Staying On Top When the Bottom Falls Out

Introduction: Each of us have heard the phrase 'The Bottom is Falling Out!' This message fills the evening news on television. It fills the headlines of our newspapers. It is the real issue of our day.

In many ways, the bottom is falling out! We don't need anyone to tell us that the bottom is falling out of our economy. You can give a first-hand report on the problem of spiraling inflation. You have been an eye-witness to the prices on everything increasing, while your earning power is decreasing. And no one seems to have the answers.

With all the great minds in the world today, no one has found a cure for inflation. The great economists of our age can't even agree on the direction we should take. And while this great debate continues, our economy is crumbling out from under us.

The bottom is also falling out of our judicial system. The world has always been plagued by crime and violence. But today we are plagued by a much deeper problem. Recognition for authority in our land is gone! Our system of law enforcement has been critically wounded to the point where it is nearly impossible and very dangerous to bring a criminal to justice.

One of the problems that deeply disturbs me is that the bottom is falling out on our families and homes. Divorce, Runaway children, trial marriages, sexual freedom and unfaithfulness are all tools Satan is using to rob us of the most precious relationship we have - the family.

Let me be careful here and choose my words carefully, for you or someone you love has already faced this tragedy. You can probably describe how the bottom has fallen out on a family very close to you and shattered the lives of those you know.

We know that Satan wants to destroy our homes, for if he destroys our homes, then, he can destroy our churches. If he can destroy our churches, he can destroy our communities. If he can destroy our communities, he can destroy our country - and ultimately our world.

Yes, the bottom is falling out of our world. We are seeing trouble like the world has never known. We have wars, and rumors of wars. Nations are rising up against nations. There is no safe place to hide, and in many parts of the world, terrorism is becoming a way of life. The ever-present threat of one of these sparks igniting the world is now a frightening reality.

The Bible tells us these things would take place…They are signs of the time in which we are living. They are a fulfillment of prophecies in the Word of God.

Luke 21 - Jesus told His disciples that some day He would come back to take His people to heaven Jesus Foretells the Future.

5 Some of his disciples began talking about the majestic stonework of the Temple and the memorial decorations on the walls. But Jesus said, 6"The time is coming when all these things will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!" 7 "Teacher," they asked, "when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to take place?" 8 He replied, "Don't let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah,' and saying, 'The time has come!' But don't believe them. 9 And when you hear of wars and insurrections, don't panic. Yes, these things must take place first, but the end won't follow immediately." 10 Then he added, "Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven. 12 "But before all this occurs, there will be a time of great persecution. You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are my followers. 13 But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me. 14 So don't worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you, 15 for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you! 16 Even those closest to you-your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends-will betray you. They will even kill some of you. 17 And everyone will hate you because you are my followers. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish! 19 By standing firm, you will win your souls. 20 "And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its destruction has arrived. 21 Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. Those in Jerusalem must get out, and those out in the country should not return to the city. 22 For those will be days of God's vengeance, and the prophetic words of the Scriptures will be fulfilled. 23 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. For there will be disaster in the land and great anger against this people. 24 They will be killed by the sword or sent away as captives to all the nations of the world. And Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end.

The disciples asked Him, "Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the signs of your coming, and the end of the world?" Jesus told them there would be great trouble in the land. He said as it was in the days of Noah, there would be eating and drinking, and giving in marriage until the flood came.

What He was saying, is that the people had time for everything else but God. We have come to that time today, when we rely on our own strength, our own ingenuity, and we think we can tackle the problems of life without God's help. This is a critical time in history. It's not caused by the Republicans in office or the Democrats having a majority in the Senate and House. They may contribute to the fall-out.

Many were looking to government this week to do something about the financial crisis our nation is in. Men and women of America have borrowed themselves into a place of slavery. If we can't afford something today, or we don't have the cash for it, we place it on the credit card, because, after all, it's only $35 a month payment. The trap is set, and snaps shut. Let me give you a word of caution. This is not a time to go out and buy something so 'you'll feel better.' Use wisdom and control your expenses (gas, heat, etc.) (thermostat down during the day)

Luke 24

25"And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. 26People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 27Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. 28So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!"

How are we going to make it when the bottom falls out? We find the key in verse 28.

