Staying Power (Revelation 3:18)

Introduction

This morning I want to talk about acquisition. Our young people are going, what in the world is that? You’re back to school. So let’s buckle down. Let’s do some English work here and learn what the word acquisition means. Let me tell you what acquisition can look like. That’s called too much acquisition. As we have a problem, something we never heard about 15 years ago. People have so much stuff, it just accumulates and they don’t know how to deal with it all. And there’s this, there’s a lot of places where you can go dump off stuff. But this is called hoarding and acquisition gone amok. I want to talk to you about a better kind of acquisition. From Proverbs chapter 4 and verse 7. The beginning of wisdom is this.

Get it. Get it. Make sure you have it. Get wisdom. Though it cost you all you have, get understanding. That’s a newer translation, the new international version. My translation simply says, in all of your acquiring. In all of your acquiring, get wisdom or get understanding. And if indeed in your acquiring, even if it cost you everything, make sure that you acquire this. Here’s your to-do list. Get wisdom. Get wisdom. Get wisdom. And as I thought about another text that mentions acquisition, I thought of Revelation chapter 3, verse 18. In the midst of the letter to the church at Laodicea that was lukewarm, Jesus made this appeal. They who said, I am rich and have become wealthy and have need of nothing. We have it all.

We have all that we need. No, you need some more. But what you need is the right things. He says, I advise you to buy from me. This is the offer of Jesus. Buy from me gold refined by fire. Everything that emanates from God, every good and perfect gift bestowed, everything that emanates from God is good and quality. It is solid gold. I advise you to buy from me gold. Anybody dabble in such things? Anybody got stock in gold? Bought any gold? Real gold issues from our God. That you may become rich and white garments. The concept is holiness, goodness, ready for judgment, prepared for every good work, buy the garments. Clothe yourselves with Christ. Galatians chapter 3 and verse 27. He says, Spiritually, you are naked and miserable and poor and blind.

You need to buy gold from me. You need to buy white garments for me. And he said, you know, you just aren’t seeing things the way you should see them. And so may I recommend the purchase of some ISA. And Isav, a word we don’t use very often, this would be from the standpoint of putting something on your eyes that provides a little clearer vision. Buy from me I salve to anoint your eyes. And so I want to talk to you this morning about staying power. About maintaining faith. The word staying power means the capacity for continuing. That’s what you need. Do you possess faith? Are you a child of God? You need staying power. You need to develop the capacity for continuing without weakening. And I thought, since we’re in hurricane season, to have sort of that concept of the winds blowing strongly against you, though we haven’t seen hide nor hair of one this year.

Keep your fingers crossed. No more hurricane like we had last year. Staying power in the midst of life’s storms. Why am I talking about this? As most of you know, I was in Tampa for the last few days, long overdue visit. I hadn’t laid eyes on my parents since December of 2017, so it was time to go see the family. In the course of discussions, we were talking about people that I knew in Tampa who are not serving the Lord faithfully any longer. And we’re not talking about young people. We’re talking about people who are my peers, roughly my age, a little bit older, a little bit younger. They’re not serving the Lord anymore. And that saddens me. People I’ve known for a very long time.

What happens to people? What happened in Laodicea that caused them to think that everything was fine when everything wasn’t? Perhaps the latter part of Jesus’ prescription, the need for some ISAV, is in order. I think one of the struggles that people have in the 21st century is simply a problem of vision. Not seeing things the way they should be seen. I was visiting a congregation recently in a meeting, and they had a theme for each year. I’m just now trying to remember where it was. It was in northern Alabama. And I said, Well, I’ve got your theme for you in a couple of years. In 2020, I think I’m returning for a meeting there this year, that year. The year of spiritual vision, right? The year 2020.

Should be the year of spiritual vision. What a theme for the year. I said, I could do some sermons along that line when I come to hold a meeting that year. And so the sermon really that I’m preaching this morning is more needed two years from now, but look, you’ll forget it by then. So I might repeat this two years from now, Lord willing, in the year 2020. Because we’ll need it then, just like we need it now, because the problem that people experience, like the problem in Laodicea, is that people’s vision becomes impaired. They stop seeing things the way they should be seen. It isn’t quite common malady. Something happens in the course of time. We just stop looking at things the way they ought to be looked at.

