Down, But Not Out!

I recently this summer had the opportunity to reread a book called David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell. Some of you may have heard it. It's a popular book. It was a New York Times bestseller, but in that book, he tells the heart-rending story of doctor free, right? Who is a medical scientist, but grew up in Chicago during the 1930s. And if you know anything about that. That was during the Great Depression. During that time as a child. He recalled that there was no money. And as a result, there was no food and all of this, because there were no jobs during that time. He grew up in severe poverty. And to make matters, worse says if matters. Couldn't get any worse. His father died. When he was very young. His mother was then forced to go back into the workforce and she began to work at a sweatshop in through that trauma through childhood. And the experience that he faced you would think that it would dictate emile's face. However, Emil was not restricted, even though he was surrounded by poverty. But in fact, he wanted to take the wrongs that he experienced in life and make them right. He dedicated his life to Healing others and as a result, he developed a Leukemia treatment to improve the lives of suffering and eventually this treatment was so successful with childhood with childhood leukemia that he developed, the Cure that had a 90% success rate.

Similarly, just as a meal went through great tragedy in his life events, in a life, seek to bring us down through sin yet by the grace of God, and through his forgiveness, even though we are cursed down, we are not cursed out a man. The title of my message. This morning is simply down, but not out down, but not out this morning. I wonder if there's any people in church that have been knocked down. Maybe you've been knocked down because you got a doctor's report that you didn't expect. Maybe you've been knocked down because you got a bill that you can't afford to pay. Maybe you've been knocked down because your company has been downsizing and it was your job that was sacrificed. Maybe you've been knocked down through death of a loved one, or maybe you've been knocked down by the voice and betrayal. Maybe you've been knocked down by a poor perception, and pull decision-making. Everyone told you this person was no good for you, but you stayed with him. Anyway, even though it was dysfunctional. You've been knocked down knocked down by a daughter or son that no longer visits you. Knock down by fear knocked down by lost, knocked down by on anger knocked down because of poor decisions with me. Knocked down, but God wants to tell us this morning. You are not knocked out through his forgiveness. You can get up. Again, the person next to you may knock knock down this morning. The person don't look too quickly. The person next to you, may look like they've been through something. They've been knocked down through life. But I want to tell you so long as God sits on his throne so long as the sun still rises and sit so long as this angels in heaven saying, holy holy. Holy is the Lord God Almighty. The whole earth is full of his grow Glory. So long as Jesus is resurrected and he intercedes for us. We may be knocked down, but we are not knocked out this morning. Amen. We serve a god that is able to lift us up even when we've been knocked down. So therefore in this epistle, that Paul writes to the Corinthians, we discover that he is facing difficulty, but he's difficulty does not determine his destiny. I want you to know this morning that whatever difficult to your facing. It's not going to determine your destiny. Paul here has been knocked down by untrue accusations. Have you ever been accused falsely? He's been knocked down. He's been accused by the Corinthian Church of a number of things. He's been accused that he is worldly because he changed his travel plans. He's been accused of lacking ministerial credentials have been accused of favoritism because the Corinthians believed he loved the macedonians more than them. He's been accused of lacking personal Charisma, and last but not least. He's been accused of being a thief. All of these accusations from one church that he planted in Corinth. Paul is being knocked down. And so he writes this letter to the Corinthian Church and he writes almost a defensive letter that can make people feel uncomfortable from chapter 12, Midway during chapter 2. He's seeking that there to defend himself but from 2:14 to about 7:30 about reconciliation with God. A man who has been knocked down and falsely accused ends up turning the conversation and talkin about reconciliation with God. The question is why why would he do that? Could it be that pole understood that relationships with human being relationships? With others is not linear. It is triangle. What do we mean by that? It means that my relationship with someone else? Is dependent on my relationship with God. That I can put another person first. If I cannot put God first, in a sense, if I'm not reconciled with God, I can truly be reconciled with someone else. You remember the story of Jacob. That he needed to be reconciled with his brother, Esau. But before he met with Esau, he needed to struggle and reconcile with God. Amen. That before he could be reconciled to his brother. He needed to be reconciled to the heavenly father and so before any better than he held on all night. Because our relationships with others is not human to human our relationships with others. In a biblical. Sense is human to God's human. Amen. So if I truly want to be reconciled with you, I need to be reconciled with God first, so it's in that context. That pull here, talks about how to be reconciled with God. We pick that up in 1st, gear, 2nd, Corinthians chapter 5, and verse 19. 2nd, Corinthians chapter 5, and verse 19 in the Bible says that God was reconciling the world to himself in who in Christ. Not counting people's sins against them and he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. There is some of you this morning at church today who were holding on to something that is against them. You've asked God, for you've repented, you've asked God for forgiveness.

