via creativesam on flickrIn this time with so many people discouraged and overwhelmed, I share these thoughts on “not losing heart.” I preached from these notes last year in May after listening to a sermon by Pastor Brian Houston from Australia. I present these ideas in six subsequent posts.
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Genesis 12:1-4
1 Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you [your seed] all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 4 So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him.
It is clear from this scripture that God wanted to bless Abram. However, once God delivered His promise, many years passed before Abraham actually had a son. He had many years and many opportunities to doubt God’s willingness to honor His promises. It must have been difficult for this man to keep on believing God while the facts of his life contradicted God’s promises.
Likewise, it is possible for us to lose our cheer and to become double-minded in our pursuit of God when God seems to take His time. Trials, temptations, bad news, rumors of dread and gloom ... All these factors create an environment in which it is possible to lose heart, to become discouraged.
As we fast forward in the Bible, we find the four Gospels, where it is told how Jesus was interacting with many people who were in the grips of discouragement and despair.
Matthew 9:1-2
1 Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2 Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."
At the very moment, right before the man was to receive his blessing, his miracle, Jesus encouraged him to “take heart” or to “be encouraged.”
Isn’t it interesting that right before his breakthrough, that paralyzed man most needed to take heart, and not lose heart!
We can learn from this that our miracle will require heart; it will require faith and courage to obey God and to obtain the blessing.
Jesus encouraged others in the same way:
Matthew 9:20-22
20 Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21 She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." 22 Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.
He told her to be encouraged! “Hold on now, your blessing is here! Don’t lose heart!”
Jesus did not only require this from others, but He also exemplified it in order to inspire us. In spite of opposition and persecution, He remained positive and confident that everything will turn out good.
Hebrews 12:3
3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Your heart represents your passion, your emotional energy and zeal. Don’t grow weary and lose your passion, your emotional energy and zeal!
In speaking of Jesus, it was clear that He had "heart" for His assignments in this world. In the following two instances, it is apparent that Jesus was whole-heartedly involved in what He did. He wasn’t half-hearted … He did not lose heart!
First, in the cleansing of the temple, He passionately cleared that place of worship of anything offensive to His Father.
John 2:17
17 His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."
Second, He had great compassion for hurting people as He travelled from village to village in Palestine.
Matthew 9:36
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Jesus is our example. It is very important to understand that if your heart is no longer in your worship, your job, or your marriage, you have become half-hearted. You are becoming a liability to your employer, and you are losing your viability as an asset to your organization, group or relationship.
Half-heartedness is a robber of potential, of life, of relationships, and of your relationship with God.
Know that half-heartedness in any area of your life may affect literally every other area of your life.
Half-heartedness will ultimately affect your heart for ...
• God
• God’s House
• Your relationships
• Your job
• Your endeavors
In short, you cannot afford to lose heart!