Salt, Light, and Eternity (Part One)

Sermon September 25

Salt, Light – and Eternity, Part One

 We continue our series of messages through the gospel of Matthew. We are in chapter five of the so-called “Sermon on the Mount’ – the sermon extends through chapter seven. Here are verses 13 through 16 of chapter five:

 

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16)

 

Salt was an important commodity in the days of Christ. Among its varied uses, people used salt to preserve food, especially meat, which quickly spoiled in hot environment. Salt was used then, as now, to enhance the flavor of foods. And it was used to prevent infection from developing or spreading. Salt was so valuable that Roman soldiers often received their wages in salt. You’ve probably heard the expression, “He’s not worth his salt.” Well, that might be where the expression originates.

 

In Jesus’ day, most of the salt (chemically, sodium chloride) came from the Dead Sea. But much of it was often mixed with other chemical compounds which diluted the useful properties of the salt. That’s why the Lord’s audience would have immediately understood His reference to salt in this passage: “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? So, in other words, if the salt loses it ‘saltiness’, “It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.”

 

So, Christian – how is your salt? And I ask the same question of myself. Jesus created us to be salt, so that through our words and our life and our lifestyle He might use us to preserve others from being spoiled by the surrounding godless culture, to enhance the ‘flavor’ of true Christian faith, and to prevent the spread of sin’s infection through the culture and perhaps especially its spread through people in our circle of influence.

 

That is why I need to make sure – and YOU need to make sure – that our saltiness is not diluted by the culture or by false and godless teaching within the culture and even within a growing number of churches. As St Paul wrote, these are those who hold “to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. (2 Timothy 3:5). And as the Lord Jesus said, we are IN the world, but we are not OF the world.

 

So, what kinds of things can dilute our saltiness? One answer is that when our beliefs about the infallibility, inerrancy, and full inspiration of God's word are at variance with what the prophets, apostles, and all the other writers of Scripture say about Scripture. That is one thing that distinguishes true Christianity from false Christianity, often called cults. ANY group that denies the full authority and inspiration and infallibility of Scripture is teaching falsehood and heresy.

 

Now, one might call that circular reasoning – we believe the bible is God's infallible, inerrant, and inspired word because the bible says it is. And were it not for the many historical evidences of Christian faith, such an argument would be quite valid and unassailable. BUT – of all the events that have occurred in history that prove to the honest seeker that the Scriptures are the very words of God, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the supreme evidence of the infallibility, inerrancy, and inspiration of the Bible.

 

If Jesus did not rise from death on that third day, then NOTHING He said about the full inspiration of Scripture, or anything else He said about faith and morals, can be relied on.

 

But because He did rise from death, then what the sinless Son of God said about the scriptures, about life, death, heaven, hell, sin, and judgment must be considered fully and inerrantly true.

 

For the sake of time, here are only two examples of how the Lord Jesus understood the Scriptures: John 10:35 -- Jesus told the religious leaders the Scriptures ‘cannot be broken’ (annulled, dissolved, done away with) (John 10:35). And in His so-called ‘High Priestly Prayer’ He asked the Father, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). In other words, the Lord Jesus told His apostles – and us in 2022 – God's Word is truth. In other words, the second Person of the Holy Trinity said God’s Word equals truth. And it is only by that truth that anyone can be sanctified – set apart by God for service to Him.

 

Put yet another way, it is only through belief in, obedience to, and the proclamation that God's word EQUALS truth that we retain our saltiness.

 

But as one should expect, Satan, knowing the absolute critical nature of our belief in the complete inerrancy and infallibility of Scripture, Satan has always – even from the Garden of Eden – introduced destructive heresies that cut at the heart of that truth. Remember his temptation of Eve in the Garden? He seduced her, introducing the poisonous seed of doubt: “Hath God said?”

 

There are several similar dictionary definitions of the word ‘heresy.’ Essentially, heresy is a teaching which runs counter to Biblical truths and which, if believed, will lead the person to eternal damnation.

