Strength In The
Struggle
Steve W. Reeves
stevesermons.blogspopt.com
INTRODUCTION
A. The time was August of 1921. Approximately 45 miles north
of New York City there
lived several
prominent families with large estates. In one of these families was a
thirty-nine year old
man. His entire life had been lived in privilege and prominence.
He had attended the
best private schools and completed a law degree at Harvard. He
was tall, strong and
handsome. He had worked for a prestigious law firm and married
a woman who was
related to the President of the United States. A lover of the sea,
he was appointed
Assistant Secretary of the Navy during the first World War. In 1920
he was chosen by the
Democratic party as nominee for Vice President. Although he
and his running
mate, James Cox, were defeated the national exposure placed him
firmly in running
for the Presidential nomination in 1924. He had charisma,
confidence and
charm. The world was at his door.
Now, in August of 1921 at a seaside retreat
called Campobello, thirty-nine year old
Franklin Delano
Roosevelt swam in the chilly water. That evening he developed a
chill and began running fever. As the fever
rose higher and the chills and pain
intensified a doctor
was summoned. His devastating diagnosis was Polio Mylitus,
also known as
Infantile Polio. Rooseveelt survived but was paralyzed from the waist
down. He could not
walk. He could not dress or undress himself. He had to be icked
up and put into bed.
He could stand only when supported by heavy iron braces
attached to his waist,
thighs and legs.
Sitting on the porch
of the family residence Franklin looked down the winding drive to
the nearby road. He
determined that he would one day walk down that drive.
With his braces
locked he began twisting his upper body so he could swing his legs
forward. The iron
braces cut into hiss flesh.The pain was excruciating. Sweat poured
from his face.
Sometimes he fell to the ground bloodying his hands and face. Despite
his determination
Roosevelt never made it to the end of the drive. He did, however,
learn to shuffle along
for short distances. In 1924 he gave the nominatiang speech at
the Democratic
convention shuffling to the podium on crutches. In 1928 he walked to
the platform holding
the arm of his oldest son. In 1932l fifty year old Franklin
Roosevelt was
elected the 32nd President of the United States. He served in that
office longer than
any man, being elected four times. Just one month into his fourth
term the war weary
president died. The strength of his struggle had enabled him to
face some of the greatest
dangers in the history of the world.
B. There is a good chance that you are facing a struggle in
your life today.
1. Perhaps, like
Roosevelt, you are struggling with a physical condition that makes
life difficult
for you. Perhaps the health of a family member has thrust you into the
role of being a
care-giver.
2. Your struggle may
be mental or emotional. You may be battling the dark depths of
depression or
the anguish of anxiety.
3. You may be
struggling in a relationship with a friend, co-worker, spouse or family
member.
4. Your struggle may
be with your faith in God. Is He real? Does the Bible give us an
accurate picture
of His will? How do we understand the problem of suffering? What
about the theory
of evolution? Can humanity direct its own destiny and save itself?
5. When you find
yourself bombarded by doubts and difficuylties remember that there
is strength in
the struggle. Emotiaonal and spiritual maturity is developed in times
of stress,
strain and struggle. Jesus said, “in the world you will have trouble, but
take heart, I h
C. In my personal life I have observed that the people who
ultimately make a positive
impact on their
surroundings are the ones who have struggled under crrusing blows
and debilitating
hardships. This truth can be seen quite easily in the life of Moses,
one of the central figures
in Biblical history.
I. THE CHOICE
A. Acts 7:20-34 prvides us with the story of
Moses in the New Testament. This
account of Moses’
life was told by Stephen, an early evangelist and one of the
church’s fit
deacons (Acts 6:5). Following his selection as a deacon (from diakonos
meaning
servant), Stephen proved himself to be a powerful preacher and defender
of the Christian
faith. In Acts 7 he presented an overview of Jewish history leading
up to the life, death,
burial and resurrection of Jesus sChrist. It is within this context
that he provided
a summary of Moses’ life.
B. Notice Stephen’s
description of Moses in verse 29.
1. He was a
lovely (Hebrew – “Tov”) child in the eyes of God.
2. God had His
eyes on Moses from the time of his birth. Throughout Moses’ lilfe
the providence
of God was at work.
3. For three
months God allowed Moses to be hidden at home while the Hebrew
infants were
being exposed and killed (Acts 7:19).
4. Then, when
Moses was put in a little ark (basket) and placed in the Nile river
he was
discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter. Moses’ sister, Miriam, suggested a
Hebrew nurse
for the infant – none other than Jocabed, his own mother. Moses
had the best
of both worlds. He had his own mother nursing him and grew up
with the
finest education any child could have. Acts 7:22 says he was learned in
all the ways
of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and deeds.
C. What role does
God play in choosing someone for a task? Throughout the Bible
God chose many
women and men for specific tasks. .
1. Deborah,
Esther, David, Solomon and the apostles are just a few of these
individuals.
2. Why would
this great reality not be true today? .
3. Perhaps the
real issue is not whether God has a task for us to fulfill but our
willingness to submit to His
direction.
4. When God
chooses you for a task you can be assured that, like Moses, He will
provide the
means by which you can be properly equipped for the job. Make
sure you do
not waist the opportunities he provides for you.
II. THE CRISIS
A. In Acts 7:23
Stephen continued his expose’ of the life of Moses by
bringing to
light the first of several crisis points in his life. This was the occasion
when Moses, at
the age of 40, visited his Hebrew brethren. When he saw an
Egyptian guard
beating a Hebrew, he struck the guard killing him. The following
day as Moses
sought to reconcile two men who were fighting one of them said,
“Who made you a
judge over me? Do you intendd to kill me as you did the
Egyptian” (Acts
Thus Moses fled
and became an alien in the wilderness of Midian.
B. In everyone’s
life there come times of crisis. These are defining moments when we
face difficult
decisions. Moses faced several of these throughout his life. You will
too” (Acts
7:28)?
1. In my early
twenties I stepped out beyond my level of maturity and preparation
to accept a
local ministry while completing my undergraduate degree.
A year and a
half later my inexperience caught up with me. I encountered
criticism
aned chastisement for which I was not ready. My wife and I cried. We
did not know
what to do. I resigned. We moved back to our college campus to
heal our
wounds and contemplate our future. My initial reaction was to never
preach again.
“Who wants to be so vulnerable?” I asked myself. The time of
crisis
forced me back into my studies. I prayed and sought the Lord’s will. I
refreshed myself
mentally and spiritually. My wife and I surrounded ourselves
with tfriends
who helped us evaluate our experience and encouraged us to
continue. Ultimately
I arrived at the conclusion that ministry was indeed my
calling. That
initial crisis refined and strengthened both of us.
2. There have
been other times of crisis in our life. Some have been harder than
others. At
times it seemed as if we could not go on. With each one Ggd provided
His grace
and we emerged with greater spiritual strength and stamina than
before.
3. “Don’t Quit”
by Edgar A. Guest.
When Things go wrong,
as they sometimes will,
When the road you're
trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low
and debts are high,
And you want to Smile
but have to sigh.
When care is pressing
you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but
don't you quit.
Life is queer with its
twists and turns,
As everyone of us
sometimes learns,
And many a failure
turns about,
When he might have won
if he'd stuck it out,
Don't give up though
the pace seems slow,
You might succeed with
another blow.
Often the struggler has
given up,
When he might captured
the victor's cup.
And he learned too
late, when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the
golden crown,
Success is failure
turned inside out,
The silver tint of
clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell
how close you are,
It may be near when it
seems afar,
So stick to the fight when
you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem
worst that you mustn't quit.
III. THE CRUCIBLE
A. A crucible is a
container in which metal is subjected to intense heat. In the process
of refining gold
or silver the crucible is where the metal is melted, impurities rise to
the top and are
skimmed off. This process is repeated until the desired level of
purity. Peter makes
mention of this in 1 Peter 1:7 by writing of, “the
proof of your
faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though
tested by fire,
may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the
revelation of Jesus ChrisT.” purity is attained. Peter makes reference
to this in
B. For Moses the
wilderness was the refining process. Can
you imagine leaving he
power, prestige
and privileges of Egyptian royalty to live in a barren wilderness?
1. Just as he
had lived in Egypt for 40 years, Moses lived in the wilderness for 40
years. What
was Moses thinking? Reemember, it is only after his life’s story has
been written
that we have the advantage of seeing the pivotal role the
wilderness
experience played in his life.
2. It was here
he met Zipporah and became the father of two sons. It was here he
tended his
father-in-law’s sheep.
