We Do Not Lose Heart

Introduction

Where have y’all been? It is certainly good to be here this morning. I cannot express to you how much we missed being here during our time of quarantine. Thankfully, our symptoms were very mild. We just mainly stayed away for your benefit. I could have come here and preached and coughed and sneezed all over you, but I didn’t figure you wanted that at all. But can’t again can’t express just how happy we are to be back with you. And I can’t express properly enough my thanks for those men who so willingly stepped in and filled in for me. I think I’ve got the list right, and if I overlook anybody, I apologize, but I certainly thank David Bunch and Stan Caldwell for preaching in my absence. Eric Poyner, Brandon Faulkner, teaching in my absence.

She didn’t buy it, but uh but I do appreciate those men who are always willing to step up and and to fill in, sometimes on very short notice, uh so that we can properly worship God and serve Him as we strive to do every day, but certainly uh on the Lord’s Day. This morning we’re doing a delayed start to our new year. This was a lesson I had intended to preach the first Sunday of the month, the first Sunday of the year. And so we’re just going to pretend like it’s the beginning of the year. So we want to introduce our annual theme. For the last several years as a congregation, we’ve had kind of an annual theme, a theme that the shepherds feel is something that the congregation needs to focus on at that particular time.

And our annual theme for this year is we do not lose heart. That’s taken from the book of 2 Corinthians chapter 4. And so I want to encourage you to get your Bibles and turn with us. We’re going to use that as our text this morning, 2 Corinthians chapter 4. And again, introducing our annual theme of we do not lose heart. We’re going to talk about what that text means, what that saying means and should mean for us today. But as I was preparing this lesson, I got thinking about the heart, of how he uses the word heart here. That’s a very prominent word in Scripture and in our vocabulary. Think about how many things we attach to our heart and how many times we talk about our heart.

Somebody who has a heart of gold.

Or maybe they’re just a bleeding heart. If we really mean something, particularly as children, we would say, cross my heart.

And as a child, if I memorize something, I would say, I know that by heart. We try to get to the heart of the matter. And we talk about those who are dear to our heart. Sometimes we just don’t have the heart to do or to say something. And we’ve all had our heart broken. And our heart melts and faints. And our heart sinks. Think about how important the heart is to us. We see that as the center of our being. We see the heart of who is really at the heart of who we are as a person, and certainly who we are as a child of God. And so when the apostle Paul says of himself and encourages us to follow in his footsteps, when the Apostle Paul says, we do not lose heart.

He saw the heart as the engine that drives him in his service to God. And he said, despite the challenges, despite the persecutions, despite the difficulties, we do not lose heart. Some of the more modern translations translate that phrase, we do not give up. And that’s our annual theme. Is the encouragement, and hopefully throughout this year, the mutual encouragement that will give each other to maintain our heart, the center of our being with and in God. And so let’s make it our goal, not just this year, but let’s just make it our goal, period. To not lose heart, to keep on keeping on, to not give up, to not melt in our heart, or have our heart sink or your heart broken, but to not lose heart.

Have you turned to 2 Corinthians chapter 4? Let’s look at how the apostle uses that phrase. He uses it twice in this chapter. He begins the chapter in 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 1. Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. Paul says, because I have this ministry, the preaching of the gospel has been entrusted to me. It is so important, because of that, we do not lose heart. Skip down to verse 16, where he says, Therefore we do not lose heart, even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is renewed day by day, even though bodily we are failing. Spiritually we are increasing. And because of that, Paul says, we do not lose heart.

1. Paul and We Are Facing Challenges

Now there’s a couple conclusions I think we can draw or need to draw from this text if we’re to have the same attitude that the apostle before us had. First of all, don’t you think that simply by the fact that he said, we do not lose heart, twice he says, we do not lose heart. Don’t you think that it’s implied from that that Paul and we are facing challenges? You don’t say don’t give up to somebody who’s got it made. You don’t say don’t give up to somebody who’s already finished the race. You probably don’t say don’t give up to somebody who’s coasting through the race. You say don’t give up, don’t lose heart to the persons who’s struggling in the race. The person who looks like he’s about to pass out and fall by the wayside.

That’s the person to whom you say, don’t give up. And so when Paul says we do not lose heart, it assumed that he was facing challenges. And the fact that the apostle Paul was facing challenges is an understatement, isn’t it? The book of 2 Corinthians, I know you’re studying the book of 2 Corinthians here in the auditorium. The book of 2 Corinthians alone, we don’t even have to leave this epistle to recognize that Paul was facing challenges. Hold your finger here. Or actually just stay in chapter 4 and just jump down a little bit. Verse 8 beginning. We’re hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed. We’re perplexed, but not in despair. Persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed. Always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus.