 

Church history is replete with damnable heretical beliefs such as Gnosticism, Arianism, Marcionism, Docetism, and others. We cannot take the time during this message to examine them. If you are interested, a simple internet search will pull up pages and pages of early church heresies. But let’s focus attention on some modern heresies which if believed, will lead a person to eternal damnation.

Heresy number one: The Bible is infallible only when it speaks of morality and faith. It is not infallible when it speaks of history, or geography, or astronomy, or biology, or whatever else. In other words, God doesn't know as much about those subjects as we now know.

 

Heresy number two: This heresy goes by the names of Restorationism, or Universalism. This heresy claims that all people will be saved, or that we may ‘reasonably hope’ that all people will be saved. Why? Because God is a God of love, and He will not send anyone to an eternal lake of fire. But proponents of this heresy – and there are a growing number of such false teachers and preachers promoting this heresy – proponents must answer the questions, “Why did Jesus have to die? Why did the apostles die martyr’s deaths because they proclaimed in Jesus humanity’s only hope of eternal life?  Why did Jesus warn so often about hell?”

 

Heresy number three: Jesus is a created being, which is a heresy adhered to by Muslims, Jehovah’s Witnesses and the original Mormons. This heresy that Jesus is a created being first appeared in full form in the 4^th century, promoted by a renegade bishop names Arius.  But here are some recent statistics about modern Arianism which ought to grab our attention.

 

According to recent surveys of self-professed evangelical Christians, 88% believe that Jesus is fully human and fully God. BUT, said another way, 12% do not believe that fundamental doctrine of faith. Furthermore, 22% said God the Father is more divine than Jesus. Nine percent weren’t sure.

 

Sixteen percent believe Jesus was the first creature created by God. Eleven percent of evangelicals ‘were unsure.’

 

As for the Holy Spirit, more than half of self-identified evangelicals believe the Holy Spirit is a ‘force,’ and not a Person. Seven percent weren’t sure. Nine percent said the Holy Spirit is less divine than God the Father and Jesus. Another 9% answered “not sure.” Bottom line: Only 42 percent affirmed that the Holy Spirit is a Person.

 

All of this means that an overwhelming majority of EVENGELICAL Christians are Arians in their theology about the nature of God.

 

Heresy number four: According to another study, 36% of self-identified evangelicals believed that we partly contribute to EARNING our place in heaven by doing good deeds. This is exactly what St Paul railed against in his letter to the church at Galatia, and what he wrote to the Christians in Ephesus that we were all “dead in our trespasses and sins,” God, in His love, “made us alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:1-5).

 

Do you see how our salt can lose its saltiness and become useless for Christ and His work through us? If we accept any of these heretical positions, then where shall we stop? The resurrection of Jesus? His substitutionary atonement for our sins? The wages of sin? Is ANY of it true? And we wonder why Jesus was what some would call ‘harsh’ to say that those who have diluted the Truth will be cast out to be trampled underfoot by others?

 

And there is yet another common pattern many Christians follow that result in a loss of saltiness. What is that? By consistently failing to match our walk with our talk.

 

If we compromise what we know are God's commandments for a holy lifestyle, if our walk does not match our talk, then we dilute the message of the gospel. And when we dilute God's message, then we might be better off not saying anything about our faith. When our lifestyle consistently does not match our talk, we give the nonbeliever reason to mock Christ and Christian faith.

Here is how St. Paul wrote about that point to the Christians at Rome: “But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God . . . you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” (Romans 2:17, 21-24)

Every Christian – Catholic and Protestant – would do well to pay heed to what Pope Paul VI wrote in 1965: "Believers can thus have more than a little to do with the rise of atheism. [When they] are careless about their . . . faith, or present its teaching falsely, or even fail in their religious, moral, or social life, they … .conceal rather than to reveal the true nature of [Christian faith].

