GETTING OUT OF A SQUEEZE

#1 · June 2, 2008, 11:14 am

Quote from Forum Archives on June 2, 2008, 11:14 am
Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>
GETTING OUT OF A SQUEEZE

June 1, 2008

TEXT: 2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Historian Shelby Foote tells of a soldier who was wounded at the battle of Shiloh during the American Civil War. Since he could still walk, he was ordered to go to the rear. Since the fighting was fierce and raging all around, he returned to his commanding officer within minutes. Captain, give me a gun! he shouted. This fight aint got any rear!

Life is like that at times for us all. Any of us can be caught in a squeeze and pressured on every side. Christians are not exempt from the pressures of life. In fact, there are times when Christians can feel more pressure because of satans attacks. Evangelists Henry G. Bosch and Edward Vander Jagt led outdoor gospel services for many years. After a member of a false cult was saved, they began to experience opposition: sound equipment was stolen, a piano chopped to pieces, graffiti painted on the building, power lines cut, and even services disrupted by motorcycle gangs. (Henry G. Bosch, Opposed but Blessed, Our Daily Bread, July 2, 1993.) There are times when there is no rest from the battle when there is no rear.

When it comes to describing the human plight, the Bible is brutally honest and pulls no punches. Sometimes we are caught in a squeeze because of old-fashioned disobedience and sin. Oh, it seems innocent enough at first. The Rocky Mountain News carried a story about three climbers who were hiking across Pawnee Pass when they lost the trail in the snow. They had some critical choices to make. Unfortunately, they did almost everything wrong. Choosing to keep on going, they saw Crater lake far below, with a gentle slope of snow heading down toward it. So they decided to slide down to the lake, hoping to find a trail. They started slowly, but the slope got steeper and steeper. Soon they were hurtling down, and they heard water. They were heading toward a waterfall! In desperation, they dug in their heels to slow down and stop before it was too late. Fortunately, they managed to stop and inch their way to a ledge. (David C. Egner, Stop the Slide, Our Daily Bread, July 27, 1993)

This is one way that we can get in a squeeze. Sin can be deceptively progressive like this. The downward slide might be slow and gentle at first, but before we realize it, were hurtling out of control. Look at Isaiah 1. The hard-hitting book of Isaiah begins with a nation that has spiraled out of control. In verse 4 we read, Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption. They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him. Where did that get the people of Israel? Into a big squeeze that they needed to get out of. Verse 7 tells us, Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.

The first step, then, to getting out of a squeeze is to determine if it is caused by our personal sin against God. Again, the Bible is brutally honest with descriptions of how God deals with sin. From the national perspective told us in the Old Testament, God punished Israel so that His people would repent and return to Him. God brought extraordinary pressure to bear on His people so that they would turn from their wickedness. Once those climbers who were sliding downhill out of control stopped and made it to a ledge, they began doing the right things to survive. They did not go back on the slope. They kept each other warm. They rationed their food. They used a mirror to signal whenever there was hope of rescue. They did not panic or give up hope. It took nine days, but they were finally rescued. (David C. Egner, Do Whats Right, Our Daily Bread, July 28, 1993)

Similarly, when we become aware that were in a squeeze because of our sin, we must immediately stop the slide by ceasing to do evil. And we must call for help. The people of Israel were told the same thing in Isaiah 55:6-7. Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. Heeding just those two little verses out of the whole Bible will take us a long way toward getting out of a squeeze.

But what if we can honestly say that we are in a squeeze not because our own sin? Or what we have stopped the slide and have called upon the Lord, but still feel what seems like never-ending pressures all around us? What if we are trying to get to the rear, but must face the reality that this fight aint got any rear?

