All right, let’s turn to second Corinthians, chapter number four. I’m going to skip ahead a little bit. Second Corinthians four. And we may end up in First Kings, chapter 19. Okay? So kind of be ready, be prepared for that. Second kings, two, Corinthians four. I want us to look at the whole chapter. Let’s let’s look at verse number seven. And then I want us to jump at verse number 16. Verse number seven. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. Verse 16. For which cause we faint not. But though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day 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 the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal earthen vessels. Let’s just take that thought tonight and talk about that. You and I are comprised of body, soul and spirit, but our body is an earthen vessel. It’s decaying. It’s falling apart. After Saturday’s walk on the parade route, I could tell that my body was falling apart. I was sore, I was tired, weary. But in this body, we’re subject to a lot of different things. Sound like I’ve got an echo. Is there an echo out there? A little bit. There’s an echo up here, too, so if you don’t care brother Caleb, chapter four, verse number one. Let’s pray and then we’ll get into it. Heavenly Father, Lord, I pray to you to help us tonight. Prepare our hearts, help us receive what you have for us. And Lord, help me to say the things that need to be said. Pray should give us clarity of thought tonight. And Lord, help us to get help. And though we’re in this earth and vessel have to realize that you’ve got the strength that we need, help us depend upon you. In Jesus name, amen. So think about this tonight. We’re in an earthen vessel. We’re subject to trials, to temptations, to discouragements. How many of you have ever in your life been discouraged? Okay, good. All of us, right? All of us have been there. If we haven’t been, there’s a good chance we will be at some point. But some of the very best men in the Bible were discouraged at one point in time. We are subject to testing and the difficulties. Think about Joseph, all that he went through and how he was tried. He was sold by his brethren. He was sold in the pottery’s house. He was lied about. He was imprisoned, and then he was forgotten about. The butler forgot about him. But God knew where he was. God had his hand upon him. The Bible says matter of fact, twice the Lord was with him. And so God never left him, although Joseph may wonder what was going on. You remember what Jacob said? He said, Joseph is not you’re going to take Benjamin away. And I think he named another individual. He said, all these things are against me. But God was working all of it out for his good. He was bringing them down. What about Moses? Think about Moses for 40 years being raised as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter with all the privileges and the benefits and the blessings that comes along. And then he believed that God would use him to deliver the children visual. But he went in his own strength. He failed. And then he spent 40 more years in the backside of the wilderness, seemed like away from where he thought God would have him be. Can you imagine when he’s through those years, I mean, from 40 to 80 years old, what would be going through his mind? Maybe I’ve messed up, I’ve failed, god’s done with me. I had my one chance and I blew it. But all that was just trading in preparation for when God actually wanted him to deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt. So we get on our time schedule, but we got to remember, God has his own time table. And God’s ways are not our ways. God’s ways are perfect. My ways aren’t perfect. So our earth and vessels, we have limited understanding in our earth and vessels, but we can trust God still. Let’s start with verse number one. Therefore seen we have this ministry as we have received mercy, we faint not. When we look at verse number 16, it also says, for which cause we faint not. Goes to show you there is a possibility that you and I can faint in this journey. We can get weary, we can get tired. He said verse number 16 again. But though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. So we’re going to talk about strength and victory in the inner man, how we can overcome, we can get the victory even though we’re in these earthen vessels. This earth and vessel is subject to so many different things. Verse number seven. We’re going to see that this earthland vessel, if we’re saved by the grace of God, we have a treasure in this earthen vessel and we’re here for a reason. So how do we get victory? We’ve got to be assured of what God has given us. Verse number one. Therefore, seeing we have this ministry as we have received mercy, we faint not. We’ve just studied through First Corinthians and we might say that the church at Corinth had a lot of problems, didn’t they? They had a lot of issues. You and I have a lot of issues. We’ve got a lot of things that God deals with us about. But as God was using Paul to deal with those issues, he then brought in some more spiritual things, some deeper issues, how they could mature, how they could grow up. And then he says, my my ministry is being questioned. He says, there’s different things. Chapter one, two and three of Saint Corinthians we’re not going to get into, but he’s talking to Him about the ministry that God has given him. He said, I know what God has done for me. If we’re going to get this victory through life, we have to know beyond a shadow of a doubt what God has done for us. Are you assured of your salvation? First