 

I’ve known people – and I suspect so have you – who attended church regularly but lived with someone outside of the marriage commitment. I’ve known those who attend church regularly and who have had an abortion – or two – and have never repented of their damnable sin. I know of those who regularly attend church but who vote for politicians who support and promote abortion. I know those who regularly attend church and who support so-called ‘gay marriage’ and all sorts of other sexual sins.

 

And they then dare to call Jesus their Lord and, in so doing, make a mockery of the bloody sacrifice He made for them – for us – on Calvary.

In the same Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave what is a very ominous warning to all who persistently live lifestyles that belie the gospel message:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:21-23)

I will always remember an incident that happened to me nearly 50 years ago. Fifty. It seems like it occurred last week. My friends and I went to a nearby cafeteria for breakfast. When someone distracted the cashier at the front door, I sneaked by and hurried to the food line. I still don’t know why I did it. I had very recently become a Christian, but easily fell back into old patterns. As I piled food onto my tray, I dismissed my nagging guilt. When my friends joined me a few minutes later at our table, I bowed my head and silently gave thanks to God for my food. That’s when Tom snickered, “Look at Maffeo. He sneaks in without paying, and then thanks God.” They laughed with sarcasm. But I wanted to crawl under the table.

 

So, that’s all the bad news. But there is GOOD news available to all of us, even and perhaps ESPECIALLY to those who have lost their saltiness.

The things that are impossible for men and women – making diluted salt salty again – is possible for our God.

 

What is the remedy to the bad news? How can the crooked be made straight again? How can even the most seriously compromised Christian be made right again in God's eyes?

 

I hope we all know the answer to those questions. Confession of our sins to God, repentance, and a purposeful and consistent turning away from the crooked path and toward the straight one.

 

Here from Ezekiel: “But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die. All his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has practiced, he will live. Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord God, “rather than that he should turn from his ways and live? (Ezekiel 18:21-23)

 

And from 1 John 1:8-10 – “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

 

God is serious about sin. He is serious about His judgment of sin and the sinner. He is serious about saltiness. We will see next week He is serious about our light in a dark world.

 

BUT He is JUST AS SERIOUS about His superabundant willingness to forgive the penitent and to purge every molecule of sin’s stain from his or her record. God wants so much to reconcile you and me with Himself that He gave us His Son as our sacrificial substitution on that cross. The Father cursed Jesus so He would not have to curse us (Galatians 3:13; Deuteronomy 21:23; Matthew 27:46). The Father made Jesus OUR SIN, so that He could then make us the very righteousness of God Himself (2 Corinthians 5:21)

 

Why would anyone linger to come to God, to repent of their past sins and to turn away from what they are doing wrong today?

 

Come to Jesus. Now. If you have never repented of your past or of your present sins, come to Jesus, now. Pray this prayer from your heart and then talk with me after the service.

 

My God and Father, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do right, I have sinned against You Whom I should love above all things. For Christ’s sake, who gave His life for me, please, be gracious to me according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a faithful spirit within me. I firmly intend, with Your help, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. My Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for me, and so I ask these things in His holy Name. Amen

Rest in Peace

 

Halloween is fast approaching. Already I see signs of it as I walk around our neighborhood such as spiders and ghouls and plastic headstones etched with RIP.

 

Speaking of RIP – Rest in Peace – when I see those letters, I can’t help but think of the so many people I know who grieve for their deceased loved ones and hope they are resting in peace.

 

Now, what I am about to say I say with the utmost kindness – although truth can often be perceived as mean-spirited, harsh, and cruel. That is not my intent. But God tells us through the apostle Paul:

 

“We do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep [died], so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep [died] in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

 

With Christ. In Christ.

 

That is the only reason we can comfort one another with real hope, with true hope, with justifiable hope.

 

It is true, no one can know what a person’s last thought was before their heart stopped and their brain ceased functioning. No one can know if they pleaded with God for forgiveness of their sins and thereby received eternal rest.