I. Look Up! "Lift up your eyes!"

The bottom may fall out of your life, but people of faith are going to stay on top! We need to learn to cope with problems. Which way is up?

There is a condition among pilots called vertigo. It means to be totally disoriented. An aviation accident report once told the story of the tragedy of vertigo. A rather inexperienced pilot was making his approach for a landing in a light plane. There was a dense fog, and visibility was zero. As he continued his approach, the pilot lost his sense of direction and suffered this unusual sensation of vertigo. Rather than trust his instruments, the pilot headed in the direction he thought was right. Before he knew what had happened, his plane dropped over into a tail-spin. The frantic air controller screamed through the radio, "Pull up, pull up." And the pilot's reply was, "Which way is up?" - Those were his last words.

This is the cry and the hunger of the world today. - "Which way is up?" Many people are finding themselves in a tailspin. The bottom is falling out, and they don't know which was to turn.

But, when everything is crumbling around you, you can stand on a sure foundation - Jesus Christ. In Him, we are secure, we can be forgiven of our sins, and we can find peace of mind. He will heal our body, mind, and spirit. You can even have hope beyond the grave.

This all happens when you receive Christ into your heart. Let's talk about that for a few minutes.

Step One - We must confess to God that we are a sinner.

Step Two - We must receive Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.

John 1:12 - But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

God is our only Source of Help and Strength during troublesome times! He's the One who helps us stay on top when the bottom falls out! So…Look Up!

II. Win Over Worry!

1 Peter 5:7 - Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. The famous American author and humorist Mark Twain said, "I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened."

Many of us are like that, 'We worry about things that never happen.' The bottom doesn't fall out of our lives, we worry it out!

Psalms 91:13 - "You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!"

This verse of Scripture is talking about things that happen in our lives.

Lion = trouble, seen and expected. Death is part of life; so is sickness. These are troubles we all expect, and God will give us strength to overcome.

Snake = generally attack without warning. This represents the unexpected heartbreak that each experience. Calamity, loss of financial security through circumstances beyond our control. Christ will help us through!

Dragons = imaginary creatures. They represent the things in life that are not real. The things we worry about, but that never really happen We must learn to deal with our 'dragons' by taking our burden to the Lord and leaving it there.

Whether our problems and concerns are very real, and a great many of them are, or whether they are imagined, and some of them are, if you let them begin to close in upon you, you will soon begin to feel like the bottom is falling out of your life.

Overcoming Worry…

1. Don't let things 'build up.' Instead of taking them to God in prayer and leaving them at the altar, we often pick them up and worry over them some more. We often forget the real values of life…

Love of family
Love of spouse
Love of the Father!

Value of sight and hearing. The opportunity to live for Christ and receive His free gift of salvation. Sure, you have real problems. We all do. In many instances, you may have little or no control over the circumstances in your life. You may not be able to control what happens to you, BUT, You can control your reaction to what happens.

You can be a thermometer or a thermostat. A thermometer merely reflects the environment around it. You can worry and fret because things around you aren't just right, OR You can be a thermostat, and change things for the better. When problems come, and they will, you must not let those problems confuse you and your sense of values. You must not let them make you focus on the wrong things.

There was a man in the Great Depression in the 1930's. His business folded up and caved in on him. He sent a desperate message to his pastor saying, "I have lost everything." He begged the pastor to come and help him. The pastor rushed to his side and said, "I am grieved to learn of the death of your dear wife." "Oh, but you misunderstood me. My wife is quite well. She is standing by me bravely and faithfully in this terrible misfortune," the man said. "Then have your sons turned against you?" the comforting pastor asked. "Certainly not!" the man replied. "Where did you get such an idea? My four sons have come to my aid and pledged every dollar they can raise to help me out." "Oh, then it is your fair-weather friends who have deserted you?" wondered the pastor. "Sir! Let me tell you, I never knew I had so many true and loyal friends, ready and anxious to help me, until I had this trouble." "Then," said the pastor, "I confess I do not understand how you could have "lost everything." You are still vigorous in mind and body with an expectancy of many years of usefulness ahead of you. Your wife, sons, and friends are beside you with their love, devotion, and loyalty. All that seems to have happened is that some of your plans for getting money have been temporarily disrupted. Please tell me, what do you mean by saying, "I have lost everything?"

