What do you think of when you hear the word, UNSTOPPABLE?
A couple of years ago, a popular business magazine came out with an article called 30 Behaviors of Unstoppable People.
Is that even possible?
Are there any truly unstoppable people in the world?
I have known some people who thought they were unstoppable,
at least on some level.
But when the word “cancer” entered their vocabulary,
or their wife left,
or the bottom fell out financially,
or their illegal behavior finally caught up with them and they were on their way to prison…
Suddenly, those who thought they were unstoppable, got stopped in their tracks.
But still, we hear about those who are supposedly unstoppable.
In the world of sports, it could be a winning team, or a winning player, or even a winning coach.
In the world of music and entertainment, it might be a popular person who has demonstrated a high level of success and they seem to be virtually unstoppable when it comes to making hit songs, packing out stadiums, or achieving some other level of success.
In the business world, we have all seen companies that seem to keep winning.
They seem to be unstoppable when it comes to technology, innovation, or profits.
But here is the truth –
• every sports dynasty,
• every successful business,
• every legendary icon,
• every diva,
• every athlete,
• and every entertainer will eventually fade.
The only truly unstoppable force in this world comes from God.
God’s creation, God’s Church, God’s purpose, and God’s people.
The SPIRIT OF GOD is what makes us unstoppable.
Today, we are going to learn from a man who had every reason to give up.
We are headed to 2 Corinthians 4, as we look behind the scenes at an amazing Christian.
The Apostle Paul faced all kinds of opposition in his life.
Even though he faced opposition on every side,
Paul remained unstoppable.
Paul had people who were saying that his teaching was weak.
They accused him of being dishonest and of corrupting God's Word.
People were hurtful and unappreciative saying he lacked integrity.
They beat him with sticks, threw rocks at him, and even left him for dead.
Nobody would have blamed Paul for choosing a different career path.
• But he didn’t quit.
• He never gave up.
• He kept pressing on.
Paul possessed certain qualities that we all need to help us keep going when the going gets tough.
Qualities the Apostle Paul possessed:
1. Unstoppable Determination
Paul had an unstoppable Heart for God.
“Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up.” - 2 Corinthians 4:1 (NLT2)
Apart from the mercy of God, Paul saw himself as undeserving.
He is saying, "I am unworthy to do what God has called me to do!
When a person begins to think that they deserve a position, or status, or a ministry,
that always leads to conflict and the temptation to say, "I quit!
I quit because I deserve to be treated better than this.
I quit because I am unappreciated.
I quit because I'm not getting the credit I deserve or the pay I deserve.
Paul knows he deserves nothing.
Why does he feel this way?
I think His letter to Timothy provides insight…
“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.” - 1 Timothy 1:12-13 (NIV)
Paul knew who he was.
He remembered where he came from.
When he says, "We never give up" he is saying, we don't quit because we know that we don’t even deserve to be part of God's ministry in the first place.
It is the exact opposite of the entitlement mindset that so many possess today.
Paul says, "I cannot help but serve God, and love God, and do whatever He wants me to do… including going through tough challenges where people oppose, and criticize, and attack."
Paul had a humble, unstoppable heart for God.
God gave him his ministry and he was going to do it, no matter what.
This is NOT the result of sheer grit and determination.
He was empowered by the Spirit of God.
He was a man on a mission.
Unstoppable determination.
A second trait, that I absolutely love…
2. Unstoppable Integrity
“We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.” - 2 Corinthians 4:2 (NLT2)
Paul performed his job God's way!
He carried out his ministry with integrity.
He worked like he was working directly for God.
He recognized God as His Supervisor.
Paul knew his job was to deliver God's Word, accurately, clearly, and effectively…
even if people didn't like what they heard.
He had unstoppable integrity.
Some of you may not know this, but Paul was once spiritually blind.
Early on in his life, he thought he was serving God when He was persecuting Christians and opposing everything that God was doing.
He was single-handedly trying to destroy the church.
Paul was the #1 persecutor of the church.
He was a dangerous dude.
But one day, Paul was struck by the bright light of God's truth.
It happened on the road to Damascus.
God showed up in Paul’s life in a way that he had never experienced before.
He began seeing things from an entirely different perspective
Like all of us, he was blind to begin with.
Satan wants to keep us in the dark.
He doesn’t want you to experience the light and love of Christ.
But Paul allowed God to open his eyes.
3. Unstoppable Humility
Paul recognized God as his Source.
“You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake.” - 2 Corinthians 4:5 (NLT2)
If Paul was full of himself and pride,
looking to build a following for himself,
then he would have preached about himself instead of Christ.
He never exalted himself.
He did not preach Paul.
He proclaimed "Jesus Christ as Lord".
That is the gospel in a nutshell!
Ultimately, that is a declaration that all of us will make someday.
Philippians 2 tells us that one of these days, every knee will bow, and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord.
The focus of Paul's preaching was Christ.
He pointed people to Jesus.
When you witness, tell people about what Christ has done and not about your abilities and accomplishments.
People need to know Jesus more than they need to know us.
The message of salvation is found in Jesus Christ.
But it has been entrusted by God to frail and fallible human beings like us.
Knowing that the power is His, and not ours, should keep us from prideful.
It should also motivate us to stay connected to our power source.
Our responsibility is to let people see God through us.
“For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.” - 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NLT2)
This is a reference to the creation story.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1 tells us that the earth was formless and empty, darkness was everywhere.
Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Before God transforms us, our lives are just like the earth before God went to work.
We were dark, lifeless, and without form.
But when the light of Christ comes shining into our lives,
and the person who receives that message becomes a new creation.
A new day has dawned.
The old has gone.
The new has come.
FACT - The Good News is revealed to EVERYONE.
But some REFUSE to believe.
