DO NOT GIVE UP! (CC)
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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.