and foremost? Listen, like Brother Dale said in his letter, I don’t know how people go through this life that don’t know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. What hope do they have? What strength do they have? Surely that strength is not in them. But look at verse number one. He said, Therefore seen we have this ministries. We have received mercy, we faint not chapter five. Verse one is where he says four we know. But he says, I know what I’ve received. I received this ministry from God. What you have has been given to you from God. Not only your salvation. See, our salvation is not of ourselves, right? For by grace are you saying not of yourselves? It’s a gift of God, not of works. As any Manchu boast. We can’t bring anything to the table. It’s God that saves us. He does the work, but he also gives us a spot in his service, a position to serve Him. It may be as simple as being a father, being a mother, being a supervisor at work, having influence in the church house. Have an influence in your neighborhood. God’s given us a position where we are for his work. He’s placed us there for that reason. Let’s jump down to verse number eight. I know we’re hop, skipping and jumping around, but let’s look at verse eight first. He said, we are troubled on every side, yet not distressed. We are perplexed, but not in despair. Persecuted, but not forsaken. Cast down, but not destroyed. He said four things here we are troubled on every side. We are encircled all around us. No matter where I look front, behind, right, left we are encircled with trouble. The enemy has set themselves all around us. You ever felt that way? You felt like no matter where you go, the enemy is there? Seem like the devil is always on an attack. I tell you, when you get to that point in your life, the only place to look is to look up, look unto God. But he said, opposition is set all about me. There’s external troubles, but sometimes even in families, church families, brothers and sisters in Christ, sometimes there’s internal conflict, there’s internal struggles, and that’s unsettling. He said, there’s trouble on every side, but I’m not distressed. I said, we’re perplexed, but not in despair. Perplexed. He said, there are things in life that produces questions. There’s things I don’t understand. The apostle Paul didn’t understand some things in his life. Remember when he asked God to remove that thorn that he had three times? And God said, no. He said, My grace is sufficient for thee. Paul said, I have learned in what service state I am therewith to be content. Something he had to learn. If it’s something he had to learn, we have to learn that as well. He said, there are things that are perplexing. There are things that we don’t understand. We don’t understand why things happen to certain people, don’t understand why things work out the way they do, but it’s not for us to understand. He said, we may be perplexed, but we’re not in despair. There’s not a reason to give up hope, not a reason to quit going. So verse number nine. We may be persecuted. There may be people that are actually physically persecuting us or mentally, verbally persecuting us. But he said look what he said. But we’re not. Forsaken even though we may be persecuted in this life, god’s still with us. We got to keep that in mind. Hebrews, chapter 13 of Lees, verse number five. He has said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. In Matthew, chapter number 28, I believe it is, he said, Lo, I am with you always, even until the end of the world. He said, Ye shall have tribulation in this world, but you can have peace through me. So he he promised that there would be persecution. Then he again, verse number nine, we are cast down. That’s like beaten down to the earth, struck down. We’re cast down, but we’re not destroyed. So we’re troubled on every side. All around us are troubles, but we’re not distressed. We’re perplexed. We question why things go the way they do sometimes, but we’re not in despair. We’re not without hope. We’re persecuted, but we’re not forsaken. We’re cast down, but we’re not destroyed. We may fall, but God will pick us back up. So how can you have that kind of victory when you’re facing that kind of adversity? That’s what we’re looking at tonight. Okay, so back to verse number one. We’ve got to have the assurance that we know Jesus is our Savior. Do you know that? You know that? You know that heaven is your home? Has there been a time when you’ve asked the Lord to save you? Not only that, but do you know that you’re in God’s will right now? Say, what is God’s will for my life? Well, we could do the simple things. The things that God reveals to all of us is to be faithful to his house. Be faithful to his word. Be faithful in giving of yourself, giving of your time, your talents and your treasures, giving of your offerings to the Lord. Be faithful and telling others about the Lord. Those are things that we ought to be faithful in. But God has a specific will for each and every one of us. God’s got a specific will for our young men that are up here tonight. For young lady that’s up here tonight. God’s got a specific will for all of us. Do we know what that is? It’s not my will, but it’s his will. As we have received mercy, we faint not. See, everything I have comes from God. What I have is because of God’s mercy towards me. What you have is because of God’s mercy towards you. It’s not anything that we bring to the table, but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty. Not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. He said, victory is possible. This