“ALL THINGS ~ NO THINGS Syndrome”
Romans 8:26-39
Sunday, May 3, 2015
In 1973 (few of us can remember that far back), there was a gang
of bank robbers that held up the Credit Bank in Stockholm,
Sweden.
Although the police interrupted their heist, the bank robbers
proceeded to hold a number of bank employees hostage for six
long days.
When, at long last, they were rescued ~ the kidnapped victims,
who’d been terrorized and abused by their captors, stunned the
authorities by demonstrating considerable emotional attachment
to their victimizers.
Some of the hostage victims even publicly defended the very ones
who’d held them at gun point and threatened their lives.
That’s when we were introduced to a new phenomenon that
Swedish psychiatrist/criminologist, Nils Bejerot, gave a name to this
bizarre behavior . . . coining the “Stockholm Syndrome.”
It’s not that this “SYNDROME” hasn’t happen prior to 1973 . . . it’s
just that it took THIS particular event and a Psychiatrist to NAME
IT, to bring it to our attention & understanding.
And, as we know, since 1973 this strange sympathetic behavior - a
hostage showing loyalty and concern for the hostage-taker has been repeated and recognized both by such infamous names
as Patty Hearst (anybody over 40 not know that name? Anybody
under 40 know that name?) and by WAY TOO MANY domestic,
spousal, and child abuse victims.
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Mental Health Professionals say that what happens is that captives
get their own identity so wrapped up in their captors that ~ no
matter how BAD their reality may be ~ it seems better than
facing the fear of an unknown, undefined future. 
I lift this up this morning because I believe that one of the more
dominant DISEASES facing our world today is the “Stockholm
Syndrome.”
Not only from a CULTURAL point of view, but also from a
SPIRITUAL point of view.
From a cultural point of view, because one of THE MOST ABUSIVE
CAPTORS OF OUR MINDS . . . and therefore . . . OUR VERY
LIVES . . . can be consumerism and materialism.
I mean, how else can one explain a society that’s working longer
and longer hours . . . and yet, getting deeper and deeper in debt?
Each and every day, more and more people are being held captive
to wanting more and more “things;” more “stuff;” more “toys;”
more “clutter;” more “junk!”
More and more chains are developed daily that continue to drain
our time, attention, not to mention, our financial resources . . .
chains that can detract our attention and keep our minds off of who
and what we are called to be, in-Christ Jesus.
How easy it can be to become deluded into thinking that once we
get “stocked-up” enough . . . we will FINALLY enjoy the
happiness, fulfillment, meaning and sense of purpose we all seek.
How easy it can be to be held captive by the very THINGS of this
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world that never, ultimately, satisfies us . . . never allows us to
experience the peace of mind that can only be experienced in and
through the Prince of Peace.
And that’s because chasing after THINGS is like chasing after the
wind . . . it’s never-ending . . . as there’s constantly a NEW “next
NEW best thing” ~ that misleads us into thinking that IT will bring
fulfillment . . . grant us a great understanding and fulfillment . . .
perhaps even permitting us the answer to life’s meaning and
purpose . . . 
Then, there’s the “Stockholm Syndrome” from a spiritual point of
view . . . which is the mind-set that tells us that there’s something
MORE we need to DO to BE a Christian . . . other than . . . trusting
in the finished work of Christ on Calvary’s cross.
In particular, there were many that believed that one needed to
fulfill all of God’s commandments (Mosaic Law) and be circumcised
(Abraham’s Covenant) in order to be considered a Christian.
And Paul ushers in the NEW REALITY of God’s Grace in Christ
Jesus, basically going toe-to-toe with Peter saying, “16 knowing
that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith
in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we
might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the
law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” Gal.
2:16 NKJV
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then,
and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of
slavery.
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Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be
circumcised,Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I
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declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he
is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be
justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have
fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly
await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in
Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any
value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself
through love.” Gal 5:1-6 NIV
In other words, it’s by the finished work of Christ Jesus that we
stand JUSTIFIED before God . . . not of works less any of us
should boast. (Eph. 2:9)
And that’s hard for us to understand, because all of our life we’ve
lived by the ideology that if I cleaned my room and did my chores I
was rewarded with an allowance. If I ate my vegetables, I was
rewarded with dessert. If I “worked hard” in school, I was rewarded
with a good grade . . . if I “worked hard” at my Job, I was rewarded
with a good earning . . . if I “worked hard” at _________ I was
rewarded with ____________.
It’s something that’s inbred in us, so much so, that when we
become a Christian, it becomes natural for us to think . . . if I
WORKED HARDER at being a Christian . . . I would be
REWARDED by God.
If I studied the Bible more, prayed more, tithed more, attended
more, WORKED HARDER . . . I would receive the BLESSINGS of
God.
And we think we can EARN God’s Grace . . . and we continue to
encumber ourselves with CHAINS of DOING MORE ~ WORKING
HARD ~ IN OUR FAITH, in order to BE pleasing unto God.
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And when we “DO” this . . . we dissolve the finished work of Christ
on Calvary’s Cross.
And when bad things come our way, it can become natural for us to
feel that we just need to work HARDER to EARN Righteousness.

Paul saw this, which is why he wrote: “1-2 You’ll remember,
friends, that when I first came to you to let you in on God’s
master stroke, I didn’t try to impress you with polished
speeches and the latest philosophy. I deliberately kept it plain
and simple: first Jesus and who he is; then Jesus and what he
did—Jesus crucified. 3-5 I was unsure of how to go about this,
and felt totally inadequate—I was scared to death, if you want
the truth of it—and so nothing I said could have impressed
you or anyone else. But the Message came through anyway.
God’s Spirit and God’s power did it, which made it clear that
your life of faith is a response to God’s power, not to some
fancy mental or emotional footwork by me or anyone else.” 1
Cor. 2:1-5 Message
With that in mind, I’d like to tell you about another ~ lesser wellknown ~ behavioral syndrome that’s been dubbed the
“Stockdale Paradox.”
The term comes from Admiral Jim Stockdale who was a prisoner of
war at the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” during the Vietnam War.
He remained a prisoner there from 1965-1973 . . . Seven and a half
HORRIFIC years.
He was the highest ranking US military officer imprisoned during
the Vietnam War.
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He’s perhaps better known as the running-mate for Ross Perot in
the 1992 presidential election. 
During his imprisonment he was repeatedly beaten and tortured,
but he refused to be “broken” by his captors . . . He devised mental
exercises to keep his mind resilient . . .
He was famous for creating ingenious tapping codes that
allowed other prisoners to secretly communicate with each other.
But the “paradox” that Stockdale’s MOST famous for . . . is his
unflinching attitude of faith and absolute realism.
When asked how he managed to continue day after day for eight
years . . . Stockdale explained,
“I never lost faith in ‘the end of the story,’” he said . . . “I never
doubted, not only that I would get out . . . but also . . . that I
would prevail in the end and turn the experience into THE
defining event of my life, which ~ in retrospect ~ I would not
trade.”
When asked by reporters if he could describe those who failed to
survive under the same torture and mind-breaking abuse,
Stockdale’s reply was quick: “Oh, that’s easy,” he said. “The
optimists.”
“The optimists,” he said, “were the ones who would say, ‘We’re
going to be out by Christmas.’ And Christmas would come,
and Christmas would go.
Then they’d say, ‘We’re going to be out by Easter.’ And Easter
would come, and Easter would go.
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And then Thanksgiving . . . and then it would be Christmas
again . . .
And they died of a broken heart.”
And when he was asked what was the secret to the others
survival, he said, “in one word . . . Faith.”
Stockdale’s final reflection, his ONE key ~ more-than-survival skill ~
for not just surviving, but truly LIVING in, and through, those
grueling situations & circumstances, was precise when he said:
“This is a very important lesson . . . You must never confuse
faith that you will prevail in the end . . . faith which you can
never afford to lose . . . with the discipline to confront the most
brutal facts of your current reality . . . whatever they might be.”
~ REPEAT ~
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Stockdale; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpgLAuZdutM
Did you hear it? . . . Did you hear the echoes of our Scripture
lesson in those words?
Faith is NOT optimism.
Faith is NOT WISHFUL THINKING.
Faith is NOT pretending bad times or genuine suffering aren’t real.
Faith doesn’t insist that everything’s coming up roses, or that
stinking situations & circumstances smell like roses.
No . . . Faith is best expressed in the words of teenagers . . . who
are fond of saying: “Deal with it ~ get over it ~ or get help.”
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The Stockdale realists faced the facts “We’re not getting out by
Christmas!” - They DEALT WITH IT!
And they GOT OVER IT - by FACING THE FACTS WITH FAITH!
Faith in the ultimate “end of the story,” . . . and THAT is what
enabled them to survive in some of the worst situations &
circumstances the mind can possibly imagine. 
And then we come to today’s scripture text . . . and in it, we are,
once again, reminded of what we must REMEMBER . . . that Paul
is speaking to Christians who’ve experienced REAL suffering . . .
Christians who are being persecuted by a power no less than
Rome, the greatest empire ever seen or known to date.
And he’s giving the message that a Stockholm Syndrome culture
needs to hear ~ the Stockdale Paradox of “Deal With it, Get Over
It . . . and Get Help!”
Notice, the Apostle didn’t sugarcoat or rose-tint their sufferings . . .
