BEFORE I GO: Some Final Instructions, Part 3–KEEP TRUE

 

America is in a perilous position. The nation has faced many assaults in the past. Growing government tyranny and the attack on cherished freedoms such as freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and the right to bear arms, along with the decline of our economy and open borders—while embracing the butchering of babies in the womb and parading of perversion in the streets is horrifying.  I commented recently to a lady who mentioned this that, it is “national suicide!”  

The church is no longer looked upon as a benefit to society, but an enemy. How will the church respond to living in an antagonistic world?  The choice of many churches is to cave to the culture by compromise. At first they grow quiet while still claiming to maintain their convictions. Yet, it is only a matter of time until such churches take the next step away from the faith. 

That is a bleak picture, and mirrors the one Paul paints here. The encouragement is that the church in its infancy grew and flourished in a pagan culture where they were hated and hurt.  So, may we.  

Jesus promised that His church would march to victory and the gates of hell would not be able to withstand her. Paul was in bonds, but the Gospel was not bound (2:9). He was leading prison guards and prisoners to faith, and some of those soldiers would wind up as Imperial guards and witnesses to those of Caesar’s household!  He was penning powerful words that are still changing lives today. 

There are foes we must face and a weapon we must wield as we examine 2 Timothy 3.

First, we will consider THE FOES WE MUST FACE (v.1-9). The Apostle warns that difficult times are coming. I believe they are right around the corner. I pray I am wrong, but I am persuaded that I am right. We face a foe that is mostly overt and one that is more covert. 

One foe we face is the hostility of the world (v.1-5). Watch the news on TV.  Go out into public. What Paul describes here might as well be America in the 21st century. 

Rather than loving people and using money, we will love money and use people as “lovers of self” and “lovers of money” (v. 2a).  Arrogance will be apparent as mankind is “proud” and “abusive,” (v. 2b). 

There is disrespect of authority, beginning in the home, “disobedient to parents,” (v. 2c), and defiance at home breeds disregard of heaven, “ungrateful, unholy...” (v. 2d)—rejecting our earthly fathers translating into rejection of the Eternal Father. Then follows despising His rule and throwing off moral restraint (v.3-5). Religion will be present, but an empty shell—mere ritual with deadening effect. 

This leads from the hostility of the world, which is overt, to that which is covert—the subtlety of the wayward (v.6-9). The devil manifests himself at times as a roaring lion seeking to strike fear into his prey.  On other occasions, he is a sneaky snake that crawls in and waits in the darkness before injecting its deadly venom of sin into the victim. This is how the serpent attacked Eve—first to doubt the accuracy of the Word of God with a question, “Did God actually say?” (Gen. 3:1) and then to deny the authority of the Word of God with a contradiction, “You will not surely die,” (Gen. 3:4).

The Devil uses creeps—“those who creep into households and capture weak women,” (v. 6a). They creep in on a podcast, a popular book, and so forth. If discernment is not exercised, they will be, “ever learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth,” (v. 7).  

The Apostle had previously warned, 

“Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.” (1 Tim.2:11-15). 

The culture is increasingly feminized—masculinity is under attack as “toxic”—and this spirit is growing in the church in the name of equality. Of course, there is equality of dignity among men and women!  Neither sex is to be valued above the other. Yet, while there is no difference in dignity and worth, there is a difference in duty and work. We have different roles. 

The elders of the church are to be men who are the gatekeepers of sound doctrine while the women are to be the homemakers of young disciples. Timothy’s faith had been birthed and built due to the effort of his godly mother and grandmother, (cf. 2 Tim. 1:5). Women have a different role in the church and men have a different role in the home—neither less essential, but not identical.  

Beware of counterfeits like Jannes and Jambres who opposed Moses with their fake miracles, (v. 8-9). They really didn’t seem that different on the surface, but at the heart it was the distance between heaven and hell. They learn it in a liberal seminary and export it to the local sanctuary. Little by little, they inject the serpent’s venom into the church with deadening effect.

