HoHum:
The New York City transit company was missing a bus and a driver some years ago. For over a week, authorities searched with no success. Finally, 10 days after they had disappeared, the bus and driver were found- in Miami, Florida. The driver said, “I’d had it with the cold weather, the passengers, and my family. One day after the last passenger got off, I thought, ‘I wonder what would happen if I just took off driving.’” So that’s what he did until he got to Florida, where he enjoyed the sun and the surf for over a week. Ever felt like taking off and never coming back?
WBTU:
People get disillusioned and quit. Maybe we feel like quitting the Christian life today. We started out with high hopes, but it’s not working out as we imagined. We have yielded to temptation again and again. There have been troubles, and the harder we work the worse things get so why bother? Why not just drop out and live for ourselves?
The worst defeat in college football came in 1916 when Georgia Tech defeated Cumberland College of Kentucky 222 to 0. Cumberland never even made a first down. The much smaller Cumberland players were being mauled. Halfway through the first half one of the Cumberland players fumbled the ball. As it rolled toward a teammate, the one who fumbled yelled, “Pick it up. Pick it up.” The teammate yelled back, “You pick it up! Your dropped it.” We know how he felt. Sometimes our situation looks so hopeless we quit trying. We’re just tired of getting knocked down again and again. But the Bible encourages us never to quit the Christian life. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9, NIV. The people I’ve come to appreciate most over the years are not the flashy people or the gifted people, but the people who just don’t quit. The apostle Paul was that kind of person. 2 times in chapter 4 of 2 Corinthians he says, “We do not lose heart.”
Thesis: How can we not lose heart?
For instances:
Remember our responsibility
Duty has become a nasty 4 letter word in our society. “I quit going to church because I didn’t want to go just out of duty.” “I quit putting in the extra time at work. I didn’t enjoy it any more, and I didn’t want to keep doing it just because I was obligated.” “I’m not going to stay in this marriage out of a sense of duty.” “I quit giving just because I felt that it was my duty. I don’t want to give because I’m obligated.”
One reason there is so much irresponsibility today is that we have convinced ourselves that all of life is supposed to be pleasant. We’ve all seen the bumper sticker that says, “If it feels good, do it,” and we know that is not right. However, we often think this way: if it doesn’t feel good, we should quit doing it. We think anytime we go contrary to the way we feel, we’re being cheated or we’re acting hypocritical. There are times we have to evaluate whether this is what God would have us to do, but even after we know our ministry there will be times when it will be hard
Vs. 1- Paul realized that he had a responsibility greater than his own personal feelings. He had a ministry to carry the gospel to as many people as possible. I think there were probably times when Paul did not feel like going to prison. There were times when it did not feel good to be flogged. It probably wasn’t always fun to be ridiculed and rejected and shipwrecked. But Paul refused to quit because he had a duty. He had a ministry to take the gospel to the world.
Paul remembered that he had this ministry “through God’s mercy.” He remembered how he had received his salvation. He deserved death because he had persecuted the Christians. But God in his mercy had sent Jesus Christ to die in Paul’s place.
I doubt that Jesus went to the cross because it felt good. In Gethsemane Jesus sweat drops of blood and pleaded with the Father-“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39, NIV. Jesus went to the cross because it was his mission, his responsibility. It was certainly contrary to his immediate desires, but Jesus had a sense of duty because of His concern for people. Paul is saying, “Remembering God’s mercy, and God’s sacrifice for me, I cannot lose heart because I have this ministry.”
Maintain our authenticity
If we are going to be a faithful person, a person who is committed, we must be for real. We can pretend for only so long. There’s nothing more exhausting than being insincere. Even worse that being “worn out” is being “found out.” If we are trying to be something we are not, we’ll either exhaust ourselves or we will be discovered. Either way, we will not finish the course. We will quit. Be ourselves; be for real. “Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:2, NIV.
2 reasons that people distort the Word of God. One is for profit. The second reason they distort the Word of God is pride. They are too proud of their intellect to humbly submit to the truths of Scripture or they are trying to justify their sinful behavior or they are too concerned about what the world thinks to preach God’s way.
