Kingdom Opportunities in Our Crisis

2 Corinthians 7:5-7
Introduction:
The local motor vehicle licensing office was packed. The line inched along for almost an hour until one man finally got his license.
He inspected his photo for a moment and commented to the clerk, "I was standing in line so long, I ended up looking pretty grouchy in this picture."
The clerk looked at his picture closely. "It's okay," he reassured the man: "That's how you're going to look when the cops pull you over anyway."
Your license photo is important to you, but it is only one of millions the clerk will handle. That little story is just a reminder that things aren’t always going to go our way. We will be irritated, frustrated, and pushed beyond our tolerances. There are kingdom opportunities in those moments! Don't quit! Don't despair. God will take care of you and use you if you'll endure.

I. CONDITION-
I appreciate Paul’s honesty and willingness to be transparent here
It really gives us some breathing room and the opportunity to relate to men like Paul
Sometimes our perception of people in the Bible is skewed toward idealism
In fact, really, the Bible is very careful to expose the flaws and weaknesses of people
We see Moses getting angry, Judah being irrational, David giving in to temptation
In fact, the Psalms are a great case study in human emotions and David wrote many of them
Elsewhere, in 2 Corinthians 11, Paul speaks of the many hardships and stresses he faced daily
When we face uncertainties, it is easy to feel fear and insecurity
Paul regularly found himself in new settings where he didn’t know anyone
His life and ministry were constantly bombarded with controversy and conflict
He had to deal with the rigors of travel when travel was determined by conditions
And we think we have a unique situation when we are pushed out of our comfort zone
We’re the only ones who have it as bad as we have it
No one else has the hardships and no one else has the history we have
But everyone of us have our own history and issues that we are contending with
1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
Common, part of the universal human condition
Even if you object because that addresses temptation and not stress, Peter reminds us that these “same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” 1 Peter 5:9
Paul had received a divine vision issuing his call into Macedonia
Yet, he says his flesh had no rest- He felt uneasy
The challenges would not let up, and the crises just kept coming from no where
He was following God’s will, but still found himself stressed out and apprehensive

II. COMFORT-
God had a purpose in Paul’s situation that would bring God glory and promote the kingdom
When we find ourselves in Paul’s shoes, the temptation is to bolt!
We want to do whatever it is that will release the pressure and remove the strain
What if a soldier stood up in battle and said, “Hey, this is too much!”
What if a doctor decided while you were on the operating table that he was tired
But we need to stop and realize that God may have a reason to bring us to that