How can we endure the hostility of the world and overcome the subtlety of the wayward?  There is THE WEAPON WE MUST WIELD (v.10-17). The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God.  This is how Jesus conquered Satan, and so must we with, “It is written!”  

This mighty weapon must be wielded with endurance (v.10-15). Paul stresses endurance in v.10, 11, and the need to “continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed” (v.14). This is my call to you today—“Keep true!”  It is a fight to the finish.  

In those days, soldiers engaged in hand to hand combat, and endurance was demanded. This is true spiritually. How many have we seen who wearied of the fight, were wounded in the battle, and finally have thrown down the sword in surrender to the enemy? I first heard Warren Wiersbe say, “This world is not a playground; it is a battleground!”  

The enemy is strong and on the march. Persecution is likely to become an increasing reality.  Paul mentions it in v.11 twice and again in v.12. We have known a period of protection in America and the church has become flabby and soft.  I heard a preacher, Stuart Briscoe talking about the difference between our churches and other churches in places across the ocean that suffer persecution. I paraphrase, “In the west, we face problems and cry, ‘O God, take these burdens off my back.’ And in the east they pray, “O God, make my back strong to bear these burdens.”  

The period of protection eventually yields to a period of persecution. The world is not going to get better (v.13). Those of us who are saved will endure. The seed of Scripture has brought us faith in Jesus—and that is eternal life (v.14-15). 

This is the message which we must share with endurance and can do so with confidence (v.16-17). We can be confident in the perfection of the Word (v.16a). It is God breathed.  As God breathed into Adam and made Him a living soul, He has breathed into His prophets during the Old Testament era and His apostles in the New Testament age so that what they wrote down is a supernatural Book filled with miraculous power. 

We can be confident in the perfection of the Word, and in the profit of the Word (v.16b). It is profitable for doctrine, “teaching.”  Our beliefs are based on the Bible. It is profitable for discipline, “reproof.”  Our rebellious nature must be broken—and Scripture chastens us. It is profitable for direction, “correction.”  A light for our path to correct our wandering tendency and direct us from the path of sin and onto the path of sanctification. It is profitable for dedication, “for training in righteousness.”  Moody proposed, “This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.”  

We can be confident in the perfection, profit, and purpose of the Word (v.17). The purpose of the Word is to make us “complete,”—that is, spiritually mature; capable, “equipped,”—trained for the task; committed, “for every good work”—and this is real success as God sees it.

Have you received the seed of salvation—the Word of the Gospel which brings faith in Jesus Christ?  If so, have you publicly confessed that faith?  The lines are being drawn. We get on one side or the other. It is time to take a stand for Jesus. 

Having received salvation, are you standing tall and staying true?  Is there an unwavering commitment to follow Jesus?  We must swim against the current of the culture or be swept back. 

A solid Bible-believing church is the place for the reinforcing of that faith. There you will be taught the Word of God. You will be encouraged in your walk with God. If you are not a member of such a church, why not?  If you join such a church, you can seek to keep true together!

Maybe you are in a liberal church. You don’t like it, but tolerate it. You argue, “But my grandparents are buried in the graveyard!”  The fact is that they would leave if they could. A former generation would find it heartbreaking to see what many churches degenerate into by the erosion of faith.

BEFORE I GO: Some Final Instructions, Part 1—HOLD ON!

If you knew that today would be your last day on earth, what would you want to say to those you love?  That is what we have in Paul’s last letter in 2 Timothy. The Apostle was on death row, and wanted to give his young protege some final instructions for the church.  His first call is to “Hold on!”  He exhorts Timothy, “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” (1:13). How can we hold on?

BY GROUNDING IN FAITH (v.1-7). Paul mentions the “sincere faith” (v. 5), the genuine faith in Christ that Timothy had received in his home that flowed from his grandmother Lois, to his mother Eunice, and now to him. 

This is the ground upon which a life, a home, a church must be built—the solid Rock of Jesus Christ, whom we have received by a sincere faith. Is yours a “sincere faith” that fits you for heaven? Peter enjoined, “be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election,” (2 Pet.1:10). Having your name on a church membership roll won’t matter if it isn’t written in heaven in the Lamb’s Book of Life.  

