Play It Where The Monkey Drops It
🗣️ Speaker: Pastor Derrel Strickland
In his sermon, Pastor Strickland uses the peculiar rule at a golf course in Calcutta—where players must play the ball where monkeys drop it—to draw a parallel to life's unexpected challenges, emphasizing the importance of resilience and faith. He intertwines the biblical story of Joseph, highlighting how maintaining integrity and trust in God during trials can lead to divine fulfillment and purpose.
The core takeaway from Pastor Strickland's sermon is the importance of responding to life's unexpected challenges with faith and integrity, much like the rule of playing the golf ball where the monkey drops it. He emphasizes that, just as Joseph remained faithful and maintained his character through his adversities, we too should trust in God's plan and maintain our integrity, regardless of the disruptions we face in life.
Additional Info
The info below was generated by an AI from the audio recording of the sermon.
Embracing Life's Unpredictability: Learning from a Unique Golf Rule
In the bustling city of Calcutta, there's a golf course unlike any other—a place where the game is not only about skill and precision but also about adapting to unexpected interruptions. Monkeys from the surrounding jungle frequently snatch golf balls, forcing players to continue their game from wherever the monkeys drop the balls. This rule, "play it where the monkey drops it," serves as a profound metaphor for life, illustrating the necessity of responding to unforeseen challenges with resilience and adaptability.
The Biblical Parallel: Joseph's Journey of Faith and Integrity
The story of Joseph, detailed in the book of Genesis, mirrors the unpredictability of life and the importance of maintaining faith. From favored son to slave, and then to a powerful leader in Egypt, Joseph's life was filled with sudden changes and challenges. Despite these hardships, Joseph exemplified unwavering integrity and trust in God. His journey teaches us that maintaining our moral compass and faith during trials can lead to significant, sometimes unforeseen, divine roles.
Life's Interruptions: Opportunity for Spiritual Growth
Often, life disrupts our plans unexpectedly, akin to the golf balls being taken by monkeys. These disruptions, whether minor or life-altering, test our ability to maintain patience, resilience, and integrity. By embracing these challenges and continuing to trust in a higher purpose, we can transform obstacles into opportunities for personal and spiritual growth.
The Strength to Forgive and Move Forward
Joseph’s ability to forgive those who wronged him, including his brothers, highlights a crucial aspect of handling life's challenges—forgiveness. Forgiveness can be transformative, not just for relationships but for personal peace and spiritual fortitude. By choosing forgiveness and releasing resentment, we can find true freedom and continue our life's journey unburdened.
Conclusion: Playing It Where It Drops
Like the golfers in Calcutta, we too must play life where the monkey drops it, using faith and integrity as our guides. Each challenge, each unexpected turn, is a chance to demonstrate our resilience and deepen our trust in God's plan. In doing so, we not only navigate life's uncertainties but grow stronger and more fulfilled through them.
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Use the questions listed below as a launching point to discuss the sermon points together as a family. These are great for dinner table discussions and small groups.
Reflecting on Disruptions: Share a time when you experienced an unexpected 'monkey drop' in your life. How did you react initially, and what did you learn from that experience?
Integrity Under Pressure: Discuss how maintaining integrity and character in difficult times can influence the outcome of a situation. Can you think of personal examples where this proved true?
Faith in Trials: How does faith play a role when plans go awry unexpectedly? Share how your faith has helped or could help in such situations.
Lessons from Joseph: What aspects of Joseph’s story resonate the most with you? How can his experiences help us cope with or even thrive during life's challenges?
Practical Steps: What are some practical ways we can 'play it where the monkey drops it' in our daily lives, especially when facing setbacks or disruptions?
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Connecting our kids to what we as adults are learning and hearing on Sundays is vital to passing on our faith to the next generation. Use the summary below as a great way to talk about the message we heard with your kids.
The Adventure of Joe and the Playground Monkeys
Once upon a time, there was a young boy named Joe who loved playing in the vast, sandy playground. But this was no ordinary playground—it was often visited by mischievous monkeys from the nearby trees!
One sunny day, Joe was playing with his colorful ball, rolling it here and there, when out of nowhere, a cheeky monkey swooped down, grabbed the ball, and threw it far away. Joe was upset but remembered something his father told him: 'Sometimes, you have to play it where the monkey drops it.'
With a deep breath, Joe decided to turn this problem into an adventure. He chased after the ball, and wherever the monkey dropped it, Joe found new games to play and made new friends.
Through this story, Joe learned that even when things don’t go as planned, you can still have fun and make the best out of any situation, just like in the game of life!