is how we have victory. He said, there is a place of service that God would have us be involved in. The vessel of service is this earthen vessel. So, okay, I know that I’m saved. I know that God’s called me to do something. Number two, it’s our walk with God, and that’s what we’re looking at here in this verse. He said, we’ve announced the hidden things of dishonesty. We’re not walking dishonest. I’m not trying to pull one over on my neighbor. I’m trying to live an honest and sincere life before the Lord. And I want you to notice something. Look at the end of verse number two. Not walking in craftiness or handing the word of God deceively, but by manifestation of the truth, committing ourselves to every man’s conscience in the what, last three, sight of God. Regardless of who else sees your life, god sees you. That’s why little is much when God is in it, because it may not matter to anybody else, but it matters to God. He’s watching. God sees. The vessel in itself is nothing. We’ll look at verse number seven. But the treasure that we hold, that God has given us is everything. Verse number three. But if our gospel be heated, is hidden to them that are lost, in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. The God of this world is the devil, Satan. And the Bible says here that if the gospel is hid, it’s hid to them that are lost. It’s not hid to us who are saved. The God of this world, Satan, has blinded the minds of them which believe not. When a person rejects the gospel of Jesus Christ, god allows them to believe a lie. And the God of this world, the devil, is good at bringing up at forging lies. He is the father of lies. And so when a person rejects Jesus, they’re going to believe a lie. The devil is going to offer him plenty of lies. Okay, let’s alive to the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God who’s shot into them. Now, how do they get out of that? Well, they humble themselves and receive the truth. Many won’t do that, but that’s how they do it. They humble themselves and they turn to the Lord. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus, the Lord and ourselves, your servants for Jesus’sake. The answer is Jesus. Amen. The answer is not ourselves. We can’t do it in ourselves. This life, this Christian life with all of its difficulties and adversity afflictions that come our way, we can’t be what we ought to be in ourself. I can’t and you can’t. We can. Tribal will will fail miserably. But just as the answer in salvation is Jesus, the answer in victory through this life is in Jesus Christ. Okay, verse number six. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. You and I aren’t blinded anymore. We have the light shining in our hearts. God is shining in our hearts. He’s given us more understanding as we study His Word and we spend time with Him. Than verse number seven. We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. This earthen vessel that’s decaying, that’s temporal, that’s passing away is where this treasure is, is how we go and tell the world about Jesus Christ. Why is it that way? So we won’t get the glory. So when I walk up to somebody and I’m using my stumbling words and by trying to get out the things that I’m trying to say and tell them about the Lord, I’m not going to get the glory for my eloquent. Speaking. And somebody let’s say that there’s someone that’s in the hospital that’s got a disease and they’re just in and out of the hospital all the time. And they come up and they speak with one of the nurses there and they tell them how good God has been to them. You know what they’re doing? They’re displaying the glory of God in that earthen vessel. Though that vessel is ridden with sickness, they’re still showing forth God’s goodness through their life and their testimony. Somebody that may be terminally ill, when they go and tell us and say how good God has been to them in that earthen vessel that’s decaying, they’re showing how good God is. So the excellency is of God, not of us, he said. But and though the outward man parish verse 16, the inward man is renewed day by day. See, this house is not all there is. Thank the Lord for that. Amen. I don’t know, but I would suspect that in heaven I’m going to have hair or it won’t matter, right? Brother Robert, either way that we’re going to have a glorified body and this stuff that’s that’s fallen apart here in this life will be done away with. We’ve got a body, a building of God eternal in the heavens, a house not made with hens. Chapter five, verse one. Kate, let’s keep on reading. We read verse eight, verse nine. Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body for which we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’sake that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. Number one, we have the knowledge of what God has done for us salvation, mercy, service, the ministry that he’s given. Number two, we have a daily walk with God. It’s a sincere walk, not dishonest, as verse two said, not handling God’s word deceitfully. We’re not like some of these TV evangelists or want to be evangelist, whatever it is that are trying to do something for Buck. We’re sincere in our efforts. Okay, a daily walk with God. It’s a sanctified walk. It’s an earthen vessel. But God wants to keep our earth and vessels clean and holy and pure and spotless before him. It’s a sacrificing walk. Verse ten. Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus. In other words, my ambition, ambitions, my dreams, my goals are put to death so that Jesus can have his will and his way, his desires. And that’s not an easy thing to do. It’s an easy thing to preach, but that’s a difficult thing to do. We all have dreams, ambitions and desires. George Mueller, if you don’t know who he was, he was a great man of faith and we’ve talked about him a lot here. And he had an orphanage and he did not solicit any funds. He didn’t ask anybody for any funds whatsoever, any money. There were several things. He wrote a book on how many times God answered prayer. God met his needs just through prayer. And there’s instance after instance after instance of how they didn’t have anything. And somebody showed up with milk or with bread or somebody sent him some money to buy what they needed case after case after case. And somebody asked him one time how he was so successful in his life. And this is what he said. He said, There came a time in my life when George Mueller died, utterly died. He died to all his selfish plans and ambitions. When he died, Christ lived through him. George Mueller had to learn the same thing that Paul had to learn to get rid of self. Same thing that you and I have to learn. And some of us, it’s harder than others to get rid of self, get out of the way and let God work through us. Let God’s desires, my desires, be God’s desires. Say, what do you mean, brother? Well, what’s your plan for your life? Say, well, my life’s about bound over, about ended. What do you do on a daily basis? Where do you find your joy? What is it that you’re looking for in life? Then set that to the side and say lord, what do you want for my life? What do you want for this day, for this week, for this opportunity that’s setting aside our desires and and giving it to the Lord? And that that’s what he’s saying in verse ten always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. There’s a verse in Matthew says jesus sent on his disciples if any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it. And whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. When we are busy going about selfishly trying to fulfill our life, we’re losing it, aren’t we? It’s of no use. It is no good to the Lord. But when we say lord, your will, not mine, then it becomes useful to Him. For we which live are always delivered on the death for Jesus’sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you. Verse 13. We having the same spirit of faith according to as it is written I believed and therefore have I spoken. We also believe and therefore speak. So we know what God has done for us. We are walking with Him daily. One individual said verse twelve through 16 are the inner secrets. He said great lives are not the result of little accidents. You ever wonder how a person becomes great or greatly used by God? Think about the people in the Bible. Think about George Mueller. Other examples that we know contemporary with us. How are they used by God? I like to know that. I like to read biographies. And the only problem with reading biographies is God isn’t. He doesn’t do things in cookie cutter fashion. Makes sense. He makes each of us unique. Now he saves the same way through the Lord Jesus Christ. And some of the same principles apply. But God doesn’t. God hasn’t asked me to raise up an orphanage by faith. But he did. George Mueller george Mueller, I believe, had five buildings at one time, maybe had more. And all of it was operated by faith. As far as I know. The Lord hasn’t called me to go to India or China or Africa to be a missionary. But other great men have. But God has something that he wants me to do. Something he wants you to do. So great lives are not the results of little accidents. They do not just happen, they are caused. How are they caused? Verse twelve self crucifying he said, then death worketh in us, but life in you. And that’s what we talked about, setting aside our desires for God’s desires. And it’s it’s a it’s a daily thing, little by little. Sincere faith. Verse number 13. We have the same spirit of faith according as is written I believe, and therefore have I spoken. We also believe and therefore speak. Now listen, faith is our anchor point, right? If we had no faith that God we could trust God, we’d be lost. We would be without hope. If we had no faith in heaven, we would be without hope. Verse 14 talks about that hope, knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus and shall present us with you. He said, Faith is an anchor point for the Christian. I know that God is going to do what’s right. Even though I can’t understand it, I can’t explain it. He’s going to do what’s right. Not only do I believe that, I also have the hope that he’s coming for me. One day I’m going to be with Him. He’s going to raise this body. If it were to die before the Rapture, he’s going to raise it and change it, transform it, and I’m going to be with Him in a glorified body. I have that hope. We have that hope for our loved ones that have passed on to be with the Lord. And those are anchor points for us. That’s what keeps us from despairing and from throwing in the towel. Even though we don’t understand, we’re perplexed, we’re troubled, we don’t give up because of these things. Verse 15 for all things are for your sakes that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. Remember, and this is a simple point through this verse it’s probably a lot more there than this, but what we’ll look at tonight, remember that it’s for God’s glory. My life and your life is for the glory of God. My life is not for brother Eric. Your life is not for you, it’s for God’s glory. Number six, verse 16. For which calls we faint not though our outward men perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day, secret