Paul said in verse one, therefore,
seeing we have this ministry as we've received mercy, we faint
not. We do not lose heart. We don't
faint. When I was growing up, there
was a bully that terrorized my neighborhood by the name of Rowley
Montague. And I remember when I would walk
outside of my door, I'd scope the landscape and see if he was
there, because I knew if he saw me, he would run me down and
beat me up or make me play with him. And if I'd see him out anywhere,
I'd go back in the house. He terrorized our neighborhood. I remember one time I told him
I had to go home and see my dad. He said, why? He doesn't love
you. One time, I was standing in another
neighbor's yard. His name was Phillip Hughes.
And all of a sudden, Roley burst out of the landscape. I mean,
he just came running. I remember he had his fist clenched.
He told Phillip, he said, I'm going to kill you. And Phillip
fainted. He really did. He fainted. He
fell down and fainted. I remember his mom came running
out with smelling salts to get him back up. And Phillip lost
heart. He utterly lost heart. And the wise man said in Proverbs
2410, if you faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is
small. Now, when Paul said this, I've
entitled this message Reasons to Not Lose Heart. When Paul said this, we never
lose heart, we don't faint, we don't become discouraged, We
don't become faint hearted. We don't become cowardly or weary. Or ready to quit. Or give up. Or throw in the towel. And we've
all felt that way, haven't we? When he said this, he said in
this same epistle in 2 Corinthians 1, verse 8, for we would not
Brethren, have ye ignorant of our trouble which came to us
in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength,
insomuch that we despaired even of life." Now, he was going through
a severe trial when he made that statement. He said, we despaired
even of life. And in this same epistle, he
speaks of having a thorn in his flesh. The messenger of Satan
sent to buffet him, to knock him black and blue, and it was
a grief to him. So when he says we never lose
heart, he's not saying this in a Pollyanna way. He had all kinds
of things that he was dealing with. This is the same man who
said, Oh, wretched man that I am. Now, there are a lot of reasons
why we could lose heart. There are a lot of reasons why
we could faint and become discouraged and despondent. One's just being
human. That's enough of a trial, isn't
it? A man in his best state is altogether
vanity. And if you know anything about
yourself, you know that you yourself are altogether vanity, weak and
unstable. There is discouragement associated
with being a human. Sickness of the body can be an
extreme discouragement and can make one despondent, lose heart. Personal sinfulness. Sins committed repeatedly makes
us fainthearted. Has the Lord really done anything
for me? If he's done anything for me, why am I still like this? Doesn't seem like there's any
real victory in my life. Why am I still like this? Has the Lord indeed done something
for me when I'm like this? You become despondent and fainthearted. There can be difficult trials
and catastrophic events which make us lose heart. If you're
not facing me now, you will. Things not turning out as you
hoped. You had certain plans and dreams and you become disillusioned
because they didn't turn out the way you thought they would.
Men can disappoint us. Men can let us down. Living in
a way they know they shouldn't, but they do it anyway. And while
there's no excuse for this kind of behavior, you know, if you
get discouraged because of a man, remember, some other person,
that person is like you. If a man be overtaken in a fault,
can't you relate with that? If a man be overtaken in a fault,
can't you be overtaken in a fault? Restore such a one in the spirit
of meekness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted. Now, there are some people who
have experienced so much abuse. So much wrongdoing. that I can
see where they would grow very cynical and lose heart. Man that's born of woman, Job
says, is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward. Abuse, neglect,
pain, loss, sickness, loneliness, bereavement, personal sinfulness. It's not hard to see how people
can lose heart and give in to discouragement and despondency. But Paul says, seeing we have
this ministry, as we've received mercy, we never lose heart. We never faint. We never give
up. Why, Paul? Why is it that you
don't lose heart? Now, I want to give you six reasons
from the scriptures why we should never lose heart. And that's
not taking away from the reality of the things I just mentioned.
We're flesh. I'm looking at, including myself,
sinful, weak human beings. That's a part of our experience,
isn't it? Now, how is it that we can not
lose heart? How is it that we can faint not? We look at verse 1 again of 2
Corinthians chapter 4. He says, therefore, seeing we
have this ministry. What ministry? Well, he identifies
it in verse 6. He has made us able ministers
of the New Testament. Now, here is a reason to never
lose heart because of the New Testament, because of the New
Covenant. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter
8 for a moment. Hebrews chapter 8. But now, has he obtained a more
excellent ministry? That's the same ministry Paul's
talking about in the New Testament. By how much also he is the mediator
of a better covenant. The covenant of grace is better
than the covenant of works. It was established upon better
promises. What's better about the promises
of the new covenant? Well, the promise of the old
covenant, if you're obedient, you'll be saved. The promise
of the new covenant is, if Christ is obedient, you'll be saved.
