Do Not Lose Heart
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13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Introduction to Prayer
Introduction to Prayer
Paul was beginning a prayer at he beginning of chapter 3. Verse 1 “For this cause , I Paul, ...”
Then interrupted his thought to discuss”The Mystery”, the gospel...
His being a prisoner for Christ sake, for the gospel, for the gentiles...
His humble position as servant...
God’s effectual power
The manifold wisdom of God
being made known by the church
to principalities and powers in heavenly places
Therefore Do not lose heart at my tribulation
Therefore Do not lose heart at my tribulation
“Therefore” .....
What’s it there for? Connect this to the previous statement
Yes, Paul is in prison
Yes, he has suffered a great deal...
But it is for a reason...
this mystery - in other ages was not known....
the unsearchable riches of Christ
fellow heirs… partakers of the divine nature...
Have you ever felt like you were “losing heart”
Have you ever felt like you were “losing heart”
Do you get discouraged at your trials, and disappointments?
Do you sometimes feel like giving up?
Paul’s answer: Don’t
Don’t do it. Don’t lose heart, don’t be discouraged.
Why do You suppose that Paul write this?
Perhaps he had heard they were being discouraged. Maybe he heard they were feeling down
Notice that he wrote - “I am asking that you do not lose heart”
He could have said “Oh, I understand how bad you all feel....”
He could have went on about how bad things were for him...”
what about his disappointments?
He had been on his way to Jerusalem for a great feast
Traveled for months to get there, over mountains and valleys and across seas and rivers to get there.
Only to be arrested, terribly beaten, imprisoned, mistreated, falsely accused, attempts made on his life...
Not just a few days, but for years now....
If anyone had a reason, or a right to lose heart, it was Paul. But he asks us not to lose heart. How?
If you are feeling discouraged, there is help for you here.
you can partake, with Paul, with us, of the divine nature of God
If you are feeling depressed, don’t make excuses for it, overcome it today. Don’t lose heart.
I hope to show you here, the secret, the “therefore” ...
…At my Tribulation...
…At my Tribulation...
He said don't to be discouraged by his tribulation. What kind of “tribulations”?
We find several examples in his writings, of these trials he faced
Sometimes he referred to them as “light afflictions”
8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
2cor4.
So, here is the secret to having a right attitude… looking at the unseen...
Yes, we are hard pressed, sometimes on every side --- but we aren’t crushed
maybe we are persecuted, but we’re not forsaken...
This “light affliction” is bearing a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (can you say that?)
“while” we do not look at the things which are seen....
Is your “light affliction” bearing and eternal weight of glory?
or are you just angry and complaining under a heavy burden of this world’s problems?
“Do not look…” in other words, stop focusing on the temporary problems of today...
Not becasue they don’t matter, many of them do....
But becasue you trust God to see you through them....
Because you believe Him
He has saved your soul from death, will He not also save your feet from slipping?
This is a “light affliction”, “While” we are not looking at the things which are seen, but at the eternal unseen....
It can become a life crushing weight of burden and despair, while we are focusing on only now, and the past...
Reach forth to that which is ahead....
If Paul, and millions of other Christians can do it “So will I”
24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
“Light Affliction”
Don’t lose heart. Don’t be discouraged
Enduring all these things, yet Paul says, “don’t get discouraged by this?
Not becasue he was somehow greater than all of the other Christians...
On the contrary, this was the norm for Christians who suffered in the first century, and for centuries beyond...
The emperors were infuriated when they would sing praise even in the flames...
They rejoiced even in the midst of their trials… How?
By looking not at the things which are seen....
Setting our mind on that which is above … (Colossians)
So, when Paul said “Therefore” he is referring to the things he stopped to remind us of...
To the revelation of the mystery of which we are partakers
to God’s effectual power working in us
God’s choosing us before the world began
His unsearchable riches
His making us alive, who were dead
His manifold wisdom
Angels and principalities to witness...
