The name of the sermon was "Winners and Losers"...it can be viewed by clicking the video link at the bottom right hand side of the following page:
http://www.graceistheplace.com/summary:
Ecclesiastes 9:11 - "Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all."
At first glance you would think Solomon is being clever, playing with irony just to get our attention. The "swift" don't win the race? Oh really? The strong don't win the fight? Come on, now.
But he really wasn't being clever. He was simply stating what he had observed.
He should know. His own father had defeated the giant Philistine, Goliath, in a historic battle when he had been untrained and was too small to wear King Saul's armor. The "little David" beat the mighty Goliath.
Four things jump out from Solomon's statement above.
1. THE FASTEST DON'T ALWAYS WIN. (Nor the prettiest, smartest, best equipped, tallest, strongest, richest... you name it!)
2. THE UNDERDOG CAN SOMETIMES WIN. (The person whom others don't give a chance, who lacks the proper money, pedigree, skills, etc.)
3. THOSE WHO USE TIME AND OPPORTUNITY WELL WILL WIN. (Good time management, using available resources, and capitalizing on "luck," or the "lucky break"
4. SOMETIMES YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS AND STILL LOSE. AND YOU CAN CAN ALL THE WRONG INGREDIENTS AND WIN.
In the PHYSICAL REALM, we see this more often than you would think. "Short" people have excelled in the NBA, a "tall man's game." The infusion of martial arts on the last few decades has shown us that the smaller, less-powerful fighter can still win the fight.
And great heros like Joni Erickson-Tada, Gianna Jessen, and Brendan Marrocco remind us that physical limitations, and catastrophes, cannot keep you from winning.
In the SPIRITUAL REALM, we see it every day. We are no match for the devil, the enemy of our souls. Yet we defeat him daily.
Remember who is "in you." And then remember the verse: "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world."
Some Christians get all nervous and spooky at the mention of demons or devils. They have watched too much TV. When anyone brought someone to Christ whom they claimed was "possessed" of a spirit, Christ merely spoke: "Come out of him." No long prayer sessions, no "battles." No fear. No seances. No spinning heads. Just the overpowering presence of Christ.
You'll hear people occasionally give the devil credit for their misfortune. "I just beleive the devil is attacking...". You fill in the blank: "...our church;" "...our family;" "... our marriage;" "... our finances."
What a shame to give the devil so much credit. If, in fact, the devil is winning any battles in your life, you have to ask: 1. Where is God, and why is He allowing the devil to win when He has promised you victory?, and, 2. If Christ is "in" you, why can't you use Him to overcome and overpower your enemy?
I think the truth is that we give the devil way too much credit. Solomon just taught us that "life happens." The "same event" happens to the good and the bad, he says.
We Christians need to remind ourselves that Christ dwells "in" us, and He gave us "all power, to tread over serpents and scorpions, and all the enemy of the earth." Think of that verse the next time you start to give the devil credit for a victory in your life.
Oh, and don't forget, "no weapon formed against you shall prosper."
So you're the underdog?
No problem. You're gonna win!