 

But it is tragically useless to hope our loved one is resting in peace if – even to their last moment – he or she did not belong to Christ by faith and confession of their sins. Such a hope is, sadly, a terribly false hope – for there is no hope for peace after death for the one who rejected Jesus’ offer of forgiveness while they were still alive.

 

Once again, I do not want to seem mean-spirited. I’m just telling you what God tells us in His word.

 

And so, what about you? Please, think long about this: Do you want those you leave behind to have a justifiable hope that you are resting in peace?

 

Then, you know what you must do.

The Shepherd

 

During my time with the Lord this morning I read this passage in John’s gospel:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. . . . 11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. (John 10:1-11)

And my thoughts somehow shifted for a moment or two to our two puppies, Frenchie, and Happy Bear (our Bichon and Pomeranian).

Although no one knows that they will do in any dangerous situation, I do believe I would put my life at risk to save either Happy or Frenchie. A house fire? If I could get through the flames, I’d run in to a burning house to save my dogs. If they fell into a frozen lake, I’d jump in after them.

But would I WILLINGLY die for either dog? Of course not. They’re dogs. They’re animals. God gave them to me to protect them, but not to die for them. I have a wife and family who are far, far more important to me than either of my beloved dogs. For my family, yes, I know I would willingly die.

Which brings me to the point.

I am a creature created by God for and through Jesus, the Son of God. (Colossians 1:16) And unlike what I would NOT do for my dogs, Jesus, who is Almighty God in the flesh not only put his life at risk for this sheep, He WILLINGLY laid down His life for me – the creature – that I might live with Him forever.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, calls His own sheep by name. To me, that means that of the billions of people on this planet, Jesus knows my name.

MY name.

He knows where I’ve been, what I’ve done, and how often I’ve done it. And He calls me His sheep, nonetheless.

He says His sheep follow Him because they know his voice. And oh, yes! I know His voice. At times not as clearly as I would like, but I hear it every day and throughout the day.

And what about you? Do you know His voice? Do you follow him even when His commandments are at odds with the culture’s definition of holiness? Are you grateful that He died in your place, as your substitute, taking your sins on Himself so you could live with Him forever? Why did He do that? Because He loves you. He loves YOU – regardless of where you’ve been, what you’ve done, and how often you’ve done it.

I hope your answer to each of those questions is a resounding yes. But if not, then please hear this: You need to reconsider who you are (a creature), who He is (your creator), what He has done for you, and why.

Greater is He

As we continue our series through Matthew’s gospel, we come now to the Sermon on the Mount. It’s the longest recorded message Christ Jesus preached at one sitting, covering three chapters – five through seven – of Matthew’s gospel. For the sake of time, I will focus our attention on only a handful of statements the Lord makes in His sermon. Today, for context, we will at the first 11 verses of the so-called ‘Blessed be’ statements, and then focus on verses 10 through 12:

“When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  “Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Now, for today’s text, verses 10-12: “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

At the outset of my message, I want to tell you that this message will be a comforting message, an encouraging message, a message to generate and nurture great confidence in God's promises and His unmatchable power – all of which will result in a maturing conviction that we can and we WILL stand for Christ – whatever may befall us for our faith in Him.

 

Christians familiar with the New Testament AND Church history, both past and current, we know persecution is the normal Christian experience. Think of what’s happening right now, today, to our Christian brothers and in places like North Korea, China, Egypt, Iran, Afghanistan, Africa, and Russia. And if you are aware at all of what is happening with increasing rapidity in America, persecutions of varying degrees are already taking place in our country.

 

After all, Jesus told us: “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved . . . If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household.” (Matthew 10:22-25)

 

St Paul added: “For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” (Philippians 1:29)

And St Peter wrote: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.” (1 Peter 4:12-13)

 

Now, I need to make it clear – while persecution is the normal Christian experience, SO IS God's supernatural comfort and strength for endurance. And that is why I must make it clear as I can, that even in the midst of horrible and even deadly persecution – the Christian who clings to Christ WILL BE victorious.

