Down But not Out.

Intro.

Everyone online now seems to have the best game changers for your life.

We call these life hacks.

Some are helpful, most are just dumb!

I came across this jewel, (show pic)

Bu what are actually some things that will be game changers in life.

That’s what this series is about.

last week we talked about changing the way you think.

One of our main go to’s at home is uno.

Card game you want to get rid of all or your card, when your down to the last card you yell UNO.

It can be fun and brutal.

Enjoy a whole scope of emotions while play this game.

Joy, excitement, to anger and frustration.

If you play uno you’ll understand this pic (show pic)

Kid thinks he’s about to win, but about to get blasted.

Looking at the picture I realize something, that boy is me and the hand you see if what life sometimes feels like.

Sometimes life hits and it hits hard.

we’ve all felt the punches of life.

It’s so hard to know what to do when life hits.

Often, If we’re honest, our faith as fragile as our latest struggle.

With God, even when I’m down I’m never out.

The bible is very clear that struggle and trouble is a part of life.

It’s not if but when.

John 16:33

...In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

1 Peter 4:12

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.

Trouble isn’t just possible, it’s promised.

While we still live in the sin broken world, there will be pain and trouble.

But trouble doesn’t have to take me out.

And even though we know that there is trouble in life, and we know that God hasn’t exempted us, we still somehow think, not me or at least I didn’t this it’s be this kind of struggle, I didn’t think it’d be like this.

It’s not if but when, then WHAT.

Then when it does hit, what do we do with it?!?

If we know that it’s coming, we have to prepare for it.

It’s never fun or easy, but we can endure.

And even when knocked down, we will never be out.

Look again at the Apostle Paul.

He went through it, but kept going.

2 Corinthians 4:1 (NLT)

Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up.

2 Corinthians 3:16-17

But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. (we can understand and see and experience the glory of God. We can begin to see clearly what others can’t) Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

As we follow Christ, God has given us a new way to live.

And he’s not only given us a reason to keep going, but the ability through his spirit.

2 Corinthians 4:7

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

We are the jars of clay. fragile, easily broken.

But inside there is a treasure.

There’s more than you think there is.

There isn’t just an inner drive and will tap into to keep moving ahead, there is a divine power. An all surpassing power from God alone.

Our faith has to be in the treasure not in the jar.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

hear is angst in what he’s been through. going through.

Paul lists 4 types of trouble that he went through that still didn’t knock him out.

PRESSED ON, BUT NOT CRUSHED UNDER.

We all understand the pressures that can feel crushing in life.

I get the image of a movie with the walls closing in, trying to figure out how to stop the walls before they crush you.

It can be responsibilities, expectations, fears, uncertainties that all weighing down and we just wonder how much I can take before I buckle!

I’m only crushed when the pressure on the outside exceeds the contents on the inside.

if it’s empty inside, I buckle.

But I have something strong in me. There is a treasure far exceeding that pressure.

I feel the stress but I will not be crushed.

1 John 4:4

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

AT A LOSS, BUT NOT ALL IS LOST.

Perplexed but not in despair.

I don’t understand.

I can’t seem to make sense of it.

Even when I feel I lose my way I don’t lose my hope.

How often do we just feel at our wits end. It’s not the end.

It’s not utter despair.

We don’t need all the answers when we trust that he does.

CHASED BUT NOT DESERTED.

Persecuted but not abandoned.

This is relational trouble.

People will come against. We will encounter relational pain.

He said he was persecuted. attacked by people.

I get an image of war and getting pinned down.

It can feel like sometimes that everyone is against you.

many of us have experienced deep hurt and pain by others.

Sometimes by friendly fire.

It can make us want to retreat into ourselves, never trust.

But even in the worst, we are never alone.

God is for us, he is with us, and he’s created a group of people to surround us.

You are not alone.

We have to stop letting other people rob our treasure!

KNOCKED DOWN BUT NOT OUT

struck down but not destroyed.

Have you seen the new slapping sport?

I feel the blows of life. It hurts.

Can we be real, sometimes life feels like I have to be losing.

Sometimes it even brings me to my knees but im not out.

If i’m still breathing I have a reason for being.

There are things that have slowed me to it won’t stop me.

We don’t get to pick our pain, but we can pick our response. (what I do with it)

There’s more to me than what you see, there is a treasure on the inside.

There will be pain, struggle and trouble.

It’ll destroy me or develop me.

A life that costs nothing accomplishes nothing.

And paul realized that this treasure is so great, it’s worth any cost.

So now what?

1. IT’S NOT FINAL, MOVE FORWARD.

That’s not the end, that’s not all thats in you.

I get mad in games real easy, I want to quit and stop playing...

Keep moving.

2 Corinthians 4:13 (NLT)

But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.”

2 Corinthians 4:14 (NLT)

We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you.

We continue, keep going, Because we know that he will be faithful in us to.

So we keep moving. keep stepping.

2. YOU ARE FRAGILE, STAY CONNECTED

We don’t have enough power in our own to overcome anything, but there is a power.

We have to stay connected.

A crazy thing happens, I have to connect my phone to the power every night, because it drains.

Same with us.

2 Corinthians 4:16 (NIV)

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

Being renewed every day.

I have strength for today.

So many of us are stressed about tomorrow and He wants you to trust him for strength for today.

With his spirit, you do have what it takes, today.

Then tomorrow I go back to him, and tomorrow.

He supplies all I need.

If you don’t develop a lifestyle of connecting and communion with God, you forfeit his divine power he wants to flow through you.

3. HE’S NOT FINISHED, REMAIN FOCUSED.

yeah there is trouble, but man there is a treasure!

2 Corinthians 4:17–18 (NLT)

For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

Even the greatest storms pass.

The worst day is only a moment.

You will follow your focus.

Was reading a sign and almost ran off the road.... I followed my focus.

We do feel the pain, but we have to be focused on the promise.

There is an eternity.

There is a greater purpose.

There is a treasure than can’t be seen that trumps the trouble I can.

So I have to stay focused.

This is all a blip for the eternity God is preparing us for.

if the enemy can’t steal your faith, he just robs your focus.

CONCLUSION

You will, not might, have trouble.

But there is courage, jesus has overcome.

You may be pressed, perplexed, persecuted and struck down.

But you aren’t out for the count.

There is more in you. A divine power.

Let’s keep going. The game isn’t over.