God is Keeping Score (7)
Series: Malachi
Robert Dawson
Malachi 3:13-18
How many of you have ever heard of Sisyphus, a figure in Greek mythology? Sisyphus was the founder and king of Ephyra, better known as Corinth. He was known to be a ruthless and cunning man who on at least two occasions managed to deceive and manipulate the gods and even cheat death.
For punishment, Hades god of the underworld, forced Sisyphus to roll a huge boulder up a hill in Tartarus, the place of the wicked dead, and once at that top the boulder would roll back to the bottom at which time Sisyphus would be required to push the boulder back up the hill again. This process, on a never ending loop, where nothing was ever finished, gained, or accomplished, would continue for all eternity.
It was discouraging. It was defeating. It was pointless. It was profitless.
I don't know anyone who enjoys doing tasks they feel are pointless, that serve no purpose or bring some kind of pleasure to the person performing the task. We can endure a lot if we believe it is leading somewhere, part of a building process, or has some sort of pay out at the end. If we do not believe those things exist, that there is something at the end, then it is misery, and we will not do it well if we do it at all.
If we are not careful, because of the nature of faith and the Christian life, which involved living for the unseen, working toward and for the eternal rather than the moment, and the focus on spiritual fruit rather than tangible things that can be counted, measured, and weighed, it is possibly to become a Sisyphus in the faith because...
- We don't always see with our eyes what is being accomplished. It is easy to conclude nothing is being accomplished. Push the boulder - watch it roll back down the hill.
- What we plant and water often takes years or possibly a lifetime or even generations before the fruit is seen. We have a faith that sees beyond our day and generation to the ones that come b ...
Series: Malachi
Robert Dawson
Malachi 3:13-18
How many of you have ever heard of Sisyphus, a figure in Greek mythology? Sisyphus was the founder and king of Ephyra, better known as Corinth. He was known to be a ruthless and cunning man who on at least two occasions managed to deceive and manipulate the gods and even cheat death.
For punishment, Hades god of the underworld, forced Sisyphus to roll a huge boulder up a hill in Tartarus, the place of the wicked dead, and once at that top the boulder would roll back to the bottom at which time Sisyphus would be required to push the boulder back up the hill again. This process, on a never ending loop, where nothing was ever finished, gained, or accomplished, would continue for all eternity.
It was discouraging. It was defeating. It was pointless. It was profitless.
I don't know anyone who enjoys doing tasks they feel are pointless, that serve no purpose or bring some kind of pleasure to the person performing the task. We can endure a lot if we believe it is leading somewhere, part of a building process, or has some sort of pay out at the end. If we do not believe those things exist, that there is something at the end, then it is misery, and we will not do it well if we do it at all.
If we are not careful, because of the nature of faith and the Christian life, which involved living for the unseen, working toward and for the eternal rather than the moment, and the focus on spiritual fruit rather than tangible things that can be counted, measured, and weighed, it is possibly to become a Sisyphus in the faith because...
- We don't always see with our eyes what is being accomplished. It is easy to conclude nothing is being accomplished. Push the boulder - watch it roll back down the hill.
- What we plant and water often takes years or possibly a lifetime or even generations before the fruit is seen. We have a faith that sees beyond our day and generation to the ones that come b ...
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