DELIVERED FROM DESPAIR
II Corinthians 1:8-11
Perhaps you have endured times of troubles and trials to the point that it seemed there was no hope in sight. Maybe you have dealt with disappointment, discouragement and even doubt. You may have even reached a point where you were tempted to throw your hands up and quit. Some of you may be at such a place right now. Tragically there are many who have gone through a time of great difficulty and rather than trusting in the Lord, they gave up and walked away from Him. There is likely someone in attendance today who is standing at a crossroads. You have been fighting a certain battle for a lengthy period of time and you are tempted to give up. Perhaps Satan is whispering in your ear that you should do just that. It is important for you to realize that there is hope, even when your circumstances seem hopeless.
Our selected text tells of a time when Paul and his ministry associates faced a time of great trouble. In fact they were certain that they would soon lose their life, but God showed up and delivered them in a powerful way. As Paul recounts the trouble that they endured, we should be able to see that God is the source of our strength. If we will trust in Him, we will find that there is hope even in the midst of the greatest storms of life. I would like to examine this passage and preach on the thought "Delivered From Despair".
The Apostle Paul paints a vivid picture of the troubles that he and his associates endured as they ministered in Asia. They were burdened and overwhelmed beyond their ability to endure. Things got so intense that they thought they would never live through it; they expected to die. However, God used this time of great difficulty to perform a great work in their lives. Paul says that because of the intensity of their troubles they stopped relying on themselves and learned to rely on God. Notice v9-10 “indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.”
God had rescued Paul from great danger in the past and he was confident that He would do it again. Because God had been faithful to deliver him from his previous troubles, Paul had learned that he could put his trust in God.
There are times in life when God allows us to go through times of difficulty and trouble; however He never does this without a purpose. One of the greatest benefits of suffering in the life of a Christian is that it serves to strengthen our faith in the Lord. It has been said that "In order to realize the worth of the anchor, one must first experience the storm”. If you are going through a storm today, take heart and realize that there is a refuge in the storm.
- As we consider the thought "Dealing With Despair" I want to examine the fact that:
I. TROUBLES WILL COME IN THIS LIFE
v8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia.
Paul and his associates had faced intense troubles in Asia. He doesn’t go into detail as to the source of his troubles, but he makes it clear that they were real and they were severe.
There are many who erroneously teach that if one will simply turn to Jesus, they will be immune to difficulty. Furthermore, they proclaim that if one experiences troubles and hardships it is because they have a “lack of faith”. The problem is this is not taught anywhere in the Bible. In fact, there are many scriptures that contradict this false teaching. Abraham was called to sacrifice his own son on Mt. Moriah. Moses had to deal with thousands of grumbling people who couldn’t be satisfied. Elijah was threatened by Jezebel and dealt with severe depression. David spent many days on the run while being pursued by King Saul. Daniel was cast into a den of hungry lions. Shadrack, Meshach & Abednego were bound and thrown into a fiery furnace. John the Baptist was arrested and eventually beheaded. The apostles were threatened, beaten, imprisoned, and eventually martyred for the cause of Christ.
Paul is likely the greatest Christian who has ever lived. God used him to write the majority of the New Testament. He spent his days planting churches and strengthening Christians. But he faced immense troubles as he proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was speaking from personal experience when he told Timothy that, “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (II Timothy 3:12)
In spite of the false teaching of many in our day, it is a certainty that troubles will come in the Christian life. Some of the most faithful Christians I know have faced some of the most tragic situations and circumstances that one could imagine. There may come a time when this is a reality in your own life.
- Troubles will come, and this verse goes on to tell us that:
II. YOUR TROUBLES MAY INTENSIFY
v8b For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.
Paul didn’t just face a brief moment of trouble; his troubles came, stayed, and even multiplied. He states that they were “utterly burdened beyond their strength “, This literally means that they were “Crushed and overwhelmed beyond their ability to endure”. Their troubles were so intense that they “despaired of life itself”. They reached a point where they were certain that their situation was going to kill them.
Have you ever been there? Have you ever faced extreme troubles that just kept coming? Have you ever wondered if God even cares about what you are facing? Some of you have been there, some of you are there, and some of you will be there in the future. When you face such circumstances, if you attempt to handle things on your own you are headed for disaster.
There is a well-known cliché that says "God will not put more on you than you can handle"; this may sound encouraging but the concept is not a biblical one. The confusion comes from an incorrect interpretation of 1 Corinthians 10:13 where Paul says that “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it”. This means that the temptation to sin will never be so strong that we can’t escape it. It does not mean that we can handle all of our troubles on our own.
Many of us will testify that the only way we have made it through certain circumstances and situations is because God was there and saw us through them! While it is encouraging to know that God is with us throughout those times of trouble, we cannot ignore the fact that many times He is the one who put us in the midst of the storm.
This was the case for Paul, he was being faithful to travel and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was reaching lost souls, investing in Believers, and establishing and strengthening Churches. Yet, he found himself in a situation that was so bad that he thought his life would soon come to an end. However, through his hardships his faith was strengthened, and he was reminded that he could put his trust in God.
In the same way, there is a reason for every storm that God allows us to go through. Times of testing and trouble show us just how powerful our God is; they show us the intimate interest that He has in our live and they often serve to bring us closer to Him. This fact is evident in the following verse, there we see that:
III. TROUBLES WILL PUT THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE
v9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.
It seemed that death was imminent for these servants of God; but this served to motivate them to stop relying on themselves and to put their trust in God. God taught them that that rather than being filled with pride and trying to solve their own problems, their only hope was to look to Him! Sometimes we are stubborn and prideful, and God has to teach us a lesson the hard way. Troubles certainly have a way of putting things into perspective. Sometimes we need to be reminded that: God Is Omnipresent – He Sees All! God Is Omniscient – He Knows All! God Is Omnipotent – He Is All Powerful If we serve a God, who sees all, knows all and can do anything, then what do we have to fear? There will be times when we can't handle our troubles; but we must remember that we serve a God who can handle anything.
- This leads us to the final truth that I would like to consider:
IV. YOU HAVE A REFUGE DURING YOUR TROUBLES
v10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.
Paul proclaims that God rescued them from the troubles they faced and he believed that God would do it again. This is one of the many benefits of being a child of God; He is our refuge in times of trouble! The Psalmist said in Psalm 91:2 “I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Like Paul, you may be facing intense troubles. You may be overwhelmed with a heavy burden that you cannot bear alone. If you find yourself at a place where you feel like you can’t take another step, it could be that you are at the very place God intends wants you to be. God can use the storms and troubles of life to mold you into what He would have you to be. He also wants you to know that He is more than able to handle whatever is handling you!
He is able, more than able,
To accomplish what concerns me today,
He is able, more than able,
To handle anything that comes my way.
He is able, more than able,
To do much more than I could ever dream.
He is able, more than able,
To make me what He wants me to be.
I don't know what you are facing; you may be in the midst of the worst storm of your life. My purpose today is simply to remind you where to put your faith, and where you can find hope when it seems all hope is lost. His name is Jesus and He cares for you. There was a time when He stood on a boat in the midst of a raging sea and calmed the storm with the words "peace, be still". He can do the same thing for you today! I encourage you to look to Him, trust in Him and when the time is right you will be able to say that you have been "Delivered From Despair".
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