There No Good Reason to Change the Basis of Your Confidence Now
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Title: There's No Good Reason to Change the Basis of Your Confidence Now
Title: There's No Good Reason to Change the Basis of Your Confidence Now
Text:
Text:
The letter to Timothy is one of encouraging boldness and persistence.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
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But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
Not continuing seems to be a concern for the Apostle Paul regarding Timothy.
Making It to the Finish Line
Topics: Anxiety; Commitment; Courage; Dedication; Despair; Discouragement; Doubt; Endurance; Fear; Limitations; Motivation; Overcoming; Perseverance; Quitting; Steadfastness; Testing; Trials; Weariness
References: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
The first half of the New York City Marathon is a party. You’re swept along by 28,000 runners and the crowds lining the streets. You’re touring the ethnic neighborhoods of Brooklyn and Queens. You feel like you could run forever. At mile 13, you cross over into Manhattan and start heading north, away from the finish line. The crowds are thinner now. The party’s over.
At about mile 16 or 18, you hit the wall. You’re absolutely miserable. Physically and psychologically, you’re busted. I remember passing one of the first-aid stations, where runners were lying on cots—pale and gaunt, with IVs dripping into their arms. I thought, Those lucky dogs. At that point I began to despair. I imagined myself having to go home and tell everybody I didn’t finish. Why did I ever sign up for this race? What made me think I could do this?
That’s when it hit me: one way or another, I had to get to Central Park. I had no car, no money. I would have to get there on my own two feet. So I might as well keep running. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Don’t think about the next six miles; just think about the next step. Gradually the miles will pass. And when you cross that finish line, it feels like glory—even when you’re in 10,044th place.
Some of you may be hitting the wall right now—feeling like you can’t go on, like you’ll never make it. Following Christ is harder than you ever imagined it would be, and you’re thinking about giving up—about doing something foolish. Don’t do it!
There’s no magic to endurance racing. It’s all about making it to the finish line.
—Bryan Wilkerson, “Endurance,” PreachingToday.com
Larson, C. B., & Ten Elshof, P. (2008). 1001 illustrations that connect (pp. 418–419). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.
There are people who are tempted to quit and they are tempted to quit trusting in what they have always trusted in for the solution. Friend, the word “continue” means to remain. It means you reside in it.
Proposition: Please know that if you have believed the scriptures to this point, there is really no good reason to change the basis of your confidence! Continue in the scriptures!
(1) Why you may be tempted to change the basis of your confidence: Deliverance seems far because of current perilous times (v. 1 - 7)
(1) Why you may be tempted to change the basis of your confidence: Deliverance seems far because of current perilous times (v. 1 - 7)
Listen to this list the apostle sets forth: lovers of self and money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy…without self-control, brutal...
Illustration 681
Unhappy New Year
Topics: Crime; Death; Depravity; Fall of Humanity; Greed; Human Condition; Injustice; Robbery; Sin
References: ; ; ; , ;
The drivers of the first two vehicles that struck Lynette Spiller, forty-two, in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day 2002, hit her and drove off. While Spiller’s body was pinned under the third car, passersby combed through her purse, wallet, and backpack, taking what they wanted. Detective Doug Nutton said one person later gave police Spiller’s identification card, saying it had been found elsewhere.
Spiller was jaywalking, but the drivers of the first two cars could be charged with felony hit-and-run. The driver of the third car stopped.
—Associated Press, “Passersby Rob Dead Woman,” (January 3, 2002)
Larson, C. B., & Ten Elshof, P. (2008). 1001 illustrations that connect (p. 379). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.
When things get bad, we are tempted to try to find alternative places to place our faith.
Example:
When you get passed over for a raise at work because you are different than the rest.
When people around us seem to succeed in their sin. [Think of all of the politicians and celebrities who were successful but now their sin has come out]
Difficult times cause us to set aside the scriptures and tend to cause us to wonder if there is a better outcome elsew
(2) Why you should not change the basis of your confidence: Deliverance was the final outcome in the historic example of the Exodus (v. 8 - 9)
(2) Why you should not change the basis of your confidence: Deliverance was the final outcome in the historic example of the Exodus (v. 8 - 9)
For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the Lord had said.
And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.
And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast. Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.
And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.
An Exodus was the ultimate outcome.
(3) Why you should not change the basis of your confidence: Deliverance was evident in the modern example: Paul, the persecuted one (v. 10 - 12)
(3) Why you should not change the basis of your confidence: Deliverance was evident in the modern example: Paul, the persecuted one (v. 10 - 12)
How could Paul say that he was delivered when he endured all of the things listed? It is because deliverance is not from the difficulty, but deliverance is through the difficulty. Deliverance is what happens when you are oppressed in the difficulty, but the Lord brings out of it.
For the believer, we know that the end result is certain: DELIVERANCE; but we must also know that the process is certain: PERSECUTION.
The children of Israel did not miss the 400 years of slavery, but they went through it and the certain end was as God promised: Deliverance
Our Savior did not miss or avoid the torture, but rather He went through it and the certain end was DELIVERANCE.
Our lives do not miss the suffering, but they go through it and the certain end is DELIVERANCE.
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
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Illustration 615
Sankey and the Sniper
Topics: Deliverance; Enemies; Hymns; Jesus Christ; Mercy; Protection
References: ;
Ira Sankey was traveling on a steamer in the Delaware River when he was recognized by some passengers who had seen his picture in the newspaper and knew he was associated with evangelist D. L. Moody. When they asked him to sing one of his own compositions, Sankey said he preferred the hymn by William Bradbury, “Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us.”
He suggested that everyone join in the singing. One of the stanzas begins, “We are thine, do thou befriend us; be the guardian of our way.”
When he finished, a man stepped out of the shadows and asked, “Were you in the army, Mr. Sankey?”
“Yes, I joined up in 1860.”
“Did you do guard duty at night in Maryland, about 1862?”
“Yes, I did.”
“I was in the Confederate Army,” said the stranger. “I saw you one night at Sharpsburg. I had you in my gun sight as you stood in the light of the full moon. Then just as I was about to pull the trigger, you began to sing. It was the same hymn you sang tonight. I couldn’t shoot you.”
—Kenneth R. Hendren, “In the Gun Sights, Men of Integrity (April 17, 2001)
Larson, C. B., & Ten Elshof, P. (2008). 1001 illustrations that connect (p. 342). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.
(4) How you can maintain the basis of your confidence: Deliverance is found as we are continually made wise (and not seduced from) in the holy scriptures (v. 14 - 15)
(4) How you can maintain the basis of your confidence: Deliverance is found as we are continually made wise (and not seduced from) in the holy scriptures (v. 14 - 15)
It is the scriptures that cause you to see what true deliverance is.
It is the scriptures that cause you to know where true deliverance is found.
It is the scriptures that is the constant reminder in the inner man.
Don’t be tempted into thinking that if you reject the “Thus saith the Lord” you will find deliverance from trouble. That leads to horrific results as Pharaoh can attest.
Don’t be tempted into thinking that if you reject the “living Word”: Jesus Christ, life is just better.
Rather, know and rest assured in the same holy scriptures that teach us that the ultimate deliverance is found in the Lord.
Spend time in the scriptures.
Learn of all the deliverances that point ahead to the deliverance found in Jesus.
Learn of all the deliverances that point back to the deliverance found in Jesus.
Be assured that the way deliverance has always been, by trusting in the Lord and his word, is REALLY the way it still is.
THERE NO REAL GOOD REASON TO CHANGE THE BASIS OF YOUR CONFIDENCE NOW.