Sometimes the bottom seems to fall out of our lives because of things over which we have no control. When that happens, we must not let those things break our spirits. If we do, the results may make us physically sick and can even shorten our lives. Many doctors say that worry, anxiety, stress, and anger can make you sicker than a virus.

Jesus told a parable about a man who was planting seed… Some fell among thorns. Jesus compared that to those of us who let ourselves be overcome by the cares of this world. Just as the thorns choked the seed before it could take root, so we get our eyes on the thorns of life instead of sinking our roots into God's Word, the Bible.

2. We all have a choice between being worriers like Martha or worshippers like Mary. - Luke 10. Mary set the right priorities… Her work could wait 'til later. She sat at Jesus' feet, listening to Him and talking to Him. She would be able to remember, cherish, and draw strength from those moments with Jesus for the rest of her life.

Martha got busy and her attitude got sour. She began to feel sorry for herself, and angry that Mary wasn't helping her. She grumbled and found fault until she finally went to Jesus and accused Him of not caring about her and all she had to do. Jesus responded to her complaining…

Luke 10:41-42 - 41 But the Lord said to her, "My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her."

3. A worrier can take a small problem and build it up until things look impossible.

They are like the clock that started thinking about its future. It figured that it had to tick two times every second. That would be 120 times each minute, or 7,200 times every hour. In 24 hours, just one day, it would tick 172,800 times, and a total of 63,072,000 ticks every year. In ten years it would have to tick 630,720,000 times! By this time, things looked so impossible that it collapsed from nervous exhaustion.

How to win over worry…

1. Have a right relationship with God.
2. Take your burden and your worries to God in prayer, and leave them there.
3. Stand on the promises in God's Word.
4. Keep your trust and faith in the Lord, no matter what the problem is.
5. Learn to accept what you cannot change.
6. Instead of sitting around worrying, get up and do something active. Get involved in a hobby. Read the Bible. Get out in the open and take a walk so the wind can blow the cobwebs from your mind.
7. Share your worries with a trusted friend.
8. Be sure to balance your work with your leisure time. Everyone needs some time off.
9. Avoid self-medication Pills can never teach you how to cope with stress and worry. By all means, see your doctor. You owe it to yourself and your family to be sure there is nothing physically wrong. Many worries do come from physical causes.
10. Avoid obsession with yourself. When you are worried, do something for someone else. You will be like the man who said, "I complained because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet."
11. Avoid loneliness. When you are worried, get out and go where there are people. Be genuinely interested in others.
12. Get proper rest. You will be amazed at how many of your worries will disappear during a good night's sleep.
13. Eat right. A poor or imbalanced diet can be the source of more worry and stress than most people realize.
14. Live your life one day at a time. Don't worry about what might happen tomorrow. Live each day as a gift from God.

Vance Havner (a preacher of old) said, "Worry is like a rocking chair. It will give you something to do, but it won't get you anywhere."

So, why worry when you can pray and trust God? Let me give you some scripture to rest in…

Psalms 4:8 - In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

Psalms 32:7 - For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.

Psalms 46:1 - God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.

Psalms 55:22 - Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

Psalms 91:1-2 - 1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.

Proverbs 3:26 - for the Lord is your security. He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.

Isaiah 26:3 - You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

John 14:1 - "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me."

John 14:27 - "I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid."

John 16:33 - I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

Romans 5:1 - Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

Romans 14:17-19 - 17 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. 19 So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.

Philippians 4:6,7,19 - 6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:15 - And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Don't just 'Hang In There' but 'Hang onto the Lord!'

Staying on Top, When the Bottom Falls Out

Thank you for being here today. By your attendance you are an encouragement to someone else in this place. These are challenging times, and it is difficult to find a silver lining to some of the darker clouds visible to everyone. As election-year rhetoric morphs from harsh to rancorous. The economy of recession continues to take its toll. All of us know people who have lost their jobs, or had their hours cut. Many are asking, "Who will be next to suffer?"

One of the interesting facts that some of us have forgotten is that crisis times have often been the stimulus for creative new beginnings. A little perspective from history might encourage you. Walt Disney lost an acting job as a movie extra and started his famous cartoon company in a garage during the recession of 1923-1924.

William Hewlett and David Packard teamed up in Silicon Valley in 1938 during the Great Depression.

