Don't Give Up (25 of 33)
Series: PowerBook
Jerry Vines
Acts 18:9-11
I suppose most of us, at one time or another, have felt like giving up. The pressures of daily problems and the tensions of the time, maybe the moral corruption that surrounds us, we get to the point where we say, ''I think I'll just give up. I think I'll just lay things aside.'' Some of the great people in the Bible felt like giving up at times, I think.
Remember the story of the great prophet Elijah. After a great mountaintop experience Elijah had a little time when he was down in the dumps and had the blues. He said, ''Lord, this is enough, just take me on to glory. I'm ready to give up.''
Then the great prophet Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, got to the point that he was ready to give up. In fact, he said to the Lord, ''Lord, I think I'll just quit the ministry and get me a little motel on the side of the road and let things go by.'' He felt like giving up.
All of us have felt like giving up from time to time. I believe that as we read the life of Paul and follow him as he comes to the city of Corinth, it is the case that Paul was going through a period of dejection and despondency, maybe indeed the great Apostle Paul was filled with depression and thinking maybe about giving up.
I think about what happened there with Paul in Corinth. We are given a little insight in his thoughts in I Corinthians. Turn over to his letter to I Corinthians 2. I want to give you a little background of what was going on with Paul as he came to the city of Corinth. In verse 1 Paul talks about the fact that when he came to them, his first visit there, and then in I Cor. 2:3 he says, ''I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.'' You could paraphrase that statement this way: I was feeling far from strong, I was nervous and rather shaky.
I think right there are the three reasons why Paul was little bit down and had a case of the blues and why Paul was seriously considering just ...
Series: PowerBook
Jerry Vines
Acts 18:9-11
I suppose most of us, at one time or another, have felt like giving up. The pressures of daily problems and the tensions of the time, maybe the moral corruption that surrounds us, we get to the point where we say, ''I think I'll just give up. I think I'll just lay things aside.'' Some of the great people in the Bible felt like giving up at times, I think.
Remember the story of the great prophet Elijah. After a great mountaintop experience Elijah had a little time when he was down in the dumps and had the blues. He said, ''Lord, this is enough, just take me on to glory. I'm ready to give up.''
Then the great prophet Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, got to the point that he was ready to give up. In fact, he said to the Lord, ''Lord, I think I'll just quit the ministry and get me a little motel on the side of the road and let things go by.'' He felt like giving up.
All of us have felt like giving up from time to time. I believe that as we read the life of Paul and follow him as he comes to the city of Corinth, it is the case that Paul was going through a period of dejection and despondency, maybe indeed the great Apostle Paul was filled with depression and thinking maybe about giving up.
I think about what happened there with Paul in Corinth. We are given a little insight in his thoughts in I Corinthians. Turn over to his letter to I Corinthians 2. I want to give you a little background of what was going on with Paul as he came to the city of Corinth. In verse 1 Paul talks about the fact that when he came to them, his first visit there, and then in I Cor. 2:3 he says, ''I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.'' You could paraphrase that statement this way: I was feeling far from strong, I was nervous and rather shaky.
I think right there are the three reasons why Paul was little bit down and had a case of the blues and why Paul was seriously considering just ...
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