The Integrity of Pressing On, Part 3

Today on Insight for living from Chuck Swindoll.

What are your what you stand for. No one else in the room what you rely on when everything else breaks loose.

The bottom drops out, you lose the will of the most your believes that will get you through that your conviction when difficult.

Face-to-face with an unwanted challenge sometimes is tempting to wave a white flag of surrender. We don't want to times quitting feels like our only option. Today on Insight for living trust fund all teachers from Philippians chapter 1, the apostle Paul describes the far better alternative. He said forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead press on. Are you dealing with an issue today that makes you feel like giving up, titled today's message the integrity of pressing on something brother remarked that occurred that ties into the sufferings of Paul is in Arabia he's isolated, you learn something of that. We wish we had details not only do scholars not know exactly when that occurred we don't we don't know exactly what he did while he was there. I'm suggesting that what were going to read a chapter 12 happened around that time.

Maybe while in the country of Arabia look about going to read your posting will do no good. But I must go on. I will I will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord. I was caught up in the third heaven 14 years ago. He waits 14 years before he tells about this being caught up into the third heaven, whether he's in the body or out of the body doesn't know only God knows, but what caught up into paradise. Verse four. I heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words. Things no human is allowed to tell. In fact, they are so amazing experience was worth boasting about no one else.

It had such experiences. He says in verse five that experiences worth boasting about.

But I'm not going to go. I'm not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses. What an interesting statement. You say that if you suffer you say that after years of suffering going to boast only about my weaknesses to see if I wanted to boast I would I would be no food. In doing so because I'd be telling the truth, but I won't do it because I don't want anyone to give me the credit beyond what they can see in my life or here in my message is that a great statement of what I want no credit. I just want to live my life.

I want to live in such a way that it is irrefutable that it is honest that it has integrity and also want to add even though I received such wonderful revelations from God so as to keep me from becoming proud look at this I was given a 400 in the flesh, you may have heard of that but not little room is located in the Scriptures. There you have it. Second Corinthians 12 verse seven whatever it was, and no one knows for sure all sorts of speculations have been made about the thorn in the flesh, but it was a painful experience so painful that the Lord gave it to them to keep them from being proud and so we praise look at this next verse. Three different times I've begged the Lord to take it from me, and each time he said my grace is all you need. So three times.

I asked to be relieved. Three times I heard no the Lord said to me, my grace is all you need for my power works best in weakness is what he said about posted anything. It'll be in my weakness because that's where I can judge about the grace of God. So now I'm glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me as well take pleasure look at this verse, verse 10 take pleasure in weaknesses and insults and hardships and persecutions and trouble troubles that I suffer for Christ for when I'm weak that I'm strong when is wiki also grows deeper. His beliefs become his convictions as he presses on the road to the Corinthians, be steadfast in movable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. The words press all knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. First Corinthians 1558, he pressed on he would write on. He stated that it he didn't quit. He didn't hold back. He didn't complain there's integrity in living a life like that.

Did you know that in the Philippians account which I read to you earlier. You know, when he wrote that, along with three other letters.

Ephesians and Colossians, and Philemon was a reason scholars call those the prison epistles he wrote them while in chains in strains during a two-year house arrest.

He's manacled to a Roman soldier day after day week after week. He doesn't take walks outside to see Paul. You came to him at the house. He didn't come to see you two years awaiting an audience with Nero and during that time it came to Paul's land. I got a captive audience here.

Emphasis on captive. He trained himself to me so I'm going to talk to them about Jesus and he can't get away a lot of the thought would tell you about the Savior change my life. You can change yours and did you know that the whole praetorian guard. The palace guard those closest to the Emperor's SS troops if you will came to Christ all may not have had a chance to say only one to say to Nero about the Savior, but he left his emissaries there. One soldier after another after another afternoon. Could you imagine the barracks of the praetorian guard unit of this we got duty with them tomorrow. I gotta listen to him again tomorrow and finally just wears him down just wears a dialogue that I use kind of evangelism by force is changed to this Philippians and it's a letter of joy. The beautiful part of this is that he's pressing right on through it we suffer like that. Are you going through the things you're going through. What are you going through such tough times. Second Caribbean letter gives us three reasons right there in chapter 1 verse that we might be able to comfort others in the same kind of suffering we went through second that we might not trust in ourselves when you suffer. You have to lean on others to get you through it. So we learn and suffering not to lean on ourselves and thirdly might wording everything to give thanks all for your right there in first Corinthians 1.

Second, with his wife one through 11. He gives them to us. 123 is like that. I love it several times a year on invited to Dallas seminary to speak in chapel that happened to me this last week and I have a chance to talk to the students.

I love doing that they're not chained here, but some of them choose to come and I have a chance to talk about life as it really is in ministry as they were facing now chose to approach my talk at a whole new way. This time it wasn't an original thought with me. I talked to them about learning lessons in difficult times. I called it. Don't miss the messages in your misfortunes. I got the idea from a commencement exercise, not with graduates, some graduate school, but with ninth graders get this an unusual graduation group 9th graders going into 10th grade unusual speaker. The chairman, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts was the speaker to these ninth graders little modest group and John Roberts spoke to them how the world and they get drawn Roberts to do that. Well, one of the ninth graders is John Roberts, son. So he says to him one evening at supper. Hey daddy remember graduation coming up. Would you speak and I can even the Chief Justice turned on his son Mrs. sure will talk on something different and you turn the subject on its head.

