Proper Perspective During Troubled Times

0:31 If you use Hill Pay, when you get your annual giving report, it may be wrong. Something has gone haywire and they figured out what it is. And so you can either wait for the corrected report to come, or you can call our office here at the church and we'll give you a corrected statement. Okay? Did y'all hear me? Go ahead. Tell the person sitting next to you because everybody ain't paying attention. That was too short, y'all. All right, stand, let's pray. Father, we are thankful for the privilege that you extend to us to be in the house of worship.

1:24 Thank you for waking us up and giving us the activities of our limbs. Thank you for fresh mercies that you gave us this morning. I pray today that you would speak to us through your word. Let hearts be open and receptive. Let me be your instrument and your conduit. for your truth. I pray that if they're unsaved persons, backslidden, unsure, uncommitted individuals, unchurched, you will speak to their hearts, draw them to yourself. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. You can be seated. help me welcome 19 states and six countries watching us today right now I want to talk to you today about the proper perspective during troubling times. Proper perspective during troubling times.

2:25 So much of what the Bible is about is trying to teach us how to handle difficult moments in life. and if you don't have the right perspective of life, the challenges that you have in life can take you out. And I think it's important that you approach your issues in life from the perspective of how God looks at it.

2:57 Thank both of y'all very much for that. it's okay because a lot of us don't have the right perspective. We get frustrated, depressed, upset, mad, angry. We get angry with God, want to know why he let certain things happen to us. When the reality is God never said we would not have challenges.

3:22 Life is filled with challenges. The question is, how do you respond? And I just got one goal today to get you to look at your challenges from a different perspective. I know people are stressed out about... I'm trying not to call no names. I'm trying to be... I know some of y'all are worried about your jobs.

3:54 It's important for you to know that what's happening didn't catch God by surprise. and by the way he has not stopped being God he's still God he still loves you he still has your future in mind and I'm going to give you one of my points that I'm going to be making in a few minutes I'm going to give it to you early normally I would wait to an opportune time and give it to you but I'm going to give it to you early so when I get to it y'all will already know it and y'all can go ahead and shout about it when I give it. I think it's important for you and I to know that God is orchestrating the events of our lives. He's orchestrating the things that don't even have anything to do with what's happening in our life right now.

4:51 He's orchestrating stuff so that by the time you need what you need, it'll all come together at the right time. How many of y'all know that to be true? Some of you have experienced that. So why should I be stressed out? Why should I be worried? Because I serve a, he's still God, he's still in control, but he does give us a perspective that I just want to take a moment and look at. Let's go to 2 Corinthians chapter 4. 2 Corinthians chapter 4. And I want to read verses 7 through 10. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verses 7 through 10. and it says this, but we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard pressed on every side yet not crushed. We are perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed.

5:55 Ooh, I love all those verses right there. Ooh, I could run around this building on just all of that. Always caring about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. Isn't that profound? It's amazing. If you don't have the right perspective in life, you'll make horrible decisions.

6:21 You'll enter into depression. you'll lose confidence in God if your perspective of the circumstances in your life are not right. And if I could just drop this one little section of Scripture and get you to look at your life from a different vantage point life can be so much better. Now Paul the apostle writes this second letter to the Corinthian church 2 Corinthians or in the words of somebody 2 Corinthians Yeah, he said it. He sure did.

7:09 He's writing his second epistle to them, and he's highlighting some of the challenges that he has had in his own life. And he says this, and I got four points. Here's number one. It's in verse seven. God, his point one, God has placed a treasure in us a treasure, God has put something in us that's what it says in verse 7 but we have this treasure in earthen vessels this is something everybody got to understand God puts something in you there's some gifts he's put in you there's a gospel message he's put in you and some of y'all don't recognize or realize that God created you for spreading His message, His gospel. That's the whole reason God created you, for you to be an instrument of His glory, for you to be a conduit.

8:06 By the way, look at your neighbor and say, you are God's hands and feet. And go ahead, tell them this. And as nasty as your mouth is, you are God's mouth. Did y'all hear what I said? You are God's mouth. If somebody's going to hear God's message, it's going to be through your mouth.