Paul said he did not distort God’s Word, even if it hurt people’s feelings or even his own feelings. “On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:2. Some people may not have liked what he said, but it was his job to tell the truth as clearly as he could tell it. Stepping on people’s toes.
Vs. 7- In that day, it was customary to hide valuable treasure in unimpressive jars so that it wouldn’t be suspect, people would not steal the contents. We are like those clay jars. We are not very impressive. WE have cracks and imperfections. But it’s not the vessel, it’s the contents that are important. Inside these unimpressive jars of clay we have this treasure of the Word of God. We don’t claim to be perfect, but Christ is. We don’t preach ourselves; we preach Christ. Vs. 5
Combat the adversary
Vs. 3, 4- Being a competitor, there are times we don’t quit simply because we want to overcome the adversary. No matter the standings, the team always plays its best against the arch rival because we don’t want to give that team the satisfaction of gloating over our defeat. We refuse to quit because we can’t stand that thought of our opponents winning.
All through the Bible, we are told there is a supernatural evil force who is ruthlessly seeking to defeat every one of us. Called several things but here he is called the “god of this age”. That’s in contrast with the God of eternity. The god of this age is the archenemy of God, and he is seeking to defeat God’s people. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8, NIV.
The devil seeks to defeat us in 2 ways. 1) He distorts the truth through false teachers so that the gospel is confusing. 2) He blinds the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel. Satan gets people so caught up in pride and pleasure that they are spiritually blind.
Even so, there is hope for these people and that hope is the light of the gospel breaking through Satan’s darkness. Vs. 6
Develop a resiliency
Paul had the ability to bounce back after his setbacks. Vs. 8-9. Originally the manufacturers of automobile tires used to make tires that would resist the shocks of the road. They produced tires that were so brittle they would not last. Then they started making tires that would give a little and absorb the shocks, and that style of tire is still with us today. They are enduring because they are resilient. Jesus said- In this world you will have trouble- John 16:33. Every Christian’s life has some potholes but how we react to them makes the difference. We can either be resentful or resilient. Resentful people are brittle; they break and they quit. But people with staying power are people who have a resiliency of spirit. They get back up when they are knocked down.
Vs. 10- Paul did more than just endure his problems, he employed them. When Paul was stoned and then went on to preach at Derbe, I think the people saw the bruises and the cuts, so they listened to him and there were many converts. When he was dragged before kings, he turned the palace into a pulpit. When he was put into solitary confinement in prison, he turned the prison into an author’s workshop, and he came out of that dungeon with a good part of the New Testament. He would be knocked down but never knocked out. Every disappointment was a door; every interruption, an opportunity; every frustration, a stimulation. Paul had a resiliency that would never quit, no matter how bad the situation looked. The death of Jesus looked bad but with the resurrection it was turned into a victory. Vs. 10
We died to our old life and we were resurrected to a new life. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20, NIV.
Respond unselfishly
VS. 11- 14: Paul was certain that God had raised Jesus from the dead. He was also certain that, if people put their faith in Christ, they would be raised, too. So he just would not quit even though there was opposition.
Vs. 15- That sense of concern for other people should motivate us to never quit. A teacher may say, “I’m weary,” and take a vacation. But he gets back in there because he’s concerned that his students need what he has to give. A wife may say, “I’ve had it with my husband and children; I’m tired of this neglect. I’m going to quit.” Then she remembers her family and the Lord, and she gets back in there. A nurse may say, “I’m tired of low pay, demanding patients, and bad hours.” Then she remembers her vow to serve. A police officer may say, “I’m tired of abuse and ridicule and lack of appreciation. I’m just going to quit.” Then he remembers the needs of the innocent and keeps going. A Christian businessperson may get discouraged because people are cheating and getting ahead, and he’s tempted to quit. Then he remembers the testimony he has to others, and he won’t quit. Paul knew that he was making footprints that were going to lead to salvation for the people who were following him. So even though he got weary, he said, “I don’t lose heart; I will not quit.”