But some of us still feel like we are unforgiving. And God says, when you've asked me for forgiveness, when you've reconciled with me, I no longer hold this thing against you. I no longer hold it against you, aren't you? Glad that we serve a God that doesn't hold things against us. Have you ever made one mistake and someone never forgot it. They've held it against you for so long. The Bible says that God does not hold our sins against us. But this morning I want to take this principle a little deeper. Some of you are holding on to a posthumous take I-Pass decision that is against

And it's working its way through your life. Have you ever had something work against you? You know, that those things that take place that are trying to crush? You been a trying to bring you down that make you lose sleep at night. They working against you. They working against you, God is saying that the things that you feel a working against you with God on your side the things that are trying to bring you down the things that are trying to cost you down, will not mean that you are cost outs. But here's the problem. Sometimes we come to God for forgiveness, but we do truly feel that we are forgiven. And in fact 1st, John. Oh, sorry, 3rd, John picks that up. We're going to look at the screen 3rd, John of 1st, John 3:20, that sell feelings. We know that God is greater than a heart and he knows everything. The Bible says that when our feelings condemned has, when we feel that when I write with. When we feel that God, I know your bible promises certain things to me, but I'm not feeling it. We need to remember that God is greater than our feelings. Sometimes we have a faith. That may be based on a feeling rather than the promises of God. In fact, steps to Christ, picks this up, as well as well on page 24. This is what the author says do not wait, till you feel that you are made whole, but say, I believe it, it is so not because I feel it but because God has promised. Some of us, I'm not feeling a certain way, and as a result of not feeling a certain way. We're waiting for a feeling and God is saying, don't wait on the feeling to receive my forgiveness, but leave my promise even though you don't feel it. The point is this, sometimes we need to bypass our feelings to see God's faithfulness. Sometimes we need a bypass out feelings to see God's faithfulness. Some of us here, this morning may be waiting to feel a certain way and God I'm not going to take any action. Until I feel it. Imagine you had a principal or a work ethic like that, especially on a Monday morning. God. I'm not going to go to work on Monday until I feel it. How many of you suffer from Monday itis? Monday Iris, where you do not feel like going to work. And if you felt that way, that's fine. You can tell your boss. I didn't show up. Not because I was sick not because there was an emergency. I just didn't feel like it. He'll stay, that's fine. I don't feel like paying you this week. We cannot go on life based on a Feeling. Some of us will wait to cook a healthy meal and nutritious meal, but you don't feel like it when you're tired and Taco Bell is only two blocks away. Some of us feel like saving our money and we want to make sure we have enough money for an emergency, but we don't feel like it when Labor Day sales in just a few weeks away. Some of us. Feel like and I'm talking to some of you here. Some of you don't feel like answering your ex sweethearts phone calls, but when you're at night and you're lonely and you miss them calling you even though you're you, you know that I you still answer the call, even though, you know, you shouldn't because you're going based on your feelings.

God says I am greater than your feeling trust in me. Some of us don't feel like coming to church.

Some of us, if the church is an entertaining us. We don't feel like coming to church. Could it be that some people live in a world where God's word may not be enough. We need more. The thing is God is not a show. He is a savior. God is not a sure he is a Saviour for us. Guess what? I bet. The media team did not feel like waking up at 6 a.m. To make sure that the microphones are on and the projector is working. And that the, that we are comfortable in this place. Some of our youth leaders downstairs. They get up. And I arrived here an hour before Sabbath School, even though they don't feel like because they want to get their house right before they teach the heart of God to Value. I'm so glad at Sligo church. We high in a church. That doesn't base their faith on a feeling, they base it on the Promises of God, Amen. God is greater than our feelings. And when it comes to our Salvation, God is saying that through the blood of Jesus Christ. You are forgiven, you are cleansed. I'm not holding your sin against you. So stop holding your sin against yourself. He sees the life that you've been through. He knows that you are not down, but you are knocked out. You are not knocked out by his grace. Even though I'm down, I am not out. You are not Out Of Reach of his grace. You are not Out Of Reach of these will, no matter what your situation is right now and you are not out of time. God's grace, God's forgiveness. Can make sure that even though you got knocked down, you can get up again. God is not holding your sin against you. And with the store Paul, then goes to 5:21 and he says this. God made him, who had no sin to be sin for us. So that in her again, in him, we might become the righteousness of God. He pull answers the question, which question the question of, how can we be reconciled with God. How can we restore our relationship with God? He says, not only did Jesus become sin for us. But as a results because of that. We are in him and we become the righteousness of God. Now, what does it mean to become the righteousness of God? I'm going to use a Greek word, and I'm only going to use it. Once the KU the KU. Dhacay you is the same root word for justification and righteousness. See, righteousness goes beyond forgiveness and pardon. In fact, once color picks it up this way. We have it on the screen. The Voice, which spells forgiveness will say, you may go, you have been let off the penalty, which sin deserves, but the verdict, that spells justification will say, you may come, you are. Welcome to all my love and all my presents. He's the point when we're forgiving of something with free from the penalty of whatever, we've been forgiven by, but when we've been made righteous when we've been justify, God says not only that you can go but now you can come you can come into my presence. You can come into a relationship with me. You have been restored. Your status has been renewed, you can come. I wonder if there is some of us that have a one-sided experience with God. We're just so glad that we've escaped the penalty. So we've gone. But maybe God is also saying this morning to some of us. You can come, you can come into a relationship with me. I don't want you to live in fear thinking, whether you're going to just escape the penalty. I want you to come into my presence. I want you to come and restore a relationship with me. It's not just forgiveness, but it's also justification. You can come, in fact, the Apostle Paul pics, this same narrative up in 1st, John 1:9. He says, if we confess our sins, he is what he is faithful. And just to forgive us our sins and what cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It works both ways. He forgives me and he cleanses me, he lets me go, but he also says, I want you to come into a relationship with me. He forgives us and he cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Forgiveness means you've escaped punishment.