Hear the words of Jesus in Matt.7:21-27. 

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’  Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

I am haunted by the fact that some people who have sat in pews under my preaching, or read these words that I am posting, will hear those awful words, “Depart from me.”  If the foundation is not stable, then nothing else you do will stand.

Hold fast by grounding in faith, but also BY GROWING IN GRACE (v.8-12). The Apostle underscores the manner of salvation as the grace of God that has been bestowed on us (v.9). 

This is God’s free gift.  If we are saved, it is not based on anything we have done, but on Him.  If you could lose your salvation, you would. But, it isn’t our commitment to Christ, but His commitment to us that takes believers from start to finish (v.12). We can hold on because He holds on to us!  

Yet, there is always a danger that the fire of passion for Jesus may become a faint flicker (v.6). That devotion to Christ will require fueling.  Do you need to be rekindled today?  God’s Spirit is within us to empower us (v.7). 

I’ve heard that some of us have Christianity like an old iron bedstead—firm on both ends and sagging in the middle!  We are firm on the front end that God saves us from hell, and firm on the back end that He will save us for heaven, but right now we are sagging! 

God’s purpose in giving us grace, is not to sit, but to serve (v.11). When can we stop growing and going? Not, “until that Day” (v.12). The old hymn exhorts: “We’ll Work ’Til Jesus Comes.”  That is God’s intention for each of us. We may retire from a job, but we can only retire from serving Christ when Jesus comes for us.  Our retirement community is called, “Heaven!”

So hold on by grounding in faith, growing in grace, and BY GRIPPING THE TRUTH (v.13-18). Paul is saying to this young preacher boy to get an unbreakable grip on the truth—sound doctrine and systematic theology.  

Greek scholar Kenneth Wuest commented, “Particular words are to be retained and used so that the doctrinal statements of the truth may remain accurate and a norm for future teachers and preachers.”  

Do you have a grip on the meaning of words like, “justification, reconciliation, sanctification, glorification,” and what do you believe about the nature of God, the work of Christ, the person of the Spirit, the authority of Scripture, the mission of the church, etc.?  

False teachers are to be condemned (v.15). They are a cancer to be cut out!  

Faithful workers are to be commended (v.16-18). Nothing so refreshes a preacher as to see those who serve diligently!

It burdens me at times when I see a post on social media or hear someone quote some false teacher—a doctrinal deviant!  But, it blesses me when I see those who are solid in sound doctrine—who immerse themselves in truth and teach it.  That is refreshing!  

Pastors need refreshing!  We get weary and worn and weak.  We are not super human.  I want you to make a commitment today to be a refresher to your pastor. So many have been to me!  To all my pastor friends reading this—particularly those men who lead the Haywood Baptist Association member churches that I serve—know that I am here for you and praying for you!

Do you have a genuine faith?  If you were to die today and stand before the Lord, and He asked you, “Why should I let you into my heaven?” what would you say?  I prayed a prayer.  I got baptized. I try to be a good person.  I believe in God. All that is good, but will not get you into heaven. A genuine faith is grounded in the work of Jesus Christ.  You look to Him alone for your salvation. 

Do you have a real faith, but it needs to be rekindled?  Will you recommit yourself to be faithful until Jesus calls you home?

Are you committed to studying the Word, submitting to it, and sharing it?  Will you say today, “I am going to be a refresher!”

GET UP AND GET GOING

 

Doubtless, there have been times that your “get up and go” got up and went!  Maybe today you feel that way. As a pastor, I recall weeks where I had hospital visits, multiple funerals, perhaps counseling a couple in marital crisis, a committee meeting, Bible lessons to prepare, phone calls to field, and besides all this, children to take to school, ballgames to attend, grass to mow, and you come to Saturday. You know what follows—Sunday!  For the preacher, it is the biggest day of the week, and you have given until you are “give out.”  Catch your breath, grab a cup of coffee—and prepare your heart to preach. Here are some thoughts to strengthen you. 

