There is a story that has been circled around about the devil going to market with his tools. For one reason or another he decides to advertise them for sale. Except one tool, by this there lay a sign that said “Not For Sale.” Curious at what the oddly shaped tool could be used that the devil did not want to part with people asked him to explain why this tool was not for sale.

“I can spare my other tools but I cannot spare this one. It is the most useful implement that I have. It is called Discouragement, and with it I can work my way into hearts otherwise inaccessible. When I get this tool into a man’s heart, the way is open to plant anything there that I may desire.”

   I believe there is no need for a Webster definition of what discouragement is, as we all are so familiar with its bite, with its vacuum of power and hope, with the dark colored glasses through which life seems impossible and gloom. The Bible is even peppered with stories of men and women otherwise full of faith who have fallen prey to its despair. One of the most popular sources of discouragement for a Christian is the world around us, the very world to which Christ is sending us to testify about God’s kingdom. By enlarge this world seems to not care about Christ at all rendering us fearful to share the single greatest good news the world has ever been told. We forget then, that others have walked in this path and through faith conquered the world for Christ.

   Think of Paul, and think of Corinth. We are discouraged by the society we live in and by its obsession with self and sexual expression and we fail to see the fact that this is not new. They say that prostitution is the world’s oldest profession and it only makes sense that something God created so wonderfully in a fallen world has become a commodity desired by all. God created our bodies and created female from male, wouldn’t that be enough to make one realize that it would be the very thing the devil will attack?

   Think of Paul, and think of Corinth. This place worshipped beauty and its sexual expression. The temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, the sexual expression of it, that is, sat high atop the city of Corinth. In it no less than one thousand priestesses engaged daily in worship through sexual intercourse with those who came to bring their offerings to the goddess. In those times, all across the Roman Empire and the world there was a nickname for those wicked in sexual immorality; they were called Corinthians.

   Looking around at our society I would say we have still a good long way to go down to get there. Even the gay and lesbian movement is nothing new at all, we probably would do well to remember that the very name lesbian comes from the name of the Greek island of Lesbos where same sex relationships were not the exception.

   How much work was there to be done? Is there any doubt that the task ahead of Paul must have seemed overwhelming? How could one man accomplish the task? How can one congregation such as Troy make a difference, a positive impact in this neighborhood and this city?

   Read Acts 18:1-10