8:34 And he has put this treasure in this earthen vessel. He's put it in you. He's put something in you. He's put gifts in you, assignments in you. He's put treasures in you. I might not look valuable, but I'm a bad somebody. Go ahead, look at your neighbor. Tell him, you a bad somebody. Tell him, you don't look like much, but... You know why you're bad? Because God puts something in you. He has put these treasures in you.

9:20 I know you don't feel like it. I know you may feel like you don't deserve it. I know you may sense that God couldn't possibly use you with all of the mess you did. And that's the wonder about our God. Even as jacked up as we are, He still finds a way to use us. All through the scriptures we see people that were jacked up jokers, messed up people. And God still used them in spite of their shortcomings, in spite of their failures. God still found a way to use them in spite of themselves. Isn't that great to know? that ought to give everybody in here hope that if God can use if God can use David after David did all the mess he did God can use you if God can use Moses after he murdered a man God can still use you okay all right y'all not with me here we have this treasure the this that's point one you have a treasure in you you have gifts put in you you have assignments and calls and appointments and and by the way when God made the decision to put it in you it's long before you did anything that you did and he still put it in you he still put gifts and callings and assignments You have a destiny.

10:51 You have a destiny. Look at your neighbor. Look at them straight eyeball to eyeball. Point your finger in their face and tell them you have a destiny. Are y'all telling them like with an attitude? Are y'all telling them with an attitude? You have a destiny. Everybody here has a destiny. You have an assignment.

11:14 You have a call. You have giftings. You have something that God has called you to do. And the question is, are you doing it? I asked y'all a question. Y'all ain't answering. You have an assignment. You have a call. Now, I know you're saying, well, I ain't all that gifted, and I don't think I can. I don't know how to do this or that or whatever. That's why I brought point two up.

11:45 And point two is in verse seven. It says in verse seven. And here's what verse 7 says again. But we have this treasure, an earthen vessel. Then it says this, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Y'all don't get it. Y'all don't understand that God flows his power through. It ain't you. It's not your giftings. it's the power of God that the excellence of the power is of God and not of us and what's great about that is that God uses his power to go through me I want to use another flow I'm trying to say flow flow flow through me I look back over my life at the things that God has opened up doors for me to do I don't I'm not all that gifted I'm not the most anointed person in the world I'm not the most gifted person, but I am a person that God can choose to use. And guess what?

12:52 You are a person that God could choose to use. Yeah, I know you made some mistakes. Yes, I know you have failed. Yes, I know you've gone down the right, wrong track. Yes, I recognize you said some right, wrong things and went to some wrong places and connected with some wrong people and thought some wrong thoughts, but guess what? In spite of yourself, God can choose to use you. Look at your neighbor. Say he can choose to use you.

13:23 He can choose to use you. Yeah, I want these young people to know God can use them to do great and mighty things in their life. So the power of this treasure is of God and not of us. Now, I recognize that in my own power, I can't do anything. I'm a jacked up joker, but thanks be to God, he can choose to use me. Now, here's point three. This is the shortest message y'all will ever hear me preach this year. Y'all supposed to say take your time, but it's okay. Y'all know y'all it's too late. Too late. I gave you space and opportunity, but you didn't do it. It's too late now. It's too late. here's point three. Y'all got my first two points?

14:19 Here's point three. We are not defeated during our troubling times. Because we are going to have troubled times, challenging times, but we're not defeated. We're not going to lose. We don't lose during those seasons. And here's how he said, he quotes that in verses eight and nine. He says, here's what he says in verse eight. He says, we are hard-pressed on every side.

14:48 Anybody here ever been hard-pressed? The word hard-pressed means to be afflicted. We got affliction on every side, it says, on every side. All around us, in front of us, and backwards, to the right, to the left, above us, beneath us. We are hard-pressed. We are afflicted on every side. Y'all never had light where it looked like everything is going wrong, or every side, and every posture, and every way? some of y'all might be in that situation right now but I got some great news the great news is we might be hard pressed but we are not crushed somebody say I'm not crushed I didn't get destroyed I might be hard pressed but I'm not restricted me being hard pressed doesn't restrict me that's what the word that we're not crushed means we're not restricted I still have the capacity God still anoints me to use me for his glory so we are hard pressed on every side we are oppressed and afflicted but we are not crushed we are not restricted we are not confined we are not put in any kind of confined place that we can't operate and can't do what it is God wants us to do remind yourself I can still do what I need to do even though the enemy wants me to think that I can't but I can Then he says also in verse number 8, he says, we are perplexed.

16:19 The word perplexed to mean to be at a loss. That's what perplexed means. I'm at a loss of words. Y'all ever been in a situation where you don't know what to say? I'm at a loss with what? Okay, let me just go ahead. It means to be at a loss. He says, we are perplexed, but we are not in despair. Here's what that means. We are in fact perplexed, but despair means I'm not going to be put in a place of doubt.

16:54 See, the devil wants you to doubt God, but here's where we are. Regardless of what my circumstances are, regardless of what my situation might be, I am not going to cause it to make me question or doubt the God that I serve. Amen. God's still in control. He's still got your back. He's still ordering the steps. He hasn't walked away. He hasn't stopped being God. He hasn't stopped calling the shots. He hasn't stopped having all power in his hand. He still is God. And if he brought you out of what you went through in your past, he's more than capable of bringing you out through what you're going through now. hallelujah isn't that right? anybody know what I'm saying? he's still God somebody say he's still God he's still God he's still in charge he's still got my back he still calls the shots and I'm not going to doubt him you can't make me doubt him I know too much about him I've gone through too much for me to start doubting God I've seen him work things in my past that I thought could not be worked out.

18:08 I will not doubt the God that I serve now. Somebody high five your name and say, I won't doubt God. I won't doubt God. High five your name. I'm not going to doubt God. That's where the devil wins, when you start questioning God. When you start doubting whether or not he can do what he said he could do. Oh, I feel like shouting and running around this building. I don't care how difficult the moment is. I don't care how grim your finances might be. It doesn't matter how jacked up your job is. It doesn't matter how ugly your marriage might be, how nasty your children might behave. We serve a God who specializes in repairing what's broke.

18:56 Somebody say he repairs what's broke. He has the capacity and ability. I feel like preaching right now. Y'all shouldn't be having me. We serve a God that's more than able, more than capable of fixing what's wrong in your life. whatever it is that you're unhappy with so yeah we're hard-pressed but we're not crushed we're perplexed but we're not in despair we are persecuted that's his number sub point three we are persecuted right here in verse uh number uh nine we are persecuted that word persecution means to be pursued to come after you that's what it means it means to be pursued and guess what The devil is pursuing you.

19:45 That's why all hell breaks loose in your life. Because he knows. Why is he pursuing you? Because he knows if you ever reach your destiny, you will reap havoc on his kingdom. I'm preaching to some people right now that God has a future for you to get people saved, delivered, to get people off drugs, to heal marriages, to get prostitutes off the street. God's got an anointing on you to make a difference in somebody's life. I don't know who I'm preaching to. I don't know who you are, but God has an assignment on your life. And so the devil is coming after you. He is persecuting you. He's pursuing after you to try to make you quit, to try to make you think you can't do it, you can't achieve, you can't get there, God can't use you. He wants you to think God can't use you.

20:46 And my whole assignment here today, this is the whole reason I'm walking up and down these aisles, getting in your grill, getting up in your face, trying to tell you that God can choose to use you. Listen, if God can use jacked up me, he can use you. If he can anoint me, he can anoint you. Hallelujah. You have a future. And I just need you to know that. This is the word of the Lord to you. You have a future. You have a destiny. You have an assignment. You are persecuted and the devil's coming after you. As a matter of fact, oh, and another thing. the fact that the enemy is coming after you is an indication that you got an anointing on your life I wish I had a praying crowd. The mere fact that he's trying to slow you down means you're going somewhere.

21:47 Somebody tell your neighbor, I must be going somewhere. I must have a mighty anointing on my life with all that hell he's putting on me and all that stuff he's trying to do to stop me and get me to quit. I must have a mighty anointing. Yes, you do. It does not yet appear what you shall be, but we know when he does appear, you shall be like him, for you shall see him as he is, and you will be used like him. And then it says, oh, oh, oh, and then it says this. He says, we are persecuted, but we are not forsaken.