THE LORD IS OUR MAKER, “For of Him…”.  He knew us and knit us together in our mother’s womb. God, in His sovereign work, formed a unique creation in you and me. The circumstances that we find ourselves in are because He has placed us there. Our potential and limitations are according to His formation of us. Surrender yourself as human clay in the Potter’s hands. Paul put it this way, “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Cor.‬ ‭12‬:‭9‬‬). 

THE LORD IS OUR MEDIATOR, “and through Him…”. The Father so loved you that He sent His Son to suffer as no other to redeem you. It is through this atoning work that we are fit for heaven. Because Christ is our Mediator, we are not only fit for heaven, but to do heaven’s work here below. Others need to know of the grace that can save a wretch like them. We attest to it, for He saved such wretches as we are. Truly, it is the business of every believer to bear witness to the saving work of Christ, but God has called His preachers to set the standard.  Paul exhorted a young (perhaps tired) Timothy, “But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry,” (2 Tim.‬ ‭4‬:‭5‬‬). 

THE LORD IS OUR MOTIVATOR, “and to Him are all things…”.  When tempted to throw up our hands in frustration or throw in the towel in defeat, remember this—it is not about us, but the Lord. The rationalizations we can make for giving up will be amply supplied by Satan. Indeed, we can probably come up with a few on our own!  Job’s wife offered this discouraging word, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9). The bottom line is this: it is not the expectation of others, the commendation of colleagues, the recognition by church members, the remuneration that pays the bills—it is the passion to honor Christ that is our motivation, “to whom be glory forever. Amen.”

VICTORY IN MINISTRY

Stephen Olford reminds us in his book authored with his son, David, of the discipline required to finish our service for the Lord victoriously: 

“If anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules” (2:5). The key word in this example is nominos, which must be interpreted in light of the Olympic games. These rules extended not only to the race itself but also to the prescribed training. Indeed, one authority cites the fact that athletes had to state, on oath, that they had fulfilled ten months of training before they were eligible to enter the contests. The three objectives of an athlete were energy, honesty, and victory. First, there was energy. The whole point of disciplined training was to develop stamina, speed, and style. Even more important was the matter of honesty. Severe penalties were imposed on anyone who infringed the rules. Such honesty is also demanded in our day when it comes to competing in sporting events. The delightful and brilliant professional golfer Paul Azinger tells in his autobiography of an occasion when he was well on the way to winning a tournament when he inadvertently infringed a rule. The penalty for this was not one stroke or two strokes, but the entire tournament!1 What would happen to men in the ministry if the same standard of honesty were strictly applied. The apostle Paul took the athlete's type of discipline so seriously that he wrote, “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:27). He carried this holy fear right through to his final days on earth: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). A preacher needs both physical and spiritual energy; and for this, he has to work out on his feet and on his knees!”  (Anointed Expository Preaching, p.51).

THE PULPIT AS THE ALTAR; THE SERMON AS THE SACRIFICE

Pastoral ministry can be painful. Preaching can be exhausting and often met with apathy from some, hostility from others. When tempted to quit, let us look beyond the pews to Calvary. Consider the outpouring of Jesus’ blood and pour yourself out in your preaching. 

The pulpit is your altar and your sermon the sacrifice, ignited by gratitude for the mercy of God that would make you—an undeserving sinner—to be a custodian and communicator of God’s Word. Our voices ought to rise from the fires of hell with shrieks of pain for all eternity, but instead they may rise today with shouts of praise for grace that saved us and selected us to preach the Gospel!

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans‬ ‭12:1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

OVERCOMING SPIRITUAL SLUGGISHNESS

How do you keep going when your get up and go got up and went?  Physical demand and emotional drain in Christian service can easily lead to spiritual sluggishness. You really do not have to do try to become sluggish. Call it “burnout,” if you will—a condition from burning the candle at both ends.  The writer of Hebrews tells us in chapter six, verses ten through twelve, how to overcome spiritual sluggishness.  You will notice the three great Christian virtues are mentioned: faith, hope, and love.