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The Book of Genesis, part of the Pentateuch, narrates the origins of the world and the foundations of the Israelite nation. Chapters 37 to 50 focus on Joseph, one of the twelve sons of Jacob, also known as Israel. This period likely falls between 1800 and 1600 BC during the Middle Bronze Age.
Joseph's narrative is set against the backdrop of Canaan and Egypt, regions that were culturally rich and strategically important for trade and military routes. His story of being sold into slavery takes us into Egypt, a civilization renowned for its advances in agriculture, architecture, and learning.
The account of Joseph rising to power in Egypt may reflect historical practices, where foreigners could climb ranks based on abilities and loyalty, as seen through Joseph’s ascendancy to Pharaoh's right hand. The detailed portrayal of famine and Joseph’s strategic management of grain storage corresponds with records of periodic droughts and food shortages in ancient Egypt.
Understanding this context enriches our appreciation of Joseph’s story, emphasizing themes of providence, resilience, and redemption that resonate throughout Biblical narratives.
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Now, I know some of you saw me bring my golf club up here today. Now, I'm not a golfer. I'm not a golfer.
When I do golf, it's military style. Left, right, left, right. But this week, we knew that we were going to have the kids in here.
And Daniel reminded me of a message. He just mentioned it. And the Holy Spirit prompted me to preach it again.
And yet, when I say preach it again, I don't have the notes, but I can say, like the Bible somewhere, it is written. So in all likelihood, this message is totally different than the one I preached ten or twelve years ago. But the title is the same.
The sport of golf is really expanding in India. Kind of caught me by surprise. Primarily, it's among the upper class in India.
And in Calcutta, there is a golf course. Now, you can look this up on the Internet and find out that this, what I'm about to tell you is true. It sounds kind of far fetched, but there is a golf course in Calcutta that is fenced in, but it was basically cut out of the jungle.
And even though it's fenced in, they can't keep the monkeys out. Knows that monkeys can climb fences, so they can't keep the monkeys out. And so whenever people get out there golfing, the monkeys like to golf, too, but what they like to do is run and grab the balls and take off and chase them.
So that golf course has made a rule that you have to play it where the monkey drops it. True story. You have to play it where the monkey drops it.
Now, I know some of you are thinking I'm being frivolous today, but I think there's a couple of very, very vital points that I want to share with you today. But I want us to practice, because, kids, every time you see me do this, I want you to repeat with me, you have to play it where the monkey dropped it. Got it? How about over here? You got it.
You have to play it where the monkey dropped it. Now, I know some of you saying I didn't come here to hear about golf. I didn't come here to tell you about golf because I want to tell you about the game of life.
Because so many times things disrupt life. I mean, we have it all under control. Now.
Most of the time. I do not give Daniel my topic before the end of the week. But I knew early in the week that I was going to be preached this, but I didn't know that one of our families would have a family member burned in a fire.
I didn't know that brother Harry Dietrich, one of our retired ministers that sat right back here two weeks ago, would be in the hospice house this morning. I didn't know that my wife's nephew was going to lose his job. See, things happen.
I said things happen because that's life. But I believe it's very important that we understand this truth. Are y'all any better over here? You gotta play it where the monkey dropped it.
Because sometimes things go wrong. We get up in the morning, it looks like a great day, everything's gonna be smooth. But suddenly something happens.
That tee shot goes into a sand trap or the water. If I was going to be a golfer, I'd try to get me a golf ball that could swim. But some things happen.
Now, my wife told me to say this because we are going to have children in here. My wife taught elementary school, first grade for 28 years. And she says sometimes children may misunderstand the context.
I think that, and maybe some of you are adults, you're in your second childhood. So I need to tell you this. When we're talking about a monkey, we're really not talking about a monkey.
We're talking about our enemy. The Bible says we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and wickedness in high places. The Bible tells us that we have an enemy, a real enemy called Satan.
And he does everything he can. The Bible doesn't call him a monkey. It does call him a roaring lion, going to buy and seeking whom he may devour.
So I want to tell you, there's a lot of times Satan the enemy, the monkey will come in and cause a disruption in our life. And I believe it's very important that we. Now, there are many examples in the Bible.
Jesus was constantly interrupted. I said everywhere he was going, he was constantly interrupted. Most of his miracles happened when he was interrupted, when he was interrupted.
But I think there's another character in the Bible that may be even a better example. That was a guy by the name of Joseph. Not Jesus earthly brother, but the Joseph of the Old Testament.
We find his story recorded in the book of Genesis, from Genesis, chapter 37, all the way to chapter 50. His early game was terrific because up until he was about 17 years of age, he lived in a nice home, a good family. He was the 11th of twelve boys.