3. It was here
he learned wilderness survival. He learned the land. He learned ittss
terrain and secrets. The wilderness afforded
Moses a classroom and laboratory
he never
experienced in Egypt.
C. You may be
experiencing a wilderness in your life. If not, it is safe to say you will
or you
have.
1. Consider
Jesus following His baptism (Matthew 4:1-11).
2. Consider Paul
and his years in Arabia following hhisi conversion (Galatians
1:17). .
3. The
wilderness gives us time to reflect, pray and be refined. It removes the
impurities
and prepares us for a greater putpose.
4. Do not
despise the wilderness. It contains lessons you and I need.
IV. THE CALLI
A. It was in the
wilderness Moses witnessed a miraculous sight. At Horeb (or Sinai)
he saw a burning
bush that was not consumed. It was not uncommon to see scub
bushes aflame in
the wilderness due to intense heat. These flash fires were brief
as the scub was
quickly consumed by the flame. This time
was different. The
flame continued
to burn brightly.. Moses turned aside to see this sight.
B. It was then that
the Angel of the Lord spoke to Moses from the midst of the flame
and said, “Remove
your sandals, the place you are standing is hholy ground”
(Exodus 3:5).
God went on to command Moses to return to Egypt and deliver his
Hebrew brethren
from slavery.
C. In quiet moments
of contemplation I have often considered God’s calling. What did
it mean for
Moses? What does it mean to me?
1. There is, of
course, a sense in which all of us can be referred to as “called.” See
1 Peter
2:5-9. are called out of darkness into
the Lord’s marvelous light (1
2. Does God indeed
“call” us to special areas of work and service in life? My own
testimony is a resounding, “yes!” I had very little background, spiritually or
educationally
to become a preacher of the Gospel. I was an average student. No
one in my
family had ever graduated from college. As a young high school
student I
was seriously considering attending the University of Tennessee and
majoring in
Agriculture or simply going to work on my uncle’s farm. However,
when I was
fifteen years old something happened. During a church youth group
trip I felt
the distinct desire to give my life to preaching the Gospel. No, there was
no audible voice
that whispered in my ear or secret message that came in a
dream.
However, there was definitely a call that changed the focus of my life. I
do not think
it coincidental that shortly after this I was asked to speak during a
Wednesday
night service. I was blessed with friends who fueled the flame of
the call and
encouraged me in its pursuit. Now, over forty years later I remain as
firmly committed
to that call as when I first received it.
C. God’s call to you
will reflect the ability you have coupled with the potential you can
achieve if you
will respond to it with determination and faith. Cqan’t you imagine
how Moses, over
80 years later, as he stood overlooking the promised land of
Canaan, remembered
that long ago day when the words of God came to his ears
and changed his
life forever?
V. THE CHALLENGE
A. Have you ever
faced a daunting task? A construction worker might look at the
blueprints of a
project that seems impossible. A university student might look at
course
requirements and think of a degree that seems far removed from them. All
of us have felt
overwhelmed at times by the challenges of life.
B. Imagine Moses returning
from 40 years of exile to tell people who previously
Considered him to
be their opponent that God had sent you back to deliver them
from Pharaoh? What
an incredible challenge!
1. How did Moses
accomplish such a great task?
2. How was he
able to persuade the people to trust him? How could he convince
Pharaoh?
3. Once
deliverance had been obtained how could he sustain them through the
wilderness? Perhaps
no one ever faced a greater challenge.
B. The answer was
“GOD.” Every step of the way God provided Mosess with what he
needed,.
1. Aaron as a
spokesman.
2. Miracles,
wonders and plagues.
3. Food and
water in the wilderness.
4. It was
God! We will never face a challentge in
which He does not equip us.
CONCLUSION
A. On a bright spring afternoon in April of 1945 when the new
leaves had appeared
on the trees of
central Georgia and the air was sweet with the fragrance of lilac.
Franklin Roosevelt
sat in the Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia.
He was exhausted
after twelve years as president. Four campaigns. Leading a nation
to the verge of
victory in Europe and the Pacific. As an artist sketched the deep lines
of his face he
complained of a terrible headache, sank in his chair and soon breated
his last. His life
had been a struggle to be sure, but the free world was gratedful this
leader had found the
strength to cqarry on.
B. Take courage in your struggle. T here is strength in your
struggle. God can
and will see you through if you will put your trust in Him.
