linebacker. Bart Starr,
in the third quarter alone, threw 3 touchdown passes, and the packers came back to
beat the Lions, 31 to 21. (Sounds like the Lions in the second half doesn’t it?) (blank)
The point is this, it would seem that the support that you and I can receive from
encouraging words and actions from others, can make all the difference in the world.
Why? Because it lets us know someone is behind us no matter what. And if that is true
-
GRG 4
What would happen if we decided as Christians to make it a point to punch holes
in someone else’s darkness? What would happen in our relationships if we made it a
point to speak positive words to those around us? What would happen if someone who
felt totally rejected or at the worst point in their life knew they could count on you for
support?
For someone called Jackie Robinson - it saved his career. (slide) Jackie
Robinson as you know was the first black man ever to play major league baseball. He
faced jeering crowds in every stadium he went to and the fans expected perfection from
him.
While playing one day in his home stadium in Brooklyn, he committed an error.
The home town fans began to ridicule him. I imagine they were merciless. Robinson
stood at second base, humiliated, feeling rejected. He was ready to quit. (slide) Then
shortstop “Pee Wee” Reese came over, stood next to Jackie Robinson and put his arm
around him. The fans grew quiet when they saw the support of another player,
something they should have been doing all along. By that simple gesture of support,
Robinson was encouraged and went on to play, and later said, that arm around his
shoulder kept him in major league baseball. For Jackie Robinson, one person made that
difference. (blank)
Well, who is that person God wants you to touch in a similar way? Who is that
one that needs an arm around their shoulder, a phone call, a visit to lift their spirits?
“Like cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a distant land.” Our words, our
caring actions, our support can punch holes in someone else’s darkness! And if anyone
should be punching holes into the darkness of others it should be us as Christians.
Why? Because not only do we know the greatest news there is that Christ is the
answer and in Him there is life and light, but we as believers become His light-bearers
as the Spirit of Christ lives within us.
Not only that, but we as His followers are blessed to know the very One Who
wants to encourage each and every one of us when we’re going through dark days
ourselves. Our Lord wants to bring hope where there is despair, comfort where there is
sorrow. God wants to lift us up because God is always on our side. He is the Lord of
forgiveness and new beginnings.
Well, maybe today you are the one who could use some holes punched in your
darkness. Maybe today you are the one that needs the ministry of encouragement.
Maybe today you are the one who could use the lift of support because life with all of its
challenges has just not been fun lately. Well, I want you to know God wants to take
your concerns, your heartache, your tears, your stress, your challenges, your everything
and place it in His hands. Why? Because the Scripture says God cares about you. 1
Peter 5:7 says, “casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.”
For others this morning, you sense God is calling and speaking to you in a
different way. You’ve sensed God’s Spirit saying I want to use you as an instrument of
Mine. God wants to work through you punching holes in someone else’s darkness.
Why? Because as a Christian you represent God’s heart, a heart that wants to
encourage those within the body of Christ, or perhaps lead someone for the very first
time into the kingdom.
But whatever God has laid upon your heart today, let’s offer it up on prayer.