 

I need to repeat that last statement for emphasis. The Christian who clings to Christ will be victorious. Be certain of that truth. And why can you and I be certain?  Because God promised it to be so.

 

Let me tell you a quick story that I hope will illustrate – perhaps to a small degree – the point I am trying to make. Last year, when our Bichon was only a few months old, we were sitting on our porch as a storm rolled into the area. Lightning lit up the sky around us. Thunder rattled the windows. Torrents of rain pummeled the roof. It was Frenchie’s first thunderstorm, and he barked and whimpered and literally shivered with fear. As soon as I noticed his distress, I picked him up and held him tightly to my chest. As I stroked his neck and along his back, I said softly, “It’s okay, Frenchie. I’m here. It’s okay.”

 

That helped, but only a little, so I soon brought him into the house and that helped quiet him.

We experienced several more thunderstorms over the next few months, and with each one, I held Frenchie close and said softly, “It’s okay Frenchie. I’m here.”

I hadn’t thought much about those incidents until a few weeks ago when another particularly loud thunderstorm passed through our area. I was on the couch in the living room, and Frenchie was dozing on the carpet at my feet. Suddenly a flash of light lit the sky overhead, followed immediately by one of the loudest thunderclaps I’d heard in a long time. It was so loud I almost jumped to my feet.

 

But Frenchie? He lifted his head, looked at me for a few moments, and went back to sleep.

 

So, my point? During storms around our house, Frenchie is now at peace. And I think I know why. He knows I love him. He knows I will protect him. But he does not know that there are a bazillion things against which I CANNOT protect him because, well, I am human. I have my own severe limitations. I am not omnipotent or omniscient or omnipresent.

 

But God is all those things. And I know God certainly loves me – Calvary demonstrated that truth. And I am certain God is fully capable of protecting me in any and every storm and circumstance. And – AND THIS IS IMPORTANT – if bad things happen to me, it is ONLY because God has permitted it and will use it for my ultimate good and His ultimate glory. Many of you are familiar with that promise, for example, in Romans 8:28.

 

So, Christian, how many storms has God brought YOU through? How many times has He embraced you through the deluge? And even if you could not sense Him, you know in retrospect that He WAS embracing you. And though you could not hear it, you know now that He was whispering to your heart, “It’s okay. I’m here. It’s okay.’

 

Christian – I don’t care WHAT KIND OF STORM is yet on your horizon or on mine. You and I WILL stand because we know His promises are inviolable and immutable. And much more importantly, God promises to give us His SUPERNATURAL help to trust His promises.

 

What promises? Certainly, this one: “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

 

Let me paraphrase that one for you: Persecutions and trials and disasters and calamities come to everyone. But God vows to the Christian that He will never permit a storm to come upon us that we cannot – in the strength of His might – overcome. That’s why not everyone undergoes the same storms and disasters. The storm that would overwhelm me won’t be but a forced detour in someone else’s life journey. And what trial would overwhelm someone else will hardly bother me at all.

 

Our Creator knows what we’re each made of. He knows how far He can permit the devil to attack us – just as God knew how far His righteous servant Job could be pushed before he completely lost heart and faith.

 

And that is also why you and I WILL stand firm in the face of whatever persecution He permits to come to us. We WILL continue to proclaim Christ as mankind’s ONLY savior, our ONLY redeemer, the ONLY name by which humanity must be saved.

 

We will stand for Christ even in the face of death because we KNOW we are engaged in a fierce supernatural war and, in the words of Martin Luther, ‘did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing.”

 

The weapons of our warfare are not at all derived from our own strength and skills and talents and wealth – but are ONLY of DIVINE supernatural power. As the prophet Zechariah reminds us: It is not by strength, or by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord.” (Zechariah 4:6)

 

And because we know that we can only be strong “IN THE LORD and in the strength OF HIS MIGHT – the Holy Spirit will remind us at the right time to all out to HIM for the strength we need to endure for Christ and to stand for Christ.

