HOW TO MEET DISCOURAGEMENTS "Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.'-- 2Co:4v17-18. NOTICE THE marvelous antithesis of this chapter: light and darkness; life and death; pressure, perplexity, pursuit, and persecution; but side by side, victory, elastic hope, and the brightness of Christian faith. The decay of the outward man and the renewal of the inward; the light affliction and the weight of glory; the brief moment of earth's pilgrimage contrasted with the eternity of reality and bliss. It is very important that we should not miss the mighty blessing which is within the reach of every troubled soul. Of course it is quite possible to sit down before troubles and afflictions, hopeless and despairing, confessing that we are over-powered and defeated; it is also possible to be hard and stoical, bearing adversity because we cannot help or avoid it, but the highest Christian way is to be thankful that the earthen vessel is breaking if only the torch will shine out; to be content that the dying of Jesus should be borne about in our mortal body, if only His life will thereby become manifest. When through the deep waters I call thee to go; The rivers of grief shall not thee overflow; For I will be with thee in trouble to bless; And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress. PRAYER Fix my heart, O Lord, on Thyself, that amid the changes and chances of this mortal life I may be kept steadfast and unmoveable and ever abounding in Thy work. AMEN.
What makes Mordecai and Esther great leaders is that they accept their positions of authority that God, in his favor and grace, gave them. What authority do you have? Here's what God wants you to do: humbly accept it, because it's not about you or your fear of failure, but about people and an opportunity to help them. Sometimes the people who feel the least qualified for leadership are the most qualified because they have the first prerequisite, which is humility.
This clip is excerpted from the sermon "Jesus Is a Better Missionary," part 9 of the sermon series Esther: God's Perfect Work through Imperfect People. It was preached by Pastor Mark Driscoll out of Esther 8:1--17 at Mars Hill Downtown Bellevue and released online on November 11.
Watch the full sermon here: http://jesus.to/TFvGpv
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“Are they Israelites? so am I.” - 2Co_11:22 We have here A PERSONAL CLAIM, and one that needs proof. The apostle knew that his claim was indisputable, but there are many persons who have no right to the title who yet claim to belong to the Israel of God. If we are with confidence declaring, “So am I also an Israelite,” let us only say it after having searched our heart as in the presence of God. But if we can give proof that we are following Jesus, if we can from the heart say, “I trust him wholly, trust him only, trust him simply, trust him now, and trust him ever,” then the position which the saints of God hold belongs to us-all their enjoyments are our possessions; we may be the very least in Israel, “less than the least of all saints,” yet since the mercies of God belong to the saints AS SAINTS, and not as advanced saints, or well-taught saints, we may put in our plea, and say, “Are they Israelites? so am I; therefore the promises are mine, grace is mine, glory will be mine.” The claim, rightfully made, is one which will yield untold comfort. When God’s people are rejoicing that they are his, what a happiness if they can say, “SO AM I!” When they speak of being pardoned, and justified, and accepted in the Beloved, how joyful to respond, “Through the grace of God, SO AM I.” But this claim not only has its enjoyments and privileges, but also its conditions and duties. We must share with God’s people in cloud as well as in sunshine. When we hear them spoken of with contempt and ridicule for being Christians, we must come boldly forward and say, “So am I.” When we see them working for Christ, giving their time, their talent, their whole heart to Jesus, we must be able to say, “So do I.” O let us prove our gratitude by our devotion, and live as those who, having claimed a privilege, are willing to take the responsibility connected with it.
Augustine said that pride is the mother of all sin. Here are some questions about pride for you to think, talk, and pray about: Do you crave attention, honor, recognition, or reward? Do you become jealous or critical of people who succeed? Do you always have to win? Do you lack ambition for fear of failing? Do you have a pattern of lying about or hiding your failures? Do you have a hard time fully acknowledging you were wrong? Sin is birthed out of pride, and glory to God is birthed out of humility. It all comes back to the question of who gets the glory.
This clip is excerpted from the sermon "Jesus Is a Better Servant," part 7 of our current series, Esther: God's Perfect Work through Imperfect People. It was preached by Pastor Mark Driscoll out of Esther 6:1--13 at Mars Hill Downtown Bellevue and released online on October 28.
The Emphasize Exercise “Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you.” (1Pe_5:7). Earlier we saw that sometimes you just need to hurl — to unload upon the Lord the full weight of all that burdens you, and then find rest from your troubles in His strong and loving embrace. You can do this because, as Peter tells us, “He cares for you.” Let’s look at the word he uses for “care.” It literally means “the distractions created by fear, worry, anxiety and dread; distractions that pull us in several directions at the same time.” Take all these things — fear, worry, anxiety, and dread — bundle them together and throw them upon God; and keep throwing them over and over until they finally leave your hands and rest solidly upon His shoulders. Otherwise they will pull you apart; tear you to pieces! And here is the singular truth that makes it all happen — “He cares for you!” Several years ago I discovered a wonderful technique I call “the emphasize exercise.” It works like this: I take a verse of scripture and read it over several times, emphasing only one word in the verse each time I read it; repeating the process until I have emphasized every word in the verse. The insights that open up are truly delightful. Let me take this phrase — “He cares for you” — and show you what I mean. 1. “HE cares for you.” — This is Almighty God we are talking about here; not some junior angel whose been handed your case. No, God Himself, the King of Glory, the Lord of Host, the Alpha and Omega; He who sustains all things by the word of His power; the Omnipotent God — your Heavenly Father. HE cares for you.” 2. He CARES for you.” — He is affectionate in His regard for your estate. He holds you in His heart, and looks with kind intentions upon your life, and good will toward your soul and well-being. He CARES!” 3. He cares FOR you.” — He is not passive, but active. He’s not thinking about doing it when He gets around to it — He’s on top of it right now! He has already stepped in on your behalf and undertaken the cause of blessing you in boundless ways. And He is doing it FOR you; so you don’t have to try and do it for yourself!” 4. He cares for YOU!” — Yeah, that’s right — YOU! Sure, He cares for all the saints and great champions of yore; and for all those who are serving Him mightily in today’s world — the spiritual news-makers and world-shakers, devil-busters, kingdom-builders, and soul-savers. But you’re not overlooked in all this. NO! A thousand times NO! “He cares for YOU!” 5. Now, to put the cheery on the top, go ahead and say it all together — emphasizing all the words: “HE CARES FOR YOU!!” You can really drive it home by making it personal, and repeating this process until the burden has lifted: “YOU CARE FOR ME!!!”
We're all proud in different ways. Even if we are able to hide it from other people, God looks at the heart, says Proverbs. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble, we're told in both 1 Peter 5 and James 4. Haman's pride was tragic because he wanted to be like his king—but he had the wrong king. If we look up to anyone other than Jesus, it's the wrong king.
This clip is excerpted from the sermon "Jesus Is a Better Servant," part 7 of our current series, Esther: God's Perfect Work through Imperfect People. It was preached by Pastor Mark Driscoll out of Esther 6:1--13 at Mars Hill Downtown Bellevue and released online on October 28.
Watch the full sermon here: http://jesus.to/PhvIFE
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Creative Commons Attribution licence (reuse allowed)
Sometimes You Just Need to Hurl! “Casting all your care upon Him; for He cares for you.” (1Pe_5:7). Earlier we learned that we are to “humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God.” Today, I want to show you the secret of exactly how to do it. Today’s verse is filled with decisive action. We are specifically told to do something…something very important. Peter tells us, ”Cast all your cares upon Him,” the Apostle writes. The word he uses literally means “to be continually casting.” In other words, this is not a one time thing; no, we are to make it the habit of our daily lives. And the root meaning of the word “casting” is beautifully excessive; it goes well beyond the thought of simply becoming an imposition upon another — it actually has the idea of being a “super-imposition” — a total freeloader! Have you ever said to someone, “I don’t mean to impose upon you, but could you give me some help?” It’s a polite way of humbling yourself in a time of need. And that’s all well and good, for sometimes we do need to ask others for assistance without becoming an imposition upon them. But the Apostle goes well beyond this social protocol. He instructs us to not merely make ourselves an imposition upon God — but to go so far as to become a super-imposition upon Him! The phrase “casting your cares” literally means “to throw upon another.” In this case, the other is God Himself. Peter is saying that we must throw our cares upon God. Indeed, HURL them, so as to get them as far away from ourselves as possible! We are not talking slow-pitch softball here. HURL it with everything you got in you!! Think of a catapult and you get the picture. This is the secret of humbling ourselves under the mighty hand of God. The proud hold tightly to the cares of this world, deeming themselves sufficient to handle things on their own. But, we humble ourselves by “casting our cares upon the Lord” — by hurling the weight of the world onto His strong shoulders, and finding our place of rest in His loving care. Tomorrow, I will show you a practical way to do this; its what I call the Emphasize Exercise…
Under the Mighty Hand of God “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time” (1Pe_5:6). I once read that when you see the word therefore in a sentence, you should ask, “What’s it there for?” Backing up to the previous verse we read that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” For this reason, THEREFORE, we are to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. It’s a no-brainer, really. It comes down to a simple question: Do you want your life to be limited to what only you can do yourself, or do you want the hand of God to lift you up to places and things that you could never otherwise reach? A.W. Tozer said, “God is looking for those through who He can do the impossible. What a pity that we settle for only those things we can do ourselves.” All it takes is humility, for God gives grace to the humble. Humility is the God-given self assurance that eliminates the need to prove to others the worth of who you are, and the rightness of what you do. Grace is the empowering presence of God, enabling you to be who God created you to be and to do what He has called you to do. The proud will never experience this grace because they are only and always about themselves first and foremost. Any consideration they have of others is only as it somehow serves their own agendas. But those who humble themselves fair far better in this world — and in the next. Peter says that “God will exalt them in due time.” The phrase “due time” literally means “the opportune moment.” It is best understood by the phrase, “being the right person in the right place at the right time for the right reasons.” When God holds you under His mighty hand, you can be sure that He will bring you forth “in due season.” In this day when pride and greed are tearing our world apart, as fools tinker with matters that are way over their heads, my counsel to you as well as to my own soul is found in the Apostle Peter’s choice words — “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.” Tomorrow I’ll show the secret of exactly how to do this.
Psa 18:1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David The Servant of the LORD, Who Spoke to the LORD The Words of This Song on the Day that the LORD Delivered Him from the Hand of All His Enemies and from the Hand of Saul. And He Said: I will love You, O LORD, my strength.
Psalms 18:1
I will love thee, O Lord - This verse is not found in the song in 2 Sam. 22. It appears to have been added after the first composition of the psalm, either by David as expressive of his ardent love for the Lord in view of his merciful interpositions in his behalf, and on the most careful and most mature review of those mercies, or by the collector of the Psalms when they were adapted to purposes of public worship, as a proper commencement of the psalm - expressive of the feeling which the general tenor of the psalm was fitted to inspire. It is impossible now to determine by whom it was added; but no one can doubt that it is a proper commencement of a psalm that is designed to recount so many mercies. It is the feeling which all should have when they recall the goodness of God to them in their past lives.
My strength - The source of my strength, or from whom all my strength is derived. So Psa_27:1,“The Lord is the strength of my life.” Psa_28:8, “he is the saving strength of his anointed.” Compare Psa_29:11; Psa_46:1; Psa_73:26; Psa_81:1; Psa_140:7.
Psalms 18:1
I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.
These words are not in twenty second chapter of Second Samuel: the psalm there begins with Psa_18:2. The psalmist here expresses his love to the Lord, and his continuance in it; that Jehovah the Father was, is, and ever will be the object of Christ's love, is certain; and which has appeared by his readiness in the council and covenant of grace to do his will; by his coming down from heaven to earth for that purpose; by his delight in it, it being his meat and drink to do it; and by his sufferings and death, which were in compliance with, and obedience to it, John_14:31; and as in David, so in all regenerate ones, there is love to God; Jehovah is loved by them in all his persons; Jehovah the Father is loved, and to be loved, for the perfections of his nature, because of the works of his hands, of creation and providence; and particularly because of his works of special grace and goodness, and especially because of his love wherewith he has loved his people, 1Jo_4:19. Jehovah the Son is loved, and to be loved, above all creatures and things whatever, sincerely and heartily, fervently and constantly; because of the loveliness of his person, the love of his heart, and his works of grace and redemption; all of him is lovely; and he is to be loved, and is loved, in his person, offices, relations, people, word, and ordinances: Jehovah the Spirit is loved, and to be loved, because of his person and perfections, and operations of grace; as a sanctifier, comforter, the spirit of adoption, the earnest and pledge of eternal glory. The word here used signifies the most intimate, tender, and affectionate love; it often designs mercy and bowels of mercy; so Aben Ezra interprets it of seeking mercy of God: the reasons are as follow in this verse and Psa_18:2, because "the Lord is my strength"; so he was to Christ as man, who as such was the man of his right hand, the Son of Man, whom he made strong for himself, to do his work, and for his glory, Psa_80:17; he promised to strengthen him, and he did, Psa_89:21; and so he is the strength of all his saints, even Jehovah, Father, Son, and Spirit; he is the strength of their hearts both in life and at death; he is the strength of their graces, who strengthens that which he has wrought for them, and in them; he strengthens them to do their duty, to bear the cross, and every affliction, and against every enemy of their souls; and this renders him very lovely and amiable to them.
Psa 18:2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalms 18:2
The Lord is my rock,.... To whom the saints have recourse for shelter and safety, for supply, support, and divine refreshment; and in whom they are secure, and on whom they build their hopes of eternal life and happiness, and so are safe from all enemies, and from all danger. Christ is called a Rock on all these accounts, Psa_61:2;
and my fortress; or garrison; so the saints are kept in and by the power of God as in a garrison,1Pe_1:5;
and my deliverer: out of all afflictions, and from all temptations, and out of the hands of all enemies; from a body of sin and death at last, and from wrath to come;
my God; the strong and mighty One, who is able to save, and who is the covenant God and Father of his people;
my strength, in whom I will trust; as Christ did, and to whom these words are applied in Heb_2:13; and as his people are enabled to do even under very distressing and discouraging circumstances, Job_13:15;
my buckler; or shield; who protects and defends them from their enemies, and preserves them from the fiery darts of Satan;
and the horn of my salvation; who pushes, scatters, and destroys their enemies, and saves them; a metaphor taken from horned beasts; so Christ, the mighty and able Saviour, is called, Luke_1:69;
and my high tower; such is the name of the Lord, whither the righteous run and are safe, Pro_18:10; and where they are above and out of the reach of every enemy; see Isa_33:16; in 2Sa_22:3, it is added, "and my refuge, my Saviour, thou savest me from violence". These various epithets show the fullness of safety in Jehovah, the various ways he has to deliver his people from their enemies, and secure them from danger; and the psalmist beholding and claiming his interest in him under all these characters, rendered him exceeding lovely and delightful to him; and each of them contain a reason why he loved him, and why, in the strength of grace, he determined to love him. God may be regarded in all these characters by Christ as man.
Cross-Bearing If any man will come after me, let him…take up his cross daily— Luke_9:23 The Cross Signified Anything Difficult to Bear When the Romans crucified a criminal, not only did they hang him on a cross. As a last terrible indignity, they made him carry the cross upon his back. Probably Jesus, when a lad, had been a witness of that dreadful spectacle. How it would sink into His boyish mind the dullest imagination can conjecture. And that was why, when He became a man, He used the imagery of cross-bearing to describe all that is bitterest in life. The cross is anything difficult to bear; anything that robs the step of lightness and blots out the sunshine from the sky. And one of the primary secrets of discipleship is given in our text: "If any man will come after me, let him take up his cross daily." Cross-Bearing: A Universal Thing The first implication of our text is that cross-bearing is a universal thing. If any man will come after Me—then no one is conceived of as escaping. In the various providence of God there are things we may escape in life. There are many who have never felt the sting of poverty: there are some who have never known the hour of pain. But if God has His providence which distinguish us, He has also His providence which unite us, and no man or woman ever escapes the cross. There is a cross in every life. There is a crook in every lot. There is a bitter ingredient in every cup, though the cup be fashioned of the gold of Ophir. Our Lord knew that everyone who came to Him, in every country and in every age, would have to face the discipline of cross-bearing. The servant is not greater than his Lord. The next implication of our text is that cross-bearing is a universal thing. "If any man will come after me, let him take up his cross." From which I gather that crosses are peculiar; separate as personality; never quite the same in different lives. When coins are issued from the mint, they are identical with one another. Handle them; they are alike: there is not a shade of difference between them. But things that issue from the mint of God are the very opposite of that: their mark is an infinite diversity. Some crosses are bodily and some are mental. Some spring from unfathomed depths of being. Some are shaped and fashioned by our ancestors, and some by our own sins. Some meet us in the relationships of life, frequently in the relationships of toil, often in the relationship of home. Were crosses like coins issued from the mint, we should ask for nothing more than human sympathy. That would content us, were we all alike. That we would appreciate and understand. But in every cross, no matter how it seem, there is something nobody else can understand, and there lies our utter need of God. No one was ever tempted just as you are, though every child of Adam has been tempted. No one ever had just your cross to carry; there is always something which makes it all your own. And that is why, beyond all human kindliness, we need the eternal God to be our refuge, and underneath, the everlasting arms. The third implication of our text is that cross-bearing must be a willing thing. "If any man will come after me, let him take up his cross." Probably our Lord, visiting Jerusalem, had seen a criminal led to execution. He had seen the legionary take the cross and lay it on the shoulders of the criminal. And the man had fought and struggled like a beast, in his loathing of that last indignity—and yet for all his hate he had to bear it. Our Lord never could forget that. It would haunt His memory to the end—these frenzied and unavailing struggles against an empire that was irresistible. Did He, I wonder, recall that horrid scene when He forbade His follower to struggle so? Let him take up his cross, I had a friend, a sweet and saintly man, whose little girl was dying. She was an only child, much loved, and his heart was very bitter and rebellious. Then he turned to his wife and said: "Wife, we must not let God take our child. We must give her." So kneeling down beside the bed together, they gave up their baby—and their wills. My dear reader, I do not know your cross, I only know for certain that you have one. And I know, too, that the kind of way you bear it will make all the difference to you. Your cross may harden you; it may embitter you; it may drive you out into a land of salt. Your cross may bring you to the arms of Christ. Rebel against it, you have still to carry it. Rebel against it, and you augment its weight. Rebel against it, and the birds cease singing. All the music of life's harp is jangled. But take it up because the Master bids you, incorporate it in God's plan for you, and it blossoms like the rod of Aaron. The last implication of our text is that cross-bearing is a daily thing. "If any man will come after me, let him take up his cross daily." There lies the heroism of cross-bearing. It is not a gallant deed of golden mornings. You have to do it, cheerfully and bravely, every dull morning of the week. Some disciplines are quite occasional. They reach us in selected circumstances. Cross-bearing is continuous. It is the heroism of the dull common hour. Thank God, there is something else which is continuous, and that is the sufficient grace of Him, whose strength is made perfect in our weakness, and who will never leave us nor forsake us. "If any man will come after me, let him .... take up his cross daily."