Our values start getting distorted. Our vision gets distorted, and we don’t see things the way that we should. Our values get cockeyed, we might say.

And that is to encourage you to work on your vision spiritually, to possess staying power in regard to your faith. And I believe there are seven things, seven subpoints to this topic, that relate to the problem of impaired vision. What is it that people aren’t seeing that causes them to lose faith, to get discouraged along the way and stop serving the Lord the way they have in the past? What is it that could be a problem for you, not necessarily today, but maybe today, but down the road that would cause your vision to be impaired.

He says, We do not lose heart. And really, the whole context of 2 Corinthians 4 is helpful here. He says, though outwardly we are wasting away, he’s talking about persecution and the difficulties of his ministry. He says we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not of ourselves. He’s talking about the trials that he’s undergoing as a preacher of the gospel. He says, Death works in us, but life in you. He says, we don’t lose heart in the midst of all of this, though perplexed and despairing, but not despairing. He says, outwardly we are wasting away, but we’re being renewed on the inside day by day. For our light, momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

1. God's Nearness

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. Since what is seen is temporal or temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Powerful verses for our times for our lives. How are we seeing things? The one thing that I think stands at the top of the list that people fail to see properly is God’s nearness.

Either they think he’s not really there at all. That he’s a fabrication, a myth. That we really don’t have a creator, as the Bible speaks of. And I just want to tell you about that notion. Not a chance. Not a chance. I’m not going to have egg on my face in the next world. Oops. Only oblivion here. Nothing else. Not going to happen. I am absolutely convinced in the reality in the existence of our Creator. And yet some, because of the circumstances of life, have become so beaten down and discouraged that they begin to think that God doesn’t exist, that he’s not there. Or the second thing, yes, he is there, but he doesn’t, he’s not present in my life. He doesn’t really care. He’s uninvolved.

I’m none of his. And while the latter is entirely possible, those in Christ who have been brought forth by the word of truth, as we talked about recently in James chapter 1 and verse 18, those who have been brought forth by the word of truth have assurances of his nearness. If you are in Christ, we must not question his nearness on the basis of present miseries. That’s what people lose sight of. That’s when they begin to question God’s nearness. Why am I suffering like this? I must not be in fellowship with God. Well, that’s a possibility. But if you’ve been brought forth by the word of truth, and you would set yourselves to the task of walking in his ways, then we have every assurance of his nearness.

But speaking of the difficulties of life, this is exactly what the psalmist is pondering in Psalm 73. When he looks at the wicked, and he’s envious of how fat and wonderful their lives seem to be. They seem to have the world by the tail. But then he comes to the end of his thoughts, and he comes to the sanctuary of God, and he said, Then I perceived their end. And then he concludes, beside you, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail. But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good. Things are incongruous in our world. The righteous sometimes suffer and are afflicted and are hurting. And the wicked seem to have it all going their way.

But I’m here to tell you. Ultimately, those who reject God and His will not have it going all their way. Only the righteous, only those who are pursuing God’s ways and his things and his will truly have it going their way. Regardless of the temporal circumstances, whatever they may be. A New Testament thought. Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men, Paul says, after he says, rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice, which he writes from a prison cell. Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice. The Lord is near. But it’s interesting that these two thoughts are put together. I don’t know what all Paul had in mind when he talked about forbearing, but forbearing’s not a pleasant thought in some respects.

2. The Personal and Severe Assault of the Devil

That’s the dealing with circumstances that are less than ideal. Things that you have to push through, things that you have to navigate, things that involve obstacles. And he says, you need a forbearing spirit about life. Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men and know that the Lord is near. Not only do people struggle to see God’s nearness, they struggle to see the spiritual adversary who is also creating some of life’s miseries, the personal and severe assault of the devil. I think sometimes we do not realize that the devil’s attacks are designed to discourage us. He wants to discourage you. He wants to bring so much pain, so much hopelessness to your circumstances and situation that you say, look, I’m not going to live for the Lord anymore.

