Gtcotr/ss063024
What do you do when you’re tired and discouraged and feel like you want to quit?
This morning we are going to discover the answer to that question by reviewing two accounts in the Bible. The first account is familiar to many of you. It happened in a critical time in the life of Jesus.
Jesus and the 12 Disciples had just finished the Last Supper and Judas had left the Upper Room on his way to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. The remaining 11 Disciples finished up and walked through East Jerusalem with Jesus, across the Kidron Valley toward the village of Bethany.
Before starting up the steep ascent up and over the Mount of Olives, Jesus stopped in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was troubled. Let’s read:
Matthew 26
38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”
39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.”
44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
When Jesus returned after praying the third time, He was at peace. He knew that He was in the middle of God’s will for His life and that God was with Him, and that was good enough for Him.
45ff Then Jesus came to His disciples and said, “Sleep on now, and take your rest, My hour is come … My betrayer is at hand.”
God gave Jesus victory over the situation by first giving Him victory in the situation.
More about that in a moment … but first:
Fast forward 25 years from the crucifixion. During those 25 years, those 11 Disciples preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ and started Messianic New Testament Church congregations all over the world. Saul of Tarsus, a notorious persecutor of Christians, was also Born-Again during those 25 years. He became an Apostle of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.
At the same time, the devil was doing everything he could to stop the Church and the spread of the Gospel. He tried to stop Jesus by putting one of his own messengers in the original 12 Disciples Jesus chose. Jesus recognized who he was and knew what he would do.
John 6:70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
Why did Jesus let Judas stay in the group? I don’t know except for the prophetic fulfillment and the furtherance of the plan of God. You know, God doesn’t make me privy to all of His plans just yet. But … knowing God is with me and that I am in the middle of His will for my life right now is enough.
Ok, back to Paul. Now the devil had succeeded in getting Jesus crucified and since he doesn’t know any new tricks, he tried it with Paul, over and over again. Every time Paul would preach in a city and people would get saved and he would start a new church, the devil would stir people up against him and either beat him, or put him in jail, or stone him, or run him out of town.
Invariably, when Paul would leave a town, the devil would send false teachers to the Churches Paul started to try and get the people confused about the Gospel. The devil hates the Gospel of Grace. And the devil hates anyone who preaches the Gospel of Grace. People in that day were even making vows to not eat until they killed Paul. I guess those 40 guys in Acts 23:12 finally starved to death. Well …
My studies show that in the autumn of the year AD57, the Apostle Paul decided to write his second letter to the congregation at the Church in Corinth. In his first letter he had been hard on them, but they did what he asked, and he was proud of them. Paul wanted to go back to spend some quality time with the people in the Church at Corinth. And Paul wanted to make sure the Corinthians weren’t afraid that he was going to come and get on to them again.
In preparation for his visit, Paul wrote what we know today as the book of 2 Corinthians. In this second letter Paul reveals some of the personal struggles he was facing. Paul writes:
2 Corinthians 7:5 For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.
Everywhere Paul went he faced persecution, attack, discredit, and betrayal. The reader can tell Paul is tired. Remember, the devil hated Paul. He hates everyone who preaches the true message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Paul was uncommonly blessed with revelation of the Gospel of Grace, but he was also uncommonly cursed with enemies of that message.
2 Corinthians 12 NKJV
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.
A messenger of satan …
Scholars have been guessing what this thorn was for two thousand years. They have ranged from a headache to an earache to a squeaky voice, skin disease, lusts, panic attacks, and even fits of rage to gross physical disfigurements from all the beatings he endured. We don’t know.
But whether mental, physical, or spiritual … we know it troubled Paul terribly. Sometimes it was all he could think about. Paul continued:
8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
Sounds like Jesus when He said, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death.” After Jesus prayed earnestly 3 times, He found the peace that allowed Him to move forward. God gave Jesus victory in the midst of His difficult moment. God did the same with Paul.
When Paul pleaded with the Lord, time after time after time, the Lord answered him:
9 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.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
God gave Paul victory over the situation by first giving him victory in the situation.
If you have ever been tired or discouraged, mentally, physically, or spiritually worn out and just want to quit … you’re in good company. In fact, you are surrounded by some great company. Let me close with this passage and you will know just what to do.
Hebrews 12 NKJV
1 ¶ Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
Action Items for Today
God will give you victory over every situation, even if it is a messenger of satan. First however, He wants to give you victory in the midst of your moment.
Romans 8
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