Think about that poetic phrase. What did Paul mean by that? Always carrying in the body the dying of Jesus. Surely Paul was talking about the physical scars that he carried. He would tell the Galatian brethren that I bear the marks of Jesus in my body. Paul had the scars to prove. And in increasing severity of lists, starting here in chapter 4, and then going on to chapter 6, and then finally going on to chapter 11, Paul would list, again, in increasing severity and increasing detail, he would list the persecutions. Most famously there in chapter 11, he would talk about the number of times he had been stoned, the number of times he had been beaten and left for dead and shipwrecked. And we talked about this in the auditorium class last Wednesday night, that that was an incomplete list.

When Paul wrote 2 Corinthians, he’s just at the beginning or toward the beginning of his third missionary journey. All of the persecutions, the shipwrecks that would accompany him in the latter part of that third journey, him being arrested and taken to Rome and imprisoned, and finally, we believe put to death, weren’t even on that list. And so to say Paul faced challenges was an understatement. But Paul said, regardless of those challenges, we don’t lose heart. And Satan didn’t stop with the crucifixion of Jesus. Satan didn’t stop with the persecution of the apostles like Paul and those Christians in the first century. Satan hasn’t given up.

2. We Face Sin and Temptation

Think about the challenges that we face. We face sin and temptation. That hasn’t stopped with the first century. Sin and temptation is forever in front of us. It is Peter who faced those challenges, who said we consider Satan as that roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. We recognize what James said. Look over in James chapter 1, as James warned about that temptation. Peter would say, watch out for Satan. James would say, watch out for yourself. James chapter 1, he says, beginning in verse 14, let each one is tempted when he’s drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then when desire has conceived, it brings birth to sin, and sin when it is full grown brings death. Sin in temptation is a constant challenge in front of us.

3. We Have Our Own Form of Persecution

We have our own form of persecution. We think about those first century saints and the severe and brutal physical persecutions that they faced. We think of Christians throughout the centuries who faced the threat of imprisonment or beatings or death. We think sadly of even Christians today in other parts of the world who face that physical threat of persecution. And we sorrow for them and we breathe a sigh of relief that we’re not persecuted. But we better beware, because we are persecuted, just in a different form. Turn with me if you will to the book of 1 Peter. Peter recognized 1 Peter is all about persecution. And notice what he says in the book of 1 Peter.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if needs be, you have been grieved by various trials. Various trials. Persecution can take different forms. And I don’t think by various trials, Peter meant, oh, yeah, because you can be stoned or beaten or beheaded or set on fire. He wasn’t talking about the various forms of physical persecution. It’s much broader than that. In fact, listen, as Peter goes through the list, look in chapter 2. He’s talked about various trials. Now he lists them. Chapter 2, verse 11, beloved, beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, it’s abstain from fleshly lust, which war against the soul. Lust, temptation that we’ve just been talking about. That in and of itself is a trial that we have to overcome.

Look in chapter 3. I’m still in 1 Peter, chapter 3, verse 16. Having a good conscience, he says, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. When they defame you, that literally means speak against you. And so what was one form of persecution? Speaking against. Now, to be fair, speaking against in the first century may have led to imprisonment, stonings, beatings, and death. But as he doesn’t talk about that form of persecution, he talks simply about being defamed. Look over, stay in 1 Peter chapter 4 and in verse 4. In regard to these, that is the sins that the Gentile non Christian world participate in, in these, they think it’s strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.

What was one of the various trials? Just being viewed as an oddball, because you won’t do what we’re doing. And they speak evil of you. Lastly, in chapter 5, and in verse 8, he says, be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. So Satan, temptation. But also when he lists, and I find it interesting, at a time period when they were being beaten, when they were being stoned and put in prison and put to death, Peter says, you’re undergoing various trials, but the only trials he talks about were being spoken against and being tempted to sin. And guess what? Those are still alive and well in 21st century America. And by the way, Satan doesn’t care what it takes to get you to lose your faith.

4. The Burdens of Life and Opposition

He doesn’t care whether it’s a stone or a guillotine or a laugh and a statement of ridicule. If it’ll get you to diminish and lose your faith, he’s one. So we face our own challenges. We face just the burdens of life. If we would have continued reading in that list, then in chapter 4, 6, and 11, Paul lists the persecutions that he faced, but then when he gets to chapter 12, he mentions something else, doesn’t he? He talks about a thorn in the flesh. We don’t know what that was, but some kind of physical problem plagued the apostle Paul. So much so that it says at least three times he prayed to God that it might be removed. But despite that, Paul says, we do not lose heart.

That might be your challenge. That might be the thing that’s causing you to want to give up. It might be some physical struggle that you’re facing. It might be just the distractions of life. Something that’s not inherently sinful, but something that can just occupy your time and your interest and dominate your thoughts, such that Christ and Christianity become second or third on your list. Paul faced opposition. In spite of this, he says, we do not lose heart. Turn back with me, if you would, to 2 Corinthians chapter 4. When Paul says, we do not lose heart, it assumed that he was facing challenges, physical challenges, whether it was an illness that he had or persecution or sin or temptation, or it might have been the opposition.

