DO NOT GIVE UP! (CC)

Banners Courtesy/Our Savior's Peridot Apache Lutheran Mission LET US RISE FOR THE READING OF THIS MORNING'S SERMON TEXT RECORDED FOR US IN PAUL'S SECOND LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS, WHERE WE READ FROM CHAPTER 4, BEGINNING WITH VERSE 13: IT IS WRITTEN: "I BELIEVED; THEREFORE I HAVE SPOKEN." SINCE WE HAVE THAT SAME SPIRIT OF FAITH, WE ALSO BELIEVE AND THEREFORE SPEAK, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE ONE WHO RAISED THE LORD JESUS FROM THE DEAD WILL ALSO RAISE US WITH JESUS AND PRESENT US WITH YOU TO HIMSELF. ALL THIS IS FOR YOUR BENEFIT, SO THAT THE GRACE THAT IS REACHING MORE AND MORE PEOPLE MAY CAUSE THANKSGIVING TO OVERFLOW TO THE GLORY OF GOD. THEREFORE WE DO NOT LOSE HEART. THOUGH OUTWARDLY WE ARE WASTING AWAY, YET INWARDLY WE ARE BEING RENEWED DAY BY DAY. FOR OUR LIGHT AND MOMENTARY TROUBLES ARE ACHIEVING FOR US AN ETERNAL GLORY THAT FAR OUTWEIGHS THEM ALL. SO WE FIX OUR EYES NOT ON WHAT IS SEEN, BUT ON WHAT IS UNSEEN, SINCE WHAT IS SEEN IS TEMPORARY, BUT WHAT IS UNSEEN IS ETERNAL. THIS IS THE WORD OF OUR LORD. LET US PRAY: GLORIOUS AND GRACIOUS GOD, MAY THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH AND THE MEDITATION OF EACH OF OUR HEARTS, BE ACCEPTABLE IN YOUR SIGHT, OUR ONLY SOURCE OF HOPE AND COMFORT. AMEN. [TEXT TAKEN FROM THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA, INC.] DEAR FOLLOWERS OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST: ISN'T IT A LITTLE IRONIC THAT THE OLDER WE GET, IT SEEMS LIKE WE SHOULD OUTGROW THOSE CHILDISH THINGS THAT CHILDISH HONESTY THAT WE HEARD FROM ELIZABETH THIS MORNING. YES, I WAS MAD. BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE THOSE KIND OF FEELINGS. WE ALL HAVE THOSE KIND OF DAYS IN OUR LIFE. DRAMA HAPPENS. IT COMES ALONG. WE JUST GET ANNOYED WITH THINGS AND WITH OTHER PEOPLE. AND WE GET SO FRUSTRATED. I CAN REMEMBER SITTING AT THE PIANO AND MY MOTHER AFTER FORTY-FIVE MINUTES OF SAYING: YOU HAVE NOT PLAYED A NOTE AND YOU ARE PRACTICING AN HOUR. AND I CRIED AND BANGED ON THOSE KEYS WITH MY FIST FOR ABOUT TEN MINUTES AND SHE SAID: THAT DOESN'T COUNT! AND I SAID: I'M DONE! I'M NEVER EVER GONNA PLAY PIANO AGAIN! WE HAVE THOSE DAYS. WE GO INTO WORK AND THAT ANNOYING CO-WORKER IS THERE IN OUR FACE AGAIN. AND WE SAY: THAT'S IT! I'M JUST DONE. I DON'T NEED THIS HEADACHE IN MY LIFE. I AM TOO OLD TO BE PUTTING UP WITH OTHER PEOPLE. I'M JUST GONNA QUIT! I'M GONNA GO FIND ANOTHER JOB. WE'RE IN A RELATIONSHIP. AND THAT PERSON DOES THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND IT'S ANNOYING AS IT HAS BEEN TO YOU. AND HOW MANY TIMES YOU HAVE TOLD THEM: STOP DOING THAT! THEY CONTINUE TO DO IT. AND THEY DO IT ONE MORE TIME. AND YOU'RE LIKE: GET OUT! JUST GET OUT! I DON'T WANNA SEE YOU. DON'T TOUCH ME. DON'T CALL ME. I WANT NOTHING ELSE TO DO WITH YOU. WE AS HUMAN BEINGS MAKE THOSE RASH DECISIONS IN OUR LIFE EVERY DAY. BUT ALL OF THOSE THINGS INVOLVE WHAT'S TEMPORARY. ALL OF THOSE THINGS INVOLVE WHAT WE SEE. THE APOSTLE PAUL CAME TO THE CHURCH IN CORINTH AND COMES TO US THIS MORNING AND SAYS: DON'T LOSE HEART. DON'T LET THAT TRANSFER OVER INTO YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE. IT'S YOUR LIFE WITH GOD. DON'T GET ON THAT TRACK WHERE ALL YOU SEE ARE THESE TEMPORARY THINGS IN YOUR LIFE AND LET THEM CAUSE YOU TO BECOME DISTRESSED. TO BECOME DISTRESSED WITH GOD. TO BEGIN ARGUING WITH GOD AND GOING TO GOD AND TALKING TO HIM AS IF HE WERE YOUR SERVANT. BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIKE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN YOUR WORLD. YOU DON'T HALF-LIKE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN YOUR LIFE. YOU DON'T EVEN LIKE THE BLESSING THAT GOD GIVES TO YOU EACH AND EVERY DAY. IT WAS CLEARLY EVIDENT WHEN GOD CAME TO ADAM AND EVE IN THE GARDEN. REMEMBER? GOD HAD TAKEN ADAM PARADING ALL OF THE ANIMALS IN FRONT OF HIM. SO THAT HE COULD LOOK AT THEM AND NAME THEM AND AT THE END, ADAM REALIZED HE WAS ALONE. HE WAS ALL BY HIMSELF. AND GOD SAID IT'S NOT GOOD FOR THE MAN TO BE ALONE. AND GOD CREATED A HELPMEET FOR HIM. BROUGHT HER TO ADAM AND ADAM WAS THRILLED OUT OF HIS MIND. BUT AS THEY BEGAN TO LIVE TOGETHER AND LISTEN TO SATAN, AND DECIDE TO DISOBEY GOD, THEY SINNED. THEY HID FROM GOD BECAUSE THEY KNEW WHAT THEY HAD DONE WAS WRONG. BUT WHEN ADAM APPROACHES GOD AND SAYS TO HIM WHEN GOD SAID: WHERE ARE YOU?, HE SAID: I WAS HIDING FROM YOU. GOD SAID: WHO TOLD YOU, YOU WERE NAKED? AHHHHHHHH ....... I GOT IT! DON'T YOU HEAR THE BRAIN WORKING IN HIS HEAD! I'M GONNA BLAME EVE. THE WOMAN! THE ONE THAT YOU GAVE ME! DO YOU HEAR THAT? BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST BLAMING THE WOMAN. GOD YOU MADE A MISTAKE IN PROVIDING THIS THING FOR ME IN MY LIFE. SHE GAVE ME SOME FRUIT AND I ATE IT. SO GOD GOES TO EVE SEEING IF IT'S GONNA BE THE SAME THING. WELL WE CAN'T BLAME ADAM. THAT ALREADY HAPPENED. THE SNAKE! IT'S THE SNAKE! THE SNAKE DID IT! THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT! FIRST TIME IN RECORDED HISTORY THAT THAT CAME OUT OF SOMEONE'S MOUTH. HOW EASY IT IS FOR US TO BLAME OTHERS WHEN WE'RE REALLY MASKING OUR BLAMING GOD. BECAUSE WE DON'T LIKE THE BLESSINGS THAT HE GAVE TO US. WE DON'T LIKE THE LIFE THAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN. WE THINK SOMEHOW WE DESERVE A LIFE THAT'S FREE OF SIN. FREE OF HARDSHIP; FREE OF DEATH. BECAUSE WE'RE SUCH WONDERFUL CREATIONS THAT GOD BROUGHT INTO LIFE, FORGETTING THAT WE OURSELVES ARE SINFUL AS WELL. AND WITHOUT GOD COMING TO US IN HIS LOVE, AND HIS MERCY, WE'D BE HIDING FROM HIM ALL OUR DAYS. BECAUSE WE WOULD THINK ALL HE'D LIKE TO DO IS PUNISH US BECAUSE OUR CONSCIENCE TELLS US WE KNOW WHAT IS WRONG AND WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO GET PUNISHED. AND WE WOULD RUN FROM GOD. YET GOD CAME AFTER US, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US, WITH HIS WORD, WITH HIS HOLY SPIRIT CREATING FAITH AND REMINDING US THAT HE LOVES US BECAUSE HE'S FORGIVEN US OUR SINS. WHAT WONDERFUL NEWS THAT IS. AND THAT'S WHAT SUSTAINS US FOR EACH AND EVERY DAY THAT WE LIVE IN THIS WORLD. YES, IT IS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT. WE DEAL WITH SIN EACH AND EVERY DAY. NONE OF US ARE PERFECT. WE HURT EACH OTHER. WE HURT EACH OTHER TERRIBLY SOMETIMES BY THE THINGS THAT WE SAY. AND MAYBE IT'S NOT EVEN INTENDED THAT WAY BUT SOMEBODY HAVING A BAD DAY HEARS A SENTENCE AND TAKES IT IN THE WRONG CONTEXT. THOSE THINGS HAPPEN. ILLNESS COMES INTO OUR LIVES. NONE OF US WANTS TO BE INCAPACITATED. NONE OF US WANTS TO HAVE TO RELY ON SOMEONE ELSE TO HELP US. OR TO ADMIT THAT WE'RE AT A POINT IN OUR LIFE WHERE WE CAN'T DO THE THINGS THAT WE USED TO DO. BUT THE APOSTLE PAUL SAYS TO US: DON'T TURN AGAINST GOD. DON'T GO COMPLAINING TO GOD AND BEING BITTERED BY HIM BECAUSE OF WHAT IS IN YOUR LIFE. BECAUSE HE HAS SAVED YOU. HE HAS SENT HIS SON TO YOU. HE IS STILL WITH YOU AND WE HAVE THE PROMISES OF GOD THAT NO MATTER WHAT COMES INTO OUR LIVES HE IS GOING TO USE IT FOR OUR ETERNAL GOOD. WE ONLY SEE THE THINGS AROUND US. GOD'S VISION IS ETERNAL. IT IS EVERLASTING. AND HE SAYS: I NEED YOU TO FOCUS ON THAT. BECAUSE THE PETTY LITTLE THINGS THAT SEEM TO BE THE HUGE DRAMA OF YOUR LIFE TODAY ARE NOTHING IN COMPARISON TO THE GLORIES THAT AWAIT YOU IN HEAVEN. AND YOU AND I IN A SENSE KNOW THAT. BECAUSE YOU CAN THINK BACK IN YOUR LIFE AND REMEMBER THOSE MOMENTS WHEN YOU THOUGHT YOUR LIFE COULD NOT GET ANY WORSE THAN IT POSSIBLY IS. YOU DIDN'T HAVE A DATE FOR PROM. OR YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE DRESS THAT YOU WANTED TO WEAR TO PROM. OR THAT NEW CAR THAT YOU BOUGHT, THAT YOU WERE DRIVING HOME FROM THE LOT, WAS IN ITS FIRST ACCIDENT. AND YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE NEVER EVER GONNA BE HAPPY AGAIN. YOU WENT INTO COLLEGE, YOU HAD YOUR MAJOR SET AND REALIZED I MADE THE MOST HUGE MISTAKE. BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA BE HERE. OR I DON'T WANT THIS MAJOR. SO YOU CHOOSE ANOTHER ONE. AND ANOTHER ONE. AND MAYBE ANOTHER ONE. SO SOMETIMES IT TAKES US A WHILE TO REALIZE NOT ALL OF US ARE CUT OUT TO HAVE MAJORS. AND YET WE CAN STILL BE HAPPY IN OUR LIFE ... THAT GOD PROVIDES FOR US. BUT WE LOOK BACK AND WE THINK OF THOSE MOMENTS WHEN WE THOUGHT IT COULDN'T GET ANY WORSE. AND WERE THEY REALLY THAT BAD? BECAUSE GOD SAW US THROUGH THEM. GOD WAS THE ONE WHO CARRIED US THROUGH. GOD WAS THE ONE WHO TOOK THOSE DARKEST DAYS AND EVEN WHEN SATAN WAS TRYING TO MAKE SOMETHING HORRIBLE IN OUR LIFE, GOD TURNED IT INTO A WONDERFUL THING. AND THE APOSTLE PAUL SAYS: DON'T LOSE HEART. AND ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO NOT LOSE HEART IS TO CONTINUE TO TELL OTHERS ABOUT YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR. SOMETHING SO SIMPLE IN OUR LIVES. WHEN WE REALIZE THAT IT IS THE LORD WHO HAS BEEN THROUGH IT ALL WITH US. FROM THE MOMENT WE WERE CONCEIVED AND BORN THROUGH OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD THROUGH THOSE TEENAGE YEARS, THROUGH THOSE EARLY TEENS AND TWENTIES, AND ON UP UNTIL TODAY, THE LORD HAS BEEN WITH US ALL. SEEN IT ALL, HEARD EVERY WORD WE'VE SAID, KNEW EVERY THOUGHT THAT WAS IN US, AND LOVED US ANYWAY. BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT US TO REMAIN TEMPORARY. HE WANTS US TO BE ETERNAL. AND EVERY TIME I THINK THAT WE WANNA START TALKING ABOUT THE BAD HAND THAT GOD DEALT US, THAT'S THE TIME WHERE WE REALLY NEED TO SIT DOWN AND SAY WHAT ARE THE BLESSINGS THAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO US. BECAUSE VERY OFTEN IT'S THE FLIP SIDE OF THE SAME THING. THAT SPOUSE THAT YOU LIVE WITH. THAT THOSE DAYS YOU'RE SO FRUSTRATED WITH HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH YOU FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS. AND IF THEY WEREN'T WITH YOU TOMORROW YOU WOULD MISS THEM TERRIBLY. AND TO THANK GOD THAT THAT PERSON IS WITH YOU. SAME THING APPLIES TO YOUR CHILDREN THAT AREN'T DOING WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO DO. MAYBE YOU TURN TO GOD AND SAY: GOD, LET THEM DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO. TAKE ME OUT OF THE MIX AND BLESS THEM IN YOUR OWN WAY. OR MAYBE IT COMES TO THE POINT WHERE JESUS, IN OUR GOSPEL LESSON FOR TODAY SAID. IF THEY'RE NOT DOING GOD'S WILL, THEY'RE NOT YOUR FAMILY. AND I REALIZE THAT'S A HARD STATEMENT. BUT LOOK WHAT JESUS SAID WHEN HIS FAMILY WAS TRYING TO TAKE CONTROL OF HIM BECAUSE HE WAS OUT OF CONTROL. WITH WHAT JESUS WAS DOING IMAGINE MARY COMING TO JESUS AND SAYING: YOU ARE OUT OF CONTROL. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING! LOOK AT THE STIR THAT YOU ARE CREATING. THAT SEEING ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT CAME TO HEAR HIM SPEAK SO THAT HE AND HIS DISCIPLES COULDN'T EAT. WE'RE REMINDED THAT THOSE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE FAITH WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND US. AND THEY DON'T GET US. AND THEY ARE NOT AS CLOSE TO US AS OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST. BECAUSE WE'RE ALL GOING HOME TOGETHER. WE'RE ALL GOING HOME TO THAT HEAVENLY MANSION. AND WHAT A TREMENDOUS BLESSING THAT IS WHEN WE RELY ON THOSE OTHER PEOPLE AND TRUST THOSE OTHER PEOPLE AND THANK GOD THAT THEY ARE IN OUR LIFE. BECAUSE THERE IS ENOUGH EVIL THAT IS GOING TO FILL ALL OF THE DAYS UNTIL WE ARE CALLED FROM THIS EARTH. IT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE THERE. FOR US IT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE A STRUGGLE. AND IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE A FIGHT. PAUL SAYS: DO NOT LOSE HEART. FIX YOUR EYES ON CHRIST. FIX YOUR EYES ON THE ETERNAL. AND SPEAK THE TRUTH OF GOD TO OTHERS BECAUSE HE HAS BLESSED YOU TREMENDOUSLY. AMEN. LET US RISE. NOW MAY THE PEACE OF GOD WHICH GOES BEYOND ALL OF OUR UNDERSTANDING KEEP YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS AND ESPECIALLY YOUR LIVES IN THE ONE TRUE FAITH UNTO LIFE EVERLASTING. AMEN.