When Paul faced those times in his life, and there were plenty, he took solace and refuge in the only fortress that had any meaning to him. He relied upon the strength of the Lord, and he told others about that strength. To the Corinthians he wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:1, Therefore, since through Gods mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. That is the starting point to most successful endeavors: do not lose heart. Can you imagine what it must have felt like to have to wait on a ledge exposed to the Colorado winter weather for nine days before being rescued? I think terrifying is an understatement. Yet, those climbers did not lose heart. Throughout the history of warfare, battles have been won by smaller forces because their more powerful enemy lost heart and fled from the battlefield. It sometimes takes surprisingly little for panic to start and spread. When that happens there is very little chance to get out of a squeeze. But because of our faith in the saving power of God, Paul encourages us to not lose heart.

Later in this part of his letter, Paul goes on to write, We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. The pressures and stresses and forces of life are real for all of us. Christians find sanctuary in the Lord, but that does not release us from the forces we call the struggle for life. Throughout his ministry, Paul was ridiculed, chased, beaten, and imprisoned. It is generally believed that Paul was eventually executed because he refused to renounce his belief in and testimony of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In spite of all that, Paul always got out of the squeeze and was always the victor.

We read in verse 7, But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. Jars of clay is a reference to the human body. This body is finite. It is frail. It is subject to illness and injury. It is certainly not capable of doing anything particularly miraculous beyond what it was designed for. Step off the edge of a roof, and it falls to the ground. Puncture it, and it bleeds. We are very mortal and, in many ways, limited. Yet Paul knew, and tells us to this day, that all of these limitations are overcome by Jesus Christ. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. It is written: I believed; therefore I have spoken. With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 4:10-15)

This is a testimony of victory. As Paul proclaimed victoriously, We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed. Even when this fight aint got any rear, the Lord gets us out of a squeeze. He sees us through all of our times whether hard or easy. Even when evangelists Henry Bosch and Edward Vander Jagt were suffering all those attacks from many different fronts, they never missed a preaching service. Throughout this time, Christians rededicated their lives to Christ and unbelievers were saved. Anytime we are caught in a squeeze because we are serving the Lord, do not lose heart. Stay close to Jesus and trust him. He will turn the tide of battle.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) Thats how we get out of a squeeze.

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

179 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

www.bhfirstbaptist.com
-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org   

Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

June 1, 2008

TEXT: 2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Historian Shelby Foote tells of a soldier who was wounded at the battle of Shiloh during the American Civil War. Since he could still walk, he was ordered to go to the rear. Since the fighting was fierce and raging all around, he returned to his commanding officer within minutes. Captain, give me a gun! he shouted. This fight aint got any rear!

Life is like that at times for us all. Any of us can be caught in a squeeze and pressured on every side. Christians are not exempt from the pressures of life. In fact, there are times when Christians can feel more pressure because of satans attacks. Evangelists Henry G. Bosch and Edward Vander Jagt led outdoor gospel services for many years. After a member of a false cult was saved, they began to experience opposition: sound equipment was stolen, a piano chopped to pieces, graffiti painted on the building, power lines cut, and even services disrupted by motorcycle gangs. (Henry G. Bosch, Opposed but Blessed, Our Daily Bread, July 2, 1993.) There are times when there is no rest from the battle when there is no rear.

When it comes to describing the human plight, the Bible is brutally honest and pulls no punches. Sometimes we are caught in a squeeze because of old-fashioned disobedience and sin. Oh, it seems innocent enough at first. The Rocky Mountain News carried a story about three climbers who were hiking across Pawnee Pass when they lost the trail in the snow. They had some critical choices to make. Unfortunately, they did almost everything wrong. Choosing to keep on going, they saw Crater lake far below, with a gentle slope of snow heading down toward it. So they decided to slide down to the lake, hoping to find a trail. They started slowly, but the slope got steeper and steeper. Soon they were hurtling down, and they heard water. They were heading toward a waterfall! In desperation, they dug in their heels to slow down and stop before it was too late. Fortunately, they managed to stop and inch their way to a ledge. (David C. Egner, Stop the Slide, Our Daily Bread, July 27, 1993)

This is one way that we can get in a squeeze. Sin can be deceptively progressive like this. The downward slide might be slow and gentle at first, but before we realize it, were hurtling out of control. Look at Isaiah 1. The hard-hitting book of Isaiah begins with a nation that has spiraled out of control. In verse 4 we read, Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption. They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him. Where did that get the people of Israel? Into a big squeeze that they needed to get out of. Verse 7 tells us, Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.