Which is a better promise? Which do you find more safety
in? Go on reading, verse 7. For if that first covenant had
been faultless, then she had no place of being sought for
the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold,
the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah." That's
talking about the New Testament. Not according to the covenant
that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by
the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they
continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith
the Lord. But this is the covenant that I make with the house of
Israel after those days, saith the Lord. I'll put my laws into their mind
and write them in their heart. I will give them a new heart."
What this is talking about is the new birth, the new heart,
regeneration. When God writes his laws in the
heart, I'll give them a new heart. Don't you want a new heart? Lord,
give me a new heart. Create in me a clean heart. Oh God, and renew a right spirit
within me. That's the desire of every believer. Look where he says next, I'll
be to them a God. You know what that means? If
he's your God, that means your God's for you. Who can be against
you? If he says I'll be to them a
God, that means he's for you. For you in every sense of the
word, and nobody can be against you. I'll be to them a God, and
they shall be to me a people, the people of God, having God
as their Savior, having God as their Father, having God as their
Protector. And they shall not teach every
man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the
Lord, for all shall know me from the least to the greatest. I'll
cause them to know me. For I, verse 12, here's why all
this is true. For I'll be merciful, and that
word merciful is propitious. I'll be propitious to their unrighteousness. That means I'll remove my reason
for anger by putting away their sin. The propitiatory sacrifice
of Christ removed God's reason for anger. God doesn't have a
reason to be mad at me. And because of that, their sins
and iniquities, I'll remember no more. Don't let that slip
by. Those sins that you remember
very clearly right now, God does not remember. How can that be? Because they're
put away. Because they're gone. They're
separated from you. That's what the blood of Christ
did. He actually put away sin. Now, seeing we have this ministry
of the New Testament, we don't lose heart. Isn't the gospel
encouraging? God not remembering my sin? God
being to me a God, making me his people? God giving me this
new heart? Paul said, In our text, seeing
we have this ministry as we have received mercy, we faint not. Since salvation is by the mercy
of God and not by merit, we don't faint. Now, if my standing before
God, if my salvation, if my acceptance before God had anything to do
with some kind of dependence upon me doing something, I'd
utterly lose heart. I've become so discouraged because
I know that I can't do it. I know myself enough to know
that whatever would be required of me, I wouldn't do it. I'll thank in the day of adversity
and prove my strength being small, but since salvation is by the
sheer mercy of God, we never lose heart. This fourth chapter. Verse 16. For the witch cause. We think
not. We don't lose heart. We don't
give up and throw in the towel through utter discouragement,
despondency. For which cause we think not,
but though our outward man perish. Yet the inward man, the new creature
in Christ Jesus that loves God, is renewed day by day for our
light affliction. And notice what Paul calls it,
a light affliction. Sometimes it seems heavy, doesn't
it? But Paul calls it light because it's temporary. And it's nothing
compared to what we deserve. It's a lie. And this man who's
talking about his light affliction is somebody who everywhere he
went, he got beat with a cat and iron tails. Had everybody
hate him. Chased from one city to another.
Our light affliction. Which is, but for a moment. You
know, time is going to be over just like that. And we're going
to be in the presence of God. We're going to be in the presence
of Christ. This, what we're doing, this
is so transient and temporary. What is your life? James said,
it's a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes
away. Things are so temporary. For
our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for
us a far more exceeding and eternal way to glory. Now here's how
come we don't faint while we look not at the things which
are seen. But if the things which are not
safe. We don't look at the things that
are safe. What do you say? Well, here's what I see. I'm
a simple man. And I'm living among sinful men,
that's what I see. I see that I'm weak. I see that
in reality, I don't have any control of anything. And I see that my enemies and
my foes are stronger than me. I see a world that has no love
for my God or my gospel or in reality for me either. That's
what I see. But turn with me for a moment
to 2 Kings chapter 6. 2 Kings chapter 6. Beginning in verse 8. 2 Kings 6, beginning in verse 8,
Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel
with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be
my camp. And the man of God, speaking of Elisha, he saw everything
that was going on. He sent unto the king of Israel,
saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place, for thither
the Syrians are come down. And the king of Israel sent to
the place which the man of God told him, and warned him of,
and saved himself there, not once nor twice. Therefore, the
heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing.
And he called his servants and said to them, Will you not show
me which of us is for the king of Israel, giving this information
and delivering him? And one of his servants said,
None, my lord, O king, but lies to the prophet that's in Israel.
Telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy
bedchamber. And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send
and fetch him. And it was told him, saying,
Behold, he is in Dothan. Therefore, since he did their
horses and chariots and a great host and they came by night and
compass the city about and when the servant of the man of God
was risen early and gone forth, behold, and host compass the
city both with horses and chariots and a servant said unto him,
Alas, my master, how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not. For they that be with us are
more than they that be within. And Elisha prayed and said, Lord,
I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened
the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain
was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. And he couldn't see until God
opened his eyes, and then he saw. I don't see that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are called
according to His purpose. I can't see it, but I'm not looking
at that. I'm looking at things that are
not seen. All things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are called according to His purpose. I can't see that
I am complete in the Lord Jesus Christ, that I'm not looking
at what I can see. I'm looking at what I can't see,
that I am complete, lacking nothing in the Lord Jesus Christ. I can't
see that there's a man in glory right now as my great high priest
and advocate representing me. I can't see the thousands of
chariots round about me. I can't see those things, but
I'm not looking at what I can see. I'm looking at what I can't
see. And even now, there's a man in
glory, Jesus Christ, the righteous, representing me before the Father,
whom I trust. I trust him with the right now.
I trust him with tomorrow and I trust him with yesterday. We
trust him. Now, if you look at things which
you see, you're going to be utterly discouraged. I guarantee you,
you will. But we don't look at things which are seen, but things
which are not seen. Turn to Galatians chapter six. Verse 9. And let us not be weary. That's the same word. Let us
not faint. Let us not lose heart. Let us
not be weary in well doing. We have this promise in due season. We shall reap. If we think not. In due season. We shall reap. That's God's promise. Now, well-doing
covers a lot of ground. The preaching of the gospel. Praying for God's blessings.
Seeking to honor the Lord in our lives and seeing little or
no fruit. But we still have this promise
in due season. We shall reap. If we think not. Don't lose heart in well-doing. Don't think you're spinning your
wheels. Paul said to the Corinthians,
be steadfast, unmoved, always abounding in the work of the
Lord, because you know your labor is not in vain in the Lord. So be steadfast. Don't be weary
in well-doing. Turn to Ephesians chapter 3. I hope the Lord gives us the
grace to get a hold of what's being said here. In verse 13. He says, wherefore, I desire
that you think not. There's the word again at my
tribulations for you, which is your glory, I desire that you
think not when you see what I'm going through for you. Now, let's
back up and see what he'd said. Before this in verse 11, He talked
about the eternal purpose, which he purposed in Christ Jesus,
our Lord. Don't you love that? The eternal
purpose, a purpose that's already been purposed and it's already
done. You know, there's no point in
worrying about anything because everything's already been determined
and salvation is already accomplished. Somebody says, well, that's fatalism. No, it's not. It's faith. It's
faith. It's not fatalism. It's faith. faith in Him who has an eternal
purpose. According to the eternal purpose
which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom? In whom? We have boldness and access with confidence by
the faith of Him. Now, Paul was persecuted and
beaten everywhere he went. Remember when he said to the
Ephesian elders in every city, bonds and afflictions abide me. But he said, don't lose heart
over this. And here's why. Because of God's eternal purpose,
which he purposed in Christ Jesus, our Lord. And we have boldness. That boldness that's simply being
found in him in whom we have boldness now in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Of him, are you in Christ Jesus,
who of God? is made unto us. God did this. He made him to be this to us,
wisdom, righteousness, holiness, and redemption. That's the full
possession of every believer. In him we have boldness and we have access, freedom of
entrance. We don't have to go through any
probationary period. We don't have to wait till we feel better.
I think it's funny. Funny is not the right word.
After you sin, you think you've got to feel better somehow, or
you've got to get in a better frame of mind before you ask
the Lord to do something for you somehow. You've got to know
we have immediate access at all times right now with no probationary
period. Come and welcome. In who? We
have boldness. Because we have no sin in him.
That's why I'm bold. The thing that causes fear is
sin. But in him is no sin. If I'm in him, I have no sin.
We have boldness. We have access with confidence
by the faith of him. Not by our faith, but by his
faith. Do you have confidence in his
faith? Do you have confidence in his faithfulness? Turn to Luke 18. Let us come boldly to the throne
of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help
in time of need. Now look at this passage of scripture
in Luke 18. And he spake a parable unto them
to this end. And I like the way he says men. He doesn't say believers at this
time. He doesn't say the elect. He doesn't say people with regenerate
hearts. He doesn't say believing sinners,
he just says men. He just says men. Are you one
of those? A human being? That's who he says.
And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always
to pray. and not to faint, to give up,
to lose heart. Say, there was in a city a judge
which feared not God, neither regarded man. Not a very impressive individual,
is it? He didn't care about men. He didn't have any compassion.
He had no fear of God. Just a judge. went right down
the line. Verse 3, And there was a widow
in that city, and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine
adversary. And he would not for a while. But afterward he saith within
himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet because this
widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her, what's that
say, continual, continual coming, she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what
the unjust judge saith, and shall not God avenge his own elect,
which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with
them." Now, God hears prayer. And God answers prayer. And we have this encouragement
in this passage of Scripture where it says, men ought always
to pray and not to lose heart. Well, God doesn't hear an unbeliever. He only hears those in Christ.