22:41 That's a great word right there. That means God has not walked away. He has not left me out there by myself. Hallelujah. I'm not forsaken. Somebody say, I am not forsaken. Tell yourself, He walks with me. And He talks with me. And He tells me that I am His own. I am His child. I am not forsaken. He has not abandoned me. He has not left me. He has not forgotten about me. I know some of y'all feel like God has forgotten all about you. But let me tell you, He has not forgotten about you. He sees you in the midst of your challenges and your problems and your issues. And guess what? You're about to come up out of whatever it is that you're in. He's about to bring deliverance to you. He's about to bring you out. He's about to turn things around.

23:37 Somebody help me simulate what God's about to do. He's about to turn it around. He's about to shift. He's about to change He's about to deliver He's about to cause something to change Turn around Somebody say He's turning it around He's turning it around. He's turning it around. Turn it around Jesus. Turn it around. I can't do it but God can turn it around. He has not forsaken you.

24:53 Then it says this, we are struck down, thrown down, but we are not destroyed. I'm still here. He tried to take me out, but I'm still here. I might have taken a hit and fell down, but I'm getting back up. Some of y'all are going to have to go to your friends and say, the last time you saw me, I was struck down.

26:01 But baby, look at me now. I'm up. I'm on the upside. I'm on the up. I'm winning. Yeah, I'm in a different place. Amen. God turned my city. He turned it around. He didn't forsake me. And even though I was struck down, the devil could not destroy me. Who know what I'm talking about that I'm not destroying? Anybody here thankful that God didn't let the devil destroy you?

26:45 Yeah. Somebody say, I'm not destroyed. Y'all got it? Do you hear what I'm saying? I'm not destroyed. Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

27:13 Wow. Listen. This is the perspective that you have to have. Yes. because if you just look at if you look at your circumstances it will be frustrating it looks impossible but I'm telling you we serve a God who has the power to change everything Hallelujah. Hallelujah. And that's the perspective you got to have. Now, somebody, I feel tension in the room. I feel tension, Elba. How can I have... Hope. I'm glad you asked.

28:06 This is my final point. it's right in verse 10. Can I read verse 10? Always caring about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. Let me zoom in on that last phrase, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. Here's what that means. It means a couple of things. It means the same power that gave Jesus life will give you life. the same power that rose, got him up out of the grave is the same power that will live in you.

29:06 Now, Pastor, what does that mean? I'm glad you asked the question. Here's what it means. It means that, here's what that verse means. That the power of the life of Jesus will live in you. Some of y'all don't know what that means. That's why y'all couldn't say amen. Let me tell you what it means. It means when you have a relationship with Jesus, when you walk with Jesus, and you have the life of Jesus living in you, it makes all the difference in the world. when his life is living in you,

29:51 you see God working out things that you haven't even prayed about yet. Anybody know what I'm talking about? That God opens a door and you haven't even had a discussion with him about it yet. It's when he communicates with you or something that you have prayed about, but you haven't talked to anybody else about it, but yet he brings somebody around who talks about and gives you the answer, and they don't know that this was a burden that you were praying about. That's the life of Jesus speaking and communicating to you that I heard you, I'm answering your prayer, I'm giving you a solution, I'm giving you directions, I'm giving you what you stood in the need of. Somebody say, that's the life of Jesus. And some of you have never had that experience because you've never given him your life.

30:44 You've never surrendered your life over to his life. You have not surrendered to him. Some of y'all are religious, but you're not saved. There's a difference. I grew up in this church. I sang in the choir. I was an ursher. I was the president of the United Voices I was the president of the Usher Board I grew up and I was a Sunday school teacher Deacon Walton used to tell me sit down John Jenkins when I became the pastor I would tell Deacon Walton sit down Deacon Walton He was already sitting down, but I just feel good seeing it. I grew up in church, but one Tuesday night in a revival, I realized there was something missing in my life.

31:37 and the greatest thing I did was swallow my pride and didn't worry about what other people said, and when they gave the invitation, I got up and went forward to accept Jesus.