Pastor Rev. Steven Wagner Telephone: 573-437-5190

Rt 3, Owensville MO. 65066

FLY VISION

Open Door Fellowship

Rev. Steven Wagner

August 17, 1996

Scripture:

Psalm 43:5-"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me?

Hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Corinthians-2 1:8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

Corinthians-2 1:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

Commentary:

a. The scripture is dealing with those moments of life when we a simply discouraged. All people at one time or another are visited with this dilemma. All of us get down, depresses and despondent at one time in life. we all sail that sea, certainly for a season.

b. It's amazing the difference between one day and the next. You and I know not what a day may bring and we are very fragile creatures (one virus can kill us). Sooner than we think heavy weather or circumstance may beat upon us.

c. Sooner or later a certain amount of pressure comes to all of us. Sometimes it's severe, at other times it's light. How well we cope with it determines the amount of peace we'll enjoy in life. Failure to cope with pressure adequately can lead to deep emotional problems. It can even damage one's health.

I. The Difference One Day Can Make

A. Take For example, Elijah confronting the false prophets on Mount Carmel. There were hundreds of them serving Baal against one lone Man.

1. Elijah withstood them with sarcasm and put them to rout.

2. The next day this same brave man flees far into the wilderness cowering before the threat of a wicked woman.

B. Consider John the Baptist and his moral courage before Herod and the woman by his side. Mark his marvelous courage!

1. A little later, this same brave man was languishing in prison and he was cast down in spirit-discouraged.

2. He sent men to ask Jesus: "Art thou he that shall come, or do we look for another?"

C. Take the case of Simon Peter, mighty apostle for Christ who preached on the day of Pentecost and 3000 souls were saved.

1. That same man on another occasion, craven and cowardly, cursed and said, "No, I never knew him?"

2. The best of mean are but men at best (wise old sage).

D. Consider the case of King David about whose question we are to meditate this hour: "Why art thou cast down O, my soul?"

1. One day this brave king-this glorious singer-shouted: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is th strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1). But oh, what a difference a day makes.

2. The next day there issued from his lips this wailing cry: "I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul."

E. All of us at one time or another sail the "sea of discouragement."

1. Let us consider for a while the question of David..."Why art thou cast down...why art thou disquieted?"(Psalm 43:5).

2. Why this period of discouragement, depression and despondency?

3. Scientists tell us the fly magnifies things with its eyes. Our eyes are like that; we pick out one discouragement and magnify it many more times than it is worth.

II. Why Are We Discouraged

1. King David points out one way when he said, "why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me?" (Psalm 43:5).

2. We are to question and probe ourselves. Examine ourselves to find the cause of discouragement.

1. Oftens a man's battle with discouragement is because his body is below par. He is down physically.

2. Lifes monotony. They tell us that "variety is the spice of life."

3. Bitter disappointment

4. Self inflicted pressures of life.

C. Lifes Pressures Can be many kinds

Corinthians-2 1:8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

Corinthians-2 1:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

1. The scripture tells us not to be ignorant of trouble, it is going to come our way.

2. The world is under a great amount of pressure today and they are dealing with it with fly vision.

3. They are looking at the problem and magnifing it and can't cope with it. Even though they have created most of it themselves.

a. Recently I heard of a drug house now marketing raspberry flavored tranquilizers. Reason: the fruity flavors would make it more palatable for little children. Researchers tested these valiums on schoolchildren and tots. They found that one raspberry flavored valium, three times a day, would make kids become calm and relaxed and better able to tolerate the tensions of home and school.

b. All too many people had rather pay for valium than pray for victory.

c. This points up the traumatic pressures the world feels today. It is getting harder to live a sane, sensible, natural life in this bewildering society. All around us lie insurmountable threats to health, happiness and to our future.

DOES THE BIBLE HOLD ANY ANSWERS FOR US IN THESE END TIMES? YES

-The pressures of life must be counterbalanced by an inward thrust of prayer, praise, trust and hope.

-We must understand that, "Greater is He that in in men than he that is in the world."

-Spiritual pressure inside the church counterbalance the pressures of evil, hate and injustice from the world (as in an airplane).

-Christ will never leave us alone or forsake us in the time of need. What life does to us depends on what life finds in us. Discipline is not what you do without...but what you do within.

III. The Pressures Of Life Always Come To Improve The Production Of Life. God Will Always Have A Tested People.

A. No man travels the road of life without a trip through the tunnel of trouble.

B. Acts 14:22 confirms that through much tribulation we shall enter the kingdom of God.

C. The pressures of life will always reveal inherent weakness

1. Consider Sampson. How powerful he was!

a. He could catch and tie foxes tails together. He could slay a thousand Philistines; pick up the gates of Gaza and carry them 45 minutes up the side of mountain and deposit them there in that lofty height of exhibition; destroy a huge lion; judge Israel.

b. Yet, it was sweet little Delilah (delicate) who pressed him daily. "And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death..."Here is the subtle erosion of compromise.

c. Finally, her persistence paid off. His weakness was discovered and also the source of his power.

d. Delilah means "delicate"...it also means dangerous!