of spiritual strength, the outward man’s wearing down. But the inward man is renewed by prayer, by spending time with God in His Word, by the presence of his Spirit. So what’s the key? Daily walking with him. Do you have a daily walk with Him? Are you spending time with Him daily, on a daily basis? Then look at verse number 17 and 18 having the right perspective, the right outlook on life. He said, Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. We’ve heard preaching on these verses. Many of us have many times. And it’s hard to understand because we are living in this life, in this earth and vessel. But God is comparing our affliction in this life with the far weightier weight of glory. He said, Compared to glory, this affliction which seems to be heavy, seems to be weighing on us, seems to be weighing us down, causing discouragement. He said it’s light. The thing that we can’t get out of, we can’t get rid of. He said this is light. When compared to glory, what will be? He said, not only is it light it’s, but for a moment, even if it lasts all of our life compared to eternity with him in heaven, it’s been a moment. It will be just a memory, if even a memory. The Bible says that Lord shall wipe away all tears. And I think he will wipe away some memories of pains and things that were hurtful in this life. But maybe he won’t do that until we realize that those things that we suffered here in this world, if we only knew what waited for us in heaven, we might see too that what we’re going through now is just light. And it’s easy to say when you’re not going through that. But when you’re walking through that valley, just remember that there’s something far greater on the other side and you’ve got the presence of God going with you through this valley. Verse 18 is the key to this passage here. While we look not at the things which are seen, he said, don’t look at the troubles, don’t look at the afflictions, don’t look at the sickness, the difficulties, the opposition from your family, from your work, whatever it may be, don’t look at those things. We don’t look at the things which are seen. Those things are temporal, but at the things which are not seen. That’s what we’re looking at for. The things which are seen are temporal. They pass away, they’re fleeting. But the things which are not seen are eternal. We’re looking for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Do godly men get discouraged? Oh, yes. Do godly women get discouraged. Yes. Probably not as much as Godly men, but Godly women get discouraged too. First Kings, turn with me to First Kings, chapter 19, real quick. Elijah was a great man of God, used by God in a great way. And he just was used by God to call down fire, burn up Jezebel’s false prophets. And verse number one. Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done with all how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messiah unto lashes, saying, so let the gods do to me, and more also if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow. About this time she’s threatening his life. Jezebel was a wicked woman. When he saw that, he arose and went for his life and came to bearsheba which belonged to Judah and left his servant there. And we could criticize Elijah. We could say, see where he went wrong. And before we do that, let’s be careful. Many of us have been there as well. He was running when he should have been standing. Verse four. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a juniper tree. And he requested for himself that he might die and said It is enough now, oh Lord, take away my life for I’m not better than my father’s. Not only was he running, he gave up. He quit. He said, I’m throwing in the towel. Said I’ve done all that I can do. It’s not worth the fight anymore. Look at verse number five. And as he lay and slept under juniper tree, behold that an angel touched him and sent it to him arise and eat. And he looked and behold, there was a cake bacon on the coals and a cruise of water in his head. And he did eat and drink and laid him down again. So an angel had sent him some food, sent him some nourishment. Where did the angel come from? God. Right. God junior church answer. God sent the angel. So apparently God wasn’t through with the lion Jesus yet. Verse seven. And the angel of the Lord came again, the second time attached to him, and said arise and eat because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose and did eat and drink and went in the strength of that meat 40 days and 40 nights in the whore of the mount of God. And he came here there under a cave and lodged there. And behold of the word of the Lord came to him and he sent to him elijah, or what doest thou here? Elijah? God’s talking. Elijah. He said, what are you doing here, Elijah? You have no place being here. This is not your place. Look. Verse number 13. And it was so when Elijah heard it that he wrapped his face in his manner and went out and stood in the entering into the cave. And behold, there came a voice into him and said what DOST thou hear? Elijah says it again twice. You notice Elijah’s response will be the same too. We didn’t read the first time, but the second time. And he said, I have been very jealous of for the Lord God opposed because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant throwed down thine altars and slain thy prophets with the sword. And I, even I only am left and they seek my life to take it away. He’s having what we would call a pity party. And let’s not judge. You’ve been there, we’ve all been there. We can’t get anybody else to come to our