For This Reason I Bow My Knee To The Father...
For This Reason I Bow My Knee To The Father...
Now, he is ready to pray
Be in a right frame of mind when we pray
Coming with Thanksgiving and awe...
His attitude aligned with Christ’s
Desiring Christ’s glory… and thankful for it. Desiring this for us.
This is how we should be. And we can
That He Would Grant You According To The Riches of His Glory....
That He Would Grant You According To The Riches of His Glory....
He prays that God would grant them - us -
His focus is not on himself, his suffering, his troubles....
Instead, he now has Christ’s focus, His joy, His desire, His reward
When we get our thoughts in line with the Holy Spirit, even our prayers are different
our goals become His
It becomes easier to trust Him
Of course Paul would like to be out of prison. But that is not first in His concerns.
He knows that he can trust God for his release
He knows that God is working all things together for his good
So he can be concerned with God’s glory, and our edification.
And We should (and can) follow his example.
To be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man
There is an “inner man”
Your spirit inside you.
Is it strengthened with “might” by His Spirit?
Which voice gets the floor in your “inner person”?
Does His voice get to reign?
Does it get heard at all?
So many Christians are drowning out the voice of God with their own emotions
their own selfish desires and wordly cares
their fears, doubts and frustrations
so much chatter, they cannot hear the still small voice of God
But if you will, that Spirit will strengthen you with might inside
it can become a way of life
a better way
That Christ May Dwell in Your Hearts by Faith
That Christ May Dwell in Your Hearts by Faith
Here is the way - by faith
We receive Him By Faith
He dwells in us by fiath
You must believe that HE is, and He is a rewarder
How much more will God grant the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?
Now think about this - what does our thought life say about our faith?
If we really believe Jesus Christ is in there listening, and talking, would we really be saying all these thoughts?
Would we act like that?
Would our first place goals still be first place?
What kind of “faith” do we live.
Rooted and Grounded in love
But when Christ is dwelling in us, we are rooted and grounded in love
this is the litmus test
The mark of perfection - love
When Jesus is in us, we can’t help love
compassion and grace are a natural by product of Christ in you
Paul tells us we should check and make sure the Holy Spirit is in us… lest we be reprobates
Be Able To Comprehend With All Saints
Be Able To Comprehend With All Saints
When we are rooted and grounded in love, then we can “Comprehend” correctly
So many Christians have no real comprehension of who Jesus Christ really is, and what He wants for us
So many people substitute their desires for His, as if He were their idol to validate theirselves
Especially in western culture, the church can become the focus of the gospel instead of the Christ.
His Spirit in Us, leads us to accurate comprehension
This is Paul’s prayer for us, and ought to be our prayer for each other
God, that we would comprehend with all saints.... That we would get it right
to discern His Will
To Know The Love of Christ
To Know The Love of Christ
That love that passes knowledge
Oh how wonderful He is
His Love will change you forever
A well springing up, flowing to us and from us ()
To be filled with all the fullness of God
what an incredible statement
“all the fullness of God”
If you only grasped the magnificence of God living in you!
What could compare to that?
What does this world have that outweighs Him?
I pray that we are filled with all the fullness of God, here in this place today!
His divine nature is manifest in those who live in Him
Now Unto Him That Is Able
Now Unto Him That Is Able
What He has promised, He is able also to perform
God is able
This is not idle talk
He is able to perform all this in you, and so much more
Don’t lose heart - Don’t be discouraged
instead, set you mind on these “Therefore s”
Consider His plan from before the ages, you, in Him, accepted before Angels and Principlalities
Why are so many people worried about what people think, when God has accepted them in front of Angels in the heavenly places?
He is Able to do
Exceeding, Abundantly, above all that you ask or think...
You don’t have to lose heart to get His attention
He will do even more than you ask (by faith, don’t lose heart)
He knows things you need that you don’t even know to think of
And He is Able!
21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Eph
Now Unto Him be glory in this church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen