sermon from Oct 24

Hope In the Midst of Discouragement

Ephesians 3:1-13

Series on “Our Mission” (part 7)

There are many things that can discourage God’s people. Perhaps you are going through a time of discouragement. Paul is in prison and writes to a young church that he had established. He realizes that it may be discouraging to them to know that he is in prison. He says, he “does not want them to lose heart over what I am suffering for you which is your glory.” This is a case study on how to deal with discouragement:

BACKGROUND TO PAUL’S IMPRISONMENT

• “I Paul the prisoner of Jesus Christ for the sake of you gentiles.” Note: Not Nero’s prisoner, but Jesus’ prisoner!
• He had gone to prison because of the fanatical Jewish opposition to his mission to the Gentiles and his proclamation that the good news of Jesus wasn’t just for the Jews but for everyone. See Acts 21, 22.
• Sometimes bad things happen to Christians not only as they follow Jesus but because they follow Jesus. Also see 2 Corinthians 11 and 12.
• The irritating nature and goodness of God’s promises.

HOW HE DOES NOT DEAL WITH DISCOURAGEMENT

• He doesn’t take the stoical approach (“It’s a difficult world, just stop whining”).
• He doesn’t take the false Christian approach that denies the realities of the trials. He doesn’t say, “Don’t worry, be happy” or just “Praise the Lord.”
• He doesn’t give in to self-pity

HOW HE DEALS WITH DISCOURAGEMENT

• He starts by thinking and thinking and applying big truth in everyday places.
• He thinks about God’s plan for history (how in the Old Testament God had revealed He would make one people, i.e. the church, of Jews and Gentiles).
• He thinks about his place in God’s plan. He says “Grace has been given to him so that he has been called to preach the gospel.” He is amazed at this.
• He reflects on his privileges, vs. 12 – “Through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
• Elizabeth Eliot: “He (Jesus) suffered not that we might not suffer, but that when we suffer we might become like Him.” We have two choices: (1) Love, trust and follow Christ; (2) Be destroyed by self-pity. Is God an “end” to you or is God a “means” to something else. You will never be a joyful Christian until God is the “end”, “the goal” of your life and not the means of getting something else.

Note: Some material has been drawn from Tim Keller, Elizabeth Eliot and Joni Erickson.