I’m in too much pain. I’m hurting too badly. I can deal with some of this pain by perhaps self-medicating, as we call it. Or turning to some other option for how to live, and not realize who’s behind that we have a very real adversary. As Peter talks about in 1 Peter 3, 4 and 5, about the persecution that first century Christians were facing, and he asks this question who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good. I know there’s outside opposition. I know they inflict pain, but don’t think that’s some strange thing that’s happening. This fiery ordeal that’s coming your way in 1 Peter chapter 4 and verse 12.

And doing what is right, verse 19 of chapter 4, the previous verse says it is with difficulty that the righteous are saved. Look, I know there are obstacles and challenges and difficulties. Understand that we have a very real adversary who’s determined to destroy us. He wants to murder you.

3. Life's Brevity

James chapter 4 and verse 7. Sometimes people have vision impairment when it comes to life’s brevity. And I thought about that in regard to these older saints who are now struggling as they are basically nearing the end of the journey. I’m going to tell you, that just doesn’t make a lot of sense. Life happens so very quickly. I’ve said that before. Some of you, some of you youngsters, are just now starting to experience it. Before you know it, those little babies are going off to college. And the tears are flowing down your face. Well, little babies growing up, leaving the nest. And those gray hairs. They come out of nowhere. And the wrinkles. And another football season begins. Thankfully. It just makes little sense to throw faith away.

4. Sin Is Empty; the Soul's Value

It seems that the older you get, the more you have to fight discouragement. And the thought, what’s the use? Remember how brief our time here really is. Some people lose sight of the fact that sin is it’s empty. In the desert of sorrow and sin, I had Dean lead that. It’s not dessert.

It’s desert. In the desert of sorrow and sin. Do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours and your ignorance. Peter says in 1 Peter chapter 4 and verse 14. I was amused this week. Shocking. Some of the latest studies that have been done on the consumption of alcohol, it’s been in the news all over the place this week. I had David Osteen, my preacher friend out west texting me about it. Latest medical results. Believe it or not, preachers didn’t issue the study. That the risk involved with the consumption of alcohol far outweigh the benefits that comes from a moderate consumption of alcohol. So now that when they’ve taken all the data under consideration, all the results from alcohol consumption, well, perhaps it’s not even a good idea to imbibe a little.

This isn’t a preacher study. It’s a medical study. Interesting that such an admission would be even made. But whatever the sin or practice is, it will never pay off what it promises. Ever. For the moment, it seems like the greatest thing ever. It is promising so much to us. But in the end, it always does the same. It leaves us broken and wanting always. And we lose sight of that. We lose sight of the soul’s value. Not just our own soul. But that the way that I live and the way that I influence affects others’ souls and their value. I diminish that. When I decide to go my own way and do my own thing and neglect the Lord’s ways, I have decided that not only is my soul not worth it, but your soul isn’t worth it.

5. Worship's Lifting

We lose sight of the immense value of what will reside forever. And before I get to that point, let me say one more thing. We so often emphasize everything about a person that makes them meaningful in our lives, with the exception of the thing that is the most important. And that is the soul that will reside forever. What are we emphasizing in our relationships with people? And sometimes people lose sight of worship’s lifting. They get discouraged and they stop serving the Lord. They don’t show up at assemblies like this anymore. I gotta tell you, I don’t know what I would do without these. This is fuel for my tank. This is a mind mender here. This is a spirit enhancer. This is a vision fixer for me.

And I need it on a quite regular basis. Seems like a long time since I met with you last. And I only missed Wednesday night. Now I did worship with the Lord’s people. Actually, I saw Sawyer, by the way, at Temple Terrace. Worship is lifting to my spirit. Look at Psalm 33 and 34 quickly. Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones, praise befits the upright. It’s what we were designed to do. It is fitting. Praise is becoming to the upright. Let all the earth fear the Lord, verse 8. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. That’s what we’re doing today. This is about standing in awe of our God. He foils the counsel of the nations. He frustrates the plans of the peoples in verse 10.