Normally, commencement speakers tell everybody how wonderful they are and the poor. All of this gobbledygook on everyone in your gonna make a great splash and live for your gonna become you know somebody significant and not John Roberts. He talked to them about things that would go against him in life and his hope was that they would learn lessons from the he gave him six wishes for the listen to them a level number one.

He said to the graduates ninth graders from time to time. I hope will be treated unfairly so that you will come to know the value of justice. My second wish for you. I hope you will suffer betrayal because that will teach you the importance of loyalty number three. I hope you will be lonely from time to time so that you will never take your friends for granted. These great number four. When you lose as you will occasionally. I hope every now and then your opponent will gloat over your failure is a way for you to understand the importance of sportsmanship. Number five. I hope you will be ignored so that you will learn the importance of listening number six. I hope you will have just enough pain for you to understand compassion he added. Whether you are our wish these things are not there all going to happen to you and whether you benefit from them or not will depend upon your ability to learn the lessons the messages in your misfortunes. I feel the same way today as I speak to you in this difficult time in which were living I get my message today with 13 words, believing important truths as valuable sending on them in tough times is invaluable that I said that's when your beliefs turn into convictions so it's time for me to last you are you just excited about getting new beliefs are. You turn your beliefs into convictions so that you're ready and willing when necessary to standalone.

As you will have to do.

If you've not done already. I haven't talked about Dr. Wahlberg statement to the students I fear we may be graduating too many students with a lot of beliefs, but not enough conviction. What are your convictions, what would you stand for. If no one else in the room stood for what you rely on when everything else breaks loose. The bottom drops out, you lose the one that met the most to you. Hardship becomes your MO it will be your beliefs that'll get you through that will be your convictions. I know this and I am convinced of this. I will stand firm, and I don't care of anyone else around me is standing for this I will stand here. Who knows, but someday we will be there in the times will be so tough that unless we press on, will have to keep in. This is a practice session right now these days may be hard but they're going to get harder in the last days difficult times will come.

Second Corinthians 3 second Timothy three tells us what allotment tortures to translate that savage times will come. Who knows if we will be invaded as a nation who knows the wrong people will take charge and take control of our liberties be taken from us. Who knows, but what some may wind up their lives incarcerated for doing what is right. Maybe you maybe your children.

Maybe your grandchildren. These things were learning about integrity. These are not just sermons to deliver and hearing go about our business next week were going to look at Paul's words in second Timothy four, all of which are dungeon talk because following those words, the acts fell on the back of his neck and severed his head from his shoulders last days of his life. He writes I've thought the good fight, I finished the course, I've kept the faith. I want that for you. I want these words to mean more to you. Just something to put in your notes to remember is interesting beliefs.

I want this to turn into your convictions so I wish for all of us tougher times harder days that we might learn the integrity of pressing all.

I wrestled for quite some time. The other morning got up early about 330 until about 530 I was trying to answer the question what's involved in pressing on. I've used those words multiple times in my talk and I thought I know that to you what what you mean by pressing on. Here are the 12345 lines I came up with when you press on you read your life and distractions.

Second, you spend your time and energy on essentials third you set your mind to endure any test any trial. Fourth, you focus your attention on goals and priorities as set forth in the Scriptures. Fifth discipline yourself to stay at it in order to finish well is what pressing on includes all give those to you again next week, but there only words there only my words until their applied until that time comes they'll never become your convictions in the things you pass on to your children, grandchildren and friends but with me.

Would you please just sit quietly together the serious moment you've never trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ. Much of this is is kind of a joke to you that there's there's no way you press on in any way to get in soon as the going gets rough on your product. Hang in there in the flesh, you will run out of energy and hope you what you can make it all away to death is if you have the Savior the strength that he can empower you with just a strong even when the going becomes unbearable. Times turn from tough to terrible's return to Christ right now this is your moment to do so don't wait. He offers you his life and his strength and power is forgiveness, even his eternal home, you can't lose. If you've been playing around with your faith in sort of in and out sort of disinterested and passive times. It's it's time to get serious if not now, when I suggested begins now. Thank you father for speaking to us in terms we can understand. Thank you for a model like Paul not a perfect man, far from it even says that he hasn't attained anywhere near perfection, but a man who pressed on in season and out of season. He stated it was the temerity to do that. The strength of character, the determination, the heart convictions maybe stop mouthing our faith and start living it may become such a reality that surprises no one that we belong to the eternal family of God, because of the way we live in the process of keeping a strong, I pray that you also keep us compassionate as we grow in determination, may we also grow in grace as we embrace the truth and we also embrace mercy. It was patience in dealing with the difficulty of life. People who are Harding along with guidance. I pray through these difficult days that we might represent you well days to come help us. I father to principal Jesus name I pray everyone soon.

You're listening to the Bible teaching pastor and author Chuck Swindoll on today's edition of Insight for living. He's completed message number 11 and a 12 part teaching series called walking with integrity in times of adversity and if you'd like to learn more about this ministry. Visit us online@insightworld.org then as we conclude our Bible study today. I'll remind you this 12 part series is never been shared before on Insight for living. Although this program is been carried on radio stations for more than 42 years.

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