Don't Give Up!

Don’t Give Up!

Galatians 6:9

March 9, 2008

NOTE: THE ME/WE/GOD/YOU/WE FORMAT USED IN MY MESSAGES IS BORROWED FROM ANDY STANLEY’S BOOK, "COMMUNICATING

FOR A CHANGE."

Introduction

William Wilberforce was a politician in England during the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. He served in Parliament during a time that would impact not only England, but the world, including the United States.

During his time in Parliament he was introduced to the horrors of the slave trade.

He met former slaves and saw the scars from the whips and branding irons.

He went aboard slave ships and saw the conditions in them. The slaves were stuffed inside them by the hundreds and many millions died just on the journey and thrown overboard.

He saw the “civilized” British Empire exploiting and profiting from the sale of human beings.

It didn’t take too long before he came to the realization that God was leading him to do something about it.

He had recently given his life to Christ, and he was struggling with the question of whether he was to serve God or his country through Parliament.

While he struggled with that question, one lady said something to him that charted his destiny for the next almost 50 years: “I would suggest you should do both.” And so he did.

Wilberforce served God and the cause of abolition of slavery relentlessly, and he lived long enough to see slavery abolished in the British Empire.

It was a long and weary fight, and in the end it cost him his life – he died three days after the abolition of slavery passed.

Me: We’re in an election year, and I’ll be honest with you. I hate election years. I hate almost everything about them.

Over the next 8 months, we’re going to be swamped with campaign ads for politicians and issues.

Our phones will be ringing off the hook as the politicians have their people call us to convince to vote for them.

Isn’t it a bit ironic that politicians passed a bill that allows us to block telemarketers, but doesn’t block politicians?

Now don’t get me wrong. I think that in this great country, we have a political system that outshines all others in the world. A system that allows the greatest number of people to participate and have a voice.

But I also think that more people are in it for themselves than for the betterment of our country.

We: I think it’s safe to say that most of us here get tired of all the politics.

But when we’re faced with the fact that we have to operate within the political system in order to see things happen, then it’s time for the Church to step up and be involved.

And in South Dakota, we have another opportunity to have our voices heard for the sake of the betterment of our country, and in particular for the sake of the unborn.

God: I’m not going to share a verse about how God creates every person and that that’s why we should work for the unborn.

Actually what I want to address is the fact that even with good causes like this, we can become tired, and we can be tempted to just be quiet and not make waves.

And the passage I want to use is Galatians 9:6 –

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

The abortion industry and its supporters will tell you that South Dakotans are tired from the last election, and don’t want to deal with this again, especially so soon.

But here’s my answer, and it’s what I want you to take away from this today, even if you don’t remember anything else I have to say:

It’s never the wrong time to do the right thing!

William Wilberforce worked for 19 years to see the first anti-slavery law passed, outlawing the slave trade in the British Empire. Slaves could not be bought, sold, or shipped in or out of the Empire.

It took another 26 years for slavery to be totally abolished in England.

That’s 45 years of relentless effort on the part of one man and those who believed as he did that all men are created equal, regardless of color or station in life.

Why did Wilberforce continue for so long? He was hated by many, and he faced physical challenges to his health.

He didn’t give up because the job wasn’t done. And he was convinced that God wanted slavery to end.

He was convinced that it was never the wrong time to do the right thing.

When another bill to outlaw abortion was introduced in the legislature this year, I wondered if it was too soon. I bought the lie that weariness was a good excuse to just let this go this year. I say that to my shame.