Instead in Romans 8:35 he very carefully and precisely LISTS
them: hardship, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness,
peril, the sword (that means death).
In other words, Paul was a realist . . . he didn’t make light of evil.
Paul didn’t say, “Hey guys . . . you know what? . . . let’s just not
talk about these things . . . Let’s find our peaceful happy place
. . . let’s just circle up here, lock pinkies and sing ‘Kumbayah”
NO!
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He made it PAINFULLY CLEAR . . . that THESE very difficult things
ARE a part of our REALITY . . . That pain, suffering, rejection,
abuse, neglect, and death are in this world . . . that they may even
be with us throughout our entire lives . . .
BUUUUUUUUUUUUT . . . These THINGS are NOT the “end of
the story” . . . Not even death is the end of our story.
In fact, Paul goes so far as to say that these adversities, hardships
and tribulations were the very things that bring us CLOSER to
understanding who and what Christ is IN US.
Remember with me his words in 2 Corinthians 12, when, regarding
pleading with the Lord 3 times in removing his “thorn in the flesh,”
Paul says: “ 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord
three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me,
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect
in weakness. Therefore,” he says, “most gladly I will rather
boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon
me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in
needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For
when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Paul encourages us to realize something that is AVAILABLE to ALL
who are in-Christ Jesus . . . which is, that when we’re faced with
adversity, calamity, infirmities, tribulations of any kind . . . that when
the future seems the bleakest and unsure . . . that these are the
very places we can ~and DO~ experience the strength, power and
wisdom of Christ . . . who is IN US!
That NO THING can ULTIMATELY prevail AGAINST us, because
our “Helper” has already overcome the WORST that can EVER
happen to us . . .
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And then, in today’s passage, he boldly itemizes all those,
seemingly “powers,” that are doomed to failure when they rise up
against us . . . saying: “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor
height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able
to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”
(vv.38-39).
He sums it up in Romans 8:31, when he says, “If God is for us . . .
who can be against us?” 
I hope we see in this most powerful passage, that this is not a
“hang in there,” “atta-boy” “pep talk.”
And that’s because he KNOWS that for those who genuinely seek
to realize what it means to live “in Christ,” and to fully experience
the VICTORY in this WORLD . . . that the finish line is NOT the
only important part of their story.
That God’s not just sitting at the end of the race, waiting to catch us
when we collapse, torn and tattered, across the finish line.
NO . . . at the very CORE of a Christian’s understanding should be
that, our relief isn’t realized at some eschatological end time . . . but
that the presence and power of Christ are with us every step of
the way THROUGH our journey on this earth!
That these VERY hardships ARE what usher in Christ’s greater
power and strength IN US . . . ENABLING us to deal with it, to
get over it, and to give us all the help we need to be . . .
“MORE . . . THAN . . . CONQUERORS.”
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When will we SEE & UNDERSTAND this truth?
When will we come to that place of KNOWING, like Paul, THAT the
DIVINE concern, compassion and conquering ability of Christ Jesus
isn’t something that’s being saved up for some climatic conclusion?
That God’s presence and power are unfolding ~ revealing ~
expanding ~ and embracing us in EVERYTHING . . . in ALL we
experience?
When will we come to know, as Paul knew, that God works “ALL
things” for our ULTIMATE good, and God’s Glory?
NOTICE . . . it doesn’t say that ALL THINGS are GOOD . . . But
that “God works all things for the good for those who love
God, and those who are called according to God’s purpose.”
(Romans 8:28). 
“All things” . . . We live in a world that’s suffering from the
Stockholm Syndrome: Deal with it.
“Nothing” . . . If we are to be free from the Stockholm Syndrome,
we need the faith found in The Stockdale Paradox: Get over it.
Face the facts . . . with faith . . . The faith that recognizes, sees &
understands that ALL THINGS work together for good.
The faith that recognizes, sees & understands that NOTHING can
EVER separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
The faith that KNOWS the “end of the story.”
That’s the faith of Jesus Christ, who experienced the suffering, and
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who came to say with His dying breath: “IT IS FINISHED”
And it’s only in and through Christ Jesus that we, too, can say with
every hardship, tragedy, turmoil, tribulation . . . with every
uncertainty about our future or “SEEMINGLY” terrible earthly
infirmity . . . that it IS finished . . . and that these THINGS serve no
other purpose in this world, except to usher in the reality of Christ’s
conquering power and strength to be revealed in us.
That these, seemingly terrible things, are what enable us to be
“conformed to the image of His Son.” 
So . . . that brings us to a choice to make . . . What will it be?
All things ~OR~ No things?
Prayer / Hymn of Invitation: “I Surrender All” No. 366 (1, 3 & 4)