John Carver - Keep It Going
633 views · Published 17 August 2015 · 53:15 · Indexed 21 October 2026
Channel: John Carver · 2015 · People & Blogs
This is a sermon I shared in August 2015. The theme of my talk is how important it is to keep going even if you get knocked down. "Defeat should never be a source of discouragement, but rather a fresh stimulus." -- Robert South We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear. - Martin Luther King, Jr. Their expectation is focused. There is a, constant, battle to not FOCUS on what you SEE! There’s a HUGE difference between staying down when you get knocked down and getting back up when you get knocked down. "In America, failure is considered a disruption in progress," says Scott A. Sandage, a history professor at Carnegie Mellon University who teaches a course on success and failure. "Even as the understanding of economic challenges increases, there's an intensification of shame around failure." Jesus Christ (0AD - 33 AD) Jesus stuck to the truth of his message, despite the consequences. On many ocassions, he had the opportunity to escape or change his message. But, he felt the right thing to do was to suffer outer humiliation and pain in order to leave a legacy of spiritual truth. William Tyndale (1494 – 1536) - Translated Bible into English, which at the time was forbidden. For his controversial views he was later arrested and executed. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”― Winston Churchill We’ve read Joshua 1:9 often… Joshua 1:9 – NASB - 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” …but there’s a “catch” to this… Joshua 1:9 – 6 “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Let me paraphrase part of this from The Message – “Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going. And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.” Your decision to stick to what’s written in the Bible can make it or break it for you. It can be a foundation in your life when everything else is rotting away. I've been Pastor of Faith Outreach Chapel in Baltimore Maryland since 1994. For more information about me go to www.johnwcarver.com