LABOR IN LOVE, “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (v.10).  Ministry motivated by obligation alone becomes a drudgery and we look for ways to do the minimum. When we are driven by compassion, we discover a dynamic that maximizes effort.  We serve because we love God and love people. Even if we are not rewarded with man’s commendation here,  we know we will have the Master’s crowning hereafter!

ENDURE IN HOPE, “And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end,” (v.11).  Diligence is the opposite of sluggishness. It is the assurance of hope that inspires such effort. Hope rests confidently in an unchanging God.  Marathon runners are victorious when a burst of energy rises as they near the finish line.  Do you want to finish as a sluggish whiner or a strong winner?

IMITATE IN FAITH, “that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises,” (v.12). You must regularly take in the Word of God. As you ingest its principles and digest its promises, you will find faith nourished and growing. Others have done so and we can too!  Biblical stories are filled with the exploits of those who conquered by faith. Church history is replete with the examples of those who overcame by faith. Imitate them!  Such will inspire you and you will shed sluggishness like water on a duck’s back.

In closing, recall Paul’s charge, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart,” (Gal.6:9).

MAINTAINING YOUR MINISTRY

It is likely that you have watched an Olympic track meet. The runners place their feet in the starting blocks and listen for the starter’s pistol to fire. Getting off to a good start is vital, but a good finish means victory. It is possible to start strong, but then to stumble.  This is likewise true of ministry. 

Paul is speaking to a young man in ministry named Archippus. We know little of him. He is mentioned in Scripture perhaps only one other time.  Paul mentions him along with Philemon, and Philemon’s wife Apphia (v.1-2) “and to the church in your house.”  So, it would seem Archippus was their son. The Apostle further refers to him as “our fellow soldier.”  Thus, we may conclude that this was a preacher boy Paul had recruited for the Lord’s army. 

There are three exhortations suggested here for those of us who preach the Gospel and lead the church. 

First, TAKE HEED!  Paul says, “Take heed to the ministry.”  Have a solid conviction that God has called you. Revisit persistently that assignment and meditate on God’s mandate for you. Saturate your mind with the Word of God.  Be alert to danger about you—moral disqualification or doctrinal deviation. Satan is like a lion ready to pounce.  Take heed to the truth. 

Secondly, TAKE HOLD!  Paul speaks of, “the ministry which you have received in the Lord.”  The opportunity to serve Christ had been offered and young Archippus had responded with enthusiasm, reaching out his hand to receive the grace to do  Gospel ministry.  When we begin to just show up because it is expected or to show off only when others are watching, we are in danger of service slipping from our grasp. Cherish your call as a treasure and hold to it firmly and joyfully.  Take hold of the task. 

Thirdly, TREAD ON!  The Apostle urges, “fulfill it.”  The road will not always be smooth. There are potholes and perils. It is an uphill slog.  There are a few like Stephen who are Gospel sprinters whose race is short as they run into immediate crisis. Yet, as difficult as that is, most in ministry will find it a cross-country mountain marathon.  It is a race of ups and downs—a race of endurance. You dare not give out or give up.  Tread on with tenacity.

Man of God, maintain your ministry. Don’t quit!  Fulfill it—fill it full by taking heed to the truth, taking hold of the task, and treading on with tenacity.

SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS

 

“The great truths of revelation are neither able to preach nor defend themselves. They must have soldier preachers who proclaim and defend them. They have never conquered as silent force; they have never won as a reserve corps.”  (E.M. Bounds)

Onward, Christian preacher!  As you march into the pulpit, you go to war. Make sure you have on your armor—each piece put on with prayer. In your hand is a mighty weapon—the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. It is not a clever tongue, or a passionate argument that will prevail, but the unadulterated truth, delivered from earnest lips anointed by the Spirit of the Lord.  Put the enemy to flight!  Angels hover around you, to roll back the dark forces that would hinder you. Spend and be spent for the souls of those in your charge.

Paul tells us to endure. Warfare is wearisome; it will drain your energy. Press on!  You want to be a good soldier, not a poor one.

Paul tells us to engage. The time for strategy is over. It is time to take the field. 

Paul tells us to not be entangled. The things of this world will trip you up and bring you down to defeat. Do not let your concentration be diverted. Focus on the fight!

Paul tells us we are enlisted. You were drafted by your Commander—the Lord Jesus Christ. He has placed you in this position of responsibility. You may not please all the troops in the congregation, but seek to please Him who called you!

DISHEARTENED IN MINISTRY?

“Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.” (‭‭2 Cor.‬ ‭4:1‬‬)

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.”  (‭‭2 Cor. 4:16‬‬)

Paul warns us of the danger of being disheartened in ministry.  We answer the call with vision and passion for seeing God do a great work—thinking we have a contribution to make in Kingdom advance. 

Then, there is the confrontation from an angry church member that blindsides us. The event we planned falls flat. The sermon was a dud. We gaze upon a congregation week by week that seems asleep. A leader drops out. A solid family moves away. A former strong supporter moves their membership because they “were not being fed.”  There is the daily grind of the minutia of ministry, just like drops of water slowly eroding our zeal. We counsel with a young couple whose marriage is disintegrating. We weep with a family whose son has overdosed or whose teen daughter is pregnant. I hope you are not married to Mrs. Job who suggests, “Why don’t you curse God and die?” Dare I go on?  I think I have said enough. You could add to the list.

Disheartenment is a slow cancer that leads to pastoral death—not necessarily physically, though that can happen with sin, stress or suicide. I am speaking of it ministerially. The pastor walks out of the pulpit for the final time, convinced he has failed—dreams dashed—and on to other things with his life.  If you are struggling, please listen to Paul, “Do not lose heart!”

Our response may be, “Easy for you to say Mr. Super Apostle!  Look at your success!”  Paul did make an immeasurable impact, no doubt. But, he would not have had he lost heart. He struggled with it, but by God’s grace overcame it. The pressure that brought him to his knees drove him to God rather than away.  That is our choice. It is foremost an act of the will that affects the emotions, instead of waiting for the emotions to direct the decision. It is a command, “Do not lose heart.”

Should you protest, “if only Paul knew what I am facing,” … as soon as you speak the words, you know that you and I have never faced what that man did.

“Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.” (2 Cor.11:23-33‬‬)

Paul was a basket case!

He was sustained in seeing his ministry, with all its misery, as a mercy from God (4:1). The sinner that he was merited hell, yet what he received was mercy. That is true of us all. It is tempting to evaluate our difficulties and say, “I don’t deserve this!”  True—what we deserve is hell. Yet, we have been spared. We should, as Christian comedian Mark Lowery points out, look at our circumstances, no matter how painful and say, “That sure beats hell!”

Paul pressed on because he looked beyond the immediate to the finish line (4:16).  Looking in the mirror of the present situation would lead him to conclude, “I am wasting away.”  Looking into the mirror of God’s Word at the future filled his lungs with the oxygen of hope, “renewed day by day.”  That, after all, is how Jesus told us to live—one day at a time.  Today’s load is quite sufficient without borrowing from tomorrow’s troubles, that may or may not materialize.

I think of old Jeremiah—whose ministry resume’ listed decline, opposition, pain—a complete disaster in the denominational records.  He battled disheartenment repeatedly. How did he make it through?  He lifted his eyes above:

“Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’ The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”  (Lam.‬ ‭3:19-26‬‬)

If I can serve you, pray with you, support you—be a sounding board—whatever, please do not lose heart!  Contact me and we will cry together, but through glistening tears look up to our faithful God who has called us!  

DO NOT LOSE HEART!

BLINDSIDED BY BETRAYAL

For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; 

Then I could bear it. 

Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; 

Then I could hide from him. 

