March 24, 2021
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Well, mail service has changed a lot during my lifetime. Certainly the cost of sending a letter has gone up, and up, and up, and up. I don't know, it's probably quadrupled or quintupled or even maybe more in my lifetime. In case any of my grandkids are listening, I don't mean beginning with the Pony Express. No. But, you know, there are new services that are added. I remember when they added overnight delivery they didn't used to have. But I'll tell you what. One thing hasn't changed. Listen, the postal service, they have a big job and they struggle sometimes. But you know what? Those mail carriers still do their best to keep their commitment not to be stopped by sleet, or snow, or dark of night. Remember that's the motto? That the old saying, "Nothing keeps us from our appointed rounds." Actually, you know, they've been pretty faithful getting stuff to me. And other than holidays, pretty much the mail usually makes it no matter what the conditions were. I'm impressed with that kind of commitment, not just from mail delivery.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Storm Can't Stop the Deliveries."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from 2 Timothy 4:1. Here's what it says: "In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom, I give you this charge." Okay, you can tell Paul is really serious here. I mean, he's bringing all this heavyweight stuff to bear on what he's going to say. This is in front of God. This is in front of Christ. This is in view of the fact He's coming back. This is about His whole kingdom. Whatever he's going to say, it's going to be important, huh?
We go to verse 2: "Preach the Word. Be prepared in season and out of season." Paul musters all of this sobering, heavy artillery to drive home this message, "Keep presenting God's Word no matter what kind of season it is." Another translation puts it this way, "Be diligent when it is convenient and when it is inconvenient."
Here's the principle: Your ministry is too important to be at the mercy of your moods. You have a forever mission of representing Jesus Christ, serving Him in whatever the setting He has assigned you. In fact, you can assume that your situation wherever you are right now is your assignment. So, be consistent. Always deliver. If a storm doesn't stop a mail carrier... look, he doesn't look out the window and say, "Oh, looks bad today. I think I'll deliver some other day." Then it should not keep someone who delivers the love and the hope of Christ from doing what they are assigned to do.
No, you've got to come through on this. Too many Christians base their work and their witness on how their emotional weather is that today. But the Bible says we've got to consistently represent Christ in season, out of season, in convenience, and out of convenience.
I shouldn't deny my feelings, but I shouldn't base my spiritual consistency, my spiritual performance on what kind of mood I'm in right now. Honestly pour out your deepest feelings and your darkest feelings to a Christ who won't be surprised by them, but who can really minister to them. Then go after that day as your assignment from God. Go after it with all your heart. Show the difference that Christ makes when life is dark.
See, everything seems to work when your life is going well, no matter what you believe. The test of any belief is going to be what happens when things are really going down hill, what happens on the dark days. Your darkest of days is when you have the best opportunity to show the light of Christ and the difference He makes in the dark. You can't go off duty then. You've got to demonstrate consistency when the moods are down and the darkness is there.
Every day, by my words, by my life, by my attitude I am delivering the message of Christ. I can't let the darkness stop me. Ministry can't be at the mercy of my moods, and that storm cannot stop the deliveries.