Scripture
When we arrived in Macedonia, there was no rest for us; outside, trouble was on every hand and within us, our hearts were full of dread and fear.
~II Corinthians 7:5, LNT
Quote
Worry and anxiety is like rocking in a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but you don’t get any where.
~English Proverb
Have you ever known or been around one of these people who seems to be perfect and then you catch them in a mistake and you breathe a sigh of relief and say to yourself, “Thank God, they are human.” I was listening to an Adrian Rogers sermon a few weeks ago on YouTube and he made a major gaffe; he not only misstated what he was trying to say, he gave the wrong reference. He was talking about the RICH FOOL in Luke 12 but he said it was found in Luke 16. I thought to myself, “he is human afterall.” Paul was a HIM, a Highly Intelligent Man. He was also a type A personality and he needed little motivation from others. What he accomplished in his life time is certainly incredible and borders on the impossible. There is no doubt about it, he was anoutstanding little man but he was human and sometimes we forget this important fact.
Paul did not like to be alone, especially in his travels. If we go back to II Corinthians 2:12 Paul says, “When I got to Troas, the Lord gave me tremendous opportunities to preach the gospel, but Titus my dear brother was not there to meet me and I couldn’t rest. I couldn’t stop wondering where he was or what had happened to him and so I said good-bye and went right on to Macedonia to try to find him.” Did you get that? Paul, the great Apostle, becomes so agitated and anxious in spirit that he is dysfunctional and cannot preach the gospel although he had the opportunity. Wow! Now go back to chapter 7 and verse 6 which follows today’s text: Then God who cheers those who are discouraged refreshed us by the arrival of Titus. Do you see what is going on here? Paul had become so anxious that he was dysfunctional but we Titus shows up, Paul is refreshed and back to normal. How important does this make Titus? How human does this make Paul? Am I questioning Paul’s courage or integrity? No, but I am showing you how important friends and co-workers are in the ministry, and even the greatest among us suffer from anxiety.
Let’s recap: Paul is so discourage and anxious that he cannot do what he was sent there to do but upon seeing Titus he is refreshed and after talking to Titus for just a few minutes, Paul is overflowing with thanksgiving and joy. What an amazing turn around! Everyone needs a Titus.
- Well, the grands are loving VBS at Grace Point. I will be doing the evangelistic time Thursday night Lord willing. It looks like, at this moment, I will be going to Jackson, Mississippi Friday. We have a man in the hospital there and we had a death in Forest. The oldest of the Sessums girls passed away early this morning. I would like to attend that COLS.
- Some of you know Big Mike Childers. He is the chairman of deacons at GP. He told me a story last night that had me laughing for an hour or so. He had friend in Georgia who worked for Delta Airlines. For some strange reason, he couldn’t seem to keep a wife. I think he was on number three when Mike went to visit him. His wife was an animal lover with kittens in the front and a German Shepherd in a fence in the back. While Mike was there, the dog got lose and found one of the kitten. He grabbed it and crunched, then slung it several feet away. The woman went into a panic. She got the cat, wrapped it in a towel and told her husband to get it to the vet ASAP. He said, “No, we haven’t paid the vet for our last visit and I am not taking the cat.” She went into the house, came back out with a hundred dollar bill, stuck it in his hand and said, “take the kitten to the vet.” He took the cat and told Mike to get in the car and off they went. Mike said, “the first bridge we came too, he ran his window down and away went cat, towel and all.” They drove on into town. He went to a resturant where he used the $100 to buy he and Mike coffee and pie. They sat there and chewed the fat for about an hour and then he said, “We better be getting back but let me do all the talking.” Big Mike said, “By all means, you do the talking.” As soon as they walked it, the wife said, “Where is my kitten?” Mike’s friend said, “I’m so sorry honey, it didn’t make it. It died on the table.”