pity party, but we’ll throw a big one. We’ll send out invitations, we’ll send out announcements and we’ll try to get everybody to come. Misery loves company, doesn’t it? And he’s ready to give up. He’s done. The Lord said unto him, go. He said, I’m not done with you. He said, there’s still more for you to do. This is not a time to quit. And like to say to you that are listening and to me, this is not a time to quit. God still has a work for us to do. That brother Dale said in his letter. He said, there’s still more to do for the Lord. He said go. He said, number two, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus where you came from. You should have been back there. I want you to go back where you should have been and do what you’re supposed to do. So it’s not time to get away from God, time to draw closer to God. Get back where you need to be. Maybe you’ve gone out of the habit of reading the Bible. Don’t give up, don’t quit, don’t throw in the towel. Get back where you need to be. Maybe got out of the habit of praying for somebody. Get back, get back, he said. Verse number 15 go. Return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when thou comest anoint Hazyl to be king over Syria and Jehu the son of NIM, she shall thou anoint to be king over Israel. And Elijah, the son of Shafad of Abhima, Maholah, Shalt, thal anoint to be prophet in our room. He said, you’re going to anoint three people, one to be king over Israel, one to be king over Judah, and one to follow in your footsteps. He said, Elijah, I’m not done with you. You’re not done yet. And may we say until the Lord takes us home to be with him, lord, whatever your will is for my life, I want to do it. I’m not going to give up. I don’t want to faint. I don’t want to quit. I know sometimes we’re distressed on every side. There’s things that are pressing in on us. But God has a purpose and a plan behind it all. And though our outward men perish, our inward man can be renewed day by day. How do we renew the inward man? Bible says we can mount up with wings as eagles. We can run and not be weary, walk and not faint. How do we do that? We got to spend time with Him in his word, spend time with him in prayer and spend time here at the church house. And we encourage one another. He said, Elijah, you can’t see things like I’ve seen things. I didn’t read it, but later on he said, I have reserved. There’s still 7000 men that haven’t bound the need of bell. You can’t see that, Elijah. But I know I’m keeping record. I’m keeping a remnant. There are still those that are serving God faithfully. Don’t feel like you’re the only ones out there serving God. God still has a remnant that are serving Him. Faithfully don’t feel like it doesn’t matter, because it does matter. Because as we read in our passage, god sees God’s keeping record, God’s keeping track, and it will be worth everything that we face in this life when we see Him. Listen, I’ll say this and we’ll be done. But just because everybody else is doing something doesn’t mean it’s right for you and me to get engaged in it, to get involved with it. It’s still right to keep our bodies holy and pure and clean. It’s still right to keep our thoughts, our thought life right, our heart right. It doesn’t matter what the world does. We’re serving God with our life, so we have that responsibility. Okay? All right, let’s stand. Head bowed, and I just closed. Simple message tonight. Just a reminder that though we are surrounded by so much adversity opposition affliction, number one, it could always be worse. Number two, god’s still working, though we can’t see we can trust Him. Though we may get perplexed and question why things are happening, we can still trust in his hand to lead us. I don’t know what you might be going through this evening, going through this week. May not be anything that You’ve shared with anybody. May just be an internal struggle. Maybe the devil is trying to discourage you. Why don’t you pray and ask God to help you get back where you need to be? Say, Lord, I’m sorry for listening to the Devil, sorry for listening to Him trying to discourage me. I know my hope is in you. My strength is in you. Lord, I can’t figure this out, but I’m going to trust you. I don’t know the end from the beginning, but you do. And Lord, whatever your will is for my life, I want to be submitted to it and willing to be used of you. If you need to come, you come and pray and pray there in your seat. That’s fine too.
Can you imagine how different our little area would be if all of us would decide we’re going to give up our goals, our dreams for what the Lord has for us? Father in heaven. Lord, we love you. Thank you for your mercy, for your grace. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you. I pray to you to help us to look past our difficulties, past our circumstances, past the sickness, the disease, the hospital stays, the rejection, and look at the things which aren’t seen with these eyes would help us to look unto Jesus, the author and finish of our faith. Help us to see beyond the present day and see what lays in store in glory. Lord, help us to walk each day by faith, trusting you, clinging to those precious promises You’ve left for us in Your Word. Lord, help us to be effective witnesses for you. Pray for our church, family. Lord, I pray for those that are hurting, those that are struggling. Lord, I thank you for this time of year, Lord. Even this time of year is sometimes discouraging for some. So, Lord, help them. Help them to trust you and turn to you. Help them realize we have victory in Jesus. In his name we pray. Amen.