Jason Jimenez challenges church leaders and parents at our Reality Student Apologetics Conference to be transparent about their struggles so others can see how God has worked in their lives to deliver them out of their distress.
Transcript
In 2 Corinthians 1:10, this third word here is now “deliver.” So, we have “comfort.” We have “hope.” And then, notice, we have this word “deliver.” He says he “delivered us from such a…” what? “Deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.” Did you catch that? How many times did Paul use the word “deliver” in this verse? Three times. And he uses it in the past, present, and…what? Future. Paul witnessed firsthand.
How many of you—and I love this because I could see the expression on some of your guys’ faces—where you say to this young person, “Look. I lived a little. God will never disappoint you. I know it’s hard right now, and I know you’re backpedaling, or”—as I was sharing earlier—”you’re drifting, but let me tell you something. You can put your anchor in Christ, and you’ll never be disappointed. God has delivered me. God is delivering me. God will deliver us from this evil present age. Hold fast to his truth.”
Paul witnessed that firsthand. Literally, this word “delivering” is to help out of distress. See, that’s way different than—I get it. We got to pray about cancer or something like that. We got to pray for these things. But when someone says, “I feel distressed. I feel disconnected. I feel lost. I feel hopeless. I feel like taking my life.” That’s suffering. And you can say—I know some of you in this room. You guys have mighty faith in this room. You can say to them, “When I felt that, when I was at my lowest, God was there for me. God took me from that. He saved and protected me. That’s what the word ‘deliverance’ means.”
The apostle here believes that the same God who delivered him out of his mess—the same God who saved him as—who? Saul of Tarsus. He goes from persecuting and allowing people to be stoned because of their faith to being beheaded for Christ. He was delivered. And right now, as we talk about the great man of faith, he’s in the presence of the Lord with Stephen, the very man that he authorized to be martyred in Acts 7. Paul knew what it meant to be delivered.
Guys, can I say something to you? I know we need to have our curriculums, and you want to teach what you need to teach—what you need to teach, depending on what church environment you’re in—but share your experiences at the same time about how God has delivered you from the mess you came out of. Share that with the parents. There are many times through the years I would meet with parents. I’d start with my leader board of parents. Right? With some mix of some elders and deacons, and say, “Hey guys, is this off limits? Hey guys, do you think we should go here? Hey guys, we’re having some issues that are coming. Let’s do it.” And then I get men saying, “I’m going to share my story about how I cheated on my wife and I was in pornography and I was, you know, pursuing this woman here.” And he shares, and kids are coming. I mean, you got to trust the Lord. God, deliver these people. Share your testimony.