The first step, then, to getting out of a squeeze is to determine if it is caused by our personal sin against God. Again, the Bible is brutally honest with descriptions of how God deals with sin. From the national perspective told us in the Old Testament, God punished Israel so that His people would repent and return to Him. God brought extraordinary pressure to bear on His people so that they would turn from their wickedness. Once those climbers who were sliding downhill out of control stopped and made it to a ledge, they began doing the right things to survive. They did not go back on the slope. They kept each other warm. They rationed their food. They used a mirror to signal whenever there was hope of rescue. They did not panic or give up hope. It took nine days, but they were finally rescued. (David C. Egner, Do Whats Right, Our Daily Bread, July 28, 1993)

Similarly, when we become aware that were in a squeeze because of our sin, we must immediately stop the slide by ceasing to do evil. And we must call for help. The people of Israel were told the same thing in Isaiah 55:6-7. Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. Heeding just those two little verses out of the whole Bible will take us a long way toward getting out of a squeeze.

But what if we can honestly say that we are in a squeeze not because our own sin? Or what we have stopped the slide and have called upon the Lord, but still feel what seems like never-ending pressures all around us? What if we are trying to get to the rear, but must face the reality that this fight aint got any rear?

When Paul faced those times in his life, and there were plenty, he took solace and refuge in the only fortress that had any meaning to him. He relied upon the strength of the Lord, and he told others about that strength. To the Corinthians he wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:1, Therefore, since through Gods mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. That is the starting point to most successful endeavors: do not lose heart. Can you imagine what it must have felt like to have to wait on a ledge exposed to the Colorado winter weather for nine days before being rescued? I think terrifying is an understatement. Yet, those climbers did not lose heart. Throughout the history of warfare, battles have been won by smaller forces because their more powerful enemy lost heart and fled from the battlefield. It sometimes takes surprisingly little for panic to start and spread. When that happens there is very little chance to get out of a squeeze. But because of our faith in the saving power of God, Paul encourages us to not lose heart.

Later in this part of his letter, Paul goes on to write, We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. The pressures and stresses and forces of life are real for all of us. Christians find sanctuary in the Lord, but that does not release us from the forces we call the struggle for life. Throughout his ministry, Paul was ridiculed, chased, beaten, and imprisoned. It is generally believed that Paul was eventually executed because he refused to renounce his belief in and testimony of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In spite of all that, Paul always got out of the squeeze and was always the victor.

We read in verse 7, But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. Jars of clay is a reference to the human body. This body is finite. It is frail. It is subject to illness and injury. It is certainly not capable of doing anything particularly miraculous beyond what it was designed for. Step off the edge of a roof, and it falls to the ground. Puncture it, and it bleeds. We are very mortal and, in many ways, limited. Yet Paul knew, and tells us to this day, that all of these limitations are overcome by Jesus Christ. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. It is written: I believed; therefore I have spoken. With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 4:10-15)

This is a testimony of victory. As Paul proclaimed victoriously, We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed. Even when this fight aint got any rear, the Lord gets us out of a squeeze. He sees us through all of our times whether hard or easy. Even when evangelists Henry Bosch and Edward Vander Jagt were suffering all those attacks from many different fronts, they never missed a preaching service. Throughout this time, Christians rededicated their lives to Christ and unbelievers were saved. Anytime we are caught in a squeeze because we are serving the Lord, do not lose heart. Stay close to Jesus and trust him. He will turn the tide of battle.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) Thats how we get out of a squeeze.

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

179 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

http://www.bhfirstbaptist.com

-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org