BY JACK WARD
PASTOR, TOMAHAWK MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH
There were times when golf course etiquette was completely traded in for the ever-popular “lose control and act like a madman” routine. There’s something intriguing about watching a full-grown man crumble to pieces over a tiny ball that’s 1½ inches in diameter. I’ve seen guys throw their club farther than they hit their ball out of sheer frustration and anger. I’ve seen them break their club over their knee. I’ve even seen people get so angry that they throw their golf bags (clubs and all) into the nearest water hazard they can find.
This reminds me of a story of a group of golfers watching a fellow who was having some difficulty on this particular course. The frustration became too much by the 13th hole as this poor guy placed shot after shot into the pond that lay between him and the green. Finally, in exasperation, he picked up his golf bag, spun around like a discus thrower, heaved the whole thing into the middle of the lake, and stormed off the course, apparently forever.
Moments later, however, he returned and waded into the pond in complete embarrassment. He had “come to his senses.” He fished out the dripping bag, unzipped a pocket on the side, took out his car keys, and flung the bag once again, this time even farther than before. Then he went home.
Anger can make us do some of the most stupid things. Like dismissing God because we are angry because of something that happened to us that we don‘t like.
One day many of Jesus’s early followers got mad at Him and decided to leave. They didn’t like the message Jesus was preaching. It was about Jesus being the bread of life and about commitment and sacrifice on the part of those who would follow Him. John 6: 66-69: “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”
It is interesting that John 6:66 is the verse where the disciples decided to leave Jesus and walk no more with Him. 666? Anyway, many things happen to us in this world that we don’t understand – the death of a loved one, the suffering of children, the tragedies of innocent people. People who get angry at God are like the golfer who threw away his clubs and then realized his car keys were in the bag, for without the car keys he couldn’t go anywhere. So it is for us if we throw away God because of anger and misunderstanding. For without God we are not going anywhere in this life or certainly in the life to come.
Jesus asked the question, “Will ye also go away?“ And as Peter contemplated his decision the words “Where else can we go?” came to his lips. Where else can we go?
God is still God no matter what happens to us, right? Will you turn to yourself for the answer? Will you go to the devil and his crowd for the answer? Will you turn to alcohol and drugs for the answer? Will you turn to the government for the answer? Peter didn’t understand very much, but he knew Jesus.
Then Peter said, “We believe and are SURE.” This was one of Peter’s greatest moments. He realized that it didn’t matter to him how many people hated Jesus or deserted Jesus. Despite all the pressure to leave, Peter stayed with Jesus.
Peter had found in Jesus all he needed. He is all we need. He is our rock when our world is crumbling. He is our defender against the hounds of hell. He is our strength in our times of weakness. He is our wisdom when nothing else makes sense. Where else can you go? Nowhere but to Jesus!
Listen to Pastor Jack’s sermons on WSIP FM 98.9 every Sunday morning at 10:30. Watch Facebook live by going to Jack Ward’s page at 11:25 a.m. and 6:10 p.m. every Sunday. Watch past sermons and read sermon text and other articles by going to www.tomahawkmbc.com.