They reject the light and choose to remain in the darkness.
Satan "the god of this world" works to deceive, and blind,
and destroy everyone that he possibly can.
“Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” - 2 Corinthians 11:14 (NLT2)
He uses the enticement like power, pleasure, and success to blind people to the light of Christ's Good News.
When we opt for own selfish pursuits over Christ,
we have unknowingly made satan our god.
Paul went on to say…
“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” - 2 Corinthians 4:7 (NLT2)
Jars of clay were the "fast food containers" of the day.
They were cheap, ordinary and easy to replace.
Jars of clay would just last a few years.
You could find water, olive oil, or even leftovers stored in clay jars.
No one paid much attention to clay jars
They were everywhere.
Clay jars were common.
They were frail, weak and easily broken.
These clay jars are just like us.
But this highly valued treasure (God’s mercy, love, and grace) is stored in these ordinary jars of clay.
What’s on the inside is what make us valuable
Paul had unstoppable humility.
He lived an…
4. Unstoppable Life (See if this fires you up)
“We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.” - 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NLT2)
Jesus went through the cross to get to the resurrection.
Jesus died and went to the grave, but He came out in resurrection power.
Paul is not sugarcoating life.
He is being honest to say, it has been hard.
We have been pressed hard on every side.
I have been perplexed and persecuted.
I have been struck down.
He admits that being a Christian can be tough.
But notice the unstoppable quality of Paul's life.
I've been…
hard-pressed, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed.
He is basically saying, I have been knocked down, but I have not been knocked out.
Why did Paul go through this?
His answer is in verse 10.
“Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.” - 2 Corinthians 4:10 (NLT2)
Paul was willing to suffer for Christ.
He did it so that the life of Jesus might be revealed.
The Spirit of God paired with these powerful characteristics are what made Paul unstoppable.
He possessed an…
5. Unstoppable Faith
“Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies.
So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.
But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, ‘I believed in God, so I spoke.’
We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you.
All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.” - 2 Corinthians 4:11-15 (NLT2)
This passage is known as the great exchange.
In verse 12 we are told that Christ died that we might live.
Jesus gave up his life for our sakes so that we might come alive.
He became poor that we might become rich.
George Muller provided for thousands of orphans.
When asked how he was able to accomplish so much with all the challenges that he faced, he hung his head and said, "There was a day when I died."
Then he hung it even lower and said, "Died to George Muller."
Have you done that?
Have you died to yourself?
Have you?
Paul reminds us that though we may think we are at the end of our ROPE,
As followers of Jesus, we are never at the end of our HOPE.
Our perishable bodies are subject to sin and suffering, but God never abandons us.
Because Christ has won the victory over death, we have eternal life.
All our risks, humiliations, and trials are opportunities for Christ to demonstrate his power and presence in and through us.
I have been wondering…
Could you and I handle the suffering and opposition that Paul did?
The success syndrome is a great enemy of effective ministry today.
From an earthly perspective, Paul was not very successful.
Like Paul, we must carry out our ministry, looking to God for strength.
Where do you find strength anyway?
When opposition, slander, or disappointment threaten to rob you of the victory, remember that no one can destroy what God has accomplished, and is accomplishing, in you and through you.
Jesus said it like this…
“I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” - John 12:24-25 (NIV)
Paul was unstoppable because of his unstoppable determination, his unstoppable integrity, an unstoppable level of humility, which enabled him to live an unstoppable life, with an unstoppable faith which finally leads to an…
6. Unstoppable Future
“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” - 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 (NLT2)
Far too often, people quit because they lose perspective, or they lose hope that the future will be any better.
All they see are the problems that are right in front of them.
Paul says, we never give up. We do not lose heart," even though we are facing light and momentary troubles, they are nothing compared to the reality of what’s waiting for us in eternity.
Yeah, we may be wasting away outwardly,
but spiritually we are being renewed day by day.
Paul sees his troubles as "light and momentary."
We think our problems are going to last forever.
Sometimes it feels like that, doesn’t it?
Paul saw his problems as speed bumps on the road called life!
Life takes on new meaning when we gain this eternal perspective.
“So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” - 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NLT2)
As believers, we live by faith, not by sight.
Our visible world is only temporary.
What we see will not last forever.
What we cannot see, that is what will forever.
Paul was knocked down, but he was never knocked out.
These traits, paired with the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit, are what made Paul unstoppable.
How about you?
• Are you unstoppable?
• Is the power of God at work in you?
• Are you allowing His strength to be perfected in your weakness?
Conclusion:
Maybe you feel like you are ready to give up and quit in some area of your life.
If so, I would like to pray for you.
I believe some are ready for the clay jar of your life to be filled with the powerful presence of God’s Spirit.
For that to happen, you must be willing to die to self.
I cannot be filled with the Spirit of God until I am empty of the spirit of Steve.
I have to be willing to die to self.
That’s how you live with unstoppable faith.
Paul gave us a powerful reminder that should encourage us all.
“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” - 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV)
We are living in a warzone.
We are fighting a spiritual battle.
We shouldn't be surprised when life gets hard.
There is a roaring lion on the loose.
He is wreaking havoc everywhere he can.
He knows he is running out of time, but right now, he will do whatever he has to do to discourage and defeat God's people.
He plays dirty.
“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” - 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)
But we are not alone.
God is with us.
He will never leave us.
He provides the power to live an unstoppable life of faith.
“God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” - 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)
You don’t have to be a casualty of this war we are in.
Be reminded today, sincere Christ-followers are VICTORS, not victims.
This battle is already won.
That is because Jesus won the ULTIMATE VICTORY, on the cross, where he defeated sin, death, hell, and the grave.
And that is why we are unstoppable!
Let’s PRAY FOR THE STRENGTH TO BE UNSTOPPABLE