D. The purpose of the pressures and temptations of life is not to get you to sin, but rather to allow you to exploit God's power in overcoming. Temptations and pressures and discouragement's is another opportunity to prove God is able.

1. Temptations give us opportunities to strengthen ourselves, get the victory and grow toward maturity.

A. If an individual wishes to know real the contents of anything in a tube, all he has to do is step on it. The pressure will reveal the contents. So it is with life.

B. God wants to bring our lives up to our testimony. He wants to give us an opportunity to demonstrate victory.

C. Disciples were crossing the sea (Mark 4), Christ was asleep, a storm arose, the apostles panicked and the boat filled with water. Disciples were supposed to act differently in such and emergency, but the storm caved them in. They obviously were ill-prepared for this emergency.

a. They cried, "Master, carest thou not that we perish?" How many times in life we could show forth the "glory of His strength." Instead we cave in, exhibit doubt and unbelief.

b. We theorize "if God is for us why did this happen?"

c. We should trust God regardless. The Holy Ghost works in us, but God gives us an opportunity to work it out.

D. You may say, "I have the fruit of the Spirit within me." God will give you the opportunity to prove it.

1. How do you know you love until you run into hate?

2. How do you know you have peace until the storm roars in?
3. Oh, God, reveal myself to me, then give me grace to change.

E. Stephen, the first martyr, preached the longest sermon recorded and then was stoned to death. (don't get any ideas)

1. While dying, his face was radiant and angelic spirits were around him. What he was within came out under pressure.

2. May we live so that the circumstances of life become our pulpits. May we glorify His name and prove His power.

F. Peter said, "Don't think some strange thing has come upon you when you are tried. " It is a vital part of God's economy to test our strength, reveal our weaknesses, and to show His ability.

V. Troubles Now, Triumphs Later

Corinthians-2 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward [man] is renewed day by day.

Corinthians-2 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory;

Corinthians-2 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen [are] eternal.

A. In verse 16, there is a contrast between the outward and the inward. "Though our outward man perish, yet our inward man is renewed day by day."

B. In verse 17, there is a contrast between the present and the future. "for out light affliction, which is but for amoment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

C. In verse 18, there is a contrast between the seen and unseen. "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the thing which are seen are temporal: but the things which are not seen are eternal."

1. How we as Christians should live.

2. We should live with these contrasts ever before our minds.

3. They set off the merely outward, present, seen and accent the spiritual.

D. Now look in particular at chapter 4, verse 17, "For our light affliction..."Our present troubles are described in a four-fold aspect:

1. As to their nature...they are affliction.

2. As to their weight...they are light.

3. As to their duration...they are but for a moment.

4. As to their utility...work for us. An eternal glory

E. Theory is one thing: demonstration is another. He not only preaches; he practices and proves it. Oh, how Paul did endure!

1. Paul, though still amid the physical, was living in the spiritual.

2. Although amid the temporal, he was living in the eternal.

3. Though still amid the earthly, he was living in the heavenly.

4. He was not waiting to shout "glory!" then. Despite the setback and demons of hell, he said, "It's glory anyway!"

F. Paul says our light affliction worketh for us. (Yes, both for us and in us.)

a. They give us scope for the exercise and development of faith.

b. They stabilize and mature us.

c. They lead us to self-examination and purification.

d. They wean us from the world.

e. They call Christian graces into activity.

f. They drive us into the loving arms of Jesus.

g. They call forth and promote separation and holiness.

h. They quicken our desires toward heaven.

i. They accumulate for us a corresponding reward there.

G. May we never forget Paul's analysis to us:

a. Over against present affliction is future glory.

b. Over against light affliction is a weight of glory.

c. Over against that which is but for amoment is that which is eternal.

Closing:

a. We need to realize that God is in control of our lives and what ever we may be facing God is going to use that to bring out in our lives those things that need attention and spiritual growth and use them to mold us into his likeness.

b. How we deal with the pressures of life will determine how quickly we overcome those pressures, afflictions, and temptations.

c. We must truly trust in the Lord and trust that he will bring us through, not the doctors, physiologists, counselors, but Jesus.

d. Have you spent as much time in prayer on your knees in prayer to God for you problems as you have worrying, going to the doctor, counselors, etc.

e. REMEMBER GOD IS YOUR HOPE NOT MAN, NOT THIS WORLD, NOT PLANS, SCHEMES, BUT JESUS CHRIST, TRUST HIM.