Pressed Beyond Measure
David Wilkerson encourages believers to find strength and hope in God during overwhelming trials and suffering.
David Wilkerson addresses the struggles of believers who feel pressed beyond measure, drawing parallels to biblical figures like Paul, Job, and David. He emphasizes that such trials are common and encourages believers to cry out to God in their moments of despair, reminding them of God's faithfulness and deliverance. Wilkerson reassures that in times of hopelessness, God hears our cries and provides strength and support through the Holy Spirit.
Text
Perhaps like Paul, you are being pressed beyond measure, tested beyond your endurance. Your strength is nearly gone, and you are on the brink of giving up. You want to run, but there is no place to go. Now you say with Paul, "This is above my strength!"
So, what is the way to victory? All I can tell you is how God continues to bring me out. Here are two important truths He has given me:
1. Don't think you are experiencing some strange, unique battle. On the contrary, you are in good company. Recall Job, Jeremiah, Elijah, David, Paul -- even me. What you are going through is common to believers throughout the centuries.
"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy" (1 Peter 4:12-13).
2. When you think you can't go on another hour -- when everything looks absolutely hopeless -- cry out to God with all that is in you, "Lord, help!" Consider the counsel of the psalmist in the following verses:
"As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me" (Psalm 55:16-18).
"I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. . . . In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears" (18:1-2, 6).
"O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit" (30:2-3).
Here is a key verse: "For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper" (72:12). Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to be your helper and He will not turn a deaf ear to your cry for help!
Sermon Outline
- I points: - Introduction to being pressed beyond measure - Commonality of struggles among believers - 'Examples from scripture: Job, Jeremiah, Elijah, David, Paul'
- II points: - Understanding trials as part of the Christian experience - Encouragement from 1 Peter 4:12-13 - Rejoicing in sufferings
- III points: - The importance of calling out to God - Scriptural guidance from Psalm 55 - God's promise to hear our cries
- IV points: - God as our strength and deliverer - Reflections from Psalm 18 - The role of the Holy Spirit as our helper
- V points: - Conclusion and call to trust in God's deliverance - Encouragement to persist in prayer - Final thoughts on hope in trials
Key Quotes
“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you...” — David Wilkerson
“As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me.” — David Wilkerson
“For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- Recognize that struggles are common among believers and seek support.
- Persist in prayer, especially in moments of despair and hopelessness.
- Trust in God's promises and His ability to deliver you from your trials.