A Basket Case

AS IF THE DEVIL – IS ABOUT TO PUT OUR HEAD IN A BASKET – GOD WILL SHOW UP EVERY TIME – AND HE’LL MAKE EVERYTHING ALRIGHT! (HOW MANY BELIEVE THAT TODAY…)

(AS WE LOOK AT OUR TEXT THIS MORNING…) IT FOCUSES ON PAUL – AS HE LISTED ALL OF THE TROUBLES THAT HE EXPERIENCED.

PAUL TOLD HIS STORY – FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE WHO WERE FRUSTRATED! BECAUSE IF ANYONE HAD A REASON TO BE BURNT OUT, FRUSTRATED OR READY TO THROW IN THE TOWL…IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PAUL!

LET’S SEE WHAT PAUL HAD TO GO THROUGH (STARTING IN VERSE 24…)

• HE WAS GIVEN 39 LASHES – 5 TIMES BY THE JEWS! (NOW, THAT IN ITSELF WOULD BE ENOUGH TO BREAK THE SPIRIT OF ANY ORDINARY PERSON!)

• 3 TIMES HE WAS BEATEN WITH RODS! ONCE HE WAS STONED! 3 TIMES HE WAS SHIPWRECKED! (HE SPENT A WHOLE NIGHT AND A DAY ADRIFT AT SEA…)

• HE FACED DANGER IN THE CITIES – DANGER IN THE DESERTS – AND DANGER OUT ON THE STORMY SEAS!

• HE FACED DANGER (FROM MEN WHO “CLAIMED” TO BE CHRISTIANS…) AND HE LIVED WITH WEARINESS, PAIN AND SLEEPLESS NIGHTS!

• HE WAS OFTEN HUNGRY AND THIRSTY – HE OFTEN SHIVERED WITH COLD, WITHOUT ENOUGH CLOTHING TO KEEP HIM WARM!

(AND THEN ON TOP OF ALL OF THAT…) HE CARRIED THE DAILY BURDEN OF ALL THE CHURCHES! (AND YAW KNOW HOW IT IS DEALING WITH YOU CHURCH FOLK)

PAUL SAID, “YAW THINK YAW WEAK – BUT I’M NOT?” HE SAID, “ALL THESE THINGS THAT I’M TELLING YOU – GOD KNOWS I AIN’T LYING!”

(IMAGINE HOW THEY FELT – AFTER HE TOLD THEM EVERYTHING THAT HE HAD BEEN THROUGH….) THEY WERE LEFT THINKING, “WE DON’T HAVE IT TOO BAD AFTER ALL!” (YAW HEARD THE SAYING, “THAT DESPITE WHAT YOU’RE GOING THROUGH – SOMEONE WOULD LOVE TO BE IN YOUR SHOES!”)

(THE STORY GOES ON…) THAT ONCE PAUL WAS IN DAMASCUS (THE GOVERNOR UNDER KING ARETAS…) KEPT GUARDS AT THE CITY GATES TO CATCH HIM – BUT PAUL WAS LOWERED IN A BASKET – THROUGH A WINDOW IN THE CITY WALL (AND THAT’S HOW HE MADE HIS ESCAPE!)

(AND SO…) MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT – PAUL WAS A BONA-FIDE “BASKET CASE!” HOWEVER, IN ALL OF HIS SUFFERINGS – GOD GAVE HIM STRENGTH!

(IN OTHERWORDS…) EACH TIME THAT IT APPEARED AS IF PAUL WOULD FACE DEFEAT (HE BECAME A BASKET CASE…) BUT GOD SWEPT HIM AWAY TO SAFETY AND VICTORY!

(AND WE NEED TO REALIZE AND UNDERSTAND…) THAT THE SAME GOD WHO DELIVERED PAUL BACK THEN – IS RIGHT HERE TO DELIVER YOU AND ME TODAY!

WHEN TROUBLE POKES ITS UGLY HEAD INTO OUR LIVES (NATURALLY, WE’LL WANNA BECOME FRUSTRATED…) BECAUSE WE’RE HUMAN – AND WE ALL HAVE A BREAKING POINT!

BUT THE WORD OF GOD TELLS US WHAT TO DO – WHEN TROUBLES ARISE: WE ARE SUPPOSED TO CALL ON THE NAME OF JESUS! (LET’S LOOK AT PSALM 27…)

1) The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? 2) When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. 3) Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident. 4) One thing I have desired of the LORD, That