2 Corinthians 4 16 the Bible reads for which cause we faint not but though our
outward man perish because we're talking about being strong in spirit we're not
talking about becoming a bodybuilder okay it says for which cause we faint not
but though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day for
our light affliction afflictions the same word as tribulation persecution
same type of thing for our light affliction which is but for a moment
worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory while we look
not at the things which are seen but if the things which are not seen for the
things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are
eternal he says here we faint not because he say even though our outward
man perish in verse 16 yet the inward man's renewed day by day I mean I'm
gonna tell you something if you really serve God and really work hard for God
and really spend the hours in the Bible not the five-minute devotional not our
daily bread not have a little talk with Jesus okay but I'm talking about if you
spend the hours in the Bible I mean sit out read the Bible for an hour or two
hours a day and really read it really get the Bible in your heart and learn it
and if you're really out knocking the doors and soul winning you're really out
working hard and providing for your family and doing what you're supposed to
be doing and and working on doing everything you're supposed to be doing
sometimes you get tired and worn out you know coming to church Sunday morning
Saturday Sunday morning Sunday night and it can begin to wear on you especially
as a pastor you know it'll wear you out sometimes and even even when I wasn't a
pastor sometimes my schedule just being young and working a lot of hours and
trying to trying to keep the family rolling and keep the finances rolling
and just keep everything going and still trying to serve God and and study the
Bible do it there are times when you're just physically gonna collapse I mean
you're just so tired so worn out sometimes I feel like Samson said when
you remember when Samson was in the temple of Dagon and he stood between
the pillars of what he said he said God would you just strengthen me just one
more time one more time you know would you strengthen me would you strengthen
my spirit sometimes that's the way I feel you know just I'm not even looking
at months from now I'm just thinking God will you strengthen me for one more service
you know will you strengthen me for one more hour of soul winning because I just feel
like my outward man is perishing you know I'm beat I'm worn out I'm tired emotionally
drained mentally drained you get physically drained serving God but the
only way that you're gonna keep from falling out the only way you're gonna keep from
quitting the only way you're gonna keep from going soft is because your inward man's
got to be renewed day by day you see the spirit of a man bearing his infirmity
the Bible says but a wounded spirit who can bear that's what's in the book of
Proverbs see your spirit can keep your body going your spirit can keep you
moving when you feel like you're gonna faint they that wait upon the Lord shall
renew their strength they shall rise up with wings as equals they shall run and
not be weary they shall walk and not faint God's spirit can strengthen you
your spirit if it's strong can sustain physical infirmities to keep you going
and pushing yourself when you're when your mind and your body's drained like
when Jesus said I feel like virtue has gone out of me after he done the
miracles and preached the sermons but the spirit kept him going to get them
strong but if your spirits weak you will fall you will fail you will faint and so
you can't do it in the flesh the spirit must keep you going if you're gonna live
the Christian life you're gonna be maximum for Jesus Christ you see I want
to get to the end of my life I want to just on the last day of my life you know
what I want to do I want to just collapse just exhausted just spent I
don't have any gas left in the gas tank when I die I want to just be done I
want to just collapse and say I gave everything that I had everything every
part of my mind was just for God you know it's for memorizing the Bible every
part of my mind was just something about preaching the gospel or helping people
are loving my wife or loving my children or doing my physical do my work you know
and to make money to pay the bills and do that I just want every part of my
mind to just be drained I want every muscle in my body to be worn out and I
want to just collapse and say like the Apostle Paul did I finished my course I
kept the faith henceforth there's laid up for me a crown of righteousness which
the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but
unto them also that love is appearing hey I want to give everything I want to
be worn out and just collapse and be done with it you see if you're gonna be
maximum for Jesus Christ I mean not just doing the minimum of well I went to
church and one a few souls and read a little Bible but if you want to do the
maximum and if you want God to use you maximum huh you're gonna need a strong
spirit to sustain you during the persecution times during the tribulation
times and during the times when your physical bodies is worn out and you're
gonna collapse you've got to have God's Spirit there and you got to also have
your own spirit that's strong that's strengthened in the inward man