The Lord looks from the heavens and he sees all the sons of men, all the inhabitants of the earth, verses 13 and 14. Verse 18, behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him. That’s a good thing. On those who hope for his loving kindness.

Chapter 34. I sought the Lord, verse 4, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Verse 15, the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous. Verse 18, the Lord is near to the brokenhearted, going back to point one, and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Interesting. Verse 20, he keeps all his bones, not one of them is broken. Wait a minute. That was quoted about Jesus’ crucifixion in the Gospel of John. That’s right. In Jesus’ darkest hours, the Lord is observant of the Son and His suffering. He cares. A new perspective for our problems. God is near. God cares. God will see us through to the end. Six things that people struggle to see that cause them to lose staying power.

6. Take Your Eyes Off Glory

But there’s one more. Because every good list needs seven, not six. People start getting blown around by the winds because they take their eyes off glory. Oh, the unclouded day that comes. We cannot even remotely fathom the depths of joy that will emanate from the presence of our God in eternity. That’s about as quickly and succinctly as I can say it. Whatever your thoughts of heaven are. If we can take everyone’s grandest thoughts of where we’re headed, and what the Bible tells us about immortality, about an inheritance, about the incorruptible nature of what is coming. If we could take everyone and all the lofty and grand thoughts that people have about glory and where we’re headed and put them all together in one box, may I suggest that they would they would pale in comparison to the actual experience of it.

We’ve lost some soldiers here in this assault of the evil one, or simply the ravages of time and death that is the result of sin. We have lost some soldiers here, but they know the truth of what I’m saying right here and right now as they bask in the greater bliss of heaven’s treasure. I didn’t want to end this on a negative note. As I thought about these seven things, and I tried to put them again in a memorable way so that we could take these seven things and dwell upon them and think about them. Yes, people’s vision is impaired about these things. But what I’m doing this morning is designed to bring us clarity, lucidity, sharpness of vision. Stay focused on these things so that we will have the staying power that we need.

Conclusion

Now I’ve come to the conclusion. I got started late, don’t be looking at the clock. Two thoughts in conclusion. We’re going to sing an unusual invitation song. But I think it’s appropriate in regard to the need for our vision to be what it should be. Soldiers of Christ arise. Put your armor on. Leave no unguarded place, no weakness of the soul. Take every virtue. Take every grace and fortify the whole. We’re soldiers of the king. We’re in it for the long haul. We’ll fight the battle to the last man standing. Because we’re on the side that wins. May we see ourselves as the great soldiers in the great army of the great and conquering king. The second thought is this.

Not Johnny Cash. Different Johnny. 1972. How many of you are around in 1972? Not many, actually. Johnny Nash, does it ring a bell? Do you know the song? It went to number one. You know, you can tell a good song when it’s covered by somebody else years later. In 1993, it was covered by Jimmy Cliff in the movie Cool Runnings. Oh, maybe now I’m starting to jog a memory. Was that the Jamaica Bobsled team? It reached to number 18 in 1993. And Billboard’s top 100. And the jingle, man. Songs are good when forty-six years later, in my case, they still run around in your head. I can see clearly now.

The rain is gone. I can see all obstacles in my way. Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind. It’s going to be a bright sunshining day. All of the bad feelings have disappeared. Here is the rainbow that I’ve been praying for. I can see clearly now. It’s going to be a bright sunshining day. Had to sing a little bit. I spared you most of it.

Here’s the thing. Sometimes that rainbow doesn’t come in this life. See, we need staying power. We need faith. Whether the sky ever turns blue or the pain never leaves.

You have to understand that in the midst of life’s troubles, we have a God who can help us through with his grace and his mercy, his assistance. And so I want to conclude with these three thoughts from that song and from the song that we’re about to sing. Number one, you need to enlist as a soldier. There’s no more worthwhile cause on this planet than being a soldier of the king. You need to arise from your seat and choose allegiance to the Lord and submit to him for salvation. And if you’ve done that, if you’ve already enlisted, you need to resist.

Enlist, resist, and persist. All the way to heaven’s throne. Let’s stand and sing.