March 05, 2000
Don't Lose Heart

TEXT: II Corinthians 4:1-6
Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 

These words come from the Bible. They are words which apply to us for who among us would not have to admit that life has its times of discouragement?

Replay a conversation with your friends. The physician laments the loss of a patient. The attorney resents being categorized as being in a profession that is accused of being dishonest when it polices its members far more than other groups do. The teacher is depressed because she can't motivate her students. The parents can't make their children accept responsibility and the preacher is sorrowed over parishioners who are unfaithful to God's Word. Such a discussion can make your head hurt while it is going on, but in retrospect makes you laugh.

The problems of life that lead to discouragement are not new. Read St. Paul and you see that life was not easy in his day. In the midst of all this discouragement, what keeps us going? Part of the answer is that we have a mission to accomplish and this mission gives us the strength to keep going.

I have a distant acquaintance with Kurt Warner, quarterback for the St. Louis Rams. I don't want to give the impression that Warner and I are close friends. He wouldn't know me if we met face to face, but I met him when he played football at the University of Northern Iowa. I am a good friend of Terry Allen, the coach of the Northern Iowa football team at that time, and traveled some with the team. Kurt was the back-up quarterback for some of those years until the starting quarterback graduated.

Then he became the starting quarterback. The newspapers tell us how disappointed he was standing on the sidelines both in college and with the professional teams and was tempted to quit football land get on with life, but the young man had a goal. He wanted to play professional football. Kurt knew that if given the chance, he would be a success, so he couldn't quit. And then he got his chance. Last year the starting quarterback for the Rams was injured and Warner got an opportunity to play, and play he did. He led the team to win the Super Bowl. He was voted the most valuable player in the National Football League and most valuable player in the Super Bowl. Today Warner's story is considered a dream story that could well become a movie.

As his mission was a factor in Warner not losing heart, so a far greater mission to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentile world was the motivation that kept St. Paul going. He writes, "The god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as the Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus Christ." As Paul looked at these people with blinded minds, he had but one desire, which was that they could come to know Jesus Christ as he knew Him. What a difference it would make in their lives. You can be sure that as Paul lay in bed at night, he dreamed and prayed for a mass conversion in the Gentile world, and that Christ would be Lord in these people's hearts.

People's rejection of Christ was a terrible frustration to Paul, as it is to Christians in every age. Pastors despair over the unbelief found among some of the people in the congregation, but it is not limited to the clergy. When I was a kid, we had prayer meetings in our church, and though I was young and didn't understand all that was going on, there was one old lady who prayed the same prayer each week. "Lord, I pray for the conversion of my son, John, for you know that he is not a Christian." To the best of my knowledge, John remained a faithful son who cared for his mother, but did not have the conversion experience his mother prayed he would have. It was a burden on the old mother's heart.

Though Paul longed for a great spiritual awakening where he went, the Apostle writes, "We do not use deception in trying to win someone to Christ." There is a temptation to make changes in the Christian faith to make it more acceptable to people. Sort of the old salesman's line: maybe we can make this Christianity a bit more appealing to you?

What are some of these changes? Perhaps we could changed John 14:6 making it read: I am a way and a truth and a life; I am one way to the Father. What Jesus said was very much different. He said, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by me." For the unbeliever this reading is too harsh. It leaves out anyone who does not trust Christ as the way. The revised version would make all religions good, and that belief is so popular that we might just gain new members for our congregations if we would make the adjustment.

Updating the Ten Commandments would have an appeal for some people which might cause them to consider joining the congregation. The commandments as they stand are too confining for our society. People are demanding more freedom and if we are not willing to oblige by making some editorial changes in the moral law, they will not consider embracing the Christian faith. This is what society is telling the Church in our day. Dare the Christians distort the Word of God to make it more palatable? If this is done, the Word of God loses its power and its new converts will do little in building God's Kingdom.

It is evident that where God's Word is at work in the hearts of people in a particular congregation, great things are happening. When we use deception in trying to win the people for Christ, the success of that church is temporary. The gimmicks used wear out and the spiritual needs of the person are not addressed. How do we proceed in seeking to reach people with the Gospel? Paul tells us to keep on working. Teach the Word. Don't lose heart. Be faithful. Our task is to plant the seed and let the Holy Spirit do the rest. Only He can lift the veil and open the sinners' eyes. If we are faithful, God will use our efforts and people will be converted.

Amen.

Rev. Homer Larsen
Christian Crusaders