Keeping Your Focus in Times of Frenzy, Fray, Frustration, and Filth: Part Six by Dr. Rod Mattoon

About this sermon

2 Timothy 4:5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. In PART SIX of this series, we take a close look at the trials we face from time to time. Paul challenges us to endure the afflictions we face. Focusing on persistence during a trial can help the Christian in times of frenzy, fray, frustration, and filth. Trials have a way of frustrating us and throwing us into the frenzy of fierce frays or battles. The opposition that we face from others can be very traumatic, leaving us clinging to the end of our ropes. It is in times like these we are to endure afflictions. We are to continue in our complications and focus on persistence in our trials. The phrase “endure afflictions” is from the word kakopatheo {kak-op-ath-eh'-o}. It is the same word used in 2 Timothy 2:3 that commands us to endure hardness as good soldiers of Christ. The word means “suffering evils, hardships, trouble, affliction.” It’s formed from two words: kakos and pathos. Kakos is something that is evil. The evil is so bad that its impact leaves negative effects on a person. It also refers to sickness that affects the health of a person physically as well as emotionally. It leaves the person weighed down mentally and depressed. The other word that forms kakopatheo is “pathos”. It means “to suffer”. The word mainly conveys the idea of suffering that occurs in the mind of a person leaving him or her worried, stressed, or in anguish or despair. If you have ever read books about Navy SEALS (SEa, Air, and Land) you will be amazed at the requirements and training they endure. Trainees learn quickly that, "The only easy day was yesterday," and three-fourths of those who start don't finish. Being a Christian soldier is not easy. It demands difficult preparation through study and prayer. As Christians, we are to endure these afflictions and we can do this through the power of the Holy Spirit within us. In this message, we take a look at eight benefits for the Christian that come from trials. This message was preached on Wednesday night May 28, 2025, at Lincoln Land Baptist Church.