Bill Gates dropped out of college to launch Microsoft during the downturn of a recession in 1975. (Just think how much he could have made if he'd only finished college)…

Crisis does seem to spawn an entrepreneurial culture. When the sun in shining, most people are content to let the boat sail under its own power - and to sun on the deck. When the clouds roll in and the boat begins to toss violently on the sea, creative people are encouraged to take risks and to chart new courses. It's time for us to decide about our future.

What about you?

Do you see yourself as a thermometer or a thermostat in these tough times? Thermometers do nothing more than reflect their environments. Thermostats change their environments!

If you have had a bad year, have been laid off, or exist in a generally horrible environment, you have a choice.

You can be a victim and whine about your fate, or, you can do some serious introspection, set some positive goals for making things better, and start moving ahead. In the business world, laid-off and unfulfilled workers have changed the world by being bold in hard times. The same thing is true in other settings as well.

Individuals, families, and churches who sense that something is wrong always have choices. The single most important choice is between passivity, grumbling, and dejection on the one hand, and exploration, resourcefulness, and enthusiasm for a new challenge on the other.

Now that you have seen the newscasts and figured out that times really are tough, it is time to decide about your future.

Make responsible choices on the basis of your passions, values, and priorities and not your gloomy circumstance. With the strength of God to help you, you can move from being a melancholy thermometer to become a difference-making thermostat in your world. You can chart a new course and set sail to a brighter destination.

How To Hang on When The Bottom Falls Out

- GOD'S ECONOMY -

Luke 6:38 - "Give, and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over."

We are one of the most blessed nations on earth. Today's world is filled with a lot of luxuries that we take for granted. Take water, for instance. If we want a drink, we just go to the kitchen and turn on the cold water faucet. If we want a shower, all we have to do is mix the hot and cold water to get the right temperature, pull another knob and we're ready. If we want to water our lawn, all one has to do is hook up a hose on the outside faucet and attach a sprinkler. Or you may have an automatic sprinkler system that turns on and off automatically.

It wasn't always that way… I remember as a kid on the farm outside Eugene when my grandpa and grandma moved there. Grandpa dug a well, hooked up a hand pump, and built a pump house over it to keep it from freezing. To make the pump work effectively, before you could draw water, it was necessary to 'prime the pump.' This would be done by pouring some water in the top while pumping slowly. Water going down inside the pump would once again create a seal and the suction would begin. Then we would get the water we needed. - Later an electric pump was installed that would bring the water into the house under pressure.

There is a dynamic truth to be learned from those days of yesteryear. The truth is: We have to prime God's spiritual pump in order to receive the flow of His blessing.

How Does One Prime God's Pump? "We do it by giving." That's God's way! This is a Biblical principle that give practical results.

You might say… "But Pastor, we don't have enough to make ends meet, and you are saying we are to give." I am saying it, but the Bible said it first. It wasn't some novel idea I came up with one day. This is a Biblical principle that gives Biblical results. All of us are trying to 'cut back' on our expenses. We've turned down thermostats, watch our driving, and perhaps don't eat out as much as we'd like.

In your mind, you simply don't how you have anything left to give. Yet, it is in the midst of such financial turmoil and lack that God calls us to give. It is out of your poverty that He wants you to discover His richest blessings. Look with me in the Bible at some of the most famous pump primers…

I. First Pump Primer

II Kings 4, the prophet Elisha encounters a certain woman. She is in real need.

2 Kings 4:1 - One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, "My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the LORD. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves."

This woman had some great need. Her creditors were going to take her children away. She needed help, and she needed it fast. "Elisha asks what she has" - She replied, "A little bottle of oil. God's working of a miracle in our life always begins with 'what we have.' Sometimes we feel like 'we don't have anything of value. - Certainly nothing to 'give away.' Elisha told her to go to her neighbors to get as many empty vessels as she could - "not a few." She was then to pour the oil into the borrowed pots. She 'closed the door' and began to pour as she was instructed.

"And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son. Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, 'there is not a vessel more.' And the oil stayed. She then used the oil to go and pay her debt, and had enough left over to live on for quite a while.

She learned the secret of priming God's pump by giving. She gave all that she had left - one pot of oil - and God took care of her needs.