 

That is why the Holy Spirit even NOW reminds us through St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, “Take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” (Ephesians 6)

 

This is a lesson I personally had to learn, and that now very long ago – three and a half years ago, to be precise. When Nancy lay in that ICU bed with a stroke – I learned that I don’t have the strength, or the perseverance, or any other resources necessary to successfully stand against the onslaught of dark evil. Up to that point in my Christian walk with Christ, I always thought, “I got this”, or “I can fight this fight.”

 

But in January 2019, I knew I did NOT ‘got this.”  I could NOT fight this in my own strength. And, by the way, it ought not surprise any of us that God told the great apostle Paul the SAME thing that He tells each of us: His strength – meaning God's strength – is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12). And once Paul finally recognized that truth, he responded: “Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

 

So, my brothers and sisters, please hear this again. And may the Holy Spirit Himself remind you that You WILL be able to stand and persevere in whatever storm God permits into your life because – and only because – you will recognize at that moment that you are too weak for the storm. And you’ll turn your eyes to Jesus, the author, and the perfector of your faith.

 

You won’t recognize it NOW to its fullest because you don’t NEED to recognize it now to its fullest.

 

Still wondering if that can be true? Here’s a story I’ve told in the past. You might have heard or read this story yourself years and years ago:

Corrie ten Boom, once a prisoner of the Nazis in the infamous Ravensbruk concentration camp, and author of The Hiding Place, tells of a conversation she had with her father when she was a child. She told him that she was afraid of death and was quite sure she did not have the strength to be a martyr. Corrie’s father said to her:

 

“"When you take a train trip to Amsterdam, when do I give you the money for the ticket? Three weeks before?"

"No, Daddy, you give me the money for the ticket just before we get on the train."

"That is right," her father said, "and so it is with God's strength. Our Father in Heaven knows when you will need the strength . . . He will supply all you need just in time."

God‘s strength was made perfect in Paul’s weakness because when Paul thought he was strong, he became a hindrance to the work and the power of God in his life.

 

Likewise, when I think I am strong, then I hinder God's work and power in my life. And you do the same when you think you can handle it all. Just think of Peter’s promise to the Lord at the Last Supper: I’ll follow you even to death.” And we all know how THAT turned out only a few hours later.

 

You see, God says it’s all about HIM. His strength. His purpose. His plan. It always has been about Him. It always will be all about Him. And that’s the way it should be – all about Him.

 One or two more words of PROMISE as I bring this message to a close. The first is from John’s first epistle. He writes: “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) Another way of saying that is, “Greater is He who is in us, then he who is coming at us.”

The second promise is from Peter’s first epistle: “But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.” (1 Peter 3:14-15a)

And the third promise is bound up in these song lyrics by Jeremy Camp. The song is titled: The Same Power. I have given you a sheet with the lyrics so you can follow along as I play the song for you in a moment – and be reminded again of God's power IN YOU.

 

And I quote: I can see/Waters raging at my feet/I can feel/The breath of those surrounding me/I can hear/The sound of nations rising up/We will not be overtaken/We will not be overcome.

I can walk/Down this dark and painful road/I can face/Every fear of the unknown/I can hear/All God's children singing out/We will not be overtaken/
We will not be overcome

The same power that rose Jesus from the grave/The same power that commands the dead to wake/Lives in us, lives in us/The same power that moves mountains when He speaks/The same power that can calm a raging sea/Lives in us, lives in us/He lives in us, lives in us

Greater is He that is living in me/He's conquered our enemy/No power of darkness/No weapon prevails/We stand here in victory

 

End of quote

 

The Lord Jesus told us: “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Persecution is all part of the supernatural warfare Scripture tells us about. And that warfare is not to fought on our terms or in our abilities. Remind yourself every day of that unimpeachable truth. And when – if – the time comes that we find ourselves in our own catastrophe, our own heartbreak – remember, it is not by our might or by our power, but by God's spirit alone that we are victorious – whatever that victory looks like.

And all God's people said – Amen.

Benediction: “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, ²⁵ to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 1:24-25)