Sunday, August 14, 2016

08-14-16 Don't Give Up the Ship!

Scripture:  Philippians 3:7-14
http://bible.com/events/78662
Phil 3:7   But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
          12   Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

THE FLAG
James Lawrence was an American naval officer. During the War of 1812, he command-ed USS Chesapeake in a single-ship action against HMS Shannon.  His dying command to those in his charge was: “Don't give up the ship!", which is still a popular naval battle cry, and was made into a flag flown by his personal friend, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, less than a year later on Sept 10, 1813, during the Battle of Lake Erie as he faced the British fleet in the Western end of Lake Eire.

ADONIRAM JUDSON
Feb 6, 1812 (170 before Kim and I got married) Judson was ordained.
Feb 5, 1812 Married Ann Hasseltine
"I have now to ask whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world. Whether you can consent to see her departure to a heathen land, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of a missionary life? Whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean; to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death? Can you consent to all this, for the sake of perishing immortal souls; for the sake of Zion and the glory of God? Can you consent to all this, in hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory, with a crown of righteousness brightened by the acclamations of praise which shall redound to her Savior from heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair?"
Sept 6, 1812 Baptized (4 months to travel to India – Bible Study led them to become Baptist)
July 13, 1813 in Burma
June 26, 1819 First Convert = Maung Nau
June 8, 1824 Prison = 30x40’ by 5’tall 100 people male & female nearly naked, little food, never cleaned, 5 pair of fetters on his ankles; at night a bamboo pole raised his feet in the air with shoulders resting on the floor – 21 months. Ann gave birth to a son who got small pox as did she- and got permission to get Judson out with a guard as they went thru the streets begging a Burmese mother to feed their child.
2 wives died – 3 children died – the church scattered while imprisoned. BUT, Within a few years he finished translating the bible and distributed tracks everywhere sending out people 2x2 into small jungle tribes with the gospel.
Oct 15,1845 With 3 surviving children he came to America and could barely speak above a whisper and had difficulty speaking in English – married again, left children in America and returned to Burma.
                         By his death Judson had hoped to see one church and 100 converts – instead there were over 7000 converts, 63 churches 163 missionaries and native pastors. He was directly responsible for the creation of a foreign Missions board for the Congregationalist and the Baptist in America which influenced the same among Episcopalians, Methodists and Presbyterians.
April 12, 1850 on a ship to regain health – he died and was silently lowered into the sea without even a prayer being said.
          The ship gave up Adoniram Judson, but Judson NEVER gave up the ship!

          Much like the Apostle Paul who NEVER gave up the ship!
2 Cor 11:24-28
Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.   Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

          The world’s religious landscape is changing for Christians. A century ago, 80 percent lived in North America and Europe, compared with just 40 percent today. Christianity is thriving in many places in Latin America, Asia and Africa.
          Lucas County: Religions Adherents In 2010 Catholic: 21% Evangelical Protestant: 9% Mainline Protestant: 9% Black Protestant: 3% Other: 3%  None: 55%
          You may be called to go overseas or just across the street…no matter where you are, In Burma, In Africa, in Latin America, in the USA, in the greater Toledo area or in Oregon Ohio join Paul in saying, I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

CONCLUSION
Serving Jesus never allows us to rest on our achievements of the past or be held back by our failures – as a church or an individual:
"I am not tired of my work, neither am I tired of the world; yet, when Christ calls me home, I shall go with gladness." Adoniram Judson
          The Apostle Paul writing a letter to the one who would pick up his ministry where he left off – his spiritual son Timothy:
1 Tim 1:15-19
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners — of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
          18 Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.
In other words, “Timothy, DON’T GIVE UP THE SHIP!

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