Look in 2 Corinthians chapter 4, beginning in verse 2. We have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. But even if our gospel is veiled, it’s veiled in those who are perishing, whose minds the God of this world has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine in them. Paul is talking about those who refuse to obey the gospel, who refuse to believe, and not only refuse to believe, but had been teaching another gospel and were opposing the true gospel that Paul was preaching.

5. Proper Perspective: It’s Not About Me

And so he had the physical persecution, the physical ailments, he had sin and temptation, just the burdens of life, and then he had people opposing him in the preaching of the gospel. And Paul says, in all of that, we do not lose heart. And the reason Paul could say that, in the midst of his challenges and the difficulties and the distractions and the things that would pull him away from his focus where it ought to be, Paul could say, we do not lose heart, because Paul had put everything in proper perspective. Think about the things that Paul was facing and how he had the right focus. Look in chapter 4, 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verses 5 and 6, he says, for we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we, verse 7 says, we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. Paul could say we do not lose heart in the midst of everything that was going on because Paul says it’s not about me.

And what happens to me is not the focus.

We’re just an earthen vessel, Paul says, that’s containing the light of the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And Paul says, so whatever happens to me is not really that big of a deal. Because it’s about the gospel.

I need to look at myself. I need to think about myself in all of this. And there is some truth to that. But Paul said the key to his not losing heart was to not look at himself. Or at least not to focus on that, because Paul he said, it’s not about me. It’s about the gospel. Let’s keep our minds upon God, upon Jesus, upon Jesus Christ and Him crucify. And nothing else matters. It breaks my heart to hear of brothers and sisters in Christ give up because of what somebody else has done. The preacher said something, and I didn’t like it. Or the elders did something, and I didn’t like it. Our brother and sister so-and-so on the other side of the building looked at me or said something, and I didn’t like it.

And so I quit. Please, please, I beg of you, don’t let anybody else’s behavior, even if it is wrong, don’t let their behavior and their treatment of you keep you out of heaven. Keep it in perspective. Keep the focus where it ought to be, and that is on the gospel, on God and Jesus Christ, and us receiving the reward. Nothing else matters.

6. An Eternal Perspective

And that’s how you can not lose heart. Paul also kept it in focus this way. Look in verse 16 again. Therefore, we do not lose heart, even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. Paul kept it in perspective by keeping it in an eternal perspective. He recognized that what was happening here wasn’t the goal. It wasn’t the purpose, it wasn’t the end. It was just a means to the end. And Paul said, Yeah, am I being beaten? Am I being stoned and left for dead and thrown into prison? Am I bearing in my body the dying of Jesus? Yes. But this body’s just temporary. And so I don’t care.

On which they were served dinner. Somebody comes to your house and you serve them dinner on a paper plate, and they tear up that paper plate. About how ridiculous it would be for you to get so upset at something that was just intended to be temporary and disposable. That seems to be the kind of focus Paul had about his body. Though our outward man is decaying, we don’t lose heart. Because it’s not about this. We have, as John read for us, we have a building not made with hands, eternal in the heaven. That’s my focus, Paul says. And because of that, we do not lose heart. What’s your challenge? You might say, How much time do you have? We all face challenges, don’t we? It seems in the last couple of years, those challenges have, at a minimum, they’ve changed.

We could argue they’ve intensified. They’ve tried to distract us and to lose their proper focus and perspective. But Paul is screaming from eternity. Do not lose heart. Paul would tell the Philippian brethren about his past life. That was a grand success in Judaism. But he would say famously there in Philippians chapter 3, forgetting those things which are behind and pressing on. And so whatever it is that might be distracting you, that might be your challenge, that might be causing you to lose focus and perspective, whether it’s a challenge of this life, whether it’s a disease or a burden in your life, or whether it’s something good, some grand reward or promotion or thing that might cause you to focus more on this life, Paul would say, forget those things which are behind and press on.

Conclusion

Or to put it another way, Paul would say, do not lose heart. And so we want to challenge you throughout this year to put your focus where it ought to be.

And to press on. And so let’s join hands and join hearts and encourage and challenge one another to not lose heart. Do you need to begin that journey this morning or to start that journey again? If you’re lost and dying in this world and need some kind of hope, some kind of proper focus and perspective toward eternity, then why not obey the gospel this morning? Why not believe in Him? Repent of your sins, confess your faith, and we’ll baptize you this very morning. And then we’ll be there by your side saying, do not lose heart. Maybe you’ve done that in the past, but your heart is sunk. And you’ve lost heart. It’s not too late to start again. It’s not too late to rededicate yourself and your life and your focus and your heart to the cause that matters and lasts.

Can we encourage you in any way to come to Him this morning as together we stand and as we sing?