I know, but it still says men ought always to pray and not
to lose heart. Now you pray about that, which
you can't do. You pray to God about that, which only he can
do. And he hears and answers prayer, and we are given this
encouragement, even if it seems like they are not being answered,
keep continually coming. Paul said in Philippians 4, 6,
Be careful for nothing, don't be anxious, don't worry about
anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. Men ought always to pray and
not to faint. Turn to Luke 11. There in Luke,
this is pretty much the same thing. He had taught his disciples to
pray. And as soon as he had given the prayer, here's his comment. And he said unto them, Which
of you shall have a friend? And shall go unto him at midnight,
and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend
of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing set
before him. And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble
me not. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in
bed. I cannot rise and give thee, and I can understand that. You
know, somebody came knocking on your door. I've had people
peck on my window at 4 o'clock in the morning wanting me to
come out. If you're ever in trouble, feel
free to do it. The last time I said this, I
was like, don't be knocking on my door. Come on over if you're
in trouble. But this fellow wasn't like that.
He wasn't a very nice guy. He said, leave me alone. I'm
already in bed. Verse 8. I say unto you, though
he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet
because of his importunity." You know what that word means?
Shameless persistence. Shameless persistence. He just
kept knocking. God said, no, he kept knocking,
he kept knocking, he kept knocking, and God said, he's driving me
crazy. So he gives up and he gives him the bread. And I say
unto you, ask and it shall be given you, seek and you shall
find, knock and it shall be opened to you. For everyone that asketh
receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh
it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any
of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he
ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? Or if he ask an egg,
will he give him a scorpion? If you then. Now I want you to
think about your kids, your children. If you then. being what? Evil. That's what he says to
you. You're evil. Shoe fits wear it. If you know how to give good
gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father
give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Men ought always
to pray. and not to faint, not to lose
heart, not to give up. Now the last thing I want to
look at is an encouragement to people who are faint. Turn to
1 Samuel chapter 30. I just want to read this passage
of scripture. Old Testament version of the
parable of the workers in the vineyard. In Matthew chapter
20. 1 Samuel chapter 30 verse 1. And it came to pass when David
and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day that the Amalekites
had invaded the south and Ziklag and smitten Ziklag and burned
it with fire and had taken the women captives that were therein.
They slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away,
and went on their way. So David and his men came to
the city, and behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives
and their sons and their daughters were taken captives." Can you
imagine how horrifying that would be? And David and the people
that were with him lifted up their voice and wept until they
had no more power to weep. And David's two wives were taken
captive, Ahinoam and the Jezreelites, and Abigail, the wife of Nabal,
the Carmelites. And David was greatly distressed
for the people's sake of stoning him, because the soul of all
the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his
daughters. But David encouraged himself. in the Lord his God. Now here is somewhere where I
can always be encouraged. Maybe nowhere else, but I can
be encouraged here. And David inquired of the Lord,
saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake
them? And he answered, Pursue, for thou shalt surely overtake
them, and without fail recover all. So David went, he and the
six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor,
where those that were left behind stayed. There's some people that
left behind. They didn't go with him to the
fight. And David pursued he and 400 men for 200 men abode behind,
which were so faint that they couldn't get over the brook.
They didn't go. They stayed behind. Now look in verse 17 of the same
chapter. And David smote them from the
twilight, even to the evening of the next day. And there escaped
not a man of them, say four hundred young men which rode upon Camelton
fled. And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried
away. And David rescued his two wives. And there was nothing
lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters,
neither spoiled nor anything that they had taken to them.
David recovered all." Can't you see the gospel here? Our Lord
recovered all. And David took all the flocks
and the herds which they graved before those other cattle and
said, This is David's spoil. And David came to the two hundred
men, which were so faint that they couldn't follow David, whom
they had made also to abide at the brook Besor. And they went
forth to meet David and to meet the people that were with him.
When David came near to the people, he saluted them. He treated them
with respect. Then answered all the wicked
men, men of evil, of those that went with David and said, because
they went not with us, we will not give them aught of the spoil
that we've recovered. Save every man his wife and his
children, they may lead them away and depart. Wicked men said
this. Then said David, You shall not
do so, my brethren, with that which the Lord hath given us,
who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against
us into our hand. For who will hearken unto you
in this matter? But as his part is that goeth down to the battle,
so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff that were to faint."
They all get the same thing. It was so from that day forward
that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto
this day. This is an eternal ordinance. Saint 1, we have a glorious Savior who makes all God's children
the same, saved the same way. In Isaiah chapter 40, verse 29
through 31, we read, He giveth power to the faint. And to him
that hath no might, he increases strength. Even the youth shall
faint and be weary, and the young man shall utterly fail. But they
that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount
up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and they shall
not faint." Now we have abundant reason. to not lose heart. Let's pray.