Now, I know that has his problems, but he was 11th, the 12th sons. And he was his dad's favorite. His dad even made him a coat of many colors and he really elevated his son.
He was a dreamer. He dreamed that his brothers were going to one day bow down and worship him. Remember, he was 11th or twelve.
He even dreamed that his mom and dad would bow down to him. But then something happened when he was roughly 17 years of age. And again it's recorded in all those chapters in the Bible, we find that his dad sent him to check on his brothers.
His brothers saw him coming and they plotted to kill him. And when they got to him, they grabbed him, stripped him of his clothes, including the coat of many colors that his dad had given him, and they threw him into a pit. Now, one of the brothers wanted to save him, but they wanted to get rid of him.
His day started out great. His first round, his first hole was doing good. But all of a sudden Satan in the form of his brothers changed his whole life.
But what he started a life that exemplified with the truth that through it all he continued to trust in God. He continued to trust in God. How bad was it? His brothers planned to kill him and they wound up selling him into slavery.
Sony was a slave. Now some of you can relate, some of you watching online, I know probably some of the families have gone through difficult times or watching online and they can understand that all of a sudden their life was disrupted, their golf game was disrupted. You may have been had a relationship soured.
How many knows? That's the relationship between him and his brothers were pretty much soured. He was beaten up, he was bullied. So what did Joseph have to do? Joseph is one of the few people in the Bible that maintained his integrity, his character and his personality throughout his life.
When Joseph got to Egypt, things took a turn for the better. He was bought. You say, wait a minute, you said got turned for better.
Yeah, he was bought by a good person. He was elevated in that man's household where he was over all the household. Why? Because this was a guy with character.
This was a guy with personality. This is a guy that had things going for him and he was only 1718 years old at this time and he was sold and he had things going for him. But he was seduced by his boss's wife.
He was lied about. I said he was lied about. Now one thing in my family that was, that was a great thing that you needed to have integrity.
You did not need to be a person that was deceitful. But guess what the Bible says in verse 39, chapter 39, verse six, that he had a problem. Now, some of you say that wasn't a problem.
See, he was born handsome. I've already told my wife, if I believed in reincarnation, I don't. But if I believed in reincarnation, I'd want to come back rich.
Next time, it's just all fired good looking. Some of y'all get that after a while. But Joseph was handsome.
It says he was handsome. And not only was he handsome, but he was handsome in form and appearance. That means he was buff.
That means that he was really a strong looking young man, 17 or 18 years old. And you say, well, that's not a negative. It is when your wife lies about you and said you tried to rape her.
So this man was thrown in prison. Thrown into prison. Now, I don't know.
My human nature tells me that that would be the time. I'd say, I might as well forget it. I've tried to do the right thing.
I've tried to play the game of life right. But every time I get it going, the monkey comes and disrupts things. He comes and disrupts things and messes things up.
Now, is there anyone here that's never had their life messed up? I can tell you that mine's been messed up a number of times, and I'm thankful that God gives us an opportunity to maintain our integrity. He learned that he had to play it where the monkey dropped it. And even in prison, even after being falsely accused, even after he was betrayed, he chose.
And I use that word, chose deliberately. He chose to keep a good attitude. Now, there's a lot of things that you don't have any control over.
I said, there's a lot of things you don't have any control over, but you have and can choose your attitude, we can choose our attitude. And the amazing thing, it appears that through everything, and we're. We're going to have to speed things up here.
But even though he learned, he had to learn, he learned that truth, and he kept the right attitude. He kept his mind together, but that did not mean that everything was still going to go good. Now, we don't know the exact time frame and the lapse of Joseph's life.
The Bible tells us in the scripture that he was 17 when he revealed his dreams and all to his brother, and shortly after that, they were sold into slavery. And now he's in prison, and once again, because of his good character, his good work ethic. Now, I tell you what, I get really frustrated when I hear christians complain that they've been treated badly on a job.
And after I do some checking, and the reason they've been treated badly is they don't do a good job. That didn't go over very well. But isn't it true we need to set the example of how people need to live? And Joseph did that even when everything was going wrong.
Sold into prison. Sold into slavery, then in prison. And he was placed in charge of the other prisoners.
Now, that doesn't happen just because. Just because it happened because there's somebody that can trust you. And he maintained that same character.
He was in charge of all of the other prisoners. Why? Because he learned. Thank y'all.
Two fellow prisoners had a dream. And Joseph interpreted those dreams. And the only thing he asked was what? Remember me.
