10-20-19 Test Me In This

Test Me In This Pastor Lila Clay Recently I read about Demario Davis. He is a rag to riches story. Demario was born in Mississippi in 1989 to a 16-year-old mother. His Dad was pretty much absent. He was kicked out of school in the 10th grade because he stole another kids’ wallet. He had to work hard to be able to go to college after that. But he made it and soon found himself playing Football at Arizona State. Unfortunately, he got arrested his freshmen year for shoplifting at Walmart. He will tell you himself that he was guilty. However, the arrest ended up being the best thing that happened to him. When he eventually got back to the college, he met Chuck McElroy with Campus Outreach, a Christian ministry. By the time Davis met McElroy he knew he really needed to change his life. It was McElroy who told him how to do that and Davis accepted Jesus as His Lord and Savior. The profession of faith was real and Davis became a new man. A man of God. Davis never played an All-Star Game; he didn’t get a southern conference scholarship like the other guys. He was 6’2”, 252 pounds and superfast, but he was a two-star recruit. Yet this 2-star recruit became a third-round draft pick for the NFL. He currently plays for the NFL Saints. He got a 24 million contract for them. It would seem everything is going great for Davis now. Only Davis just got in trouble again. Now before you shake your head let me tell you what his crime is. He wore this bandanna at a NFL game. He received a big fine and was told if he repeated his offense his next fine would be over $14,000 and would go up. Now Davis is very vocal in his faith. After he received the fine this is what He said. “I was unaware that the headband was in violation of league rules.I was not expecting the fine because I had worn the headband before, but once I realized that it was against the rules, I was in a conflicting position.” He took to Social Media to ask this question to His fans. “So, I got fined $7K for my headband. Should I continue to wear it, or nah? #LetThePeopleDecide #ManOfThePeople #ManOfGod (link in my bio to get yours and benefit St. Dominic’s Hospital)” Davis is trying to live out his faith, but He was torn to begin with because he wasn’t sure which would bring more honor to God. You see he knew that the scripture says in Romans 13:1-2, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” Davis knew that the scriptures encouraged him to be submissive to the authorities placed over him. He also knew Luke 9:26, “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” Especially when images like this started appearing on his social media accounts. Why does it always seem that when you really are trying to follow God things get worse? I mean it is nice to know that God works all things for our good, but why does it seem that His idea of good is so very different from our idea of good? If you have been a Christian long enough you know what it is like to have your faith challenged when it comes to God’s goodness. How do we trust in God’s goodness when He is allowing so many things to go wrong? Many of us know Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” What isn’t quoted as often is the verse right after that V.29, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Now what that means is that it is God’s intent to conform us into the image of Jesus. This is the “good” that God has promised His children. That means that thing you are going through, or went through or are going to go through… God is using that to conform you to be more like Jesus, which is a very good thing actually. These challenges are designed to make us better. Now some of our challenges come through trials others through blessings. As is the case of Mr. Davis. He turned his life over to the Lord and the Lord started blessing him. The question is now is,“What will he do with His blessings?” Some of you are in the same situation. Though you may not realize it. God is blessing some of you with really good things, you are being blessed either in your health, or your finances, or your relationships. These blessings are from God. He is wanting to see how you will manage what He is giving you. Will you be a good steward of what He is entrusting you with? Now this concept is not unheard of. In fact, it is very scriptural. Perhaps you remember the Parable of the talents? See Matthew 25:14-30 Remember the man went on a journey, the man is God, he called his servants to Him, we are the servants. And He entrusted them with His property. You have been entrusted with His property. He gave each one according to His ability. When he returned, He sent for His servants to see how they did. Here is what happened. 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. The part I want you to focus in on is what happened to the people who did it right. You were faithful God says over a little I will now set you over much. Enter into my Joy. Wow. Talents can be really talent, it can also be gifts, or a position of power or even finances. Whatever it is God has entrusted you with your job is to manage it well and use it for His glory. You can trust Him in this because He is trying to teach you how to manage what you are given. Now if you take what has been given to you and do nothing or even use it for your own desires and benefit then you might find yourself in the position of the third servant and have nothing to show when the Lord returns. Let me tell you what happened to Davis. He decided that He was not denying God by not wearing the headband, and that His testimony was not a writing on a headband, but His life. Instead of getting angry, which he could have been. Apparently, the NFL hasn’t been very consistent in their policy, allowing some to get away with this type of gear infraction while fining others. Yet instead of yelling foul or wallowing in a pity party. Davis focused on how He could best bring glory to God. In the end, He felt it would bring more glory to God if he submitted to authorities over him. When the sales of the headband took off, Davis didn’t cash in on it. Davis instructed all the sales for the headgear to go to help a Children’s’ hospital in Louisiana instead. They have already raised $120,000. Davis agent did appeal the fine and guess what, the NFL backed off and decided not to fine Davis afterall. Davis is donating the $7000 fine he would have had to pay to the hospital. Now that is what I call being a living testimony. I am amazed at how God worked this headache out for Davis. Not only did he keep him from having to pay the fine because He stayed faithful. Children will benefit from the controversy through the sales of this item. Finally, men and women were exposed to the idea of being a man, woman, or Child of God. The Lord was truly glorified. Yet Davis found himself in a difficult situation for about a month, being treated unfairly, potentially losing money and for what a headband. He couldn’t have known how it would turn out when it all first began, he had to hold on to his faith and see what happened. Just as sin can reveal our frailties and bring us into humility before a merciful God. Our trials can sometimes reveal what we really value in life. Davis sin caused him to reach out to Jesus and change his life. Later Davis demonstrated he valued God more than money. The thing consistent in all this was God. When we trust Him; he sustains us. How do we trust in God’s goodness when He is allowing so many things to go wrong? Well we should follow the example given to us by Davis. We seek to figure out how to bring Him glory. Remember God is trying to make you even better. If you are struggling then sit down as a family and see how you can better manage what God has entrusted you with. If you are not struggling then sit down as a family and see how you can better manage what God has entrusted you with. See where you can invest. And remember His love will not leave you. Stay with Him. He will stay with you. His love really never leaves.