Don't Give Up on God! | Reverend Fred Knox
2 Corinthians 4:8-11 (NIV)
Serving people requires a sacrifice of time and personal desires. Being Christ followers means serving others even when they don’t measure up to our expectations. We will be tested and tried, and we may be at the end of the rope, we are never at the end of hope. We will go through some stuff down here. If you’re a born-again believer and think things will be easy, you are serving Christ you have another thought coming. Serving Christ is hard work and there’s always someone trying to distract you.
*Our troubles should not diminish our faith or disillusion us and realize there’s a purpose in our suffering. Problems and human limitations have several benefits. They remind us of Christ’s suffering for us. When you suffer look towards the cross and remember all that our Lord and Savior went through for us.
*Our problems keep us from pride. If you had everything you want and desire for yourself do you think you would prideful? Do you think you would still need God, or go to God? You go to God because you’re always in need.
*Our problems cause us to look beyond this brief life. Follow God and his word, his word is true and sure. Our suffering gives us opportunities to show our faith to others. We’re not all messed up because we don’t deal with life like the world. We all have troubles, we are not excluded from what we see in the world.
*Our problems give God the opportunity to demonstrate his power in and through us. We must see our troubles as opportunities. Ask the Lord when you’re going through trials and tribulations what he is trying to show you. What lesson is he trying to teach you so you can walk in his will and ways.
If you want experience victory over the mountains and trials of your life you have to learn to hold fast to the confidence of your faith and don’t give up on God or yourself.
**God has the power
We try to operate in our own strength, but we must recognize that the power belongs to God. We are just vessels that house God’s power. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, he’s called you to a purpose. Don’t think of yourself too highly, it’s the power of God that will enable you to do the work that he called you to. We must ask the Holy Spirit to help us get it right, because none of us is perfect. We start of like a baby, baby steps, when we come to Christ we don’t know anything. God puts people in our lives to teach us. God will heal us and deliver us when he gets ready. God is building character, and let’s us go through stuff. We have a microwave mindset when we take our prayers and cares to God, and we want to see it right then. God says no he’s going to put you in the crock pot, and when you come out God says you’re ready. When’s the last time you checked your connection?
**Your present condition is not vital.
God is our help. Obstacles, tribulations, persecutions, trials and temptations are on every hand, but because of the power in us those things can’t keep us down. In 2 Corinthians 4:8 it states Hard pressed but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair, often uncertain and in doubt knowing that God is able to support us and to deliver. We may be persecuted but not disabled, struck down but not destroyed. God is using these things to develop and shape our character. Hold tightly to Jesus and don’t give up on God.
**We have life in us
Jesus dying is a reminder to stay humble. Don’t look at the temporary problem, look at the long term reward, don’t look at the temporary pain look at the long term gain. Look at the character you’re building because you haven’t given up. You’re hanging in there. God is more interested in what we’re becoming then what we can accomplish. God hasn’t given up on you so don’t you dare give up on him.