Remember me. Don't forget about me. And I'm sure that when the dream of the cup bearer came true and that he was released in just a few days and he went back to Pharaoh's house, I'm sure that he was sitting on pins and needles and said, man, I think they're going to come let me out.
I'm going to get out of here. Because that man said he would remember me. And he has the ear of Pharaoh himself.
So I think I'm going to get out. But he forgot. Now, I know some of you are getting of the age.
I just tell people that I'm just too spiritual because every time I go into a room I'm thinking about the hereafter. What am I here after? You know, what am I here after? But they forgot. Isn't it a shame to be forgotten? But some of you have been.
Some of you have been promised the moon. You've been deceived. But the amazing thing is that Joseph remained faithful.
He remained faithful. And the Bible says that for two whole years, Pharaoh had some dreams and he tried to get someone to interpret them. And that was what triggered the memory of the cupbearer.
He said, oh, pharaoh, I remember now. You reminded me that when I was in prison, there was a man that interpreted my dream and it came true. Why don't we ask him? And so they did.
Because that man's name was Joseph. Joseph. And so he went.
And Joseph, of course, answered the dreams. He answered the dreams. But what caused that? See, now this is my opinion, but I do not think Joseph would have had the opportunity had he not learned to play it where the monkey dropped it.
He could have been bitter. He could have been depressed. He could have been hateful.
Because he had been dealt some bad blows. Not just for a week or two, but for years. And you know the story of how Joseph interpreted the dream and Pharaoh said, you did it.
But Joseph said, it's not me. God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer now. I don't know.
Maybe by this time I think I'd have been antsy. Yeah. Yeah.
I can tell you. I can tell you what dream is. He said, that's not me.
If anything gets done, it's going to be because what? God gives me the answer. See, that tells me that he was still humble. He was still willing to do what he could.
Pharaoh had promised him nothing. I said, Pharaoh promised him nothing. He offered nothing.
Yet Joseph stepped up. And after he had interpreted dream, Pharaoh made Joseph head of his household. Even gave him a signet ring.
You know what a signet ring is? That means that he could stamp approval on government papers because he had that authority. He was given the signet ring a ring of authority because joseph had the king's or the pharaoh's stamp of approval. Now, the Bible tells us that.
Now, again, you can go read all this whole story, but the Bible tells us that Joseph was 30 when he entered the service of pharaoh. Now, if he was sold into slavery at 17, that means for roughly 13 years. 13 years, everything he tried backfired every time he took a stand.
Because, see, on the surface, it would have been better for him if he'd have consented to that affair because he could have stayed in the household instead of going to prison. But he maintained his integrity even through the years he was hated by his brothers. The time he was put in a pit, the time he was falsely accused, the time he's putting in prison, the time he's forgotten.
He kept being faithful. He kept playing it where the monkey dropped it. I know some of you are probably saying, well, pastor, you haven't even mentioned God's help.
You're indicating that if we try hard enough, if we just speak the right things, everything will go smooth. No, you missed the whole concept of the message if you believe that because Joseph remained faithful, he attributed all his success not to his great ability. Although he was very talented, he understood a truth that he shared when his brothers.
See, after his dad died, the brothers knew we're dead meat. Dad's the only reason Joseph has not killed us, because he knows. He knows the truth.
See, we told dad that Joseph got ate by animals. But Joseph knows the truth. And now dad's dead.
So they lied again. Dad said, don't you kill us. But I'm so glad that Joseph knew something it says, his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, behold, we are your servants.
But Joseph said to them, do not fear, for am I in the place of God. As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good. To bring it about that many people should be kept alive as they are today.
Now we often think about the fact that he kept the nation of Israel alive, but he kept thousands and thousands, thousands and thousands of people alive because he was obedient to God. God allowed him to be in that place at that time, to do his thing, that God had a purpose for his life. And yet through it all, he remained faithful.
His brothers thought he was going to get even when Israel died. But he said, no, what you intended for evil, God intended it for good. And then what was the key? How was Joseph able to keep his attitude, his faith and his character? Now we could say, well, he was just strong willed.
How many know strong willed, just not won't get it. He worked hard. You can work your fingers to the bone and all you get is bony fingers.
So hard work is not the answer. What was the key? How was Joseph able to keep his attitude, his faith and his character? Because Joseph never took the honor that belonged to God. He honored God, all that he did.
And then two little verses that are often overlooked. Cause it's right sandwiched in the middle of the story. See, in chapter 41, it talks about him being 30 years old.
Let me just read verses 52 through 52. Before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph. Asenath, the daughter of Potiphara, priest of on bore them to him.