Do some of us have a relationship with God? That is just about escaping punishment. The only reason I want to go to heaven is so that I don't go to hell. Escaping punishment, some of us fear the judgment. There are some Adventist that feed the judgments because we fear that we may not have that. That assurance that God has forgiven us. But God is greater than our feelings when we are in him. I don't know if you. Ever seen a picture. In fact, we won't bring it up right now. We will wait, but God wants to restore a relationship with you. God wants to restore what you have lost. Have you lost anything this week? Have you lost anything this year? Have you lost something a while back that you're still? Not over reconciliation with God means a restoration of our status with him. God will restore the years that the locusts have eaten. Amen. God wants to restore us. There is some of you that have lost your ambition. There is some of you that have lost, your will. There is some of you that may have lost your value in yourself and your letting others determine who you are rather than the word of God. There is some of us that have lost a spouse. And I'm not talkin about death or divorce. There is some of us that have lost a spouse because we've lost our first love for them. And God says, I want to restore that first love. I want to restore your relationship back. You've lost something that I want to restore. Some of us have lost our spiritual hunger. For some time. We were excited to come to church. We were excited about spending devotional time with God, but we've lost a spiritual appetite. Maybe? It's because we become comfortable. God gave us the blessing. He answered our prayer. But what we realize now is that we love the blessing more than the Blessed soul. And as a result, we've lost down made and therefore Out Hunger. Some of us may be angry with God this morning. Thank God. Why did this happen to me? And God is there and he is telling you, I am. I Am The Great. I Am I am. Whatever you need me to be right now in your life, but be reconciled with me. Don't just see my forgiveness in Escape punishment. I want you to see my justification and righteousness and come back into a relationship with me. We will keep a God who restores a man? We worship a God, who says, you can come to me. You can seek me and you will find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Now, I want to show you a picture now. I don't know if you remember this picture growing up. I remember this picture. The artist is very talented. It's and it's a very nice picture in the center of the Artistry behind it. But I don't want to talk about the technique of the painting. I want to talk about the story, this painting pills because this painting would make me feel very fearful. And as many artists do, this is an artist's interpretation of what the Judgment looks like. How many of you have seen this painting before? All right, some of you, not many of you, some of you. This is an artist's interpretation of theology. Here, we have a man standing at the Judgment by himself. He's head is what down? He said, he's down. He is fearful, why? Because all the recording angels are there. And he never thought that threescore-and-ten would require so many angels to record everything he's ever done. He's there in the Commandments are there because he knows he has broken them and he doesn't know how he will stand. And I used to be fearful because I believe I will have to face the Judgment by myself. I felt that I would have to stand there by myself. But is that what the Bible teaches? As we just read, in Corinthians know the Bible says that that when I'm reconciled to God, when he has forgiven me and he's Justified me and made me righteous. I am in who I am in Christ. So if I'm in Christ, When my name is called up Joseph, Cabanas titles will not be necessary at the Judgment. Me being a pasta, will do nothing for me at the Judgment. All that I need is to know that I am in him. I am in Christ. That's the old that will matter in the Judgment. Amen. And so if I'm in Christ, when my name is Cole, Jesus will show up cuz I'm in him and he will represent me. He is my substitute. He is MI and he is the one that goes there. And guess what, if I know the judge, I want to be afraid of the judgments. If I have a relationship with him, if I've been Justified, the judgment is not something. I'm afraid of. It's something that I will come because God makes the Judgment in favor of the Saints, same in in favor of these people. We don't need to be fearful of the Judgment when we know the judge when we are in Christ. We become and you creature. I wonder how many of us are afraid of the Judgment sing. We're afraid, because we've only thought of a relationship with God in terms of forgiveness and escaping punishment, but God is saying, I want to restore a relationship with you. God wants to restore what you have lost when he looks down at the Judgment scene. He will declare to the whole universe. This is my beloved child and I am pleased with them. Are you pleased? That God is pleased with you this morning? That when he looks down? He sees his son because you were in Christ and he is pleased with you. It's not just about escaping punishment, but it's about restoring our relationship with him. Down, but not out. Down but not out. Now, if you watch Boxing, don't raise your hand, but if you are the person that loves boxing and watches the pay-per-view, that's how much you love it. You would know the time. It's a boxing turn down, but not out. It refers to a boxer when they've been punched down. And even though they went down, they still got up again, right? And it made me think about the connection between boxing and sin. So this morning, I bought a boxing glove with me. And you can see that this boxing glove is meant to represent sin. And sir. When sin entered the world. Since said I am the heavyweight champion of the world then came in and it started to boost because of what it had done. This is the most dangerous you ever see me. I started to boost it started to say. That I am the ruler of this world.