But it was you, a man my equal, 

My companion and my acquaintance. (Psalms 55:12-13)

Although not pleasant, it is not unexpected that the man of God will face hostility from the world.  The deepest hurts, however, are those wounds from our fellow believers.  That is David's lament in this psalm.  If you have watched football, then you are familiar with the term, "blindsided."  A player's vision is limited by his helmet, and sometimes he doesn't see a hit coming--that is being, "blindsided."  Many a player had been knocked out of the game when they did not see the hit coming.  If you have been in ministry very long, then you know exactly what that feels like--the bruising that comes from the blindside of betrayal.  David was a soldier.  He had stood against giants.  He had faced fierce foes and fought them off.  Yet, this attack by his "friend" had driven him to the turf, and he was aching all over.  How do you deal with this?

David cried out to God (Ps.55:1-5).  He doesn't paste on a phony smile and act as though it doesn't matter.  David complains--and his complaint is not taken to people, but to the Lord.  If you try to deny the hurt and the anger, it will fester as bitterness and destroy you.  Should you retaliate against your assailant, then the Devil has won, for you have stooped to their level.  Someone has said it well, "A bulldog can whip a skunk, but it isn't worth it!"

David did not run away (Ps.55:6-8).  He wanted to!  It is a reflex when we are hurt, to move away from the source of the pain.  Many a servant of the Lord has fled a difficult church when assaulted by members who should have supported him.  Not a small number eventually abandon ministry altogether.  David wanted to run, but did not.  If a man after God's own heart was so tempted, we will not be impervious to the possibility.  Just remember that Satan wants to overwhelm you and when he succeeds he has overcome you.  Consider these words:

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. (I Pet. 5:8-10)

Cast your burden on the Lord (Ps.55:9-23).  It is too heavy for you to bear.  The good news is that you do not have to--you can take it to the Lord and trust in Him.  God sees.  He knows how you feel.  Jesus has been there.  His most stalwart follower, Simon Peter, failed Him.  When He needed someone to stand with Him, His closest followers fled.  His face would be struck with brutal blows and His beard plucked out, but I submit that the kiss of betrayal by Judas hurt worse.  What did the Son of David do?  He committed Himself to His Father as David did, and as we must.  God can handle it!

DO YOU LABOR IN VAIN?

 

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.  (1 Cor.15:58)

Maybe it has been a hard week—there are always challenges in ministry.  The Devil will see to that—and sometimes he isn’t even needed, as some church folk seem to fill the role of “Accuser” quite well.  Now, the hour for the Sunday morning sermon is coming like a freight train down the tracks.  So, can we suck it up, and go forward?

Paul says that we can—and we must.  It isn’t that we are promised reward here.  We may not see the success we pray for now.  What we do, we must do in light of eternity.  Jesus is alive and that makes all the difference!  After expounding the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Paul makes the application for all the saints in 1 Corinthians 15, but I think is very pointed for pastors.

The reality of the resurrection is a call to STAY THE COURSE by being “steadfast.”   Be faithful to the finish.  Don’t back up or back down!  Things looked awfully bleak on Friday night with Christ’s corpse locked up in the darkness of a tomb.  That changed come Sunday morning, did it not?  When we feel the darkness enclosing, don’t despair for a new day will dawn—and especially that eternal day.  At the Judgment Seat of Christ, we will be thrilled to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

The reality of the resurrection is furthermore a call to STAND OUR GROUND by being “immovable.”  Our faithfulness must be grounded on the bedrock of Biblical convictions.  We live in days when hurricanes of heresy rage against us.  We must dig in our heels and not be moved.  Too many evangelical preachers have become like weather vanes adjusting to the prevailing winds of modern man.  God has given us His Word—anchor your ministry on it.  Stand up and speak up!

The reality of the resurrection is also a call to SERVE WITH EXPECTANCY by “always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.  I have been preaching for nearly 40 years now.  There was a time I was a young preacher—like some of you reading this—but I got over it and so will you!  Life rushes by.  Death may come suddenly, but it will come, sooner than we anticipate.  In light of eternity, what are we doing today that will outlive us?  I assure you that work done in the name and for the glory of Jesus is never wasted and ultimately rewarded!  My mentor, the late Stephen Olford, said many times, “Only one life; ‘Twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last!”  He lived by that creed and I have tried to follow his faithful steps. 

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus!  Dear brothers, our labor is not in vain!