So he had two sons. Joseph called the first one or firstborn Manasseh. You know what Manasseh means? God made me forget.
Some of you are trying to forgive people and you're trying to do it on your own. And God's the only one that can allow you and help you to forgive. Because when you truly forgive, you forget.
So he named his first son. God has allowed me to forgive. And I believe there's some people listening online and some people here today that you need to understand the freedom of forgiveness.
Well, pastor, I tried. That's all right. Let's let God help you to forgive.
I can't do it on my own. Joseph knew that. He said, God has caused me to forget.
He knew that he could not forgive in his own strength. Now, his next child, what was it? It goes on and said, for God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's house. So he remembered all that stuff.
He said, God gave me freedom from that. And the name of the second he called Ephraim. For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.
Now, at first glance, you think fruitful. He had two sons. That's not being real fruitful.
That's not a great family. But at the time when Jacob came or Israel brought his children to Egypt, how many did he bring with him? 66. The total was 70.
Because you added, Joseph and his two sons started with 40. Time Moses came along, took time for the exodus. They give some numbers.
In the book of numbers, it tells us that the tribe of Manasseh, who was all the descendants from Manasseh, Joseph's son, by that time, there was 52,700 of them. Hey, I'd say he was pretty fruitful. But then Ephraim was his other son, and there was 32,500 of those.
So between, he said, you're going to be fruitful. I believe he lived up to his promise. Lived up to his promise.
But if you look at the closing verses of the book of Genesis and worship team, come on up and get ready. And the closing verses of Genesis, we read where it says what God meant for evil. I mean, what man meant for evil, God meant it for good.
But we find in verse 22 the closing verses of Genesis. So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father's house. Joseph lived 110 years.
Yeah, he had 13 years of torment, but 110 years. And Joseph saw Ephraim. Now, what's Ephraim mean, fruitful? He saw Ephraim's children of the third generation.
What's that mean? That means that he saw his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren. That's the blessings of God. That's the blessings of God.
And he says, the children also of matriarch, the son of Manasseh, were counted as Joseph's own. And Joseph said to his brothers, I'm about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land, to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, God will surely visit you and you shall carry up my bones from here.
Now, where's he talking about? He said, I don't want to stay here in Egypt. I want to go back to Canaan. I want to go back home and say.
So Joseph died being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt, said, well, God didn't honor that. Oh, yes, he did.
Read the story of Exodus. Somebody had to carry those bones because said, don't you dare leave my bones in Egypt. So what did we say? I want to tell you, friends, you're going to have some unfair things happen.
But I can tell you, nowhere in the Bible does it say life is fair. But it seems to me that sometimes God allows the worst things to happen to the best people and the people he can trust. You say, pastor, I don't like rough times.
Joseph was a great man, but I don't think he went around saying, oh, God, thank you for letting me be sold in slavery. Thank you for putting me in prison. Thank you for people lying about me.
Thank you for people forgetting me. Now, what's the secret? He was determined to learn how to keep on playing, keep on trusting, even when you don't know how it's going to happen. And some of you today, you got questions that we don't have answers for.
But I can make you this promise, that which the enemy intended for evil, God intended it for good. And God is going to turn those situations and circumstances around if we learn to play it where the monkey dropped it. Stand with me as we pray today.
Heavenly Father, thank you. Thank you for your word. Thank you for your anointing.
Thank you, Father, for what you're going to do in the next few moments. God, I sense that there's some people watching online today. They wish they could be here, but circumstances prevented it.
But God's circumstances cannot prevent you from being with them. And so we ask you to minister to where they are. And God, I know there's some people right here in this auditorium today.
They might have come to church this morning not even wanting to because they were wondering, why is everything going wrong? God, I ask you to let faith arise in us right now. Let faith arise in us and help us to minister to you and you minister to us. And God, there are some people that need you to help them to be able to forgive.
So they get out from under that burden, get out from under that bondage. You cause them to forget. So, Holy Spirit, we submit the next few moments to you and ask you to show yourself mighty, show yourself strong.
Touch our hearts and lives today. Strengthen and encourage us. We give you praise.
If you're here today and you need to receive Jesus Christ, your Lord and savior, I want to invite you to come. If you're here today and you're going through one of those times, and you don't even need to tell us what you're going through, because God already knows about it, but he does tell us to cast our care upon him. So if you're going through a struggle and would like for us to pray with you and pray for you as we sing this time of worship today, we invite you to come and let us pray with you and pray for you.
So let's worship the Lord together. Today our prayer team will be here to pray with you if you need prayer. So let's worship the Lord together.