Some of us this morning. We look nice in a suit and ties. But if we saw our spiritual condition right now, we have been beaten up by sin. We might have an ice pack over a spiritual eye. We might have crutches that we walked in spiritually on talking about if we could see our spiritual condition and how sin has knocked us down.

We would realize that we all have a lot in common, a man. That's all we would realize. Sin has knocked us down. Some of us are fighting, but we've been trying to fight him by ourselves. Not realizing that we don't fight against flesh and burns, but we fight against principalities, not of this world. And we've been damaged and we've been hurt because sin is being 14 out in strength. So sinh, shout it out throughout history.

I am the heavyweight champion of the world. Anacin was claiming that, it cold Adam into the rain. Adam came into the ring and in the first round send knocked out Adam then throughout history and cold, Abraham into the ring. And Abraham came in the one that left early and went where God told him to go. But in a in a moment of weakness in a moment of not trusting God in a moment where he he relied on the flesh instead of the spirit instead of waiting from the pump for the promise, son. He fell and sin, not Abraham out. When Moses came into the ring. Send invited, Moses. And Shirley Moses. The one that separated the Red Sea. Surely Moses could not send out, but then Moses himself, didn't enter the promised land, send Nachtmusik self. Ben, David, David Shirley King David. The one that brought down Goliath. Surely. He could not send out. So, sending by the David into the ring and David was knocked out by sin through lust. And then Solomon the wisest man that ever lived off the Jesus, Shirley Solomon. The wisest King could not see now. So solemn and came into the ring and sended what sin of Solomon out. Finn declared that it is the heavyweight champion of the world. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but about two thousand years ago. Jesus came to Earth, and he invited sending to the ring. And it was about a Friday. Weston and Jesus were having it out and it look like sin was winning. It look like sin. Had put Jesus on the ropes. It look like sin was about to knock Jesus self infects in had grabbed Jesus hand and nail them to the Cross. Since I had grabbed Jesus feet and nail them to the crust, thin brought a crown of thorns and placed it on his head and Jesus went down on Friday into a tomb. Finn was celebrating that it had one but early Sunday morning, even though Jesus was down. He was not out. He was not out even though the surface had been in Jesus on the hill on Sunday morning. Jesus crushed. Since had a man, Jesus arose from the grave and he said, sin. Where is your sting o? Grave? Where is your Victory? Jesus? Got rid of sin. Got rid of the power of sin and became the heavyweight champion of the world. Amen. Jesus was knocked down, but he was not knocked out. And I wonder how many of you How many of you this morning have been bitten on the heel? Have been bitten and something is trying to crush. You. Something is trying to bring you down. And you feel like you're about to lose some of you feel right now that you're in the 12th round and you're about to give up. God. I cannot do this anymore. But God is saying, you may be down but you are not out. What is crushing you? You will one day crush, a man that you will have Victory through my victory and you will be able to get out and get up because I got up on that day. God wants you to know this morning that whatever has been in you, whatever is crushing you through the victory of Jesus, you will crush it. It will not sync, you, but rather like Peter, you will be able to walk on water because you're keeping your eyes on Jesus. In Jesus Christ, your family, your marriage, your health, your finances, your past may be difficult, but your difficulty will not determine your destiny. The word of God promises. You may be down, but through the victory of Christ, you are not Alice.