II. Another noted pump primer was described in I Kings 17

Chapter 17 is filled with pump primers. Elijah is provided for by the brook Cherith (ditch) - "hide there." Elijah is then told to go to Zarephath (smelting, refining). Once again we have a poor widow. One day she was out gathering sticks when Elijah called out to her and asked her to get him some water and some bread. He response indicated she was on the brink of starvation due to severe drought and famine.

1 Kings 17:9-16 [The Message Bible] -

9 "Get up and go to Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I've instructed a woman who lives there, a widow, to feed you." 10 So he got up and went to Zarephath. As he came to the entrance of the village he met a woman, a widow, gathering firewood. He asked her, "Please, would you bring me a little water in a jug? I need a drink." 11 As she went to get it, he called out, "And while you're at it, would you bring me something to eat?" 12 She said, "I swear, as surely as your GOD lives, I don't have so much as a biscuit. I have a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a bottle; you found me scratching together just enough firewood to make a last meal for my son and me. After we eat it, we'll die."

Elijah then gave her God's promise.

13Elijah said to her, "Don't worry about a thing. Go ahead and do what you've said. But first make a small biscuit for me and bring it back here. Then go ahead and make a meal from what's left for you and your son. 14 This is the word of the GOD of Israel: 'The jar of flour will not run out and the bottle of oil will not become empty before GOD sends rain on the land and ends this drought.'" 15 And she went right off and did it, did just as Elijah asked. And it turned out as he said - daily food for her and her family. 16 The jar of meal didn't run out and the bottle of oil didn't become empty: GOD's promise fulfilled to the letter, exactly as Elijah had delivered it!

Both of these stories are similar. Each widow was in poor financial condition. Each was asked to give what little they had left in order to receive more. Each of the widows activated her faith, and God met her need.

Bringing it home…

You may find yourself in a very difficult financial position. You may be deeply in debt - Average American family $38,000. You may not have money to buy clothes; or even money to buy food. But, you first have to give - It's God's way.

I feel certain that if the widow in II Kings 4 had not obeyed Elisha, she would have lost her children. I am also sure that if the other widow had not baked Elijah his cake, she and her son would have died. This is not a time to hoard

Jesus understood this principle of spiritual priming…

Luke 6:38 (NLT) - "Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full-pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back."

Luke 6:38 (Msg) - "Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back - given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity."

Jesus is trying to tell us that if we give, God will give back to us. He will meet our needs. This is a promise - just like Elijah's promise to the widow that her oil and bread would not be lacking. We can count on what Jesus says.

The second part of that verse tells us that we will receive back in proportion to what we give. The amount you give will determine the amount you get. Actually, that's the simple law of sowing and reaping.

Galatians 6:7 (Msg) - Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others - ignoring God!

I can't explain to you why God's economy is primed by giving. All I know is that it works. I also know, that whatever you sow, that's what you are going to reap.

Remember the promise of God…

2 Corinthians 9:6 (Amplified) - [Remember] this: he who sows sparingly and grudgingly will also reap sparingly and grudgingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to someone] will also reap generously and with blessings.

Philippians 4:19 (Msg) - "You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus."

This verse has to do with the Philippians support of Paul's ministry, and his declaration that God would bless them.

III. Where do I begin?

A. Start where the Bible starts - with the tithe. "Tithe" means 'a tenth'
B. The concept of tithing has been around for a long time. When Abel brought his offering before God, it was 'the firstlings of the flock' In Genesis 14, when Abraham defeated the enemy, he brought back some spoils. Later, when he met Melchizedek the priest, Abraham gave him the "tithes of all."

IV. Will God bless if I tithe? "You betcha!" as one political candidate would say it.

Seriously:

1. Obedience brings God's blessing
2. He is a Covenant God.
3. He will "rebuke the devourer"

How to put God's Economy into Practice…

1. Have a right relationship with God
2. Prime God's pump by giving.
3. Expect to Receive
4. Have the right attitude in giving.
5. Be content with what you have.
6. Starting giving thanks for your financial condition.
7. Be a cheerful giver.
8. Be a responsible giver.

Trust God to meet your needs. He'll meet every need…

Spiritually
Financially
Physically
Emotionally
Domestically

Last Updated: Wednesday September 07 2011
©2001 John's Notes